World Ranking of Traders: How the PWR Measures Skill
Why trading never had a world ranking, what a fair one needs, and how the PnL World Rating (PWR) ranks traders worldwide under one set of rules.
Tennis has the ATP and WTA rankings. Chess has the FIDE rating. Golf, football and poker all have one list that tells the world who is best. Trading — a global activity with millions of participants — never had one. The PnL World Rating (PWR) exists to be that list: the world ranking of traders.
Why trading never had a world ranking
- Different conditions. Traders use different capital, markets, leverage and time frames. Their returns are not comparable.
- Self-reported results. Most "performance" is a screenshot, a cherry-picked trade or a period chosen after the fact.
- One-off contests. Competitions crowned winners but kept no common record. Each event started from zero.
- No identity. Without verification, one person can run many accounts and show only the best one.
A world ranking needs to solve all four.
What a fair world ranking needs
| Requirement | Why | How PWR does it |
|---|---|---|
| Equal conditions | Results must be comparable | Every trader starts with 100,000 Credits on the same live markets with the same costs |
| One scoring rule | No cherry-picking | Place = final result after fees and funding; open positions count |
| Many events | One result can be luck | Points from every rated finish add up over a career |
| Weighting | Big events should matter more | Format weights from 25 (Hourly) to 10,000 (World Championship) |
| Strength of opposition | Beating strong traders should count more | Field strength multiplies every result |
| Identity | One person, one place | Phone verification; one verified account per person |
| Permanence | Reputation must accumulate | Points never expire; results are public and permanent |
| Public rules | Anyone can check | Formula and tables are published |
How the PWR works
PWR points = format weight × place share × field strength
- Seven formats, from Hourly to the yearly PnL World Championship.
- Every finishing place earns a share — 100% for the winner, 3% for 21st and below.
- Field strength rewards larger, verified, higher-rated fields (up to 1.0 at launch).
The exact numbers for every place and format are in the PWR points table. The full explanation is in PWR explained.
How to read the PnL World Rankings
- World No. 1 — the verified trader with the highest PWR.
- Divisions — after five rated tournaments, every trader is placed in one of eight divisions: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster and World Class. See PWR divisions.
- Verified ✓ — only verified traders appear in the World Rankings.
- Inactive — a trader with no rated finish for 180 days is marked Inactive until the next one. Their points stay.
Why points, not an average return
A ranking by average return would reward the trader who entered one lucky tournament and stopped. A ranking by total profit would reward the biggest account. PWR does neither: it rewards finishing high, often, in big events, against strong fields — the same logic that makes tennis and golf rankings credible. More in ranking points vs Elo and how to rank traders.
What PWR is not
- Not a measure of wealth. Account size plays no part — everyone starts equal.
- Not a copy-trading score. It ranks competitive results, not a strategy you can subscribe to.
- Not investment advice. It shows how a trader performed in tournaments under one set of rules.
- Not the stock ticker PWR. On PnL World, PWR always means PnL World Rating.
How to get ranked
- Create an account at pnl.world.
- Finish rated tournaments — every place earns points.
- Verify your phone number to appear in the World Rankings.
- After five rated tournaments, you are placed in a division.
FAQ
Is there an official world ranking of traders? PnL World publishes the PnL World Rating (PWR), a world ranking of traders built from rated tournament results under one public set of rules.
Who is the best trader in the world? Under the PWR, it is whoever holds World No. 1 — a title earned and re-earned in tournaments. See the best trader in the world.
Can I be ranked without paying? Yes. Rated free events such as the PnL Community Cup count, and during open testing entries use test credits.
Do old results count forever? Yes. PWR points never expire; inactivity is shown with a mark, not by deleting points.
PnL World tournaments are simulated: trades are executed against live market data, but no real-money positions are opened on any exchange. Nothing here is financial advice.
Next: PWR points table · How to climb the PWR rankings · PWR explained