How to use it
Enter your entry price, stop-loss, Long or Short, the exchange leverage you set and the maintenance margin for your pair. The top of the calculator shows the approximate liquidation price, how far it sits from your entry, and whether your stop-loss is hit first. Everything runs in your browser.
What the liquidation price is
With leverage, the exchange holds only part of the position's value as collateral, called margin. If the price moves against you until that margin falls to the maintenance level, the exchange closes the position for you. The price where that happens is the liquidation price.
The higher the leverage, the less margin backs the position, and the closer liquidation sits to your entry.
Formula (isolated margin, simplified)
Long: Liquidation ≈ Entry × (1 − 1 / Leverage + Maintenance margin rate)
Short: Liquidation ≈ Entry × (1 + 1 / Leverage − Maintenance margin rate)
The maintenance margin rate is written as a fraction: 0.5% = 0.005.
Example: a BTC long at $73,000
Maintenance margin 0.5%:
| Leverage | Liquidation price | Price drop to liquidation |
|---|---|---|
| 10x | 73,000 × 0.905 = $66,065 | 9.5% |
| 20x | 73,000 × 0.955 = $69,715 | 4.5% |
| 50x | 73,000 × 0.985 = $71,905 | 1.5% |
At 50x, a normal 1.5% intraday move is enough to close the position.
Example: an ETH short at $2,100
At 10x with 0.5% maintenance margin: 2,100 × 1.095 = $2,299.50. The price has to rise 9.5% to liquidate the short.
How far liquidation is, by leverage
The distance from entry is roughly 1 / Leverage − Maintenance margin rate. With 0.5% maintenance margin:
| Leverage | 2x | 5x | 10x | 20x | 50x | 100x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to liquidation | 49.5% | 19.5% | 9.5% | 4.5% | 1.5% | 0.5% |
Keep liquidation beyond your stop
A stop-loss only protects you if the price reaches it before liquidation. If liquidation sits between your entry and your stop, the exchange closes the trade first and you lose the whole margin instead of the planned amount. The calculator warns you when that happens. The fix is lower leverage, not a wider stop.
Why your exchange may show a different number
- Tiered maintenance margin. Large positions use a higher rate, which moves liquidation closer.
- Fees and funding reduce your margin over time.
- Cross margin uses your whole balance as collateral. Liquidation is further away, but you can lose more than one trade's margin.
- Mark price. Most exchanges liquidate on a mark price, not on the last traded price.
Always check the liquidation price your exchange shows before opening the trade.
FAQ
Does lower leverage reduce my loss at the stop? No. The loss at the stop depends on position size and the stop distance. Leverage only changes how much margin is locked and where liquidation sits. See the position size calculator to size the trade from your risk.
What maintenance margin should I enter? Use the rate your exchange lists for your pair and position size. 0.5% is a common starting tier for BTC and ETH perpetuals.
Is the liquidation price the same for long and short? No. A long is liquidated below the entry, a short above it, at about the same distance.
Related tools: Position size calculator · Risk/reward calculator · Bitcoin funding rates
