Crypto Position Size Calculator

Size your position from your account balance, risk tolerance and stop-loss distance — never risk more than you planned.

$
%

1–2% is the standard rule

$
$
x
Position size
20
coins / contracts
Position notional
$2,000
size × entry price
Margin required
$200
at 10x leverage
Loss if stopped
$100
1% of your balance

How this position size calculator works

Enter your account balance and the percentage of it you are willing to lose if the trade is stopped out, then your entry and stop-loss prices. The calculator converts that risk budget into a concrete position size, shows the notional value and the margin your leverage requires — and warns you if your stop is on the wrong side of the trade.

The formula

Position size = (balance × risk %) ÷ |entry − stop|. A $10,000 account risking 1% has a $100 loss budget; with a $5 stop distance that means 20 coins. Raise the stop distance to $10 and the position halves — same risk, half the size. This is the trade-off that keeps accounts alive.

Leverage does not change your risk

At 10x, a 20-coin position at $100 costs $200 of margin instead of $2,000 — but a stop-out still costs the same $100. Leverage changes capital efficiency, never risk. The dangerous move is using leverage to enlarge the position, which quietly multiplies the real dollar risk. Before opening anything, check where the exchange liquidates you with the liquidation price calculator and what the winning side pays with the profit calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What is position sizing?

Position sizing is deciding how much of an asset to buy or sell based on how much you are willing to lose, not how confident you feel. It turns your stop-loss into a fixed dollar risk per trade, so a losing streak damages your account in controlled increments instead of blowing it up.

What is the 1% risk rule?

Risk no more than 1–2% of your account balance on any single trade. A trader risking 1% can survive 20 consecutive stopped-out trades and still keep about 82% of their account. The same trader risking 10% per trade is down 88% after ten losses. The rule is math, not opinion.

How is position size calculated?

Position size = (account balance × risk %) ÷ distance between entry and stop-loss. With a $10,000 account risking 1% ($100) on a trade with a $5 stop distance, you buy 20 coins. Leverage only changes the margin you post, not the risk you take — the stop-loss defines the risk.

What is a stop-loss?

A stop-loss is a pre-set exit order that closes your position when price moves against you by a chosen amount. It converts the worst case of a trade into a known number. Without one, the exchange's liquidation engine decides your exit — usually at the worst possible moment, with extra fees.

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