Prop firm industry size + shutdown rate
PTV maintains a public census tracking 253 firms with active/closed status. Q2 2026 report documents 64 closed or defunct firms.
Industry census →Press & Media Kit
Coverage of prop trading? Start here.
Proptradingvibes is run by Paul, a full-time funded futures + forex trader since 2022 who has tested 50+ firms with his own money and been paid out by 15+ of them. The site maintains a public database of 80+ firms with mechanic-level data, and a quarterly industry census. Quote-ready facts + brand assets below.
Quick facts
- Site launch
- 2023
- Founder
- Paul (Germany)
- Funded & paid out by
- 15+ firms
- Firms personally tested
- 50+
- Firms in database
- 80+
- Quarterly census tracked
- 253 firms (192 active, 64 closed)
- Newsletter / LinkedIn
- paul-vibes on LinkedIn
Sourcing topics, what journalists ask about
Documented payout record
Paul publishes per-firm payout records as dated, receipt-backed events (Lucid Trading (30 payout cycles), TakeProfitTrader, MyFundedFutures, Apex Trader Funding, FTMO, TradeDay, others). Documented withdrawal history available on request.
Founder + receipts →Drawdown mechanic explainers
Reference for the four drawdown types (EOD-lock, EOD-trail, intraday, static). Used by traders + firm comparison journalists.
Explainer →Affiliate-deal independence
Rankings on PTV are built off firm-mechanic data, not affiliate commission. Several of the most-recommended firms pay zero commission to PTV. Disclosure policy on every review.
Methodology →Restricted-country lists per firm
Region-by-region breakdown of which firms accept traders from which jurisdictions. Updated as firms add/remove markets.
Regional rankings →Founder bio (quote-ready)
Short (45 words):
Paul is the founder of Proptradingvibes, an independent prop-trading-firm review site. A full-time funded futures + forex trader since 2022, tested across 50+ firms and paid out by 15+ of them, he started PTV in 2023 to counter the affiliate-deal review-farm landscape.
Long (140 words):
Paul runs Proptradingvibes, the independent prop-trading firm review site. A full-time funded futures + forex trader since 2022, he has tested 50+ firms on self-funded accounts and holds a documented payout record at 15+ of them, including Lucid Trading (30 payout cycles), TakeProfitTrader, MyFundedFutures, Apex Trader Funding, FTMO, TradeDay, FundedNext (withdrawal history available on request). Paul writes reviews from inside the prop-trading game, not from a spreadsheet. PTV publishes a quarterly industry census tracking 253 firms (192 active, 64 closed) and uses Paul-tested status as a core editorial signal. The site's rankings ignore affiliate commission tier, several of the top-rated firms pay PTV zero commission. Paul is German, based in Germany, posts public analysis on LinkedIn (paul-vibes), and is available for journalist interviews on prop-firm industry topics.
Brand assets
For logos in dark mode, white-on-transparent variants, founder headshot, or social-cover assets, email hi@proptradingvibes.com. We respond within one business day for journalist requests.
Site name: Proptradingvibes (one word, capital P; the brand abbreviation is PTV). Tagline: "Real prop firm reviews by a funded trader."
Direct contact
Email Paul directly at hi@proptradingvibes.com with subject line "Press inquiry", usually replies same day. For DMs, LinkedIn is the fastest channel.
Time zone: CET (UTC+1 / UTC+2 DST). Available for video / phone interviews on prop-trading topics, drawdown mechanics, industry consolidation, regulatory shifts, or PTV-specific data.