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Cryptocurrencies have significantly changed the financial sector, providing innovative trading and investment methods that are far more rapid and rewarding profit-wise than traditional markets. Margin trading (also called leverage trading) is one such method that empowers traders to boost their profit prospects. In this post, let's look at the benefits and risks linked to this type of trading and explore practices that may help elevate your experience.
While practicing margin trading, traders use lending platforms, exchanges, or brokers to obtain extra funds for trading, thus enhancing their purchasing capabilities. If utilized skillfully, margin trading helps traders reach their financial objectives far more quickly than if only their actual capital had been used.
Suppose a trader thinks that the price of Ethereum will increase shortly. They can either buy Ethereum directly or trade with borrowed funds. Let's say they invested $10,000 without leverage, and the price of Ethereum increased by 15%. In that case, they will gain $1,500. However, if they opted for 5:1 leverage, they could invest $50,000, thus earning $7,500. After returning the borrowed amount, the trader would be left with $17,500 instead of $11,500. This example illustrates perfectly why leverage trading is so favored among crypto traders.
Another crucial aspect is how traders choose to utilize margin trading. There are two distinctive ways: isolated or cross. With the first method, your margin amount is restricted to a single position, enabling you to determine the amount you want to allot as collateral for a particular trade. At the same time, the rest of your funds or positions remain independent and thus unaffected if something goes wrong.
On the contrary, cross-margin means that your balance can be used across multiple positions without restrictions. This technique allows for more flexibility, increasing your chances of positive results. For instance, if one of your positions is at risk of liquidation, free funds can be allocated to it automatically, keeping that position open for a more extended period and potentially making a profit after all. This technique is often utilized along with hedging, decreasing the risk of losses even more.
Margin trading remains a risky activity that traders should approach wisely. Firstly, real trading scenarios are typically much more complicated than the above example, and novice traders are often overwhelmed with analyzing the market and calculating leveraged positions that correspond with their risk tolerance and actual capital. Such complexity prompts many traders to resort to the assistance of specialized software, which also demands technical knowledge to use efficiently.
Secondly, taking into account various trading fees, interest payments, and possible collateral replenishments is also a challenging task that may seem impossible for some traders. Yet, all those costs may affect your profits immensely and, therefore, should be factored in when calculating returns.
Thirdly, there is an increased risk of multiplied losses. Imagine that the price of Ethereum drops by 15%. Without any leverage, the $10,000 investment will turn into $8,500. At the same time, trading with 5:1 leverage ($50,000) will result in losing $7,500, leaving the trader with only $2,500. Consequently, the trader will experience a considerable loss of 75% of their funds. Such risk should always be remembered, particularly in moments of high volatility.
Losses are directly linked to margin calls and consequent liquidations. The former ensues when the value of one's position plummets below a set point (the maintenance margin). The trader must provide additional funds to increase collateral and retain the position — failure to do so leads to liquidation.
Furthermore, a lender can close all the trader's open positions or only enough to meet the margin call. In the latter case, positions will usually be closed in the order they were opened. As a result, if you have profitable positions that were opened before losing trades, those will be the first to face liquidation risk. Additionally, liquidations are carried out at the best possible market price, regardless of how low it may be. This can often result in further losses if market conditions are unfavorable or large positions are sold in an illiquid market.
Margin trading is a profitable, although quite risky, activity, so one should take their first steps only after carefully considering all threats and implementing an adequate risk management plan. So, remember to manage your risks, which is the first critical piece of advice. Give preference to stop-loss orders and limit the size of leveraged positions. The first allows you to control losses by automatically closing out positions that reach preset price points, and the latter enables you to decrease the possible negative impact of one position on your portfolio. In addition, always have sufficient capital at hand. This way, you can prolong your positions and avoid untimely liquidations.
Secondly, avoid overexposing yourself to any asset or putting everything in a single position. Even though opening several positions at once may seem scary at first, it will help you to spread your risk across the market and, if executed smartly, run any crypto market movement successfully. Learn more about choosing assets to hold and trade in this post.
The last safety measure is regular monitoring. You should observe your margin positions closely because not all lending services will promptly notify you about margin calls. Moreover, checking crucial market developments or current news that may affect your positions is essential, as it will help you to assess the trading potential more clearly. Using specialized bots or other tools that promptly analyze the market and automatically exit the trades if necessary has also proven very helpful.
By exploring and using various strategies, methods, and tools, including margin trading, crypto traders can significantly enhance their trading experience, speeding up gains and multiplying them. Yet, margin trading is also associated with considerable risks that traders must be wary of and handle as cautiously and effectively as possible. To navigate the world of crypto margin trading with more confidence and success, traders should understand its mechanics well, implement rigorous risk management, and keep themselves updated about existing market trends.
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