Question 1

Monthly Cash Performance Award — Official Rules

Accepted Answer

Eligibility: you must hold an active membership for the entire calendar month (Standard is free; Premium is paid), have accepted the educational training terms, and reside in a jurisdiction where paid educational evaluations with cash awards are permitted. Lapsed, refunded, or canceled-mid-month memberships are not eligible. Judging: winners are determined strictly by final simulated P&L on the TSA simulator over the Monthly Tournament window — highest ending equity ranks #1, next highest #2, and so on. There are no judges, multipliers, or discretionary scoring. Ties are broken by lowest peak drawdown, then earliest qualifying entry. Payout: top finishers receive FREE ENTRY tickets to June Daily Cash and Globex Cash tournaments ($10 value each), credited to your in-app ticket wallet after the monthly settlement tick. Admins may withhold a payout for cause (suspected manipulation, ineligibility, or technical error).

Question 2

What is the Monthly Cash Bonus?

Accepted Answer

The Monthly Cash Bonus is a real-cash educational award paid to top finishers of the Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament — a 30-day skill assessment run on TSA's market simulator. Although all trading is simulated, the bonus itself is paid in real USD and credited to your in-app wallet, where it can be withdrawn or applied to future entries.

Question 3

Who is eligible for the Monthly Cash Bonus?

Accepted Answer

You must (1) hold an active membership in good standing (Standard is free; Premium is paid), (2) have accepted the educational training terms, and (3) reside in a jurisdiction where paid educational evaluations with cash scholarships are permitted. It is your responsibility to verify your local laws before enrolling.

Question 4

How do I qualify for a seat in the Monthly Cash Bonus Tournament?

Accepted Answer

There are three qualification paths: (1) finish in the top 10 of the Monthly Leaderboard (combined Daily Tournament PnL/ROI for the calendar month) to earn a free entry, (2) redeem an Arena Ticket earned by finishing in the top 20% of any Daily Tournament, or (3) hold a Premium membership, which includes one free monthly entry every calendar month with no qualifier required.

Question 5

What is the timeline for each Monthly Cash Bonus cycle?

Accepted Answer

Each cycle runs for 30 consecutive days, opening at 00:00 UTC on the 1st of the calendar month and settling at 23:59:59 UTC on the last day of the month. Qualification through Daily Tournaments happens throughout the previous month. Entries open in the days leading up to the 1st and close once the tournament goes live — no mid-cycle joins. Final standings are reviewed and approved payouts are credited to wallets within several business days after settlement.

Question 6

What do I win and how are prizes distributed?

Accepted Answer

Top finishers in the Monthly Cash Bonus Tournament receive FREE ENTRY tickets to upcoming Daily Cash and Globex Cash tournaments ($10 value each), credited to your in-app ticket wallet after the monthly settlement tick. The remaining net pool is distributed as Educational Trading Grants to the next 15% of finishers using a declining-tier weighting — higher places receive a larger share. Ticket counts per place are published in advance for each cycle.

Question 7

How and when is the Monthly Cash Bonus paid out?

Accepted Answer

Cash bonuses are not paid automatically. After settlement, final standings are reviewed and each payout is approved by an administrator before being credited to your in-app wallet. Admins may approve, adjust, or withhold a payout for cause (e.g., suspected manipulation, ineligibility, or technical error). Once approved, funds appear in your wallet and can be withdrawn or applied toward future entries from the Wallet page.

Question 8

Are the Monthly Cash Bonuses gambling winnings?

Accepted Answer

No. All payouts are education cash bonus rewards based on members' performance in the simulator — discretionary educational awards, not winnings from a wager. The educational cash bonus reward budget is funded from a portion of membership fees allocated to the educational program. Eligibility is restricted in jurisdictions where paid educational evaluations with cash scholarships are not permitted.

Question 9

What is a Daily Tournament?

Accepted Answer

A daily skill assessment on the FTA simulator that runs during regular U.S. trading hours, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET. You start with a virtual $100,000 account and trade simulated futures against other entrants. Standings are scored strictly by ending equity at settlement — there are no judges, multipliers, or bonus points.

Question 10

Who can enter a Daily Tournament?

Accepted Answer

Any Standard or Premium member who has accepted the educational training terms. Standard members get one Daily Tournament entry per calendar day; Premium members get unlimited entries.

Question 11

Is there a cash prize for finishing first in a Daily Tournament?

Accepted Answer

Not in the free Daily Tournament — it's a skill qualifier and the reward is an Arena Ticket for the top 20% of finishers (see Arena Ticket rules below). If you want to play for cash, enter the separate $10 Cash Daily Tournament that runs alongside it (see below).

Question 12

What is the $10 Cash Daily Tournament?

Accepted Answer

A separate paid event that runs alongside the free Daily Tournament during the same window (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET). Entry is $10 and participants compete for an Educational Cash Bonus awarded based on performance at settlement. It does not replace the free Daily Tournament — you can enter either, both, or neither.

