I can see it in my head. No need to pay all that combine money trading a combine when you can do it yourself now for fractions of a mini contract, and get the feel for the market on your own with much less capital risk than the minis. There is a way out of there.
You are right, it will impact places like TopStep Trader. It will probably impact Nadex also. Probably even some people outside of the USA who are trading CFDs might make the switch.
Micros will not effect combines. Purpose of combines is to get funded!! I'm inclined to make an argument that combines will thrive as more people will (be able to) dabble on their own, and decide they have what it takes, perhaps wrongly, to successfully complete a combine and get funded.
What??? You need money to pay for combines. Combines are not free. You must be "funded" to get "funded" in a sense. If that same $150 bucks or more could go towards margin on a micro emini then why not go that route?
It won't be an issue. They'll effectively be arbitraged against the full ES. Effectively paying a full point in commission make them ridiculous, but at least it will offer a market entry and 1256 treatment to people like fibo, B1S2 and Polenta.
A futures account can be opened with a couple thousand. While the official margin requirements for the micros is still unknown, it is probably safe to say $1000 or less given the 1/10 size. Now, playing for 1/10 the value, .50c to $1.25 per tick, it will take a lot of volatility, or a lot of time to build that account to a value equal to funded account promised by the combines!! Your $150 or whatever is chump food IF ONE CAN TRADE FOR REAL. No volatility = grow old and die... $20 for 10pt MNQ, $50 for 10pt MES, $50 for 100pt MYM, $50 for 10pt M2K, not including commish+fees. I say combines will thrive, and even offer a product square at the micro participants!!!