FTMO splits across two evaluation paths (1-Step and 2-Step) with rules that differ meaningfully — 3% vs 5% daily loss, 10% trailing vs 10% static max loss, and a 50% Best Day rule on Funded payouts. Full rule breakdown in my FTMO rules guide, or read my complete FTMO review. Sign up at FTMO or check the Help Center.
FTMO's instrument range, as of May 2026, covers five asset classes: Forex pairs (majors, minors, and exotics), global equity indices as CFDs, commodities (crude oil and natural gas), metals (Gold and Silver), and a small suite of crypto CFDs. What it does not cover is equally important: there are no futures contracts, no individual stocks, no bonds, and no ETFs. FTMO is a Forex and CFD-model firm. Every instrument on the platform is a CFD. That distinction matters because it determines what trading styles, strategies, and workflows are viable.
Paul has traded FTMO for around four years and scalps the 1-Step Challenge on Standard accounts at $50K and $100K. For him, the instrument question comes down to Forex majors, Gold, and key indices. Those are the core CFD markets FTMO was built around. If you are a futures trader looking for NQ or CL access, FTMO is not the answer. If you trade Forex and multi-asset CFDs, the coverage is deep enough that most professional strategies map directly onto the available symbol list.
The sections below break down each asset class, explain what is and isn't available, and flag where the platform choice (MT4 versus MT5 versus cTrader) affects what you can actually trade. Where specific details like exact exotic pair counts, spread values, or trading hours are JavaScript-rendered at ftmo.com/en/symbols/ and therefore subject to change, the article notes it and directs you to verify directly. Better a hedged fact than a confident wrong one.
Which instruments can you trade at FTMO?
The full FTMO instrument offering spans five categories. The table below shows each asset class, whether it is supported, and the key caveats to know.
| Asset Class | Supported | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Forex majors | Yes | EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CHF, AUD/USD, USD/CAD, NZD/USD (full coverage) |
| Forex minors | Yes | EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY, AUD/JPY, and others (full standard minor set) |
| Forex exotics | Yes (with caveats) | Includes EM currencies (ZAR, TRY, NOK, etc.); wider spreads; some MT4 gaps |
| Equity indices (CFD) | Yes | US30, NAS100, SPX500, GER40, UK100, FRA40, and more |
| Commodities | Yes | Crude oil (WTI, Brent) and natural gas as CFDs |
| Metals | Yes | XAUUSD (Gold) and XAGUSD (Silver) |
| Crypto CFDs | Yes (limited) | BTC/USD and ETH/USD confirmed; variable hours; check availability |
| Futures | No | No exchange-listed futures of any kind |
| Individual stocks | No | No equity CFDs on individual companies |
| Bonds / ETFs | No | Not part of the FTMO product offering |
| Synthetic CFDs | No | No basket or synthetic instruments |
The "no futures" item is a hard product boundary, not a regulatory gray area that varies by jurisdiction. FTMO is CFD infrastructure all the way through. If you need the actual futures contract on Gold or Crude, you are looking at a different firm and a different regulatory structure.
For the current full list with spreads and trading hours, go to ftmo.com/en/symbols/. That page updates with product changes and is the authoritative source.
What's the Forex coverage?
Forex is FTMO's core market. The platform was built on Forex, and the symbol list reflects that. As of May 2026, FTMO covers 28 or more Forex pairs across all three tiers.
Major pairs include everything a systematic or discretionary Forex trader needs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CHF, AUD/USD, USD/CAD, and NZD/USD. These trade with tight spreads across all three platforms (MT4, MT5, and cTrader) and have full liquidity during London and New York sessions.
Minor pairs extend the list to crosses that exclude USD: EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY, AUD/JPY, GBP/AUD, EUR/AUD, CHF/JPY, and a range of others. All of these are available and tradeable without restriction under Standard account rules during non-news periods.
Exotic pairs are where FTMO's list gets longer and the caveats accumulate. Pairs involving the South African Rand (ZAR), Turkish Lira (TRY), Norwegian Krone (NOK), Swedish Krona (SEK), Polish Zloty (PLN), Hungarian Forint (HUF), and others are available on MT5 and cTrader. MT4's older architecture means it doesn't carry the full exotic list. Spreads on exotics are meaningfully wider than on majors, and liquidity thins out outside the relevant regional trading sessions.
