How do I calculate margin for a crypto futures trade?

Divide your intended position size by the leverage you're using. A $10,000 position at 10× leverage requires $1,000 of margin. This calculator does that division and also shows it as a percent of your account balance.

What's the difference between margin and leverage?

Margin is the dollar collateral a position locks up. Leverage is the ratio between your margin and the position size it controls. They're inverses of the same trade: higher leverage means less margin required for the same position size.

What is the maximum position size I can open?

Multiply your account balance by your chosen leverage. A $5,000 balance at 20× can theoretically open up to $100,000 of position size — but that uses your entire balance as margin on one trade, leaving no buffer.

Should I use the maximum position size my leverage allows?

Generally no. The max position figure is a ceiling, not a target — it assumes posting your whole balance as margin with zero room for drawdown. Most traders size positions by how much they're willing to lose (see the position-size calculator), which is almost always far below the leverage ceiling.

Home › Tools › Crypto Margin & Leverage Calculator

Crypto Margin & Leverage Calculator

Two questions, one formula: how much margin does this position lock up, and how big a position can my account actually support at this leverage? Enter your account balance, leverage and intended position size to get both answers at once.

Margin & leverage

Account balance ($)

Leverage (x)

Position size (USD)

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Margin required

—

% of balance used

—

Max position at this leverage

—

Free margin remaining

Margin = position size ÷ leverage. "Max position" is your whole balance posted as margin at this leverage — it's the ceiling, not a recommendation. Sizing by risk (see the position-size calculator) usually means using far less than the max.

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How margin and leverage relate

Margin is the slice of a position's value an exchange requires you to post as collateral; leverage is the multiplier that lets that slice control a much bigger position. The relationship is one equation read two ways:

Margin required = Position size ÷ Leverage. A $20,000 position at 10× ties up $2,000 of margin.
Max position size = Balance × Leverage. A $5,000 account at 10× can theoretically open up to $50,000 of exposure.

The same $2,000 margin could instead be read as "40% of a $5,000 balance" — your margin usage. Margin usage matters because it is the buffer between you and a margin call: the more of your balance a position locks up, the less room is left to absorb drawdown before the exchange starts reducing or liquidating positions (see the liquidation-price calculator for the exact price level).

Margin usage vs. position sizing

It's tempting to treat "max position at this leverage" as a target, but that number assumes posting your entire account as margin on a single trade — zero buffer for any other position or adverse move. Most professional traders keep margin usage well under 50% of balance, and many cap a single position far lower than that. The figure exists so you know the ceiling, not so you trade up against it.

Leverage itself doesn't change how much you can lose in dollar terms beyond your margin (on an isolated position) — it changes how little price has to move against you before that margin is gone. Higher leverage means a smaller required margin for the same position, but also a closer liquidation price. Pairing this calculator with the position-size calculator — which sizes a trade by how much you're willing to lose, not by how much leverage is available — keeps leverage as a tool rather than a trap.

Cross exchange vs. isolated margin

This calculator assumes isolated margin, where each position's margin is segregated. In cross margin, your whole account balance backstops every open position, which changes "free margin remaining" — it becomes shared across all trades rather than dedicated to one. Check which mode your exchange has set before relying on the free-margin figure for cross positions.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate margin for a crypto futures trade?: Divide your intended position size by the leverage you're using. A $10,000 position at 10× leverage requires $1,000 of margin. This calculator does that division and also shows it as a percent of your account balance.
What's the difference between margin and leverage?: Margin is the dollar collateral a position locks up. Leverage is the ratio between your margin and the position size it controls. They're inverses of the same trade: higher leverage means less margin required for the same position size.
What is the maximum position size I can open?: Multiply your account balance by your chosen leverage. A $5,000 balance at 20× can theoretically open up to $100,000 of position size — but that uses your entire balance as margin on one trade, leaving no buffer.
Should I use the maximum position size my leverage allows?: Generally no. The max position figure is a ceiling, not a target — it assumes posting your whole balance as margin with zero room for drawdown. Most traders size positions by how much they're willing to lose (see the position-size calculator), which is almost always far below the leverage ceiling.