Margin Call Calculator

About Margin Call Calculator

The Margin Call Calculator helps traders calculate the exact price at which their leveraged position will be liquidated (forced closure). Whether you are trading cryptocurrencies, forex, stocks, or futures, understanding your liquidation price is essential for effective risk management and protecting your capital.

What is a Margin Call?

A margin call occurs when the equity in your trading account falls below the broker's required maintenance margin level. In leveraged trading, you borrow funds from the exchange to open a position larger than your capital. When your position moves against you significantly, the exchange will either:

• Issue a margin call: Request you to deposit additional funds to maintain the position
• Liquidate your position: Automatically close your position to prevent further losses

Most modern cryptocurrency and futures exchanges use automatic liquidation rather than traditional margin calls, closing positions when the margin ratio drops below the maintenance threshold.

How Liquidation Works

When you open a leveraged position, you deposit a certain amount as collateral (margin). The exchange uses this margin to cover potential losses. If the market moves against your position and your unrealized losses approach or exceed your deposited margin, liquidation is triggered to protect both you and the exchange from further losses.

Liquidation Price Formulas

Long Position (Isolated Margin)

When you go long (buy), you profit when the price rises and lose when it falls. The liquidation price for a long position is below your entry price:

Short Position (Isolated Margin)

When you go short (sell), you profit when the price falls and lose when it rises. The liquidation price for a short position is above your entry price:

Where:

• Entry Price = The price at which you opened your position
• Leverage = Your leverage multiplier (e.g., 10 for 10x leverage)
• MMR = Maintenance Margin Rate (varies by exchange, typically 0.4% to 1%)

How to Use This Calculator

1. Enter your entry price: Input the price at which you opened or plan to open your position
2. Select position type: Choose Long if you are buying (profit when price goes up) or Short if you are selling (profit when price goes down)
3. Set your leverage: Enter your leverage multiplier. Higher leverage means higher risk and a closer liquidation price
4. Enter maintenance margin rate: Input your exchange's maintenance margin rate (check your exchange's documentation for the exact rate)
5. Calculate and analyze: Click Calculate to see your liquidation price, distance to liquidation, and risk assessment

Understanding Leverage and Risk

How Leverage Affects Liquidation Price

Higher leverage brings your liquidation price closer to your entry price:

• 2x Leverage: Price needs to move ~50% against you to liquidate
• 5x Leverage: Price needs to move ~20% against you to liquidate
• 10x Leverage: Price needs to move ~10% against you to liquidate
• 25x Leverage: Price needs to move ~4% against you to liquidate
• 50x Leverage: Price needs to move ~2% against you to liquidate
• 100x Leverage: Price needs to move ~1% against you to liquidate

Risk Levels by Leverage

• Low Risk (1-3x): Suitable for beginners; significant price buffer before liquidation
• Medium Risk (4-10x): Common for experienced traders; requires careful position management
• High Risk (11-25x): For advanced traders only; tight stop-losses essential
• Very High Risk (26x+): Extreme risk; liquidation can occur with minor price movements

Isolated vs Cross Margin

Isolated Margin Mode

In isolated margin mode (used in this calculator):

• Only the margin allocated to a specific position can be lost
• Other funds in your account are protected
• Liquidation price is fixed based on your initial margin
• Best for managing risk on individual trades

Cross Margin Mode

In cross margin mode:

• Your entire account balance is used as collateral
• Can prevent liquidation longer as losses are absorbed by total equity
• Risk of losing your entire account on a single trade
• Liquidation price changes as your account balance changes

Common Exchange Maintenance Margin Rates

Different exchanges have different maintenance margin rates. Here are some common rates (verify with your exchange as these may change):

• Binance Futures: 0.4% - 2.5% (varies by position size)
• Bybit: 0.5% for most pairs
• FTX (when operational): 0.6% base rate
• OKX: 0.4% - 1.5% (tiered by position size)
• dYdX: 3% maintenance margin
• GMX: 1% maintenance margin

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a margin call in trading?

A margin call occurs when the value of your trading account falls below the broker's required maintenance margin. In leveraged trading, if your position moves against you significantly, the exchange will either request additional funds (margin call) or automatically close your position (liquidation) to prevent further losses that exceed your deposited margin.

How is liquidation price calculated?

For a long position: Liquidation Price = Entry Price × (1 - 1/Leverage + Maintenance Margin Rate). For a short position: Liquidation Price = Entry Price × (1 + 1/Leverage - Maintenance Margin Rate). The exact formula may vary slightly between exchanges, but this calculator uses the industry-standard isolated margin formula.

What is the difference between isolated and cross margin?

In isolated margin mode, only the margin allocated to a specific position can be liquidated, protecting your other funds. In cross margin mode, your entire account balance is used as collateral, which can prevent liquidation longer but puts all funds at risk. This calculator uses the isolated margin formula.

How does leverage affect liquidation price?

Higher leverage means the liquidation price is closer to your entry price. For example, at 10x leverage, a roughly 10% move against your position triggers liquidation. At 100x leverage, just a 1% adverse move can liquidate your position. Lower leverage provides more buffer before liquidation.

What is maintenance margin rate?

The maintenance margin rate (MMR) is the minimum equity percentage required to keep a position open. Different exchanges have different rates (typically 0.4% to 1%). When your position equity falls below this threshold, liquidation is triggered. Higher MMR means slightly earlier liquidation to protect both traders and the exchange.

Can I prevent liquidation?

Yes, you can prevent liquidation by: (1) Adding more margin to your position to lower the liquidation price, (2) Reducing your position size, (3) Using stop-loss orders to exit before reaching liquidation, or (4) Closing the position manually when losses are still manageable. Always monitor volatile markets closely.

What happens when I get liquidated?

When liquidated, the exchange forcibly closes your position at the current market price. You lose your initial margin (collateral) for that position. Some exchanges may also charge a liquidation fee. In isolated margin mode, only the position's margin is lost. In cross margin mode, additional account funds may be used to cover losses.

Why is my actual liquidation price different from the calculated one?

Actual liquidation prices may differ slightly due to: (1) Trading fees that reduce your effective margin, (2) Funding rate payments in perpetual contracts, (3) Tiered margin rates based on position size, (4) Exchange-specific calculation methods, (5) Insurance fund contributions. Always verify with your exchange's actual calculation.

Additional Resources

• Margin (Finance) - Wikipedia
• Margin Call Explained - Investopedia

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