One Prop Trader a Day – Meet Cesar Sambrano: Venezuela to Argentina’s #1 Darwinex Trader
One Prop Trader a Day – Episode 17
About Cesar
Cesar Augusto Sambrano is a 46-year-old Venezuelan trader based in Argentina who has spent over a decade in the markets — the first eight years defined by hardship, loss, and the resilience that only real failure teaches. He trades Gold, Silver, and the Nasdaq using a mathematical system called Trading Áureo, focused on market debt zones and price targets. Currently ranked #1 in Argentina on Darwinex, Cesar manages approximately $1,000,000 in capital and leads a community of over 100 professional traders through TradingDiscrecional.
Funded sinceJanuary 2024
Trading since2014
Primary assetsGold, Silver, Nasdaq
Lives inArgentina
Originally fromVenezuela
Q Quick intro – Who are you, where are you from, and what do you trade?
A My name is Cesar Augusto Sambrano, I’m 46 years old. I’m Venezuelan and currently living in Argentina, and I trade Gold, Silver, and the Nasdaq.
Q When did you become a funded trader? What changed for you at that point?
A I went through two stages. The first was with a funded account at FTMO — $25K in May 2023. Then in August 2023 I joined Darwinex, went through the calibration process, and got my Darwin approved in December of that year. In January 2024 I received my first capital allocation, also $25K. At that point my mindset shifted — what had been an experiment turned into something more competitive. I was focused on growing and scaling within that platform.
Q How did you feel when you became a funded trader for the first time?
A Pure joy. It had been an incredibly difficult journey. Being an immigrant is a part of life you should never have to normalize, and achieving this felt like a balm. I called my mother and told her how happy I was — with tears in my eyes — because I felt like I had finally made it. All that was left was to hold on, and I was ready for that.
“I called my mother with tears in my eyes — because I felt like I had finally made it.”Cesar Sambrano
Q How many times did you fail before getting funded? What kept you going?
A About four times before I found the profitability I’d been chasing. Eight years of learning and failing — and now four years of being consistently profitable. What always pushed me forward was the conviction that if I quit, I would be betraying all the effort, sacrifices, and the money I had put into reaching this goal.
Q What was your lowest point in trading? Did you ever consider quitting?
A After a year of trading a demo account profitably, I thought I was ready. Someone trusted me with capital to manage. I started growing that balance, and after doubling it, the pandemic hit. I was trading oil futures and lost everything because I hadn’t placed a stop loss. I was away from home with no idea what was happening that Friday. That was the moment I said: that’s it, this isn’t for me.
Q Did trading ever affect you mentally or emotionally?
A Yes. In the aftermath of losing that capital, being locked down during the pandemic, out of formal employment, unable to help my family — I lost all confidence in myself. I was at rock bottom. Everything was collapsing at once: relationship problems, no income, no direction. It was hell.
Q What does your trading style look like today?
A The system I use is called Trading Áureo — a mathematical model focused on market debt zones and price targets that price historically seeks after a structural move. I’m always a trend trader. Risk-to-reward management takes priority above all else. Everything is manual, and I start my analysis on macro timeframes — monthly, weekly, daily, 4H, 1H — with the 1H being the basis for about 80% of my entries. I combine Fibonacci tools, RSI, and Stochastic to identify divergences and overbought/oversold levels.
Q What’s a typical trading day for you?
A I start at 8am, observe the market, mark my debt zones, and watch for entry patterns that meet my criteria. I don’t usually trade short, though there are times I have to — especially when structural changes with high volatility happen very quickly on lower timeframes. These days, trading is my only focus alongside mentoring sessions, Darwinex partnerships, and growing the TradingDiscrecional community of over 100 active professional traders.
Q Do people around you understand what you do? How do they react?
A Most people in my circle know I trade, even if they don’t fully understand it. My family supports me and respects my profession. In fact, my wife and two sons are now trading in the markets themselves, off the back of my mentoring. Basically, we’ve become a family of traders.
Q How has trading impacted your lifestyle?
A As an immigrant, building stable habits and routines has been hard. Before, I was doing two things at once: trading while also working at a telecommunications company. Now I only trade, and everything has changed. More time at home with my family, more freedom — I play football, ride my bike, play video games with my son, enjoy my pets — all with the peace of mind that financial freedom is within reach.
Q What keeps you motivated to continue trading?
A I don’t need motivation — this is what I love, what I’m passionate about. I haven’t worked a single day of my life since I made the switch, because I’m doing what I genuinely enjoy every single day. There are hard moments, like in anything, but this is the best profession in the world, and it pays very well when you’re a disciplined professional.
“I haven’t worked a single day of my life since I made the switch — I’m doing what I genuinely enjoy every single day.”Cesar Sambrano
Q What would you tell your younger self when you first started trading?
A Start now. Don’t leave it half-done. You’re on the right path, and this is what will one day make you free and prosperous.
Q If I gave you a $1,000,000 funded account today, what would you do in the first 7 days?
A Trade normally. I have a mathematical model for both strategy and risk management that lets me operate calmly regardless of account size. With a $1M account, I’d probably close the month up around 1% — or down around 0.33% — just to give a rough idea.
Connect with Cesar
Follow Cesar’s trading journey and community on Instagram (@TradingDiscrecional) or connect on LinkedIn.
