How to Set a Stop-Loss in Crypto (and Actually Keep It)
A stop-loss is the difference between a small, planned loss and an account-ending one. The mechanics are simple; the discipline is hard. Here's how to place a stop with logic — and how to size the trade so you can actually leave it alone.
Place it where your idea is wrong
A good stop sits just beyond the level that invalidates your thesis — below a swing low or support, above resistance for a short. Not a round number, not a fixed 5%. If price gets there, the trade was wrong, and you want out.
Size the position around the stop
Decide your stop first, then work backward to size. If you'll risk 1% of your account and your stop is 8% away, the calculator does the math so a stop-out costs exactly what you planned. Run it in the position size calculator.
The rule: never move it against you
- You can trail a stop up to lock profit — never widen it down to avoid a loss.
- Set it when you enter, when you're calm — not while it's being hit.
- Accept the loss as a cost of doing business. The next trade is what matters.
CryptaDash's position sizer and discipline coach are built around exactly this workflow. Start free.
Frequently asked questions
Below a structure that invalidates your trade idea - a swing low, support level, or range edge - not at an arbitrary round number or a fixed percentage.
Place the stop by logic first, then size the position so the distance to your stop only risks a small, fixed percentage of your account.
Hope. When price approaches the stop, the urge is to widen it 'just a bit.' That turns a planned small loss into an unplanned big one - the opposite of risk management.
A single oversized or revenge trade can wipe out weeks of progress. CryptaDash makes your risk rules non-negotiable, so a bad moment can't blow up your account.
- ✓Avoid oversizing - auto position sizing so a stop-out only costs what you planned.
- ✓Avoid the spiral - a daily loss limit that locks you out when you hit it.
- ✓Avoid tilt - a cool-off timer kicks in after a loss, before the next click.