Welcome Alex Critcher: Another Experienced Futures Trader Takes on the 18th Street Standard

Another trader is stepping into the 18th Street Trading progression.

And this time, there is a personal connection as well.

We’re pleased to welcome Alex Critcher, an experienced funded futures trader who has begun an 18th Street Trading evaluation through JoinProp.

Alex recently shared his first impressions publicly after entering the program, and what stood out to him was not a promotion, discount, or oversized account claim.

It was clarity.

The rules were laid out.

The risk limits were explained.

The day-to-day expectations were defined.

And the support was responsive when he needed it.

That is exactly the experience 18th Street Trading is trying to build.

Welcome to 18th Street, Alex

Alex comes into the evaluation with experience in the futures prop trading ecosystem and a background that includes verified payouts.

That makes his perspective particularly valuable.

He is not approaching 18th Street as someone unfamiliar with proprietary trading.

He already has context.

He already understands what evaluations can look like.

And he already understands the difference between marketing language and the actual experience of trading within a firm's rules.

In his announcement, Alex said that JoinProp introduced him to the 18th Street Trading evaluation and that the firm's connection to the same town he is from immediately caught his attention.

But what mattered once he entered the process was how the firm operated.

He noted that the team did not try to sell him anything.

Instead, the rules, risk parameters, and expectations were laid out directly.

That is the way it should be.

Clear Terms Before the First Trade

A serious futures trader should never have to guess how an evaluation works.

Before placing the first trade, the trader should understand:

What is the profit target?

How does the trailing loss work?

What is the consistency requirement?

What trading behavior is permitted?

What creates a breach?

When does a payout become available?

What happens after a phase is completed?

And what does successful progression ultimately lead to?

Those answers should not be hidden inside fine print or discovered after a mistake.

They should be part of the decision before the trader begins.

Alex summarized that mindset well:

He would rather trade under clear terms than guess at them.

So would we.

Support Matters When the Market Is Open

Trading support often receives less attention than profit targets and payout percentages.

Until something goes wrong.

A platform issue.

A login problem.

A connectivity problem.

A question about a rule.

Those moments matter because a trader's focus should be on the market, not trying to determine whether someone at the firm will respond.

Alex experienced that early in his evaluation.

When his first platform created problems, the team moved him to another environment and addressed the issue quickly.

He specifically called out the responsiveness of the 18th Street team and the speed of email support.

That may sound like a small detail.

It is not.

Professional trading requires concentration.

Operational friction should not become another source of unnecessary uncertainty.

The Rules Are Part of the Strategy

Alex is approaching the evaluation with a philosophy that aligns closely with the 18th Street standard.

His approach is simple:

Follow the rules as though they are part of the trading strategy.

Keep position size small while learning the process and platform.

Document every trade.

Record the reasoning.

And let consistency create the result.

That is a fundamentally different mindset from trying to pass an evaluation as quickly as possible.

The target exists.

But the target should not dictate every trading decision.

A trader who begins sizing up simply because the target feels close can quickly abandon the process that created the opportunity in the first place.

The same thing can happen after a loss.

Increasing exposure to recover faster may feel productive.

It can also create unnecessary risk.

Professional progression is not supposed to be forced.

It is supposed to be earned.

Consistency Over Aggression

Alex made another point that aligns directly with one of 18th Street Trading's core principles.

Passing comes from consistency over time.

Not from sizing up.

That distinction matters.

One large winning day can create an impressive result.

But it tells the firm relatively little about whether the trader can repeat the process.

Can the trader manage risk after a loss?

Can position sizing remain controlled after a large gain?

Can the trader stay patient when the market does not present an opportunity?

Can the same process be followed across multiple sessions?

That is what consistency is intended to reveal.

At 18th Street Trading, every simulated phase uses the same published standard:

A 9% profit target.

A 5% end-of-day trailing maximum loss.

A 25% consistency requirement.

The account size may change.

The standard does not.

