Crypto Vault APY Calculator

Calculate the real APY of a DeFi vault from share price changes over time. Enter starting and ending share values to determine the annualized vault performance.

About the Crypto Vault APY Calculator

DeFi vaults (like Yearn, Beefy, or Sommelier) don't distribute yield directly — instead, their share price increases over time. When you deposit, you receive vault shares. As the vault earns yield and reinvests, each share becomes worth more of the underlying token. The growth rate of the share price reveals the vault's true APY.

This Vault APY Calculator computes the annualized return from share price appreciation. Enter the share price at the start and end of any period, along with the duration, and the tool extrapolates the annualized yield.

This is the most honest way to evaluate vault performance because it captures all fees, slippage, and compounding effects that the vault's displayed APY might not reflect.

Crypto traders, long-term holders, and DeFi participants benefit from transparent crypto vault apy calculations when planning entries, exits, or portfolio rebalances. Revisit this calculator whenever market conditions shift to keep your strategy grounded in accurate data.

Why Use This Crypto Vault APY Calculator?

Vault share price is the ground truth of performance. Advertised APYs can be estimates or projections. This calculator uses actual share price data to compute the real, after-fee, after-slippage APY you experienced. Real-time recalculation lets you model different market scenarios quickly, so you can act with confidence rather than relying on rough mental estimates.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Find the vault's share price at the start of your observation period.
  2. Find the current share price.
  3. Enter the number of days between the two observations.
  4. View the annualized APY based on actual share price growth.
  5. Compare against the vault's advertised APY.

Formula

APY = (shareEnd / shareStart − 1) × (365 / days) for simple annualization. Compound APY = (shareEnd / shareStart)^(365/days) − 1.

Example Calculation

Result: 30.42% simple APY / 34.49% compound APY

The share price grew from 1.0000 to 1.0250 in 30 days — a 2.5% gain. Annualized simply: 2.5% × 365/30 = 30.42%. Compound annualized: 1.025^(365/30) − 1 = 34.49%. The compound method accounts for the growth compounding over a full year.

Tips & Best Practices

Share Price as Truth

The vault share price is the single best metric for vault performance. It captures yield earned, fees charged, slippage incurred, and compounding effects. Everything else is an estimate.

Time Windows and APY Stability

A vault showing 40% APY over 7 days might show 25% over 30 days and 20% over 90 days. Short windows amplify recent performance. Longer windows smooth volatility. Use multiple windows to understand the trajectory.

Evaluating New Vaults

For new vaults with limited history, share price growth over even 7-14 days gives useful signal. But be cautious — early performance often includes promotional boosts or temporarily favorable conditions that won't persist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find vault share prices?

Check the vault's contract on a block explorer (e.g., Etherscan). The pricePerShare or exchangeRate function shows the current value. DeFi analytics sites like DefiLlama also track vault share prices over time.

Should I use simple or compound APY?

Compound APY is more accurate for auto-compounding vaults because it models continuous reinvestment. Simple APY works for quick estimates a is what most vault dashboards display.

Why might the calculated APY differ from the displayed APY?

Displayed APYs are often projections based on current conditions. Actual performance may differ due to market changes, yield fluctuations, or strategy adjustments. Share price-based APY reflects what actually happened.

What if the share price decreased?

A decreasing share price means the vault lost money — the strategy is unprofitable after fees. This is a red flag. It could be due to heavy IL, exploit recovery, or poor strategy performance.

How do vault fees affect share price APY?

Management and performance fees are deducted before share price updates. So the share price APY you calculate is already net of all vault fees — it represents your actual return.

Can I compare vaults using this method?

Absolutely — comparing share price growth rates over the same period is one of the fairest ways to benchmark vault performance. Just ensure you're comparing similar risk profiles.

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