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The Cross-Section of Crypto-Currencies as Financial Assets: An Overview

Author

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  • Hermann Elendner
  • Simon Trimborn
  • Bobby Ong
  • Teik Ming Lee

Abstract

Crypto-currencies have developed a vibrant market since bitcoin, the rst crypto-currency, was created in 2009. We look at the properties of cryptocurrencies as nancial assets in a broad cross-section. We discuss approaches of altcoins to generate value and their trading and information platforms. Then we investigate crypto-currencies as alternative investment assets, studying their returns and the co-movements of altcoin prices with bitcoin and against each other. We evaluate their addition to investors' portfolios and document they are indeed able to enhance the diversi cation of portfolios due to their little co-movements with established assets, as well as with each other. Furthermore, we evaluate pure portfolios of crypto-currencies: an equallyweighted one, a value-weighted one, and one based on the CRypto-currency IndeX (CRIX). The CRIX portfolio displays lower risk than any individual of the liquid crypto-currencies. We also document the changing characteristics of the crypto-currency market. Deepening liquidity is accompanied by a rise in market value, and a growing number of altcoins is contributing larger amounts to aggregate crypto-currency market capitalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Hermann Elendner & Simon Trimborn & Bobby Ong & Teik Ming Lee, 2016. "The Cross-Section of Crypto-Currencies as Financial Assets: An Overview," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2016-038, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:hum:wpaper:sfb649dp2016-038
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    Cited by:

    1. da Gama Silva, Paulo Vitor Jordão & Klotzle, Marcelo Cabus & Pinto, Antonio Carlos Figueiredo & Gomes, Leonardo Lima, 2019. "Herding behavior and contagion in the cryptocurrency market," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 41-50.
    2. Zdravka Aljinović & Branka Marasović & Tea Šestanović, 2021. "Cryptocurrency Portfolio Selection—A Multicriteria Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(14), pages 1-21, July.
    3. Laura Alessandretti & Abeer ElBahrawy & Luca Maria Aiello & Andrea Baronchelli, 2018. "Anticipating cryptocurrency prices using machine learning," Papers 1805.08550, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2018.
    4. Holovatiuk Olha, 2020. "Cryptocurrencies as an asset class in portfolio optimisation," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 7(54), pages 33-55, January.
    5. Petukhina, Alla & Trimborn, Simon & Härdle, Wolfgang Karl & Elendner, Hermann, 2018. "Investing with cryptocurrencies - evaluating the potential of portfolio allocation strategies," IRTG 1792 Discussion Papers 2018-058, Humboldt University of Berlin, International Research Training Group 1792 "High Dimensional Nonstationary Time Series".
    6. Trimborn, Simon & Härdle, Wolfgang Karl, 2018. "CRIX an Index for cryptocurrencies," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 107-122.
    7. Jörg Osterrieder & Andrea Barletta, 2019. "Editorial on the Special Issue on Cryptocurrencies," Digital Finance, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-4, November.
    8. Christian M. Hafner & Sabrine Majeri, 2022. "Analysis of cryptocurrency connectedness based on network to transaction volume ratios," Digital Finance, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 187-216, September.
    9. Vahidin Jeleskovic & Stephen Mackay, 2023. "Intraday Trading Algorithm for Predicting Cryptocurrency Price Movements Using Twitter Big Data Analysis," Papers 2401.00603, arXiv.org.
    10. Simon Trimborn & Mingyang Li & Wolfgang Karl Härdle, 2020. "Investing with Cryptocurrencies—a Liquidity Constrained Investment Approach," Journal of Financial Econometrics, Oxford University Press, vol. 18(2), pages 280-306.
    11. Paweł Sakowski & Anna Turovtseva, 2020. "Verification of Investment Opportunities on the Cryptocurrency Market within the Markowitz Framework," Working Papers 2020-41, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    12. Abeer ElBahrawy & Laura Alessandretti & Andrea Baronchelli, 2019. "Wikipedia and Digital Currencies: Interplay Between Collective Attention and Market Performance," Papers 1902.04517, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2019.
    13. Klein, Tony & Pham Thu, Hien & Walther, Thomas, 2018. "Bitcoin is not the New Gold – A comparison of volatility, correlation, and portfolio performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 105-116.
    14. Chen, Yan, 2018. "Blockchain tokens and the potential democratization of entrepreneurship and innovation," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(4), pages 567-575.
    15. Kim, Alisa & Trimborn, Simon & Härdle, Wolfgang Karl, 2021. "VCRIX — A volatility index for crypto-currencies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    16. Abeer ElBahrawy & Laura Alessandretti & Anne Kandler & Romualdo Pastor-Satorras & Andrea Baronchelli, 2017. "Evolutionary dynamics of the cryptocurrency market," Papers 1705.05334, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2017.
    17. Pierre J. Venter & Eben Maré, 2020. "GARCH Generated Volatility Indices of Bitcoin and CRIX," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-15, June.
    18. Laura Alessandretti & Abeer ElBahrawy & Luca Maria Aiello & Andrea Baronchelli, 2018. "Anticipating Cryptocurrency Prices Using Machine Learning," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2018, pages 1-16, November.
    19. Stefan Cristian, 2018. "Tales from the crypt: might cryptocurrencies spell the death of traditional money? - A quantitative analysis -," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 918-930, May.
    20. Ying Chen & Paolo Giudici & Branka Hadji Misheva & Simon Trimborn, 2020. "Lead Behaviour in Bitcoin Markets," Risks, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, January.
    21. Ikhlaas Gurrib, 2019. "Are Energy Block Chain Currencies Affected by the Major US Energy Markets?," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(1), pages 218-227.
    22. Vincenzo Candila, 2021. "Multivariate Analysis of Cryptocurrencies," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-17, July.
    23. Rehman, Mobeen Ur & Asghar, Nadia & Kang, Sang Hoon, 2020. "Do Islamic indices provide diversification to bitcoin? A time-varying copulas and value at risk application," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    24. Panagiotidis, Theodore & Stengos, Thanasis & Vravosinos, Orestis, 2019. "The effects of markets, uncertainty and search intensity on bitcoin returns," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 220-242.

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    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange

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