What is crypto arbitrage?

Crypto arbitrage is a trading strategy that exploits price differences for the same cryptocurrency across different exchanges. By buying on the cheaper exchange and selling on the more expensive one, traders can capture the spread as profit with minimal market risk.

How does futures funding rate arbitrage work?

Funding rate arbitrage captures periodic payments between long and short traders on perpetual futures markets. By taking opposite positions across exchanges with different funding rates, traders earn the differential every 8 hours while maintaining a market-neutral, delta-neutral position.

What is cash and carry arbitrage in crypto?

Cash and carry arbitrage involves buying an asset on the spot market while simultaneously shorting the same asset on perpetual futures. The spread between spot and futures prices, plus ongoing funding payments, creates a market-neutral position with predictable, low-risk returns.

How much capital do I need for crypto arbitrage?

You can start spot arbitrage with as little as $100, though $500-1000 is recommended to cover blockchain withdrawal fees effectively. For futures arbitrage, $200-500 can be sufficient due to leverage, but $5,000+ allows for better diversification across multiple opportunities.

Which exchanges are best for crypto arbitrage?

Top exchanges for arbitrage include Binance, Bybit, OKX, MEXC, Gate.io, KuCoin, Bitget, and HTX. Binance and Bybit offer the most liquidity, while smaller exchanges like MEXC and Gate.io often show larger spreads. Having accounts on multiple exchanges increases the number of actionable opportunities.