Get to Know FundingPips: Company History, Mission & Trader Focus

FundingPips launched in late 2022 as a single-model prop firm with a simple premise: faster payouts, fairer rules, built by traders. Three years later, it's one of the top three most-searched prop firms globally, has paid out over $200 million, and serves traders in 195 countries.

But the path from startup to industry leader wasn't smooth. A near-death experience in February 2024, rapid model expansion, platform crises, and an industry-wide trust collapse have all shaped what FundingPips is today. Understanding this history tells you more about the firm's reliability than any marketing page.

Why I trade with FundingPips: I've been running FundingPips accounts across multiple challenges—passed evaluations, activated Master accounts, withdrawn profits through Tuesday Payday, and dealt with their support team. This assessment is based on real money in, real money out.

That said, no prop firm is perfect. FundingPips has strengths ($200M+ in payouts, static drawdown, flexible payout options) and weaknesses (funded-stage rule surprises, consistency requirements, $20 cTrader fee) that I've documented honestly. For a complete breakdown of their account types, pricing, and what to expect at each stage, read my full FundingPips accounts overview. For the absolute latest, check FundingPips' website or their FAQ section.

The Founding (August 2022)

FP Funding LLC was incorporated on August 25, 2022, in Dubai's IFZA (International Free Zone Authority) Business Park. Founder Khaled Ayesh, a Jordanian entrepreneur with a Finance degree from SRH Hochschule Berlin, launched FundingPips to address three problems he identified in the prop trading industry: slow payouts, poor transparency, and unreliable firms.

The initial offering was straightforward: a two-step evaluation model with competitive pricing and weekly payout processing. In an industry where 30+ day payout cycles were common, FundingPips' Tuesday Payday system was a differentiator. The firm processed payouts every Tuesday, typically completing withdrawals within 48 hours.

The "built by traders, for traders" positioning wasn't just marketing. Ayesh had spent years trading his own capital, including a period as a professional gold trader, before founding the company. His firsthand experience with the frustrations of retail trading informed the product design: static drawdowns instead of trailing, unlimited evaluation time, and no restrictions on trading style during evaluation.

Early Growth (2022-2023)

FundingPips grew rapidly in its first year through a combination of competitive pricing, fast payouts, and aggressive Discord community building. Key milestones:

Pricing advantage: Starting at $29 for a $5K 2-Step Pro account, FundingPips had some of the lowest entry fees in the industry. This made prop trading accessible to traders who couldn't afford the $300-$500 evaluation fees charged by established competitors.

Discord community explosion: The FundingPips Discord grew to over 100,000 members within the first year, creating a network effect where traders shared results, strategies, and testimonials that attracted more traders organically.

Trustpilot reputation building: FundingPips actively solicited reviews and maintained a 4.5/5 rating. In an industry plagued by fake reviews and suppressed complaints, the consistent positive feedback built credibility.

Platform partnerships: Initially offering cTrader and Match-Trader, FundingPips established relationships with platform providers and liquidity partners that would prove critical during the 2024 crisis.

The MetaQuotes Crisis (February 2024)

This was the defining moment in FundingPips' history—and the closest the firm came to collapse.

In February 2024, MetaQuotes (the company behind MetaTrader 4 and 5) cracked down on prop firms using MT5. The trigger was US-based accounts: MetaQuotes forced Blackbull Markets, which was providing MT5 access to FundingPips through a grey-label license, to terminate the relationship immediately.

FundingPips CEO Khaled Ayesh confirmed that MetaQuotes' decision came "due to active US accounts." The result was a complete service shutdown—not just for US traders, but for everyone. All funded accounts froze. Evaluations paused. The firm essentially went dark.

The trading community erupted. Discord channels filled with panic. Trustpilot was flooded with negative reviews. Competitors circled, marketing against FundingPips' reliability.

What happened next defined Ayesh's leadership: rather than collapsing (as several other prop firms did during the same crisis), FundingPips invested in its own MetaQuotes license, established new liquidity partnerships, and resumed full operations within weeks. US traders were redirected to cTrader and Match-Trader, while MT5 was restored for non-US/Canadian clients.

The crisis cost FundingPips significant trust and traders. But the recovery demonstrated something important: the firm had the financial resources and operational capability to survive an existential threat. Many smaller prop firms that faced the same MetaQuotes crackdown never recovered.

Post-Crisis Evolution (2024-2025)

After the MetaQuotes crisis, FundingPips made several strategic moves:

Model expansion: The firm introduced additional evaluation models beyond the original 2-Step: the 1-Step challenge, 2-Step Pro (budget option), and Zero (instant funding). This gave traders four distinct paths to funded accounts, each targeting different risk profiles and budgets.

MT5 reintroduction: In early 2025, FundingPips brought MT5 back to its platform—this time under its own license rather than a grey-label arrangement. The move made FundingPips one of the first prop firms to re-offer MT5 after the industry-wide disruption.

