Which price does Pluang use to value my crypto in the portfolio?
Pluang values the crypto you hold in your portfolio using the mid price — the midpoint between each coin's bid and ask price. Your estimated holding value and your unrealised profit or loss are both calculated from this mid price, not from the price you would actually get if you sold at that moment. Every crypto trade on Pluang carries a spread, so the price you can sell at is usually a little below the mid price, and the price you buy at a little above it. That is why the portfolio figure is a reference for estimating your position rather than a guaranteed amount you would receive. Once you sell, realised profit or loss follows the actual execution price of your trade, so the funds you receive match the price your order was filled at. The mid price is also different from the price chart, which plots the Last Traded Price — the price of the most recently executed trade for that coin.
The prices you may see for one coin
| Price | What it is | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Bid | The highest price a buyer is offering | The side your sell order trades against |
| Ask | The lowest price a seller is offering | The side your buy order trades against |
| Mid price | The midpoint between bid and ask | Your holding value and unrealised profit or loss in the portfolio |
| Last Traded Price | The price of the most recently executed trade | The price chart |
| Execution price | The price your own order actually fills at | Your realised profit or loss and the funds you receive |
- Why a neutral reference price. The mid price sits between the buy and sell side, so it doesn't favour either. It shows roughly where the market is valuing the coin, without assuming you are about to buy or sell.
- Why the estimate can move without a trade. The mid price updates as the bid and ask change, so your holding value and unrealised profit or loss move continuously, even when you haven't done anything.
- The same approach applies beyond crypto. Unrealised profit or loss on US Stocks is also calculated from the mid price against your average purchase price.
Related questions:
Q: Why is my crypto portfolio value different from what I get when I sell?
Because the portfolio values your coins at the mid price, while a sell order trades against the bid side, which is usually a little lower. The difference is roughly half the spread, and it can be larger if the price moves between checking your portfolio and your order filling, or if your order is large relative to what buyers are offering. Fees on the sale also affect the amount you receive, so check the details shown before you confirm.
Q: Why doesn't my portfolio value match the price on the chart?
Because they use different prices. The chart plots the Last Traded Price — the price of the most recent trade that actually executed for that coin — while your portfolio uses the mid price between the current bid and ask. In a busy market the two usually sit close together; in a quiet or fast-moving market they can drift apart. Neither is wrong: one records the last completed trade, the other estimates value from the prices currently on offer.
Q: Is my unrealised profit or loss on crypto a guaranteed amount?
No. Unrealised profit or loss is an estimate based on the mid price, and it changes continuously while you hold the coin. It becomes a settled figure only when you sell, and at that point it is calculated from the price your order actually filled at. Because the actual sell price is usually a little below the mid price, the realised result often comes in slightly below the last unrealised figure you saw.
Q: Does the mid price include the spread?
No. The mid price sits exactly halfway between the bid and the ask, so it is the one price that doesn't include either side of the spread. That is what makes it useful as a neutral reference for valuing your holdings. The prices you actually trade at do reflect the spread: buying happens at the ask side, above the mid price, and selling happens at the bid side, below it.