Both balances appear on your PnL dashboard in USD. Asset Balance is the total value of all cryptocurrencies in your account based on current market prices, before any open-position profits or losses. Margin Balance equals Asset Balance plus unrealised PnL and determines your capacity to maintain or open new positions.
What is Asset Balance on the PnL Dashboard?
Asset Balance represents the total value of all cryptocurrencies held in your BitMEX account, calculated in USD based on current market prices. Asset Balance provides a snapshot of your account’s worth before accounting for any profit or loss from open positions. Deposits, withdrawals, and realised gains or losses from closed trades all affect Asset Balance directly.
For traders holding multiple cryptocurrencies, Asset Balance aggregates the USD-equivalent value of each asset into a single figure. As market prices fluctuate, the Asset Balance updates accordingly, even if the quantity of cryptocurrency in the account remains unchanged. For example, if a trader holds one Bitcoin and the price of Bitcoin rises, the Asset Balance increases to reflect the higher market value.
How is Margin Balance calculated?
Margin Balance is a key metric for derivatives trading on BitMEX. Margin Balance reflects the total equity in your margin account and is calculated using the following formula:
Margin Balance = Asset Balance + Unrealised PnL
By adding or subtracting unrealised profit and loss from all open positions, Margin Balance gives a more complete picture of your available resources. When open positions are profitable, Margin Balance exceeds Asset Balance; when open positions are at a loss, Margin Balance falls below Asset Balance. The difference between the two figures always equals the total unrealised PnL across all active positions.
Margin Balance determines your ability to maintain existing positions or open new ones. BitMEX uses Margin Balance to assess whether your account holds sufficient equity to support your current leverage. If Margin Balance drops below required maintenance levels, the platform may issue a margin warning or trigger liquidation.