Crypto position size calculator
Work out how big a trade can be so that hitting your stop-loss costs only the amount you've decided to risk.
With 10x leverage, a 10% move against you can erase your whole margin, and in fast markets positions are often liquidated before you can react. On October 10, 2025, about $19 billion of leveraged crypto positions were liquidated in a single day. Many offshore exchanges offering high leverage don't accept US customers, and if an exchange fails, customers may get little or nothing back. Read crypto futures explained first.
How it's calculated
- Risk amount = account × risk %
- Loss per coin if stopped out = |entry − stop| + fees per coin (fee × (entry + stop))
- Position size = risk amount ÷ loss per coin. Position value = size × entry.
- Margin needed = position value ÷ leverage (if you use leverage)
- Reward-to-risk = |take profit − entry| ÷ |entry − stop|
Long or short is worked out from where the stop is: below the entry means long, above means short. The calculator also checks the liquidation price at your leverage (isolated margin, 0.5% maintenance margin) and warns if it comes before your stop.
Worked example
A $10,000 account risking 1% ($100) on a long at $100,000 with a stop at $97,000. Without fees, that's $3,000 risk per bitcoin, so the position is $100 ÷ $3,000 = 0.03333 BTC, worth $3,333. With 0.05% fees each way, the loss per coin becomes $3,000 + $98.50 = $3,098.50 and the size 0.03227 BTC. Take-profit at $109,000 gives a 3:1 reward-to-risk.
Limitations
- Slippage, gaps and funding aren't included.
- Sizing limits the loss per trade; it doesn't make a bad strategy profitable. Several losses in a row still add up.
- Exchange minimum order sizes and contract sizes may force rounding.
Related: leverage calculator and liquidation price calculator.
Sources
- How to calculate futures liquidation price (KuCoin)
- Leveraged investing strategies: know the risks (SEC investor bulletin)
- Exercise caution with crypto asset securities (SEC investor alert)
Questions
How do I calculate position size?
Divide the dollar amount you're willing to lose by the distance from your entry to your stop-loss. That gives how many coins to buy or sell.
What percentage should I risk per trade?
Many trading guides use 1% to 2% of the account per trade. It's a convention, not a guarantee, and risking anything you can't afford to lose is too much.
Does leverage change my position size?
No. Leverage only changes how much margin the position ties up. The size comes from your risk and your stop; higher leverage just moves the liquidation price closer.
Every result is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Results are estimates for learning and planning, not financial or tax advice. Last reviewed November 4, 2026.