arXiv · 2010.12415
Exploring investor behavior in Bitcoin: a study of the disposition effect
Abstract
Investors commonly exhibit the disposition effect - the irrational tendency to sell their winning investments and hold onto their losing ones. While this phenomenon has been observed in many traditional markets, it remains unclear whether it also applies to atypical markets like cryptoassets. This paper investigates the prevalence of the disposition effect in Bitcoin using transactions targeting cryptoasset exchanges as proxies for selling transactions. Our findings suggest that investors in Bitcoin were indeed subject to the disposition effect, with varying intensity. They also show that the disposition effect was not consistently present throughout the observation period. Its prevalence was more evident from the boom and bust year 2017 onwards, as confirmed by various technical indicators. Our study suggests irrational investor behavior is also present in atypical markets like Bitcoin.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Jürgen E. Schatzmann, Bernhard Haslhofer. 2020-10-23. Exploring investor behavior in Bitcoin: a study of the disposition effect. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42521-023-00086-w
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.