Custom Pool Agreement — Smart Scalping Life

(POOL AGREEMENT)

Smart Scalping Life (scalping.life) Last updated: 1 May 2026 Effective from: 1 May 2026

Preamble

This Agreement governs the creation, organisation, participation in and conclusion of Custom Pools ("Pool", "Pools") — private or public competitive simulated-trading programmes conducted on the Smart Scalping Life platform (the "Platform", the "Operator").

This document forms an integral part of the Terms of Use and is to be construed together with:

By creating a Pool, joining a Pool or paying any related fee, you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted all the documents listed above in full.

1. Nature of a Pool

1.1. Simulated environment

A Pool is a simulated competitive programme conducted exclusively in the demo / testnet environment of certified trading infrastructures. All features set out in Terms of Use §7 and Prop Challenge Agreement §1 apply to a Pool in their entirety:

All trading accounts in a Pool are simulated (demo / testnet);
Simulated capital has no real monetary value;
No real capital is placed by the Operator or by the Organiser of the Pool on the market for or on behalf of any participant;
Any "profit", "loss" or "P&L" and other Pool metrics are calculated values within the Simulated Environment, and not real financial results.

1.2. Nature of the prize fund

The Pool's prize fund, formed from participant entry fees and any additional Operator contributions:

is a calculated reward-distribution amount between winners following the conclusion of the simulated competitive programme;
does not constitute an investment fund, a managed account or a collective investment scheme;
does not give rise to any proprietary right of the participants in the underlying funds prior to distribution following the conclusion of the Pool, in accordance with this Agreement.

1.3. Not an investment product

Participation in a Pool:

does not constitute the purchase of a security, a fund interest, a token or any other financial instrument;
does not constitute an investment, a deposit or a contribution to capital;
does not give rise to any proprietary right in respect of income from real trading;
is consideration for access to a simulated competitive programme and to the Platform's related services.

2. Participants' roles

2.1. Pool Organiser

A registered User of the Platform initiating the creation of a Pool. The Organiser:

(a) determines the parameters of the Pool (name, period, type — public or private, competition rules) within the options offered by the Platform at the time of creation; (b) pays the Operator the relevant fees for the creation and operation of the Pool; (c) invites or admits participants depending on the type of Pool; (d) shall comply with applicable rules, including the Prohibited Trading Practices and the principles of good-faith conduct.

2.2. Pool participant

A registered User joining a Pool on the conditions published by the Organiser and confirmed at the time of joining. A participant:

(a) pays the relevant entry fee; (b) connects a compatible trading environment (demo / testnet) in accordance with the Platform's instructions; (c) shall comply with the Pool rules, the Terms of Use, the Prop Challenge Agreement, the Prohibited Trading Practices and other applicable documents.

2.3. The Operator

Smart Scalping Life / ARTIO SSL — provider of the Pool's infrastructure, operator of settlements, gateway for compliance checks and arbiter of compliance with the rules.

3. Stages of participation in a Pool

Participation in a Pool consists of a number of sequential stages — from creation and recruitment of participants to conclusion and distribution of the prize fund. The current stage of a particular Pool is shown in the user dashboard of the Organiser and the participants. The internal identifiers of the stages, technical timings and automatic transitions are internal information of the Operator and are not disclosed publicly.

At any stage the Pool may be suspended or cancelled in the cases described in Sections 7 and 8 of this Agreement, or otherwise terminated under the conditions published at the time of creation.

4. Creation of a Pool

4.1. Right to create a Pool

The right to create a Pool may be subject to a Subscription tier, verification status, Account reputation or other criteria determined by the Operator. Current requirements are published on the /prop/pools page and in the dashboard.

4.2. Pool parameters

When creating a Pool the Organiser sets parameters within the options offered by the Platform:

(a) type of Pool — public (open recruitment) or private (by invitation); (b) set of simulated-trading parameters — drawdown limits, leverage, minimum number of trading days, Stop-Loss requirements, permitted instruments and other parameters; (c) Pool duration — the target competition period; (d) entry fee within the range allowed by the Platform; (e) winner criteria and prize-fund distribution in accordance with the schemes offered by the Platform.

All such parameters are shown on the Pool page and are confirmed by participants at the time of joining.

4.3. Pool creation fee (Opening Fee)

Creating a Pool may involve an opening fee payable by the Organiser to the Operator. The amount of the fee:

is shown on the creation page of the Pool at the time of submission and depends on the type and parameters of the Pool;
covers the Operator's infrastructure costs (compliance infrastructure, integrity monitoring, settlement operations, participant support, services connected with the distribution of the prize fund);
is non-refundable after the Pool has been created, save in the cases of cancellation of the Pool prior to commencement of the competition (see Section 8.1).

