We will break it down into sections to better differentiate between both types of Bitcoin trading. On many exchanges, such as Binance Futures, users can use cross-margin and isolated margin modes. As you move the white dot along, the informational text below the slider bar will show your borrowing amount over your account’s maximum borrowing limit.
Margin trading in the world of cryptocurrencies enables traders to control a large amount of digital assets using a small deposit. This is achieved by borrowing funds from a broker to purchase a larger position. The primary advantage of margin trading is the potential to realize more significant gains due to the increased trading power. Since margin trading is risky, it’s not recommended for beginners.
Best Bitcoin & Crypto Margin Trading Exchanges
However, when interest rates are low, cryptocurrencies become an attractive place to park money, which often leads to long-lasting bull markets. When trading Bitcoin futures, users can take advantage of very high leverage that would depend on the exchange but usually reaches up to (or even higher than) 100x. With Bitcoin margin trading, users have access to an average between 3x and 10x, depending on the platform. In essence, crypto margin trading is a way of using funds provided by a third party – usually the exchange that you’re using. If you wish to change the max account leverage, click the gadget below the margin toggle. From the pop-up dialogue, select the max account leverage and confirm.
In our experience, when traders take positions that are oversized, emotions will get the better of them sooner than later. When you feel like revenge trading, always remember this point – The market doesn’t owe you anything. When you get stopped out of a leveraged trade, there is no need to immediately put another trade in the opposite direction.
However, it also increases your potential losses when the price of a cryptocurrency doesn’t perform as expected. Imagine you had 1,000 USDT, and you used that to borrow 1,000 USDT more. If BTC drops to a point where you would lose your borrowed margin (the 1,000 USDT that you borrowed), the position will close automatically. And since 1,000 is exactly 50% of 2,000, your liquidation price will be 50% below your entry price. Even though you are technically using borrowed funds, you can’t end up owing money to the platform, as this would create a huge risk for the exchange itself. This event, should it happen, is commonly referred to as liquidation.
The difference between both is the margin balance used to avoid liquidation. If cross-margin is enabled, the entire margin balance is shared across open positions to prevent liquidations. This means the trader risks losing their entire margin account’s balance alongside any open positions in the event of a liquidation. In this guide, we will mostly focus on Bitcoin margin trading because BTC is the largest cryptocurrency by market cap with the most considerable trading volume across all exchanges. However, the rules and tips hereby discussed apply to all supported altcoins for margin trading, i.e. Moreover, margin traders should never trade bigger positions than they are comfortable managing.
The most common mistake when trading cryptocurrencies on margin is to overtrade. Overtrading means opening trading positions out of the risk boundaries that you’re able to manage. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trading on very high leverage ratios which can push your trading account over a cliff. Trading on margin, also known as leveraged trading, involves borrowed money that is used to trade a financial instrument, such as a cryptocurrency. That loan is made available by your broker and requires collateral, which is called a margin, in trading circles.
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This essentially means that all orders are matched with those in the spot market. With Bitcoin futures, traders place orders to buy or sell contracts in the derivatives market – they do not share the same orderbook, therefore, come with different liquidity. Traders can remove the risk of forced liquidation altogether by having stop losses in place. These orders limit the maximum loss on a trade and allow you to keep your positions under control.
Take a break and reassess your trading plan and market conditions. Trades that are very leveraged can cause significant damage to your trading account. Even a small price movement that goes against your favor can completely wipe out your account if you overtrade. That’s why you always need to keep an eye open on your active trades. Margin trading comes with ongoing fees, so make sure they don’t end up eating up your entire profit or, even worse – your balance.
Well, that’s entirely possible on many cryptocurrency exchanges and it’s called margin or leveraged trading. Amplifying profits by borrowing money sounds great, and it is. Nevertheless, it is better for beginners to stay away from margin trading until they have a solid track record of profitable trading without margin, using a cash account. Stop-losses are perhaps the most effective tool in risk management when trading on leverage. A stop-loss closes your trade automatically when the price reaches a pre-specified level, allowing you to precisely determine your potential losses before even placing a trade. Scaling in and out of trades is a powerful technique that can help you keep losses low and profits high.
