Examples checked
How much profit do I make after fees?
Buying $1,000.00 of BTC at $60,000 and selling at $66,000 with 0.1% fees a side nets $97.90, a 9.78% return. Fees are charged on the buy and on the sale, so the break-even exit is a little above the entry: $60,120.12 here.
Worked examples
$1,000.00 of BTC, +10.00%
- Entry
- $60,000
- Exit
- $66,000
- Net
- +$97.90
- Return
- +9.78%
$1,000.00 of BTC, -10.00%
- Entry
- $60,000
- Exit
- $54,000
- Net
- -$101.90
- Return
- -10.18%
Short $1,000.00 of BTC, -10.00%
- Entry
- $60,000
- Exit
- $54,000
- Net
- +$98.10
- Return
- +9.80%
10 ETH, sell 4 at +7.50%
- Entry
- $2,000
- Exit
- $2,150
- Net
- +$600.00
- Return
- +7.50%
| Trade | Entry | Exit | Net | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000.00 of BTC, +10.00% | $60,000 | $66,000 | +$97.90 | +9.78% |
| $1,000.00 of BTC, -10.00% | $60,000 | $54,000 | -$101.90 | -10.18% |
| Short $1,000.00 of BTC, -10.00% | $60,000 | $54,000 | +$98.10 | +9.80% |
| 10 ETH, sell 4 at +7.50% | $2,000 | $2,150 | +$600.00 | +7.50% |
Fees of 0.1% a side on each trade; the partial sale is shown without fees.
The formula
Net profit = (exit − entry) × quantity − entry fee − exit fee
Short: net profit = (entry − exit) × quantity − entry fee − exit fee
Break-even = entry × (1 + fee) ÷ (1 − fee)
Return = net profit ÷ (cost + entry fee)
Realized vs unrealized profit
Buying 10 ETH in two fills and selling 4 at $2,150 realizes +$583.40: +7.29% on the $8,008.00 those 4 cost, fees included. The 6 still held are unrealized: valued at $2,300, they show +$1,788.00 before the fee to sell.
Average entry across several buys
Buying 6 ETH at $1,900 and 4 at $2,150 with 0.1% fees gives an average entry of $2,002.00 a unit, fees included; without fees it is $2,000.00. A sale does not change the average: it takes units out at that cost.
Recovering a loss
The gain needed to get back to break-even grows faster than the loss, because it is earned on the smaller balance that is left.
-10.00%
- Gain needed to recover
- +11.11%
-25.00%
- Gain needed to recover
- +33.33%
-50.00%
- Gain needed to recover
- +100.00%
-75.00%
- Gain needed to recover
- +300.00%
-90.00%
- Gain needed to recover
- +900.00%
| Loss taken | Gain needed to recover |
|---|---|
| -10.00% | +11.11% |
| -25.00% | +33.33% |
| -50.00% | +100.00% |
| -75.00% | +300.00% |
| -90.00% | +900.00% |
Questions
How do I calculate crypto profit with leverage?
The formula stays the same: (exit − entry) × quantity, minus fees. Leverage changes what you measure it against. With 10× leverage, a 1% move earns 10% of the margin you posted, before fees. For the liquidation price and margin, use the liquidation and leverage calculator.
What is the break-even price after fees?
The exit price at which net profit is zero. With a fee of 0.1% per side, a long has to rise 0.2002% above its entry just to pay both fees. The calculator shows the exact level for your entry and fee.
What return do I need to recover a loss?
After a 25% loss you need a 33.3% gain to get back to even, because the gain is earned on the smaller amount that is left. After a 50% loss it takes 100%.
I sold part of my position. What is my return?
Measure it on the cost of what you sold. Buying 10 units at $2,000.00 and selling 4 at $2,150.00 realizes $600.00. That is 7.5% on the $8,000.00 those 4 units cost, not 3% of the $20,000.00 you spent in total. The units you still hold carry an unrealized result until you sell them.
How does the calculator treat a short?
As a 1× margin short: you post the amount as collateral and borrow the asset to sell it. A short loses when the price rises, and in theory without limit, so the calculator stops the loss at what you put in, where an exchange would close the position. For a leveraged short, use the futures calculator.
Which fee should I use?
The rate your exchange charges your account, per side. The calculator starts at 0.1% per side, which costs about 0.2% over a round trip. Results leave out slippage, network fees and funding.
Results are estimates and leave out slippage, network fees and funding costs. Analysis, not advice. Prices move; you can lose money.