Crypto Lot Size: How to Size Bitcoin and Ethereum CFD Trades
Crypto CFDs break most forex habits at once. Pips don't mean anything consistent, a "lot" can be one coin or a fraction of one, and a normal day can move further than a forex pair does in a month. Use prices and the broker's contract size, and the math is the same as anywhere else.
What one lot is
At most CFD brokers, 1 lot of BTC/USD = 1 bitcoin and 1 lot of ETH/USD = 1 ether. Not all of them. Some use 0.1, some use 10 for smaller coins, and the minimum lot step can be 0.01 or 0.1.
Check the contract specification in your platform before the first trade. Everything below assumes 1 coin per lot.
The formula
Lot size = money at risk ÷ (stop distance in price × contract size)
No pips. Just entry price minus stop price.
Bitcoin example
- Account: $10,000, risking 1% = $100
- Entry: 62,000, stop: 60,500, distance $1,500
- 1 lot = 1 BTC, so a $1,500 move costs $1,500 per lot
$100 ÷ $1,500 = 0.0667 lots. Round down to 0.06.
That looks tiny next to forex sizes. It's correct. A 0.06 position on a $1,500 stop risks $90.
Ethereum example
- Same $100 at risk
- Entry: 2,400, stop: 2,340, distance $60
$100 ÷ $60 = 1.67 lots. If your broker's step is 0.01, that's 1.66. If it's 0.1, it's 1.6.
Same account, same risk, nearly 28 times the lot size of the bitcoin trade. That's why "how many lots do you trade" means nothing across instruments.
What's different about crypto
Stops are wider. A forex-sized stop on bitcoin is noise. Wider stops mean smaller lots for the same risk, and that's fine.
Weekends. Crypto CFDs often trade through the weekend while spreads widen and liquidity thins. A stop can fill well past its price. If you hold through a weekend, leave room for that in the risk number.
Leverage caps. Many brokers and prop firms cap crypto leverage far below forex. Your calculated size might need more margin than the account allows. If it does, the trade is too big for this account, not a reason to tighten the stop.
Spread is part of the stop. Crypto spreads can be tens of dollars on BTC. Measure the stop from where you'll actually be filled.
Quick check
- Confirm the contract size: coins per lot.
- Stop distance = entry − stop, in price.
- Lots = risk ÷ (distance × contract size), rounded down to the broker's step.
The calculator has BTC/USD and ETH/USD pages with an editable contract size, so you can match whatever your broker uses.