USD/JPY capped near 160.30 into Jackson Hole: the carry-to-vol case
USD/JPY at 159.19 on August 19, 2026. The US-Japan two-year rate gap narrowed 19bp since August 3, yet the pair rose 1.93%. Base case 160.30 into Jackson Hole.
Abdelaziz Fathi
Senior Reporter, Brokers and Prop Firms
Abdelaziz Fathi covers the intersection of forex/CFD brokerage, regulation, liquidity, fintech, and digital assets. With a B.A. in Finance and hands-on industry exposure, Aziz blends analytical rigor with clear storytelling to make complex market structure understandable for traders, brokers, and fintech professionals.
August 2026
Ultimate Traders review: the 30-day clock its own site denies
Ultimate Traders advertises no time limit, but clauses 9.3 and 10.6 of its own contract give the challenge 30 calendar days.
Sway Funded review: the 90% split is a paid add-on
Sway Funded's contract contains no profit split, no payout deadline and no trading rules. The 90% share is a paid add-on and the default is 80/20.
Tin to $62,000 by year-end 2026: the stock-drawdown case
Tin settled at $56,225/t on August 17, 2026 while LME stocks fell 41% in two months to 5,320 tonnes. Base case $62,000 by year-end 2026, bull $68,000, bear $48,000.
Legends Trading review: a real broker, an empty rulebook
Legends Trading is backed by an NFA-registered introducing broker, and its end-of-day trailing drawdown is genuinely fair.
Seven Points Capital review: the prop firm you can audit
Seven Points Capital sells no challenge and charges no fee.
Zinc to $4,100 by Q4 2026: the West-versus-China split
LME zinc hit a four-year high as western warehouse stocks drained 21.2% in 30 days while China's export arbitrage stayed shut. Base case $4,100/t by Q4 2026.
PropAccount review: the $3,000 prop firm in a box
PropAccount is not a prop firm you can trade with.
ICFunded review: the 80/20 split starts after the first payout
ICFunded advertises a fixed 80/20 profit split and leans on the IC Markets name.
FundedFirm review: weekly payouts cut the profit split to 60%
FundedFirm pays 100% of profit on a monthly cycle, 80% biweekly and 60% weekly - and its FAQ, rulebook and Terms give three different answers on the split and the refund.
The Funded Pro review: the refund its own terms rule out
The Funded Pro advertises a fully refundable challenge fee.
FundingTraders review: half the $1,000 payout guarantee is credit
FundingTraders advertises a $1,000 payout guarantee.
Henry Hub to $2.40 by end-October 2026: the storage-record case
Henry Hub spot is $2.79/MMBtu with Lower 48 storage 198 Bcf above the five-year average. The base case is $2.40 by October 30, 2026 - the storage-record call.
MarketAxess to $167 by the ICE close: the merger-arb case
MKTX trades at $162.57 against ICE's contractual $167.00 cash offer - a 2.72% gross spread pricing a 10.7% deal-break risk. The antitrust case, both ways.
TradeFundrr review: the payout ceiling that closes the account
TradeFundrr funds stocks, options, futures and crypto on 80/20 weekly payouts.
Also filing this week: Rick Steves and Karthik Subramanian.