What is the Ash Challenge?
The Ash Challenge is our simplest and most accessible evaluation model. With just a 2% profit target and no time pressure, it's designed for traders who want to get funded without the stress of high targets or strict deadlines.
Why "Half Step"? Because it's half the difficulty of our 1-Step Thunderbolt challenge. And here's the best part: you have unlimited time. No countdown. No pressure. Trade at your own pace.
Ash has a single evaluation phase: one challenge, then your funded account. If you have seen Ash described as a one-step challenge, that is the same thing as Half Step. In our product lineup the name "1-Step" belongs to Thunderbolt, not to Ash.
Key benefits:
Only 2% profit target, the lowest in our lineup
1:100 leverage
up to 100% profit split
No time limit, zero pressure
No minimum trading days
Funding up to $1,000,000
Ash vs Thunderbolt
Feature | Ash (Half Step) | Thunderbolt (1-Step) |
Profit Target | 2% | 5% |
Time Limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Leverage | 1:100 | 1:100 |
Daily Drawdown | 3% | 3% |
Dynamic Risk Shield | 6% | 6% |
Min Trading Days | None | None |
Bottom line: Ash gives you Thunderbolt-grade protection (identical daily drawdown and risk shield) with a 60% lower profit target. Most traders finish in less than 24 hours, but you're never forced to rush.
Funding Sizes
$5,000 · $10,000 · $25,000 · $50,000 · $100,000 · $200,000 · $300,000 · $400,000 · $500,000 · $600,000 · $700,000 · $800,000 · $900,000 · $1,000,000
Rules Overview
Parameter | Challenge | Funded |
Profit Target | 2% | No target |
Time Limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Min Trading Days | None | None |
Daily Drawdown | 3% | 3% |
Dynamic Risk Shield | 6% | 6% |
Max Single Trade Loss | Not applied | 3% |
Consistency / Best Day Rule | Not applied | 20% |
Payout Requirement | Not applied | 1% |
Leverage | 1:100 | 1:100 |
News Trading | Allowed | Allowed |
Weekend Holding | Allowed | Allowed |
Profit Split | Not applied | up to 100% |
Challenge Phase
Profit Target: 2%
Reach a 2% net profit on your account balance. All positions must be closed to count toward the target.
Example: On a $100,000 account, you need to make just $2,000 profit. Compare that to Thunderbolt which requires 5% ($5,000 on a $100K account). Ash is 2.5x easier to pass.
Time Limit: Unlimited
There is no time limit. Take one day, one week, or one month. It's entirely up to you. No countdown timer, no pressure. Trade only when you see the right opportunities.
Designed for 24 hours: With just a 2% target and 1:100 leverage, most traders complete it within a single trading session. But this is a goal, not a deadline.
Daily Drawdown: 3%
Maximum loss allowed within a single trading day (00:00 to 23:59 UTC). Resets daily at 00:00 UTC.
Example: On a $100,000 account, your maximum daily loss is $3,000.
Dynamic Risk Shield: 6%
Your account is protected by a trailing drawdown that moves with your equity.
How it works:
Starts at 6% below your initial balance
Moves UP as you make profits
Never moves down
Locks at initial balance once reached
Example on a $100,000 account:
Scenario | Equity | Shield Level | Status |
Start | $100,000 | $94,000 | Active |
Profit +$2,000 | $102,000 | $95,880 | Shield rises |
Loss -$3,000 | $99,000 | $95,880 | Still safe |
Loss -$5,000 | $94,000 | $95,880 | BREACH |
Challenge Pass Conditions
Your challenge is complete when:
Net profit of at least 2% achieved
No drawdown breaches
No risk rule violations
All positions closed
Funded Phase
Once you pass the challenge, the following rules apply:
Daily Drawdown: 3%
The same disciplined 3% daily drawdown carries over from the challenge phase — consistent guardrails when trading with our capital.
Dynamic Risk Shield: 6%
Same mechanism as challenge, but with a tighter 6% threshold. Shield tracks your highest equity point and the drawdown limit is 6% below the peak. The shield only moves upward, never down.
Max Single Trade Loss: 3%
No single trade may exceed 3% loss of your initial funded balance.
Account Size | Max Loss Per Trade |
$100,000 | $3,000 |
$200,000 | $6,000 |
$500,000 | $15,000 |
Note: Splitting trades into multiple positions on the same instrument in the same direction counts as one trade.
Violating this rule is a HARD BREACH and will lead to account termination.
Payout Requirement: 1%
Before each payout, you need at least 1% profit since your last payout (1% of your initial balance).
Account Size | Min Profit Before Payout |
$25,000 | $250 |
$50,000 | $500 |
$100,000 | $1,000 |
$200,000 | $2,000 |
$500,000 | $5,000 |
How it works:
No minimum trading days in funded phase
Trade at your own pace
Applies to each payout separately
Resets after each successful withdrawal
Only closed trades count
Best Day Rule: 20%
No single trading day can represent more than 20% of your total profit since your last payout. This applies to every payout, whatever amount you want to withdraw.
Important: This is a SOFT rule. It does NOT breach your account. It only delays your payout until your profit distribution is more balanced.
Is there a consistency rule on Ash? In the Challenge phase there is no consistency rule. On the funded account the consistency requirement is this Best Day Rule: no single trading day may represent more than 20% of your total profit since your last payout, whatever amount you want to withdraw.
Because it is a soft rule it never breaches your account, it only delays a payout until your profit spread meets the 20% limit.
Profit Split: up to 100%
You keep up to 100% of all profits generated in your funded account.
Funded Breach Conditions
Your account will be terminated if:
Equity drops below Dynamic Risk Shield (6%)
Daily loss exceeds 3%
Single trade loss exceeds 3%
Account Activation
After passing the challenge:
Step | Duration |
Pass Challenge | Designed for 24h |
KYC Verification | 2-4 minutes |
Trader Agreement | Instant (one click) |
Account Activation | A few minutes (max. 1 hour) |
Note: KYC and Trader Agreement are one-time only. Not required for future accounts.
General Rules Notice
This product, like all Upcomers programs, is subject to our standard trading rules and policies. These include our framework on prohibited strategies and our guidelines on responsible trading and gambling-style behavior, both of which apply across all our challenges, funded accounts, and instant funding products.
We recommend reviewing both articles before you begin trading:
Prohibited strategies: https://help.upcomers.com/en/articles/8703143-what-trading-strategies-are-prohibited-at-upcomers
Rules restricting gambling: https://help.upcomers.com/en/articles/11484528-rules-restricting-gambling
Why Choose Ash?
Lowest profit target: just 2%
Unlimited time: no deadline pressure
No minimum trading days: complete whenever you're ready
1:100 leverage: real trading power
up to 100% profit split: keep almost everything
Designed for 24h: easy enough to finish in a day
Simplest path: one phase, one target, done
Ash. From the ashes, you rise. The easiest path to funded.
Need help? Contact our support team anytime.
Profit split note: The standard Upcomers profit split is 90%. Depending on the option selected at checkout, it can be adjusted to 80% or 100%. Changing the profit split also changes the Challenge price. The selected profit split remains linked to that account. Accounts purchased under previous conditions retain the profit split assigned at the time of purchase.