← THE CHARTSPOD LEDGEROPEN TERMINAL →
RISK · FIXED-PERCENT RISK

Fixed-Percent Account Risk: A Worked Crypto Example With Fees Included

Fixed-percent risk recalculates the dollar risk from the current balance every trade. Drawdowns shrink positions automatically.

By ChartsPod Editorial Team · Reviewed by ChartsPod Research
Published · Updated · 5 min read

Short answer

Fixed-percent risk risks the same share of the current account on each trade. Example: 0.5% of a $30,000 account is $150; BTC long at $60,000, stop $59,100 ($900), fees about $59.55 per BTC and slippage $20: loss per BTC ≈ $979.55, size ≈ 0.153 BTC. After a drawdown to $27,000, 0.5% is $135 and size falls to about 0.138 BTC. Recovering from drawdowns takes slightly longer, but losses shrink as the account shrinks.

Worked example

StepValue
Account$30,000
Risk 0.5%$150
Entry / stop$60,000 / $59,100
Fees per BTC≈ $59.55
Slippage per BTC$20
Loss per BTC≈ $979.55
Size≈ 0.153 BTC
After drawdown to $27,000≈ 0.138 BTC
Dollar risk after consecutive 0.5% lossesDollar risk after consecutive 0.5% losses: Start 150.0 $; After 5 losses 146.3 $; After 10 losses 142.7 $; After 20 losses 135.7 $.DOLLAR RISK AFTER CONSECUTIVE 0.5% LOSSESStart$150.0After 5 losses$146.3After 10 losses$142.7After 20 losses$135.7
Risk shrinks gently through a losing streak. Original ChartsPod editorial graphic.

Choosing the percentage

Lower percentages lengthen survival through losing streaks. Illustrative: at 2% per trade, 10 consecutive losses cost about 18% of the account; at 0.5%, about 4.9%.

Fixed-percent routineFixed-percent routine: Use current balance, not starting balance; Include fees and slippage; Cap total open risk; Group correlated positions; Review % after big changes in volatility.FIXED-PERCENT ROUTINEUse current balance, not starting balanceInclude fees and slippageCap total open riskGroup correlated positionsReview % after big changes in volatility
Recompute every trade. Original ChartsPod editorial graphic.

Conclusion

Related: Fixed-Dollar Risk per Trade: A Worked Crypto Example With Fees Included, Correlated Altcoin Positions: Why Five Trades Can Be One Bet.

Plan the same calculation with ChartsPod's position planner.

Open the ChartsPod terminal

Fixed-percent risk risks the same share of the current account on each trade.

See Fixed-Percent Account Risk on live data in the free ChartsPod terminal.

Open the ChartsPod terminal

Questions readers ask

How is fixed-percent risk calculated?

Current balance × risk %.

Does it protect in drawdowns?

Positions shrink as the account shrinks.

What percent is typical?

Many use 0.25%–1%.

Sources and methodology

Arithmetic uses standard sizing formulas. Fee rates (0.05% taker, 0.02% maker), slippage and funding values are illustrative; check your venue's schedule. Liquidation figures are simplified approximations; exchanges calculate them with their own maintenance-margin rules (see Bybit's documentation).

  1. Bybit: Liquidation process — mark price and margin modes.
  2. ChartsPod: product overview, pricing and FAQ — free terminal, venues, modules, no order placement; checked 17 Oct 2026.

This article explains research tools and workflows. It is not financial advice, does not recommend buying or selling any asset and does not predict prices. Crypto derivatives carry a risk of rapid and total loss of margin.

CHARTSPOD EDITORIAL EDITION · RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ONLY · NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE.