Crypto position size calculator
Size a trade so that hitting your stop-loss costs only the share of your account you chose to risk. Add a take-profit to see the reward to risk ratio.
To risk $100 (1% of $10,000) on this long, trade 0.02556 BTC, a position of $2,000. If the stop is hit, you lose about $100 before fees.
- BTC to buy
- 0.02556
- Amount at risk
- $100
- Distance to stop
- 5%
- Leverage needed
- None
- Reward to risk
- 1 : 2
- Profit at target
- $199.97
How the position size is calculated
The amount at risk is your account size times your risk percentage. Each coin loses entry − stop if the stop is hit, so the number of coins is amount at risk ÷ (entry − stop), and the position size is that times the entry price.
When the position is larger than your account, it needs leverage. The reward to risk ratio compares the distance to the take-profit with the distance to the stop. Fees and slippage make real losses slightly larger.
Putting a plan like this into practice
Kraken
Coinbase
Ledger
TrezorWe may earn a commission if you sign up through these links, at no cost to you. It never changes the numbers above. Disclosure.
More free crypto tools
- Liquidation price calculatorWhere a leveraged long or short gets liquidated.
- Impermanent loss calculatorWhat providing liquidity costs you against just holding.
- DCA calculatorBacktest buying a coin on a schedule with real daily prices.
- If you had investedWhat $1,000 in a coin would be worth today, for every year since it listed.
- Profit calculatorProfit or loss on a trade, with fees and the break-even price.
- Average cost calculatorYour average buy price across several purchases.
Questions
How much should I risk per trade?
Many traders risk 1% to 2% of their account per trade, so a losing streak doesn't wipe them out. This calculator only does the math; the right amount depends on you.
What is a good reward to risk ratio?
A ratio of 1 : 2 means the target is twice as far as the stop. With higher ratios, you can be wrong more often and still come out ahead, but targets that far away are hit less often.
Does a tighter stop mean less risk?
Not in dollars. With the same risk percentage, a tighter stop gives a bigger position. It changes how far the price can move against you before the stop triggers.