Christian Hafner

Séminaires thématiques
big data and econometrics seminar

Christian Hafner

Université Catholique de Louvain
Testing for bubbles in cryptocurrencies with time-varying volatility
Lieu

IBD Amphi

Îlot Bernard du Bois - Amphithéâtre

AMU - AMSE
5-9 boulevard Maurice Bourdet
13001 Marseille

Date(s)
Mardi 17 avril 2018| 14:00 - 15:30
Contact(s)

Sébastien Laurent : sebastien.laurent[at]univ-amu.fr

Résumé

The recent evolution of cryptocurrencies has been characterized by bubble-like behavior and extreme volatility. While it is difficult to assess an intrinsic value to a specific cryptocurrency, one can employ recently proposed bubble tests that rely on recursive applications of classical unit root tests. This paper extends this approach to the case where volatility is time varying, assuming a deterministic long-run component that may take into account a decrease of unconditional volatility when the cryptocurrency matures with a higher market dissemination. Volatility also includes a stochastic short-run component to capture volatility clustering. The wild bootstrap is shown to correctly adjust the size properties of the bubble test, which retains good power properties. In an empirical application using eleven of the largest cryptocurrencies and the CRIX index, the general evidence in favor of bubbles is confirmed, but much less pronounced than under constant volatility.