Calculate unrealized profit or loss on open crypto positions. See your current PnL based on entry price, current price, and position size in real time.
Unrealized PnL — also called floating PnL or paper profit/loss — is the current profit or loss on your open positions. It changes with every price tick and only becomes realized (locked in) when you close the trade. Understanding your unrealized PnL helps you decide when to take profits, cut losses, or hold your position.
This calculator computes the unrealized PnL for any open crypto position. Enter your entry price and current market price along with your position size to see your exact profit or loss. It works for both long and short positions across any cryptocurrency.
Tracking unrealized PnL is crucial for managing your emotions and risk. A large unrealized gain might warrant taking partial profits, while a growing unrealized loss might signal that your trade thesis is no longer valid and it's time to cut the position.
Crypto traders, long-term holders, and DeFi participants benefit from transparent crypto unrealized pnl calculations when planning entries, exits, or portfolio rebalances. Revisit this calculator whenever market conditions shift to keep your strategy grounded in accurate data.
Seeing your exact unrealized PnL in dollar and percentage terms helps you make objective decisions about open trades. Instead of guessing whether you're up or down, you have a precise number that you can compare to your original risk plan and take appropriate action. Real-time recalculation lets you model different market scenarios quickly, so you can act with confidence rather than relying on rough mental estimates.
For Long: Unrealized PnL = (Current Price − Entry Price) × Position Size For Short: Unrealized PnL = (Entry Price − Current Price) × Position Size PnL % = PnL / (Entry Price × Position Size) × 100 ROE (with leverage) = PnL % × Leverage
Result: +$1,500 (+6.00%)
Long 0.5 BTC at $50,000 with current price at $53,000: PnL = ($53,000 − $50,000) × 0.5 = $1,500. The position value was $25,000 at entry, so the return is 6.00%. If using 10x leverage with $2,500 margin, the ROE would be 60%.
Professional traders monitor unrealized PnL relative to their original risk plan. If you risked $200 on a trade and the unrealized PnL is +$600, you've achieved 3R (three times your risk). Having predefined rules like "take 50% profit at 2R" prevents emotional decision-making and ensures consistent execution.
One of the biggest psychological traps in trading is watching unrealized gains shrink back to zero or turn into losses. This happens when traders don't have exit rules and let greed override their plan. Using trailing stops or partial profit-taking protects against giving back gains while still allowing profitable trades room to grow.
Beyond individual trades, tracking total unrealized PnL across all open positions gives you a portfolio-level risk picture. If your total unrealized PnL is deeply negative across multiple positions, it may indicate a broader market move against your bias, warranting a reduction in overall exposure.
Unrealized PnL is the profit or loss on positions you still hold. Realized PnL is from closed trades. Unrealized PnL fluctuates with the market and can go from profit to loss and back. Realized PnL is fixed once the trade is closed.
Yes. Unrealized losses reduce your available equity, which can bring you closer to liquidation. Unrealized gains increase your equity, providing additional margin buffer. In cross margin mode, unrealized PnL from all positions affects your total available margin.
This depends on your strategy. If the trade has reached your take-profit target, closing or partially closing is wise. If the trend is strong and there's no sign of reversal, letting profits run with a trailing stop can capture more upside while protecting gains.
In most jurisdictions, unrealized gains are not taxable — you only owe taxes when you realize the gain by closing the position. However, tax rules vary by country. Some jurisdictions have mark-to-market rules for professional traders that tax unrealized gains annually.
Exchanges may include or exclude fees, funding payments, and use the mark price instead of the last traded price for PnL calculations. Mark price is typically the index price plus a basis, which reduces manipulation risk but may differ slightly from the spot price.
For a rough assessment, unrealized PnL without fees is fine. When deciding whether to close, factor in the exit fee. For leveraged positions, also consider any accumulated funding payments. The true PnL upon closing = unrealized PnL − exit fee − accumulated funding.