# Understanding Profit, PnL, and APY

On your dashboard, you'll see several different metrics that measure profitability. They might seem similar, but they tell you slightly different things about your bot's performance.

<figure><img src="/files/H0RxeT7Bd93HtEEiqqrC" alt=""><figcaption><p>Compound your long-term treasury</p></figcaption></figure>

#### Realized Profit

This is the actual, tangible profit that the bot has secured and locked in. It comes from completed trading cycles where the bot has successfully bought an asset and then sold it at a higher price. This profit is "real" and is no longer affected by market fluctuations.

#### Total Profit

This is the **overall profit** of your bot at that exact moment. It's calculated by combining two components:

`Total Profit = Realized Profit (PNL) + Unrealized Profit`

* **Unrealized Profit** is the "paper" profit or loss on the assets the bot currently holds. It's called "unrealized" because it constantly changes with the market price and only becomes real when the assets are sold.

> **Example**: Your bot has a **PNL** of **+$50**. It is currently holding 1 ETH, which it bought for $2,500. The current price of ETH is $2,480, so the **unrealized profit** is **-$20**. Your **Total Profit** would be $50 + (-$20) = **$30**.

#### APY (Annual Percentage Yield)

APY is a **projection**, not a historical fact.

> **APY takes the bot's recent performance and estimates what the return on investment would be if that rate continued for a full year.**

Think of APY like a car's speedometer: it tells you your current speed, not the total distance you've traveled. A high APY means the bot is currently operating very efficiently. It's a great metric for comparing the *current* performance of different bots, but remember that it will fluctuate with the market and is not a guarantee of future returns.


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