Crypto Margin Calculator
Enter your balance and leverage to see how large a position you can open, or add a position value to see the margin it ties up.
Calculate MarginMargin is the collateral you put up to open a leveraged position. Leverage is the position value divided by that margin. With 1,000 in margin and 10x leverage you control a position worth 10,000, and with 5x you control 5,000.
Leverage does not change what the trade is worth. It changes how little of your own money stands behind it. A price move is the same size for the position, but it is a bigger share of your margin. At 10x leverage a move of 10% against you equals all of the margin, before maintenance margin, fees and funding are counted. That is why leveraged positions are closed out well before the price travels that far.
The largest position your balance allows is a ceiling, not a target. Opening it leaves no balance in reserve, so any adverse move, or a fee, pushes the position toward closing. Most traders size by the risk they are willing to take on the stop, as the position size calculator does, and check that the margin fits afterwards.
Use this calculator to see the margin a position needs, and then the liquidation price calculator to see where the exchange would close it. The leverage and liquidation article explains the mechanics behind both.
What leverage changes for a 10,000 position
Margin needed for a position worth 10,000, the largest position a 1,000 balance can open, and the move against you that would use up all of the margin.
| Leverage | Margin for 10,000 | Largest position with 1,000 | Adverse move that uses all margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2× | 5,000.00 | 2,000.00 | 50.0% |
| 5× | 2,000.00 | 5,000.00 | 20.0% |
| 10× | 1,000.00 | 10,000.00 | 10.0% |
| 20× | 500.00 | 20,000.00 | 5.0% |
| 50× | 200.00 | 50,000.00 | 2.0% |
Illustration. The last column ignores maintenance margin, fees and funding, so a real position is closed out before that point.
Holdy Lab content is educational and is not financial advice. Results describe the data you provide; they do not predict future results.
Margin needed
500.00
Share of your balance
50.0%
Balance left after margin
500.00
Position vs. your balance
5.00×
Largest position at this leverage
10,000.00
Adverse move that uses all margin
10.00%
Initial margin only. Exchanges also hold a maintenance margin and close the position before the last move is reached, and fees and funding reduce the cushion further. Use the liquidation price calculator for that point.
A calculator uses numbers you type in. To see what your own trades actually show, upload your trade history.
Analyze my tradesWhat each result means
Margin needed
The position value divided by leverage. It is held as collateral while the position is open and is not the same as the amount you can lose.
Largest position
Your balance multiplied by leverage. It is the most the exchange would let you open if every unit of balance were used as margin.
Adverse move that uses all margin
One hundred divided by leverage, as a percentage. It ignores maintenance margin, fees and funding, so real liquidation happens earlier.
Isolated and cross margin
With isolated margin only the margin assigned to the position is at risk. With cross margin the whole account balance backs open positions, so one loss can draw on money meant for another trade.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between margin and leverage?
Margin is the money you set aside to open the position, and leverage is how many times larger the position is than that margin. Higher leverage means less margin for the same position, and a smaller adverse move uses it up.
How much margin do I need for a 5,000 position at 10x leverage?
Five hundred. The margin is the position value divided by leverage, so 5,000 divided by 10 is 500. At 5x leverage the same position would need 1,000, and at 20x it would need 250.
Does higher leverage mean higher profit?
It makes the same price move a larger percentage of your margin, in both directions. A gain looks bigger and a loss looks bigger, and the smaller buffer makes it more likely a loss ends the position before the market comes back.
Is margin the most I can lose?
With isolated margin the loss is limited to the margin assigned to that position, apart from details that depend on the exchange. With cross margin it can reach the whole account balance, so check which mode your position uses.
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Holdy Lab content is educational and is not financial advice. Results describe the data you provide; they do not predict future results.