Table of Contents
The FundedNext Stellar 1-Step is a one-phase prop challenge that takes you from evaluation to a FundedNext Account in a single step. Instead of clearing two separate profit targets, you clear one 10% target, follow the risk rules, and move straight to the funded stage.
This guide explains the full rule set, the pricing, the 15% challenge reward, and how the 1-Step compares with the Stellar 2-Step, so you can decide whether the fast prop funding route fits your trading.
TL;DR
- The Stellar 1-Step is a single-phase evaluation: reach a 10% profit target with no time limit and you qualify for a FundedNext Account.
- Risk rules are tighter than the 2-Step: a 3% daily loss limit and a 6% maximum loss limit, both measured against the initial balance.
- You must trade on at least 2 separate days, even if you hit the target on day one.
- The funded stage pays an 80% Reward Share on account growth, plus a 15% reward based on the challenge profit target once you meet the Scale-Up eligibility criteria.
- Payout cycles on the funded account run every 5 business days, the shortest cycle across the Stellar lineup.
What Is the FundedNext Stellar 1-Step?
The FundedNext Stellar 1-Step is a single-phase CFDs evaluation offered by FundedNext, a prop firm that sponsors traders with simulated capital of up to $200,000 per account. To pass, you grow the account by 10% while respecting a 3% daily loss limit and a 6% maximum loss limit, with trades placed on at least 2 separate days. There is no second verification phase and no time limit.
Once the system confirms your result and you complete KYC, you receive the same FundedNext Account structure that other Stellar models lead to, with the same payout mechanics on the funded side. The 1-Step simply shortens the road to get there.
Stellar 1-Step Rules at a Glance
The table below covers the core parameters of both stages. All percentage limits are calculated on the initial account balance.
| Rule | Challenge Phase | FundedNext Account | What it means in practice |
| Phases | 1 | N/A, this is the funded stage, not an evaluation | One profit target stands between you and funding |
| Profit target | 10% | None | On a $100K challenge account, you need $10,000 in profit to pass; once funded, there is no target to chase |
| Daily loss limit | 3% | 3% | Your account cannot lose more than 3% of the initial balance in a single day |
| Maximum loss limit | 6% | 6% | Your account cannot drop below 94% of its initial balance at any point |
| Drawdown type | Static | Static | The 6% floor is fixed against the initial balance; it does not trail your profits |
| Minimum trading days | 2 days, at least 1 trade each | None | Two separate calendar days with a trade opened on each; they do not need to be consecutive |
| Time limit | None | None | Take 2 days or 2 months, the account stays open as long as the rules hold |
| News trading | Allowed | Allowed, with a profit adjustment rule | In the funded stage, only 40% of profit made within 5 minutes of a high-impact news event counts |
| Weekend holding | Allowed | Allowed | Positions can be held over the weekend |
| Copy trading | Between your own Challenge Accounts only | Prohibited entirely | Challenge accounts allow copying between your own accounts only; once funded, copy trading is barred outright; to or from any other FundedNext or Challenge account, yours or anyone else’s, manual or automated |
A few of these rules deserve a closer look, starting with the path from purchase to funding.
How the Single-Phase Evaluation Works, From Signup to Funded
The process runs in a straight line. Here is what it looks like in sequence.
1. Choose an account size and start the challenge. Account sizes run from $6,000 to $200,000. Your 10% profit target in dollar terms depends on the size you pick:
- $6,000 account: $600 target
- $15,000 account: $1,500 target
- $25,000 account: $2,500 target
- $50,000 account: $5,000 target
- $100,000 account: $10,000 target
- $200,000 account: $20,000 target
2. Trade toward the target on at least 2 separate days. A trading day only counts when a trade is opened on that day. One trade on Monday and one on Wednesday counts as 2 trading days; two trades on Monday counts as 1. If you reach the 10% target before completing 2 trading days, you still need to trade on a second day before you qualify.
3. Pass the automatic end-of-day check. Once you hit the target, the system runs an automatic profit check at the end of the trading day. It confirms two things: that the target was met and that every rule was followed throughout the challenge.