If you trade a strategy that depends on a specific exotic pair, check it against the FTMO symbol page before buying a challenge. Don't assume availability based on the major list.
What's the indices coverage?
FTMO offers the primary global equity indices as CFDs. These are cash-settled CFD instruments tied to the underlying index price, not futures contracts.
Confirmed instruments include:
- US30 (Dow Jones Industrial Average)
- NAS100 (Nasdaq 100)
- SPX500 (S&P 500)
- GER40 (Germany DAX 40)
- UK100 (FTSE 100)
- FRA40 (CAC 40)
- Additional European and Asia-Pacific indices; check ftmo.com/en/symbols/ for the current full list
Index CFDs trade during their respective cash-market sessions with a gap around the daily close. The US indices (NAS100, US30, SPX500) follow New York exchange hours roughly. GER40 follows Frankfurt. Weekend and pre/post-market trading is generally not available on equity index CFDs at FTMO.
The Standard account news restriction on the funded FTMO Account applies to Forex majors specifically, but traders running index strategies on events like FOMC or CPI announcements should check FTMO's current trading conditions. High-impact macro events move indices as well.
More on the account-type structure is in the FTMO accounts overview and FTMO rules overview.
What about commodities?
FTMO offers crude oil and natural gas as CFDs. The available instruments typically include WTI (West Texas Intermediate) and Brent crude oil contracts, plus natural gas.
These are CFD representations of the underlying commodity prices, priced off the front-month futures contract but without the delivery mechanics of a real futures position. The spread is wider than Forex majors, and trading hours are tied to the underlying commodity exchange schedule rather than the 24-hour Forex session.
Agricultural commodities (wheat, corn, soybeans) are not available at FTMO. Neither are softs (coffee, sugar, cocoa). If commodity breadth beyond energy matters to your strategy, FTMO is probably not the right platform. For traders who want oil and gas exposure as part of a multi-asset Forex approach, the coverage is adequate.
For verified current spread and lot size specifications, check ftmo.com/en/symbols/.
What metals are tradeable?
Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) are both available at FTMO.
Gold is one of the most actively traded instruments on the platform, and for good reason. It's highly liquid, correlates strongly with USD moves and macro sentiment, and fits naturally alongside Forex strategies. Spreads on XAUUSD at FTMO are competitive. XAGUSD carries a wider spread than Gold but is fully accessible.
Both metals trade roughly in line with Forex market hours: Sunday 22:00 UTC to Friday 21:00 UTC with a brief daily maintenance break. Weekend availability is not guaranteed; check the platform before holding a metals position into Friday close if your strategy has weekend exposure concerns.
If you are scalping or swing trading Gold as a primary instrument, FTMO's 1-Step Challenge (which Paul trades) works well for that. The daily loss limit and trailing max loss on the 1-Step apply equally to Gold positions as to Forex trades. There is no special metals-specific rule beyond the standard account framework.
Details on the 1-Step rules that apply to all instruments are in the FTMO rules overview and the FTMO 1-Step Challenge breakdown.
What crypto is supported at FTMO?
Crypto at FTMO is available as CFDs, primarily BTC/USD (Bitcoin against USD) and ETH/USD (Ethereum against USD). Additional pairs may be available depending on the platform and current product state; verify at ftmo.com/en/symbols/.
A few things to be clear about. These are CFDs, not native crypto. You are not holding Bitcoin; you are holding a contract priced off Bitcoin's spot value. That matters for traders who care about custody or want to trade crypto outside market hours. This is a CFD overlay on Forex infrastructure, not a crypto-native product.
Trading hours for crypto CFDs at FTMO are variable. The platform runs weekend crypto sessions but gaps for maintenance and volatility events can interrupt access. Don't assume 24/7 availability. Check the trading hours listed on the platform or at ftmo.com/en/symbols/ before building a crypto strategy that depends on continuous market access.
