Going all-in with trading - Index Futures + Crypto + Prop Firms

[INCC]

I'll open this journey to keep myself accountable and committed to the cause.

The past year has shown that nothing in life is certain, and you can lose everything in the blink of an eye. Took a couple of losses that were hard to recover from, but these losses were necessary for me to finally move forward with something I've always wanted to do but never had the guts to pull the trigger.

Trading is one of the hardest things one can master; most traders fail (for a good reason, of course). I'll try to be the rare exception.

I do not expect any near-term success; I am aware of the risks it carries and the fact that it takes years to understand the market and everything that comes with it.

Right now, I plan to focus on crypto and index futures as I plan to incorporate Order Flow with my trading setup, so I am a little bit limited to certain instruments, as order flow can't be used with everything.


This will be a 3-4 year process. I will do the first year and then reassess my progress.

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Tools I'll be using:

• Tradingview premium (usually +$500 a year, but a Black Friday deal got me this for +$200 something)
• FTMO + $10K account (I don't believe in trading demo, these prop firm accounts are cheap enough for me to use for now)
• Bookmap subscription (Have not paid or used yet, but it is an important Order Flow tool for the future)
• Sierra Charts (A highly advanced and complex tool that one needs to master if they really want to get proficient with Order Flow - This will be added later, should be an upgrade from Bookmap)

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The current plan - At least 4-5 hours daily:

• Daily charting - Mastering TA
• Monitor price action
• Watching related videos/tutorials
• Reading books
• I follow some industry professionals on Twitter, so I try to learn from them as much as possible

Meaning I'll either go all-in with this or not go at all, since this industry has a 95% failure rate, you have to do the work others aren't willing to do. Easy to say, but let's see what the future holds. It's a plan at least.

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My current stack (I have a couple of more books, and I will be adding some later; one of the hardest things is to weed out all the snake oil in this industry):

I will try to update as often as possible, but likely not more than once or twice per month, as I don't think there can be any meaningful progress any sooner, and I'd rather not bother you with all the small details and bumps I have to go through.


And that's about it for now.

Cheers!

 

[TheVigilante]

This gonna be one interesting journey

No investment no wealth creation period

 

[t2van]

Are you going to be constantly reinvesting profits?

Or are you taking profits and putting them else where like in a tracker fund or something?

Or you cashing out?

Do you concerns for '26 with possible war (longer and larger conflict), recession and everything inbetween?

Or any possible concerns that once you do make money cashing out might be difficult due to whatever is going on in the world?

Although I guess that's where money it to be made.


I've been cashing out silver for the past few weeks after half my life time collecting*

But the whole thing has left me uneasy recently I'm cashing out at a time people (govs) are clearly stocking it up. And now I got all this extra cash I'm sat with it and I dunno what to do.

It's been emotional selling something I've held on for so long but it more than doubled my sell target..

Guess you wont have that same issue
(emotional attachment)

*more than I care to share here




Best of luck with it. Guess as long as you track it every quarter or every year short term losses don't matter it's just the end goal.

 

[polecat]

Sounds very interesting.

 

[INCC]

Are you going to be constantly reinvesting profits?

Or are you taking profits and putting them else where like in a tracker fund or something?

Or you cashing out?

I will cash out the prop firm account and use those funds for my personal account.

Of course, before we can even talk about a meaningful cash out, I first need to master the trade.

Do you concerns for '26 with possible war (longer and larger conflict), recession and everything inbetween?

I hope it doesn't come to that, but at the end of the day, as long as war is not on my doorstep, I don't see it interfering with my trading in any way. Whether markets go up or down is not an issue as long as it's not ranging.. I don't plan to hold positions longer than a day or max 2-3 days so I do not care if the market goes up or down since I plan to trade both ways.

I've been cashing out silver for the past few weeks after half my life time collecting*

Yeah, unfortunately, I can't hold trades for that long to begin with. Prop firms have crazy rules... 1 mistake and you are out.

Some of them allow only 3-5% negative drawdown... breach that, and you will be removed.

 

[Aidan]

Just focus either to TradFi or crypto. Not both simultaneously.

Also, why on earth would you restrict yourself to 3 days max holds, xd. Just don't use prop firms and demo trade first for like 3 months.

• Tradingview premium (usually +$500 a year, but a Black Friday deal got me this for +$200 something)
• FTMO + $10K account (I don't believe in trading demo, these prop firm accounts are cheap enough for me to use for now)
• Bookmap subscription (Have not paid or used yet, but it is an important Order Flow tool for the future)
• Sierra Charts (A highly advanced and complex tool that one needs to master if they really want to get proficient with Order Flow - This will be added later, should be an upgrade from Bookmap)

I can personally guarantee that all of these are completely useless to you btw.

The books are also just mental masturbation.

I always see these 'You need these tools and books' stacks always on new years, and they are always hilarious. You have been sold a bunch of useless shit from some gurus.

If you want to get started in trading, don't overcomplicate it lol.
You can literally just use free TradingView and Wikipedia for research combined with paper money to get started in swing trading.

 

[INCC]

Just focus either to TradFi or crypto. Not both simultaneously.

I am trying to transition from crypto to TradFi to be fair. There's too much manipulation going on in crypto, and I got PTSD after 10.October.

But I understand crypto more.

I can personally guarantee that all of these are completely useless to you btw.

There is no way to use order flow in your trading without using Sierra Charts, Bookmap, or any similar tool.

Also, why on earth would you restrict yourself to 3 days max holds, xd. Just don't use prop firms and demo trade first for like 3 months.

Because of the capital requirement.

$10K account is where the learning takes place, $100k-$200k prop firm account is where the real action takes place once I get there.

I don't have a 6-figure account to trade, so I am forced to be under prop firms.

