Giordano Salvatori, founder of STA · 22/10/2026 · 6 min read
It depends on where you look. Many platforms let you open an account with amounts from about fifty to a few hundred euros, and some do not even set a minimum. If the question is «how much do they ask me to get in», the answer is little.
But your question is probably a different one. You want to know how much to put in without regretting it. And there is no right amount for everyone, there is a method to find yours.
An account minimum is a commercial rule, not advice. It tells you how much you must deposit to be a client, not how much it is worth depositing. It often happens that someone who opens an account with the lowest possible amount tops it up after two weeks, because the capital ran out before they understood how the platform works.
At the other extreme is the opposite mistake: putting in a large sum right away because «that way the gains are worth it». It is the quickest way to make decisions driven by anxiety. A loss that costs you sleep makes you close too early, move your stop, double down to recover. All things that cost more than the loss itself.
A simple rule, valid at any level. In online trading you should put in only money that, if it disappeared, would change nothing in your everyday life. So not the rent, not the bills, not the emergency fund, not borrowed money.
Try asking yourself this: if in a month this sum were worth half, how would I sleep? If the answer is «badly», the amount is too high. Lower it until the answer becomes «I would be sorry, but I would carry on». That is your starting amount. It can be 200 euros or 2,000, there is no better number than another.
And remember that with leverage you can lose more than you think. If you want to understand how, read the guide on leverage.
More than it seems, and not all for the worse. The risk per trade is calculated as a percentage of the account, usually a small fixed share like 1%. With a small account that share is a small amount, and the trades are small accordingly. That is perfectly fine, because at the start you are not looking for profit, you are paying for experience.
The table below uses made up numbers, only to show the math. They are not anyone's result. Assume a risk of 1% and a stop 2% away from the entry.
| Capital | Risk per trade (1%) | Position size |
|---|---|---|
| 500 euros | 5 euros | 250 euros |
| 1,000 euros | 10 euros | 500 euros |
| 5,000 euros | 50 euros | 2,500 euros |
The position is obtained by dividing the amount at risk by the distance to the stop. If you want to do it without calculating by hand, there is the position size calculator, free of charge.
The uncomfortable side of small accounts is costs. A fixed fee, or the gap between the buying and selling price, weighs more when the position is small. Another made up example: a fee of 0.1% on each side on a 500 euro position costs about 1 euro between entry and exit, and on a risk of 10 euros it is 10% of what you put at stake. That is why with little capital it is better to trade little and choose calmly.
Those with a small capital often see leverage as a shortcut. «With 500 euros and 10x leverage I move 5,000, so I earn like someone who has 5,000». The opposite is true too, and just as fast. A price move of a few percentage points can eat much of the margin, and the platform closes the position before you can react.
A good habit is to start without leverage, or with a very low one, and move up only when your method has shown it can withstand a losing streak. Whoever wants to understand how normal it is to lose at some point can read what drawdown.
There is a way to answer the question without putting real money at stake: start from zero. A demo account gives you virtual capital with the market's real prices. You try deciding the size of a position, placing a stop, seeing how you feel when a trade goes wrong. If you make a mistake, you lose pretend money and really learn.
The STA DEMO is free forever, with real prices and the same cards as REAL. You need an account to use it. How long to stay in it before moving to real money is a separate question, and we have dedicated two guides to it: how long to use a demo account and from demo account to real account, when you are ready. To understand how it works in general, there is the page on demo account for trading, free.
When you move to real money, start with a sum that seems almost too small. Then wait. The capital goes up when you have made enough trades to see how you behave with real money, not when you have had a good week. A good week says little, like a bad one.
To keep risk under control you need a measure that does not depend on the amount. That is why we think in R, meaning multiples of what you put at risk per trade. If it is not familiar, thearticle on R and win rate starts from here.
And look at the real numbers without beating around the bush. In the European Union, CFD brokers must disclose how many retail accounts lose money, and the published percentages generally sit between 60% and 90%. The article can you make money with online trading? The honest numbers explains them one by one. The whole picture, from the start, is in the guide to mindful online trading.
STA does not tell you how much to deposit, and it does not promise gains. It offers trading cards for crypto and US stocks on OKX, built by ten artificial intelligence agents that debate each other in the Bull and Bear debate. Every card has its stop, and the funds stay in your OKX account, not with us.
On fees: during the launch phase, started on 16 October 2026, STA's fees are temporarily disabled, even in REAL. The standard price list is 18% of the positive net result of each day, with no offsetting of losses, and it is suspended while the launch lasts. For now there is only the web version.
Every card as soon as it closes, with the result and what STA learned from it. It's free and you don't need to sign up.
Follow the channelA DEMO account with virtual capital and real prices, the same cards as REAL users.
Try DEMO for free →This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Trading crypto-assets involves a high risk, including the total loss of the capital used. Numerical examples are for illustration.
Risk management in trading: how much to risk per trade, how to calculate the position and how to use a stop, with made up examples and a demo account.
Trading online with artificial intelligence: what AI can do, what it can't, how to try it on a demo account and how to spot those who promise too much.
Is trading online worth it? It depends on the costs: spread, fees, swap and slippage. What really weighs on a small account and how to do the maths first.
