LDO arbitrage explained
Right now Lido DAO (LDO) trades on 10 venues we scan: 10 perpetual markets, 7 spot markets and 0 DEX pools. The lowest ask is on Bybit perp at $0.434 and the highest bid on Gate spot at $0.4349.
The widest LDO perpetual spread is between Bybit and Variational: long LDO on Bybit at $0.434 and short on Variational at $0.4349 for +0.21% gross, or +0.05% after the 0.16% two-leg fee model. No transfer is needed: both positions stay on their exchanges until the prices converge. The funding difference on this pair is +0.031% per day, which the position collects while it is open.
For a spot–perpetual (cash-and-carry) trade, the best LDO route is to buy spot on MEXC and short the perpetual on Variational: +0.05% gross, -0.15% net, with -0.022% a day of funding on the short leg.
Spot–spot LDO arbitrage (buy on MEXC, withdraw, deposit and sell on Gate) shows +0.05% gross right now. It only works if withdrawals on the buying exchange and deposits on the selling exchange are open, so check the D/W dots before moving coins.
Small LDO gaps usually disappear after fees, slippage and funding. Look at the Net column, the executable Depth and the spread history before trading: a gap that has been open for days is a different trade from a one-minute spike.
Related: LDO funding rates · LDO spread charts · Lido DAO price · arbitrage scanner for all coins.