Think Capital - Prop Firm Review
- CFD prop firm (TFG Payments Ltd, London) trading simulated capital on ThinkTrader/TradingView, backed by broker ThinkMarkets
- 80% base split; the 90% is a paid add-on at checkout
- Drawdown varies by program; Bolt trails then locks at 6% of your initial balance after your first payout
- The broker’s FCA/ASIC regulation does not extend to you — your contract is with the unregulated TFG Payments Ltd
- Low $100 payout, no monthly fee, EAs allowed on MT5; the firm may hedge your trades in real markets
Think Capital: the short version
- What it is: a CFD prop firm (TFG Payments Ltd, London) trading simulated forex, commodities, indices and crypto CFDs on ThinkTrader and TradingView. Backed by the broker ThinkMarkets. Four programs: Lightning, Dual Step, Nexus and Bolt (instant). $2.5k to $100k.
- The split: 80% base. The 90% is a paid add-on bought at checkout, not earned.
- The drawdown: varies by program: Lightning and Bolt trail (6%); Dual Step and Nexus are static (8%). Bolt’s trailing floor locks at 6% of your initial balance after your first payout.
- The catch: the broker’s FCA/ASIC regulation is prominent in the marketing, but the Terms state your contract is solely with the unregulated TFG Payments Ltd — the broker’s permissions do not extend to you.
- Cost: from $39 (a rolling discount code runs), no monthly fee, low $100 payout minimum. Add-ons (news, 90% split, weekly payout) are checkout-only.
- Best for: CFD traders who want real broker infrastructure and TradingView execution — and who read that the regulation belongs to the broker, not to the firm they contract with.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026. Checked against Think Capital’s official website and binding Terms of Services. Figures below reflect the products on sale at the time of review; prop firm rules change often, so always confirm on the firm’s own pages before you buy.
Company and regulation
Think Capital is operated by TFG (Payments) Limited, at a London address, under English law. Its headline selling point is being “the best broker-backed prop firm,” backed by ThinkMarkets — described on-site as an FCA- and ASIC-regulated broker with 15+ years of history. That broker backing is genuine, and it does mean real execution infrastructure and TradingView integration rather than a pure simulator.
But the regulation needs stating precisely, because the Terms draw a firm line the marketing blurs: “The Provider is not authorised or regulated as a financial services firm… Any… affiliation between the Provider and any entity within the ThinkMarkets group does not extend ThinkMarkets’ regulatory permissions… the Customer’s contract for the Services is solely with TFG (Payments) Limited.” In other words, the regulated party is the broker; the company you actually contract with is not regulated, and its regulation should not be assumed from the broker’s.
The accounts are simulated, and the Terms are unambiguous: “any trading that you perform through the Services is not real… the funds provided to you for demo trading are fictitious.” One clause worth knowing: the firm reserves the right to replicate your demo trades in real markets, with no compensation to you — a hedged-book model the marketing does not surface.
The products, split and drawdown
| Program | Steps | Target | Daily loss | Max loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | 1 | 10% | 3% | 6% trailing |
| Dual Step | 2 | 8% then 5% | 4% | 8% static |
| Nexus | 3 | 7%, 6%, 5% | 4% | 8% static |
| Bolt (instant) | 0 | — | 3% | 6% trailing → locks |
(These are the binding-Terms figures; note the homepage shows a 9% Dual Step target and a 7% challenge max loss that the Terms contradict — trust the Terms.) Sizes run $2.5k to $100k, with scaling advertised beyond. The split is 80% base, and the “up to 90%” you see everywhere is a paid add-on available only at checkout — not something you reach through performance.
The rule worth understanding: Bolt’s drawdown lock
Think Capital’s most distinctive and best-drafted mechanic sits on its instant-funding product, Bolt, and it is unusual because it loosens over time rather than tightening.
