IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/ceuecj/v12y2025i59p34-48n1003.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Predictability of High-Frequency Returns in the Cryptocurrency Markets and the Adaptive Market Hypothesis

Author

Listed:
  • Karasiński Jacek

    (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, Szturmowa 1/3, 02-678 Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the level and behaviour of the weak-form efficiency of the 16 most capitalised cryptocurrencies using intraday data. The study employed martingale difference hypothesis tests utilising the rolling window method. The predictability of high frequency returns varied over time. For most of the time, the cryptocurrencies were unpredictable. Nevertheless, their weak-form efficiency appeared to decrease along with an increase in frequency. In general, most cryptocurrencies were marked by high levels of unpredictability. However, there were some significant differences between the most and least efficient ones. To exploit market inefficiencies, investors should focus on higher frequencies. Higher frequencies should also be a concern to regulators when it comes to ensuring market efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Karasiński Jacek, 2025. "The Predictability of High-Frequency Returns in the Cryptocurrency Markets and the Adaptive Market Hypothesis," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 12(59), pages 34-48.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:ceuecj:v:12:y:2025:i:59:p:34-48:n:1003
    DOI: 10.2478/ceej-2025-0003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/ceej-2025-0003
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2478/ceej-2025-0003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sensoy, Ahmet, 2019. "The inefficiency of Bitcoin revisited: A high-frequency analysis with alternative currencies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 68-73.
    2. Hu, Yang & Valera, Harold Glenn A. & Oxley, Les, 2019. "Market efficiency of the top market-cap cryptocurrencies: Further evidence from a panel framework," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 138-145.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Carmen López-Martín & Sonia Benito Muela & Raquel Arguedas, 2021. "Efficiency in cryptocurrency markets: new evidence," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 11(3), pages 403-431, September.
    2. Aslan, Aylin & Sensoy, Ahmet, 2020. "Intraday efficiency-frequency nexus in the cryptocurrency markets," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    3. Mingbo Zheng & Gen-Fu Feng & Xinxin Zhao & Chun-Ping Chang, 2023. "The transaction behavior of cryptocurrency and electricity consumption," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Karasiński Jacek, 2023. "The adaptive market hypothesis and the return predictability in the cryptocurrency markets," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 9(1), pages 94-118, April.
    5. José Almeida & Tiago Cruz Gonçalves, 2024. "Cryptocurrency market microstructure: a systematic literature review," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 332(1), pages 1035-1068, January.
    6. Bui, Mai & Pham, Huy & Nguyen Thanh, Binh & Tiwari, Aviral Kumar, 2024. "Revisiting the determinants of cryptocurrency excess return: Does scarcity matter?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(PC).
    7. Pradipta Kumar Sahoo & Dinabandhu Sethi, 2024. "Market efficiency of the cryptocurrencies: Some new evidence based on price–volume relationship," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 1569-1580, April.
    8. Yaman Omer Erzurumlu & Tunc Oygur & Alper Kirik, 2020. "One size does not fit all: external driver of the cryptocurrency world," Studies in Economics and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 37(3), pages 545-560, June.
    9. Łęt Blanka & Sobański Konrad & Świder Wojciech & Włosik Katarzyna, 2022. "Is the cryptocurrency market efficient? Evidence from an analysis of fundamental factors for Bitcoin and Ethereum," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 58(4), pages 351-370, December.
    10. Brajaballav Kar & Chandrabhanu Das, 2022. "Cryptocurrency Response to COVID-19: A Test of Efficient Market Hypothesis," Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, in: Rabi Narayan Subudhi & Sumita Mishra & Abu Saleh & Dariush Khezrimotlagh (ed.), Future of Work and Business in Covid-19 Era, pages 9-18, Springer.
    11. Parthajit Kayal & Purnima Rohilla, 2021. "Bitcoin in the economics and finance literature: a survey," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(7), pages 1-21, July.
    12. Eugene Msizi Buthelezi, 2024. "Navigating Global Uncertainty: Examining the Effect of Geopolitical Risks on Cryptocurrency Prices and Volatility in a Markov-Switching Vector Autoregressive Model," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(4), pages 564-590, October.
    13. Myeong Jun Kim & Sung Y. Park, 2023. "Testing for market efficiency in cryptocurrencies: evidence from a non-linear conditional quantile framework," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(16), pages 2245-2251, September.
    14. Fernandes, Leonardo H.S. & Bouri, Elie & Silva, José W.L. & Bejan, Lucian & de Araujo, Fernando H.A., 2022. "The resilience of cryptocurrency market efficiency to COVID-19 shock," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 607(C).
    15. KOUAKOU, Thiédjé Gaudens-Omer, 2025. "Volatilité et régulation des cryptomonnaies : approche monétaire orthodoxe versus approche monétaire hétérodoxe [Volatility and regulation of cryptocurrencies: orthodox monetary approach versus het," MPRA Paper 123774, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Pal, Debdatta & Mitra, Subrata K., 2019. "Hedging bitcoin with other financial assets," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 30-36.
    17. Fernandes, Leonardo H.S. & de Araujo, Fernando H.A. & Tabak, Benjamin M., 2021. "Insights from the (in)efficiency of Chinese sectoral indices during COVID-19," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 578(C).
    18. Rehman, Mobeen Ur, 2020. "Do bitcoin and precious metals do any good together? An extreme dependence and risk spillover analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    19. Ahmed, Walid M.A., 2021. "Stock market reactions to upside and downside volatility of Bitcoin: A quantile analysis," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    20. Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain & Bouri, Elie & Ahmad, Tanveer & Naeem, Muhammad Abubakr & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2021. "The pricing of bad contagion in cryptocurrencies: A four-factor pricing model," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    cryptocurrency markets; adaptive market hypothesis; efficient market hypothesis [EMH]; predictability of returns; intraday returns;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:ceuecj:v:12:y:2025:i:59:p:34-48:n:1003. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.