MEV Profit Calculator
Calculates net profit from a Maximal Extractable Value arbitrage opportunity by subtracting Ethereum gas costs from the gross arbitrage gain. Use it before submitting a transaction to confirm the trade is profitable after fees.
About this calculator
MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) arbitrage profits exist when a trader can exploit price differences across DEXs or reorder transactions to capture value. However, every on-chain transaction consumes gas, and that gas cost must be paid in ETH. The net profit formula is: Net Profit = arbitrageProfit − (gasUsed × gasPriceGwei × 0.000000001 × ethPrice). The conversion factor 0.000000001 (10⁻⁹) converts gwei to ETH (1 gwei = 10⁻⁹ ETH), and multiplying by ethPrice converts ETH cost to USD. Gas costs scale with network congestion, so a trade that is profitable at 20 gwei may be unprofitable at 200 gwei. MEV bots must calculate this in real time before each submission to avoid executing losing trades.
How to use
Suppose a sandwich arbitrage yields a gross profit of $150. The transaction uses 200,000 gas units at a gas price of 50 gwei, and ETH is priced at $2,000. Step 1 — convert gas price: 50 gwei × 10⁻⁹ = 0.00000005 ETH per gas unit. Step 2 — total ETH cost: 200,000 × 0.00000005 = 0.01 ETH. Step 3 — USD gas cost: 0.01 × $2,000 = $20. Step 4 — net profit: $150 − $20 = $130. Applying the formula directly: $150 − (200,000 × 50 × 0.000000001 × $2,000) = $150 − $20 = $130 net profit.
Frequently asked questions
What is MEV and how does arbitrage profit get extracted on Ethereum?
MEV stands for Maximal Extractable Value — the profit that can be captured by controlling the ordering of transactions within a block. Arbitrageurs (often automated bots) scan the mempool for price discrepancies between DEXs or for large pending swaps that will move prices, then insert their own transactions at strategic positions to profit. Common MEV strategies include arbitrage between DEX pools, sandwich attacks around large trades, and liquidation of undercollateralized DeFi positions. The Flashbots ecosystem was developed partly to make MEV extraction more transparent and to reduce its negative externalities on ordinary users.
How does gas price affect whether an MEV trade is profitable?
Gas cost is the primary variable cost in MEV trading and directly reduces gross profit dollar-for-dollar. During periods of high network congestion, gas prices can spike 10–100× above baseline, wiping out the margin on all but the largest arbitrage opportunities. MEV bots typically set a maximum gas price threshold — if the current base fee plus priority fee exceeds that threshold, the bot skips the opportunity rather than executing at a loss. This is why the gas cost calculation must happen in real time, often within milliseconds, before the profitable window closes.
Why do MEV bots sometimes pay more in gas than the arbitrage profit they capture?
Competitive MEV extraction involves many bots bidding against each other for the same opportunity by raising their gas tips to get prioritized by block proposers. In highly contested opportunities this bidding war can escalate gas costs until they consume most or all of the profit — a phenomenon called the 'miner extractable value auction.' Sophisticated bots use private transaction relays like Flashbots' MEV-Boost to submit bids confidentially, paying only what they must to win rather than overpaying in a public gas war. Even so, miscalculated opportunities or sudden gas spikes can still result in net losses on individual transactions.