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The MarginPad Blog

Plain-English crypto-futures guides — liquidation, leverage, risk, exchanges and the tools to trade them. Every guide is backed by the formula and a worked example.

Liquidation

How to Read a Liquidation Heatmap (Crypto Guide)

What a liquidation heatmap shows, why high-leverage levels cluster near price, and how to trade the zones.

Risk management

How to Avoid Liquidation in Crypto: 8 Rules That Work

Eight practical rules — lower leverage, the 1% rule, stops inside your liquidation, margin buffers and more.

Exchanges

Bybit vs Binance for Futures Trading (2026 Comparison)

Fees, liquidity, leverage, UX and regional access compared — a neutral guide to picking your perpetuals venue.

Guides

How to Swap Crypto Without an Account (Non-Custodial)

How no-account, non-custodial swaps work — fees, slippage, safety steps, and how to swap on MarginPad.

US

Are Crypto Futures Legal in the US? (2026 Update)

For years US traders were shut out of crypto perps. In 2026 the CFTC opened the door — what changed and where Americans can legally trade.

Risk management

Best Leverage for Beginners (Why Less Is More)

High leverage feels powerful but liquidates you fast. The simple math on why beginners should start at 2–5x.

Basics

What Is Open Interest in Crypto Futures?

What open interest reveals about momentum, liquidity and the liquidation cascades that move markets.

Basics

Mark Price vs Last Price: Why Liquidations Use Mark Price

Your exchange liquidates on the mark price, not the last trade — and that protects you from manipulation.

Basics

What Is Slippage in Crypto Trading?

Why the price you get differs from the price you expected, and five ways to keep slippage small.

News

HTX Sanctioned: What US Traders Need to Know (2026)

HTX was sanctioned by the UK over alleged Russian sanctions evasion — and it already bars US users. The risk, and what to do instead.

News

Cardano (ADA) Breaks Multi-Year $0.20 Support — Is $0.10 Next?

ADA hit a five-year low below $0.20 amid governance turmoil and ecosystem failures. What happened, and the level traders watch next.

News

The Zcash Bug That Could Have Minted Unlimited ZEC — Explained

A four-year-old flaw in the Orchard shielded pool could have counterfeited unlimited ZEC. What happened, and the lesson for traders.

News

Bitcoin Depot, the Biggest US Crypto ATM Operator, Files for Bankruptcy

Chapter 11, ~9,000 machines going dark, and record ATM scam losses — what the crypto-ATM collapse signals.

Liquidation

How to Calculate Liquidation Price (Formula + Examples)

The exact formula exchanges use for isolated margin, why leverage moves your liquidation closer, and three worked examples.

Risk management

Crypto Position Sizing: The 1% Risk Rule Explained

How professional traders decide how big to trade. The risk-based sizing formula that keeps every loss small.

Basics

What Is Liquidation in Crypto Trading (and How to Avoid It)

Liquidation explained simply — what it is, why it happens, and seven ways to avoid it.

Basics

Cross vs Isolated Margin: Which Should You Use?

The plain-English difference between the two margin modes and how each handles liquidation.

Basics

Crypto Leverage Explained: How Much Is Too Much?

What leverage does to your liquidation distance, and how to choose a sane level.

Basics

What Is Funding Rate in Crypto Futures?

The small payment between traders every few hours — who pays whom, and how it affects PnL.

Basics

What Is a Perpetual Futures Contract? (Simple Guide)

How perps differ from spot and traditional futures, why they never expire, and the role of funding.

Basics

Long vs Short in Crypto: What's the Difference?

How profit, loss and liquidation work when you go long versus short.

Risk management

How to Set a Stop-Loss in Crypto (the Right Way)

Where to place your stop, common mistakes, and how it ties into position size.

Basics

ROE vs ROI in Trading: What's the Difference?

Why a 6% move can be a 60% return, and which number reflects your real performance.

Basics

Spot vs Futures Trading in Crypto Explained

Ownership, leverage, shorting and liquidation — and which one beginners should start with.

Basics

Maker vs Taker Fees Explained

What they mean, why takers pay more, and how to pay the lower maker fee.

Basics

What Is a Margin Call in Crypto?

What triggers it, how it differs from liquidation, and how to avoid one.

Risk management

Risk/Reward Ratio Explained (With Examples)

How to calculate it, what a good ratio looks like, and the win rate you need to break even.

India

Crypto Tax in India: The 30% Tax & 1% TDS Explained (2026)

The flat 30% tax, the 1% TDS, no loss offset — and what it all means for traders.

India

Trading Crypto from India in 2026: A Practical Guide

INR on-ramps, P2P, KYC and the 1% TDS — how Indian traders actually access crypto.

China

Trading Crypto from Mainland China: The 2026 Reality

The 2021 restrictions, how individuals still access markets, and the risks to understand.

China

Crypto Exchanges with Chinese (中文) Support in 2026

Which major exchanges offer full Chinese-language interfaces and futures.