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What Does It Actually Cost to Off-Ramp $100,000 of USDT?

The real fee stack behind converting stablecoins to fiat, spread, network fee and wire cost, with a worked illustrative example.

Sentvia

2 min read

Sentvia provides a stablecoin payments platform for global businesses

Off-ramping $100,000 worth of stablecoin has three cost components: the conversion spread, an on-chain network fee to move the stablecoin, and a wire or transfer fee to land the fiat in your account. None of these are fixed industry rates. Together they typically add up to a small percentage of the transaction, and the spread is usually the largest and least visible piece.

Where the real cost hides

  • Conversion spread: the difference between the market rate and the rate you're offered. This varies by provider and size, and is usually the largest cost.
  • Network fee: a small, usually fixed cost to move the stablecoin on-chain, paid once regardless of the size of the transfer.
  • Wire or transfer fee: a fixed cost charged by the receiving bank network, unrelated to the size of the conversion.

A headline of no fees usually means the spread is wider, not that the transaction is genuinely free. The spread is the part most providers don't itemise on a receipt, which is exactly why it's worth asking about directly.

A worked illustrative example

Say a provider offers a spread of 0.5 percent, a flat network fee of $10, and a wire fee of $25. On a $100,000 conversion, that works out to roughly $500 from the spread plus $35 in fixed fees, about 0.54 percent all-in. The share of the cost coming from fixed fees shrinks as the transaction size grows, which is why the spread matters most at scale.

Terms used on this page

  • Spread: the gap between the market rate and the rate actually offered to you.
  • All-in cost: the total of every fee and spread combined, expressed as a single figure or percentage.

Frequently asked questions

Is the spread the same for every provider?

No. It varies by provider, by the size of your transaction, and by market conditions at the time. It's worth asking for the spread specifically rather than accepting a headline fee figure.

Why do fixed fees matter less at larger transaction sizes?

A fixed fee of $35 is a larger share of a $1,000 conversion than a $100,000 one. As size grows, the spread, which scales with the amount, becomes the number that matters most.

Does Sentvia publish a standard rate?

No. Sentvia agrees pricing per client based on the transaction. Ask for a quote for your specific size and currency rather than assuming a published rate applies.

What should I ask a provider to quote me?

Ask for the all-in cost, not just the headline fee. That means the spread, the network fee and the wire fee added together as a single number you can compare across providers.

Related reading

  • What does an OTC desk actually do, from quote to settlement? /blog/what-does-an-otc-desk-do
  • How to choose a stablecoin off-ramp provider for your business: /blog/stablecoin-off-ramp-providers-compared
  • How businesses convert stablecoins to fiat, currency by currency: /blog/stablecoin-to-fiat-settlement

Sources

  • Boston Consulting Group and Allium Labs, January 2026: real economy stablecoin payments grew to an estimated 350 to 550 billion US dollars in 2025, up around 60 percent year on year. https://www.bcg.com/assets/2026/white-paper-stablecoin-payments-truth-behind-numbers.pdf
  • Forbes Digital Assets, 27 July 2026: stablecoin supply stood at roughly 300 billion US dollars in July 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2026/07/27/the-stablecoin-market-shrank-for-the-first-time-in-four-years-watch-the-volumes-instead/

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