Crypto profit calculators help you answer a deceptively simple question: “How much did I really make (or lose) after fees?” This guide walks you through spot trades, DCA (dollar-cost averaging), and futures/perps, with clear formulas, examples, and gotchas.
1) Core Concepts You’ll Use Everywhere
Key inputs
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Buy price (entry): price per unit when you bought.
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Sell price (exit): price per unit when you sold.
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Quantity (units): number of coins/tokens/contracts.
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Fees: trading, withdrawal, network, and slippage (indirect cost).
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Funding (futures): periodic payments in perpetual swaps (±).
Core formulas (spot)
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Cost basis (incl. fees)
Cost = BuyPrice × Quantity + BuyFees -
Proceeds (incl. fees)
Proceeds = SellPrice × Quantity − SellFees -
Realized Profit/Loss (P/L)
P/L = Proceeds − Cost -
Return on Investment (ROI %)
ROI% = P/L ÷ Cost
Break-even sell price (spot)
What price covers your costs, including fees?Break-even = (BuyPrice × Qty + BuyFees + SellFees) ÷ Qty
Pro tip: If you don’t know sell fees yet, estimate them using your exchange’s fee tier so your break-even is realistic.
2) Spot Trades: Single Buy → Single Sell
Step-by-step
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Enter buy data: buy price, quantity, and buy fees.
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Enter sell data: sell price and sell fees.
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Calculator outputs: realized P/L, ROI %, and break-even price.
Numeric example
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Buy 1.5 ETH at $2,400, fees $12
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Sell 1.5 ETH at $2,650, fees $13
Compute:
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Cost = 2,400 × 1.5 + 12 = $3,612
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Proceeds = 2,650 × 1.5 − 13 = $3,962
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P/L = 3,962 − 3,612 = $350
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ROI% = 350 ÷ 3,612 ≈ 9.69%
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Break-even = (2,400 × 1.5 + 12 + 13) ÷ 1.5 = $2,415
Common pitfalls
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Ignoring fees: Can flip a “small win” into a loss.
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Mixing units: Double-check decimals (e.g., 0.015 BTC vs 0.15 BTC).
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Not including slippage: Large orders can fill worse than expected.
3) DCA & Cost Basis: Multiple Buys Over Time
If you buy the same asset in multiple lots, your average cost changes. Your calculator should aggregate units and total spend (including fees) to compute a single cost basis.
Formulas
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Total Units = Σ Unitsᵢ
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Total Cost = Σ (Unitsᵢ × Priceᵢ + Feesᵢ)
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Average Cost = Total Cost ÷ Total Units
Example (3 buy lots)
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Lot 1: 0.4 BTC @ $40,000, fees $10 → cost = 0.4×40,000+10 = $16,010
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Lot 2: 0.3 BTC @ $35,000, fees $8 → cost = 0.3×35,000+8 = $10,508
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Lot 3: 0.2 BTC @ $30,000, fees $7 → cost = 0.2×30,000+7 = $6,007
Totals:
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Units = 0.4 + 0.3 + 0.2 = 0.9 BTC
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Cost = 16,010 + 10,508 + 6,007 = $32,525
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Average Cost = 32,525 ÷ 0.9 ≈ $36,138.89
If you sell 0.5 BTC at $42,000 (fees $15):
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Proceeds = 42,000 × 0.5 − 15 = $20,985
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Cost of sold units (FIFO/average)* = 36,138.89 × 0.5 = $18,069.45
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Realized P/L = 20,985 − 18,069.45 = $2,915.55
*Tax jurisdictions often require FIFO, LIFO, or Average Cost methods. For content, explain the difference and suggest readers confirm local rules.