Question 13

Is there a $10 Cash Globex (Nightly) Tournament?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A $10 Cash Globex Tournament runs alongside the free overnight Globex session on the same 6:00 PM ET → 9:00 AM ET schedule, with an Educational Cash Bonus paid out based on performance. The free Nightly (Globex) tournament itself is not a cash event — only the separate $10 entry version pays out.

Question 14

What is a Sit-n-Go (SNG)?

Accepted Answer

A 3-player $10 cash table that starts the moment the third seat is filled — no schedule, no waiting for a window to open. The session runs for one hour, the highest ending equity wins, and the winner's payout is shown right on the table card before you sit down. There's always at least one open table in the lobby; if a table sits with one or two players for more than 5 minutes, a house bot funded by the platform fills the remaining seat so play can begin.

Question 15

How do Sit-n-Go entries work?

Accepted Answer

Buy-in is $10, paid from your Lovable wallet at the moment you take a seat. If the table never starts you are automatically refunded. The buy-in is non-refundable once the third seat is locked and the table goes live. Open a Sit-n-Go from the SNG lobby on your dashboard.

Question 16

Are there limits on how many contracts I can trade?

Accepted Answer

No. Unlike prop funding firms, tournament participants are not limited by the number of contracts they can trade. You may trade as many contracts as you like, as long as you stay within the margin requirements of your simulated account — similar to trading with your own brokerage.

Question 17

What is a MAR (Risk-Adjusted) Tournament?

Accepted Answer

A MAR tournament ranks traders by the MAR ratio — net return divided by maximum peak-to-trough drawdown — instead of by raw ending equity. In plain English: who made the most while risking the least. A trader who grinds out +$1,200 with only a $300 drawdown beats a trader who ends at +$3,000 after blowing through a $4,000 drawdown, because the first trader earned every dollar with tighter risk control. This format rewards disciplined position sizing, stop placement, and equity-curve smoothness rather than YOLO swings on a $10 buy-in.

Question 18

Why does the CMT Association use MAR-style scoring?

Accepted Answer

The CMT Association — the global body behind the Chartered Market Technician credential — runs its simulator competitions on risk-adjusted return rather than absolute P&L for exactly this reason: it teaches and identifies the best risk managers, not the luckiest gamblers. Absolute-return contests reward whoever risks the most and gets lucky once. Risk-adjusted scoring keeps the playing field fair across symbols, account sizes, and volatility regimes — a futures scalper trading MES and a swing trader holding ES overnight can be compared on the same scale. That's the same standard professional allocators use when evaluating CTAs and hedge funds, and it's the standard the CMT trains its candidates to meet.

Question 19

How will MAR tournaments be offered on Trading Syndicate Arena?

Accepted Answer

MAR scoring will be available as an opt-in tournament format. Equity-based tournaments (Daily, Globex, SNG, Monthly) continue exactly as today — payouts are determined by ending equity. Specific events will be flagged in advance as MAR tournaments, where the official standings and prize distribution are driven by the MAR ratio. Every tournament will also let you toggle between an Equity view and a MAR view of the leaderboard for informational purposes, even when the official scoring is one or the other.

Question 20

How do I qualify through Daily Tournaments?

Accepted Answer

Enter any Daily Tournament and finish in the top 20% by ending equity at settlement. Each qualifying finish issues you one Arena Ticket good for a free seat in the next Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament. In tournaments with fewer than five entrants, only the #1 finisher qualifies.

Question 21

How do I qualify for the Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament?

Accepted Answer

There are three paths: (1) finish in the top 10 of the monthly leaderboard for combined Daily Tournament PnL/ROI to earn a free entry, (2) redeem an Arena Ticket earned from a top-20% Daily Tournament finish, or (3) hold a Premium membership, which includes one monthly entry per calendar month with no qualifier required.

Question 22

When does the monthly leaderboard reset?

Accepted Answer

The leaderboard tracks combined PnL and ROI across this calendar month's Daily Tournaments and resets fresh at 00:00 UTC on the 1st of each month. Top 10 finishers at month-end receive a free entry into the next Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament.

Question 23

How are Arena Tickets issued?

Accepted Answer

Tickets are issued automatically at Daily Tournament settlement. The top 20% of finishers — ranked strictly by ending equity — each receive one ticket. In tournaments with fewer than five entrants, only the #1 finisher qualifies. Issued tickets appear in your account immediately on the Evaluations page.

Question 24

How do I redeem an Arena Ticket?

Accepted Answer

Open the Evaluations page, find any open or upcoming Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament, and choose 'Claim earned monthly entry'. The ticket is consumed automatically and your seat is reserved — no payment required.

Question 25

Where can I see my Arena Tickets?

Accepted Answer

Your current ticket count is shown at the top of the Evaluations page next to your wallet balance. Each ticket shows its issue date and expiry so you know when to use it.

