FTMO Updates Crypto Weekend Trading Rules for 2026

FTMO has officially announced a significant update to their cryptocurrency trading rules. Starting this weekend, all traders on swing accounts will have adjusted leverage limits for weekend crypto holdings. This policy shift affects all active challenges and funded accounts across all available trading platforms.

The New Leverage Adjustments

Under the new rules, cryptocurrency leverage will be dynamically reduced during the weekend gap periods. While weekday crypto trading retains its standard leverage, any crypto positions held past Friday market close (typically 5:00 PM EST) will see margin requirements temporarily increase until Sunday evening when traditional markets reopen.

This move aims to mitigate the extreme volatility seen in the crypto markets during the weekend gap periods. Over the past several months, unprecedented weekend price swings in Bitcoin and major altcoins have caused significant slippage and, in some cases, severe account drawdowns that skipped past trader stop-losses.

What This Means for Traders

For the average intraday or day trader, this change will have zero impact. If you close your positions before the weekend, your trading routine remains unaffected.

However, for swing traders who rely on holding crypto assets over the weekend to capture multi-day trends, this requires a strategic pivot:

• Reduced Position Sizing: Because the margin requirement increases over the weekend, you will need to reduce your overall position size on Friday afternoons to avoid an unexpected margin call or forced liquidation.
• Wider Stop Losses: With the recent history of weekend crypto volatility, wider stop losses are recommended if you choose to hold. However, ensure that a worst-case gap won't breach your maximum drawdown limit.

Our Expert Take

We view this as a net positive for the prop trading ecosystem. While it may seem restrictive at first glance, FTMO is actively managing risk in a way that protects both the firm's capital and the trader's funded account.