Bid-Ask Spread vs Effective Spread

Quick comparison to help you distinguish these two crypto terms.

Bid-Ask Spread
beginner
market_structure

The bid-ask spread is the price difference between the highest buy offer and the lowest sell offer in the order book, representing the immediate cost of trading.

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Effective Spread
intermediate
market_structure

Real cost paid by traders accounting for both bid-ask spread and price movement from entry to execution, measuring true execution expense beyond quoted spreads.

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