4) Futures & Perpetuals (Linear Contracts)
Perpetuals (perps) don’t expire and use funding to anchor prices to spot. Linear USD-margined contracts have straightforward PnL math:
Long vs Short
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Long PnL = (Exit − Entry) × Quantity × ContractSize − Fees + Funding
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Short PnL = (Entry − Exit) × Quantity × ContractSize − Fees + Funding
ROI on Margin % helps you gauge efficiency:
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Margin ≈ Notional ÷ Leverage = (Entry × Quantity × ContractSize) ÷ Leverage
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ROI% (on margin) = PnL ÷ Margin
Example (linear USDT-margined)
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Side: LONG
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Entry: $1.00 | Exit: $1.08
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Quantity: 12,000 contracts | Contract size: 1
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Leverage: 10× | Fees: $24 | Funding: +$6
Compute:
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PnL = (1.08 − 1.00) × 12,000 × 1 − 24 + 6
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PnL = 0.08 × 12,000 − 18 = $942
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Margin = (1.00 × 12,000 × 1) ÷ 10 = $1,200
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ROI% = 942 ÷ 1,200 ≈ 78.5%
Note: Coin-margined or inverse contracts use different math. Keep your template focused on linear unless you plan a dedicated inverse sheet.
5) Fees, Funding, and Hidden Costs (Don’t Skip)
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Trading fees: Maker/taker; tiered by volume—verify your exact rate.
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Network fees: Withdrawals and on-chain moves.
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Slippage: Worse-than-expected fill price on large/illiquid orders.
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Funding (perps): Paid or received periodically; can swing PnL over long holds.
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Borrowing (margin/futures): Interest and funding differ—track both if applicable.
Your calculator should have explicit fields for all of the above—that’s where most “mystery losses” hide.
6) Taxes & Accounting (High-Level)
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Realized vs Unrealized: Profit counts as realized when you close the position (or swap to another asset, in many jurisdictions).
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Cost basis method: FIFO/LIFO/Average Cost can materially change reported gains.
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Staking/Rewards: Often taxed as income when received, then included in cost basis for later disposals.
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Airdrops/Forks: Special cases—document them carefully.
Disclaimer: This is educational, not tax or legal advice.
7) What a Good Crypto Profit Calculator Includes
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Spot tab: buy/sell details, fees, P/L, ROI, break-even.
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DCA tab: lot-level entries, total units, total cost, average cost, per-asset summaries.
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Futures tab: side, entry/exit, contracts, contract size, leverage, fees, funding, PnL, ROI on margin.
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Clear formatting: separate inputs from outputs; lock formulas; freeze headers.
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Export/Track: CSV/XLSX for records; consistent naming and dates.
8) Quick How-To for the Template
Spot Trades sheet
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Fill Buy Date, Buy Price, Buy Fees, Quantity.
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Fill Sell Date, Sell Price, Sell Fees when you close.
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Read Realized P/L, ROI %, Break-even Sell Price.
DCA & Cost Basis sheet
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Add each buy as a new row: Asset, Lot Date, Units, Price, Fees.
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In the Summary by Asset, type your asset symbol (e.g., BTC) to see Total Units, Total Cost, and Average Cost update automatically.
Futures (Linear) sheet
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Set Side to LONG or SHORT.
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Enter Entry, Exit, Contracts (Qty), Contract Size, Leverage, Fees, Funding.
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The sheet calculates PnL (USD) and ROI on Margin %.
10) FAQs
Q: Can I use the calculator for partial sells?
Yes. Use average cost (or your tax method), multiply by the number of units sold, and compute P/L on just those units.
Q: How do I estimate fees if I’m not sure?
Check your exchange’s maker/taker schedule and your 30-day volume tier; add a small buffer for safety.
Q: Does staking yield affect my profit?
Yes. Rewards are typically income when received and increase your cost basis for later disposals.
Q: What about impermanent loss in liquidity pools?
That’s separate from spot P/L. Use a dedicated IL calculator; for an article, link to a future piece focused on AMMs.
Q: Can this work for inverse (coin-margined) futures?
Not directly. The template targets linear USD-margined contracts; inverse PnL needs different formulas.
Final Word
Whether you’re logging a simple spot flip or tracking leveraged perps, a good profit calculator turns chaos into clarity. Use the formulas above, keep fees and funding front-and-center, and maintain clean records.