4. Complete KYC. A pop-up on your FundedNext Dashboard opens the Verification Center. After you submit your documents and FundedNext reviews them, your FundedNext Account is issued within approximately 24 to 48 hours. A standard review by the Risk Management Team runs in parallel to confirm compliance with the trading rules.
From there, the funded stage begins, and with it, your first trading cycle.
Why the Daily Loss Limit Is Tighter, and How to Trade Within It
The Stellar 1-Step carries a 3% daily loss limit against the 2-Step’s 5%. That is not an oversight. When a firm removes an entire verification phase, it needs another way to confirm that a trader manages risk consistently. The tighter daily limit is that mechanism: it asks you to demonstrate over fewer trades what the 2-Step verifies over two phases.
In dollar terms, the 3% daily limit works out to:
- $180 on a $6,000 account
- $450 on a $15,000 account
- $750 on a $25,000 account
- $1,500 on a $50,000 account
- $3,000 on a $100,000 account
- $6,000 on a $200,000 account
Practical ways to stay inside it:
- Risk a fixed fraction of the daily limit per trade. Risking 0.5% to 1% of the account per position means it takes 3 to 6 consecutive losing trades to threaten the limit, which gives your strategy room to have a normal bad day.
- Set a personal stop for the day below the official one. Stopping at a 2% daily loss leaves a buffer for slippage and spread widening, so a fast market cannot push you through the line.
- Account for floating losses. The daily calculation reflects your account’s worst point during the day, not just closed trades. Size positions so that open drawdown plus closed losses stay within the limit.
- Reduce size after a losing streak. Two losses at 1% each leaves 1% of headroom. Cutting position size in half at that point keeps a third loss from ending the challenge.
Since there is no time limit, there is never a structural reason to force trades to recover a red day. The math of the 1-Step rewards the trader who accepts a small daily loss and returns the next session.
The 15% Challenge Reward on the 1-Step: Exact Conditions and Payout Timing
FundedNext pays a reward tied to the challenge phase itself, which is uncommon among prop firms. On the Stellar 1-Step, the 15% reward from Challenge is calculated on the challenge profit target, and eligibility is tied to meeting the criteria for the Scale-Up plan in your FundedNext Account.
Worked example. On a $100,000 Stellar 1-Step:
- Challenge profit target: 10% of $100,000 = $10,000
- 15% reward from Challenge: 15% of $10,000 = $1,500
- Once you transition to the FundedNext Account and meet the Scale-Up eligibility criteria, you can request that $1,500
Two conditions to note. First, this structure applies to accounts purchased or reset on or after January 12, 2026. Accounts purchased before that date follow the previous structure, where the reward is granted upon achieving 10% cumulative growth in the FundedNext Account, alongside a 90% Reward Share. Second, the 15% reward from Challenge is not included for US traders.
Timing compared with the 2-Step. The mechanics of the reward are the same on both models: it is calculated on the challenge profit target and unlocked in the funded stage. The practical difference is how quickly you arrive at the funded stage to begin unlocking it. On the 1-Step, one phase and 2 minimum trading days stand between purchase and funding. On the 2-Step, two phases stand in the way, each with its own target, which typically extends the calendar time before the reward becomes reachable.
How Fast Can You Get Your First Payout? A Realistic Timeline
Here is the fastest technically possible route on the Stellar 1-Step, assuming disciplined execution and prompt KYC:
- Days 1 and 2: Trade on 2 separate days and reach the 10% target. This satisfies both the profit target and the minimum trading days requirement.
- End of day 2: The automatic profit check confirms the pass.
- Days 3 to 4: Complete KYC; the FundedNext Account is issued within approximately 24 to 48 hours.
- Days 5 to 11: Your first trading cycle of 5 business days runs. Weekends and public holidays do not count toward it.
- After the cycle ends: If you have grown the account, you can submit your first withdrawal request for your Performance Reward.
This timeline reflects the standard cycle. Traders who don’t want to wait out the 5-business-day window can use the On-Demand Reward Add-On to request a payout at any time, which shortens the path above further for accounts already showing growth.
