Gate.io vs Variational Funding Arbitrage
76 shared markets · net of estimated fees · updated every few minutesGate.io and Variational both quote 76 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 PONS — long Gate.io / short Variational at 50.5% net APR — but the median across all shared markets is 14.5%, 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 57 markets go long on Gate.io and 19 on Variational. 65 markets clear 5% net APR, 51 clear 10%.
How this pair behaves
Gate.io pays funding every 8h on 226 markets and every 4h on 201 markets; Variational pays every 8h on 136 markets and every 4h on 78 markets. Both sides settle on the same clock, so a position opened here collects or pays on both legs at once — the spread you see is the spread you get. Gate.io quotes 429 perpetual markets in total and Variational quotes 216; the 76 they share are what this page ranks. Across its own book Gate.io runs a median funding rate of 2.8% and Variational 5.8%, so the edge here comes from individual markets rather than from a standing gap between the venues.
Spreads by market
top 25 of 76 by net APR| Market | Long | Short | Net APR | Gross | 7d avg | Thin leg vol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERA | Gate.io | Variational | 472.7% | 475.9% | +95.0% | $154K |
| MEW | Variational | Gate.io | 391.5% | 396.2% | +28.2% | $62K |
| ZIL | Gate.io | Variational | 156.2% | 160.3% | +33.2% | $20K |
| XPD | Gate.io | Variational | 94.4% | 97.1% | +2.7% | $297K |
| SAND | Gate.io | Variational | 78.3% | 81.4% | +40.2% | $114K |
| EWJ | Variational | Gate.io | 65.5% | 68.4% | -3.4% | $26K |
| BR | Gate.io | Variational | 59.3% | 63.1% | +27.5% | $284K |
| ZM | Gate.io | Variational | 58.7% | 62.0% | +0.5% | $28K |
| PONS | Gate.io | Variational | 50.5% | 54.5% | +19.1% | $1.0M |
| Q | Gate.io | Variational | 46.5% | 51.5% | +7.6% | $799K |
| PHA | Gate.io | Variational | 43.3% | 46.6% | +32.8% | $276K |
| BMNR | Gate.io | Variational | 38.7% | 42.3% | +2.9% | $347K |
| MORPHO | Gate.io | Variational | 36.5% | 39.2% | +4.9% | $133K |
| RSR | Gate.io | Variational | 35.9% | 39.6% | +25.1% | $30K |
| EGLD | Variational | Gate.io | 35.1% | 38.9% | -29.2% | $14K |
| ASTS | Variational | Gate.io | 34.8% | 38.9% | +9.2% | $202K |
| ALGO | Gate.io | Variational | 33.7% | 38.3% | +2.2% | $28K |
| STRK | Variational | Gate.io | 30.2% | 33.8% | -5.2% | $1.3M |
| ASTER | Gate.io | Variational | 27.7% | 30.7% | -1.9% | $203K |
| NFLX | Gate.io | Variational | 26.4% | 29.7% | +2.9% | $709K |
| AKE | Variational | Gate.io | 26.3% | 30.2% | +9.5% | $136K |
| VIRTUAL | Variational | Gate.io | 25.6% | 28.6% | +6.3% | $24K |
| ADBE | Gate.io | Variational | 25.2% | 28.3% | +16.4% | $139K |
| JTO | Gate.io | Variational | 24.9% | 28.3% | +9.0% | $37K |
| ETHFI | Gate.io | Variational | 24.8% | 27.8% | -0.3% | $772K |
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.
Gate.io vs Variational — FAQ
How many markets can you arbitrage between Gate.io and Variational?
76 perpetual markets are quoted on both Gate.io and Variational right now. 65 of them show a net spread of at least 5% APR after estimated fees, and 17 have at least $1M of 24h volume on the smaller leg.
What is the best Gate.io / Variational funding spread right now?
PONS: long Gate.io and short Variational for about 50.5% net APR after estimated fees, counting only markets with at least $1M of 24h volume on the smaller leg. The median across all 76 shared markets is 14.5%, so the top of the list is not typical.
Which side pays on the Gate.io / Variational pair?
It varies by market: Gate.io is the long (funding-receiving) leg in 57 of the shared markets and Variational in the other 19. The direction is set per market by which venue currently prices funding lower.
Trading the Gate.io / 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: Gate.io funding rates · Variational funding rates; the full calculation is in the methodology.