Gold is one of the most widely traded markets in the world and a popular choice when traders look for a gold prop firm: it often trends on macro news, reacts to a small set of scheduled data releases and trades almost around the clock. Many traders meet it as XAUUSD on a forex prop firm’s MetaTrader account. An alternative is a gold perpetual, priced from an exchange order book.
This guide explains how gold and silver work on a prop account built on perpetuals, which hours and data matter, how to size gold by the ounce, and how the QATS TradFi rules differ from the Crypto rules many traders already know.
Gold prop firm products: gold CFDs vs gold perpetuals
Forex prop firms usually offer gold as a CFD next to currency pairs and indices, on platforms such as MT5 at The5ers or MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView via OANDA at FTMO. The price comes from the broker or its liquidity provider, and positions held overnight pay or earn a swap.
A gold perpetual is an exchange contract with no expiry that tracks the gold price in USDT per troy ounce. Instead of a broker’s swap it carries a funding payment between longs and shorts, and the price you trade comes from an exchange order book. There is no contract roll, which makes it simpler to hold than a dated futures contract.
On QATS, gold (XAUUSDT) and silver (XAGUSDT) belong to the TradFi lineup of 33 perpetuals, next to platinum, palladium, copper, oil, natural gas, index funds and US stocks. TradFi evaluations are simulated on Binance or Bybit market data, depending on the instrument; the instrument selector shows the source. They are not part of the Crypto evaluation: you trade them on a TradFi account.
When gold moves: sessions and data
A gold perpetual trades around the clock, but its activity follows the underlying market. It is most active from the London morning through the New York afternoon, and quietest in late US hours and at weekends. US data released at 08:30 New York time, such as inflation, payrolls and retail sales, can move gold within seconds.
On QATS TradFi accounts the risk day rolls over at 17:00 Chicago time: that is the accounting boundary for daily figures and the end-of-day trailing floor, not a trading halt. Check the terminal banner for any account-specific news window or session restriction before an entry.
What drives gold and silver
Silver usually moves in gold’s direction with larger swings; its daily ranges are often around twice those of gold. Traders watch the gold-silver ratio to judge which metal is stretched. Long gold and long silver together is largely one position, so size the pair as one.
- Real interest rates: lower yields after inflation cut the cost of holding a metal that pays nothing.
- The US dollar: a weaker dollar makes gold cheaper for buyers in other currencies.
- Safe-haven demand: wars, banking stress and political shocks bring defensive buying.
- Central-bank purchases: reserve managers adding gold remove supply from the market.
- For silver, industry: about half of silver demand comes from solar panels, electronics and vehicles.
Gold prop firm rules on a QATS TradFi evaluation
QATS TradFi evaluations use a 6% profit target, an end-of-day trailing maximum loss that stops trailing at the starting balance, a 50% consistency rule and 2 minimum trading days. There is no separate daily cap during the evaluation: the maximum loss is the only loss limit that can end an attempt.
Funded accounts have their own daily limit ($500 on a $25K account, against a $1,000 maximum loss). On TradFi, reaching it closes positions and pauses new entries until the next risk day rather than breaching the account; touching the maximum-loss floor still breaches it. Pricing starts at $85 a month for the $25K account with free funded activation, or $59 a month plus a one-time $149 activation fee charged only after you pass.
| Account | Profit target | Max loss (EOD trailing) | Monthly price | One-time price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25K | $1,500 (6%) | $1,000 (4%) | $85 | $99 |
| $50K | $3,000 (6%) | $2,000 (4%) | $115 | $189 |
| $100K | $6,000 (6%) | $3,000 (3%) | $185 | $309 |
| $150K | $9,000 (6%) | $4,500 (3%) | $255 | $409 |
Sizing gold by the ounce
Gold is quoted per troy ounce, so sizing is simple arithmetic: every $1 move in the gold price changes a one-ounce position by $1. Decide the dollar risk, measure the stop in dollars per ounce, and divide: position in ounces = dollar risk ÷ stop distance per ounce.
On a $25K TradFi account, risking 0.5% ($125) with a $20 stop gives 6.25 ounces. On data days, when gold can cover its normal daily range in minutes, widen the stop and cut the size, never the other way round.
| Risk per trade | Dollar risk | Stop per ounce | Position size | Full stops before the max loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2% | $50 | $10 | 5 oz | 20 |
| 0.5% | $125 | $10 | 12.5 oz | 8 |
| 0.5% | $125 | $20 | 6.25 oz | 8 |
| 1% | $250 | $20 | 12.5 oz | 4 |
A gold trading checklist for prop accounts
- Know your dollar floor before the session; with an end-of-day trailing loss it moves only at the 17:00 Chicago rollover.
- Check the calendar for 08:30 New York releases and Federal Reserve decisions.
- Size from the stop in dollars per ounce, and count gold and silver as one exposure.
- Attach protective orders to every position; a stop that is not placed is not there when the data lands.
- Treat weekends with care: the perpetual can trade while the main gold market is closed, so books are thinner.
- Check the funding rate before holding a position for several days.
Frequently asked questions
01Can you trade gold with a prop firm?
Yes. Many forex prop firms offer gold as a CFD, and firms built on perpetuals may offer gold perpetuals. On QATS, gold (XAUUSDT) and silver (XAGUSDT) are available on every TradFi evaluation size, $25K–$150K.
02Is gold on QATS a CFD or a futures contract?
It is a perpetual contract: a future with no expiry, tracked from exchange market data, with funding instead of an overnight swap. QATS evaluations and initial funded accounts are simulated.
03What is the best time to trade gold?
Gold is most active from the London morning through the New York afternoon, and the sharpest moves often come with US data at 08:30 New York time. Late US hours and weekends are usually quieter, with thinner books.
04Is there a daily loss limit on gold in a QATS TradFi evaluation?
No separate daily cap applies during the TradFi evaluation; the end-of-day trailing maximum loss is the limit that can end an attempt. A funded TradFi account has its own daily limit ($500 on the $25K account), and reaching it closes positions and pauses entries until the next risk day.
Educational content, not investment advice. QATS evaluations and initial funded accounts are simulated; payouts depend on eligibility, verification and the applicable agreement.