4.4. Private Pools — invitations

For private Pools, the Platform provides a secure invitation mechanism. The specific technical features of the invitation mechanism (format, validity period, distribution method, protection against interception) are internal information of the Platform and are not disclosed publicly.

The Organiser shall:

(a) send invitations only to persons whom he or she genuinely intends to invite; (b) not transmit invitations to third parties without the consent of the addressee; (c) not use the invitation system for spam, phishing or other bad-faith purposes.

5. Joining a Pool

5.1. Conditions for joining

To join a Pool, a User shall:

(a) be registered on the Platform and meet the criteria set out in Terms of Use §3; (b) not be a resident of a Restricted Jurisdiction (Restricted Jurisdictions); (c) accept the conditions of this Agreement, of the Terms of Use, of the Prop Challenge Agreement and of the Prohibited Trading Practices; (d) pay the entry fee in the manner described in Section 6; (e) connect a compatible trading environment (demo / testnet) in accordance with the Platform's instructions; (f) for private Pools — hold a valid invitation from the Organiser.

5.2. Participant's representations

By joining a Pool, the participant represents that he or she:

(a) understands the simulated nature of the Pool and the nature of the prize fund; (b) accepts the risks set out in the Risk Disclaimer, including the risk that the simulated capital has no real monetary value; (c) consents to the application of automated monitoring and compliance systems in respect of his or her participation; (d) undertakes not to use prohibited trading practices or other bad-faith strategies; (e) agrees to the distribution of the prize fund in accordance with the rules published for the relevant Pool, and to the further conditions described in this Agreement.

5.3. Use of the participant's own API keys

The participant supplies the API keys of his or her own demo / testnet account on a compatible trading infrastructure. The keys:

shall carry read and trade permissions only — withdrawal permissions are prohibited;
are stored in encrypted form;
are checked by the Operator for indicia of duplicate participation in multiple parallel Pools or Challenges.

The use of the same demo account in multiple parallel Pools or Challenges is prohibited and constitutes a breach attracting the consequences set out in Section 7.

6. Payments and distribution of the prize fund

6.1. Entry fee

(a) The amount of the entry fee for a particular Pool is shown on the Pool page and is confirmed by the participant at the time of joining; (b) the fee is paid in cryptocurrency (USDT / USDC) on the BEP-20 or ERC-20 network; (c) the fee is consideration for access to the simulated competitive programme and to the Platform's services; (d) the fee is non-refundable after the first transaction has been placed in the Simulated Environment of the Pool, in accordance with the Refund Policy. Before the first transaction, the rules of Section 8 apply.

6.2. Prize fund

The Pool prize fund is formed from:

(a) a part of the participants' entry fees — the specific percentage / scheme is shown on the Pool creation page and is visible to participants at the time of joining; (b) possible additional Operator contributions (bonuses, sponsorship contributions, marketing incentives), where these are available for the relevant Pool.

6.3. Platform fee and operating costs

From the total amount of participant entry fees and any further inflows the Platform retains a platform fee which covers:

(a) the provision and maintenance of the simulated trading-environment infrastructure; (b) operating settlements, integrity monitoring and compliance checks; (c) services connected with the receipt of fees, the verification of wallet addresses and the distribution of the prize fund; (d) the support of participants and Organisers, and the resolution of technical incidents; (e) the satisfaction of applicable AML/CTF and other regulatory obligations.

The amount of the platform fee is determined by the Platform and is shown to the Organiser and participants on the Pool page at the time of creation and joining. The specific numerical amount of the fee, the formulas used to calculate the net prize fund and other internal financial parameters constitute commercial trade secrets of the Operator and are not subject to public disclosure beyond their visibility at the point of submission of an order.

The platform fee:

is the Operator's consideration for the services provided and is non-refundable once the services have been rendered;
does not constitute an investment commission, a brokerage spread or any other form of regulated financial fee;
may be revised by the Platform for future Pools, but shall not apply retroactively to existing Pools with active participation.

6.4. Conditions for distribution of the prize fund

The prize fund is distributed between participants in accordance with the distribution scheme published for the particular Pool at the time of creation (including the winner criteria — for example, by overall result, ranking position, or completion of objectives). The specific internal formulas used to calculate participants' final results are internal information of the Platform.

