GoldenOwl, an MT4 EA, marketed by a Leveled Up promoter was termed a "scam" by buyers.
The prop trading platform suspended its operations and is now allegedly halting customer payouts.
A message displayed on Leveled Up Society's website
Prop trading platform Level Up Society abruptly went dark late last month. A message displayed on its website states that its break up with the management of Easton Consulting Technologies is the reason behind the stutter.
“As you may or may not know, Leveled Up and Easton Management have both parted ways,” a message on its website by Raul, an FX influencer on social media promoting Leveled Up Society, wrote.
Easton Consulting Technologies is the shadow company running more than 13 prop trading platforms, according to a press release by Leveled Up Trading. It is a limited liability company registered in Florida in 2021, and is run by Angelo Ciaramello as CEO (also a Co-Founder) and Carlos Rico-Ospina as a Managing partner. They are also the CEO and CFO, respectively, of The Funded Trader, another prop trading firm. Ciaramello also controls Skilled Funded Traders, according to one of his Twitter posts.
“While we may have chosen different paths to follow, we believe it is important to acknowledge and respect the differing perspectives we bring to the table,” Raul added in his message on Leveled Up Society’s website. “These diverse viewpoints are what enable progress and innovation within the business landscape. But, in this instance, we at Leveled Up and Easton Technologies were no longer aligned and decided it was best to part ways.”
“As of right now, all of our services are temporarily paused as we are working hard into a new transition.”
Raul promoting the services of Leveled Up Society
Complaints from Customers
However, things are not so straightforward. On social media, especially on Twitter, Leveled Up Society is facing some claims.
The platform has been accused of informing its users that it suspended the services for updating its server and publicly announced the suspension of operations. The X handle DezziFinance revealed the messages Leveled Up’s customer support team sent to the customers.
Although Leveled Up suspended payouts for its services, it said it had resumed the payouts in a public message.
“For all of our traders currently pending payouts, they have been resumed, and we will contact you in a timely manner to deliver your payout if you have not yet received it,” the message on its website stated. Raul, who signed this message, also reiterated the same on a Telegram channel of Level Up.
Some traders are alleging that the platform has been rejecting the payout claims.
"I requested my payout at 29 of september from @leveledups and i today i got an email from them saying my account is breached and that my payout is rejected
The reason was account management.
These bloody scammers will take your money and give nothing back," wrote a twitter handle thewolf (@Stevetradingfx_).
Screenshot of withdrawal rejection shared by the twitter handle @Stevetradingfx_
However, the platform promised to resume its business after "a series of changes to better the trading experience." It also dropped eight Cap as a partner broker without citing any reason.
The Prop Trading Model
Leveled Up Society operated as a prop trading platform, the popularity of which has been booming lately. It promised to fund the traders with up to $200,000 who can pass its trading ‘challenge’, offered in two phases. It charged the traders between $109 and $1,069 for taking the ‘challenges’. It offered the traders a profit share of up to 80 to 85 percent.
According to an archived version of the Leveled Up Society website from August, it had 76,403 members and paid $1.9 million in payouts, with an average payout of $7,000. However, the authenticity of these numbers can be questioned as they did not change for months.
Archived versions of its website from August 2022 and April 2023 also show the same number of “Leveled Up members.” which is 46,383.
The popularity of prop trading platforms has exploded in recent years. While some reputed brands offer prop trading services, many smaller brands are pumped by the influencers and applying aggressive marketing strategies.
In the middle of Leveled Up Society story, another name popped up: GoldenOwl. It is a trading bot, a MetaTrader 4 Expert Advisor, to be specific, which came with a guarantee to pass prop trading challenges on Leveled Up Society and Rocket 21, another prop trading platform, for the traders.
The bot was promoted by many FX trader influencers on social media. These names include Raul, the promoter of Leveled Up, who has 622K followers on Instagram, and Alex Gonzalez, who has 293K followers on Instagram. Both of them are showing off their luxurious lifestyle with expensive cars and private jets.
