I almost made a mistake this week. A big one. I saw the chop in the E-mini S&P futures and the headline about Binance, and my old habits started whispering. 'There's a trade here,' they said. 'Get in.' Five years ago, I would have jumped in, probably over-leveraged, and blown an account. But after failing more than 20 prop firm challenges, you learn one thing: the news is there to trap you, not help you. And this Binance news is a perfect example.

So, The New York Times reports that Democrats are looking into $1.7 billion in transactions linked to Iran that allegedly went through Binance. This isn't a surprise. Regulatory risk has been the ghost in the machine for crypto for years. While BTC is only down -0.6% to around $64,193 on the news, this is the kind of headline that can cause a sudden, violent move. For a deeper dive on the regulatory maze, I'd keep an eye on Emma Blackwood's work; she's much sharper on the legal implications than I am. For me, it just means one thing: risk is elevated, and I'm tightening my stops on everything.

Away from crypto, I'm watching the majors. EUR/USD is coiling in a tight range, and with inflation data on the horizon, I'm not touching it. I've learned the hard way that trading major news events is one of the fastest ways to fail a prop firm challenge. My first six failures were all because I thought I could predict NFP or CPI. One of the best prop firm challenge tips I can give is simple: if there's a major red-folder news event, just go flat. Protect your daily drawdown. You can always trade tomorrow.

Gold is interesting, though. It's holding its ground despite the noise. I'm a big believer in following specialists, and Viktor Reyes knows his commodities. He's been calling for strength in metals, and I'm seeing a potential bull flag forming on the 4-hour chart. I haven't entered yet. On my funded accounts, I need multiple confluences. I'm waiting for a clean break and retest of the $2,350/oz level before I consider a long position with a tight stop below the consolidation zone.

So what's the plan? Patience. That's it. People always ask me how to pass prop firm challenge, expecting some secret indicator or strategy. The secret is discipline. In a market like this, with regulatory uncertainty and pre-data jitters, the winning trade is often no trade at all. My job isn't to catch every move; it's to protect my capital so I'm still in the game next week. Passing a challenge is a marathon of risk management, not a sprint for profit. I've already set my max loss for the day in my spreadsheet, and if I hit it, I close the charts and walk away. That single rule has saved me more times than any trading setup.

• BTC Support: Watching the $62,500 level. A break below on high volume would be a major warning sign.
• EUR/USD Range: Staying out while it's trapped between 1.0720 and 1.0800.
• My Daily Risk: Max loss set at 0.5% of my funded account balance. Non-negotiable.

Ultimately, headlines are just noise. My charts, my rules, and my risk parameters are the only things I listen to. It's boring, but it's what gets you paid out. How many traders do you think will blow their accounts this week chasing a story they can't control?

Read More on TradersWeek:→ CEX vs DEX: Is Your Crypto Safer on Binance or On-Chain?→ Stripe vs. PayPal: Who Wins the Crypto Payments War?→ Bhutan's Crypto Visa: A Gimmick or a Genius RWA Play?

SPY chart · Powered by Finviz

Trading ToolsStock Screener · Crypto Heatmap · Forex Rates · Try FINVIZ Elite Free