Crypto Arbitrage Spread Calculator
Calculate the arbitrage spread between two crypto exchanges. Find profitable price differences after accounting for fees and determine net arbitrage profit.
Crypto Cross-Exchange Arbitrage Calculator
Calculate net profit from cross-exchange crypto arbitrage including all fees, transfer costs, and timing considerations. Plan profitable arbitrage strategies.
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$
$
%
%
min
Gross Spread⧉
0.93%
Quantity Bought⧉
0.771219
Qty After Transfer⧉
0.770919
Total Fees⧉
$64.79
Sum of all values
Net Profit⧉
$397.94
Profitable
Net Spread⧉
0.80%
After all costs
Planning notes, formulas, and examples
About the Crypto Cross-Exchange Arbitrage Calculator
Cross-exchange arbitrage involves buying a cryptocurrency on one exchange where it's cheaper and transferring it to another exchange where it's more expensive to sell. Unlike same-time arbitrage (where you pre-fund both exchanges), this strategy involves an actual transfer and introduces transfer time risk.
The profitability of cross-exchange arbitrage depends on: the price spread between exchanges, trading fees on both exchanges, blockchain network fees for the transfer, and whether the price difference persists during the transfer time. This calculator models the complete flow including all costs.
While riskier than pre-funded arbitrage, cross-exchange arbitrage requires less capital (you only need funds on one exchange at a time) and can exploit larger spreads that occur on isolated exchanges with limited access.
Use the result to map token-release or fee scenarios and revisit the model when market conditions, unlock terms, or portfolio assumptions change.
When This Page Helps
Cross-exchange arbitrage opportunities appear frequently between major exchanges and smaller/regional exchanges. This calculator ensures you account for every cost in the chain — from buying on Exchange A, through the blockchain transfer, to selling on Exchange B — revealing whether the opportunity is truly profitable.
How to Use the Inputs
- Enter the buy price on the source exchange.
- Enter the sell price on the destination exchange.
- Enter the trade amount in dollars.
- Enter fees for both exchanges.
- Enter the blockchain network fee for the transfer.
- Enter the estimated transfer time.
- View the complete profitability breakdown.
Formula used
Quantity Bought = (Amount − Buy Fee) / Buy Price
Quantity After Transfer = Quantity − Network Fee (in crypto)
Gross Revenue = Quantity After Transfer × Sell Price
Sell Fee = Gross Revenue × Sell Fee Rate
Net Revenue = Gross Revenue − Sell Fee
Net Profit = Net Revenue − AmountExample Calculation
Result: Net profit: $387.25 after all fees
Buy at $64,800 with $50,000: quantity = 0.7712 BTC after 0.05% fee. Transfer costs 0.0003 BTC network fee: 0.7709 BTC arrives. Sell at $65,400: gross = $50,418.66 minus 0.04% sell fee = $50,398.49. Net profit = $50,398.49 − $50,000 = $398.49. The 0.92% gross spread yielded a 0.80% net profit.
Tips & Best Practices
- Use fast blockchain networks (Solana, Polygon, Tron) to minimize transfer time.
- Monitor mempool/network congestion — high congestion means slow transfers and higher fees.
- Consider the opportunity cost of capital locked during transfer time.
- Keep a spreadsheet tracking all arbitrage trades to verify actual vs estimated profitability.
- Start with small amounts to test the complete flow before scaling up.
- Set up API withdrawal for faster execution — manual withdrawal adds minutes.
The Complete Arbitrage Flow
A cross-exchange arbitrage trade follows these steps: 1) Identify the spread. 2) Execute buy order on the cheaper exchange. 3) Initiate withdrawal to the more expensive exchange. 4) Wait for blockchain confirmation and exchange deposit credit. 5) Execute sell order. 6) Calculate actual profit. Each step has potential delays and costs that must be accounted for.
Network Selection Strategy
If both exchanges support multiple networks for the same asset (e.g., USDT on Ethereum, Tron, or Solana), always choose the fastest and cheapest network. This minimizes both transfer cost and time risk. Some arbitrageurs maintain a matrix of supported networks across their target exchanges to optimize routing.
Scaling Cross-Exchange Arbitrage
To scale, arbitrageurs maintain balances on multiple exchanges and use automated systems to: scan prices across exchanges in real-time, calculate net profitability after all fees, execute buy/sell orders via API, and rebalance funds during low-spread periods. The key constraint is capital — more exchanges means more capital locked in pre-funding.
Sources & Methodology
Last updated:
Frequently Asked Questions
Transfer times vary by blockchain: Bitcoin takes 10-60 minutes (1-6 confirmations), Ethereum takes 5-15 minutes, Solana takes under 1 minute, and Tron takes 1-3 minutes. Some exchanges require more confirmations than others, adding to the wait time.
The price spread closing during transfer time. If it takes 30 minutes to transfer BTC and the price on Exchange B drops during that time, your expected profit disappears. This is why faster blockchains and pre-funded accounts are preferred.
Network fees vary dramatically: Bitcoin can be $1-$50+ depending on congestion, Ethereum $1-$200+ during peak times, Solana is typically under $0.01, and Tron is usually under $1. Choose the cheapest network that both exchanges support.
Yes. Instead of transferring the crypto itself, you can: sell on Exchange A for USDT, transfer USDT to Exchange B (often faster/cheaper), buy the crypto on Exchange B, and sell there. This adds more fee layers but can be faster depending on the networks available.
After all fees, aim for at least 0.3-0.5% net profit for the risk/effort involved. Below 0.2%, the margin is too thin for the execution risk. Above 1%, be cautious — large spreads may indicate liquidity issues on one exchange.
Pre-fund both exchanges with capital. Buy on Exchange A and sell on Exchange B simultaneously. Then rebalance funds periodically during low-spread periods. This eliminates transfer time risk but doubles capital requirements.
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