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Crypto Yield Calculator: What A Position Actually Nets

Yield Calculator

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Gross yield—
Costs—
Effective annual return—
Break-even holding period—
Assumes the APY holds for the whole period, which it rarely does. Costs are the ones most calculators ignore and they matter most on small positions and short holds.

Why the APY is not the return

A 4.5% APY on $1,000 earns about $45 over a year. If getting the money in and out costs 1%, that is $10 gone before anything compounds — roughly a fifth of the return. On $100,000 the same percentage costs $1,000 but leaves 80% of a much larger number. Position size changes whether a yield is worth taking at all.

The break-even holding period

The figure most yield content omits. If entry and exit cost 1% and the position pays 4.5%, you need to hold roughly two and a half months before the yield covers the cost of getting in. Anything shorter loses money no matter how good the rate looks.

What this does not model

It assumes the APY holds for the whole period. It rarely does — rates move with utilisation, and a rate quoted today is a snapshot. It also ignores tax, which is jurisdiction-specific and can be the largest cost of all.