Larisa Yarovaya

Cryptocurrency Reaction to FOMC Announcements: Evidence of Heterogeneity Based on Blockchain Stack Position

We examine the response of a broad set of digital assets to US Federal Fund interest rate and quantitative easing announcements, specifically examining associated volatility spillover and feedback effects. We classify each digital asset into one of three categories: Currencies; Protocols; and Decentralised Applications (dApps). Currency-based digital assets experience idiosyncratic spillovers in the period immediately after US monetary policy announcements, while application or protocol-based digital assets are largely immune to policy volatility spillover and feedback. Mineable digital assets are found to be more susceptible to monetary policy volatility spillovers and feedback than non-mineable. Responses indicate a diverse market within which, not all assets are comparable to Bitcoin.

Datestamping the Bitcoin and Ethereum Bubbles

We examine the existence and dates of pricing bubbles in Bitcoin and Ethereum, two popular cryptocurrencies using the (Phillips et al., 2011) methodology. In contrast to previous papers, we examine the fundamental drivers of the price. Having derived ratios that are economically and computationally sensible, we use these variables to detect and datestamp bubbles. Our conclusion is that there are periods of clear bubble behaviour, with Bitcoin now almost certainly in a bubble phase.

Exploring the Dynamic Relationships between Cryptocurrencies and Other Financial Assets

We analyse, in the time and frequency domains, the relationships between three popular cryptocurrencies and a variety of other financial assets. We find evidence of the relative isolation of these assets from the financial and economic assets. Our results show that cryptocurrencies may offer diversification benefits for investors with short investment horizons. Time variation in the linkages reflects external economic and financial shocks.

Price and Volatility Spillovers Across the International Steam Coal Market

We examine the degree of integration of the global steam coal market. Using a variety of measures, we show that the Australian market remains the dominant force in setting world coal prices, followed by Mozambique and South Africa. We find little evidence of asymmetric price and volatility transmission. In fact, most markets react to both positive and negative shocks in a symmetric manner. The coal market displays a significant degree of integration, although this varies over time. While China provides a major source of volatility to the global coal market, it is relatively insigni�?cant in terms of price transmission.