2025 has been a very defining year for the prop trading space. We saw the industry settle into a more mature phase. A number of early operators stepped away due to regulatory pressure, operational challenges, or simple market fatigue. At the same time, many stronger and more serious players entered the market and started building longer-term strategies.
A key change is who is joining the space. Before 2025, most newcomers were digital-native companies such as IT or marketing groups trying prop models for the first time. This year, more established financial firms, especially licensed forex brokers, expanded into prop trading. Trading platforms now apply stricter onboarding and compliance requirements, which naturally gives experienced financial operators an advantage. We expect this trend to continue as more brokers add prop divisions in 2026.
We also see movement in the opposite direction. Several prop firms are preparing to become regulated brokers or launch brokerage divisions. Many already have a trader base, brand trust, and marketing funnel, so adding regulated brokerage services gives them a longer-term business path. Hybrid models, where one brand offers both Prop and FX Broker services, will become more common throughout 2026.
Another noticeable trend in 2025 is the focus on institutional-level risk management. Props today are far more serious about internal risk tools, evaluation logic, and real-time data monitoring. Simple equity-only rules are no longer enough. The most forward-thinking operators want behavioral insights, rule consistency checks, copy-trading detection, and real risk intelligence. This push toward more professional risk oversight is shaping the next generation of prop technology, and it aligns closely with what we are building in our platform, especially the new risk suite that we describe further below.
Trader expectations are growing as well. Participants are more educated and expect fairness, clarity, and transparency. This is driving more advanced rules, multi-stage evaluations, and a mix of hard and soft triggers that encourage responsible trading behavior.
In summary, 2025 was a year of recalibration and professional growth. In 2026 we expect:
- More brokers launching prop divisions
- More props moving toward licenses or hybrid structures
- Higher standards for compliance, technology, and data control
- A stronger demand for advanced risk systems and behavioral triggers
- Continued focus on trader experience, transparency, and long-term retention
How Kenmore Design technology contributes to the prop trading space
We built our platform with flexibility in mind. As prop models evolve, firms need to update rules, launch new challenge structures, and roll out new logic without interrupting traders who are already in evaluations. Our architecture allows firms to introduce new rules and triggers as modular additions, so business continues uninterrupted.
We also lead in behavioral soft triggers. Hard rules react to drawdown or equity events. Soft triggers monitor habits. For example, a trader does not have to set a stop-loss, but if they consistently avoid risk tools, the system can gently notify both the trader and the firm. This helps support disciplined trading behavior without interfering with results.
A major advantage is that we support both Brokerage and Prop models in one CRM and one back-office environment. Firms can operate regulated FX accounts and prop challenges under one unified system with one onboarding flow, one KYC process, one partner program engine, and one payout system. This is increasingly valuable as hybrid models become the norm.
We also support multiple trading platforms and can run them simultaneously or independently. Our system works with MT4, MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader, TradeLocker, and DXtrade. This gives firms flexibility to diversify or scale across multiple platforms without complexity.
Modern prop operations require real-time data, automation, and scale. Many newer systems struggle to keep up. Kenmore Design has been working in the trading technology space for many years, and our infrastructure and experience are built for this environment.
Recent and upcoming innovations
Throughout 2026, we are prioritizing two core innovation pillars:
Advanced Risk Intelligence and Trader Behavior Insights
We are building deeper visibility into trader behavior and evaluation quality. Our new tools are designed to help firms identify:
- Trading style and behavioral patterns
- Potential copy-trading or coordinated activity across accounts
- Hedging and improper correlation behavior
- Account-sharing or automation signals
- Whether the behavior is occasional or consistent over time
This is not just about rule enforcement. It is about giving firms context and clarity so they can spot high-quality traders and manage risk in a structured way.
Native Marketing Automation for Prop Firms
Marketing Automation systems have traditionally sat outside the CRM and required complex custom integrations to work properly. In 2026, we will introduce a native marketing automation layer inside our CRM — including the ability to trigger campaigns based on trading and risk-related events.
This will empower prop firms to operate with higher precision:
- Event-driven workflows tied to trader performance and behavior
- Automated lifecycle sequences tailored to challenge progress
- And there is one more thing that we will announce in 2026.
Our focus is to elevate operators’ ability not just to run prop firms, but to scale them efficiently and strategically.
We work with firms that are committed to doing things the right way and building for the long term, which makes our partnership with FinPR a natural fit.
The industry’s focus on transparency, brand trust, and long-term retention means that serious operators need more than just great technology; they need a strong market presence and credibility.
Our partnership with FinPR combines Kenmore Design’s advanced trading technology and robust infrastructure with FinPR’s specialized expertise in strategic PR, web development, reputation management, and global market positioning, ensuring prop firms enter the market with credibility and impact.
This combined approach allows prop firms using our CRM to:
- Build Trust and Visibility: Leverage FinPR’s expertise to enhance their brand visibility and reputation among traders and in the media.
- Scale Smarter: Ensure their marketing and communication strategy is unified and aligned with their business goals, leading with strategy while the Kenmore Design platform handles the operational execution.
As the industry matures and expectations continue to rise, we remain focused on developing technology that helps serious operators scale, strengthen their foundation, and deliver outstanding experiences to their traders.
Expert Guest: Alex Sherbakov
Company: Kenmore Design LLC
Title: Founder and CEO
