What Happened to SurgeTrader?
SurgeTrader is closed down as of 24 May 2024, after launching in Sep 2021. SurgeTrader, a prop trading firm from Naples, Florida, was run by SurgeTrader, LLC with backing from Valo Holdings Group. Its funded-account 'Audition' launched in September 2021, with CFD access to FX, indices, metals, equities and crypto. When MetaQuotes cracked down on prop firms in early 2024, SurgeTrader moved its traders to Match-Trader. Match-Trade Technologies then ended its licence, citing unmet contractual obligations in a notice dated 5 April 2024. New Auditions were paused in May 2024. On 24 May 2024 the firm said it had closed and stopped all operations. The brand never came back. As of 2026-09-29, surgetrader.com redirects to a GoDaddy 'domain for sale' page.
SurgeTrader at a glance
- Current status
- Closed down
- Launched
- Sep 2021
- Ceased trading
- 24 May 2024
- Legal entity
- SurgeTrader, LLC (United States (Florida))
- Old website
- surgetrader.com
- Trustpilot
- 3.8 · 1,246 reviews
SurgeTrader timeline
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep 2021 | Business start date of SurgeTrader LLC in Naples, Florida, according to the BBB | bbb.org |
| 22 Sep 2021 | A press release launches SurgeTrader's funded account programme, backed by Valo Holdings Group. Terms: 10% Audition target, 75% split, up to $1M capital | finance.yahoo.com |
| 5 Apr 2024 | SurgeTrader receives a licence termination notice from Match-Trade Technologies, first set to take effect on 30 June 2024 | financemagnates.com |
| 20 May 2024 | The termination goes public. SurgeTrader calls it unwarranted and halts new Auditions until a fix or a new platform is found | financemagnates.com |
| 24 May 2024 | Unable to resolve the platform termination, SurgeTrader announces that it has closed and stopped all operations | financemagnates.com |
| 29 Sep 2026 | A request to surgetrader.com gets a 302 redirect to a GoDaddy page offering the domain for sale | surgetrader.com |
Were traders paid?
The closure notice came with no official refund or payout-settlement plan, and news reports described little contact with customers. Trustpilot reviews written after the shutdown mention unpaid withdrawals and rejected refund requests. We found no regulator or court outcome.
Still waiting on money from a closed firm? Save your account statements, payout requests and every message. Look up the legal entity and jurisdiction named in its terms, and rely on official announcements. Third-party “fund recovery” services are a frequent scam.
Live firms to use instead of SurgeTrader
| # | Firm | Score | From | Per $10K | Payouts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  FundingPips | 4.5 | $33 | $69.80 | Weekly | Go to site |
| 2 |  FundedNext | 4.4 | $32.99 | $65.99 | On request | Go to site |
| 3 |  The5ers | 4.3 | $22 | $65.80 | Every 14 days | Go to site |
| 4 |  Finotive Funding | 4.3 | $25 | $96.90 | Weekly | Go to site |
| 5 |  Equity Edge | 4.2 | $15 | $57.40 | Every 14 days | Go to site |
| 6 |  Atmos Funded | 4.1 | $28 | $56.70 | On request after 7 profitable days | Go to site |
| 7 |  Hola Prime | 4.1 | $39 | $77.40 | Every 14 days | Go to site |
| 8 |  FXIFY | 4.1 | $19 | $75.80 | Every 10 days | Go to site |
Operating forex firms with no open warnings, sorted by our score. You may also want our list of long-established prop firms and our guide to vetting a firm before paying.
SurgeTrader: common questions
Is SurgeTrader still in business?
No. Our records list it as closed down since 24 May 2024, checked on September 29, 2026. SurgeTrader, a prop trading firm from Naples, Florida, was run by SurgeTrader, LLC with backing from Valo Holdings Group.
Were SurgeTrader traders paid?
The closure notice came with no official refund or payout-settlement plan, and news reports described little contact with customers. Trustpilot reviews written after the shutdown mention unpaid withdrawals and rejected refund requests. We found no regulator or court outcome.
Which firms are good alternatives to SurgeTrader?
The top-scoring live forex firms in our data are FundingPips, FundedNext, The5ers.
Where the facts come from
- surgetrader.com: site status today: 302 redirect to a GoDaddy domain-for-sale page
- forsale.godaddy.com: shows the domain is up for sale
- financemagnates.com: closure notice and date, the Florida base, and the earlier switch from MetaTrader to Match-Trader
- financemagnates.com: dates of the Match-Trader termination notice, SurgeTrader's reply, and the halt to new Auditions
- fxnewsgroup.com: confirms the closure, the 2021 founding year, Naples FL and backing from Valo Holdings Group
- finance.yahoo.com: Sept 2021 launch press release: the SurgeTrader, LLC name, markets and the first programme terms
- bbb.org: Naples address, legal name SurgeTrader LLC and the business start date
- search.sunbiz.org: Florida record for SURGETRADER, LLC (foreign LLC, doc. M21000011506); we could not load the page itself
- wikifx.com: confirms the closure and the thin communication with customers
- trustpilot.com: Trustpilot score, review count and post-closure complaints on withdrawals and refunds
Last reviewed September 29, 2026. Have more recent news? Let us know. Browse the full list of prop firms that closed.