A new industry survey by PipFarm has uncovered key behavioral trends in the prop trading community—revealing that a majority of traders are diversifying across multiple firms, while many continue to face emotional and psychological hurdles.

Multi-Firm Strategy on the Rise
According to the survey of 2,777 traders, 63% work with more than one prop firm at the same time. Among them, 51% use two firms, and 30% manage accounts with three or more.

The most common reasons?

• Risk diversification (34.3%)
  
  
• Access to more capital (33.8%)
  
  
• Keeping active while awaiting payouts or evaluations (25.8%)
  
  

Mental Pressure Still High
Despite a strong passion for trading (94% enjoy it, 96% want to continue long-term), traders report ongoing struggles with:

• Discipline and emotional control after losses (37%+)
  
  
• Financial stress (35%)
  
  
• Low self-perceived success – Only 11.2% feel “very successful”
  
  

Many have turned to self-development tools, including:

• Psychology podcasts (43%)
  
  
• Journaling (41.5%)
  
  
• Trading mindset books (39.8%)
  
  

Lifestyle Habits & Trading Patterns

• Most traders place 1-2 trades daily
  
  
• Average screen time: 2–4 hours/day
  
  
• Nearly half sleep 6–7 hours, while 24.5% sleep less than 6
  
  
• Entry fees remain low, with over 59% paying under $100 for their first challenge
  
  

The Big Picture
As the prop trading space continues to grow, the data shows a mature but cautious community: one that’s becoming more strategic with firm selection, while actively trying to improve their mental game. Still, challenges remain—especially around performance pressure and personal expectations.