Path of Exile 2’s economy revolves around supply, demand, and smart risk-taking. One of the  more speculative but potentially lucrative markets is corrupting skill gems — using Vaal Orbs to transform gems into rarer, vaultable, or highly desirable versions that sell for significant amounts of currency. For some players, mastering this craft has become a profitable daily grind that can approach ~2000 divination cards worth of currency per day — roughly equivalent to POE 2 Currency many exalted orbs, depending on league economy — if you play smart and market-aware.

The Core Idea: Corrupted Gems as High-Value Items

Not all corrupted gems are created equal. A corrupted gem can:

Gain a desirable implicit (e.g., +1 to level of all gems, special quality)

Become Vaal versions of popular skills

Unlock meta-defining mechanics or boost builds

Serve as vendor fodder with high sell value on trade channels

Players who hit the “jackpot” can sell these gems for dozens to hundreds of valuable currency units — especially early in a league when demand and scarcity are high.

Step 1: Understand the Market

Before you start spending Vaal Orbs like they’re candy, spend a few hours in trade channels or price trackers understanding what corrupted gems are currently hot. Key considerations:

Which skills are meta or highly sought after? For example, high-level versions of popular support gems or unique corrupted outcomes can fetch premium prices.

What corrupt implicits sell? Some implicits — like “Cannot be modified but grants +X to all gem levels” — are always in demand.

Price fluctuation is real. What sells for 50 divs one day may be 20 the next.

Keeping up with trade forums, Discord channels, and list serve pricing tools is essential.

Step 2: Source Cheap Base Gems

Your profitability hinges on buying low-cost base gems before corruption:

Farm them yourself by running high-density maps or content that drops multiple gem sockets.

Buy from players selling bulk low-tier gems cheap — especially early league.

Convert currency you earn from other activities into base gems when prices dip.

Stockpiling a large supply increases your odds of hitting a winner.

Step 3: Corrupt Smartly

Each Vaal Orb corruption is pure RNG — there’s no guaranteed formula. But you can skew odds and minimize losses by:

Corrupting in bulk — statistical chance favors quantity.

Only corrupting selected tiers of gems that historically yield higher-value corruptions.

Avoiding corrupting gems that rarely yield value-adding outcomes.

Note: Vaal Orb supply is limited — don’t waste them on gems with low upside.

Step 4: Sell With Patience and Market Savvy

A big part of the “2000 divs a day” dream is selling at the right time:

List rare corrupt gems individually rather than in cheap bulk.

Use premium trade sites and whisper responses promptly.

Consider holding certain gems until demand spikes (patch changes can shift value overnight).

Risks and Rewards

RNG losses: Many corrupt attempts yield nothing of value — that’s part of the gamble.

Market swings: What’s profitable today may flop tomorrow.

Time investment: This method rewards players who actively engage the market.

Bottom Line: Corrupting skill gems can be a buy POE 2 Currency fun, high-risk, high-reward way to earn currency in Path of Exile 2, potentially bringing in massive returns if you understand the market, manage resources smartly, and play the long game. Not every day will hit 2000 divs — but with consistency and smart play, you can carve out a strong revenue stream in Wraeclast’s bustling economy.