Instagram feed of Alex Gonzalez
Some complaints from customers who bought the GoldenOwl bot claim that it never worked. Many said the bot turned a profit in one day and then went on a losing streak the next day. The users could not fix the bot’s performance even after adjustments and did not even receive any support from the developers, according to complaints.
Several buyers of the bot are now claiming a refund. However, many of them seem to have not received any refund, according to the number of complaints on social media.
A buyer of GoldenOwl seeking refunds, Source: Twitter account @DezziFinance
Meanwhile, Gonzalez is trying to come out clean from the fraud allegations of selling the GoldenOwl bot. He is a brand ambassador of Rocket 21, a platform that blocked user accounts who tried to use the GoldenOwn bot for violation of rules.
On a Zoom conference call, many users accused him of owning the company behind Rocket 21 and Leveled Up Society. However, he became defensive and clarified that he was not the owner. He also shifted the blame to “tiny influencers” who promoted the platforms and the GoldenOwl bot.
A representative from Leveled Up Society told Finance Magnates: "Thank you for the interest but for the moment we cannot make the interview." Ciaramello, the CEO of Easton Consulting Technologies, declined to comment to the questions shared by Finance Magnates and Raul did not respond as of press time.
We will update the story accordingly with further developments.
Damian Chmiel has contributed to this story.
Prop trading platform Level Up Society abruptly went dark late last month. A message displayed on its website states that its break up with the management of Easton Consulting Technologies is the reason behind the stutter.
“As you may or may not know, Leveled Up and Easton Management have both parted ways,” a message on its website by Raul, an FX influencer on social media promoting Leveled Up Society, wrote.
Easton Consulting Technologies is the shadow company running more than 13 prop trading platforms, according to a press release by Leveled Up Trading. It is a limited liability company registered in Florida in 2021, and is run by Angelo Ciaramello as CEO (also a Co-Founder) and Carlos Rico-Ospina as a Managing partner. They are also the CEO and CFO, respectively, of The Funded Trader, another prop trading firm. Ciaramello also controls Skilled Funded Traders, according to one of his Twitter posts.
“While we may have chosen different paths to follow, we believe it is important to acknowledge and respect the differing perspectives we bring to the table,” Raul added in his message on Leveled Up Society’s website. “These diverse viewpoints are what enable progress and innovation within the business landscape. But, in this instance, we at Leveled Up and Easton Technologies were no longer aligned and decided it was best to part ways.”
“As of right now, all of our services are temporarily paused as we are working hard into a new transition.”
Raul promoting the services of Leveled Up Society
Complaints from Customers
However, things are not so straightforward. On social media, especially on Twitter, Leveled Up Society is facing some claims.
The platform has been accused of informing its users that it suspended the services for updating its server and publicly announced the suspension of operations. The X handle DezziFinance revealed the messages Leveled Up’s customer support team sent to the customers.
Although Leveled Up suspended payouts for its services, it said it had resumed the payouts in a public message.
“For all of our traders currently pending payouts, they have been resumed, and we will contact you in a timely manner to deliver your payout if you have not yet received it,” the message on its website stated. Raul, who signed this message, also reiterated the same on a Telegram channel of Level Up.
Some traders are alleging that the platform has been rejecting the payout claims.
"I requested my payout at 29 of september from @leveledups and i today i got an email from them saying my account is breached and that my payout is rejected
The reason was account management.
These bloody scammers will take your money and give nothing back," wrote a twitter handle thewolf (@Stevetradingfx_).
Screenshot of withdrawal rejection shared by the twitter handle @Stevetradingfx_
However, the platform promised to resume its business after "a series of changes to better the trading experience." It also dropped eight Cap as a partner broker without citing any reason.
The Prop Trading Model
Leveled Up Society operated as a prop trading platform, the popularity of which has been booming lately. It promised to fund the traders with up to $200,000 who can pass its trading ‘challenge’, offered in two phases. It charged the traders between $109 and $1,069 for taking the ‘challenges’. It offered the traders a profit share of up to 80 to 85 percent.
According to an archived version of the Leveled Up Society website from August, it had 76,403 members and paid $1.9 million in payouts, with an average payout of $7,000. However, the authenticity of these numbers can be questioned as they did not change for months.