Every Trader Starts at Phase 1

Alex begins where every 18th Street trader begins:

Phase 1 — Trader Candidate.

There are no shortcuts around that starting point.

The complete simulated progression consists of:

Phase 1 — Trader Candidate

Phase 2 — Qualified Trader

Phase 3 — Professional Trader

Phase 4 — Institutional Trader

Successfully completing each phase creates two things:

A payout.

And the opportunity to progress.

The trader then begins the next phase with a fresh balance and must demonstrate the standard again.

Nothing after the initial plan can be purchased.

Phase 2 cannot be bought.

Phase 3 cannot be bought.

Phase 4 cannot be bought.

And Live capital cannot be purchased.

Every advancement must be earned.

The Bigger Picture Behind the JoinProp Relationship

Alex is another trader entering the 18th Street environment through JoinProp.

That relationship is valuable because it creates an opportunity for traders outside the firm to experience the process directly and share what they encounter.

The objective should not be to manufacture testimonials.

It should be to let traders examine the firm.

How are the rules communicated?

How does support respond?

How does the platform experience work?

What happens when something goes wrong?

How does the trader manage the risk parameters?

And ultimately, what does the progression feel like from the inside?

Those observations carry more weight when they come from the trader actually participating in the process.

That is why we welcome the scrutiny.

Read the Rulebook Before the Chart

Alex ended his post with a piece of advice that should apply to every trader entering any proprietary trading evaluation:

Read the rulebook before the chart.

It is difficult to overstate how important that is.

A trader can have an excellent market read and still violate an account rule.

A trader can have a profitable strategy and still misunderstand how trailing drawdown works.

A trader can reach a profit target without satisfying a consistency requirement.

A trader can place an otherwise valid trade during a restricted period.

These are not strategy failures.

They are preparation failures.

Professional traders understand the environment in which they are operating before placing capital at risk.

The rules are not separate from the strategy.

They are part of the operating environment.

What We Want Alex to Do Next

The answer is simple.

Nothing different.

There is no need to chase Phase 1.

No need to trade bigger because the evaluation has begun.

No need to manufacture activity because the account is new.

Trade the process.

Respect the risk.

Document the decisions.

Stay patient.

And allow the record to develop.

If the standard is met, the progression follows.

That is how the model was designed.

Welcome to 18th Street

Alex, welcome to 18th Street Trading.

We appreciate the willingness to step into the process, evaluate the firm firsthand, and share the experience publicly.

We also appreciate the comments about the clarity of the rules and the responsiveness of the team.

Those things matter to us.

But the most important part begins now.

The trading.

The process.

The discipline.

The record.

We look forward to following your progression.

One trade at a time.

One session at a time.

One phase at a time.

Follow Alex’s Progress

JoinProp and Alex have both shared the beginning of the evaluation publicly.

You can read the original LinkedIn post here:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7521711197616988160/

For traders considering 18th Street, we encourage you to follow the process.

Read what Alex shares.

Compare it with the firm's published rules.

Then decide whether the structure fits how you trade.

Institutional Standard. Professional Traders.

18th Street Trading was built around a simple principle:

Greater opportunity should follow demonstrated performance.

Every trader begins at Phase 1.

Every phase must be earned.

Every successfully completed phase creates a payout.

And completing all four phases creates the opportunity to progress to Live capital.

No shortcuts.

No purchased advancement.

No substitute for the standard.

Alex is now beginning that process.

We wish him the best as he builds the record.

Performance. Payout. Progression. Live Capital.

Institutional Standard. Professional Traders.

Explore the complete 18th Street Trading qualification structure, plans, payouts, and progression at trade18th.com.

Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for every investor. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Phases 1–4 at 18th Street Trading operate in a simulated environment using notional capital. Fixed phase payouts require successful completion of applicable requirements and verification. The Live account executes on the exchange under live market conditions. Participation does not guarantee successful qualification, payouts, profits, or progression to a Live account.