Cross-Margin Account

Capital

A cross-margin account aggregates equity across multiple, often disparate, trading instruments, enabling a unified risk parameter for margin requirements. This contrasts with segregated margin, where each position maintains independent collateralization, and allows for greater capital efficiency by netting exposures. Consequently, a single liquidation event can impact positions across various asset classes, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of correlated risks. The account structure is prevalent in derivatives trading, particularly with leveraged instruments like perpetual swaps and options, where optimized margin utilization is critical for strategic position sizing.