At dawn, I received an urgent phone call. On the other end was a trader, voice trembling: "Account blew up... 6000U, full position with 3x leverage long, and it only retraced 4 points before going to zero."
Just a 4-point fluctuation caused a 3x leveraged 6000U full position account to instantly vanish — this is a real margin call case.
Looking at the trading record, the situation is clear: entered with 6200U full position, with no stop-loss set even at 0.1 point.
Many novice traders have a misconception that "full position = quick profit," but the reality is quite the opposite. Full position is like a motorcycle without brakes; a slight misturn can lead to a crushing fall. Moreover, the root cause of liquidation is never the leverage itself, but overly heavy position sizing.
Let's compare with specific math: for a 1000U account, if you use 900U to open a 3x position, a 9% adverse move will trigger liquidation. But if you only use 90U to open 3x, it takes a 92% move to wipe out all capital — risk tolerance differs by more than 10 times. The trader who was liquidated risked 98% of their capital; under 3x leverage, they simply couldn't withstand any retracement.
After observing various liquidation cases over the years, I’ve summarized three practical rules. Using this method, my own account has never suffered a loss and has grown by over 80%:
**Rule 1: Use only 8% of total funds per trade**
For example, with a 6000U account, open at most 500U per trade. Even if stop-loss is triggered, the loss is about 40U, which minimally impacts overall funds. This way, even after several adverse moves, the account maintains strong risk resilience.
**Rule 2: Limit single-loss to no more than 1.2% of total funds**
For instance, with 800U at 3x leverage, set a 1.5% stop-loss, resulting in about 24U loss, exactly 1.2% of total funds, and exit early to avoid deep losses. This risk management keeps you calm and prevents forced liquidation in extreme situations.
**Rule 3: Stay out of the market when conditions are unclear**
Don’t blindly add funds just because you previously made profits. Wait until the weekly chart breaks key levels and volume doubles before entering. Staying in cash may seem like missing out, but it actually protects your existing gains.
A follower used these three rules and, over 5 months, grew their account from 4000U to 52,000U. They said: "I used to think full position was a gamble, but now I realize that the real secret to long-term profit is controlling position size."
Another practical tip: spend an hour every Sunday night writing down the assets you plan to trade next week and your target positions, then strictly follow the plan. This approach is over 10 times more stable than constantly staring at the screen and trading impulsively.
Why emphasize this? Because volatile coins like $XRP, $SOL, even small retracements can trigger chain reactions. Protecting your principal is far more important than chasing quick gains. In the crypto market, the longer you survive, the more you stand to earn.