The same is true for keeping tabs on your liquidation price – you must know that number in case the position starts approaching quicker than expected. Even if you’re absolutely confident in your trading skills, it’s better to divide your positions into portions and create a ladder of prices. This way, you can reduce the risk while averaging down your entry price. The same is true for taking profit – you can set up a ladder to take profit on the way up. Your plan goes as intended, and the price of BTC drops to $8,000.
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If Bitcoin rises to $60,000, you would make a profit of $10,000, while only using $500 of your trading funds as the margin for the trade. As you close the trade, the margin is automatically returned to your account balance. After all, it only acts as collateral for the funds borrowed from your broker.
- Because the costs of a margin loan can pile up, traders in this market often trade on a shorter time frame than cash traders.
- We will break it down into sections to better differentiate between both types of Bitcoin trading.
- A margin call is a notification you may receive from your broker when your free margin falls below a certain threshold (usually below $0).
- The remaining 99% of the required funds will be made available by your broker as a loan.
- Nevertheless, crypto margin trading is also very popular and enjoys a steady increase in its overall volume overtime.
Keep in mind that as the chance to earn more increases, so does the risk of losing more. Let’s imagine that Bitcoin is currently trading at $10,000, and you have $10,000 in your Binance margin account. Using this as collateral, you can borrow 2 BTC (for example) and sell it at current prices for $20,000.
Learn how to scale in and out of trades
The main rule is to scale in only into profitable trades and to scale out only out of losing trades. You want to add to your winners and to cut your losers short. How much you’re going to add to your trades is up to you and your trading plan. To buy an entire Bitcoin, you’ll have to allocate only 1% of the trade as the collateral (margin) for the trade. The remaining 99% of the required funds will be made available by your broker as a loan. Leveraged trading allows you to magnify your potential profits when the market goes in your favor.
When you receive a margin call, you should either deposit additional funds to increase your free margin or close some leveraged trade to free up the used margin in your account. Stop-losses should also be used in the calculation of your maximum position size for a trade. When the market hits your stop-loss and you get stopped out, the maximum loss should not exceed 2% of your trading account size. Besides overtrading, many traders make another rookie mistake by not defining or respecting their risk management rules.
Imagine having $1,000 deposited but being able to effectively trade with $2,000, $3,000, or even $10,000. The margin toggle would not be actionable for coins where negative balances are not available. While cryptocurrencies are legal in the USA, trading CFDs is generally prohibited. You can buy and sell cryptocurrencies the same way as shares, but can’t trade them with CFDs and leverage in the USA. Get the necessary confidence and experience before jumping into the deep raging water of margin trading. Many people commonly mistake Bitcoin margin trading for futures trading, but there are fundamental differences to keep in mind.
Now you have $10,000 of your own money and $20,000 of borrowed funds, and you have to repay 2 BTC to the exchange. Margin trading on the Crypto.com Exchange allows you to buy or sell Virtual Assets in excess of what is in the wallet, by incurring negative balances on the Crypto.com Exchange. Eligible users can use eligible Virtual Assets in the wallet as collateral to open these margin positions. A margin call is a notification you may receive from your broker when your free margin falls below a certain threshold (usually below $0).
Adjusting Max Account Leverage
Even though traders tend to rely mostly on technical analysis, keep in mind that those events might have a critical impact on the market. The crypto markets remain, for large part, unregulated. It’s not out of the question to see the occasional short and long squeeze events, which also has to do with the current size of the market.
This way, you can neither lose more than you invested nor pay interest. The best coin for margin trading pretty much depends on your experience level and trading plan. Beginners usually find it easier to stick to the most liquid coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum. More experienced traders can put their hands on less-liquid coins as well. Just like any other financial market, cryptocurrencies move in cycles. When global economies are booming, investors and traders tend to prefer stocks and commodities.
What is Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin Margin Trading?
Traders should be cautious when utilizing leverage, as they will also be responsible for the losses of the increased position size. It is essential to comprehend the nuances of margin trading before putting any trading capital at risk. Margin trading refers to trading on leverage, i.e. with borrowed funds. This allows you to significantly increase your market exposure and profit potential. Short-selling, on the other hand, allows you to profit from falling prices in the market.