How to find your crypto break-even price
The selling price where you get back exactly what you put in, fees included.
Your break-even price is the selling price at which you'd get back exactly what you spent. With a fixed sale fee: (total spent + sale fee) ÷ coins held. With a percentage sale fee: total spent ÷ (coins held × (1 − fee rate)).
The formulas
If the sale fee is a fixed dollar amount:
Break-even = (total spent + sale fee) ÷ coins held
If the sale fee is a percentage:
Break-even = total spent ÷ (coins held × (1 − fee rate))
Example
You spent $1,000 (including fees) and hold 0.0199 BTC. With a 1% sale fee: $1,000 ÷ (0.0199 × 0.99) = $50,758.84. Bitcoin must reach about $50,759 before selling makes you whole, even though you bought at $50,000.
Why it's higher than your purchase price
You pay fees twice: once when buying (fewer coins for your money) and once when selling. The break-even price covers both. On instant-buy screens with wide spreads, the gap can be several percent.
Frequently asked questions
Does break-even include taxes?
Not in this formula. Selling exactly at break-even creates no gain, so typically no tax on that sale, but other sales may differ.
I bought at several prices. What's my break-even?
Add up everything you spent and all the coins you hold, then use the same formula. The recurring purchase simulator shows your average cost.
Where to next
Written for beginners and checked against the sources listed. Last reviewed October 26, 2026. This page is educational and is not financial, tax or legal advice. How we write and check pages.