If you know what crypto trading is, then you might have heard of a term called leverage trading. It is a type of borrowed capital that helps in placing trades. Leverage Trading helps enhance buying and selling power, allowing trade with higher amounts. So, if your initial capital is small, you can use the amount as collateral to place leverage trades.
Leverage Trading in crypto can increase your profit but you need to be aware of the risks associated with it. The crypto market remains volatile, and a collateral amount could be a risk in some instances; it may lead to higher losses, especially if the market moves against your position.
What is Leverage in Crypto Trading?
Leverage term refers to borrowing capital to place financial trades, including cryptocurrencies. It enhances your buying and selling power when trading in different crypto coins. You will be allowed to trade with more than the amount you have in your wallet. It depends on the crypto exchange and how much leverage they are providing to users.
This leverage is mainly described as 1:5., 1:10, 1:100, etc. For example, if your account has $1,000 and you are looking to place an order for $10,000, then you have to opt for 10x leverage to complete the order.
The leverage of crypto can be used in different forms of trading, which include margin trading, futures contracts, and leveraged tokens.
How does Leverage Trading work?
Before you borrow funds for your account, you have to deposit some amount in your wallet. The initial amount you deposit is known as collateral, and it depends on how much leverage you are going to use and the position you want to open.
For example, if you are looking to trade for $2,000 at 10x leverage, then your account should have a margin of $200. Meanwhile, if you are going for 20x leverage, then your account should have $100 for placing trades.
We all should know that leverage allows the buying or selling of trades as per your collateral, not your holdings. It means that you can borrow assets and sell them even if you don’t own them.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Why use Leverage for trading crypto?
Leverage allows an increase in position without using more collateral. It could help in increasing the profile with small initial capital, but at the same time, if the market goes in the opposite direction, it could lead to massive losses.
Traders can also enhance their liquidity and can use that amount somewhere else such as trading another asset, staking, liquidity, and NFTs.
How can we manage Leverage Trading Risks?
If you are trading with high leverage and less induced capital, then there is a high liquidation risk. Higher leverage indicates lower risk tolerance in a volatile market; even a 1% change in the market can lead to significant losses when there is high leverage.
However, lower leverage trading gives a margin of error. That’s why many crypto exchanges add limits on maximum leverage to new users.
Implementing some risk management strategies can help to limit overall losses and make profits without being greedy. Users should know how to add a stop loss in trading when the market moves against them. Moreover, users should know how to extract profits after reaching a certain amount. It allows you to secure your earnings when the market turns down.
Leverage Trading has two faces, which can amplify both gains and losses. It has a high amount of risk, especially in a volatile market. It is recommended users go for DYOR while making informed investment decisions.
Final Thoughts
Leverage Trading allows you to start trading with a low amount, but it contains lots of risks, especially when the market remains volatile. It can cause rapid liquidation, and that’s why it is recommended to invest the amount that you can bear to lose.
Users need to understand the risk parameters associated with it. Ultimately, leverage is provided for the user’s convenience, but it remains fruitful only when they stay cautious of associated risks.