Firm Intel & Review
City Traders Imperium: UAE-Based CFD Prop Firm Since 2018
City Traders Imperium (CTI) is a CFD prop trading firm based in the United Arab Emirates, established in July 2018. CTI has expanded beyond a typical prop firm to also operate CTI Markets, its own regulated brokerage arm, making it one of the few firms in the sector to be both a prop firm and a licensed broker. The firm offers Instant Funding, 1-Step, and 2-Step evaluation programs with account sizes starting from $2,500.
Account sizes range from $2,500 to $100,000 on evaluation programs; Instant Funding reaches up to $40,000. Pricing examples: Instant 40K at $741.30 (standard $1,059), Instant 20K at $391.30, Instant 10K at $216.30; 2-Step 100K at $482.30 (standard $689), 2-Step 50K at $314.30, 2-Step 25K at $174.30, 2-Step 10K at $97.30, 2-Step 5K at $48.30, 2-Step 2.5K at $34.30; 1-Step 10K at $76.30 (standard $109).
Platforms supported are Match Trader and MT5. Tradable instruments include FX, Metals, Indices, Energy, Crypto, and Other Commodities. Leverage is 1:30 for FX and 1:10 for Indices across all programs; Metals and Energy at 1:5; Crypto at 1:1. News trading is allowed without restrictions across all CTI programs. Weekend holding is permitted, including overnight positions — a standout policy for traders who hold longer-term positions.
Payout structure: 1-Step and 2-Step programs pay 80-100% split. The first payout is on demand; subsequent 1-Step and 2-Step payouts are monthly, switching to bi-weekly after the Instant account reaches 10% profit. The minimum payout is $100 or 2% net profit, whichever is higher. Minimum trading days required: 7 for funded 1-Step and 2-Step, 5 for Instant. Payout methods are Bank Transfer and Crypto; payments accepted via Apple Pay, Google Pay, Credit/Debit Card, Crypto, CTI Wallet, and Wire Transfer.
CTI stands out for unrestricted news trading, overnight and weekend holding, and the dual-status as both prop firm and regulated broker. Third-party EAs without source code ownership are not permitted (except on the 1-Step Challenge). Copy trading requires the CTI account to act as master; copying from external prop firms or personal accounts into a CTI account is prohibited. Account limits cap at 2x$100K for 1-Step and 2-Step, and 2x$80K for Instant programs.