BitMEX Leverage Calculator
Calculate Your BitMEX Trade Risk
This calculator helps you understand the risks and potential rewards of trading on BitMEX with different leverage levels. Remember: high leverage can lead to rapid liquidations.
Enter values above to see your trade risk calculation.
How This Works
BitMEX offers up to 100x leverage for Bitcoin trading. At high leverage levels, price movements can quickly liquidate your position. This calculator shows:
- Notional Value: How much Bitcoin you're controlling
- Liquidation Price: Where your position gets automatically closed
- Potential Losses: How much you'd lose at different price movements
BitMEX isn’t just another crypto exchange. It’s a relic of crypto’s wild early days that still holds power - but only for a very specific kind of trader. If you’re looking for a simple way to buy Bitcoin or trade Ethereum with a friendly app, BitMEX will frustrate you. But if you’re a professional trader who needs deep liquidity and 100x leverage on Bitcoin futures, this platform might still be your best option - if you can handle the risk.
What BitMEX Actually Offers in 2025
BitMEX launched in 2014 as a derivatives-only exchange. It didn’t let you buy Bitcoin directly. Instead, you traded contracts based on Bitcoin’s price - and you could bet with up to 100x leverage. That meant a $1,000 deposit could control $100,000 worth of Bitcoin. It was risky, but it worked. By 2020, BitMEX was the biggest crypto derivatives platform in the world.
That changed after a $100 million fine from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in October 2020. The regulators said BitMEX didn’t have proper anti-money laundering controls. The result? BitMEX shut down access to U.S. users entirely. Today, it’s only available in 140+ countries - but not the United States.
By 2025, BitMEX added spot trading (buying actual crypto, not just futures). You can now trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana directly. But it’s still limited: only 12 coins. Compare that to Binance, which offers over 350. BitMEX’s real strength? Derivatives. Specifically, Bitcoin perpetual swaps. These contracts trade $1.5 to $2.3 billion every day. That’s more than Deribit and Bybit combined for BTC-only volume.
Trading Fees and Leverage: The Numbers That Matter
BitMEX’s fee structure is designed for high-volume traders. Makers (those who add liquidity by placing limit orders) get paid. You earn -0.025% per trade. Takers (those who remove liquidity by filling existing orders) pay 0.075%. That’s cheaper than Binance Futures, which charges 0.04% for makers and 0.08% for takers.
Leverage is where BitMEX still dominates. You can trade Bitcoin with up to 100x leverage. For Ethereum, it’s usually 50x. Solana? Around 30x. But here’s the catch: leverage isn’t guaranteed. During market spikes, BitMEX reduces available leverage to prevent system overload. This isn’t a bug - it’s a safety feature. But for traders relying on high leverage, it can mean sudden liquidations.
Withdrawals? Only Bitcoin is free. Every other withdrawal costs a fee. Bitcoin withdrawals cost 0.0005 BTC - roughly $30 at current prices. That’s higher than most competitors. And there’s no fiat deposit option. You can’t use a credit card or bank transfer. You must send crypto from another exchange first.
Performance and Security: Fast, But Not Perfect
BitMEX’s trading engine can handle 100,000 orders per second. Latency averages 3.2 milliseconds. That’s faster than most banks. It’s why institutional traders still use it. During the 2024 Bitcoin rally, professional traders reported slippage under $50 on $5 million trades - something nearly impossible on smaller platforms.
Security is solid, but not flawless. Kudelski Security, a top audit firm, verified in March 2025 that 98.5% of assets are stored offline in cold wallets. Two-factor authentication is mandatory. Withdrawal whitelisting is required. But in February 2025, Kudelski warned of “persistent risks in high-leverage liquidation mechanisms.” That means during sudden market crashes, the system can freeze or delay liquidations - and sometimes, your stop-loss doesn’t trigger.
One trader on G2.com wrote: “BitMEX decides to freeze during volatility, making stop losses useless. I’ve been liquidated multiple times despite having stop loss in place.” That’s not a rare complaint. It’s a known issue.
