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Matt Kohrs trades multiple prop firm accounts by using specialized trade copier software to simultaneously execute a single trade across all his funded accounts. This allows him to scale his strategy, primarily focused on NQ futures scalping, while compartmentalizing risk within each individual account, a method that maximizes profit potential from a single, well-executed trading idea.
Table of Contents
- What is Prop Firm Trading?
- Why Does Matt Kohrs Trade with Multiple Prop Firms?
- The Core Components of Matt Kohrs’ Multi-Account Strategy
- How Does Matt Kohrs Execute His Trades Across Accounts?
- What is Matt Kohrs’ Approach to Risk Management?
- A Closer Look at Matt Kohrs’ Trading Strategy
- What Are the Biggest Challenges of Managing Multiple Accounts?
- Which Tools and Platforms are Essential for This Approach?
- Can Retail Traders Replicate This Success?
- The Importance of Technology and Security in Modern Trading
What is Prop Firm Trading?
Proprietary (prop) firm trading offers a unique pathway for individuals to trade significant capital without risking their own money. In this model, a company provides traders with access to its capital after they pass a qualifying evaluation or challenge. These evaluations are designed to test a trader’s skill, discipline, and ability to manage risk under a specific set of rules. Once a trader passes, they become a “funded trader.”
The arrangement is mutually beneficial. The trader gains access to a much larger account than they could personally afford, amplifying their potential profits. The prop firm, in turn, takes a percentage of the profits the trader generates. This profit-sharing model, often around 80-90% in favor of the trader, incentivizes consistent and responsible trading. Key rules typically include maximum daily loss limits and a maximum trailing drawdown, which are critical parameters traders must constantly monitor.
Why Does Matt Kohrs Trade with Multiple Prop Firms?
Trading a single prop firm account is the standard for most, but Matt Kohrs employs a strategy of managing numerous accounts—often 20 or more—simultaneously. This approach is not about haphazard trading; it is a calculated method designed to maximize returns while carefully managing risk. The core reasons behind this multi-account system are scaling, diversification, and opportunity.
Scaling Profit Potential
The most significant advantage is the ability to scale profits exponentially. A successful trade that yields $500 on one account simultaneously yields $10,000 if executed across 20 identical accounts. This allows a trader to leverage a single high-conviction trading idea for maximum financial gain. Instead of increasing position size on a single account, which would dramatically increase the risk of hitting a drawdown limit, Kohrs scales horizontally across multiple accounts.
Diversifying Risk
It may seem counterintuitive, but using multiple accounts is a powerful form of risk diversification. Prop firm rules are strict; one mistake or a sudden market swing can lead to a rule violation and the loss of the account. By spreading his activity across many accounts, Kohrs ensures that the failure of one account does not impact the others. If an account is “blown,” it represents only a small fraction of his total trading capital, allowing him to continue trading profitably on the remaining accounts.
Capitalizing on Promotions
Prop firms, especially in the competitive futures space, frequently offer significant discounts on their evaluation fees. Kohrs often takes advantage of these promotions to acquire new accounts at a lower cost. This reduces the initial financial barrier to scaling up and allows him to continuously add to his portfolio of funded accounts, treating each one as a distinct asset.
The Core Components of Matt Kohrs’ Multi-Account Strategy
Matt Kohrs’ success with multiple prop firm accounts is built on a foundation of specific tools, market focus, and a disciplined choice of trading partners. Understanding these components reveals a systematic and repeatable process rather than a complex or esoteric method.
The Power of Trade Copiers
The lynchpin of the entire operation is a trade copier. This software is the technological solution that makes managing dozens of accounts feasible. When Kohrs enters a trade on his “master” account, the trade copier instantly replicates that exact trade—including entry price, stop loss, and take profit levels—across all connected “slave” accounts. This automation eliminates the impossible task of manually placing orders on each platform, ensuring perfect synchronization.
Choosing the Right Prop Firms
Kohrs is famously associated with Apex Trader Funding, a prominent prop firm in the futures market. His choice is strategic. He favors firms with trader-friendly rules, such as no daily drawdown limits (only a maximum trailing drawdown) and the allowance of trading during news events. Consistency in rules across the majority of his accounts is crucial for simplifying the management process. By sticking with one primary firm, he doesn’t have to mentally juggle conflicting rule sets during high-pressure trading situations.
