News
BluSky Adds Cash Buyout Option for Live Brokerage Call-Ups From October 1
Official BluSky help (updated for transitions from 1 October 2026) now confirms that traders approved for Live Brokerage can take a one-time cash buyout equal to 50% of applicable drawdown instead of going live at a $0 starting balance with Sim Funded profits in a Bonus Vault.
What happened
BluSky Trading Co’s Rules and Help Center now documents a structural change to new Live Brokerage transitions beginning 1 October 2026.
In Getting to Live Brokerage Just Got Easier! (primary), and mirrored in Sim Funded Accounts Rules, BluSky states that after a trader hits the $10,000 total-profit Brokerage Review threshold (payouts counted) and is approved/called up, they can choose:
- Go Live — Live Brokerage starts at $0, live drawdown matches the qualifying account size, and eligible Sim Funded profits move into a Bonus Vault (not into the live starting balance).
- Take a one-time cash buyout — equal to 50% of the applicable drawdown, then a short cooldown before returning to Evaluations.
Example (from the help center)
For a qualifying 50K account with a $2,000 drawdown:
- Go Live: $0 starting balance + $2,000 live drawdown; eligible Sim Funded profit → Bonus Vault
- Buyout: $1,000 cash payout
Existing Brokerage accounts opened under the prior structure keep their old rules. The $0 start + Bonus Vault / buyout choice applies to new transitions going forward.
The same help package restates a standardized minimum payout request of $500 across applicable plans (already covered in our earlier payout-minimum article).
Why it matters for traders
- Call-up is a fork, not only a promotion: qualifying no longer only means “move live with transferred sim profit as starting balance.” New transitions start live at $0, with sim profit parked in the Vault unless the trader takes the buyout.
- Buyout math is drawdown-based: the published example is half of applicable drawdown (e.g. $1,000 on a $2,000 drawdown), not half of sim profit.
- Cooldown after buyout: help says a short cooldown applies before returning to Evaluations — exact length is not spelled out in the article we used.
- Primary source is now public: we first heard the buyout via secondary/list channels around 1 October and held it on a private watch list while the older Live Brokerage help URL returned 404. The new help articles above are the first-party confirmation.
Context
ProprietaryTrading.com lists BluSky Trading Co as an active firm. The older Live Brokerage help URL (…/articles/16300879-…) still 404s as of 14 October 2026; use the October update articles linked above as the current SoT for new transitions.
What to watch next
- Whether BluSky publishes the exact buyout cooldown length and which account sizes/plans are eligible.
- How Bonus Vault unlocks interact with live payouts in practice (separate Bonus Vault help exists).
- Any plan-specific exceptions to the $500 payout floor or the $0 live start.
FAQ
Q: When does the buyout option apply?
A: Per BluSky help, for new Brokerage transitions beginning 1 October 2026, once you are approved and called up.
Q: How large is the cash buyout?
A: Help says 50% of your applicable drawdown. Their 50K example with a $2,000 drawdown pays $1,000.
Q: If I go live, do I keep sim profit as starting balance?
A: Not for new transitions. Help says live starts at $0 and eligible Sim Funded profits go to the Bonus Vault.
Q: Did this replace the $500 payout minimum story?
A: No. The $500 minimum is restated in the same help package; we already published that separately when Payouts help confirmed it.
Firms mentioned
Quick reference for the firms referenced above — pulled from our live directory.
BluSky Trading Co
Denver, CO
- Model
- Evaluation + Instant Funding
- Split
- 90%
- Payouts
- Bi-weekly
- Max
- $500,000
Compare these side-by-side in the firm comparison tool or browse the full directory.
Frequently asked
Background reading that complements this story.
- How does proprietarytrading.com source its news?
- Coverage is sourced from firm announcements, regulatory filings, public statements, and original reporting by the editorial team. When a story is based on another publication's reporting, we link the original source.
- How often is news updated?
- We publish industry news as it breaks and run a weekly roundup summarizing the most consequential firm, regulatory, and product developments.
- How do I compare firms mentioned in a news article?
- Use the in-line firm links to open each firm's profile, or open the comparison tool to view multiple firms side-by-side on funding model, payout cadence, profit split, evaluation rules, and allowed instruments.
More background: the glossary, our education library, and our methodology & editorial standards.
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