On probation! · Traders' Mindset

On probation!

In Germany (and broadly in the EU):If you're trading a real-money account funded by a firm, that can be considered asset management or a regulated financial service.And that usually means: You or the firm need a license (e.g. from BaFin in Germany). If you're trading real money without a licensed setup, you could actually be violating financial laws – even if you're not aware of it.

That’s why most prop firms still use the demo+profit split model – to stay out of that legal grey area.

In the US:It’s similar – managing or trading real capital generally falls under SEC/CFTC regulations.Unless the firm is properly registered, or you’re employed/contracted in a compliant way, it's risky.

Bottom line:Getting access to a real live account sounds great – but the legal side really matters now.If the firm isn’t licensed in your country, and you're trading actual funds, it could be seen as unauthorized asset management.

Would be great to hear if anyone here is already on a real-money setup and how the legal side was handled.

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