Ethereum (ETH) leverage & liquidation, in plain terms
Ethereum futures are nearly as liquid as Bitcoin's, with up to 100x on major venues and a tier-1 maintenance margin near 0.5%. ETH tends to move 1.3–1.6× as hard as BTC on big days, so the same leverage carries more liquidation risk. If a 3% BTC drop is a bad day, ETH can hand you 5% in the same window — plan your liquidation distance for the move ETH actually makes, not the one you hope for.
How the ETH liquidation price is calculated
Liquidation happens when your losses eat the margin backing the position. For an isolated long, the rough formula is entry × (1 − 1/leverage + maintenance margin); for a short it is entry × (1 + 1/leverage − maintenance margin). Higher leverage puts liquidation closer to your entry — at 10x a long is wiped by roughly a 10% drop, at 25x by about 4%. That is why sizing matters: use the position size calculator to risk a fixed amount, and the PnL calculator to see the upside before you enter.
ETH liquidation — frequently asked questions
How is the Ethereum (ETH) liquidation price calculated?
For an isolated long, liquidation ≈ entry × (1 − 1/leverage + maintenance margin), using a ETH maintenance margin around 0.5%. For a short it is entry × (1 + 1/leverage − maintenance margin). Higher leverage moves the liquidation price closer to your entry.
What leverage can I use on ETH?
Major exchanges list up to roughly 100x on Ethereum (ETH) perpetuals, but the maximum on offer is not a recommendation. The higher the leverage, the smaller the move that liquidates you — keep it low enough that a normal swing can't wipe the position.
At what price drop does ETH get liquidated at 20x?
At 20x, a long ETH position is liquidated by roughly a 5.0% move against you (a little less once the 0.5% maintenance margin is included). Enter your own numbers above to see the exact level.