Direct answer
Buying 0.2 BTC at 50,000 USDT (10x, 0.50% maintenance rate plus a 0.05% liquidation-fee reserve), a cross wallet of only 1,000 USDT gives the same simplified liquidation price as isolated, 45,248.87 USDT; 2,000 USDT pushes it to 40,221.22 USDT, 3,000 USDT to 35,193.56 USDT (a 29.61% distance), and 5,000 USDT to 25,138.26 USDT. With a wallet equal to the 10,000 USDT notional, the simplified model has no positive liquidation price at all. In cross margin leverage does not move liquidation; it only sets the margin needed to open.
The result first
Assume 0.2 BTC bought at 50,000 USDT (10,000 USDT of notional) at 10x, the only position in the account, with this site's standard example inputs: a 0.50% maintenance rate and a 0.05% liquidation-fee reserve.
In the liquidation calculator, choose Cross and enter the wallet balance: at 1,000 USDT the simplified liquidation price is 45,248.87 USDT (9.50% away), identical to isolated; at 1,500 USDT, 42,735.04 USDT; at 2,000 USDT, 40,221.22 USDT; at 3,000 USDT, 35,193.56 USDT (29.61% away); at 5,000 USDT, 25,138.26 USDT.
At a wallet of 10,000 USDT — as much as the notional — the calculator shows no positive liquidation price: in this simplified model, the position is backed in full, like a 1x holding.
How the cross-margin price is calculated
For a single position in cross margin, the simplified liquidation price swaps the isolated formula's position margin for the wallet balance: long liquidation = (entry × quantity − wallet balance) ÷ [quantity × (1 − r)].
With a 3,000 USDT wallet: (10,000 − 3,000) ÷ (0.2 × 0.9945) = 7,000 ÷ 0.1989 = 35,193.56 USDT. Each extra 1,000 USDT in the wallet moves liquidation down by about 5,028 USDT.
Leverage does not appear in the formula. It only sets the margin taken at opening: with the same 3,000 USDT wallet, opening this position at 5x, 20x or 50x leaves liquidation at 35,193.56 USDT; what differs is the 2,000, 500 or 200 USDT of margin used.
Wallet balance against liquidation price
The same 0.2 BTC long at 10x, changing only the cross wallet balance. Every row reproduces in the liquidation calculator by choosing Cross and entering the balance.
| Wallet (USDT) | Simplified liquidation (USDT) | Distance | Funds at risk (USDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 45,248.87 | 9.50% | 1,000.00 |
| 1,500 | 42,735.04 | 14.53% | 1,500.00 |
| 2,000 | 40,221.22 | 19.56% | 2,000.00 |
| 3,000 | 35,193.56 | 29.61% | 3,000.00 |
| 5,000 | 25,138.26 | 49.72% | 5,000.00 |
| 10,000 | No positive price | — | 10,000.00 |
Leverage does not move liquidation
With the wallet fixed at 3,000 USDT, the same position opened at different leverage. Liquidation is 35,193.56 USDT every time; only the margin used to open changes.
| Leverage | Margin used to open (USDT) | Simplified liquidation (USDT) |
|---|---|---|
| 5× | 2,000.00 | 35,193.56 |
| 10× | 1,000.00 | 35,193.56 |
| 20× | 500.00 | 35,193.56 |
| 50× | 200.00 | 35,193.56 |
A cross-margin short
A short in cross margin is also held up by the wallet: 0.2 BTC shorted at 50,000 USDT with a 3,000 USDT wallet has a simplified liquidation price of 64,644.46 USDT, reached by a 29.29% rise.
The short formula is (entry × quantity + wallet balance) ÷ [quantity × (1 + r)]. Longs and shorts sit at slightly different distances with the same wallet, for the same reason as in isolated margin: the denominator's direction.
How the wallet shrinks
Most often through other positions' losses: another position in the same cross account losing 1,000 USDT moves this BTC long's liquidation price up by about 5,028 USDT.
Funding, margin locked by open orders and transfers change the available balance too. In cross margin, check the estimated liquidation price on the positions screen regularly, not only when opening.
The wallet balance does not stand still
Many things change a cross wallet: the PnL of other positions in the account, funding at every settlement, margin locked by open orders, and transfers in and out. A wallet 1,000 USDT lighter moves liquidation up by about 5,028 USDT.
A cross-margin liquidation price is therefore a moving figure. Binance's published cross-margin formula includes other positions' unrealized PnL and maintenance margin; with several positions open, trust the exchange's screen — the calculator is for estimating a single position.
Think before choosing cross
Cross margin moves liquidation further away at the price of putting the whole wallet behind one position. Isolated margin locks the loss inside that position's margin; cross margin lets every USDT in the wallet be used to cover it.
Money you do not intend to trade is at risk too when it sits in a cross wallet. Transfer only the amount you are willing to risk into the futures account and keep the rest in spot or funding.
Official sources and calculation boundary
That cross margin supports a position with the wallet balance, and that margin moves between cross and isolated, follow Binance's liquidation and margin adjustment documentation. This article estimates a single position; Binance's published cross formula includes other positions' PnL and maintenance margin. 0.50% and 0.05% are this site's standard example inputs.
- Binance: how to calculate the liquidation price of USDⓈ-M futures
- Binance: adjusting margin balance in cross and isolated mode
Next checks in this series
Frequently asked questions
Does changing leverage in cross margin move liquidation?
Not for a single position. In cross margin the wallet balance sets the liquidation price and leverage only changes the margin used to open; with a 3,000 USDT wallet here, 5x through 50x all liquidate at 35,193.56 USDT.
What wallet balance should I enter?
The balance in the futures account available to support the position. Other open positions change that figure through their PnL, so the exchange's displayed liquidation price is the one to trust.
Is cross or isolated less likely to liquidate?
For the same position, cross usually liquidates further away because the whole wallet supports it; the price is that liquidation can take the wallet's funds, not only the position's margin.
Why is there no liquidation price with a 10,000 USDT wallet?
In the simplified model a wallet as large as the notional backs the position in full, so maintenance margin is not reached before the price nears zero; real rules on the exchange still apply.