DEX Perpetuals Trading Plan Template — How to Create a Winning Crypto Trading Plan for Hyperliquid, Lighter, and Aster (2026)

Why You Need a Written Trading Plan

Most DEX perpetuals traders open positions based on gut feel, a Twitter post, or a chart pattern they half-remember. They have no written entry rules, no defined risk per trade, no profit target, and no process for reviewing what worked and what failed. The result is predictable: random outcomes, emotional decisions, and slow capital erosion.

A written trading plan solves this. It forces you to define your edge before you enter a trade, commit to risk parameters while you are calm, and objectively review your performance afterward. The plan does not have to be complex — it just has to exist, be followed, and be iterated on. Here is a complete template covering every component a DEX perpetuals trader needs.

Section 1: Market and Platform Selection

Define which markets you trade and on which platform. This prevents the "I will trade everything" trap:

• Primary pairs: List 3-5 trading pairs maximum (e.g., BTC-PERP, ETH-PERP, SOL-PERP). More pairs means less focus.
• Primary platform: Hyperliquid, Lighter DEX, or Aster DEX — pick one as your main venue based on liquidity and fees for your chosen pairs.
• Secondary platform: Optional backup for when your primary has high funding rates or downtime.
• Session times: When do you trade? Define specific hours (e.g., "8:00-10:00 UTC during London open, 13:30-16:00 UTC during US overlap"). Trading outside your session times is not allowed.

Section 2: Entry Rules

Write down the exact conditions that must be met before you enter a trade. Entry rules eliminate hesitation and prevent revenge trading:

• Setup: What pattern or signal triggers an entry? (e.g., "BTC 15-minute chart: RSI below 30 with bullish divergence on volume, price above 50 EMA")
• Confirmation: What second factor must align? (e.g., "Funding rate negative or neutral — never enter long when funding is above +0.03%")
• Invalidation: What would make you skip this setup even if the first two conditions are met? (e.g., "Major news event within 30 minutes — no trade during FOMC or CPI releases")

Example entry rule: "Enter long BTC-PERP on Hyperliquid when: (1) 15-min RSI crosses above 30, (2) price is above 50 EMA, (3) funding rate is below +0.02%, (4) no major news in next 30 minutes."

Section 3: Position Sizing

This is where most traders fail. A position sizing rule protects you from the single trade that wipes you out:

• Risk per trade: Maximum 1-2% of total capital at risk per trade. If your account is $10,000, you risk $100-$200 per trade.
• Position size formula: (Account × Risk%) ÷ (Entry − Stop Loss) = Position Size. Example: ($10,000 × 1%) ÷ ($3,200 − $3,136) = $100 ÷ $64 = 1.56 ETH. Round down to 1.5 ETH.
• Maximum leverage: Cap your leverage at 5x for swing trades, 10x for intraday. Never use maximum available leverage (50x on Hyperliquid or Aster).
• Maximum concurrent positions: 3 positions max. More than that dilutes attention and compounds correlated risk.

Section 4: Stop Loss and Take Profit Rules

Every trade must have a stop loss and at least a partial take profit defined before entry. No exceptions:

• Stop loss placement: Technical level (below recent swing low for longs, above swing high for shorts). Never move your stop loss further from entry — only trail it closer as the trade moves in your favor.
• Take profit levels: At least two targets. Example: Take 50% off at 2:1 reward-to-risk, move stop loss to breakeven, let the remaining 50% run to 4:1 or trail with a 1-hour candle close.
• Time stop: If the trade has not moved in your favor within 24 hours (or 3 funding intervals), close it. Capital tied up in a dead trade is capital not earning elsewhere.

Section 5: Risk Management Rules

These are global rules that apply regardless of individual trade setups:

• Daily loss limit: 3% of total account. If you lose 3% in a single day, stop trading. Walk away. Review all trades. Resume tomorrow.
• Weekly loss limit: 6% of total account. Hit this, and you are done for the week. Use the remaining days to study and plan.
• Consecutive loss limit: 5 losing trades in a row triggers a mandatory 24-hour pause. Something is off — market conditions, your mental state, or your strategy.
• Correlation check: Do not hold 3 positions that are all highly correlated (e.g., BTC, ETH, SOL all long with same direction). One macroeconomic event moves them all the same way.

Section 6: Trade Journal Template

Record every trade. Review weekly. Here is the minimum journal structure:

Field	Example
Date/Time	June 11, 2026 — 09:15 UTC
Platform	Hyperliquid
Pair	BTC-PERP
Direction	Long
Size	0.05 BTC
Entry Price	$68,340
Stop Loss	$67,800 (0.79% risk)
Take Profit 1	$69,400 (50% position)
Take Profit 2	$70,500 (trailing stop)
Setup	15-min RSI oversold bounce, funding neutral
Exit Price	$69,400
PnL	+$53.00 (after fees and funding)
Notes	Perfect setup. Held through one 8h funding payment. Should have let full position run to TP2.

Section 7: Weekly Review Process

Every Sunday, review your journal and answer these questions honestly:

1. How many trades followed the plan exactly vs deviated? (Target: 90%+ plan adherence)
2. What was the win rate? (Target: above 40% is acceptable with proper risk-to-reward)
3. What was the average reward-to-risk ratio across all trades? (Target: above 1.5:1)
4. Did you hit any loss limits? If yes, what caused it? (Emotion, market conditions, strategy failure?)
5. What is the single biggest improvement for next week?

Summary

A DEX perpetuals trading plan is the difference between a trader and a gambler. Define your markets, entry rules, position sizing, stop losses, and risk limits before you open a single position. Journal every trade. Review every week. The discipline this creates is more valuable than any single trading strategy — because discipline keeps you in the game long enough for your edge to play out.