SpotwareSystems has signed a technology agreement with FundingRock, a prop trading firmrunning simulated evaluation programs, making cTrader the platform underpinningFundingRock's trader challenges, the companies said today (Thursday).Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Under thedeal, FundingRock's users will gain access to cTrader's charting, execution andrisk management tools across mobile, desktop and web, according to a jointstatement. The platform, which Spotware says serves more than 11 milliontraders, will also list FundingRock's prop challenges in the cTrader Store'sdedicated Prop Challenges section, a marketplace that the company declares draws more than 10,000 visitorsdaily.Prop Firms Scramble toLock Down Credible Platform PartnersTheagreement lands at a time when prop trading firms are under growing pressure todemonstrate legitimacy. The sector saw an estimated 80 to 100 firms shut downin 2024, and the shakeout continued into 2025 and2026, withretroactive rule changes, payout delays and trust breakdowns driving tradersaway from less established operators. FundingTicks,for instance, began winding down earlier this year after backlash over altered tradingrules that traders said were applied retroactively to existing accounts.Thatbackdrop has made platform choice a competitive differentiator. Prop firms thatpreviously relied on MetaTrader shifted en masse after MetaQuotes tightenedcompliance enforcement, particularly targeting firms serving the U.S. market.cTrader,DXtrade from Devexperts and Match-Trader have all picked up market share in theaftermath, though cTrader has been especially active in signing new prop firmclients. FTMO and Instant Funding began usingSpotware's demo account infrastructure for trial programs earlier this year, while Goat Funded Trader, FunderPro, The Trading Pit, BrightFunded andothers have all integrated the platform over the past 18 months.Spotware expanded into Latin American proptrading through a deal with TFunded last month, and the company's overall client count now exceeds 300brokers and prop firms, according to its most recent disclosures.FundingRock CitesTransparency as Key FactorFundingRock,which describes itself as a skill-based evaluation platform operating in asimulated trading environment, says it offers account sizes ranging from $5,000to $200,000 with two-phase evaluation programs. The firm says it provides dailypayouts and publishes its trading rules and risk parameters upfront."Weare fixing prop trading by aligning our interest with yours, creating arelationship based on transparency and mutual trust," Meir Hefetz,FundingRock's CEO, commented. "We fund you with substantial capital andissue daily rewards while striving to provide the best tradingconditions."FundingRockdid not disclose how many active traders use its platform or the total payoutsit has distributed to date.Spotware,for its part, pointed to what it calls the Traders First approach, which thecompany says includes trade receipt functionality that gives users visibilityinto how each order is processed. Yiota Hadjilouka, Spotware's chief operatingofficer, said FundingRock's focus on credibility "fits closely with ourTraders First™ approach.""Wewelcome FundingRock to the cTrader environment and look forward to apartnership centred on trader confidence," Hadjilouka added.cTrader Store and LeadsProgram Double as Acquisition ChannelsPart of thecommercial logic behind the deal involves Spotware's cTrader Store, whichfunctions as both a marketplace for trading tools and, increasingly, adistribution channel for prop firms. The Store features dedicated sectionswhere prop firms can list their challenges, allowing traders to compareevaluation criteria, drawdown limits, profit splits and pricing side by side.TheFundingRock deal also comes just one day after Spotware launched cTrader Leads, a separate program that routestraders from Spotware's product ecosystem to participating brokers at no cost. Spotwareestimates that total acquisition costs for a single depositing trader can reachas high as $800 in the FX sector, though the company has not disclosed itsmethodology behind that figure. MetaQuotes,Devexperts and Match-Trade Technologies have all been building their ownlead-generation and engagement tools as the competition between tradingtechnology vendors extends well beyond execution and charting.This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.