Bid-Ask Spread Impact

The bid-ask spread impact is the cost incurred by paying the difference between the buy and sell price in a market. For a market maker or a hedger, this spread represents a direct cost that must be overcome to achieve profitability.

In highly liquid markets, the spread is narrow, but in crypto, it can widen significantly during periods of low liquidity or high volatility. Consistently paying the spread can erode the performance of any trading strategy over time.

Effective traders seek to minimize this impact by using limit orders instead of market orders whenever possible to capture the spread rather than pay it.

Bid Ask Spread
Spread Widening
Market Maker Quotes
Market Maker Liquidity Provision
Market Maker Inventory
Spread
Spread Capture Strategy
Liquidity Provision Incentives