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Multi-Factor Inception: What to Do with All of These Features?

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  • Tom Liu
  • Stefan Zohren

Abstract

Cryptocurrency trading represents a nascent field of research, with growing adoption in industry. Aided by its decentralised nature, many metrics describing cryptocurrencies are accessible with a simple Google search and update frequently, usually at least on a daily basis. This presents a promising opportunity for data-driven systematic trading research, where limited historical data can be augmented with additional features, such as hashrate or Google Trends. However, one question naturally arises: how to effectively select and process these features? In this paper, we introduce Multi-Factor Inception Networks (MFIN), an end-to-end framework for systematic trading with multiple assets and factors. MFINs extend Deep Inception Networks (DIN) to operate in a multi-factor context. Similar to DINs, MFIN models automatically learn features from returns data and output position sizes that optimise portfolio Sharpe ratio. Compared to a range of rule-based momentum and reversion strategies, MFINs learn an uncorrelated, higher-Sharpe strategy that is not captured by traditional, hand-crafted factors. In particular, MFIN models continue to achieve consistent returns over the most recent years (2022-2023), where traditional strategies and the wider cryptocurrency market have underperformed.

Suggested Citation

  • Tom Liu & Stefan Zohren, 2023. "Multi-Factor Inception: What to Do with All of These Features?," Papers 2307.13832, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2307.13832
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tom Liu & Stephen Roberts & Stefan Zohren, 2023. "Deep Inception Networks: A General End-to-End Framework for Multi-asset Quantitative Strategies," Papers 2307.05522, arXiv.org.
    2. Guglielmo Maria Caporale & Alex Plastun, 2020. "Momentum effects in the cryptocurrency market after one-day abnormal returns," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 34(3), pages 251-266, September.
    3. Vidal-Tomás, David, 2022. "Which cryptocurrency data sources should scholars use?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    4. Lim, Bryan & Arık, Sercan Ö. & Loeff, Nicolas & Pfister, Tomas, 2021. "Temporal Fusion Transformers for interpretable multi-horizon time series forecasting," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1748-1764.
    5. Moskowitz, Tobias J. & Ooi, Yao Hua & Pedersen, Lasse Heje, 2012. "Time series momentum," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(2), pages 228-250.
    6. Li, Yi & Urquhart, Andrew & Wang, Pengfei & Zhang, Wei, 2021. "MAX momentum in cryptocurrency markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Chao Zhang & Zihao Zhang & Mihai Cucuringu & Stefan Zohren, 2021. "A Universal End-to-End Approach to Portfolio Optimization via Deep Learning," Papers 2111.09170, arXiv.org.
    8. Yukun Liu & Aleh Tsyvinski & Xi Wu, 2022. "Common Risk Factors in Cryptocurrency," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(2), pages 1133-1177, April.
    9. Yukun Liu & Aleh Tsyvinski, 2021. "Risks and Returns of Cryptocurrency," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(6), pages 2689-2727.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yichi Zhang & Mihai Cucuringu & Alexander Y. Shestopaloff & Stefan Zohren, 2023. "Dynamic Time Warping for Lead-Lag Relationships in Lagged Multi-Factor Models," Papers 2309.08800, arXiv.org.

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