BRVX Glossary · Bid-ask spread · Updated September 24, 2026
The bid-ask spread is the gap between the highest price a buyer is offering (the bid) and the lowest price a seller is asking (the ask) for the same asset at the same moment. Buying at the ask and selling at the bid straight away loses the spread, so it is a cost of every round trip.
The formula
Spread Ask − Bid Spread % (Ask − Bid) ÷ Mid
Buying at the ask and selling at the bid right away costs exactly the spread.
How it works
- Bid Best buyer
- Gap The spread
- Ask Best seller
How to calculate it
Spread = ask − bid. As a percentage: (ask − bid) ÷ mid price, where the mid price is halfway between the two. If gold is bid at 2,400.0 and asked at 2,400.6, the spread is 0.6, or 0.025% of the mid price.
Why it widens
- Low liquidity: fewer buyers and sellers competing to quote.
- Volatility: quoting a tight price is riskier when prices jump.
- Off-hours: when an asset's main market is closed, fewer participants provide prices.
Spread as a cost
The spread is paid on entry and exit on top of explicit fees. When comparing venues, add the typical spread to the fee: a low fee with a wide spread can cost more than a higher fee with a tight one.
BRVX charges an explicit fee per market — 0.08% to open and 0.08% to close on XAUT/USDT, for example — and the app's charts are drawn from BRVX's own price feed.
Questions about Bid-ask spread
Who earns the spread?
The party providing the quotes — a market maker, a liquidity provider or the venue itself, depending on the market structure.
Is a smaller spread better?
Yes, for the trader. A tighter spread means a smaller cost each time a position is opened and closed.
Is the spread the same as slippage?
No. The spread exists before you trade; slippage is how far your fill lands from the price you expected.
Bid-ask spread: next steps on BRVX
Bid-ask spread on WLD/USDT: market orders with TP / SL triggers only, 0.07% per side, 0.14% a round trip, up to 80x.
Read next: Market vs limit order, Slippage and Mark price.
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