Crypto Profit/Loss Calculator
Calculate the absolute profit or loss on a cryptocurrency position by subtracting the buy price from the sell price and multiplying by the amount of coins. Use it for quick trade evaluation, performance review, and tax-event preparation.
Last updated: May 2026
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About this calculator
The formula is: profit/loss = (sell price − buy price) × amount. A positive number is a realized gain; a negative is a realized loss. The formula uses per-coin price difference times the number of coins. For positions accumulated at multiple prices (DCA), use weighted-average cost basis as buy price. Edge cases: equal buy and sell price returns zero (break-even); selling below cost returns negative. The formula does not include trading fees (0.1-1.5% per trade on centralized exchanges, much higher on DEXes), spread costs, taxes on gains, or network fees for transfers. For US tax purposes, crypto is property; gains are capital-gains-taxed (short-term at ordinary income rates, long-term at 0/15/20%), and every crypto-to-crypto trade is a separate taxable event. Wash-sale rules currently don't apply to crypto in the US, enabling aggressive tax-loss harvesting strategies not available for stocks. For accurate position tracking across many trades and exchanges, dedicated tax software (CoinTracker, Koinly) is essential — manual tracking quickly becomes impractical for active traders. The formula is mathematically identical to the version in crypto.json but uses "amount" rather than "quantity" for the field name; both produce the same result for the same inputs.
How to use
Example 1 — Profitable trade. Bought 1.2 BTC at $48,000; sold at $61,000. Enter 48000 for Buy Price, 61000 for Sell Price, 1.2 for Amount. Result: $15,600 profit. Verify: (61000 − 48000) × 1.2 = 13000 × 1.2 = $15,600. ✓ Subtract round-trip exchange fees (typically $50-200 total on a centralized exchange) for net profit. Tax implications: held over 1 year = long-term gain at 15-20%; held under 1 year = short-term gain at ordinary income rate (potentially 32%+ for high earners). Example 2 — Stop-loss execution. Bought 50,000 of a small-cap token at $0.85; sold at stop-loss of $0.45. Enter 0.85, 0.45, 50000. Result: −$20,000. Verify: (0.45 − 0.85) × 50000 = −0.40 × 50000 = −20,000. ✓ A $20K capital loss can offset other capital gains for tax purposes. With $0 of offsetting gains, up to $3,000/year offsets ordinary income; the remaining $17,000 carries forward to future years. For crypto specifically (no wash-sale rule currently), you can rebuy the same token immediately after selling to maintain exposure while banking the loss for taxes.
Frequently asked questions
How are crypto gains and losses taxed in the US?
Capital gains tax applies: short-term (held one year or less) at ordinary income rates (10-37%); long-term (over one year) at preferential rates (0/15/20% depending on income). State taxes add 0-13%. The 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax adds for high earners. Every crypto-to-crypto trade is a taxable event (BTC→ETH triggers capital gains on the BTC); not just crypto-to-fiat. Mining, staking rewards, airdrops are ordinary income at fair market value when received. Losses offset other gains and up to $3,000 of ordinary income annually with carry-forward. For 2026, Form 1099-DA brokerage reporting begins; meticulous record-keeping is essential.
How do exchange and network fees affect P/L?
Exchange fees: 0.1-1.5% per trade on most centralized exchanges (Coinbase Advanced 0.05-0.6%, Binance 0.1%, Kraken 0.16-0.26%). DEX fees: protocol fee 0.05-1% + gas (Ethereum gas $5-50+) + slippage 0.1-5%+. Round-trip fees on a $10K trade: $20-150 on CEXes, $50-500+ on Ethereum DEXes. For tax purposes, fees increase your cost basis or reduce proceeds, reducing taxable gain. For economic profit calculations, subtract round-trip fees from headline P/L for realistic net profit. Small traders making many small trades often see fees consuming 20-50% of paper profits; high-volume strategies require fee optimization (using maker orders, choosing low-fee exchanges, batching trades).
Should I use FIFO, LIFO, or specific-ID for cost basis?
US taxpayers can choose any reasonable method, applied consistently. FIFO (first-in, first-out): sells oldest coins first; usually highest taxable gains since oldest typically have lowest cost basis after price appreciation. LIFO (last-in, first-out): sells most recently bought; usually lowest gains in bull markets but creates short-term gains more often. HIFO (highest-in, first-out): sells highest-cost-basis coins first; minimizes taxable gain but requires meticulous tracking. Specific identification: pick exact coins to sell from your accumulated lots; gives maximum tax-optimization flexibility but requires lot-level records. Most crypto tax software supports all four methods; HIFO or specific-ID usually minimizes tax. Pick a method and stick with it; switching methods between tax years requires IRS approval and creates audit risk.
What are the most common mistakes calculating crypto P/L?
The biggest is forgetting trading fees, which on small profitable trades can eat 30-50% of the gain. The second is not tracking cost basis across exchanges and wallets; transferring crypto between your accounts doesn't reset cost basis, but losing the records means the IRS may assume $0 basis (taxing the entire sale price). The third is using the wrong cost basis method without understanding tax implications; FIFO often produces higher taxes than HIFO. The fourth is treating crypto-to-crypto trades as non-events; every swap is taxable. The fifth is ignoring fork events; if you held BTC during the BCH fork in 2017, you received BCH which counts as ordinary income at fair market value when received and creates its own future capital-gains liability. The sixth is calculating P/L in fiat but transacting in stablecoins; small stablecoin price moves (USDC briefly traded at $0.88 during the SVB crisis in March 2023) can create unexpected gains or losses.
When should I not use this calculator?
Skip it for tax filing — use dedicated crypto tax software (CoinTracker, Koinly, TaxBit, ZenLedger) that handles cost-basis tracking, FIFO/LIFO/HIFO/specific-ID methods, fork events, and generates Form 8949 and Schedule D. It is the wrong tool for DeFi positions (impermanent loss, liquidity pools, lending positions); use DeFi-specific calculators. Do not use it for staking rewards, mining income, or airdrops — those are taxed as ordinary income at fair market value when received, not as capital gains. For derivatives (futures, options, perpetuals), this simple formula doesn't capture leverage, funding rates, or liquidation prices; use position-specific calculators. And for any significant tax planning involving large positions, consult a CPA familiar with cryptocurrency — penalties for misreporting can be substantial.