In a best-case scenario, a trader could move from starting the challenge to requesting a first Performance Reward in roughly 2 weeks. Most traders will take longer, and there is no penalty for doing so, since the challenge has no time limit.
The 2-Step timeline is structurally longer. Beyond passing two phases, the first trading cycle on the Stellar 2-Step FundedNext Account lasts 21 days, with subsequent cycles of 14 days. The 1-Step’s 5-business-day cycle is the shortest in the Stellar lineup, and it repeats at that pace, which compounds the speed advantage across multiple payouts.
The Funded Account After Passing the 1-Step
The FundedNext Account you receive after the 1-Step follows the same funded-side structure as the other Stellar models. What carries over, and what resets:
What resets:
- Your balance starts fresh at the full account size. Challenge profits do not carry into the funded balance; they are recognized through the 15% reward from Challenge instead.
- There is no profit target. You trade your strategy and withdraw from growth.
- There is no minimum trading days requirement.
What carries over:
- The risk framework: the 3% daily loss limit and 6% maximum loss limit continue to apply.
- The conduct rules: the copy trading policy, prohibited strategy rules, and device and network recommendations remain in force.
What is new in the funded stage:
- Reward Share: 80% of the account growth you generate is yours.
- Trading cycles: each cycle spans 5 business days, after which you can request a Performance Reward if the account has grown.
- News Profit Split Rule: news trading remains allowed, but for trades opened or closed within 5 minutes before or after a listed high-impact news event, only 40% of the profit counts toward your balance. Losses in that window apply in full. The rule only triggers when the news event directly correlates with the traded pair.
Stellar 1-Step Pricing by Account Size
Current pricing on the Stellar 1-Step, as listed on the FundedNext website:
| Account size | Challenge Fee |
| $6,000 | $65.99 |
| $15,000 | $129.99 |
| $25,000 | $219.99 |
| $50,000 | $329.99 |
| $100,000 | $569.99 |
| $200,000 | $1,099.99 |
The fee is a one-time payment, not a subscription. It is also refundable. Traders become eligible for the Refundable Fee after passing the Challenge Phase and receiving the FundedNext Account. For accounts purchased or reset on or after January 12, 2026, the Refundable Fee is paid out when the Performance Reward is disbursed for the third time, added on top of that reward. If the account was reset rather than newly purchased, the refund is based on the reset fee. Resetting a failed challenge carries a 10% discount on the challenge price.
Promotional discounts on these fees appear periodically, so the checkout price can sit below the list price shown here.
Stellar 1-Step vs. Stellar 2-Step: Speed vs. Room to Breathe
Both models end at the same destination, a FundedNext Account. The difference is the shape of the road.
| Parameter | Stellar 1-Step | Stellar 2-Step |
| Phases | 1 | 2 |
| Profit target | 10% | 8% (Phase 1), 5% (Phase 2) |
| Daily loss limit | 3% | 5% |
| Maximum loss limit | 6% | 10% |
| Minimum trading days | 2 | 5 per phase |
| Time limit | None | None |
| First funded payout cycle | 5 business days | 21 days |
| Subsequent cycles | 5 business days | 14 days |
How to decide:
- Trading style. If your strategy produces controlled, small-drawdown equity curves, the 1-Step’s tighter limits cost you little and its speed benefits you a lot. Strategies with deeper drawdowns, such as wider-stop swing trading, get more structural protection from the 2-Step’s 5% daily and 10% maximum limits.
- Risk tolerance. The 1-Step’s total cushion is 6%. A trader who has previously failed challenges on drawdown rather than on profit generation will find the 2-Step more forgiving.
- Time horizon. If reaching the funded stage quickly matters, the 1-Step wins on every clock: one phase instead of two, 2 minimum trading days instead of 5 per phase, and a 5-business-day payout cycle instead of 21 then 14.
There is no universally better model. There is a better model for a given equity curve.
Who Should Choose the Stellar 1-Step? (Ideal Trader Profile)
The Stellar 1-Step fits a specific profile:
- Experienced traders with a verified edge. If your strategy has a track record across different market conditions, a single 10% target is a formality rather than a hurdle, and the second phase of a 2-Step adds time without adding information.
