The Execution Tax: How Fees, MEV, and Slippage Are Quietly Eroding Small-Position Crypto Returns
For retail traders operating with smaller position sizes, the visible price of a trade is rarely the actual cost of execution. Transaction fees, maximum extractable value extraction, and slippage combine into a compounding performance drag that can consume a disproportionate share of annual returns—often without the trader ever seeing a single line item that captures the full damage. This analysis quantifies the execution tax and provides actionable strategies for minimizing it.