What is a good risk per trade in crypto?

Many traders risk 1% to 2% of their account per trade. At 1%, ten losses in a row leave about 90% of the account; at 10%, they leave about 35%.

How do I calculate position size with leverage?

Work out the position size from your risk and stop distance first: risk ÷ stop distance. Then divide by the leverage to get the margin. Leverage changes the margin, not the position size or the loss at the stop.

What does R-multiple mean?

R is the amount you risk on a trade. A take-profit at 2R makes twice what you would lose at the stop. Measuring results in R makes trades of different sizes easy to compare.

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Free calculatorUpdated October 2026

Crypto position size calculator

Choose how much of your account you are willing to lose if the trade fails, then enter your entry and stop-loss. You get the position size that loses exactly that amount at the stop, the margin it needs at your leverage, and the reward-to-risk of your take-profit.

Results

Long trade (stop below entry)

Position size: $2,000.00
Size in coins: 0.025
Max loss at stop-loss: -$100.00
Stop distance: 5.00%
Margin needed: $2,000.00at 1x
Reward-to-risk: 2R
Profit at take-profit: +$200.00

How this is calculated

The loss at the stop is the position size × the distance from entry to stop. Fees and slippage are not included, so a real loss can be slightly bigger.
Leverage doesn't change the loss at the stop. It only changes how much margin you put up.
The liquidation price uses CoinSparring's futures formula: isolated margin and a 0.5% maintenance margin rate.

What this calculator does

Position sizing works backwards from the stop-loss. You decide the most you are willing to lose on one trade, say 1% of the account, and the distance to your stop decides how big the position can be.

A tight stop allows a bigger position; a wide stop forces a smaller one. Either way, if the stop is hit you lose the same amount.

Worked example

Account $10,000, risk 1%: the most you lose is $100. A long on BTC at $80,000 with a stop at $76,000 is a 5% stop, so the position size is $100 ÷ 5% = $2,000 (0.025 BTC). Without leverage that uses $2,000 of your balance; at 5x the margin is $400 and the loss at the stop is still $100. A take-profit at $88,000 is 2R: you risk $100 to make $200.

Common mistakes

Risking a fixed dollar amount instead of a percentage. As the account shrinks, a percentage keeps each loss smaller.
Moving the stop-loss further away after opening the trade. That makes the loss bigger than you planned.
Using so much leverage that the liquidation price comes before the stop. The loss at the stop stays the same, but the stop never gets a chance to fire.
Taking trades below 1R. If you risk $100 to make $50, you need to win two trades out of three just to break even.

Common questions

What is a good risk per trade in crypto?: Many traders risk 1% to 2% of their account per trade. At 1%, ten losses in a row leave about 90% of the account; at 10%, they leave about 35%.
How do I calculate position size with leverage?: Work out the position size from your risk and stop distance first: risk ÷ stop distance. Then divide by the leverage to get the margin. Leverage changes the margin, not the position size or the loss at the stop.
What does R-multiple mean?: R is the amount you risk on a trade. A take-profit at 2R makes twice what you would lose at the stop. Measuring results in R makes trades of different sizes easy to compare.

Try this trade with 10,000 virtual USDT

Open the same position on CoinSparring's futures desk with practice money and watch it move with live prices. Nothing real is at risk.

Educational tool. CoinSparring is a paper-trading simulator with virtual money: not an exchange, and nothing here is financial advice. Real exchanges use their own margin rules and fees.