Scaling program launch: The Launchpad → Ascender → Trailblazer → Hot Seat scaling pathway gave funded traders a clear progression to larger capital, higher splits, and eventually $2 million in managed capital with 100% profit retention.

3 ISO accreditations: FundingPips obtained quality management certifications, signaling organizational maturity. While ISO certification doesn't regulate trading, it indicates standardized processes and operational discipline.

Industry awards: "Simulated Trading Evaluator of the Year — UAE 2024" (FDI Insider) and Diamond Sponsorship of IFX EXPO Dubai 2025 positioned FundingPips as an industry leader rather than a startup.

FundingPips Today (2025-2026)

As of early 2026, FundingPips' key metrics reflect its position as a major prop firm:

Payouts: $200M+ distributed across 127,000+ verified transactions (Payout Junction verified)

User base: 1.5M+ registered traders across 195 countries

Trustpilot: 4.5/5 from 45,000+ reviews

Discord: 163,000+ community members

Search presence: ~450,000 monthly branded Google searches (3rd globally among prop firms)

Platforms: MT5, cTrader (+$20), Match-Trader, TradeLocker

Account range: $5K to $100K with scaling to $2M

The firm has evolved from a single-model startup to a diversified prop trading platform offering four evaluation models, multiple platforms, flexible payout options, and a structured scaling pathway.

The Mission: Democratizing Trading

Ayesh has consistently articulated FundingPips' mission as making professional trading accessible to anyone with skill, regardless of their personal capital. This resonates in an industry where the barrier to entry has traditionally been high: trading a $50K account required $50K of your own money, which most aspiring traders don't have.

FundingPips' model—pay a $289 fee, prove your skill, trade a $50K funded account—removes the capital barrier while aligning incentives between firm and trader. The firm profits when traders profit (through the profit split). Traders access capital they couldn't otherwise afford. Both sides benefit from the trader's success.

Whether this mission translates to trader-friendly policies in practice is debatable. The funded-stage rule changes (news restrictions, consistency rules, lot size limits) that surprise many traders suggest a gap between mission marketing and operational reality. But the core model—evaluating skill and providing capital—remains sound and has clearly attracted millions of traders worldwide.

What This History Tells You

Survival matters. FundingPips survived the MetaQuotes crisis that killed smaller competitors. A firm that can weather an existential threat is more likely to be around when you need your payout.

Growth trajectory is positive. Steady growth from 0 to $200M in payouts over three years, with increasing institutional markers (ISO accreditations, industry sponsorships, media presence), suggests a firm building for longevity rather than short-term extraction.

Transparency has limits. Despite Ayesh's public visibility, FundingPips has faced legitimate criticism for rule opacity, especially the evaluation-to-funded rule changes. The firm is more transparent than most competitors, but "more transparent than most" is a low bar in the prop firm industry.

The firm continues to evolve. Four evaluation models, multiple platforms, scaling programs, and community investment indicate active development rather than stagnation. Firms that stop innovating in this competitive space don't survive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has FundingPips ever denied a legitimate payout?

FundingPips claims a record of "zero payout denials." Some traders have had payouts reduced (due to news trading violations) or accounts closed before payout (due to rule breaches discovered during processing). Whether these count as "denials" depends on your definition. The firm's position is that payouts for rule-compliant traders have never been denied.

What happened to traders' funded accounts during the 2024 shutdown?

Funded accounts were frozen during the MetaQuotes crisis. After FundingPips resumed operations, funded accounts were restored on alternative platforms (cTrader, Match-Trader). Some traders lost time during the shutdown, and the transition required adapting to new platforms if they had been on MT5.

Is FundingPips related to FundingTicks?

Yes. FundingTicks is FundingPips' futures-focused counterpart, offering funded accounts for CME futures trading. Both operate under related management. FundingTicks uses platforms like NinjaTrader and Tradovate rather than the forex platforms (MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader) used by FundingPips.

How has FundingPips' pricing changed over time?

Pricing has generally remained competitive since launch. The introduction of the 2-Step Pro ($29 starting fee) lowered the entry barrier further. Frequent promotional discounts (20-30% off) have become a regular feature. The core 2-Step Standard pricing has remained relatively stable.

What's the biggest change FundingPips has made since launch?

The most significant evolution was the introduction of four evaluation models (from the original single 2-Step). This diversification—adding 1-Step, 2-Step Pro, and Zero—gave traders fundamentally different paths to funding, each with distinct risk profiles and pricing.

Will FundingPips continue to grow, or is the prop firm industry shrinking?

The prop firm industry continues to expand despite individual firm failures. FundingPips' growth metrics (user base, payout volume, search traffic) are all trending upward. Industry risks include potential regulation, platform licensing changes, and market competition—but the fundamental demand for capital access from retail traders remains strong.

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