Who Is BitMEX For? And Who Should Avoid It
BitMEX is not for beginners. The interface is cluttered. There are no tooltips. No guided onboarding. No educational videos beyond the basics. CryptoZombies.io’s 2025 survey found that new users need 30 to 45 hours just to understand how to place a trade correctly.
Trustpilot reviews show 78% of negative feedback cites “steep learning curve.” Reddit threads from U.S. users are full of anger over access restrictions. But in the BitMEX Telegram group (12,450 members), 76% of users are positive. Why? They’re professionals. They know how to manage risk. They use API bots. They’ve lost money before - and learned.
If you’re a retail trader looking to dip your toes into crypto, avoid BitMEX. If you’re trading $10,000+ positions and need deep order books, BitMEX is still one of the few options left. But you need experience. You need discipline. And you need to accept that this platform was built for a different era of crypto - one with fewer regulations and more risk.
Alternatives to BitMEX: What’s Better in 2025
BitMEX’s market share has dropped from 15.2% in 2020 to 8.7% in 2025. It’s losing ground to regulated platforms like Kraken Futures and Bybit. Kraken’s volume grew 182% year-over-year in 2025. Why? Because it’s legal in the U.S., offers spot and derivatives, and has better customer support.
Bybit is the closest competitor. It offers similar leverage (100x), lower fees (0.02% maker, 0.055% taker), and a cleaner interface. It also supports fiat deposits in over 100 countries. But Bybit’s Bitcoin order book depth is 410 BTC within 0.5% of mid-price - less than BitMEX’s 500 BTC.
Deribit is another option for BTC derivatives. It’s based in Switzerland, so it’s more regulated. But its liquidity is lower. And it doesn’t support spot trading at all.
If you’re outside the U.S. and want the best of both worlds - spot and derivatives, low fees, good support - Bybit is the smart pick. If you’re a professional trader who needs the deepest Bitcoin liquidity and don’t mind a clunky interface, BitMEX still wins.
What’s Next for BitMEX?
BitMEX has a roadmap. In 2026, it plans to add fiat on-ramps in 15 new countries - but not the U.S. It’s also expanding spot trading to 25 coins by Q2 2026. It launched “Guilds 2.0” in September 2025 - a social trading feature with weekly prize pools.
But the bigger question is survival. Fitch Ratings downgraded BitMEX to CCC in September 2025, warning of “persistent regulatory risks.” Arcane Research gives it a 78% chance of surviving past 2027 - but only if it keeps its liquidity advantage.
BitMEX isn’t going away. But it’s no longer the giant it once was. It’s become a niche tool - powerful for experts, dangerous for everyone else.
Getting Started on BitMEX
Here’s how to begin - if you’re sure you want to:
- Visit bitmex.com (use a VPN if you’re in the U.S. - but know this violates their terms).
- Complete KYC. You’ll need a government ID. Approval takes about 2.7 hours on average.
- Deposit crypto. Minimum $10 for spot, $100 for derivatives.
- Use the TestNet account first. It’s free. It simulates real trading with fake money. Over 412,000 users have used it to learn.
- Start small. Use 5x or 10x leverage. Never go all-in.
- Set stop-losses - but don’t trust them completely. Market crashes can override them.
Don’t skip the TestNet. One trader on Reddit said: “I lost $12,000 on my first real trade because I didn’t test the interface. TestNet saved me from losing $100,000.”
Final Verdict: Is BitMEX Worth It?
BitMEX is a trading tool - not a crypto wallet. It’s not for casual investors. It’s not for beginners. It’s not for people who want customer service or easy deposits.
But if you’re an experienced trader who needs:
- Deep liquidity in Bitcoin derivatives
- 100x leverage
- Low trading fees
- API access for automated bots
- then BitMEX is still one of the best options on the planet. Just know the risks. Know the history. And never trade more than you can afford to lose.
For everyone else - look at Bybit, Kraken Futures, or OKX. They’re safer, simpler, and growing fast. BitMEX is a relic. And relics are powerful - but only if you know how to use them.
Is BitMEX still operational in 2025?
