About the Liquidation Price Calculator
This liquidation price calculator shows the price at which an isolated-margin perpetual futures position would be force-closed by the exchange. Choose long or short, enter your entry price, leverage and the maintenance margin rate for your position size, and it returns the liquidation price and how far the market has to move against you to get there.
It is aimed at traders using USDT- or USDC-margined (linear) contracts on crypto derivatives exchanges who want to size positions safely before entering. The leverage table makes the trade-off obvious: at 10x a long is liquidated after roughly a 9–10% drop, while at 50x a move of under 2% is enough.
The result is an estimate for isolated margin. Exchanges use the mark price rather than the last traded price, may charge a liquidation fee, and apply tiered maintenance margin rates that rise with position size. Cross-margin positions can survive longer because the whole account balance backs them. Always confirm the figure shown by your exchange before trading.
With the default inputs, the estimated liquidation price is $54,271.36. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the liquidation price calculator
- 1Choose whether the position is a long or a short.
- 2Enter your entry price and the leverage you plan to use.
- 3Enter the margin you will post to see position size and quantity.
- 4Set the maintenance margin rate from your exchange’s tier table.
- 5Compare the liquidation price with recent price swings before entering.
Formula and method
With isolated margin you post initial margin equal to the position size divided by leverage. The exchange liquidates when your remaining margin (initial margin plus unrealised profit or loss) falls to the maintenance margin, which is the maintenance rate times the position’s value at the current price.
For a long of Q coins, margin + Q × (P − E) = m × Q × P, and with margin = Q × E ÷ L this solves to the long formula above; the short case mirrors it. Liquidation fees, funding payments and trading fees are ignored, and they would move the real liquidation price slightly closer to your entry.
- E
- Entry price
- L
- Leverage (position value ÷ margin)
- m
- Maintenance margin rate (e.g. 0.5% = 0.005)
- P_liq
- Estimated liquidation (mark) price
Worked examples
10x long on BTC at $60,000
At 10x with $1,000 margin the position is worth $10,000, or 0.1667 BTC. Liquidation price = 60,000 × (1 − 0.1) ÷ (1 − 0.005) ≈ $54,271.36, so a drop of about 9.55% would close the position.
20x short on ETH at $3,000
A 20x short at $3,000 with a 1% maintenance rate liquidates at 3,000 × 1.05 ÷ 1.01 ≈ $3,118.81 — just a 3.96% rise. The $500 margin controls a $10,000 position.
3x long on SOL at $150
At 3x, $2,000 of margin buys a $6,000 position (40 coins). The liquidation price is 150 × (2/3) ÷ 0.99 ≈ $101.01, so the price would need to fall about 32.7% — far more room than a high-leverage trade.
Frequently asked questions
How is liquidation price calculated?+
For an isolated long, liquidation happens when your margin plus unrealised loss falls to the maintenance margin. That gives P_liq = entry × (1 − 1/leverage) ÷ (1 − maintenance rate). For a short it is entry × (1 + 1/leverage) ÷ (1 + maintenance rate).
What leverage is safe in crypto?+
No leverage is risk-free, but lower is safer. Bitcoin has frequently moved 5–10% in a day, which is enough to liquidate positions above roughly 10x. Many experienced traders keep leverage at 2–5x and use stop-losses above the liquidation price.
What is the difference between isolated and cross margin?+
Isolated margin limits your risk to the margin assigned to one position, and that position is liquidated when it runs out. Cross margin shares your whole account balance across positions, which pushes liquidation further away but can lose the entire balance.
Why is my exchange liquidation price different?+
Exchanges use the mark price, tiered maintenance margin rates that increase with position size, and may reserve a liquidation fee or include unpaid funding. These details shift the exact price, so use this tool for planning and your exchange for the final number.
Does adding margin move my liquidation price?+
Yes. Adding margin to an isolated position lowers the effective leverage, which moves the liquidation price further from the current price. Removing margin or adding to the position size does the opposite.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.