Cryptocurrency Arbitrage

Evan Chokheli

Blockchain Developer
Business Consultant
Writer

What is arbitrage?

The practice of making money by capitalizing on price variations across markets is known as arbitrage. Buying low-priced goods and selling them at higher prices in other markets is a common practice.
Arbitrage opportunities are more prevalent in currency and stock markets, but they can occur in any standardized asset class traded in different markets. Traders must be quick to spot arbitrage opportunities, as they typically last only a few minutes.

Arbitrage trading on cryptocurrency markets

Buying crypto assets on one market at a lower price and selling it on another at a higher, can be quite beneficial for traders when it comes to large amounts of funds or repetitive transactions.
One of the major advantages that crypto arbitrage differs from other trading approaches is that you’re not required to have professional knowledge and in the field to get into it.
For instance, let’s assume the price of BTC is $26,800 on the X cryptocurrency exchange and $26,900 on Y. In this scenario, a trader might catch this opportunity and buy bitcoin on X and sell it on Y market to get the $100 price difference.

Crypto arbitrage tactics

Cross-border arbitrage: Cross-border crypto arbitrage means when traders make a profit by purchasing and selling cryptocurrency in different jurisdictions. For example, investors can capitalize on the difference in the demand and supply of ETH in the UK and Japan by employing this strategy.
The obstacle of cross-border arbitrage can be Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. Some countries require traders to have valid local government-issued identification or other documentation to verify their identity.
Triangular arbitrage: Triangular arbitrage refers to capitalizing on discrepancies in exchange rates among three different currencies. To start with triangular arbitrage, scan the market for exchange rate discrepancies manually or by using specialized software.

Regulatory consideration

Jurisdictions have different points of view on cryptocurrency arbitrage, in some countries it’s restricted by law and some require paying taxes for this activity.
The IRS classifies cryptocurrencies as property, like stocks and bonds, and investors must pay capital gain taxes on them. Cryptocurrencies can also be taxed as income if they are gifted, mined, or received as payment for services. However, different federal agencies classify crypto differently: the SEC considers it a security, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission considers it a commodity.
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