WAVES arbitrage explained
Right now Waves (WAVES) trades on 5 venues we scan: 4 perpetual markets, 4 spot markets and 0 DEX pools. The lowest ask is on Bybit spot at $0.2815 and the highest bid on Bybit perp at $0.2817.
The widest WAVES perpetual spread is between Variational and Bybit: long WAVES on Variational at $0.2817 and short on Bybit at $0.2817 for 0.00% gross, or -0.16% 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 +0.000% per day, which the position collects while it is open.
For a spot–perpetual (cash-and-carry) trade, the best WAVES route is to buy spot on Bybit and short the perpetual on Bybit: +0.07% gross, -0.13% net, with +0.030% a day of funding on the short leg.
Spot–spot WAVES arbitrage (buy on Bybit, withdraw, deposit and sell on KuCoin) shows -0.07% 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 WAVES 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: WAVES funding rates · WAVES spread charts · Waves price · arbitrage scanner for all coins.