Crypto CFDs on FTMO also carry wider spreads than Forex majors. Position sizing and risk management need to account for that, especially on Standard accounts where the 1-Step's 3% daily loss limit is tight.
Worth noting: FTMO invested in Zerohash (a crypto payments infrastructure firm) in October 2025, suggesting the firm is building toward expanded crypto payout rails. Whether that translates into broader crypto trading coverage is unconfirmed as of May 2026. More on FTMO's expanding infrastructure is in the FTMO payout rules guide.
Are there platform-specific instrument differences?
Yes, and this matters if you have a specific instrument you need.
MT4 is FTMO's legacy platform. It works and is widely trusted, but MetaTrader 4's architecture limits the number of instruments a server can deploy simultaneously. In practice, this means MT4 at FTMO has a smaller symbol list than MT5 or cTrader. The major Forex pairs, Gold, Silver, and the main indices are available on MT4. Exotic Forex pairs and some specialty instruments may not be. If you trade exotics or niche commodity instruments, confirm availability on MT4 before committing.
MT5 is FTMO's current primary platform and the one recommended for most traders. It supports the full FTMO instrument range and has native support for more asset types than MT4. MT5 is also the platform FTMO used for its US relaunch in August 2025. It is the only prop firm offering MT5 to US traders. Full multi-asset access, including the broader exotic Forex list and all indices, is most reliably available here.
cTrader offers the same broad symbol access as MT5 and adds the cTrader Automate and Open API for algorithm traders who prefer C# or Python-based automation. The instrument list on cTrader mirrors MT5 in most respects. If your strategy is automated and you are comfortable with cTrader's ecosystem, the instrument access is not a reason to avoid it.
The FTMO platforms guide covers the full platform comparison including technical specifications and automation capabilities.
What's NOT tradeable at FTMO?
This is the list that matters most if you are coming from a different prop firm structure.
No futures. FTMO does not offer exchange-listed futures contracts. No ES, NQ, RTY, YM (equity index futures). No CL, NG, GC futures (commodity and metals futures). No ZB, ZN (interest rate futures). This is a firm product-positioning decision, not a regulatory restriction that varies by country. FTMO covers the same underlying markets through CFDs. You get Gold CFD, not the COMEX futures contract.
No individual stocks. There are no equity CFDs on individual companies at FTMO. No AAPL, TSLA, NVDA, or similar instruments. If you trade earnings or stock-specific events, FTMO is not the right vehicle. Index CFDs (NAS100, US30) give broad market exposure but not individual stock exposure.
No bonds. No government bond instruments, no Treasury CFDs.
No ETFs. FTMO does not offer ETF instruments.
No synthetic or basket CFDs. No custom baskets, no synthetic currency indices beyond what the underlying Forex pairs provide.
This scope is appropriate for the firm's positioning as a Forex and multi-asset CFD platform. It's not a criticism. FTMO does the instruments it offers very well. But if your entire trading edge sits in futures or individual stocks, you need a different firm.
How do news periods restrict instruments on Standard accounts?
This only applies to the funded FTMO Account stage, and only to Standard accounts. During evaluation, news restrictions do not apply.
On a Standard FTMO Account (funded stage), FTMO requires that all positions are closed during high-impact macro releases. The core affected instruments are Forex majors, since they react most directly to events like US Non-Farm Payrolls, CPI releases, FOMC rate decisions, and ECB announcements. GBP/USD and EUR/USD are the obvious ones on NFP day. USD/JPY moves hard on Bank of Japan decisions.
The restriction works as a pre-defined window around the event, not a real-time volatility trigger. FTMO publishes its event calendar and traders on Standard accounts are expected to know which releases require flat positions. Holding through a restricted release violates the trading conditions.
Indices, Gold, and commodities are not explicitly restricted by name in the Standard account news rule, but macro events move all of these instruments. A FOMC decision that hammers USD/JPY will also move NAS100 and Gold. The distinction between "instrument restricted" and "instrument heavily affected by news" is real, but it doesn't make trading NAS100 through FOMC consequence-free on Standard accounts from a pure risk management perspective.
