ApeX vs Variational Funding Arbitrage
7 shared markets · net of estimated fees · updated every few minutesApeX and Variational both quote 7 of the same perpetual markets, so a delta-neutral position can be split across the two and collect the difference in their funding. The widest spread on a market with real depth is SOL — long Variational / short ApeX at 13.5% net APR — but the median across all shared markets is 10.7%, which is the number worth planning around.
The long leg is whichever venue prices funding lower for that market. It is a property of the MARKET, not of the exchange, and it flips as rates move: here 0 markets go long on ApeX and 7 on Variational. 5 markets clear 5% net APR, 4 clear 10%.
How this pair behaves
ApeX pays funding every 1h on 14 markets; Variational pays every 8h on 137 markets and every 4h on 78 markets. The two clocks differ, so one leg settles while the other is still accruing: a position held for only a few hours can pay one side without ever collecting from the other. ApeX quotes 14 perpetual markets in total and Variational quotes 217; the 7 they share are what this page ranks. Across its own book ApeX runs a median funding rate of 10.9% and Variational 5.5%, so the edge here comes from individual markets rather than from a standing gap between the venues.
Spreads by market
top 7 of 7 by net APR| Market | Long | Short | Net APR | Gross | 7d avg | Thin leg vol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WLD | Variational | ApeX | 19.1% | 22.9% | +5.3% | $50K |
| SOL | Variational | ApeX | 13.5% | 15.3% | -0.1% | $1.3M |
| ARB | Variational | ApeX | 11.8% | 16.1% | +8.1% | $67K |
| LINK | Variational | ApeX | 10.7% | 14.1% | +11.1% | $24K |
| LTC | Variational | ApeX | 6.7% | 11.1% | +12.8% | $86K |
| APT | Variational | ApeX | 3.7% | 8.7% | +26.0% | $16K |
| ETH | Variational | ApeX | 0.7% | 2.3% | — | $16.6M |
Net APR subtracts entry and exit fees, both legs' bid/ask spread and estimated slippage from the gross funding spread. The 7-day average is historical gross funding for the same pair: a current rate close to it suggests the spread has persisted, one far above it is usually a spike that will decay.
Coverage note: ApeX and Variational share 7 markets, 2 of them with real depth — below the 10 markets / 5 liquid this page treats as full coverage, so this is a thin sample rather than a picture of the pair.
ApeX vs Variational — FAQ
How many markets can you arbitrage between ApeX and Variational?
7 perpetual markets are quoted on both ApeX and Variational right now. 5 of them show a net spread of at least 5% APR after estimated fees, and 2 have at least $1M of 24h volume on the smaller leg.
What is the best ApeX / Variational funding spread right now?
SOL: long Variational and short ApeX for about 13.5% net APR after estimated fees, counting only markets with at least $1M of 24h volume on the smaller leg. The median across all 7 shared markets is 10.7%, so the top of the list is not typical.
Which side pays on the ApeX / Variational pair?
It varies by market: ApeX is the long (funding-receiving) leg in 0 of the shared markets and Variational in the other 7. The direction is set per market by which venue currently prices funding lower.
Trading the ApeX / Variational spread
The trade is one position split across two venues: long the exchange paying the more negative funding, short the one paying the more positive, in the same size. What limits it is not the headline APR but the smaller leg's liquidity, the fees on both sides, and how long the spread survives — funding decays and flips, often within hours. Venue detail: ApeX funding rates · Variational funding rates; the full calculation is in the methodology.