This trade — what's the worst it can lose?
Reading a chart is ultimately about making a decision. Before you make one, get clear on what happens if you're wrong. Enter three prices and the calculator below shows this trade's risk in dollars, its reward-to-risk ratio, and how much it would have to rally to break even if your stop gets hit.
Enter your entry, stop and target, and we'll work out this trade's reward-to-risk below.
🔒 Every calculation runs in your own browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored, and it works offline. The numbers are for reference only and are not investment advice.
Why a beginner should look at these numbers first
Plenty of people buy a coin staring only at "how much can it go up", and never work out "how much do I lose if I'm wrong". Then one trade they refuse to close hands back everything they'd made before. This little tool is here to build one habit: before you place a trade, look at the risk first, then the reward.
Risk on the trade: can you afford to lose this one?
It equals "the distance from your entry to your stop" multiplied by your position size. If that number gets your heart racing and keeps you up at night, that's not a problem with the price — it's that your size is too big. A rule people often repeat: keep any single loss to a small slice of your total funds, so a few wrong calls don't do real damage. For how to lock that number in with a stop order, see how to place limit, market and stop orders.
Reward-to-risk (R:R): is this trade worth it?
Reward-to-risk is "potential gain ÷ potential loss". 1:2 means what you make from one trade that works out covers two that don't. The higher the ratio, the lower the win rate you need — but a target set somewhere absurd is meaningless. It answers "is this trade worth taking", and it can't promise you'll make money.
The break-even gain: why losses are so hard to claw back
Here's the most counter-intuitive line, and the one most worth remembering: after a 50% loss, you need a 100% gain just to get back to even. The gain and the loss are measured off different starting amounts. That's exactly why keeping losses under control beats chasing huge wins.
About this tool
What's a good reward-to-risk ratio?
There's no single answer. Many people treat 1:2 as a floor — meaning one trade that works out covers two that don't. The higher the ratio, the lower the win rate you need, but a target that's set too far is usually unrealistic. It only helps you judge whether a trade is worth taking; it doesn't guarantee a profit.
Why does breaking even take a bigger gain than the loss?
Because the loss comes out of your capital first. Lose 10% and you're left with 90%, so you need an 11.1% gain to get back to where you started; lose 50% and it takes a 100% gain to break even. That's exactly why keeping each loss small matters more than chasing big wins.
Does this calculator upload my numbers?
No. Every calculation runs in your own browser. Nothing is sent to a server and nothing is stored. You can use it with your connection turned off.
This calculator only turns "the prices you already know" into risk numbers. It does not predict whether the price will actually reach your target or your stop. Crypto swings hard, and contracts with leverage can wipe out your capital entirely. Only use money you can afford to lose. This tool, like everything on the site, is not investment advice.
Worked it out? Now walk it through on a demo account
What does it feel like to set the stop and target you just calculated as real orders on a real screen? OKX has a free demo account — practise with virtual funds and it costs you nothing.
Open a practice account on OKX →Contains a referral link (invite code OK3188). We have no affiliation with OKX; your sign-up and fees are unaffected. Crypto carries risk — assess it yourself.