Swing accounts have none of this. On a Swing account, news trading is permitted at any stage without restriction. Traders who run news-event strategies, macro discretionary, or hold positions through economic releases should select Swing at signup. The choice between Standard and Swing locks in at account creation and cannot be changed.
More on how Standard versus Swing variants differ across the full rule set is in the FTMO rules overview and the FTMO 2-Step Challenge breakdown.
How does FTMO compare to peers on instrument breadth?
FTMO's instrument coverage is solid by Forex prop firm standards. Here's how it sits against The5ers and FundingPips.
| Category | FTMO | The5ers | FundingPips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex pairs | 28+ (majors, minors, exotics) | 50+ pairs (multi-asset strong) | 70+ pairs claimed |
| Indices | Major global (US, EU, UK, others) | Major global indices | Major global indices |
| Metals | Gold, Silver (CFD) | Gold, Silver (CFD) | Gold, Silver (CFD) |
| Commodities | Oil, Natural gas | Oil + broader commodities | Oil + others |
| Crypto CFDs | BTC/USD, ETH/USD | Select pairs | Broader crypto list |
| Futures | No | No (Futures path is separate) | No |
| Individual stocks | No | No | No |
A few notes on that table. The5ers has a Black Arrow track for Futures-tested traders and a separate Forex/CFD path; the instrument list and rules differ between them. Paul tested the Futures Black Arrow path and withdrew $9K+ across multiple eval passes. That comparison is in the FTMO vs The5ers article.
FundingPips advertises a large Forex pair count but as a newer UAE-based firm, independent verification of live spread quality on all claimed instruments is harder. FTMO's symbol list has been stable for years and the OANDA acquisition (completed December 2025) puts FTMO's infrastructure on a regulated brokerage foundation that FundingPips cannot match from a counterparty-reliability standpoint.
For traders who care specifically about instrument breadth at the CFD level, all three firms cover the core professional Forex + metals + indices suite. The differences are at the margins: exotic Forex depth, commodity range, and crypto scope. FTMO holds its own on all three core categories.
More context on FTMO's positioning and why the OANDA deal matters to instrument reliability is in the FTMO main review and the FTMO trust and legitimacy guide.
The bottom line
FTMO's instrument universe, as of May 2026, covers what professional Forex and CFD traders need: 28+ Forex pairs including a solid exotic range, major global equity indices, Gold and Silver, oil and natural gas, and Bitcoin and Ethereum as crypto CFDs. The hard limits are no futures, no individual stocks, no bonds, and no ETFs. That's not a weakness; it's a deliberate product boundary that reflects what FTMO was built for.
Platform matters. MT5 and cTrader carry the full symbol list. MT4 is narrower. If exotics or certain commodity instruments are part of your strategy, confirm availability on your chosen platform before purchasing a challenge.
News restrictions only apply to Standard accounts at the funded stage, primarily affecting Forex majors. Swing accounts trade through news freely. Paul scalps the 1-Step on Standard accounts, which means he works around the news calendar rather than through it. The approach works fine on Forex majors and Gold as long as you know which releases require flat positions.
The OANDA acquisition that completed in December 2025 strengthens the counterparty infrastructure behind FTMO's symbol list. You are trading CFDs against a firm that now owns a decades-old regulated broker with serious risk management infrastructure. That matters more than a slightly longer exotic Forex list.
For current symbol specifications, spreads, lot sizes, and trading hours, verify at ftmo.com/en/symbols/ directly. That page is the live authoritative source.
If you are ready to trade, the affiliate link is in the FTMO main review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What instruments can you trade at FTMO?
FTMO supports Forex pairs (majors, minors, and a range of exotics), global equity indices as CFDs (including US30, NAS100, SPX500, GER40, UK100, FRA40, and others), commodities (crude oil and natural gas), metals (XAUUSD and XAGUSD), and crypto CFDs (primarily BTC/USD and ETH/USD). FTMO does not offer futures, individual stocks, bonds, ETFs, or synthetic CFDs. The complete current symbol list is at ftmo.com/en/symbols/.
Does FTMO offer futures trading?
