Chain Calculator: the Cheapest Way to Buy Crypto
Compare three purchase routes — direct P2P, USDT P2P → spot, and BestChange exchangers — and see the final cost with all fees. Live example: 1 ETH costs 83 033 UAH via P2P→spot vs 86 497 UAH direct P2P.
What it is
The Chain Calculator answers one question: what is the cheapest way to turn your fiat into a specific coin? It compares three routes and shows the final cost of 1 coin including every fee along the way.
- Direct P2P — buy the coin straight from a P2P seller.
- USDT P2P → spot — buy USDT via P2P, then exchange it to the target coin on the spot market.
- BestChange — use an exchanger (e.g. via BestChange feed) to convert fiat or USDT into the coin.
How it is calculated
Every leg of the route is computed separately with its own fees:
The route with the lowest final cost per coin is marked as the best route.
- Fiat deposit fee — bank/card top-up fee, 0% by default.
- P2P premium — the seller markup, already inside the USDT buy rate.
- USDT network fee — TRC20 transfer costs 1 USDT.
- Spot taker fee — e.g. 0% on MEXC for the final swap.
- Exchanger margin — already included in the exchanger rate.
Worked example: 10 000 UAH → ETH
Live numbers from the calculator (ETH ~83–87k UAH):
The same Ethereum, bought three different ways, costs up to ~14 700 UAH more on the worst route. This is the difference the calculator finds for you in one click.
- USDT P2P → spot: 83 033 UAH per ETH — the best route (delta 0.00%).
- Direct P2P: 86 497 UAH per ETH — 4.17% more expensive.
- BestChange: 97 717 UAH per ETH — 17.68% more expensive.
Crypto rotation mode
Besides fiat → crypto, the tool has a crypto rotation mode: it calculates the cheapest path to swap one crypto into another (crypto → crypto), again accounting for spot fees and network costs on each leg.
Tips
- Enter the deposit fee you actually pay — it directly changes the ranking of routes.
- USDT TRC20 is the cheapest network to move USDT between P2P and spot.
- If the BestChange route wins, double-check the exchanger reserve and limits before sending.
The tool is free and updates in real time.
FAQ
Which routes are compared?
Three: direct P2P purchase, USDT via P2P then spot exchange, and a BestChange-style exchanger route. For each one the calculator shows the final cost of the target coin with all fees included.
What fees are included?
Fiat deposit fee (0% by default), P2P seller premium, USDT network fee (TRC20 — 1 USDT), spot taker fee and the exchanger margin. You can adjust the deposit fee to match your bank.
Why is the BestChange route sometimes more expensive?
Exchangers build their margin into the rate — often 1–3% or more. That is why the P2P→spot route usually wins for large amounts, while exchangers can be useful for small amounts or rare directions.
What is crypto rotation mode?
A mode where you choose a crypto you have and a crypto you want, and the calculator finds the cheapest conversion path (crypto → crypto) including spot and network fees on every leg.
Which USDT network is used?
TRC20 — the standard choice for P2P/spot transfers. The network fee is fixed at 1 USDT per transfer in the calculations.
