Ask price
An ask price is the price at which a seller is willing to sell crypto. The lowest available selling price is also called the best ask.
What is an ask price?
On a crypto exchange with an order book, sellers place sell orders. Each order says how much crypto they want to sell and at what price. The lowest selling price is the ask price.
A buyer who wants to buy right away starts by buying at the lowest ask. If there isn't enough crypto available at that price, the remaining amount is bought at higher selling prices.
The ask price can change constantly. This happens when sellers add or cancel orders, or when an order is filled.
An example of an ask price
Say the best bid for bitcoin is €59,900 and the best ask is €60,000. The difference is €100 per bitcoin. This difference is called the bid-ask spread.
If you buy 0.01 BTC with a market order and there’s enough available at €60,000, the bitcoin itself costs €600. Trading fees may also apply.
Why is the ask price important in crypto?
The ask price shows the price you can probably buy at right now. The last traded price may differ from the current ask price.
The ask often comes up in news about liquidity and trading costs. A lot of sell orders close to the best ask usually means a small buy order has less impact on the price.
The displayed ask is not a fixed guarantee. Orders can change before your purchase is filled. The best ask may also apply to only a small amount. So, for a larger purchase, you may pay higher prices. This is called slippage. Ask prices can also vary between crypto exchanges and trading pairs.