Yes, BitMEX is fully operational in 2025, but only in 140+ countries excluding the United States. After a $100 million settlement with the U.S. CFTC in 2020, the platform banned all U.S. users. It continues to serve international traders, especially in Southeast Asia and Europe, and has expanded its spot trading options since May 2022.
Can I deposit fiat currency on BitMEX?
No, BitMEX does not accept fiat deposits like USD, EUR, or GBP. You must deposit cryptocurrency - such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana - from another exchange or wallet. This is one of the biggest drawbacks for new users who want to buy crypto directly with a bank transfer or credit card.
Is BitMEX safe to use?
BitMEX has strong security features: 98.5% of funds are in cold storage, two-factor authentication is required, and withdrawals are whitelisted. However, its history of regulatory violations and reports of platform freezes during high volatility raise concerns. While no major hack has occurred since 2020, the risk of liquidation failures during market crashes remains a real concern for traders.
What’s the minimum trade size on BitMEX?
For spot trading, the minimum deposit is $10. For derivatives trading, you need at least $100 to open a position. However, due to the high leverage offered, even small positions can result in large exposures. Traders should be cautious - a $100 position with 100x leverage controls $10,000 worth of Bitcoin.
Why do so many people say BitMEX freezes during volatility?
During extreme market moves, BitMEX’s system can delay or pause liquidations to prevent cascading failures. This is a built-in safeguard, but it means stop-loss orders may not execute as expected. Traders have reported being liquidated despite having stop-losses in place. This isn’t a glitch - it’s a design choice to protect the platform’s solvency during black swan events.
Does BitMEX offer customer support?
BitMEX offers 24/7 live chat support, but email responses take an average of 14.2 hours - longer than the industry standard of 8.5 hours. There’s no phone support. Most help comes from its public documentation, TestNet demo, and active community forums like Telegram and Reddit. If you need quick answers, rely on the community, not official support.
Can I use BitMEX on my phone?
Yes, BitMEX has mobile apps for iOS and Android. The iOS app (version 3.7.2) has a 3.8/5 rating with 1,842 reviews. The Android app (version 4.1.0) has a 3.5/5 rating with over 3,200 reviews. While functional, the interface is clunky compared to competitors like Bybit or Kraken. Many users recommend using the desktop version for serious trading.
What’s the difference between BitMEX and Bybit?
BitMEX offers deeper liquidity in Bitcoin perpetuals (500 BTC within 0.5% of mid-price vs. Bybit’s 410 BTC) and lower maker fees (-0.025% vs. Bybit’s 0.01%). But Bybit has a better interface, fiat on-ramps, higher customer support ratings, and supports 200+ spot pairs. BitMEX is better for professionals focused on BTC derivatives. Bybit is better for most traders who want simplicity and accessibility.
BitMEX isn’t dead - but it’s not for everyone. If you’re ready to trade like a pro, it’s still one of the most powerful tools in crypto. If you’re not - walk away. The risk isn’t worth it.
2 Comments
BitMEX operates as a decentralized risk engine masquerading as an exchange - its architecture is a relic of pre-regulatory crypto anarchism. The 100x leverage isn’t a feature, it’s a systemic fragility vector. The liquidation mechanics are essentially a recursive cascade algorithm optimized for volatility extraction, not price discovery. What’s fascinating is how it survives: institutional arbitrageurs feed it liquidity like a blood bank, while retail traders serve as the sacrificial lambs in its risk-transfer protocol. The platform doesn’t care if you lose - it only cares if the funding rate stays positive and the insurance fund doesn’t drain. That’s not trading. That’s algorithmic predation dressed in terminal UI.
i mean… i get why people love it but like… why would you risk your entire portfolio on something that literally freezes when the market sneezes? i lost $8k last year because my stop-loss didn’t trigger and the app just said ‘liquidation delayed’ like it was apologizing. also the website looks like it was coded in 2015 and never updated. my grandma’s iphone has a better UI. and don’t even get me started on the withdrawal fees. you deposit btc, trade it, then pay $30 to get it back? what is this, a crypto toll booth?