Topstep · prop firm journal
A trading journal for Topstep traders
daqverse is a trading journal built for ICT and prop-firm futures traders: it tags every trade with its New York kill zone and tracks each prop account's drawdown rules. Topstep's path has three stages: the Trading Combine, the Express Funded Account (XFA) and, by invitation, the Live Funded Account. Each stage moves the goalposts a little: the Combine watches your best day against the target, the XFA starts at a $0 balance with a floor below it, and your payout path decides whether consistency matters at all.
Below are Topstep's current rules as its help center states them, and how daqverse keeps them next to your trades, so the Maximum Loss Limit, the optional daily limit and the five winning days for a payout are on screen before the next trade rather than in an email after it.
Rules checked on Topstep’s own site on . Topstep changes its rules often: their site is the one that counts. daqverse is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Topstep.
Topstep rules at a glance
These are the rules of the standard $50K, $100K and $150K Trading Combine and the Express Funded Account. Topstep also sells limited 'Labs' accounts (for example a static-drawdown Combine) with their own rules, which are not covered here.
Trading Combine: targets, loss limit and size
The Combine is a monthly subscription with no time limit for passing. Its Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) trails your end-of-day balance but is enforced in real time, open losses included, and it locks for good once it reaches the starting balance.
| Size | Profit target | Maximum Loss Limit | Max contracts / micros |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | $3,000 | $2,000 | 5 / 50 |
| $100K | $6,000 | $3,000 | 10 / 100 |
| $150K | $9,000 | $4,500 | 15 / 150 |
The 55% best-day rule in the Combine
Your single best day of profit must stay at or below 55% of your profit target: under $1,650 on a $50K, $3,300 on a $100K and $4,950 on a $150K. Go over it and the target rises to the best day divided by 0.55. In practice that means you cannot pass in fewer than two days.
Daily loss limit: optional, then automatic
In the Combine and the XFA a daily loss limit is optional. If you add it at checkout it is $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 by size, it stays fixed, and it carries into the XFA after you pass. In the Live Funded Account it is automatic. Reaching it is not a violation: open positions are closed and you cannot trade again until 5 PM CT.
The Express Funded Account
The XFA is simulated and its balance starts at $0. On a $50K XFA the MLL starts at minus $2,000 and trails up until it locks at $0; after your first payout it is set to $0 whatever its level. Position size follows a scaling plan by balance (on a $50K: 2 contracts below $1,500, 3 up to $2,000, 5 above), and it never rises in the middle of a session.
At activation you choose a payout path. The Standard path has no consistency target. The Consistency path asks that your largest single day stays at or below 40% of your total net profit.
Payouts
Topstep pays 90/10 with a $125 minimum. Each request can take up to 50% of the account balance, up to a cap that depends on the size and the path.
| Path | Days needed | Cap per request ($50K / $100K / $150K) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 5 winning days of $150+ net, and profit since the last payout | $2,000 / $3,000 / $5,000 |
| Consistency | 3 trading days, consistency at or below 40% | $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 |
- After each payout the MLL is set to $0 and the five-day count starts again.
- All positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT on weekdays; avoid opening new ones after 3:08 PM CT.
- Trading your full position size straight into a major scheduled news event is prohibited.
How daqverse tracks a Topstep account
daqverse has no connection to Topstep or its platforms. You enter each account's rules, log or import your trades, and the journal does the arithmetic. The numbers are estimates; Topstep's dashboard is the official one.
A Maximum Loss Limit that locks at the start
Choose end-of-day trailing that stops at the starting balance for the Combine. The Accounts card shows the floor and the room above it after each trade you log.
The XFA's $0 start
Enter the XFA as an account that starts at $0 with its loss limit below it, and tick that a payout fixes the floor at the start. The headroom then matches the way Topstep describes it.
The 55% rule, worked out
Set the challenge consistency rule to 55%. daqverse shows your best day as a share of your profit and the total you need for it to fit, so a big day becomes a planning number, not a surprise.
Winning days toward a payout
Set five payout days at $150 each for the Standard path. daqverse counts the qualifying days since your last recorded payout and starts again after each one.
Your daily limit, if you chose one
If you added a daily loss limit at checkout, enter it; Live Session's loss meter follows it through the day. Leave it at zero if you did not.
Sessions on the clock that matters
Each trade is tagged with its New York kill zone and macro, so you can check whether your best days come from the open or from the hour before the 3:10 PM CT close-out.
How daqverse tracks any prop accountProp firm drawdown calculator
Questions
Does Topstep have a daily loss limit?
In the Trading Combine and the Express Funded Account it is optional: $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 by size if you add it at checkout, and fixed after that. In the Live Funded Account it is automatic. Reaching it pauses trading until 5 PM CT; it is not a rule violation.
How does Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit trail?
It rises with your end-of-day balance and never moves down, but it is checked in real time, so open losses count. It locks permanently once it reaches the starting balance. In the XFA it starts below a $0 balance and locks at $0.
What is Topstep's consistency rule?
In the Combine your best day must stay at or below 55% of the profit target, or the target rises. In the XFA only the Consistency payout path has one: your largest day must be 40% or less of your total net profit to request a payout.
How many days do I need to pass the Topstep Combine?
At least two in practice, because of the 55% best-day rule. There is no time limit while the subscription is active.
Can daqverse track a Topstep XFA that starts at $0?
Yes. Enter the starting capital you track as $0, the loss limit below it, and the rule that a payout fixes the floor at the start. daqverse then shows the room left and the winning days toward the next payout.
Is daqverse affiliated with Topstep?
No. daqverse is an independent trading journal. It does not connect to Topstep, and nothing on this page is endorsed by Topstep.
Sources (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Topstep: Program overview
- Topstep: Trading Combine parameters
- Topstep: What is the Maximum Loss Limit
- Topstep: Consistency at Topstep
- Topstep: Daily Loss Limit
- Topstep: Express Funded Account parameters
- Topstep: Scaling Plan
- Topstep: Payout policy
- Topstep: Trading Combine subscriptions
- Topstep: Products and trading hours
- Topstep: Prohibited trading strategies
Track your Topstep accounts in daqverse
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