What's the difference between cross and isolated margin?
Margin mode determines how your collateral is shared across positions. The mode you choose changes how liquidation works and how far risk can spread.
| Cross | Isolated | |
|---|---|---|
| Collateral scope | entire account balance | only the amount allocated to that position |
| Loss at liquidation | affects the whole account | only the allocated margin |
| Liquidation price | further away (bigger buffer) | closer (smaller buffer) |
| Capital efficiency | high | low |
| Recommended for beginners | ❌ | ✅ |
💡 If you're new, we recommend isolated mode. Even in the worst case, you can't lose more than what you put into that position.
Can I change margin mode on an open position?
As a rule, you set the margin mode when opening a position. To change the mode of an existing position, you need to close it and reopen. In isolated mode, however, you can add or remove collateral through the position's margin controls.
Which mode is safer?
It depends on the situation.
- For a single position: isolated is safer. Losses are limited to the allocated margin.
- When running multiple positions at once: if the positions hedge one another, cross can be more efficient.
Does isolated margin prevent all losses?
No. Isolated margin only prevents losses from spilling into your other positions. You can still lose the entire margin allocated to that position.
Are margin mode and leverage separate settings?
Yes, they are completely separate settings.
- Margin mode — determines which collateral pool is used
- Leverage — determines position size relative to collateral
Any combination is possible — 5x cross, 20x isolated, and so on.
What if the collateral currency differs from the perp's quote currency?
On Tenbagger, perps are quoted in USDC and USDC is the collateral. Under a unified account, holding spot USDC counts automatically as collateral.