Crypto Position Size Calculator
Crypto volatility makes position sizing non-negotiable. Enter your account balance, risk percentage, entry, and stop loss to get the exact number of coins to buy — so a stopped-out trade costs you only what you planned.
Results
Fill in the inputs to see your results.
Why position sizing matters even more in crypto
A 10% overnight move is routine in crypto, and altcoins can gap through any level. Traders who size positions by conviction — 'I'll put $2,000 into this one' — regularly lose 20–30% of that position on a normal swing. Sizing by risk instead means the stop loss decides the position size, not the other way around.
The formula is identical to stocks: coins = (balance × risk %) ÷ stop distance. With a $5,000 account risking 1% and a Bitcoin entry at $100,000 with a stop at $97,000, you buy $50 ÷ $3,000 ≈ 0.0167 BTC — a $1,670 position, not a $5,000 one.
Stops in crypto: wider, not tighter
Crypto stop losses need room for volatility — ATR-based stops of 3–8% are common on majors, more on altcoins. Wider stops mean smaller position sizes at the same risk. That is the point: the market sets the stop, the risk rule sets the size, and this calculator connects the two.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate crypto position size?
Divide your money risk (balance × risk %) by the distance between entry and stop loss. A $10,000 account risking 1% with a $2,000 stop distance on Bitcoin: $100 ÷ $2,000 = 0.05 BTC.
Should I risk less than 1% on crypto trades?
Many traders do — 0.5% is common for altcoins because volatility and gap risk are higher. The more volatile the asset, the wider the stop and the smaller the position at equal risk.
Does the calculator account for leverage or futures?
The result is the spot-equivalent position size. On leveraged futures the same number of coins applies — leverage only changes the margin required, not the amount at risk, as long as the stop loss is respected.
What if my account is in EUR but the coin is priced in USD?
Enter the conversion rate in the calculator — it converts your risk amount into the quote currency before sizing, so the result stays exact.
How do I enter the result in MetaTrader?
MT4/MT5 volumes are in lots, and the contract size per lot varies by broker for crypto (1 lot might be 1 BTC at one broker, 0.01 at another). Check your symbol's 'Contract size' under Specification, enter it in the contract size field above, and use the 'MT volume (lots)' result row.