Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh,
I would like to ask for your opinion of a specific crypto proprietary trading platform called HyroTrader, which differs structurally from conventional prop firms (such as FTMO) that have been previously addressed by Mufti Faraz Adam in his Darul Fiqh fatwa "Is Prop Firm Trading Halal?" (August 2024).
I have read that fatwa carefully and accept its reasoning regarding conventional prop firms. However, I believe HyroTrader's model differs in several material ways, and I would like to understand whether those differences are sufficient to change the ruling — or whether the underlying objections still apply.
1. What HyroTrader Is
HyroTrader is an evaluation-based crypto prop trading firm. The trader pays an entry fee for an evaluation challenge with profit targets and risk rules. Upon passing, the trader gains access to a funded account with a profit split (typically 80/20 in the trader's favor). It markets itself as a Shariah-compliant alternative for Muslim traders.
2. How HyroTrader Differs from Conventional Prop Firms (FTMO etc.)
The fatwa on conventional prop firms identified five Shariah concerns:
Fees paid for an unrecognised service (training in haram instruments).
- Mirroring of trades on the firm's own account.
- Education on impermissible execution (leverage, CFDs, futures).
- Trading non-compliant instruments (Bayʿ al-Maʿdūm) post-evaluation.
- Profit-sharing from unlawful trading activity.
HyroTrader's specific Shariah-compliant offering claims to address most of these structurally:
-Spot trading only — no futures, no perpetuals, no derivatives.
- No leverage at all — eliminating any riba via funding payments or margin interest.
- Halal underlying assets only in my use case — I would only trade BTC and ETH, both widely accepted as halal assets by mainstream scholars.
- Real third-party exchange (Bybit) — not a white-label simulated environment. The firm states traders use their own KYC-verified Bybit accounts, meaning real asset ownership and immediate qabḍ (possession) on each spot trade.
- No CFDs — assets are real, transferred on-chain, with full ownership. This appears to remove the Bayʿ al-Maʿdūm issue raised in point 4 of the original fatwa.
No swap/overnight financing — since there is no leverage, no rollover fees apply.
3. The Two Open Concerns I Still Have
Even with the above, two of the original objections may still apply, and I would like the view specifically on these:
(a) The challenge entry fee:
Is paying an entry fee for an evaluation phase a valid ijārah (service contract) when the underlying activity being evaluated (spot crypto trading without leverage) is itself permissible? Or does the structure still resemble maysir, particularly if the firm's revenue model depends on a majority of traders failing and forfeiting their fees?
It would also be relevant to know whether the answer changes if the fee is refunded upon passing the challenge (which I understand is HyroTrader's policy — to be confirmed with them directly).
(b) The simulated/demo environment during the challenge phase:
The challenge takes place in a simulated environment before the trader gains access to a real funded account. Mufti Faraz Adam's earlier ruling treats demo trading as ʿīʿānāh ʿalā al-maʿṣiyah when the activity being practiced is haram (CFDs, leveraged futures).
Does this objection still apply when the activity being practiced is itself halal (spot BTC/ETH, no leverage)? Or does the demo phase become permissible practice for a permissible activity, in line with Sheikh Ahmad Kutty's reasoning that demo trading as a skills assessment is permissible when the underlying terms are Shariah-compliant?
4. The Funded Phase
After passing, the trader operates on a real Bybit account with a profit-sharing arrangement.
Is this structure analyzable as a valid muḍārabah (HyroTrader as rabb al-māl, trader as muḍārib), with the profit split being mutually agreed and the underlying activity being halal spot trading?
Or are there other Shariah concerns specific to the contractual structure of crypto prop firms that I should be aware of?
5. My Specific Question
Given all of the above:
Would Mufti Faraz Adam's earlier ruling against conventional prop firms still apply to HyroTrader's specific spot-only, leverage-free, halal-asset-only model? Or do the structural differences materially change the ruling — and if so, under what specific conditions can a Muslim participate in this model permissibly?
I am asking this for my own personal use, not for publication. I want to make an informed and Shariah-conscious decision before participating.
Jazākumullāhu khayran for your time and guidance.
Wassalām