Question 26

How long is an Arena Ticket valid?

Accepted Answer

Tickets expire 60 days after they are issued. You can redeem your ticket against any open or upcoming Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament within that window.

Question 27

Can I hold multiple Arena Tickets?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tickets accumulate in your account and are redeemed one at a time. Premium members can also use their included monthly entry alongside ticket-based entries.

Question 28

When do Daily Tournaments start and end?

Accepted Answer

Each Daily Tournament runs during regular U.S. trading hours, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday (excluding U.S. market holidays). A new Daily Tournament opens at 9:30 AM ET on each trading day and settles at the 4:00 PM ET close. Entries close at settlement and the next tournament opens at the following session's open.

Question 29

When does the monthly leaderboard reset?

Accepted Answer

The monthly leaderboard tracks combined Daily Tournament PnL and ROI for the current calendar month. It resets to zero at 00:00 UTC on the 1st of each month. The top 10 standings at month-end earn a free entry into the next Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament.

Question 30

When does the Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament run?

Accepted Answer

Each Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament runs for 30 consecutive days starting at 00:00 UTC on the 1st of the calendar month and settling at 23:59:59 UTC on the last day of the month. Entries open during the upcoming window and close once the tournament goes live — new participants cannot join mid-cycle.

Question 31

What happens during the 30-day Monthly Cash Bonus Tournament?

Accepted Answer

Equity is marked to market on every price tick. Standings update in real time so you can see your placement throughout the cycle. At the scheduled end time, all open positions are auto-closed at the last simulated price and final standings are locked.

Question 32

What happens after each settlement?

Accepted Answer

Daily Tournaments: standings lock at the 4:00 PM ET market close, Arena Tickets are issued to top finishers, and a new Daily Tournament opens at 9:30 AM ET on the next U.S. trading day (Monday through Friday, excluding U.S. market holidays). Monthly Cash Bonus Tournament: final equity is recorded, cash Performance Bonuses and Educational Trading Grants are credited to winners' wallets, the monthly leaderboard resets, and the next Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament begins on the 1st of the next month.

Question 33

What rewards can top performers earn?

Accepted Answer

Top performers earn two kinds of rewards: free seats and cash. Free seats (called Arena Tickets or monthly entries) are awarded for strong Daily Tournament finishes and for placing in the top 10 of the monthly leaderboard. Cash rewards — Performance Bonuses and Educational Trading Grants — are paid out only at the end of the Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament.

Question 34

How is a free seat in the Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament determined?

Accepted Answer

Free entries are determined strictly by ranked performance, not random selection. You can earn a seat in three ways: finish in the top 20% of any Daily Tournament (issues an Arena Ticket valid for 60 days), finish in the top 10 of the monthly leaderboard for combined Daily Tournament PnL/ROI (auto-issues a free entry at month-end), or hold a Premium membership (includes one free monthly entry per calendar month).

Question 35

How are prizes distributed at the end of the month?

Accepted Answer

Final standings are locked at settlement based on ending equity. Top finishers receive FREE ENTRY tickets to upcoming Daily Cash and Globex Cash tournaments ($10 value each), credited to your in-app ticket wallet after the monthly settlement tick. The remaining net pool is distributed as Educational Trading Grants to the next 15% of finishers using a declining-tier weighting — higher places receive a larger share.

Question 36

How and when do I receive my reward?

Accepted Answer

Free seats appear in your account immediately on the Evaluations page as Arena Tickets or monthly entries. Cash Performance Bonuses are not paid automatically — at the end of the Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament, final standings are reviewed and each payout is approved by an administrator before being credited to your in-app wallet. Admins may approve, adjust, or withhold a payout for cause (e.g., suspected manipulation, ineligibility, or technical error). Once approved, funds appear in your wallet and can be withdrawn or applied toward future entries from the Wallet page. All payouts are discretionary educational awards for skill-based performance — they are not winnings from a wager.

Question 37

How is the Cash Performance Bonus funded?

Accepted Answer

The Monthly Cash Performance Bonus is funded from a portion of the Premium membership fees that is allocated to the platform's educational marketing budget. It is not funded by Daily Tournament entry fees or by any form of pooled wagering. Award amounts are published in advance for each cycle.

Question 38

Are entry fees refundable?

Accepted Answer

No. Premium access fees, and any tournament entry fees, pay for the curriculum, simulator infrastructure, and platform operations. Once a Daily Tournament or Monthly Cash Performance Bonus Tournament cycle has begun, the fee is non-refundable.

FAQ & Trading Syndicate Calendar

Jul 2026 · Tournament Schedule

Monthly Cash Bonus

Daily Tournaments

Risk-Adjusted (MAR) Tournaments

Daily & Monthly Educational Tournaments

Arena Ticket rules

Tournament schedule & resets

How Rewards Work

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