Liquidation price vs stop loss on Delta Exchange
PerpScale · Updated · how we check numbers
In short
A stop loss is the price where you choose to exit; the liquidation price is where Delta Exchange closes an isolated-margin position because its margin has fallen to the maintenance level. On BTCUSD, liquidation sits roughly 1/leverage − 0.25% maintenance margin − 0.05% liquidation fee away from entry: about 9.70% at 10×, 1.70% at 50× and 0.20% at 200×. Your stop must sit well inside that distance, or the position is liquidated — with a liquidation fee plus 18% GST — before the stop fires. Leverage changes the margin you post and how close liquidation is, not how much you lose at your stop.
Two different exits
- Stop loss: a price you set. When it triggers, the position closes and you pay a normal exit fee (usually taker) plus GST.
- Liquidation: the price where Delta takes over an isolated position because the margin left has reached the maintenance margin. A liquidation fee (0.05% of notional on BTCUSD) plus 18% GST is charged, and the margin in the position is lost.
- With isolated margin, the most you can lose on the position is the margin you put in it; the stop decides whether you lose less.
How far away liquidation is at each leverage
A rough estimate of the price move that triggers liquidation, ignoring funding and the extra margin Delta asks for on very large positions:
liquidation move ≈ 1 / leverage − maintenance margin − liquidation fee BTCUSD: maintenance margin 0.25%, liquidation fee 0.05%
| Leverage | Margin (1/L) | ≈ Liquidation move | Long from 100,000 | Short from 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10× | 10.00% | 9.70% | 90,300 | 109,700 |
| 25× | 4.00% | 3.70% | 96,300 | 103,700 |
| 50× | 2.00% | 1.70% | 98,300 | 101,700 |
| 100× | 1.00% | 0.70% | 99,300 | 100,700 |
| 200× | 0.50% | 0.20% | 99,800 | 100,200 |
This is an estimate, not Delta's liquidation price: Delta shows the exact price on the order form. See Liquidation of Isolated Margin Positions and What is Isolated Margin mode.
Where to put your stop
Keep the stop comfortably closer to entry than the liquidation distance. Prices can gap past a stop in fast markets, so a stop right next to liquidation offers little protection.
The lot size calculator warns you: amber when your stop is within 80% of the estimated liquidation distance, red when it is at or beyond it. The fix is lower leverage — the number of lots, and the loss at your stop, stay the same.
Leverage doesn't change the loss at your stop
The loss at the stop is lots × lot size × stop distance, plus fees and GST. Leverage only sets how much margin you post for those lots. Higher leverage frees up capital but pulls liquidation closer; it never makes a stop-out cheaper.
FAQ
What happens if my stop loss is beyond the liquidation price?
The position is liquidated first. You lose the margin in the position and pay a liquidation fee (0.05% of notional on BTCUSD) plus 18% GST, instead of the smaller loss your stop would have given.
How do I move my liquidation price further away?
Use lower leverage (post more margin for the same lots) or add margin to the position. Both widen the distance to liquidation without changing your lots.
Does this calculator show Delta's exact liquidation price?
No. It estimates the liquidation distance to warn you when a stop is too close. Delta's order form shows the exact liquidation price for your position.
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PerpScale is independent and not affiliated with Delta Exchange. Education only, not investment or tax advice.