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Crypto tool / risk maths
Crypto position size calculator
Use this crypto position size calculator to translate a planned cash risk into units, notional exposure and account exposure. It detects a simple long or short setup from the entered stop and can reserve part of the risk budget for estimated trading costs. It remains an educational model: contract multipliers, liquidation rules, gaps, minimum order sizes and currency conversion can change a real outcome.
Runs in your browserNo account · No API key
local only
How to use it
Numbers are clearer when the assumptions are visible.
Start with the default example. Change one input at a time and notice which part of the result moves. Then read the explanation below before using any real-world number.
- Use your account currency consistently.
- Include costs and uncertainty outside the simple model.
- Verify the product’s own contract or fee rules.
Quick answer
The short answer
Position size is estimated by dividing the cash amount you are prepared to lose by the distance between entry and stop. The output still needs adjustment for contract multipliers, fees, slippage, currency conversion and minimum trade sizes.
Input reference and starting values
| Input | Meaning | Starting value |
|---|---|---|
| Account balance | Account currency | 5000 |
| Risk per idea | Percent | 1 |
| Entry price | Price per unit | 100 |
| Stop price | Price per unit | 95 |
| Estimated round-trip costs | Percent of position value | 0.2 |
Start with risk, stop distance and costs
The calculator multiplies account balance by risk percentage to create a cash-risk budget. It divides that budget by the price distance per unit plus the optional cost estimate per unit. With a 5,000 balance and 1% risk, the budget is 50. An entry at 100, stop at 95 and 0.2% estimated round-trip cost reserves 0.20 per unit for costs before calculating size.
The direction label is descriptive: a stop below entry is treated as a long example and a stop above entry as a short example. The formula does not decide whether either setup is sensible, and it does not calculate liquidation or required margin.
Working modelUnits = cash risk ÷ (|entry − stop| + estimated cost per unit)
Read the exposure checks before the unit count
Stop distance percentage shows how far the entered stop sits from entry. Notional exposure shows the price value represented by the calculated units, while exposure versus account compares that notional value with the entered balance. Neither number is the same as maximum loss, margin required or cash deposited.
Check whether the market permits fractional units, what one contract represents and whether the account currency matches the quote currency. Round down to the allowed increment. If the minimum order is larger than the calculated size, skip or change the plan instead of quietly increasing risk.
- Confirm minimum order, tick size and contract multiplier.
- Replace the example cost buffer with a supportable estimate.
- Check leverage, liquidation and margin separately.
- Never move the stop farther away to justify a preferred size.
Check what the cost buffer reserves
The field is a combined round-trip allowance against entry value, not a precise buy-and-sell fee engine. Rounding down preserves the modelled budget. Futures multipliers, forced exits and fills beyond the stop require separate checks.
| Input | Teaching example |
|---|---|
| Account / cash risk | $10,000 / 1% = $100 |
| Entry / stop | $100 / $95 |
| Round-trip cost allowance | 0.2% of entry value = $0.20 per unit |
| Calculated units | $100 ÷ ($5 + $0.20) = 19.2308 |
| Rounded down to whole units | 19 |
| Modelled loss plus buffer | 19 × $5.20 = $98.80 |
In practice
Work through the high-demand query
At $5,000 balance and 1% risk, the intended cash limit is $50. With $100 entry and $95 stop, a $5 loss per unit yields 10 simple units before costs. That is $1,000 of notional exposure, separate from the $50 planned loss.
If the stop moves to $90 but the $50 budget does not change, the estimate drops to five units. This tool does not account for contract multipliers, currency conversion, gaps or minimum order increments. Read the stop-loss worked example before using it for any specific product.
Primary references
Continue with original sources.
These links provide definitions and current context. Product rules, regulation and network details can change, so verify time-sensitive information at the source.
Common questions
Before you move on
Can it calculate a crypto short position?+
It can model a simple short example when the entered stop is above entry. Check the venue's contract, margin, funding and liquidation rules separately.
What does the cost field represent?+
It is an optional percentage of position value reserved inside the cash-risk budget for estimated round-trip costs. Actual fees and slippage can differ.
Does it calculate leverage or liquidation?+
No. It calculates simple units, not required margin or liquidation price. Review those values with the product's current contract rules.
Should I round up or down?+
For a risk limit, rounding down to the allowed order increment is generally the conservative direction, subject to the product’s rules.
Continue this topic
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