Crypto-backed loan: LTV, margin call and liquidation
When you borrow against Bitcoin, Ether or another coin, the lender watches one number: the loan-to-value ratio (LTV), the loan divided by the market value of your collateral. If the coin falls, LTV rises. At the margin-call LTV you are asked to add collateral or repay; at the liquidation LTV the lender or protocol sells collateral to cover the loan.
This crypto loan calculator turns those percentages into prices. Enter how many coins you pledge, the price, the loan and your lender’s three LTV levels, and it shows your LTV now, the margin-call and liquidation prices, how far the price can fall, the DeFi-style health factor, the collateral to add or the amount to repay to get back to a safe LTV, and the effect of interest over the term.
Everything is typed by you and calculated in your browser; no prices are fetched. It is arithmetic, not financial advice: crypto can gap through a liquidation level, and lenders’ terms differ.
How to use the Crypto Loan LTV Calculator
- Enter the collateral amount, coin symbol, price and currency.
- Enter the loan, or press Use the maximum to borrow at the starting LTV.
- Enter your lender’s starting, margin-call and liquidation LTVs (for DeFi, the liquidation threshold).
- Set the LTV you would top up to, and optionally the interest rate and term.
- Read the prices and the table of LTV at price moves from +50% to −60%, and copy the result.
Crypto Loan LTV Calculator features
Margin-call and liquidation prices
The exact coin prices at which each LTV level is reached, and the percentage fall from today.
Top-up or repay
How many coins to add, or how much to repay, to return to your target LTV — now, and if the price reaches the margin call.
Health factor
Collateral value × liquidation threshold ÷ debt, as DeFi lending apps show it.
Interest included
Simple interest over the term raises the debt, the LTV and the liquidation price.
Scenario table
LTV and status at nine price moves.
Formulas used
LTV = loan ÷ (coins × price). Solving for the price gives margin-call price = loan ÷ (coins × margin-call LTV) and liquidation price = loan ÷ (coins × liquidation LTV). To return to a target LTV T you need loan ÷ (T × price) − coins more coins, or must repay loan − T × coins × price. The health factor is coins × price × liquidation LTV ÷ loan; Aave’s documentation describes liquidation becoming possible when it falls below 1 (checked 24 October 2026).
Worked example: borrowing 20,000 against 1 coin at 50,000 is a 40% LTV. With a 70% margin call and 80% liquidation, the margin call comes at 20,000 ÷ 0.7 = 28,571.43 (−42.86%) and liquidation at 20,000 ÷ 0.8 = 25,000 (−50%). The health factor is 50,000 × 0.8 ÷ 20,000 = 2.00. If the price reaches the margin call, adding 0.4 coin or repaying 5,714.29 brings LTV back to 50%. A year of 10% interest raises the debt to 22,000 and the liquidation price to 27,500.
Typical LTV levels
Centralised lenders often start loans at 20% to 65% LTV, with margin calls somewhere around 70% to 85% and liquidation a few points higher. DeFi protocols set a maximum LTV and a liquidation threshold per asset by governance, typically 70% to 85% for major coins. These ranges change and vary by coin, so always use the figures your lender shows for your loan.
What the calculator does not include
- Liquidation penalties. Lenders and protocols take a fee or bonus from the collateral they sell, so you lose more than the shortfall.
- Compounding. Interest that compounds hourly or daily costs a little more than the simple interest shown.
- Price gaps and slippage. A fast fall can liquidate at a worse price than the level.
- Tax. In some countries a liquidation is a disposal that triggers capital-gains tax.
Related tools
For leveraged trades see the liquidation price calculator; for profit after tax the crypto profit calculator; for a home loan’s LTV the LTV calculator.
Crypto Loan LTV Calculator FAQ
How is LTV calculated on a crypto loan?
Divide the loan by the current value of the collateral. A 20,000 loan against coins worth 50,000 is a 40% LTV.
How do I find my crypto loan liquidation price?
Divide the loan by the number of coins and by the liquidation LTV. With 20,000 borrowed against 1 coin and an 80% liquidation LTV, it is 25,000.
How much collateral do I need to add after a margin call?
Enough that loan ÷ (coins × price) returns to your target. The calculator shows the coins to add, or the amount to repay instead.
What is a health factor?
In DeFi lending it is collateral value × liquidation threshold ÷ debt. Above 1 is safe from liquidation; below 1 the position can be liquidated.
Does interest change the liquidation price?
Yes. Unpaid interest increases the debt, so the LTV rises and the liquidation price moves up.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is a calculator. Check your lender’s actual LTV levels, fees and liquidation rules.