# Scaling: position limits and the scaled DLL

> Position size is capped by account size: 2 minis on a 25K, 4 on a 50K, 6 on a 100K, 10 on a 150K, with micros counting one tenth. Once a funded Cycle or Direct account is above its initial trail balance, the fixed Daily Loss Limit is replaced by 60% of the highest end-of-day profit, and it only ever rises.

Source: https://startrading.io/rules/scaling · Updated 2026-09-08

## What is the maximum position?

Maximum position per account type and size

| Account type | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Cycle](https://startrading.io/accounts/cycle) | 2 minis (20 micros) | 4 minis (40 micros) | 6 minis (60 micros) | 10 minis (100 micros) |
| [Clear](https://startrading.io/accounts/clear) | 2 minis (20 micros) | 4 minis (40 micros) | 6 minis (60 micros) | 10 minis (100 micros) |
| [Stream](https://startrading.io/accounts/stream) | 2 minis (20 micros) | 4 minis (40 micros) | 6 minis (60 micros) | 10 minis (100 micros) |
| [Direct](https://startrading.io/accounts/direct) | 2 minis (20 micros) | 4 minis (40 micros) | 6 minis (60 micros) | 10 minis (100 micros) |

The limit counts mini-equivalents across all products at the same time. Micros count one tenth of a mini. Orders that would exceed the limit are rejected; there is no penalty beyond the rejection.

100K account, 6-mini limit

-   2 ES + 4 MNQ: 2 + 0.4 = 2.4 minis. Fine.
-   4 NQ + 20 MES: 4 + 2 = 6 minis. At the limit.
-   6 CL + 1 MCL: 6.1 minis. The last order is rejected.

## How does the Daily Loss Limit scale once funded?

On funded [Cycle](https://startrading.io/accounts/cycle) and Direct accounts, once your balance is above the initial trail balance (starting balance + initial [Max Loss Limit](https://startrading.io/rules/max-loss-limit)), the fixed [Daily Loss Limit](https://startrading.io/rules/daily-loss-limit) is replaced by 60% of your highest end-of-day profit. The new limit ratchets: it rises with each new peak and never comes down. It is never lower than the fixed amount of your size.

100K Cycle, funded

-   Fixed Daily Loss Limit: $1,800. Initial trail balance: $103,000.
-   Your highest close reaches $106,500, a $6,500 profit: the daily limit becomes 60% × $6,500 = $3,900.
-   A losing week brings the balance to $104,000. The limit stays at $3,900.
-   A new peak at $108,000 raises it to $4,800.

## What is the Stream maximum daily profit?

On Stream accounts, a single day whose closed profit reaches the maximum daily profit moves the account to Live at once: $6,000 on a 25K, $8,000 on a 50K, $10,000 on a 100K, $12,000 on a 150K. The simulated profit above the buffer is paid up to $15,000. Stream accounts do not receive a Live Bonus.

## How should you size relative to the limits?

A useful check is the number of full stops a day allows. On a 100K Cycle with a $1,800 daily limit and a 10-point ES stop on 2 contracts ($1,000 per stop), the day allows one stop and part of a second before the block. The same stop on 6 contracts blocks the day on the first loss.

## Common mistakes

-   Reading the position limit as per product and stacking ES and NQ to double it.
-   Forgetting that micros count: 60 MES is the whole 100K limit.
-   Sizing to the scaled daily limit right after a peak, then trading through a drawdown at the same size.

## Sources

-   CME Group, [Micro E-mini equity index contract specifications](https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/equities/sp/micro-e-mini-sp-500.contractSpecs.html): a micro is one tenth of the E-mini, which is why ten micros count as one mini.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do micros count against the position limit?

Yes, at one tenth of a mini. A 100K account with a 6-mini limit can hold 60 micros, or 3 minis and 30 micros, or any mix that adds up to 6 mini-equivalents across all products.

### Is the position limit per product or per account?

Per account, across every product. Two ES and four NQ on a 100K is at the limit. Orders that would exceed it are rejected by the platform.

### Can the scaled Daily Loss Limit go back down?

No. It ratchets: each new highest end-of-day profit raises it, and a losing streak never lowers it. It is always at least the fixed amount of your size.