Distribution is made only after:

(a) conclusion of the Pool's competition period; (b) verification of result integrity by the automated compliance systems; (c) resolution of any disputes raised in respect of the Pool's results (where any have been initiated); (d) completion by the recipient participant of the identification procedure (KYC), where applicable in accordance with the KYC/AML Policy.

6.5. Tax responsibility

The taxation of amounts received is the participant's sole responsibility. The Operator:

does not withhold tax at the time of distribution (save where required by mandatory law);
does not provide tax reporting on behalf of the participant, save in cases expressly required by law;
does not provide advice on the tax consequences of receiving funds.

See Payouts Policy §1.3 for further detail.

7. Compliance with rules and breaches

7.1. Applicable rules

The conduct of participants in a Pool is governed by:

(a) the rules of the particular Pool published at the time of its creation; (b) the general trading rules set out in Prop Challenge Agreement §4; (c) the prohibitions listed in the Prohibited Trading Practices; (d) the Acceptable Use Policy; (e) applicable law.

7.2. Compliance and monitoring

All Pools are subject to continuous, automated supervision by the Operator in the manner set out in Prop Challenge Agreement §5. The specific technical composition, frequency and algorithms of the compliance systems are internal information of the Operator and shall not be disclosed.

The purposes of monitoring in the context of Pools are to:

(a) verify participants' compliance with the trading rules; (b) detect attempts artificially to alter the balance of the Simulated Environment outside trading; (c) detect indicia of co-ordinated behaviour between multiple accounts; (d) detect duplicate participation; (e) ensure the integrity of results and the fairness of prize-fund distribution.

7.3. Measures in response to breaches

Where indicia of breach are identified by the monitoring systems or by complaints from other participants / the Organiser, the following measures may be applied:

a warning — notification of an observed anomaly;
temporary suspension of a particular participant for the purpose of conducting a review;
disqualification of the participant — termination of his or her participation in the Pool, with retention by the Platform of the entry fee paid;
a ban — termination of participation, with a block on re-registration (in cases of material breach as described in Prop Challenge Agreement §7.2).

In accordance with GDPR Art. 22 and the Privacy Policy §12.2, all decisions in a Pool to disqualify or to ban with material financial consequences are subject to administrator review with human involvement before final application. Decisions may be appealed through the Complaints Procedure.

7.4. Effect of breaches on the prize fund

Where a participant is disqualified or banned:

(a) his or her share in the prize-fund distribution is cancelled and is not transferred to him or her in any form; (b) the cancelled share is redistributed between the remaining bona fide participants in the Pool in accordance with the distribution scheme, or retained by the Operator where redistribution cannot be carried out properly; (c) the entry fee paid by the breaching participant is retained by the Operator as compensation for the costs of evaluation and compliance.

8. Cancellation and conclusion of a Pool

8.1. Cancellation of a Pool before commencement of trading

Where a Pool is cancelled before the actual commencement of the competition period (i.e. before any participant has placed a first transaction within it), the following rules apply:

(a) Cancellation at the Organiser's initiative (e.g. failure to recruit a sufficient number of participants): - participants' entry fees are refunded in full to the original payment channel in accordance with the Refund Policy §5.1–5.3; - the opening fee is refunded to the Organiser in full; - any block-chain network fees on the refund — in accordance with Refund Policy §8.5;

(b) Cancellation at the Platform's initiative (e.g. identified technical issues, regulatory changes, threats to the integrity of the Pool): - all fees are refunded in full to participants and the Organiser; - the Platform compensates block-chain network fees; - the Platform notifies participants of the reasons for cancellation within a reasonable period.

8.2. No refunds after commencement of trading

After the start of the competition period (the placing of the first transaction within the Pool), entry fees are not refunded to individual participants, save in cases expressly contemplated by the Refund Policy (e.g. technical failures on the Platform's side which prevented the participant from obtaining the access promised).

A participant who wishes to cease participation after commencement may leave the Pool, but the entry fee is not refunded and any potential share in the distribution of the prize fund is cancelled.

8.3. Conclusion of a Pool

A Pool is treated as concluded on the occurrence of any of the following events:

(a) expiry of the target period of the competition announced at the time of creation; (b) achievement of the prescribed criterion for conclusion (where the Pool is built on a milestone basis); (c) cancellation of the Pool by the Platform on grounds not covered by Section 8.1(b) (e.g. material breach of rules by the Organiser, regulatory requirements, force majeure).

After conclusion:

the participants' results are calculated on the basis of data from the Simulated Environment;
the results are verified by the automated compliance systems;
in the absence of grounds for withholding, the prize fund is distributed in accordance with Section 6.4;
recipient participants are notified in the user dashboard and by email.