...and demo trading is foolish. The psychological aspect is missing. I'd rather trade with a $10K prop firm account, which costs less than $100, than use paper money.

 

[SirTop]

But the whole thing has left me uneasy recently I'm cashing out at a time people (govs) are clearly stocking it up.

Is this because of the recent China report on silver?

 

[t2van]

Is this because of the recent China report on silver?

No.

They are holding because of its use in electronics and so on. Plus the rising cost it falls inline with them withholding exports with rare earth...

I started stacking physical about 24-5 years ago as alternative to a pension and decided to sell once it hits 30+ and then ride climbs from there..

I've sold ALOT which was my goal. But now I'm selling and investing that cash back into stocks and shares at a time when things could go wrong.

The little prepper inside me thinks I should keep holding. But it keeps going up...

 

[Aidan]

I am trying to transition from crypto to TradFi to be fair. There's too much manipulation going on in crypto, and I got PTSD after 10.October.

But I understand crypto more.

Understandable.

There is no way to use order flow in your trading without using Sierra Charts, Bookmap, or any similar tool.

Order flow is not needed, esp for beginners.

Just learn the basics, develop your strategies and if you later find that your strategies rely on order flows, then get the tools.
Now you have psychologically made the decision that you will have a strategy that needs order flow data, which might (highly likely to) not be the correct path.

...and demo trading is foolish. The psychological aspect is missing.

Ehhh, not.

Your strategies shouldn't have a psychological aspect in the first place. You should stick to very strict lines that you make before even entering a trade. See algo trading for example.

 

[SilverClouds]

Our gambler . I'm happy for you. Maybe that's some chance for you to free yourself from endless refunds for these douches. You seem to have a knack for it, you'll learn hopefully. Good luck. Disclaimer: poles reach out to me asking about services now, so yes, I'm actually working / have sales dms on a New Year's . Some dude sent me some tiny-tiny amount of cash yesterday at 2am polish time (he's just active at this time, it's not because of my timezone difference, they write at times like this or weekends, etc) and expected me to start working right away while bank wasn't working even . Bank session starts at 10am and that's when money arrived . Polish clients are out of this fuckin world. But I spent so much that maybe I'll get enough volume with these smaller transactions and get back the money I spent last month, let's try . Maybe you'll earn more from trading... Since you gamble already to cover refunds (how crazy is that?)

 

[INCC]

Maybe that's some chance for you to free yourself from endless refunds for these douches.

Since you gamble already to cover refunds (how crazy is that?)

There are no refunds anymore. That storm has passed (thankfully)

My clients got too comfortable placing big orders that I always delivered. Once the rules of the game changed, I was forced to deliver small orders because big ones don't work. We have limits now.

Also I have never gambled to cover any refunds; I just happened to win when it was necessary, so I didn't need to touch my stash.

And I try to write that off as good karma because I try to donate when times are great, so I sometimes win back when times are tough lol.

But if you need to know.... I did lost like +10 poker tournaments in a row just last week... uninstalled the Poker client too. Fuck them.

I have other things on my plate... I can't survive for years, hoping to make trading work while doing nothing else at all.

 

[SeasonedCode]

I have interests similar to yours. I’ve been trading for 2 years, but I’ve never studied charts or dedicated even a month to learning Over these 2 years my total losses were about $2,700, but my profits ended up being roughly 10 times that. I only trade Bitcoin and Ethereum. I don’t recommend anyone follow my approach two of my friends tried, and they failed immediately. The only advice I can give is never be afraid; fear is your biggest enemy Also, don’t buy when everyone else is happy when everyone else is panicking, as Warren Buffett said

good luck @INCC

 

[INCC]

I have interests similar to yours. I’ve been trading for 2 years, but I’ve never studied charts or dedicated even a month to learning Over these 2 years my total losses were about $2,700, but my profits ended up being roughly 10 times that

Thanks!

This is your sign to pick things up and go x100 next year.

 

[Ranking Expert]

Following...

 

[Champagne]

Cool journey, and I’ll definitely be following this. Trading always involves risk, but it seems like you're at least not going in blind.

 

[t0mmy]

Following… been big into this industry the past 3 years, very profitable if you can get your risk management down to a tee, that’s where most fail!

 

[payal23j]

@INCC Hats Off to you that acceptance of failure instead getting success for learning and moving forward for more. Trading is starting from failures to success, sometimes its hard to accept or most of the time we leave that way and search for another instead to accept and go for more. If you need any help let me know, my brother is doing trading on nifty and Sensex with shares stocks and markets. He had much knowledge in this, even he take the classes before too while working on stocks. I am just investing funds and he is taking care of all my funds.. where i can reinvest and where not.

 

[polecat]

Our gambler . I'm happy for you. Maybe that's some chance for you to free yourself from endless refunds for these douches. You seem to have a knack for it, you'll learn hopefully. Good luck. Disclaimer: poles reach out to me asking about services now, so yes, I'm actually working / have sales dms on a New Year's . Some dude sent me some tiny-tiny amount of cash yesterday at 2am polish time (he's just active at this time, it's not because of my timezone difference, they write at times like this or weekends, etc) and expected me to start working right away while bank wasn't working even . Bank session starts at 10am and that's when money arrived . Polish clients are out of this fuckin world. But I spent so much that maybe I'll get enough volume with these smaller transactions and get back the money I spent last month, let's try . Maybe you'll earn more from trading... Since you gamble already to cover refunds (how crazy is that?)

Quite a few people who play poker or gamble in a serious way are often very intelligent sort of guesswork so to me 95% of ideas will pretty likely turn a profit for him I suspect.

I knew one American guy who paid off all his student debt from winning Poker competitions.