The instrument margin requirement is the percentage of a position's notional value that must be held as margin for that particular market. It is not uniform: brokers and regulators set different requirements for major currency pairs, indices, commodities, individual shares and crypto CFDs, broadly reflecting how volatile and liquid each instrument is.
Requirements can also be tiered, rising as position size grows, and many brokers raise them temporarily around major events or before weekends. Because the requirement determines effective leverage, the same account balance supports a much larger position in one instrument than in another. It is published per instrument in the contract specification and can change with notice from the broker.
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Margin Calls and Stop-Outs Explained
Balance, equity and margin level explained — how a margin call differs from a stop-out, which position closes first, and when a gap outruns the system.