- Traders with consistent, low-drawdown strategies. The 3% daily and 6% maximum limits reward strategies that lose small and steadily rather than in clusters. If your worst historical day sits well under 3%, the tighter limits are a fit rather than a threat.
- Traders who prioritize speed to funding and speed to payout. One phase, 2 minimum trading days, and 5-business-day funded cycles make the 1-Step the fastest recurring-payout structure in the Stellar lineup.
If you are newer to prop challenges, still refining risk management, or trading a style with deeper drawdowns, the Stellar 2-Step or Stellar Lite offer more room to operate while you build consistency.
Final Thoughts
The Stellar 1-Step compresses the path to funding into a single, well-defined test: a 10% target, a 3% daily loss limit, a 6% maximum loss limit, and 2 trading days, with no clock running. In exchange for tighter risk parameters, you get the fastest route to a FundedNext Account and the shortest payout cycle in the Stellar lineup at 5 business days. For traders with a consistent strategy and controlled drawdowns, that trade is favorable.
If that describes your trading, you can start a Stellar 1-Step Challenge at fundednext.com and choose the account size that matches your risk plan. If you want to compare paths first, the rules for each model are documented in the FundedNext Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the profit target for the Stellar 1-Step?
The profit target is 10% of the initial balance, from $600 on a $6,000 account to $20,000 on a $200,000 account. The FundedNext Account that follows has no profit target.
Is there a minimum trading day requirement on the 1-Step?
Yes. You must place trades on at least 2 separate calendar days, with at least 1 trade opened on each. The days do not need to be consecutive. The funded account has no minimum trading days.
Can I receive a funded account if I hit the profit target in fewer than 2 days?
Not immediately. Even if you reach the 10% target on your first day, you must still open a trade on a second, separate day. Once both conditions are met and all rules were followed, you qualify for the FundedNext Account.
Why is the daily loss limit tighter on the 1-Step compared to the 2-Step?
The 1-Step removes an entire verification phase, so the tighter 3% daily limit (versus 5% on the 2-Step) serves as the compensating risk control. It confirms disciplined risk management within a single phase rather than across two.
When is the 15% challenge reward paid on the 1-Step?
For accounts purchased or reset on or after January 12, 2026, the 15% reward, calculated on the challenge profit target, becomes requestable once you transition to the FundedNext Account and meet the Scale-Up plan eligibility criteria. Accounts from before that date follow the earlier structure, where the reward unlocks at 10% cumulative growth in the funded account.
What is the profit split on the Stellar 1-Step funded account?
The Reward Share is 80% of the account growth for accounts purchased or reset on or after January 12, 2026. Accounts purchased or reset before that date retain the previous 90% Reward Share structure.
Is news trading allowed on the Stellar 1-Step?
Yes, in both stages. In the Challenge Phase, there are no news restrictions. In the FundedNext Account, the News Profit Split Rule applies: only 40% of profit from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes before or after a correlated high-impact news event counts toward your balance, while losses apply in full.
Is there a time limit on the Stellar 1-Step Challenge?
No. There is no time limit to complete the challenge. You can take as long as you need to reach the target, provided the loss limits and other rules are respected.
What is the trading cycle count in the Stellar 1-Step FundedNext account?
Each trading cycle spans 5 business days, excluding weekends and public holidays. At the end of a cycle, you can request a payout if the account has grown.
Is the Stellar 1-Step available to US traders?
Yes. FundedNext offers the Stellar 1-Step to US traders through FundedNext CFD, with the same 10% target and 3%/6% loss limits. US accounts run on Match-Trader, where trades are placed and managed manually, and the 15% reward from the Challenge is not included for US traders.
Is the challenge fee refunded on the 1-Step?
Yes. After you pass the challenge and receive your FundedNext Account, the Refundable Fee, equal to your challenge fee or reset fee, is paid when your Performance Reward is disbursed for the third time (for accounts purchased or reset on or after January 12, 2026; earlier accounts receive it with the first Performance Reward).