01
Set the risk budget for the trade
Apply your risk percentage to the account balance to define the estimated amount you are willing to lose on this trade.
Risk budget
Account balance×Risk %
Bulli Bear Guide
Calculate crypto futures position size from risk
Position size does not have to start with leverage. Set the amount you are willing to lose on one trade and your stop distance first, then work backward to an order quantity that fits those limits.
Use the calculator02
Calculate the expected loss per unit
Add the price distance between entry and stop to the entry fee and stop fee. Bulli Bear currently assumes the stop executes as a market order and applies the Taker fee.
Expected loss per unit
|Entry − Stop|+Entry fee+Stop fee
03
Calculate the order quantity
Divide the risk budget by expected loss per unit. Bulli Bear rounds quantity down at the selected precision so display rounding does not push the estimate above the chosen risk budget.
Order quantity
Risk budget÷Expected loss per unit
Worked Example
A BTC futures example
With a 1,000 USDT account and 0.5% risk per trade, the loss budget for this trade is 5 USDT.
Account balance1,000 USDT
Risk0.5%
Entry60,000
Stop59,400
Assume a Maker entry fee of 0.0200% and a Taker stop fee of 0.0550%. Including both fees produces a raw quantity of about 0.007756 BTC. This display is rounded to 6 decimal places; the actual order quantity is rounded down to the selected precision.
Raw quantity0.007756 BTC
→
Order quantity at 3 decimals0.007 BTC
→
Estimated loss including feesAbout 4.51 USDT
The quantity is rounded down so the estimated loss stays below the 5 USDT risk budget.
Why include trading fees?
Fees can become a meaningful share of loss when stops are tight or trading frequency is high. Sizing from price distance alone can therefore underestimate expected loss.
This is not a maximum-loss guarantee
Market stops can fill at worse prices because of slippage. Actual fees, funding, and minimum order rules can also vary by exchange and account.
Frequently asked questions
Are position size and leverage the same thing?
No. Position size is the market exposure of the position. Leverage affects the margin required to hold that exposure and influences liquidation risk.
Why does Bulli Bear not ask for leverage?
The calculator sizes a trade from the estimated loss at the stop. For the same entry, stop, and quantity, the price loss to the stop does not change because you selected a different leverage setting.
Should I choose Maker or Taker?
An order that rests on the order book before filling is generally Maker, while an order that immediately matches existing liquidity is Taker. Check your exchange for the actual classification and fee rate.
Is Take Profit required?
No. TP is not required to calculate quantity. If entered, Bulli Bear shows a price-based expected profit and R:R reference.
Is Expected Loss the maximum I can lose?
No. It is an estimate based on the prices and fees you enter. Slippage and actual execution conditions can make the realized loss larger.
Try the numbers in the calculator
Use the calculator →Enter Balance, Risk, Entry, and Stop to get an order quantity sized from the stop distance and fees.