No. FTMO is a Forex and CFD-model prop firm. It does not offer exchange-listed futures contracts of any kind: not equity index futures (ES, NQ), commodity futures (CL, GC), or interest rate futures. The same underlying markets are available at FTMO through CFDs rather than futures. For futures-specific prop evaluation, you would need to look at a different firm type.
What Forex pairs are available at FTMO?
FTMO covers 28 or more Forex pairs as of May 2026 across all major pairs (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CHF, AUD/USD, USD/CAD, NZD/USD), a full set of minors, and a selection of exotics including EM currencies. MT4 may not carry the full exotic list due to architecture constraints. MT5 and cTrader provide the broadest Forex coverage. Verify the current list and spreads at ftmo.com/en/symbols/.
Which indices are tradeable at FTMO?
Confirmed index CFDs include US30, NAS100, SPX500, GER40, UK100, and FRA40, plus additional European and Asia-Pacific indices. Index CFDs trade during cash-market hours for the underlying exchange. The full current list with trading hours is at ftmo.com/en/symbols/.
Can you trade Gold and Silver at FTMO?
Yes. XAUUSD (Gold) and XAGUSD (Silver) are available on all account types and across MT4, MT5, and cTrader. Gold is one of the most actively traded instruments on the FTMO platform. Both metals trade within the standard Forex market session with a brief daily maintenance break. Check spread and lot size specifications at ftmo.com/en/symbols/.
Is crypto available at FTMO?
Yes, but as CFDs with limited scope. BTC/USD and ETH/USD are the primary crypto instruments. Additional pairs may be available depending on platform. Crypto CFDs have variable trading hours including weekend sessions, but access is not guaranteed 24/7. Spreads are wider than on Forex majors. Verify current availability and hours at ftmo.com/en/symbols/ before building a crypto-specific strategy.
Are there instrument differences between MT4, MT5, and cTrader at FTMO?
Yes. MT4 has a smaller symbol list than MT5 or cTrader due to architecture limitations. MT5 and cTrader both support the full FTMO instrument range. If you need access to exotic Forex pairs or certain specialty instruments, confirm availability on your chosen platform before purchasing a challenge. The FTMO platforms guide covers the full platform comparison.
What instruments are restricted on Standard accounts during news?
On Standard accounts at the funded FTMO Account stage, positions must be closed through high-impact macro releases. Forex majors (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, etc.) are the primary affected instruments, as they react most directly to events like NFP, CPI, FOMC, and ECB decisions. Swing accounts have no news restriction at any stage. The Standard versus Swing choice locks in at account creation.
Does FTMO offer oil and gas trading?
Yes. Crude oil (WTI and Brent) and natural gas are available as CFDs at FTMO. These are not futures contracts. Trading hours are tied to the underlying commodity exchange schedule. Spreads are wider than Forex majors. Agricultural commodities are not available. Check current specifications at ftmo.com/en/symbols/.
How does FTMO's instrument range compare to The5ers or FundingPips?
All three firms cover the core Forex, metals, and index suite that professional CFD traders need. FTMO's coverage is well-established and now backed by OANDA's regulated broker infrastructure after the December 2025 acquisition. The5ers has comparable Forex and metals depth. FundingPips advertises a broader pair count. None of the three offer futures. Individual stock CFDs are absent across all three. For the professional Forex and multi-asset trader, all three are viable from an instrument standpoint; the real differentiators are rules, pricing, and payout structure. See the FTMO vs The5ers comparison for a detailed head-to-head.
Can I trade exotic Forex pairs on all FTMO account types?
Exotic pairs are available at FTMO but with caveats. Wider spreads, lower liquidity windows, and MT4 coverage gaps affect exotics more than majors. MT5 and cTrader carry the broader exotic Forex list. If your strategy depends on a specific exotic, verify it is listed at ftmo.com/en/symbols/ and confirm the spread is viable for your approach before purchasing a challenge.
What markets are NOT available at FTMO?
FTMO does not offer individual stocks, exchange-listed futures of any kind, bonds, ETFs, or synthetic/basket CFDs. This is a deliberate product scope decision. FTMO is a Forex and multi-asset CFD firm, and its instrument range reflects that positioning. For futures or equity-specific prop evaluation, a different firm structure is required.