Risk Management
Leverage — Definition & Example
Borrowed capital used to amplify position size — magnifies both gains and losses.
Leverage is expressed as a multiplier (2x, 5x, 10x) or as a margin requirement (50% margin = 2x leverage). Higher leverage means smaller adverse moves cause larger percentage losses. A 5% adverse move on 10x leverage destroys 50% of margin. Retail crypto and forex products often offer 100x+ leverage; using anywhere near maximum almost guarantees liquidation. Most successful traders use 2-3x effective leverage at most.
Example
Account ₹1,00,000 with 5x leverage → ₹5,00,000 position. A 2% move against the position = ₹10,000 loss = 10% of account equity. The same 2% move would be 2% loss with no leverage.
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