Crypto is an uncorrelated asset class, in line with its proponents, and as such must contribute to portfolio diversification. Nonetheless, analysis has proven that this declare hasn’t held up notably effectively.

We examined the connection between the place bitcoin mining was performed and the way the efficiency of the native fairness markets correlated with bitcoin costs and located that in the US particularly, the efficiency of the S&P 500 and bitcoin costs have exhibited a optimistic correlation during the last 5 years.

As a result of the US and China are the place most bitcoin mining has been performed during the last 5 years, we used the S&P 500, Grasp Seng, and Shanghai Composite indices as our regional proxies. We calculated the rolling nine-month correlation between bitcoin returns and every of the three indices utilizing weekly information. We then in contrast that with the bitcoin hash fee by nation from September 2019—which is way back to dependable data go—to January 2022.The bitcoin hash fee measures the computational energy of the bitcoin blockchain and is a proxy for the way a lot bitcoin mining is being executed.

Previous to November 2020, China accounted for greater than 60% of bitcoin mining. However fast-forward to November 2021 and China’s share had plunged to about 15% in response to authorities steps to scale back bitcoin mining. Over the identical time interval, the US climbed from representing about 10% of worldwide bitcoin mining to greater than 35%.

Bitcoin Hash Price Distribution by Nation, Sept. 2019 to Jan. 2022

Bitcoin Mining Distribution by Nation, 2019 to 2022

These developments make the November 2020 to November 2021 time-frame a wonderful window into how bitcoin-prices-to-index correlations regulate as bitcoin mining ebbs and flows. We discovered that as US crypto mining spiked between November 2020 and November 2021, bitcoin’s correlation with the S&P 500 rose to 0.39 from 0.28. However as crypto mining plummeted in China throughout the identical interval, bitcoin’s correlation with the 2 Chinese language indices fell additionally. The Grasp Seng’s and Shanghai Composite’s bitcoin correlation declined to -0.14 from 0.21 and to -0.44 from 0.09, respectively.

Bitcoin Correlations with Fairness Indices

The outcomes recommend the extra bitcoin is mined in a selected nation, the better the correlation between the cryptocurrency and native fairness markets. As bitcoin mining declines in a area, the correlation between bitcoin and native inventory markets subsides as effectively.

Relating to annual correlations between bitcoin costs and the indices in query, our speculation holds up there too. The extra bitcoin mining in a locale, the better the correlation between the value of bitcoin and native inventory markets. This relationship was strongest with the S&P 500 and Shanghai Composite and fewer so with the Grasp Seng over the complete time interval.

Annual Correlations: Bitcoin and Fairness Indices

In complete, our outcomes point out that the place bitcoin is mined might have an effect on the way it strikes and which inventory indices it strikes with. And this impacts what kind of diversification advantages bitcoin might or might not deliver to a portfolio.

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All posts are the opinion of the writer. As such, they shouldn’t be construed as funding recommendation, nor do the opinions expressed essentially replicate the views of CFA Institute or the writer’s employer.

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