How to Track Crypto P&L and Cost Basis (Realized vs Unrealized)
To track crypto P&L: record every buy and sell, work out your average cost basis, then split your profit into realized (locked in from sells) and unrealized (paper gains on what you still hold). Do that per coin and your real performance becomes obvious.
Step 1 - log every buy and sell
Capture date, coin, quantity and price for each fill, including partial exits. This is the raw data everything else is built on.
Step 2 - calculate your cost basis
Cost basis is what you paid for the units you hold. The simplest method is average cost: total spent ÷ total units. When you sell, you realize profit against that average; the remaining units keep the same average cost.
Step 3 - split realized vs unrealized
- Realized P&L = sell proceeds − cost basis of the units sold
- Unrealized P&L = (current price − average cost) × units still held
- Total P&L = realized + unrealized
Do it automatically
Doing this by hand across dozens of fills is exactly where people give up. CryptaDash connects a read-only exchange key and computes average cost, realized and unrealized P&L per coin on live prices - and you can edit any entry. Start free, or brush up on terms in the crypto glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Realized P&L is profit or loss you've locked in by selling. Unrealized P&L is the paper gain or loss on coins you still hold, measured against your average cost.
Cost basis is the total you paid for the units you hold. With the average-cost method, it's your total spent divided by total units - updated as you buy more or sell.
Yes. Connect a read-only exchange key and it computes average cost, realized and unrealized P&L per coin on live prices - no spreadsheet.
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