His Preferred Market: NQ Futures
Focus is another key element. Kohrs primarily trades Nasdaq 100 futures, known by the ticker symbol NQ. This market is characterized by high volatility and liquidity, which is ideal for his scalping strategy. By specializing in a single instrument, he develops an intimate understanding of its behavior, patterns, and key price levels. This mastery of one market is far more effective than trying to trade multiple instruments across numerous accounts.
How Does Matt Kohrs Execute His Trades Across Accounts?
The execution of Kohrs’ strategy is a masterclass in efficiency, leveraging technology to perform a task that would be humanly impossible. It boils down to a streamlined setup involving a primary trading platform and the critical trade copier software.
The Role of a Trade Copier Explained
A trade copier is a specialized program or plugin that links multiple trading accounts together. Kohrs uses one account as his primary execution platform. Every action taken on this “leader” account—opening a position, modifying a stop-loss, or closing a trade—is automatically broadcast and mirrored on all the other “follower” accounts in real-time. This ensures that a single decision is applied uniformly, making the performance of all accounts (before commissions and fees) virtually identical.
Platform and Software Setup
The most common platform for this type of strategy in the futures space is NinjaTrader. It is a powerful platform that supports advanced charting, automated strategies, and, crucially, third-party plugins like trade copiers. Kohrs’ setup involves running multiple instances of the trading platform, each logged into a different prop firm account. The trade copier software then interfaces with all these instances. When he places a trade on his main chart, the copier instantly sends the same order to all other open platforms, executing the trade within milliseconds across the board.
What is Matt Kohrs’ Approach to Risk Management?
While the profit potential of trading multiple accounts is immense, the risk is equally magnified without an ironclad management plan. Matt Kohrs’ approach is defined by a deep respect for prop firm rules and a disciplined, unemotional mindset.
| Strategy Element | Description | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Trailing Drawdown Awareness | The maximum trailing drawdown is the most critical rule. Kohrs is hyper-aware of his account thresholds at all times. | To prevent rule violations and the loss of funded accounts. |
| “One and Done” Mentality | Often, if he hits his daily profit target on a successful first trade, he stops trading for the day. | To protect profits, avoid over-trading, and eliminate the risk of giving back gains. |
| Account Compartmentalization | Each account is treated as a separate entity. A loss in one does not influence decisions in others. | To maintain psychological stability and prevent a single bad trade from causing a catastrophic, system-wide failure. |
Navigating the Trailing Drawdown Rule
The maximum trailing drawdown is the ultimate line in the sand for a prop firm trader. It’s a stop-loss on your entire account that moves up as your account balance increases. Kohrs’ strategy is built around staying far away from this limit. His scalping method, which involves taking small, quick profits, helps keep his equity curve smooth and prevents the large downward swings that could threaten his accounts. He knows the exact dollar amount of his drawdown on each account and manages his trades accordingly.
The “One and Done” Mentality
A common theme in Kohrs’ trading is the “one and done” approach. On many days, he aims to identify one high-quality setup, execute it across all his accounts, and if it reaches his profit target, he shuts down his platforms for the day. This extreme discipline prevents over-trading, revenge trading, and the emotional mistakes that often lead to giving back profits. It locks in the gains across dozens of accounts, solidifying a successful day.
Treating Each Account as a Separate Business
Psychologically, Kohrs treats each funded account as a separate business franchise. The failure of one franchise, while unfortunate, does not bankrupt the entire enterprise. This mental framing is crucial. It allows him to take calculated risks without being paralyzed by the fear of losing any single account, knowing his broader trading operation remains intact.
A Closer Look at Matt Kohrs’ Trading Strategy
Matt Kohrs’ strategy is notable for its simplicity and focus. He does not use complex indicators or esoteric theories. Instead, he relies on price action, key levels, and a scalping methodology perfectly suited for the volatile NQ futures market and the constraints of prop firm rules.
Scalping and Quick Profit-Taking
Scalping involves entering and exiting trades very quickly to capture small price movements. Kohrs often holds trades for just a few minutes or even seconds. This approach has several benefits for his multi-account system. First, it minimizes exposure to market risk; the less time you are in the market, the less can go wrong. Second, it helps him stay well within the drawdown limits. By taking small, consistent profits, he avoids the large P&L swings that can put an account in jeopardy.
