Calculate net profit from cross-exchange crypto arbitrage including all fees, transfer costs, and timing considerations. Plan profitable arbitrage strategies.
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.
Crypto traders, long-term holders, and DeFi participants benefit from transparent crypto cross-exchange arbitrage calculations when planning entries, exits, or portfolio rebalances. Revisit this calculator whenever market conditions shift to keep your strategy grounded in accurate data.
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. Real-time recalculation lets you model different market scenarios quickly, so you can act with confidence rather than relying on rough mental estimates.
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 − Amount
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.