A High-Frequency Analysis of Bitcoin Markets
39 Pages Posted: 31 Oct 2019
Date Written: June 4, 2019
Abstract
We study trading of Bitcoin (BTC) against US dollar (USD) on exchanges on three continents, Bitfinex, Bitstamp and Coinbase Pro. We use a high frequency dataset that contains transactions and order book information. The BTCUSD market is highly liquid in terms of bid-ask spreads and order book depth. While spreads are low, markets are not integrated. Persistent differences exist between the three exchanges in terms of transaction and posted prices, and markets are crossed most of the time. The liquidity of the Bitcoin exchanges is predominantly determined by local factors and is essentially independent of liquidity in equity and FX markets.
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