**The Theory and Reality of Cross-Chain Arbitrage**

After deploying lisUSD on multiple public chains via LayerZero, price discrepancies often occur between different chains. For example, lisUSD on Arbitrum rises to 1.02, while on BNB Chain it remains at 1.00. This 2% price difference looks like free money—borrowing lisUSD on BNB Chain, swapping cross-chain to USDT, transferring to Arbitrum to sell, then swapping back, and pocketing the profit.

Sounds perfect, right? In reality, it’s not that simple.

**Why Retail Investors Can’t Do This Trade**

First, the gas fees and confirmation times of cross-chain bridges are critical to success. This kind of hard arbitrage(Hard Arb) requires reaction times in seconds—MEV bots have already spotted these price gaps and usually eliminate the opportunity within seconds. If you do it manually? Transferring from one chain to another takes several minutes, and by the time you arrive on the other side, the price difference has disappeared, and reverse arbitrage might even appear.

A more practical issue is cost. Cross-chain fees during LayerZero peak periods are not cheap. If your funds are only around 10,000 US dollars, you might not even cover the gas fees. Staring at the screen all day to make 50 bucks—does this deal make sense?

**Bottom Line Advice**

Unless you develop automated monitoring scripts and fast cross-chain execution systems yourself, don’t try to do this manually. If you really want to profit from price differences, consider whether there are other lower-friction methods. Or honestly, focusing on your long-term strategy is more reliable than chasing these short-term opportunities.