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Profit and loss statement Meaning

A Profit and Loss (P&L) statement, also known as an Income Statement, is a financial document that summarizes the revenues, costs, and expenses incurred during a specific period. It is one of the three Core Financial Statements (alongside the Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement) and provides a Snapshot of a company's Operating Performance. The Bottom Line of the P&L tells you whether the business is Profitable (Net Income) or Losing Money (Net Loss).In Fintech and Crypto Trading, a P&L can be broken down into Realized and Unrealized gains.

An Unrealized P&L (often called Paper Gains) is the profit you would have if you sold your assets right now. A Realized P&L is the actual cash you have Locked In after selling. For many Crypto Investors, the Volatility means their P&L can swing from Green to Red in a matter of minutes, making Risk Management essential.Technically, modern Portfolio Trackers and Exchanges provide a Live P&L dashboard.

This uses APIs to compare your Buy Price (Cost Basis) with the Current Market Price. For a DeFi Trader, calculating P&L is more complex because it must include Gas Fees, Staking Rewards, and Impermanent Loss from Liquidity Providing.

Without a specialized Tax Tool, manually calculating a Crypto P&L for hundreds of transactions can be a Nightmare for the user.For Fintech Startups, the P&L is the Ultimate Report Card for their Investors. It shows whether their Business Model is Sustainable.

Many fintechs operate with a Net Loss for years as they focus on User Growth, hoping that Scale will eventually lead to Profitability. As the VC Market matures, there is more pressure on these companies to show a Path to Profit, leading to a shift in focus from Burn Rate to Unit Economics and Positive P&L.

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