📅 May 2026 | ⏱️ 5 min read | 🏷️ FTMO, Algorithmic Trading
Why I Started the FTMO Challenge
After 3 months of building and testing the RSI+MA20 automated system on a personal account, it was time for the real test: a $10,000 FTMO Challenge. The rules are strict — 10% max total loss, 5% max daily loss, 10% profit target within 30 days.
The goal wasn’t just to pass. It was to prove the system works under pressure.
The Setup
EA: RSI_MA20_Bot.mq5
Timeframe: H1
Risk per trade: 1% ($100 on $10K)
Max daily loss: 3.8% (safety buffer below FTMO’s 5%)
Circuit breaker: Max 2 trades per day
Pairs: EURUSD, XAUUSD
Week 1 Results
| Day | P&L | Trades | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | +$142 | 2 | Clean RSI+MA confluence |
| Tue | -$98 | 1 | NFP spike, SL hit |
| Wed | +$187 | 2 | Gold trend day, both wins |
| Thu | $0 | 0 | Circuit breaker held — no signal |
| Fri | +$93 | 1 | London open setup |
| Week 1 | +$324 (+3.24%) | 6 | On track ✅ |
3 Key Lessons from Week 1
1. The Circuit Breaker Saved Us
Thursday had no valid signals — and the bot didn’t force trades. Two years ago I would have manually entered “something.” The rule is simple: max 2 trades per day, period. No overrides.
2. News Events Are the Enemy
Tuesday’s loss was during a news spike. The fix: adding a news filter that blocks entry 15 minutes before and after major economic events (ForexFactory integration).
3. Gold Outperformed EUR/USD
XAUUSD gave cleaner RSI signals on H1 during trending sessions. Consider weighting gold more in week 2.
What’s Next
Week 2 will include the news filter upgrade and a test of the new Bollinger RSI strategy on the $100K demo account. Follow along — I’ll post weekly updates.
⚠️ Not financial advice. Trading involves significant risk. Past results do not guarantee future performance.
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