Foundations module · lesson 4 of 32

Leverage is sizing, not greed

Speak the market's language: exchange, candle, long/short, leverage, and costs — without this, the rest of the program reads like spellcasting.

4 min · 7 steps

  1. Step 1 · Leverage

    Leverage = position ÷ deposit.

    A BTC 15m long: risk $100, a stop $370 away. The size came out to 0.27 BTC, and leverage followed on its own.

    $17 016position$10 000deposit1.7×leverage
    BTC· 15m · Sep 19–20, 2024real chart · Binance
    22:0023:4501:3003:151sweep2target 63 850entry 62 960stop 62 5901R = $370
  2. Step 2 · One risk

    Same risk, different leverage.

    Risk is $100 everywhere. A tight stop inflates the position, a wide one shrinks it.

    BTC 4h, the same setup: a stop beyond the sweep $958 away, leverage 0.5×. The risk is the same.

    BTC· 15m · Sep 19–20, 2024real chart · Binance
    22:0023:4501:3003:151sweep2tight 62 840×target 63 850entry 62 960stop 62 590
    Risk = stop × sizescheme
  3. Step 3 · Liquidation

    The exchange liquidates further out than your stop.

    ETH, Aug 4, 2024: a long at 2 722.2, stop at 2 683.0, that's 1.4% below entry. Liquidation at 25× sits further out, at 2 613.

    The entry and stop here are an example on real candles, the chart cuts off at the entry: a crash follows. Liquidation is calculated simplified, without maintenance margin or fees.

    ETH· 1h · Aug 4, 2024scenario · Binance candles
    12:0015:0018:0021:00entry 2 722.2stop 2 683.025× 2 613.310× 2 449.9
    The stop comes before liquidationscheme
  4. Step 4 · One candle

    Sometimes the stop and liquidation land on the same candle.

    BTC, May 19, 2021: the 11:00 candle hit both the 38 600 stop and the 10× liquidation 36 419. With a stop, minus 1R; without, all margin.

    entry
    40 465
    stop
    38 600
    low 11:00
    36 333

    A market crash on May 19, 2021. Which one hit first within the hour isn't visible from hourly candles.

    BTC· 1h · May 19, 2021scenario · Binance candles
    00:0005:0010:0015:0020:00entry 40 465stop 38 60010× 36 4195× 32 372
  5. Step 5 · Find it yourself

    Without a stop, where would 25× have gotten liquidated?

    ETH, Aug 4, 2024: the lines show the entry, stop, and liquidation levels. Tap the candle.

    Practice on the chart

    This is a Find it yourself task: tap a candle or a level, and the lesson tells you right away if you got it.

    Create an accountThis step unlocks after sign-up. Your progress is saved.
    ETH· 1h · Aug 4–5, 2024scenario · Binance candles
    12:0022:0003:0008:00entry 2 722.2stop 2 683.025× 2 613.310× 2 449.9
  6. Step 6 · How it shows up for you

    Practice on the chart

    This is the How it shows up for you step: the lesson finds trades on this topic in your journal.

    Create an accountThis step unlocks after sign-up. Your progress is saved.
  7. Step 7 · Rule

    The stop and size set your risk, not leverage.

    to your Pact

    Risk per trade — no more than 1% of the deposit, whatever leverage you use.

    The engine checks the risk of every trade from the journal: above the limit is a rule break, and your streak counts it.

    Order: risk → stop → size → leveragescheme

Terms in this lesson

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In the app, the lesson checks you on the chart, adds the rule to your Pact, and saves your progress.

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