Bolt’s 6% maximum loss is a trailing equity drawdown before your first payout — it follows your high-water mark, so giving back gains can breach you, which makes the pre-payout phase genuinely tight. Then, at your first approved payout, the Terms state it “shall be permanently fixed at six percent (6%) of the Initial Balance… and shall not thereafter trail upward.” It converts from a trailing equity floor into a static buffer once you have proven you can withdraw.
That is a well-designed trade: hard on you while you are unproven, then structurally kinder once you have taken a payout. Most rivals do not spell this out, and it is a point in Think Capital’s favour — provided you understand that the tightest period is before you have banked anything.
Payouts and rules
- Minimum payout: $100. Cycle: 14 days by default (7 with a paid add-on). Bolt has no monthly payout cap.
- Bolt first payout needs five profitable days, cumulative profit of 6% of your initial balance, 14 days since your first trade, and a 20% best-day consistency cap.
- Methods: crypto, USDT, USDC, Rise, or transfer to a broker account (not for US residents).
- News and weekend holding vary by program and are often paid add-ons; Bolt allows neither and excludes crypto.
- EAs are allowed by default on MT5; a “profitable day” requires 0.5% closed profit. Minimum three trading days on the challenges.
- Fees: one-off challenge fee, no monthly charge, but a $20 processing fee is withheld on refunds.
Verdict
Think Capital is one of the more substantial firms in this tier: real broker infrastructure from ThinkMarkets, TradingView execution, EAs allowed by default, a low $100 payout, no recurring fees, open to US traders, and an unusually well-drafted Terms document — including the Bolt drawdown lock, which is a genuinely thoughtful design.
Weigh three things. The 90% split is a paid add-on over an 80% base. The accounts are simulated, and the firm can hedge your trades in real markets. And most important, the regulation belongs to the broker, not to the company you contract with — the Terms sever that link explicitly, even as the marketing leans on it. A strong, broker-backed option, provided you read “broker-backed” as infrastructure rather than as regulatory protection for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Think Capital regulated?
No. Think Capital is operated by TFG (Payments) Limited, which the Terms state is not authorised or regulated as a financial services firm. It is backed by the broker ThinkMarkets, which is FCA- and ASIC-regulated, but the Terms are explicit that the broker’s regulatory permissions do not extend to your contract, which is solely with the unregulated TFG (Payments) Limited.
What is the Think Capital profit split?
The base split is 80%. The advertised “up to 90%” is a paid add-on bought at checkout, not earned through performance and not addable after the account is issued. So 80% is the default unless you pay to upgrade.
How does the Think Capital Bolt drawdown work?
On the Bolt instant-funding account, the 6% maximum loss is a trailing equity drawdown that follows your high-water mark before your first payout, so giving back gains can breach you. At your first approved payout it permanently locks at 6% of your initial balance and stops trailing, becoming a static buffer. The tightest period is before you have taken any payout.
Are Think Capital accounts simulated?
Yes. The Terms state that any trading you perform is not real and that the funds provided are fictitious. The firm also reserves the right to replicate your demo trades in real markets with no compensation to you, which is a hedged-book model not surfaced in the marketing.
What does Think Capital let you trade and on what platform?
It offers forex, commodities, indices and crypto CFDs on the ThinkTrader platform with TradingView integration, and references MT5 for EA support. Note that the Bolt instant-funding product excludes cryptocurrency and allows only forex, commodities and indices.
How do Think Capital payouts work?
The minimum payout is $100 on a 14-day cycle, reducible to 7 days with a paid add-on, and Bolt accounts have no monthly payout cap. Payouts are made in crypto, USDT, USDC, via Rise, or by transfer to a broker account (not available to US residents). Bolt’s first payout requires five profitable days and cumulative profit of 6% of the initial balance.
Does Think Capital charge a monthly fee?
No. It uses a one-time purchase model with no recurring monthly fee. Note that a $20 processing fee is withheld on refunds, and optional add-ons (news trading, the 90% split, weekly payouts, weekend holding) are available only at checkout.
