<p>The answers listed previously, are accurate with exchanges. Then you have coinbase.com which is not an exchange its more of a conversion mechanism. For BTC to Fiat and vice versa. I came to this stack based on a query as to how they replenish their supplies during rallies like the current ATH we are seeing now.</p>

<p>I think exchanges and sites like coinbase buy and sell from each other. They may do this via a large exchange like bitfinex or stamp, or even smaller exchanges. This is also most likely automated and built upon algorithms that watch for the most favorable exchanges and maximized profits. Large exchanges have lots of coins that can be bought and sold over and over again. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-04T01:40:51.017Z
Coinbase.com also now offers an exchange.
Claris
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-04T01:12:28.803Z
2015-11-04T01:12:28.803Z
Michael Quale
<p>Also, markets typically show the Lowest ask and the Highest Bid.</p>

<p>You can see some of the depth of the market on charts like this
<a href="http://www.bitcoincharts.com/markets/virtexCAD.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.bitcoincharts.com/markets/virtexCAD.html</a> (should show where volume of buys and sells are)</p>

<p>The difference between the Bid and the Ask is the Spread. Major financial markets have market makers. These people (mostly robots now) will buy and sell an inventory of stock and try to capture that spread to make a profit. The more liquid the market the tighter the spread gets.</p>

<p>As far as I know there are no officail professional Bitcoin Market makers yet.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-13T15:56:07.850Z
2014-01-13T15:56:07.850Z
Garno5440
<p>You set the price, and other user's decide if they want to buy it at whatever price. If you saw 1 btc selling for $10, you'd buy it asap right now wouldn't you? And what if you saw it at $1 million, you wouldn't buy that as well right? Exchanges just keep track and process orders people set. If set a sell order for $1 million right now, no one would fulfill it until it was reasonable for them, maybe sometime in the future.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-12T00:07:35.890Z
2015-05-12T09:34:54.903Z
2015-05-12T09:34:54.903Z
John T
<p>An exchange doesn't set a price at all. It provides a framework for customers to buy and sell coins to each other, at whatever prices the buyers and sellers find mutually agreeable. The exchange itself does not buy or sell, and the prices it quotes are just a report of what its customers are doing  right now.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-14T04:51:04.817Z
If all exchanges' prices solely depend on bid and ask, we would not see what we see everyday where all exhanges (worldwide) prices are following each other in a synchronization manner. There must be something more to it then bid and ask.
Joe Anucha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-14T06:21:51.153Z
@JoeAnucha: Whenever prices between exchanges diverge too much, a trader will find it profitable to buy on one and sell on the other. This arbitrage equalizes prices. Also see: https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/20384/5406
Murch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-12T00:03:50.707Z
2014-01-12T00:03:50.707Z
Nate Eldredge
<p>What do exchanges base their Bitcoin and alt currency prices on? What makes them say that they will sell bitcoins for certain amount? Do they increase and decrease their price based on what other exchanges are selling for?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-12T15:09:37.980Z
possible duplicate of [How is the exchange rate for Bitcoin established?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/2566/5406)
Murch
<exchanges><exchange-rate>
How do bitcoin exchanges set prices?
user438454534
# How do bitcoin exchanges set prices?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-11)

What do exchanges base their Bitcoin and alt currency prices on? What makes them say that they will sell bitcoins for certain amount? Do they increase and decrease their price based on what other exchanges are selling for?

**Tags:** exchanges, exchange-rate

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: possible duplicate of [How is the exchange rate for Bitcoin established?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/2566/5406)  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-01-12. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

An exchange doesn't set a price at all. It provides a framework for customers to buy and sell coins to each other, at whatever prices the buyers and sellers find mutually agreeable. The exchange itself does not buy or sell, and the prices it quotes are just a report of what its customers are doing right now.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: If all exchanges' prices solely depend on bid and ask, we would not see what we see everyday where all exhanges (worldwide) prices are following each other in a synchronization manner. There must be something more to it then bid and ask.  
> **username_1**: @username_7: Whenever prices between exchanges diverge too much, a trader will find it profitable to buy on one and sell on the other. This arbitrage equalizes prices. Also see: https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/20384/5406  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-11-04. Score: 0

The answers listed previously, are accurate with exchanges. Then you have coinbase.com which is not an exchange its more of a conversion mechanism. For BTC to Fiat and vice versa. I came to this stack based on a query as to how they replenish their supplies during rallies like the current ATH we are seeing now.

I think exchanges and sites like coinbase buy and sell from each other. They may do this via a large exchange like bitfinex or stamp, or even smaller exchanges. This is also most likely automated and built upon algorithms that watch for the most favorable exchanges and maximized profits. Large exchanges have lots of coins that can be bought and sold over and over again.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Coinbase.com also now offers an exchange.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-01-13. Score: 0

Also, markets typically show the Lowest ask and the Highest Bid.

You can see some of the depth of the market on charts like this
<http://www.bitcoincharts.com/markets/virtexCAD.html> (should show where volume of buys and sells are)

The difference between the Bid and the Ask is the Spread. Major financial markets have market makers. These people (mostly robots now) will buy and sell an inventory of stock and try to capture that spread to make a profit. The more liquid the market the tighter the spread gets.

As far as I know there are no officail professional Bitcoin Market makers yet.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2014-01-12. Score: 0

You set the price, and other user's decide if they want to buy it at whatever price. If you saw 1 btc selling for $10, you'd buy it asap right now wouldn't you? And what if you saw it at $1 million, you wouldn't buy that as well right? Exchanges just keep track and process orders people set. If set a sell order for $1 million right now, no one would fulfill it until it was reasonable for them, maybe sometime in the future.


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