How do you calculate position size in crypto?

Position Size = (Account Balance × Risk %) / (Entry Price - Stop Loss Price). For example, with a $10,000 account risking 2% ($200), entry at $60,000, and stop at $58,000 ($2,000 risk per coin), position size = $200 / $2,000 = 0.1 BTC.

What percentage should I risk per trade?

Most professional traders risk 1-2% of their account per trade. Aggressive strategies may go up to 3-5%, but this increases the risk of ruin. The 1% rule means you need 100 consecutive losses to blow your account — a near impossibility with proper strategy.

What is a good risk-reward ratio?

Minimum 1:2 (risk $1 to make $2) is the standard recommendation. At 1:2 R:R, you only need a 34% win rate to break even. Professional traders often target 1:3 or higher. Below 1:1 requires an extremely high win rate to be profitable long-term.

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Position Size Calculator

By Marcos Albuquerque · April 10, 2026 · Solo crypto developer. Independent writer. Brazil.

Calculate your optimal position size based on risk management principles. Enter your account balance, risk per trade, and stop loss to find the perfect position size. Includes Kelly Criterion and R:R analysis.

1 Account & Risk

Account Balance ($)

Risk per Trade (%)

Conservative: 1% | Standard: 2% | Aggressive: 5%

2 Trade Setup

Crypto Asset

Direction

Entry Price ($)

Stop Loss Price ($)

Below entry for long, above for short

Take Profit Price ($)

Leverage

3 Kelly Criterion (Optional)

Enter your historical win rate to calculate the optimal position size using Kelly Criterion:

Win Rate (%)

Your historical % of winning trades

Kelly Fraction

Position Sizing Result

Position Size

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Risk Amount

—

Potential Reward

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Risk : Reward

—

Margin Required

—

Stop Distance

—

Kelly Optimal

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Risk Assessment

Account risk level:

Conservative (1%)Standard (2%)Aggressive (5%)Reckless (10%+)

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Position Size at Different Risk Levels

Risk %	Risk Amount	Position Size	Quantity	Margin (at lev.)	Max Consecutive Losses to Ruin

R:R Breakeven Analysis

Minimum win rate needed at each R:R ratio to break even:

R:R Ratio	Min Win Rate	Your Win Rate	Expected Value per Trade	Verdict

Trade Plan Summary

Entry Plan

Asset—

Direction—

Entry Price—

Position Size—

Quantity—

Leverage—

Risk Management

Stop Loss—

Take Profit—

Risk $—

Reward $—

R:R—

Account Risk—

Disclaimer: Position sizing is a risk management tool, not a guarantee of profit. Past win rates don't guarantee future results. The Kelly Criterion assumes independent trades — real markets have correlation and fat tails. Always use stop losses and never risk more than you can afford to lose. This is not financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate position size?

Position Size = (Account × Risk %) / (Entry - Stop Loss). With $10K risking 2% ($200), entry $60K, stop $58K ($2K risk/coin): 0.1 BTC position.

What % should I risk per trade?

Professional traders risk 1-2%. Conservative: 1% (need 100 losses to blow account). Standard: 2%. Aggressive: 3-5% (higher drawdowns).

What is the Kelly Criterion?

Kelly % = Win Rate - (1 - Win Rate) / R:R Ratio. Calculates mathematically optimal bet size. Most traders use half-Kelly (50% of full) to reduce volatility.

What's a good risk-reward ratio?

Minimum 1:2 (risk $1 to make $2). At 1:2, you only need 34% win rate to break even. Professionals target 1:3+.

How does leverage affect position sizing?

Leverage reduces margin needed but doesn't change risk. With 10x, you need 10% of position as margin. Your stop loss determines actual dollar risk, not leverage.

Affiliate disclosure: trader-abyss earns commissions when readers open trading accounts or use the tools referenced here. Tracking is rel=sponsored and does not affect editorial coverage.