Archived versions of its website from August 2022 and April 2023 also show the same number of “Leveled Up members.” which is 46,383.
The popularity of prop trading platforms has exploded in recent years. While some reputed brands offer prop trading services, many smaller brands are pumped by the influencers and applying aggressive marketing strategies.
In the middle of Leveled Up Society story, another name popped up: GoldenOwl. It is a trading bot, a MetaTrader 4 Expert Advisor, to be specific, which came with a guarantee to pass prop trading challenges on Leveled Up Society and Rocket 21, another prop trading platform, for the traders.
The bot was promoted by many FX trader influencers on social media. These names include Raul, the promoter of Leveled Up, who has 622K followers on Instagram, and Alex Gonzalez, who has 293K followers on Instagram. Both of them are showing off their luxurious lifestyle with expensive cars and private jets.
Instagram feed of Alex Gonzalez
Some complaints from customers who bought the GoldenOwl bot claim that it never worked. Many said the bot turned a profit in one day and then went on a losing streak the next day. The users could not fix the bot’s performance even after adjustments and did not even receive any support from the developers, according to complaints.
Several buyers of the bot are now claiming a refund. However, many of them seem to have not received any refund, according to the number of complaints on social media.
A buyer of GoldenOwl seeking refunds, Source: Twitter account @DezziFinance
Meanwhile, Gonzalez is trying to come out clean from the fraud allegations of selling the GoldenOwl bot. He is a brand ambassador of Rocket 21, a platform that blocked user accounts who tried to use the GoldenOwn bot for violation of rules.
On a Zoom conference call, many users accused him of owning the company behind Rocket 21 and Leveled Up Society. However, he became defensive and clarified that he was not the owner. He also shifted the blame to “tiny influencers” who promoted the platforms and the GoldenOwl bot.
A representative from Leveled Up Society told Finance Magnates: "Thank you for the interest but for the moment we cannot make the interview." Ciaramello, the CEO of Easton Consulting Technologies, declined to comment to the questions shared by Finance Magnates and Raul did not respond as of press time.
We will update the story accordingly with further developments.
Arnab is an electronics engineer-turned-financial editor. He entered the industry covering the cryptocurrency market for Finance Magnates and later expanded his reach to forex as well. He is passionate about the changing regulatory landscape on financial markets and keenly follows the disruptions in the industry with new-age technologies.
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Hannah Hill on Innovation, Branding & Award-Winning Technology | Executive Interview | AXI
Hannah Hill on Innovation, Branding & Award-Winning Technology | Executive Interview | AXI
Recorded live at FMLS:25, this executive interview features Hannah Hill, Head of Brand and Sponsorship at AXI, in conversation with Finance Magnates, following AXI’s win for Most Innovative Broker of the Year 2025.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Hannah shares insights on:
🔹What winning the Finance Magnates award means for AXI’s credibility and innovation
🔹How the launch of AXI Select, the capital allocation program, is redefining industry standards
🔹The development and rollout of the AXI trading app across multiple markets
🔹Driving brand evolution alongside technological advancements
🔹Encouraging and recognizing teams behind the scenes
🔹The role of marketing, content, and social media in building product awareness
Hannah explains why standout products, strategic branding, and a focus on innovation are key to growing visibility and staying ahead in a competitive brokerage landscape.
🏆 Award Highlight: Most Innovative Broker of the Year 2025
👉 Subscribe to Finance Magnates for more executive interviews, industry insights, and exclusive coverage from the world’s leading financial events.
#FMLS25 #FinanceMagnates #MostInnovativeBroker #TradingTechnology #FinTech #Brokerage #ExecutiveInterview #AXI
Recorded live at FMLS:25, this executive interview features Hannah Hill, Head of Brand and Sponsorship at AXI, in conversation with Finance Magnates, following AXI’s win for Most Innovative Broker of the Year 2025.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Hannah shares insights on:
🔹What winning the Finance Magnates award means for AXI’s credibility and innovation
🔹How the launch of AXI Select, the capital allocation program, is redefining industry standards
🔹The development and rollout of the AXI trading app across multiple markets
🔹Driving brand evolution alongside technological advancements
🔹Encouraging and recognizing teams behind the scenes
🔹The role of marketing, content, and social media in building product awareness
Hannah explains why standout products, strategic branding, and a focus on innovation are key to growing visibility and staying ahead in a competitive brokerage landscape.
