Statistical Arbitrage Strategies Using Cointegration Analysis in Cryptocurrency Markets

The dissertation examines statistical arbitrage methods in the cryptocurrency markets using cointegration analysis on Bitcoin, ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple using daily price data of the cryptocurrencies between January 2022 and October 2024. The research deploys strict econometric procedures, such as the Engle-Granger two-step process and Johansen test, to uncover and take advantage of the mean-reverting relationships between the key cryptocurrencies. Findings indicate that there are strong relationships of cointegration especially between Bitcoin-Ether and Ethereum-Litecoin with the relationship between Bitcoin-Ether and Ethereum being very stable in many market regimes. The statistically arbitrage strategies depending on such cointegrated pairs led to large risk-adjusted returns whose Sharpe ratios of 1.58 to 2.45 were markedly higher than buy-and-hold standards. The Bitcoin-Etherer pairs trading strategy had an annualized return of 16.34 evidenced by a volatility of just 8.45 against the volatility of Bitcoin on buy and hold at 54.67. These strategies had low beta (0.09-0.18), which was an affirmative of their market-neutral qualities and their positive alpha generation of between 11-15% per annum.