Spotware Systems has signed a technology agreement with FundingRock, a prop trading firm running simulated evaluation programs, making cTrader the platform underpinning FundingRock's trader challenges, the companies said today (Thursday).Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Under the deal, FundingRock's users will gain access to cTrader's charting, execution and risk management tools across mobile, desktop and web, according to a joint statement. The platform, which Spotware says serves more than 11 million traders, will also list FundingRock's prop challenges in the cTrader Store's dedicated Prop Challenges section, a marketplace that the company declares draws more than 10,000 visitors daily.Prop Firms Scramble to Lock Down Credible Platform PartnersThe agreement lands at a time when prop trading firms are under growing pressure to demonstrate legitimacy. The sector saw an estimated 80 to 100 firms shut down in 2024, and the shakeout continued into 2025 and 2026, with retroactive rule changes, payout delays and trust breakdowns driving traders away from less established operators. FundingTicks, for instance, began winding down earlier this year after backlash over altered trading rules that traders said were applied retroactively to existing accounts.That backdrop has made platform choice a competitive differentiator. Prop firms that previously relied on MetaTrader shifted en masse after MetaQuotes tightened compliance enforcement, particularly targeting firms serving the U.S. market.cTrader, DXtrade from Devexperts and Match-Trader have all picked up market share in the aftermath, though cTrader has been especially active in signing new prop firm clients. FTMO and Instant Funding began using Spotware's demo account infrastructure for trial programs earlier this year, while Goat Funded Trader, FunderPro, The Trading Pit, BrightFunded and others have all integrated the platform over the past 18 months.Spotware expanded into Latin American prop trading through a deal with TFunded last month, and the company's overall client count now exceeds 300 brokers and prop firms, according to its most recent disclosures.FundingRock Cites Transparency as Key FactorFundingRock, which describes itself as a skill-based evaluation platform operating in a simulated trading environment, says it offers account sizes ranging from $5,000 to $200,000 with two-phase evaluation programs. The firm says it provides daily payouts and publishes its trading rules and risk parameters upfront."We are fixing prop trading by aligning our interest with yours, creating a relationship based on transparency and mutual trust," Meir Hefetz, FundingRock's CEO, commented. "We fund you with substantial capital and issue daily rewards while striving to provide the best trading conditions."FundingRock did not disclose how many active traders use its platform or the total payouts it has distributed to date.Spotware, for its part, pointed to what it calls the Traders First approach, which the company says includes trade receipt functionality that gives users visibility into how each order is processed. Yiota Hadjilouka, Spotware's chief operating officer, said FundingRock's focus on credibility "fits closely with our Traders First™ approach.""We welcome FundingRock to the cTrader environment and look forward to a partnership centred on trader confidence," Hadjilouka added.cTrader Store and Leads Program Double as Acquisition ChannelsPart of the commercial logic behind the deal involves Spotware's cTrader Store, which functions as both a marketplace for trading tools and, increasingly, a distribution channel for prop firms. The Store features dedicated sections where prop firms can list their challenges, allowing traders to compare evaluation criteria, drawdown limits, profit splits and pricing side by side.The FundingRock deal also comes just one day after Spotware launched cTrader Leads, a separate program that routes traders from Spotware's product ecosystem to participating brokers at no cost. Spotware estimates that total acquisition costs for a single depositing trader can reach as high as $800 in the FX sector, though the company has not disclosed its methodology behind that figure. MetaQuotes, Devexperts and Match-Trade Technologies have all been building their own lead-generation and engagement tools as the competition between trading technology vendors extends well beyond execution and charting. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

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