diff --git a/packages/instant/src/components/instant_heading.tsx b/packages/instant/src/components/instant_heading.tsx
index 8480568007..73a419019c 100644
--- a/packages/instant/src/components/instant_heading.tsx
+++ b/packages/instant/src/components/instant_heading.tsx
@@ -16,18 +16,30 @@ export interface InstantHeadingProps {
     quoteState: AsyncProcessState;
 }
 
-const displaytotalEthBaseAmount = ({ selectedAssetAmount, totalEthBaseAmount }: InstantHeadingProps): string => {
+const Placeholder = () => (
+    <Text fontWeight="bold" fontColor={ColorOption.white}>
+        &mdash;
+    </Text>
+);
+const displaytotalEthBaseAmount = ({
+    selectedAssetAmount,
+    totalEthBaseAmount,
+}: InstantHeadingProps): React.ReactNode => {
     if (_.isUndefined(selectedAssetAmount)) {
         return '0 ETH';
     }
-    return format.ethBaseAmount(totalEthBaseAmount, 4, '-');
+    return format.ethBaseAmount(totalEthBaseAmount, 4, <Placeholder />);
 };
 
-const displayUsdAmount = ({ totalEthBaseAmount, selectedAssetAmount, ethUsdPrice }: InstantHeadingProps): string => {
+const displayUsdAmount = ({
+    totalEthBaseAmount,
+    selectedAssetAmount,
+    ethUsdPrice,
+}: InstantHeadingProps): React.ReactNode => {
     if (_.isUndefined(selectedAssetAmount)) {
         return '$0.00';
     }
-    return format.ethBaseAmountInUsd(totalEthBaseAmount, ethUsdPrice, 2, '-');
+    return format.ethBaseAmountInUsd(totalEthBaseAmount, ethUsdPrice, 2, <Placeholder />);
 };
 
 const loadingOrAmount = (quoteState: AsyncProcessState, amount: string): React.ReactNode => {
diff --git a/packages/instant/src/util/format.ts b/packages/instant/src/util/format.ts
index b62c968fb4..09eb880b2a 100644
--- a/packages/instant/src/util/format.ts
+++ b/packages/instant/src/util/format.ts
@@ -5,14 +5,22 @@ import * as _ from 'lodash';
 import { ethDecimals } from '../constants';
 
 export const format = {
-    ethBaseAmount: (ethBaseAmount?: BigNumber, decimalPlaces: number = 4, defaultText: string = '0 ETH'): string => {
+    ethBaseAmount: (
+        ethBaseAmount?: BigNumber,
+        decimalPlaces: number = 4,
+        defaultText: React.ReactNode = '0 ETH',
+    ): React.ReactNode => {
         if (_.isUndefined(ethBaseAmount)) {
             return defaultText;
         }
         const ethUnitAmount = Web3Wrapper.toUnitAmount(ethBaseAmount, ethDecimals);
         return format.ethUnitAmount(ethUnitAmount, decimalPlaces);
     },
-    ethUnitAmount: (ethUnitAmount?: BigNumber, decimalPlaces: number = 4, defaultText: string = '0 ETH'): string => {
+    ethUnitAmount: (
+        ethUnitAmount?: BigNumber,
+        decimalPlaces: number = 4,
+        defaultText: React.ReactNode = '0 ETH',
+    ): React.ReactNode => {
         if (_.isUndefined(ethUnitAmount)) {
             return defaultText;
         }
@@ -23,8 +31,8 @@ export const format = {
         ethBaseAmount?: BigNumber,
         ethUsdPrice?: BigNumber,
         decimalPlaces: number = 2,
-        defaultText: string = '$0.00',
-    ): string => {
+        defaultText: React.ReactNode = '$0.00',
+    ): React.ReactNode => {
         if (_.isUndefined(ethBaseAmount) || _.isUndefined(ethUsdPrice)) {
             return defaultText;
         }
@@ -35,8 +43,8 @@ export const format = {
         ethUnitAmount?: BigNumber,
         ethUsdPrice?: BigNumber,
         decimalPlaces: number = 2,
-        defaultText: string = '$0.00',
-    ): string => {
+        defaultText: React.ReactNode = '$0.00',
+    ): React.ReactNode => {
         if (_.isUndefined(ethUnitAmount) || _.isUndefined(ethUsdPrice)) {
             return defaultText;
         }