How many times leverage should you open on a perpetual contract? Stop gambling, this is the real life-saving tip!

Every day, someone asks in the backend how many times leverage to use on a perpetual contract—I've experienced bull and bear markets over these 6 years, seen beginners踩坑, and watched veterans crash. To be honest: leverage is not an ATM; it's a double-edged sword. Use it right to chop firewood, misuse it to cut off your hand.

Perpetual contracts have no expiration date; as long as you don't get liquidated, you can hold forever. Sounds incredibly free, right? But this freedom is full of traps. You can add positions at any time, chase profits when you're up, hold on when you're down, and as leverage increases, the temptation of doubled returns hits your head like a rocket, while the risks are thrown far out of sight.

Last week, I chatted with a crypto buddy who has been using 20-30x leverage for years. I jokingly asked why not go for 50x. He rolled his eyes: "It blows up too fast, there's no time to react." I laughed right then—using leverage is like walking a tightrope. 20x is like boiling water, 50x is like a quick sword cut. The difference is how many seconds the market gives you to escape.

Take BTC as an example: 20x leverage can't handle 8% fluctuations, 30x is 5%, and 50x is only 3%. 1x is as stable as a fixed deposit but earns slowly; 50x is as fierce as a tiger. Without stop-loss and discipline, your account can be wiped out in minutes. The most heartbreaking thing is seeing the right direction but being washed out by small oscillations, only to watch the market soar helplessly.

Remember this: perpetual contracts are not afraid of high leverage, but of not leaving buffer for your account. Margin must withstand normal fluctuations—that's the bottom line! I’ve summarized three iron rules, etched in stone:

1. Use only isolated margin; cross margin is like tying your life to a bomb.

2. Always set a stop-loss; when you want to hold a position, the countdown to liquidation has already begun.

3. Don't be greedy with your targets; earning $30-$80 daily on a $3,000 capital with compound interest is way better than reckless gambling.

Leverage amplifies not the market, but human greed and execution. Controlling risk with 50x is a thousand times safer than blindly holding with 5x. That’s what perpetual contracts are about—surviving is winning.