The Futures Desk is no longer operating as an independent futures prop firm after being acquired by Topstep, in a deal that brings its technology and trader-development approach into one of the industry’s larger futures trading ecosystems.

Topstep announced the acquisition on April 1, 2026, saying the deal would combine the two companies’ teams and accelerate the development of tools aimed at helping traders progress from simulated trading to live accounts. The financial terms were not disclosed. 

For The Futures Desk, the acquisition represents a significant change in direction. Founded in 2024, TFD built its proposition around developing traders rather than simply providing an evaluation. Its model incorporated technology, risk management and coaching, with the stated goal of helping traders develop skills that could eventually be used to manage capital in live markets.  That approach is now being folded into Topstep.

Topstep Takes Over The Futures Desk as TFD’s Trader-First Model

One of the clearest parts of the transaction is the planned integration of TFD’s technology into TopstepX. Topstep says the technology will add developmental tools intended to help traders understand their performance and build stronger trading habits.

The acquisition also brings TFD co-founders Josh Schwartzberg and Brian Ford into Topstep. Schwartzberg has since taken a leading role in Topstep Labs, the company’s experimental product-development initiative. 

That connection is already producing changes. Topstep Labs has introduced a series of limited experiments during 2026, including alternative account structures and evaluation formats. Topstep describes Labs as a place where ideas can be tested before potentially being incorporated into its wider program. 

The bigger implication for prop traders is therefore not simply that Topstep has acquired another firm. TFD’s technology and development philosophy are becoming part of Topstep’s broader product strategy.

Also, the Futures Desk’s LinkedIn profile now describes the company as “now a part of Topstep,” confirming that the independent TFD chapter has effectively ended. 

For the futures prop sector, the deal shows how established firms can use acquisitions to bring new technology, talent and trader-development concepts into their existing infrastructure rather than building those capabilities from scratch.

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