Checklist

Pre-Trade Risk Checklist for Crypto Perpetuals

This checklist is a research aid for reviewing leveraged on-chain positions before collateral is deposited or orders are placed. It is not financial advice, not a recommendation, and not a signal to trade.

Position And Liquidation Risk

  • Define the maximum acceptable loss before considering leverage.
  • Calculate liquidation distance and compare it with ordinary market volatility.
  • Confirm that a stop plan does not depend on perfect app, wallet, bridge, or chain uptime.
  • Model what happens if collateral value and position value move against the account at the same time.

Venue And Operational Risk

  • Review current protocol documentation for margin rules, liquidation rules, fees, and supported collateral.
  • Check whether the venue depends on bridges, sequencers, admin keys, oracle updates, or external keepers.
  • Compare market depth with the intended order size instead of relying on headline volume.
  • Record withdrawal paths and account recovery steps before funds are needed urgently.

Review Discipline

  • Write the thesis, invalidation, expected holding period, and funding sensitivity in advance.
  • Separate research notes from execution decisions to avoid treating this checklist as advice.
  • After closing a position, review process quality rather than only profit or loss.