Crypto calculator
Crypto position size calculator
Calculate the correct position size for any crypto trade — spot or leveraged — based on your account size, risk tolerance, and stop loss level.
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How do you calculate position size in crypto?
Position size (coins) = Risk amount / (Entry price - Stop loss price). Risk amount = Account balance x Risk %. With a $5,000 account risking 1% ($50), entry at $65,000, stop at $63,000 ($2,000 risk per BTC): $50 / $2,000 = 0.025 BTC. Your dollar risk stays exactly $50 regardless of how many coins that represents.
How much should you risk per trade in crypto?
Most experienced crypto traders use 0.5% to 1% per trade due to higher volatility than stocks or forex. Bitcoin can move 10% in a single day; altcoins can drop far more in a week. Smaller risk per trade keeps a losing streak survivable. During high-volatility or high-correlation market conditions, reducing to 0.5% is a common adjustment.
What is the 1% rule in crypto trading?
The 1% rule means never risking more than 1% of your total account balance on a single trade. If your account is $10,000, maximum risk per trade is $100. This is enforced through position sizing — you adjust your position size so that if your stop loss is hit, the loss equals exactly 1% of your account. The rule keeps losing streaks survivable rather than catastrophic.
How does leverage affect my position size calculation?
Leverage does not change your dollar risk — it changes the size of the position you control. The correct workflow: calculate position size from your stop loss distance first, then determine if you need leverage to take the full position. Choosing a leverage multiplier first and sizing afterward is the mistake that leads to liquidation, because the exchange's margin system ends up controlling your risk instead of your trading plan.
How do I calculate liquidation price?
Liquidation price is the price at which your exchange forcibly closes the position because your margin is exhausted. For a long position the approximation is: Liquidation price = Entry price x (1 - 1 / Leverage). For 10x leverage with entry at $65,000: $65,000 x (1 - 0.10) = $58,500. Your stop loss must always sit before the liquidation price — if your stop and liquidation price are close together, reduce your leverage.
Is ATR-based sizing better for volatile crypto markets?
Yes. Crypto is significantly more volatile than forex or equities. Using ATR to set your stop distance adapts to current volatility — during high-volatility periods your stop widens and your position size decreases automatically, keeping dollar risk constant.
Can I use Kelly Criterion for crypto trading?
You can, but with caution. Kelly requires stable, known win rates and reward-to-risk ratios. Crypto's regime changes make historical stats less predictive. If you use Kelly, use Half or Quarter Kelly and set a maximum risk cap of 2% to 3% regardless of what the formula outputs.
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