How to execute an arbitrage trade, step by step

Crypto arbitrage is simple in shape: buy a coin where it's cheaper, move it, and sell it where it's pricier. The care is in the details. This guide walks the full workflow end to end.

One thing to be clear about up front: ArbiHunt finds and ranks opportunities, but you execute the trade yourself on the exchanges. ArbiHunt never holds your funds, places orders or moves coins on your behalf. Your accounts and keys stay entirely yours.

Step 1 — Pick a ranked opportunity

Open the dashboard. Every row is one opportunity: the same coin, buyable on one exchange and sellable higher on another, across 23 exchanges and refreshed about every 30 seconds.

Rows are ranked by net profit — the figure left after trading fees on both legs, the withdrawal fee and live order-book liquidity. That's the number to trade on, not the raw spread. See Spread vs. net profit for why.

Before you pick a row, check two things:

• Enough net profit to be worth your time and the timing risk below.
• Enough liquidity that your trade size fits inside the order-book depth without heavy slippage.

Step 2 — Open the details and verify it's the same coin

Click the row to open its detail view, then verify the asset before anything else.

The same ticker can be two different things. A symbol can point to a migrated token, a wrapped version, or an entirely unrelated contract on another exchange. Sending the wrong asset across can mean losing your funds.

ArbiHunt deliberately shows the contract address per exchange — the withdrawal contract on the buy leg and the deposit contract on the sell leg — so you can confirm they match. (Contract addresses are a PRO feature.)

Step 3 — Confirm transfers and choose a shared network

Now confirm the coin can actually move between the two venues:

1. Withdrawals are open for that coin on the buy exchange.
2. Deposits are open for that coin on the sell exchange.
3. A network both exchanges support is available. The detail page lists the active withdrawal networks on the buy leg and deposit networks on the sell leg; a check mark shows when they match.

A blockchain network has to be supported on both the sending and receiving exchange. Among the shared options, pick the cheapest sensible one — network fees vary enormously by chain. More on this in Choosing the right network and Withdrawal fees explained.

Step 4 — Buy on the cheaper exchange

Go to the buy exchange and place your order for the coin. A market order fills instantly but pays the taker fee and any slippage; a limit order at the ask gives you more control. Either way, the buy-leg fee is already baked into the net-profit figure you saw.

Buy the amount that fits the liquidity you checked in step 1 — sizing past the available depth eats your margin through slippage.

Step 5 — Withdraw to the sell exchange

Withdraw the coin from the buy exchange to your deposit address on the sell exchange, on the network you confirmed in step 3.

• Copy the deposit address from the sell exchange exactly, and select the matching network there.
• Double-check the network selector on the withdrawal screen matches.
• Send a small test amount first if you're unsure — the fee is usually worth the peace of mind.

Step 6 — Sell on the other exchange

Once the deposit confirms on the sell exchange, place your sell order at the bid. The sell-leg fee was also included in the net-profit estimate. After it fills, the trade is complete — you can leave the proceeds there or move them on.

For a deeper walkthrough of each screen, see Understanding the opportunity details.

Step 7 — Mind the timing risk

This is where arbitrage gets real. Between buying and selling, your funds are in transit and the price can move.

• A transfer can take anywhere from seconds to much longer depending on the network and confirmations.
• Spreads can close in seconds as other traders fill them or prices tick.
• The figures on screen are an accurate snapshot at the moment shown — not a promise the spread will survive your transfer.

ArbiHunt's detail view notes that opportunities are time-sensitive and typically last no more than 10–15 minutes. Factor the transfer time into every decision, and re-check the price on the sell exchange right before you sell.

Crypto trading carries risk and nothing here is financial advice. Opportunities may not always be executable, and there are no profit guarantees. To get set up first, see Setting up your exchange accounts.