One Prop Trader a Day - Meet Tommaso Malinconico: Italian Forex Trader, Multiple Failures, Funded After Faith and Discipline
One Prop Trader a Day - Episode 20
About Tommaso
Tommaso Malinconico is an Italian Forex trader, born in 1992, who treats trading as a discipline of self-mastery as much as a profession. He focuses on EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF, using their correlations as confirmation, and combines Smart Money Concepts, Wyckoff principles, market structure, SMT divergence, and liquidity logic. He maps the market from higher timeframes and refines entries on M5/M1. Funded since April 2025 after multiple failed challenges, his core thesis: psychology is not separate from strategy - psychology IS the strategy. Recently he placed 352nd out of 27,000+ traders in an Instant Funding global competition.
Funded sinceApril 2025
Primary assetsEUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CHF
TimeframesHTF + M5/M1
StyleSMC / Wyckoff / Liquidity
Originally fromItaly
Trading CompanyInstant FundingQ Quick intro - Who are you, where are you from, and what do you trade?
A My name is Tommaso Malinconico. I’m from Italy, born in 1992, and I trade mainly the Forex market. I primarily trade EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF because I pay close attention to correlations and liquidity behavior between pairs. My approach is built on Smart Money Concepts, Wyckoff principles, market structure, and liquidity. For me, trading isn’t only about making money - it’s a personal path of discipline, emotional control, faith, and continuous self-improvement.
Q When did you become a funded trader? What changed for you at that point?
A I became funded in April 2025. It changed my entire perspective. Before that, trading felt more like surviving emotionally through uncertainty. Once I became funded, I started approaching the market with a much more professional mindset. I understood that consistency matters more than excitement, and protecting capital became more important than chasing profits. Being funded also gave me the confidence that discipline and patience eventually pay off if you stay committed long enough.
Q How did you feel when you became a funded trader for the first time?
A Grateful, more than anything else. Of course I was excited, but the biggest emotion was relief - I knew how many difficult moments, failed attempts, and sacrifices were behind that achievement. At the same time, I understood that passing a challenge isn’t the finish line - it’s the beginning of the real responsibility. Staying consistent under pressure is the true challenge.
Q How many times did you fail before getting funded? What kept you going?
A I failed several times before succeeding. Every failed challenge taught me something important about psychology, patience, and risk management. Trading forces you to confront yourself every day, and sometimes taking the risk is the hardest part. What kept me going was the belief that growth comes through adversity. Faith played a huge role - I thank God for putting me on this path and for giving me the strength to keep moving forward even during the hardest periods.
Q What was your lowest point in trading? Did you ever consider quitting?
A My lowest point was realizing that technical knowledge alone isn’t enough. There were moments where emotions, frustration, and self-doubt completely took over. I experienced overtrading, revenge trading, and stretches where I questioned whether I was truly capable of making it. I did think about quitting at certain points, especially after losing consistency or failing a challenge. But deep inside, I always felt that trading was shaping me into a stronger, more disciplined person - not just financially, but mentally and spiritually.
Q Did trading ever affect you mentally or emotionally?
A Absolutely. Trading exposes every emotional weakness you have. Stress, fear, greed, overtrading, and self-doubt are all part of the journey if you stay in the game long enough. One thing I learned is that psychology isn’t separate from strategy - psychology IS the strategy. Staying calm, disciplined, and objective under pressure is what separates traders in the long term. I also learned that having the courage to take calculated risks is one of the hardest skills to master.
"Psychology isn’t separate from strategy - psychology IS the strategy."Tommaso Malinconico
Q What does your trading style look like today?
A Extremely selective and structured. I mainly trade EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF because I use correlation between pairs as part of my confirmations. My strategy combines Smart Money Concepts, liquidity grabs, market structure shifts, SMT divergence, Wyckoff concepts, and institutional logic. I analyze from higher timeframes and refine entries on M5 and M1 for precision. I focus heavily on patience, timing, and risk management rather than taking many trades.
Q What’s a typical trading day for you?
A My day starts with preparation and higher-timeframe analysis. I map liquidity levels, important zones, correlations between pairs, and possible market scenarios before London or New York opens. During active sessions I stay patient and avoid forcing setups - if conditions aren’t clear, I stay out. After trading, I review my executions, journal, and study charts to refine my read on price action. I also dedicate time to fitness, personal growth, and faith because keeping balance outside of trading is essential.
Q Do people around you understand what you do? How do they react?
A Not everyone. From the outside, trading can look simple or unrealistic. But people close to me understand the discipline, emotional control, and sacrifice it requires. Some were skeptical at first, but over time results and consistency speak louder than words. Trading has changed not only my lifestyle but also the way I approach challenges and responsibility in life in general.
Q How has trading impacted your lifestyle?
A It changed my mindset completely. It taught me patience, accountability, emotional discipline, and independence. It made me understand that freedom comes with responsibility and self-control. It also pushed me toward continuous personal growth, because in trading your results are often a reflection of who you are internally.
Tommaso’s Funded Certificate
Q What keeps you motivated to continue trading?
A The process of growth and mastery. Trading constantly pushes me to improve mentally, emotionally, and strategically. I’m also motivated by the opportunities it can create for long-term freedom and building something meaningful. My faith keeps me grounded too - I truly believe God gave me the opportunity and the strength to keep walking this path every day.
Q What would you tell your younger self when you first started trading?
A Stop chasing fast money. Focus on discipline, patience, and consistency from day one. Losses are part of the process, and emotional control is more valuable than any strategy. Most importantly: success in trading isn’t about avoiding failure - it’s about learning how to continue despite failure.
"Success in trading isn’t about avoiding failure - it’s about learning how to continue despite failure."Tommaso Malinconico
Q If I gave you a $1,000,000 funded account today, what would you do in the first 7 days?
A Slow down and protect the account. I wouldn’t try to impress anyone or chase aggressive returns. The first days would be about observing market conditions, adapting carefully, and only executing high-probability setups with strict risk management. Preserving capital comes first - consistency matters more than fast profits. Recently I participated in an Instant Funding global competition and ranked 352nd out of more than 27,000 traders. Experiences like that reinforced for me that discipline, patience, and emotional control are what really make the difference.
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