Crypto Currencies: Understanding Their Risk and Relationship

You're trying to figure out how different cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple move together. You look at their prices from January 2016 to December 2021, including the crazy time of the crypto crash and the pandemic. You use a special tool called the Generalized Autoregressive Score (GAS) model to do this. What you find is that these cryptocurrencies are closely linked, and their relationships change over time. The GAS model is really good at handling these changes, especially when the markets get wild. When you compare it to other methods like the Dynamic Conditional Correlation GARCH model, the GAS model does a better job. It gives new insights into how risky these cryptocurrencies can be when they're all together in a portfolio. So, the next time you think about investing in cryptocurrencies, remember that they're not just individual stars, but part of a complex constellation. Their risks and relationships are important to understand, and tools like the GAS model can help you see that clearer.