Update: I've added a guide for those who are new to trading on how to take advantage of this below.
Firstly, it's pretty impressive that SBD (Steem dollar) is being traded at a premium over 50% on both Bittrex and Poloniex.
So if there's ever a time to sell SBD I would recommend selling it now (as I did), unless you expect this inefficiency to last (SBD can always be converted to $1 worth of Steem).
On top of that inefficiency, at the time of writing this post, there was a +7% difference between the buy price on Bittrex and the sell price on Poloniex.
For some reason, I suspect due to trader infamiliarity with Steem, prices consistently trade at a higher price on Poloniex than on Bittrex.
What does this mean?
You can keep money on both accounts and buy/sell on Bittrex and Poloniex pretty much all day, to take advantage of 7% of free cash.
There is a minimum 0.25% fee per trade on Poloniex and on Bittrex.
Approx 5% arbitrage after I'd finished my post (but it fluctuates between 3-8%!) :
Trading Example:
- Assuming 5% arbitrage, and a 0.25% fee once you buy and a 0.25% fee once you sell, on both Poloniex and Bittrex.
- Assuming you can buy at $1.60 on Bittrex and sell at $1.68 on Poloniex.
Note: I'm denominating BTC in $ for simplicity.
So this in this example convert all the $ to bitcoins.
Place $10 on Bittrex (in BTC i.e. around 0.0148BTC) and 6.23 SBD on Poloniex.
Buy $10 worth of SBD at $1.60 on Bittrex:
1 SBD = $1.60
Note: 10 * 1/1.6 = 10/1.6
$10 * 1/1.60 *(1-0.25%) = 6.23 SBD
Sell 6.23 SBD at $1.68 on Poloniex:
1 SBD = $1.68
6.23*1.68 *(1-0.25%) = $10.448
Before: you had $10 on Bittrex and 6.23SBD on Poloniex.
After: you have $10.448 on Poloniex and 6.23 SBD on Bittrex.
You've just made 4.48%.
Comment: If you don't already have SBD, and believe the opportunity will last, buy SBD quickly at the cheapest rate you can find.
Even if in the first arbitrage 'cycle' you still haven't recouped on your initial investment due to the exchange rate you may have bought at, with a few iterations (probably one more cycle) you will make profit.
Ha! You just beat me to it by 1 or 2 minutes. You actually stand more to buy on Steemit and sell on Poloniex than Bittrex->Poloniex. At the time of my post it was closer to 60% profit: https://steemit.com/money/@g-ohm/steem-dollars-currently-trading-at-usd1-645
you can buy on steemit STEEM DOLLAARS?
@nelu.ceban Yes: https://steemit.com/market
Just read your post. Your post spots the inefficiency which exists by the fact that Steem Dollars is trading at over 50% premium which I mentioned at the top.
This post is about the fact that you can arbitrage this premium!
So an inefficiency on an inefficiency.
goood observation for more money :D
i also used arbitrage in sports
I did a lot of arbitrage betting as a student! Brings back memories...
https://steemit.com/steem/@jl777/sbd-at-0025-btc-how-is-this-making-any-sense-i-explain-what-happened-with-the-pricings-today explains why you need to be a bit careful, it is not as much free money as you think, though of course at the extremes it is free money
trading the identical instrument is the safest and what you write about that is cool
There really isn't such a thing as a risk-free hedge. The only thing risk free is a closed position. Risk still exists if short on Bittrex and Long on Poloniex. It may net to zero but credit risk is real and people on the front page are reporting slow payouts from Bittrex which would make true arb very tough. Doesn't mean you can't make real money gaming this. The question you need to constantly ask yourself is how can get fucked doing this trade? You should also be mindful of crowded trades and the exits might get jammed (see the previous sentence). So, I will never again say be careful in the crypto world. It annoys the crap out of me when Indos say this on Just-Dice. How exactly do you 'be careful' gambling? In trading, whether arbitrage or some other form, always look at your risk and think about and find ways that unforeseen risk becomes foreseen. Ignorance is not bliss in any part of life.
Of course. I meant the strategy in itself incurs no risk. The implementation is replete with risk, as I have learned the hard way.
Thanks for your post, I'll check it out.
I wrote an article that explains a simple way to arbitrage across cryptocurrency exchanges, and the math involved. Important to know what you are getting into so that you will not be trading at a loss. https://steemit.com/arbitrage/@kesor/the-math-behind-cross-exchange-arbitrage-trading