In recent years, crypto arbitrage has gained enormous prominence in Argentina. Especially among young people, who have found in exchanges, stablecoins, and digital markets a direct path into the financial world.
What is arbitrage and how does it work?
The activity consists of buying an asset at a given quote and selling it quickly by taking advantage of price differences between markets, platforms, or counterparties.
Reduced margins: Margins are usually small—typically around 0.5% and 1.5%.
High turnover: The key to this model is the speed and frequency of the transactions.
Volume vs. Profit: Trading volume is not the same as profit. The same capital can rotate several times within a month, generating gross movements far higher than the real final economic result.
The tax and regulatory framework in Argentina
A common source of confusion is the tax treatment of these transactions. Under ARCA regulations (Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero, formerly AFIP), the transactions are framed as follows:
Cedular tax: The gains obtained by natural persons from the purchase and sale of cryptoassets are covered by this tax. The tax is calculated on the net taxable gain, not on the total amount of money moved.
Deductible amount: As a reference, for the 2025 fiscal period, the annual non-taxable gain was set at $4,507,505.52. Once this amount is exceeded, the applicable rate on the resulting taxable base is 15%.
Nature of the transaction: When a person trades on their own account, the activity is not invoiced as a service. The result arises purely from the difference between the acquisition cost and the selling value.
Bank traceability: Whoever receives a bank transfer in pesos can know certain data about the sender, but not the prior economic origin of those funds. Consistency checks and profiles are part of the compliance systems of banks, financial entities, and other parties obligated to the FIU (Financial Information Unit).
A historical practice that became digital
Arbitrage did not originate with blockchain technology. It is a historical practice in traditional markets, used for buying and selling stocks, bonds, and currencies by taking advantage of temporary price asymmetries between financial hubs. Exchanges and blockchain technology have simply democratized this mechanism, making it accessible worldwide and available 24 hours a day.
About the author and Mi Saldo
“The current challenge is to technically understand these new activities and always distinguish the volume of money that circulates from the real profit an operator obtains.”
— Catriel Taubenschlag, founder of Mi Saldo.
At MiSaldo.com.ar, we believe that healthy growth of the crypto ecosystem requires greater professionalization, knowledge, and regulatory compliance. As a company, we operate under PSAV No. 34 registration with the CNV; we are members of the Cámara Argentina Fintech and hold ISO 9001 quality certification, promoting the highest standards of traceability and risk management in the industry.
Catriel Taubenschlag
Founder of Mi Saldo SRL | PSAV No. 34 regulated by the CNV
*Not financial advice. Published at: Cryptopress.site