Most traders who lose an account did not lose it on the charts. They broke a rule they never read.
Alpha Capital publishes a clear list of prohibited strategies and conduct rules. Understanding them is the cheapest way to protect your evaluation and your qualified account. This guide covers every major rule, in plain language, straight from the help centre.
General information only. Simulated accounts, simulated funds. Performance fees are performance-based and outcomes are not guaranteed. Always confirm the latest rules on the help centre before trading.
Important information
Alpha Capital prohibits strategies that exploit the simulated price feed or rely on manipulation rather than genuine trading skill.
The main prohibited strategies are:
- Arbitrage and latency trading
- High-frequency trading
- Front-running or exploiting mispricing
- Reverse trading and group hedging
- Order book spamming
- Group trading and signal following
- Account management by someone other than the account holder
There are also conduct rules that catch traders by surprise: the 2-minute average trade duration rule, IP and VPN restrictions, and an anti-gambling policy. Break any of these and profits can be removed and the account can be closed.
The full list of prohibited strategies
These are not allowed on any Alpha Capital account.
Prohibited strategy | What it means |
|---|---|
Arbitrage trading | Exploiting price differences or mispricing |
Latency trading | Using speed or delays in the price feed |
High-frequency trading | Rapid automated order execution |
Front-running price feeds | Acting on unrealistic prices or opportunities |
Reverse trading / group hedging | Coordinated opposing trades to game outcomes |
Order book spamming | Flooding the book with many small orders to mislead |
Group trading / signal following | Copying signal groups or other traders' trades |
Account management services | Letting someone else trade your account |
All accounts and trades must be performed by the trader whose name is on the account. If you are unsure whether your EA is compliant, you can ask Alpha Capital to review and approve it before you start.
The 2-minute average trade duration rule
This is the rule that catches scalpers most often, so it deserves its own section.
Alpha Capital requires the average duration of all your trades to be greater than 2 minutes. You can track this on your dashboard under account metrics, in the insights tab.
Detail | Rule |
|---|---|
Average duration | All trades combined must average over 2 minutes |
Profit source | At least 50% of profit must come from trades over 2 minutes |
Breach threshold | If over 50% of profit comes from sub-2-minute trades, the rule is breached |
If breached after passing | You restart the evaluation from Phase 1 |
If breached on a qualified account | Profits removed and account reset to the initial balance |
Some individual trades can be under 2 minutes. The rule is about the average and where your profit comes from. It exists to prevent tick scalping and high-frequency manipulation of the price feed. It applies to all accounts.
IP, VPN, and VPS rules
This is a common worry, and the rules are specific.
- Multiple accounts cannot be accessed through the same IP address
- IP masking, or masking trade reasons on the platform, is prohibited
- Within a household, each account uses only one IP address, so a second person in the same household cannot buy an account due to IP restrictions
- Geographically impossible IP changes are a violation, for example logging in from two distant countries in the same trading day without notice
- A VPN or VPS is allowed only if it has a static IP and you communicate it in advance
- International travel may trigger a security review, and Alpha Capital may request travel details
In short, you can use a VPS with a static IP if you tell them first. Random IP masking or sharing accounts across one IP is not allowed.
Hedging and stacking: what is actually allowed
Good news here, because both are permitted within the rules.
Activity | Status | Definition |
|---|---|---|
Hedging | Allowed | Long and short positions open at the same time on the same instrument, on the same account |
Stacking | Allowed | Three or more open trades on the same instrument in the same direction |
Two important limits:
- Hedging to lock in a price or spread arbitrage is prohibited and will close the account
- Hedging across two Alpha Capital accounts is prohibited, and correlated instruments can count as hedging
What counts as gambling
Alpha Capital does not accept "all or nothing" trading styles. The firm looks for consistent risk management, not lucky one-off swings.
Behaviour that can be flagged as gambling includes:
- A sudden change in lot size compared with your account average
- An unusual deviation from your typical trade duration, for example holding for minutes when you usually hold for hours
- Purely speculative trades placed around high-impact news with no intent to hold or follow a consistent strategy
Trades judged to be gambling can have their profits removed, and repeated or serious cases can lead to account closure.
What happens if you break a rule
Alpha Capital reserves the right to enforce strict consequences for violations.
- Agreements can be terminated immediately in the event of a breach
- Profits from invalid trades, or the entire payout window, can be removed, and the remaining payout postponed
- All passed evaluations are subject to review, and traders found abusing the rules will not advance to the qualified phase
The takeaway is simple: trade your own genuine strategy, keep your size and durations consistent, and you stay clear of all of these.
Related Alpha Capital pages
- Alpha Capital rules explained
- Alpha Capital news trading and overnight rules
- Why most traders fail evaluations
- Prop firm for scalpers: what to look for
Frequently Asked Questions
What trading strategies are prohibited on Alpha Capital?
Arbitrage, latency trading, high-frequency trading, front-running price feeds, reverse trading and group hedging, order book spamming, group trading and signal following, and account management by anyone other than the account holder.
What is the 2-minute rule on Alpha Capital?
The average duration of all your trades must be over 2 minutes, and at least 50% of your profit must come from trades longer than 2 minutes. If more than half your profit comes from sub-2-minute trades, the rule is breached. It applies to all accounts and exists to prevent tick scalping.
Can I use a VPN or VPS on Alpha Capital?
Yes, but only if it has a static IP and you communicate it in advance. IP masking, sharing one IP across multiple accounts, and geographically impossible IP changes are not allowed.
Is hedging allowed on Alpha Capital?
Yes. You can hold long and short positions on the same instrument on the same account. However, hedging to lock in a price or spread arbitrage is prohibited, and hedging across two Alpha Capital accounts is prohibited.
What does Alpha Capital consider gambling?
All-or-nothing trading. Sudden lot size changes versus your average, unusual deviations from your typical trade duration, and purely speculative trades around high-impact news with no intent to hold can all be flagged as gambling.
What happens if I break a rule on Alpha Capital?
Consequences range from removal of profits from invalid trades to postponed payouts and immediate account closure. Passed evaluations are reviewed, and traders found abusing the rules do not advance to the qualified phase.
Alpha Capital Group is a proprietary trading firm based in the United Kingdom. Accounts operate in a simulated environment with simulated funds. Performance fees are performance-based and outcomes are not guaranteed.