🏆 Award Highlight: Most Innovative Broker of the Year 2025
👉 Subscribe to Finance Magnates for more executive interviews, industry insights, and exclusive coverage from the world’s leading financial events.
#FMLS25 #FinanceMagnates #MostInnovativeBroker #TradingTechnology #FinTech #Brokerage #ExecutiveInterview #AXI
Executive Interview | Dor Eligula | Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, BridgeWise | FMLS:25
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In this session, Jonathan Fine form Ultimate Group speaks with Dor Eligula from Bridgewise, a fast-growing AI-powered research and analytics firm supporting brokers and exchanges worldwide.
We start with Dor’s reaction to the Summit and then move to broker growth and the quick wins brokers often overlook. Dor shares where he sees “blue ocean” growth across Asian markets and how local client behaviour shapes demand.
We also discuss the rollout of AI across investment research. Dor gives real examples of how automation and human judgment meet at Bridgewise — including moments when analysts corrected AI output, and times when AI prevented an error.
We close with a practical question: how retail investors can actually use AI without falling into common traps.
In this session, Jonathan Fine form Ultimate Group speaks with Dor Eligula from Bridgewise, a fast-growing AI-powered research and analytics firm supporting brokers and exchanges worldwide.
We start with Dor’s reaction to the Summit and then move to broker growth and the quick wins brokers often overlook. Dor shares where he sees “blue ocean” growth across Asian markets and how local client behaviour shapes demand.
We also discuss the rollout of AI across investment research. Dor gives real examples of how automation and human judgment meet at Bridgewise — including moments when analysts corrected AI output, and times when AI prevented an error.
We close with a practical question: how retail investors can actually use AI without falling into common traps.
Brendan Callan joined us fresh off the Summit’s most anticipated debate: “Is Prop Trading Good for the Industry?” Brendan argued against the motion — and the audience voted him the winner.
In this interview, Brendan explains the reasoning behind his position. He walks through the message he believes many firms avoid: that the current prop trading model is too dependent on fees, too loose on risk, and too confusing for retail audiences.
We discuss why he thinks the model grew fast, why it may run into walls, and what he believes is needed for a cleaner, more responsible version of prop trading.
This is Brendan at his frankest — sharp, grounded, and very clear about what changes are overdue.
Brendan Callan joined us fresh off the Summit’s most anticipated debate: “Is Prop Trading Good for the Industry?” Brendan argued against the motion — and the audience voted him the winner.
In this interview, Brendan explains the reasoning behind his position. He walks through the message he believes many firms avoid: that the current prop trading model is too dependent on fees, too loose on risk, and too confusing for retail audiences.
We discuss why he thinks the model grew fast, why it may run into walls, and what he believes is needed for a cleaner, more responsible version of prop trading.
This is Brendan at his frankest — sharp, grounded, and very clear about what changes are overdue.
Elina Pedersen on Growth, Stability & Ultra-Low Latency | Executive Interview | Your Bourse
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Recorded live at FMLS:25 London, this executive interview features Elina Pedersen, in conversation with Finance Magnates, following her company’s win for Best Connectivity 2025.
🔹In this wide-ranging discussion, Elina shares insights on:
🔹What winning a Finance Magnates award means for credibility and reputation
🔹How broker demand for stability and reliability is driving rapid growth
🔹The launch of a new trade server enabling flexible front-end integrations
🔹Why ultra-low latency must be proven with data, not buzzwords
🔹Common mistakes brokers make when scaling globally
🔹Educating the industry through a newly launched Dealers Academy
🔹Where AI fits into trading infrastructure and where it doesn’t
Elina explains why resilient back-end infrastructure, deep client partnerships, and disciplined focus are critical for brokers looking to scale sustainably in today’s competitive market.
