Liquidation Price Calculator
Before opening a futures position, know where it gets force-closed — the higher the leverage, the closer liquidation sits to your entry.
0.5% maintenance margin is typical for small positions on major exchanges — larger positions have higher rates. Check your exchange's actual tier.
Pick a direction, enter price and leverage — results update instantly
📖 Guide: reading the chart to judge if your leverage is safe
1. Learn to read candlesticks first
Every exchange uses candlestick charts. One candle = one time period (e.g. 1 day). Read it like this:
- Green candle = closed higher than it opened (price went up) / red candle = closed lower (price went down)
- The body (thick part) = range between open and close
- The wicks (thin lines) = the highest and lowest prices touched in that period — long wicks mean violent swings even if the close ended near the open
2. Compare the daily range against your liquidation distance
This is the most important step: open the daily (1D) chart of the coin you’re trading and look back 2-4 weeks. Estimate how many percent each daily candle (including wicks) swings, then compare with the “distance from entry” the calculator above gives you:
- If daily candles average 5% but your liquidation is only 4% away → a perfectly normal day can liquidate you — no bad news required
- Rough safety rule: your liquidation distance should be at least 2-3× wider than the normal daily swing
3. Check support and resistance too
Support = a price zone where drops have repeatedly bounced / resistance= a zone where rallies got sold back down. Spot them easily: prices that “stopped” or reversed several times. If you’re long, your liquidation price should sit well below major support — because when support breaks, price tends to slide fast. Never leave your liquidation hanging just above a support level.
4. Liquidation distance at each leverage level
Approximate figures for a long (0.5% maintenance margin):
| Leverage | Move against you to liquidate | vs BTC volatility |
|---|---|---|
| 2x | ~49.5% | Very wide |
| 5x | ~19.5% | Room to breathe |
| 10x | ~9.5% | BTC can move this in 1-2 days |
| 20x | ~4.5% | Can happen in a single day |
| 50x | ~1.5% | Can happen in minutes |
✅ Checklist before opening a position
- Calculate your liquidation price with the tool above
- Open the 1D chart and study the last 2-4 weeks of swings
- Is your liquidation distance 2-3× the normal daily range?
- Is it beyond major support/resistance levels?
- Always set a stop loss before liquidation (losing part beats losing the whole margin) — pair with the position size calculator
How accurate is this?
This is an estimate from the standard isolated-margin formula. Actual liquidation prices vary slightly by exchange depending on position size tiers, fees, and the mark price used. Use it for rough risk planning, then check the exact figure on your exchange’s order screen.
⚠️ Futures with leverage are extremely high risk — most beginners lose money. If you’re new, learn spot trading and DCA first.
Frequently asked questions
›What is liquidation in crypto futures?
Liquidation is when the exchange force-closes your futures position because price moved against you far enough that your margin is nearly gone — you lose that position's entire margin. The higher your leverage, the closer the liquidation price sits to your entry.
›What leverage is safe?
Nothing in futures is 100% safe, but a rough rule: your liquidation distance should be at least 2-3x wider than the coin's normal daily swing. At 10x you only have ~9.5% of room, which Bitcoin can cover in a day or two — beginners should stay at 2-5x or practice on spot first.
›Does this match my exchange's liquidation price exactly?
It's an estimate from the standard isolated-margin formula. Real figures differ slightly per exchange due to position-size tiers, fees, and mark price. Use it for planning, then confirm on your exchange's order screen.