Overview
Every account must show genuine trading activity within each rolling 7-day period.
A trade placed primarily to reset the inactivity timer, rather than to participate in the market, is a flip trade.
Flip trades do not satisfy the activity requirement. An account whose only activity in a 7-day window consists of flip trades is treated as inactive and is failed under the Inactivity Policy.
This policy is applied by substance, not by form. Any method that produces the same effect is treated the same way.
Account Activity Requirement
To keep an account in good standing, you must, within every rolling 7-day period:
Log in to Tickblaze, and
Execute at least one trade on that specific account that reflects a genuine trading decision
The 7-day window runs on consecutive calendar days, not trading days. Weekends and market holidays are included in the count.
The requirement applies per account. Activity on one account does not keep another account active.
Trades must be executed before 5:00 PM EST to count toward that day's check.
What Genuine Trading Activity Means
A qualifying trade is one placed because you intended to take a position in the market, based on a setup, a thesis, a signal, or a strategy you would have traded regardless of your inactivity timer.
A trade does not qualify if its primary purpose was to register activity on the account.
What Is a Flip Trade
A flip trade is any order or sequence of orders placed primarily to create the appearance of activity or to reset the 7-day inactivity timer, rather than to participate in the market.
Common characteristics include, but are not limited to:
Opening and closing a position immediately, or almost immediately, with no meaningful market exposure
Trading a size that is materially inconsistent with your established behavior on that account, for example dropping from minis to a single micro, or from your typical risk to a nominal $5 to $10 position
Placing a single trade after a period of inactivity, then resuming no activity
Entries and exits that show no relationship to price action, levels, session timing, or any identifiable strategy
Trades placed within a short window before the inactivity deadline that differ sharply from your normal pattern
Repeating any of the above across consecutive 7-day cycles
This List Is Illustrative, Not Exhaustive
This policy is applied by substance, not by form. Any conduct, by any method, on any account, alone or with others, that has the effect or intended effect of satisfying the activity requirement without genuine market participation is a flip trade, whether or not it resembles anything described above.
This includes conduct not yet identified at the time of writing, conduct designed specifically to fall outside the descriptions above, and conduct carried out by another person, a copier, a bot, or a script on your behalf. Attempted conduct is treated the same as completed conduct.
We are not required to update this article before enforcing against a method we have not previously described.
The Following Never Satisfy the Activity Requirement
Opening and closing a position within seconds with no meaningful market exposure
Opening opposing positions on the same or correlated instruments and closing both immediately, so that no directional exposure was taken
Having another person, a copier, a bot, or a script place a trade on your account for the purpose of registering activity
How Flip Trades Are Identified
We review the account's own trading history to establish a baseline, then assess whether a given trade is consistent with it. The review considers:
Entry and exit timing, and time in market
Position size and instrument type relative to your established norms
Risk taken relative to your established norms
Where the trade falls within the 7-day window
Whether the trade forms part of an ongoing pattern
Overall consistency with a recognizable trading approach
No single factor is decisive. The assessment is made on the trade as a whole.
Where There Is No Baseline
A flip trade may be identified with or without reference to your trading history. Where an account has little or no established pattern, or where the account's established pattern is itself consistent with flipping, the trade is assessed on its own characteristics against normal market participation.
How Intent Is Assessed
Intent is assessed objectively from the trading record. A trader's stated intention is a factor but is not determinative.
Where activity is unclear, we may ask you to explain the trade. A coherent explanation consistent with the record will be taken into account. Failure to respond, or an explanation inconsistent with the record, may also be taken into account.
No Published Thresholds
No fixed time, size, or profit threshold defines a flip trade, and none will be published. A published threshold would simply become a target. Assessment is made on the trade as a whole.
Important Clarifications
This rule targets trades placed to satisfy the timer. It is not aimed at normal trading decisions.
Reducing size is not in itself a violation. Traders scale down for many legitimate reasons, including conditions, drawdown management, testing, or personal circumstances. Smaller size alone is not sufficient to establish a flip trade. What we assess is whether the trade reflects a genuine intention to trade.
Losing trades count. A qualifying trade does not need to be profitable, well executed, or successful. It needs to be genuine.
Short-duration trades count. Scalping and fast execution are legitimate strategies. A brief hold time is only relevant when combined with other indicators and when it departs from your established behavior.
One genuine trade is enough, provided it is not part of a pattern described above.
An open position is not an executed trade. Holding a position carried over from a previous window does not reset the timer. You must execute a trade inside the current window.
Unfilled and cancelled orders do not count. The activity requirement is satisfied only by an executed trade.
Consistency protects you. Traders trading their strategy normally are not the target of this rule.
Consequences
Where a trade is determined to be a flip trade:
It does not satisfy the activity requirement for that period
The account is treated as inactive for that 7-day window
The account is failed in accordance with the Inactivity Policy. No refunds are issued, and the outcome is final
This is final. A failed account cannot be reactivated, reset or replaced, and no refunds are issued. Resets are no longer available on our current infrastructure.
Determinations are made at our sole discretion based on the account's trading records. This policy applies to all accounts and all account types, and applies equally to any method or arrangement that produces the same outcome.
Notifications
Because flip trades are assessed on review, a flip trade may suppress your 5-day inactivity warning. The absence of a warning does not mean an account is in good standing. Responsibility for maintaining genuine activity rests with the trader.
Reviews
Determinations are final and are not subject to appeal.
How to Protect Yourself
Trade your strategy as you normally would. If you are not trading, expect the account to close under the inactivity rule
Place your trade before 5:00 PM EST on the day it needs to count
Keep your size and risk decisions explainable in terms of your strategy
Do not rely on another person, a copier, or a script to hold your account open
Do not leave activity to the final day of the window
The Simple Version
Trade your strategy. Size and outcome do not matter. Intent does. Trades placed solely to keep an account open will not keep it open.