🏆 Award Highlight: Best Connectivity 2025
👉 Subscribe to Finance Magnates for more executive interviews, industry insights, and exclusive coverage from the world’s leading financial events.
#FMLS25 #FinanceMagnates #BestConnectivity #TradingTechnology #UltraLowLatency #FinTech #Brokerage #ExecutiveInterview
Recorded live at FMLS:25 London, this executive interview features Elina Pedersen, in conversation with Finance Magnates, following her company’s win for Best Connectivity 2025.
🔹In this wide-ranging discussion, Elina shares insights on:
🔹What winning a Finance Magnates award means for credibility and reputation
🔹How broker demand for stability and reliability is driving rapid growth
🔹The launch of a new trade server enabling flexible front-end integrations
🔹Why ultra-low latency must be proven with data, not buzzwords
🔹Common mistakes brokers make when scaling globally
🔹Educating the industry through a newly launched Dealers Academy
🔹Where AI fits into trading infrastructure and where it doesn’t
Elina explains why resilient back-end infrastructure, deep client partnerships, and disciplined focus are critical for brokers looking to scale sustainably in today’s competitive market.
🏆 Award Highlight: Best Connectivity 2025
👉 Subscribe to Finance Magnates for more executive interviews, industry insights, and exclusive coverage from the world’s leading financial events.
#FMLS25 #FinanceMagnates #BestConnectivity #TradingTechnology #UltraLowLatency #FinTech #Brokerage #ExecutiveInterview
In this video, we take an in-depth look at @BlueberryMarketsForex , a forex and CFD broker operating since 2016, offering access to multiple trading platforms, over 1,000 instruments, and flexible account types for different trading styles.
We break down Blueberry’s regulatory structure, including its Australian Financial Services License (AFSL), as well as its authorisation and registrations in other jurisdictions. The review also covers supported platforms such as MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, Blueberry.X, and web-based trading.
You’ll learn about available instruments across forex, commodities, indices, share CFDs, and crypto CFDs, along with leverage options, minimum and maximum trade sizes, and how Blueberry structures its Standard and Raw accounts.
We also explain spreads, commissions, swap rates, swap-free account availability, funding and withdrawal methods, processing times, and what traders can expect from customer support and additional services.
Watch the full review to see whether Blueberry’s trading setup aligns with your experience level, strategy, and risk tolerance.
📣 Stay up to date with the latest in finance and trading. Follow Finance Magnates for industry news, insights, and global event coverage.
Connect with us:
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#Blueberry #BlueberryMarkets #BrokerReview #ForexBroker #CFDTrading #OnlineTrading #FinanceMagnates #TradingPlatforms #MarketInsights
In this video, we take an in-depth look at @BlueberryMarketsForex , a forex and CFD broker operating since 2016, offering access to multiple trading platforms, over 1,000 instruments, and flexible account types for different trading styles.
We break down Blueberry’s regulatory structure, including its Australian Financial Services License (AFSL), as well as its authorisation and registrations in other jurisdictions. The review also covers supported platforms such as MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradingView, Blueberry.X, and web-based trading.
You’ll learn about available instruments across forex, commodities, indices, share CFDs, and crypto CFDs, along with leverage options, minimum and maximum trade sizes, and how Blueberry structures its Standard and Raw accounts.
We also explain spreads, commissions, swap rates, swap-free account availability, funding and withdrawal methods, processing times, and what traders can expect from customer support and additional services.
Watch the full review to see whether Blueberry’s trading setup aligns with your experience level, strategy, and risk tolerance.
📣 Stay up to date with the latest in finance and trading. Follow Finance Magnates for industry news, insights, and global event coverage.
Connect with us:
🔗 LinkedIn: /financemagnates
👍 Facebook: /financemagnates
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/financemagnates
🐦 X: https://x.com/financemagnates
🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/tag/financemagnates
▶️ YouTube: /@financemagnates_official
#Blueberry #BlueberryMarkets #BrokerReview #ForexBroker #CFDTrading #OnlineTrading #FinanceMagnates #TradingPlatforms #MarketInsights
