I normally avoid trading competitions because they encourage overtrading. But this one made me curious enough to test whether my strategy could adapt to a completely different environment.
PrimeXBT exchange runs a free weekly trading contest — anyone can join. This is not a promotion post. I just wanted to share my experience because it taught me something about myself that I did not expect.
The Rules
The contest runs for 7 to 8 days. To win you have to make more profit than everyone else that week. Simple enough.
But there is one rule that changes everything — to be eligible to win you have to place at least 50 trades during the contest period.
A trading contest does not reward consistency the same way a real account does. The goal is to outperform everyone else over one week, not survive for years. Those are completely different games.
With my strategy I can barely place 10 quality trades in a good month. Fifty in a single week is a completely different world.
What I Am Trying
I am keeping the same trading principles but testing them on lower timeframes. Instead of using the 1-hour chart as the HTF I am using the 15-minute. Instead of the 15-minute as the LTF I am using the 5-minute. Same structure, smaller timeframes, more setups.
Whether this adaptation actually has an edge is still something I need to test over time. For now it is purely experimental.
This is a side project. I am keeping it completely separate from my real account and my actual journal.
Last Week
Last week I managed to place more than 50 trades on the contest account. But I could not bring myself to call most of them real trades. They felt more like clicks than decisions — placed without proper planning just to meet the minimum requirement.
By the end of the week I finished 250th out of 5,000 contestants. Honestly that told me more about my own style than about the contest. I realized that speed is not my strength. Patience is.
Looking at the leaderboard I noticed some traders completed the 50-trade requirement in one or two days. I am not against that — everyone has their own approach. But for me, 50 trades in a week is well above my overtrading zone no matter how you look at it.
The Real Lesson
The contest reminded me that there is a difference between making more trades and making better trades. My personality simply fits patience more than constant action. That is not a weakness — it is just how I trade. Knowing that is worth more than any leaderboard position.
Is It Worth Trying?
The rewards are genuinely good. First place gets $500, second gets $350, third gets $150. For a free contest that is worth a shot if you are curious.
If you want to try it yourself, go to the PrimeXBT site for the full details. But one honest warning before you do.
Do not destroy your trading discipline for the sake of winning a contest. The 50-trade requirement will tempt you to place trades you would never take on your real account. Keep the contest completely separate from your actual strategy and your real money. What you practice in a contest becomes a habit. Make sure it is a habit you actually want.
Bye for now, take care.
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