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Is geopolitical risk priced in the cross-section of cryptocurrency returns?

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  • Long, Huaigang
  • Demir, Ender
  • Będowska-Sójka, Barbara
  • Zaremba, Adam
  • Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain

Abstract

We examine the role of geopolitical risk in the cross-sectional pricing of cryptocurrencies. We calculate cryptocurrency exposure to changes in the geopolitical risk index and document that coins with the lowest geopolitical beta outperform those with high geopolitical beta. Our findings suggest that risk-averse investors require additional compensation as motivation to hold cryptocurrencies with low and negative geopolitical betas, and they are willing to pay a premium for assets with high and positive geopolitical betas. The effect cannot be explained by known return predictors and is robust to many considerations.

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  • Long, Huaigang & Demir, Ender & Będowska-Sójka, Barbara & Zaremba, Adam & Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain, 2022. "Is geopolitical risk priced in the cross-section of cryptocurrency returns?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:49:y:2022:i:c:s1544612322003543
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2022.103131
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cryptocurrencies; The cross-section of returns; Asset pricing; Geopolitical risk; Return predictability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F51 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Conflicts; Negotiations; Sanctions
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • H56 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - National Security and War

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