Cross-Margin Account
A cross-margin account is a trading account type where the entire balance of collateral is shared across all open positions. If one position incurs a loss, the collateral from other profitable positions or the available cash balance can be used to prevent liquidation.
This provides a buffer that allows traders to hold positions longer during temporary volatility without facing immediate margin calls. However, it also introduces the risk that a single losing trade could deplete the entire account balance, leading to the liquidation of all active positions.
This is distinct from isolated margin, where collateral is assigned specifically to one trade. Cross-margin is preferred by many professional traders for its capital efficiency, but it requires disciplined risk management.
It is a standard feature in many centralized and decentralized derivative platforms.