8.4. Withholding of distributions

The distribution of the prize fund to a particular participant may be withheld in whole or in part on grounds analogous to the withholding of a Payout under Payouts Policy §4.1 (detection of prohibited strategies, indicia of manipulation, KYC/AML breaches, technical failures affecting the calculation of the result, legal obligations).

The remedies available to the participant where a distribution is withheld correspond to those set out in Payouts Policy §4.3:

(a) refund of the entry fee paid as a minimum guaranteed remedy; (b) payment of the share due in accordance with the results, where internal review or external dispute resolution confirms that there were no grounds for withholding; (c) mandatory consumer rights and other rights conferred by applicable law are preserved in full.

9. Application of personal-use requirements

9.1. Personal use

A participant's Account in a Pool is intended exclusively for personal use, in the manner set out in Prop Challenge Agreement §8. Transfer of credentials, API keys, the demo account, or de facto management of participation to third parties is prohibited and constitutes grounds for disqualification.

9.2. Verification of personal use

Where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting a breach of Section 9.1, the Operator may request additional verification in the manner described in Prop Challenge Agreement §8.2 (with the same restrictions on scope and proportionality).

10. Confidentiality of particular Pool rules

10.1. Restrictions on disclosure

Internal features of a particular Pool that are available only to participants and the Organiser (for example, specific parameters not displayed publicly; specific names of invited participants of a private Pool; internal communications initiated by the Organiser) constitute confidential information in the relations between participants.

10.2. Prohibitions

Participants and the Organiser undertake not publicly to disseminate:

(a) the personal data of other participants in a private Pool, without their express consent; (b) internal messages initiated by the Organiser or by the Platform within a particular Pool; (c) invitations, joining links and other elements of the Pool's technical infrastructure.

10.3. Right to reviews

The right of participants to post truthful generalised reviews about their experience in a Pool is preserved in full, in accordance with Refund Policy §6 and Prop Challenge Agreement §9.3.

11. Limitation of liability

11.1. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Operator and the Organiser shall not be liable for:

(a) failure by a participant to achieve expected results in a Pool; (b) damages, lost profit or moral damages; (c) technical failures of the Platform, of the trading infrastructure, of block-chain networks or of service providers; (d) delays in the distribution of the prize fund caused by circumstances outside the Operator's control; (e) changes in the operations of third-party services; (f) changes in legislation affecting the ability to participate or to receive payments; (g) loss of access to the Account caused by the participant.

11.2. The Operator's aggregate liability under this Agreement is limited in accordance with Terms of Use §15.2. Carve-outs are set out in Terms of Use §15.3.

11.3. The Pool Organiser is not the Operator's agent, does not act on the Operator's behalf and does not have authority to assume any obligations of the Operator. Disputes between the Organiser and participants shall be treated as bilateral disputes between the Organiser and the participants, with possible recourse to the Complaints Procedure.

12. Amendments to this Agreement

12.1. The Operator may update this Agreement in the manner set out in Terms of Use §19.

12.2. Amendments disadvantaging the rights of participants or the Organiser of an active Pool (at the time of publication) shall not apply retroactively to that Pool until its natural conclusion.

12.3. Amendments improving the conditions may take effect immediately upon publication.

13. Governing law and dispute resolution

13.1. This Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.

13.2. Disputes shall be resolved in the manner set out in Terms of Use §18 and the Complaints Procedure.

13.3. Mandatory rules of applicable law (consumer protection, AML, tax obligations) shall continue to apply.

14. Entire Agreement

14.1. This Agreement, together with the documents listed in the preamble, constitutes the entire agreement between the Operator, the Organiser of a Pool and the participants in respect of the creation of, and participation in, a Pool.

14.2. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and the Terms of Use, the provisions of this Agreement shall prevail in respect of matters specific to a Pool.

15. Contact

Email (Pool questions): support@scalping.life
Email (legal queries and compliance): legal@scalping.life
Telegram: @artio_ssl

16. Acceptance

By creating a Pool, paying an opening fee, joining a Pool as a participant or placing a first transaction in the Simulated Environment of a Pool, you confirm that:

(a) you have read this Agreement in full; (b) you have understood all the rules, risks, settlement features and restrictions; (c) you accept them knowingly and voluntarily; (d) you understand that all accounts and settlements are simulated, and that the prize fund is distributed under the rules of the relevant Pool published at the time of creation; (e) you consent to the automated monitoring of your participation and to the application of compliance systems; (f) you undertake to act in good faith and not to use prohibited practices; (g) you preserve mandatory consumer rights and other rights conferred by applicable law.