Topstep Cited by Name in E8 Markets Payout Speed Promotion
A post on X dated Saturday, February 14 by @emre_millions promotes E8 Markets and names Topstep directly in a comparison about payout processing times, citing two payouts to trader @Z_Nasdaq that together exceed $40,000.
This post is a competitor's affiliate promotion that names Topstep in a comparative claim. The payout figures cited refer to E8 Markets, not Topstep, and the post contains an affiliate referral code.
The post itemizes a sequence attributed to @Z_Nasdaq on E8 One: evaluation passed on day one, a first payout of $20,681 on day three, and a second payout of $19,748 on day eight. Topstep is named in parentheses alongside the line, "Most prop firms? You'd still be waiting for payout approval 5-10 days later." The payout figures and timeline are claims about E8 Markets, not about Topstep.
The mention of Topstep is comparative and rhetorical. The post does not cite any specific Topstep payout request, processing time, or trader experience. It offers no screenshots, transaction records, or dated approval notices from Topstep to substantiate the implied delay. Readers evaluating the claim should treat it as marketing commentary from a competing firm's affiliate rather than documented evidence about Topstep's payout cycle.
“Most prop firms? You'd still be waiting for payout approval 5-10 days later.”— @emre_millions on X, naming Topstep
For context, Topstep was founded in 2012 in Chicago and operates one of the longest-running futures evaluation programs, with funded accounts trading CME Group products. The firm publishes a 90/10 profit split, with accounts opened before January 2026 grandfathered to keep 100% of the first $10,000 in profits, and a per-request payout cap of $6,000 on standard plans. None of these mechanics are addressed in the post.
What the proof does not establish is equally relevant. There is no account size, instrument, strategy, or duration disclosed for any Topstep trader in the post. The $19,748 figure flagged by the scraper belongs to the E8 Markets timeline, not to a Topstep payout. The post includes an affiliate code, "TRADES," which the schema records as a promotional projection rather than a verified receipt.
The takeaway for traders comparing firms is narrow. The post documents that a competitor publicly invoked Topstep's name in a speed comparison; it does not document Topstep's actual current payout turnaround. Anyone weighing the two firms should seek dated payout confirmations from Topstep-funded traders directly rather than rely on a rival's framing.