BRVX Glossary · Maintenance margin · Updated September 24, 2026
Maintenance margin is the minimum amount of margin a leveraged position must keep to stay open. If losses push the position's remaining margin below that level, the venue liquidates it or, at a broker, issues a margin call.
The formula
Margin left Maintenance margin keeps the position open
Maintenance margin is the floor; once the remaining margin falls under it, the position is closed.
How it works
- Initial margin Opens the trade
- Losses Reduce margin
- Below the floor Liquidation
Try it on ETH/USDT
Live ETH/USDT tariff. Simplified estimate: opening fee included, closing fee and funding not.
Move against you to liquidation 3.04%
- Position size
- 2,500 USDT
- Opening fee
- 2 USDT
On this page
Initial vs maintenance
Initial margin is what it takes to open the position. Maintenance margin is the lower floor it must stay above afterwards. The gap between the two is the loss the position can absorb.
How it sets the liquidation price
For a long: the liquidation price is roughly entry × (1 − (initial margin rate − maintenance margin rate)). With 10x leverage (10% initial margin) and a 0.5% maintenance rate, a long entered at 100 is liquidated near 90.5. A higher maintenance rate or a larger fee buffer moves that price closer to entry.
At a broker
In US stock margin accounts, FINRA sets a minimum maintenance requirement of 25% of the securities' market value, and brokers often ask for more. Falling below it triggers a margin call — a demand to add funds before positions are sold.
Questions about Maintenance margin
What happens if I go below maintenance margin?
On a perpetual futures venue the position is liquidated; at a broker you get a margin call, and positions can be sold if it is not met.
Is maintenance margin higher at higher leverage?
The rate is usually fixed per market or tier, but at higher leverage the initial margin is smaller, so the distance to the maintenance floor is shorter.
How do I avoid hitting maintenance margin?
Use lower leverage or a smaller position, so the price has further to move before the margin runs out.
Leverage works both ways: a small move against you can lose you the whole margin.
Maintenance margin: next steps on BRVX
Maintenance margin on ETH/USDT: pick 5x to 100x, 50x by default, margin in 6 tokens. At 100x, a 1% move is 100% of margin.
Read next: Margin call, Cross margin vs isolated margin and Initial margin.
Leverage works both ways: a small move against you can lose you the whole margin.
Open ETH/USDT in the app
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