Cryptocurrencies As an Asset Class? An Empirical Assessment

This article empirically investigates some of the key features of cryptocurrency returns and volatilities, such as their relationship with traditional asset classes, as well as the main driving factors behind market activity. The main empirical results suggest that while there is a mild relationship between returns on cryptocurrencies and commodities, and precious metals in particular, the relationship does not translate into volatility spillover effects. Consistent with existing theoretical models in which trading activity is primarily driven by investor sentiment, we show that trading volume is driven by past returns. On the other hand, macroeconomic factors do not seem to affect market activity in either the short term or the long term.