Everyone asks this. Nobody gives a straight answer.
So here it is—the honest truth from someone who's been through it
The Short Answer:
There's no magic number. But there is a minimum threshold where trading stops being survival and starts being a viable way to make money.
For most people? That number is $2,000–$5,000.
Let Me Explain Why:
With $500:
· A good 5% win = $25
· One bad trade = 2 weeks of progress gone
· You're forced to use high leverage just to make rent money
· Result: Stress, bad decisions, eventual blow-up
With $2,000–$5,000:
· A conservative 2-3% win = $60–$150
· You can risk 1% per trade and actually survive losing streaks
· Low leverage means liquidation is far away
· Result: You can breathe, think clearly, and let your edge work
With $10,000+:
· 2% win = $200
· You can lose 5 trades in a row and still have capital to fight
· You're playing with house money while others are playing with rent
· Result: Trading becomes boring. And boring is profitable.
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The Math That Changed My Mind:
Let's say you're a consistently good trader. Top 10% skill level. You average 5% per week (which is insane, but let's pretend).
· $500 account → $25/week → $100/month. Congrats, you made grocery money.
· $2,000 account → $100/week → $400/month. Now you're paying a bill.
· $5,000 account → $250/week → $1,000/month. That's real money.
· $10,000 account → $500/week → $2,000/month. You can actually do this for a living.
Same skill. Same effort. Wildly different outcomes.
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The Hard Truth About Small Accounts:
With under $1,000, you're not really trading. You're gambling with extra steps.
You need higher leverage to make meaningful money. Higher leverage means closer liquidation. Closer liquidation means more stress. More stress means worse decisions. It's a downward spiral that eats small accounts for breakfast.
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So What Should You Do?
If you have less than $1,000:
· Don't expect to make a living. You won't. Not yet.
· Treat this as your learning phase. Lose small. Learn a lot.
· Focus on growing capital OUTSIDE crypto. Job, side hustle, whatever.
· Use Binance Earn to let your small capital grow slowly while you build skills.
If you have $2,000–$5,000:
· You're in the sweet spot. Enough to make real gains, not enough to get lazy.
· Risk 1% max per trade. Survive first, profit second.
· Be consistent. This is where habits are built.
If you have $10,000+:
· You have the ultimate advantage. Time. Patience. Room to breathe.
· Use low leverage. 2x is plenty.
· Let compounding do the heavy lifting.
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The Bottom Line:
You don't need a million dollars to trade. But you need enough that a losing trade doesn't ruin your week.
For most people, that number is $2,000–$5,000.
Below that? You're not trading. You're learning. And that's okay—as long as you know it.
What's your account size right now, and does this math hit home for you?
Be honest. We all started somewhere. 👇