Skip to content
CryptoSums

Crypto Position Size Calculator

Enter your account size, the percent you're willing to lose, and your entry and stop — get the position size that makes a stopped-out trade cost exactly that much.

Position size
$2,000.00
20 coins — 20% of your account
Risk if the stop fills
$100.00
1% of account
Direction (from your stop)Long — stop below entry
Stop distance from entry5%
Reward : risk at target3.0R
Profit if the target fills$300.00
Leverage requiredNone — fits a spot account
Plan the exit tiers for this position

Estimates only — not financial advice.

Quick answer

Position size controls how much a losing trade costs. Size = (account x risk %) divided by the distance from entry to stop-loss. Set a 1% risk and this calculator returns the exact position that makes a stopped-out trade lose precisely that amount — and a tighter stop allows a larger position for the same risk.

How this is calculated

The position is sized backward from the loss you're willing to take: position = (account × risk%) ÷ |entry − stop| coins. If the stop fills, you lose exactly account × risk% — no matter how far away the stop is. The stop's distance decides the position's size, never the dollar risk: a 5% stop on a $10,000 account at 1% risk means a $2,000 position, while a 2% stop means a $5,000 position, and both lose the same $100 when wrong.

A stop above your entry sizes a short the same way, and the optional target adds the reward-to-risk ratio — a 3R setup pays three times what it risks. The calculator never chooses stops or targets for you: those come from your analysis. It only guarantees the arithmetic between them and your account is right.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 1% rule in crypto trading?
Risking at most 1% of your account on any single trade — not putting 1% of your money in, but sizing the position so that if your stop-loss fills, you lose 1%. At 1% risk it takes 69 consecutive losing trades to halve an account; at 10% risk it takes 7.
How is position size calculated from a stop-loss?
Position size = (account × risk%) ÷ distance to stop. Example: a $10,000 account risking 1% ($100) with entry $100 and stop $95 ($5 of risk per coin) buys $100 ÷ $5 = 20 coins — a $2,000 position. Tighter stop, bigger position; same dollar risk either way.
Why does the calculator say I need leverage?
A very tight stop can make the risk-correct position larger than your whole account — e.g. a 0.5% stop distance at 1% risk implies a position worth 2× your account. That's a statement of arithmetic, not a recommendation: leverage adds liquidation risk that a spot position doesn't have, and many traders simply cap the position at their account size and accept risking less than their target percent.
Does this calculator tell me where to put my stop?
No — the stop is your trading decision, based on your own analysis. The calculator only answers the question that follows: given that stop and how much you're willing to lose, how big should the position be so a stopped-out trade costs exactly your chosen risk.

Related guides

Crypto Position Sizing: The 1% Rule, Worked OutHow to size a trade from your stop-loss so a loss costs exactly what you chose — the formula, the survival math behind the 1% rule, and why a tight stop means a bigger position, not less risk.Crypto Leverage and Liquidation: How Far Your Trade Is From ZeroLiquidation price is arithmetic, not luck. The exact formula, what each leverage tier survives, and how often Bitcoin's ordinary daily noise crosses those lines.

Related calculators

Crypto Profit CalculatorP&L and break-even on the trade itselfAverage-Down CalculatorNew break-even if you add to a loserDCA CalculatorScheduled buying instead of timed entries

Disclaimer: This tool provides educational estimates only — it is not financial, investment, or tax advice. Crypto assets are volatile; past performance does not guarantee future results. See our methodology and full disclaimer.