Crypto arbitrage for beginners: which tools can help you earn money in 2026?

Why arbitrage remains the safest way to trade in 2026, and the essential Tool you need to stay ahead of the volatility.

Looking to make money with cryptocurrency arbitrage? Here are some profitable strategies and top scanners to consider: ArbitrageScanner.io, 3Commas, Dex Screener, and Bitsgap.

Crypto arbitrage is a hot topic in 2026. Many people interested in earning from cryptocurrencies are searching for reliable information and effective methods. I know this firsthand, as I once had the same questions.

Recently, more traders and P2P users have started moving into arbitrage. The main reason is the potential for higher earnings. There are several ways to profit from crypto arbitrage, and many people are taking advantage of them.

But finding a profitable opportunity on your own can be time-consuming, and by the time you spot one, it might be gone. To save time, it’s better to use specialized services. These tools help you find good deals quickly and easily, so you don’t miss out on potential profits.

I’ve tested several platforms and want to share what I’ve learned. First, though, let’s explain what cryptocurrency arbitrage means.

What is cryptocurrency arbitrage?

Cryptocurrency arbitrage means buying a coin or token on one exchange and quickly selling it on another at a higher price. This lets you earn money from the price difference between the two platforms.

The crypto market is popular with arbitrage traders because of its high volatility. No other asset has such wide price swings. Many people have realized they can use this volatility to make money, and they are doing just that.

TYPES OF ARBITRAGE

There are several main types of arbitrage:

Simple arbitrage: For example, a trader buys BTC on one exchange for $50,000, moves it to another exchange, and sells it for $50,200.

Triangle arbitrage: This strategy uses price differences between trading pairs on the same exchange. Here’s an example: Suppose you have 1 BTC, and the exchange offers these rates:

– 1 BTC = 10 ETH;

– 1 ETH = 400 LTC;

– 1 LTC = 0.00026 BTC. Step one: You exchange 1 BTC for 10 ETH.

Step two: You exchange 10 ETH for 4000 LTC (10 ETH * 400 LTC/ETH).

Step three: You exchange 4000 LTC back to BTC. If the rate is 1 LTC = 0.00026 BTC, you will receive 1.04 BTC (4000 LTC * 0.00026 BTC/LTC). Accordingly, the profit will be 0.04 BTC.

Spot and futures arbitrage: Not many platforms offer this, but I found one that does, which I’ll mention later. In this method, you buy assets on the spot market for immediate sale and use the futures market to lock in a price for the future.

The price difference between these markets creates an arbitrage opportunity. For example, you could transfer 15,045.495 USDT to your futures account and keep the same amount in your trading account.

Then, buy 0.5 BTC on the spot market and open a short position for 0.5 BTC on perpetual futures using 15,045.495 USDT. With a funding rate of 0.05% just before accrual, you would get 7.5227475 USDT. If the rate stays the same, three payments per day would give you an annual percentage rate (APR) of 82.37%.

There are many online examples of people making money with this method in a short time. For instance, one YouTube video shows a trader earning $175 in just two minutes.

The above are the three main types of cryptocurrency arbitrage.

Best Reliable Service providers for Crypto Arbitrage

Next, let’s look at some services that can help you earn a profit.

1. ArbitrageScanner io

ArbitrageScanner io is the best tool for crypto arbitrage bot and blockchain data analysis. I mentioned it earlier. I almost didn’t choose this service because of the $99 subscription fee. But if I had known how useful it was, I would have subscribed right away.

The service offers the following features:

• ArbitrageScanner offers on-chain analysis across a wide range of platforms. It supports over 30 centralized exchanges and more than 50 decentralized exchanges, tracking arbitrage spreads on 40+ blockchains. This helps you quickly spot profitable opportunities. Notifications are sent through Telegram, so users get updates right away.
• ArbitrageScreener finds and alerts you to the biggest spreads for any coin or token. As soon as a good opportunity appears, you’ll know right away. According to the service’s blog, some dedicated users have made over 200 trades a day and earned about 150% profit.
• Perpetuals and DEX arbitrage are available, which have been showing good returns recently. For example, one user earned $49,000 in a single day, representing +11.7% of their deposit.

• Wallet Analysis is a simple tool for analyzing wallets. If you follow a well-known investor and want to copy their trades, this feature can help you find their wallet and mirror their moves. You can also analyze multiple wallets at once to spot trends among groups of investors.
• I also liked that ArbitrageScanner.io doesn’t need your API key. This is a big plus for me, since API-related crypto thefts are not rare.

These are just some of its features. There’s much more to explore, so if you want more details, I suggest checking out the official website. You’ll find answers to any questions there.

2. 3commas

3commas is an automated trading platform. I tried it mainly to compare it with other services. Personally, I’m not comfortable giving my API keys to third-party platforms, especially since API-related crypto thefts do happen.

The main feature of 3commas is creating trading bots for centralized exchanges, but it only supports about 12 exchanges. If you’re new to trading bots, you’ll either need to experiment with the settings (which can be costly) or buy a pre-made bot from their marketplace, which also costs extra. Plus, the monthly subscription starts at $49. There’s a free version, but it limits you to one bot per direction.

With its steep learning curve, required API connection, and no support for decentralized exchanges, 3commas isn’t my top pick for making money with crypto.

DEX Screener

DEX Screener lets you analyze data from decentralized exchanges. One big advantage is that it’s free, so anyone can try it out and see what it offers.

However, its features aren’t as broad as those of Arbitrage Scanner. When it comes to making money with crypto, it’s often worth investing in tools that can help you earn more.

It also requires an API connection, which can turn off many traders who worry about security. There’s no data on centralized exchanges, so you have fewer options for arbitrage. Plus, alerts are only available on the website, so you have to keep checking the platform, which isn’t very convenient.

In short, DEX Screener is good for getting familiar with decentralized exchanges, but it’s not the best choice if you want to earn money.

Bitsgap

Bitsgap is another trading bot platform. It has the same drawbacks as 3commas: a complicated setup, pricey pre-made bots, required API connection, a free 7-day trial, and it only works with centralized exchanges. The monthly subscription starts at €20.

The main issue with these services is the lack of analytical tools. If you already have experience with cryptocurrencies, you might be able to use bots and make a profit. But for beginners, it’s very challenging.

There aren’t enough tutorials or case studies to help new users learn from scratch. Like 3commas, Bitsgap is fine for exploring, but not much more.

Conclusion

I ended up choosing ArbitrageScanner.io. It provides a range of helpful tools, plenty of training resources, and regular case studies from other users.

The subscription price might seem high at first, but if you see it as an investment, it can pay off quickly. You also save time by not having to search for profitable opportunities or deal with complicated features — everything is simple and easy to use.

ArbitrageScanner io also has the largest chat room for arbitrage, where users share tips and experiences. If you have questions, experienced members are there to help.

Until next time,

Good luck and happy trading!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you

Crypto arbitrage for beginners: which tools can help you earn money in 2026? was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.