Identifying Key Levels and Setups
His trading is centered around identifying key horizontal support and resistance levels, supply and demand zones, and areas of high liquidity. He patiently waits for the price to reach these pre-determined areas and looks for a specific reaction or price pattern to trigger his entry. This patient, plan-based approach removes impulsivity and ensures he only engages the market when he perceives a high-probability edge.
What Are the Biggest Challenges of Managing Multiple Accounts?
While highly profitable, trading dozens of accounts is fraught with unique challenges that go beyond those faced by a single-account trader. These hurdles are both technological and psychological.
Technological Failures and Slippage
The entire system is dependent on technology working flawlessly. A computer crash, internet outage, or a bug in the trade copier software could be catastrophic, preventing trades from being executed or, worse, leaving dozens of open positions unmanaged. Furthermore, when executing a large number of contracts simultaneously across many accounts, slippage—the difference between the expected and actual execution price—can become a significant factor, eating into profits.
The Psychological Pressure
Managing positions where each tick of the price represents thousands of dollars in P&L swing is immensely stressful. The pressure to perform flawlessly is intense, as a single mistake is multiplied by the number of accounts being traded. It requires an elite level of emotional control and a detached, process-oriented mindset to function effectively under this kind of pressure.
Adhering to Different Firm Rules
Although Kohrs primarily uses one firm, if a trader were to use multiple different prop firms, they would need to be mindful of any subtle differences in the rules. One firm might allow news trading while another prohibits it. One might have a 5% max drawdown while another has a 10% trailing drawdown. Keeping these rules straight, especially during fast market conditions, adds a layer of complexity and risk.
Which Tools and Platforms are Essential for This Approach?
A successful multi-account trading operation is built upon a specific stack of technology. These tools are not optional; they are fundamental requirements for executing the strategy effectively and safely.
Trading Platforms like NinjaTrader
A robust and stable trading platform is the foundation. NinjaTrader is a popular choice for futures traders because of its powerful charting capabilities, fast execution, and extensive support for third-party add-ons and automated systems. Its ability to run multiple instances simultaneously is a key feature for this strategy.
Trade Copier Software
This is the most critical piece of the puzzle. There are various trade copier solutions available for platforms like NinjaTrader. Selecting a reliable, low-latency copier is paramount. Traders must do their due diligence to find software that is known for its stability and has a strong track record, as the entire operation’s success hinges on its performance.
Charting and Analysis Tools
While Kohrs’ strategy is simple, it still relies on high-quality charting to identify key levels and trade setups. Platforms like TradingView or the native charting within NinjaTrader are used to analyze price action, draw support and resistance lines, and plan trades before execution. A clean and uncluttered workspace is essential for maintaining focus.
Can Retail Traders Replicate This Success?
The strategy employed by Matt Kohrs is transparent and based on accessible technology, making it theoretically replicable. However, success is not guaranteed and depends on mastering several core principles while avoiding common mistakes.
Key Principles to Adopt
First and foremost, a trader must be consistently profitable on a single account. Attempting to scale a losing strategy will only multiply losses faster. Discipline is non-negotiable; this includes adhering to a well-defined trading plan, managing risk stringently, and having the mental fortitude to stop trading after a target is hit or a loss limit is reached. Finally, a deep understanding of the chosen market and the prop firm’s rules is essential.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The biggest pitfall is impatience. Many traders try to scale up to multiple accounts before they have proven their profitability and consistency. Another mistake is underestimating the technological and psychological challenges. A trader must ensure their hardware, internet connection, and software are robust. They must also be prepared for the increased stress that comes with managing significantly more capital.
The Importance of Technology and Security in Modern Trading
The multi-account prop firm strategy is a testament to how technology has reshaped the trading landscape. Success is not just about a trader’s market insights, but also about the integrity, speed, and reliability of the software they use. From the trading platform to the trade copier, every component must function perfectly. A single bug or glitch can have immediate and significant financial consequences.
This reliance on complex, interconnected systems mirrors trends seen across the entire digital economy. In the world of Web3 and blockchain, for instance, the security of the underlying code is paramount. A vulnerability in a smart contract can lead to catastrophic losses, much like a bug in a trading bot. This highlights the critical need for expert oversight and verification. Specialized firms like Cointracts provide this crucial service, performing in-depth smart contract audits to identify vulnerabilities and ensure that the digital architecture of a project is secure, robust, and operates exactly as intended. Just as a professional trader must trust their tools, participants in the digital asset space must have confidence in the security of their platforms—a confidence built on rigorous, independent auditing.
