Bitcoin Loan Calculator
See exactly how much Bitcoin you need to post as collateral to borrow against your stack — and at what price you'd get liquidated. Live BTC price, instant results, no signup.
What this calculator does
This Bitcoin loan calculator answers one question: if you borrow dollars against your Bitcoin, what does it cost you and where does it break?
You enter the loan amount you want, the LTV (loan-to-value) you’re comfortable with, the interest rate, and the term. The calculator works backwards from there: how much BTC you need to post as collateral, what your monthly interest payment looks like, the price at which you’d get a margin call, and the price at which the lender would liquidate your stack.
How a Bitcoin-backed loan works
Three numbers govern every BTC-backed loan:
- Your collateral — the BTC you post. It stays locked at the lender until you repay.
- Your LTV — your loan amount divided by the dollar value of your collateral. The higher you push it, the more cash you get for the same amount of BTC, but the closer your liquidation price moves to today’s price.
- The liquidation LTV — the threshold (usually 80–85%) at which the lender sells your collateral to recover the loan. If BTC drops far enough that your LTV crosses this line, you’re liquidated.
Most lenders also set a margin call level a few points below liquidation. That’s the warning zone where you can still post more collateral or pay down the loan to avoid being sold out.
How to read the output
- Required BTC collateral — the bitcoin you need to post to receive your requested loan at the chosen LTV. The hero number.
- Liquidation buffer — how far BTC can fall, in percent, before you get liquidated. The most important risk signal on the page.
- Monthly interest payment — what you pay each month at the chosen APR. The model assumes interest-only (principal due at term end), matching how most BTC-backed loan products operate in practice.
- Liquidation price — the BTC price at which the lender sells your collateral.
- Margin call price — the BTC price at which you’d get a warning to add collateral, typically 10 percentage points above liquidation.
- Total interest and total to repay — the full cost of the loan over the term.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Bitcoin-backed loan?
A Bitcoin-backed loan is a cash loan secured by Bitcoin collateral. You post BTC with a lender, they give you dollars, and your BTC stays locked until you repay. You never sell your Bitcoin, so you keep its upside if the price rises. The catch: if BTC drops far enough, the lender can sell your collateral to recover their loan — that's a liquidation.What does LTV (loan-to-value) mean?
LTV is the size of your loan divided by the value of your collateral. If you post $20,000 of BTC and borrow $10,000, your LTV is 50%. Lower LTV means you've posted more collateral than you've borrowed — safer, more room for BTC to fall before liquidation. Higher LTV means you've borrowed closer to the value of your collateral — riskier, less room to fall.How is the liquidation price calculated?
The liquidation price is the BTC price at which your loan-to-value ratio hits the lender's liquidation threshold (commonly 80–85%). Formula: liquidation price = loan amount ÷ (your BTC collateral × liquidation LTV). As BTC falls, your LTV rises; once it crosses the threshold, the lender sells your collateral to repay the loan.What is a margin call?
A margin call is a warning from the lender that your LTV is approaching the liquidation threshold and you need to post more collateral (or repay part of the loan) to bring it back down. Margin calls usually happen 5–15 percentage points before liquidation. Treat them as the real risk line — by the time liquidation hits, you've already lost the ability to react.Why borrow against Bitcoin instead of selling?
Three reasons most people cite: (1) Tax — in many jurisdictions, taking a loan is not a taxable event, but selling BTC is. (2) Upside — you keep exposure to BTC's price appreciation. (3) Liquidity — you can fund a purchase, business expense, or bridge without unwinding your stack. The trade-off is the liquidation risk and the interest cost.Are the rates and LTVs in this calculator from a specific lender?
No. The defaults are illustrative midpoints based on the BTC-backed lending market. Real lenders (Ledn, Unchained, Nexo, Salt, Coinbase, and others) each have their own LTV bands, interest rates, fees, and liquidation policies. Use this calculator to model scenarios and stress-test your risk; check each lender's exact terms before committing.Does the calculator account for interest accrual and fees?
It shows monthly interest and total interest over the loan term assuming a simple, interest-only structure (principal due at term end), which matches how most BTC-backed loan products work in practice. It does not include origination fees, prepayment penalties, or custody fees — those vary widely by lender.What happens to my BTC if the price goes up?
Your BTC stays the same — you still own the same amount of bitcoin. But its dollar value rises, which means your LTV drops and your liquidation buffer grows. Some lenders let you withdraw the excess collateral (the extra BTC above the LTV target) or borrow more against it; others keep the full original amount locked until repayment.