Crypto Position Size Calculator
Size any trade so you only risk a fixed percentage of your account. Enter your balance, risk per trade, entry, and stop-loss to get the exact position size, value, and leverage needed.
Nothing here is financial advice. Numbers are estimates and ignore trading fees, funding, and slippage.
How to size a position by risk
Risk-based sizing flips the usual question. Instead of "how many coins should I buy?", you decide up front how much of your account you're willing to lose on this one trade — usually a small fixed amount like 1–2% — and let the math work out the size. Your stop-loss defines the risk: it's the price where you admit the trade is wrong and get out. The distance between your entry and your stop is what you lose per unit, so a tight stop lets you hold a bigger position for the same dollar risk, and a wide stop forces a smaller one.
The position size formula
Risk amount ÷ (entry − stop) = units to buy. First find your risk amount: account balance × risk % (so a $5,000 account risking 1% risks $50). Divide that by the per-unit loss (the distance between entry and stop) to get position size in units. Multiply units by entry to get the position's total value, and divide that value by your account balance to see the leverage needed if the position is larger than your balance.
FAQ
What is a position size calculator?
It works out how many units (coins or contracts) to buy so that hitting your stop-loss only costs you a fixed, chosen percentage of your account. You give it your balance, risk per trade, entry, and stop, and it returns the position size, its total value, the dollar amount at risk, and the leverage that position implies.
How much should I risk per trade?
A common rule is 1–2% of your account per trade. Risking small keeps any single loss survivable — at 1% you'd need a long losing streak to do serious damage, which buys time for your edge to play out. Higher risk grows the account faster when you win but can wipe it out fast during a drawdown.
How is position size calculated?
Take your risk amount (account balance × risk %) and divide it by the distance between your entry and your stop-loss. That distance is what you lose per unit, so risk amount ÷ per-unit loss gives the number of units that risks exactly your target dollar amount.
What is leverage needed?
It's the position value divided by your account balance. If the calculated position is worth more than your balance — common with a tight stop — you'd need borrowed funds (margin) to hold it. A result of 2.3x means the position is 2.3 times your account, so you'd need roughly 2.3x leverage. Leverage magnifies both gains and losses.
Does this work for longs and shorts?
Yes. The calculator uses the absolute distance between entry and stop, so it doesn't matter whether your stop is below your entry (a long) or above it (a short). Either way it sizes the trade to your chosen dollar risk.
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