Interplay between Cryptocurrency Transactions and Online Financial Forums

Ana Fernández Vilas, Rebeca P. Díaz Redondo, Daniel Couto Cancela and Alejandro Torrado Pazos
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Ana Fernández Vilas: Information & Computing Lab, AtlanTTic Research Center, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
Rebeca P. Díaz Redondo: Information & Computing Lab, AtlanTTic Research Center, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
Daniel Couto Cancela: Information & Computing Lab, AtlanTTic Research Center, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
Alejandro Torrado Pazos: Information & Computing Lab, AtlanTTic Research Center, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain

Mathematics, 2021, vol. 9, issue 4, 1-22

Abstract: Cryptocurrencies are a type of digital money meant to provide security and anonymity while using cryptography techniques. Although cryptocurrencies represent a breakthrough and provide some important benefits, their usage poses some risks that are a result of the lack of supervising institutions and transparency. Because disinformation and volatility is discouraging for personal investors, cryptocurrencies emerged hand-in-hand with the proliferation of online users’ communities and forums as places to share information that can alleviate users’ mistrust. This research focuses on the study of the interplay between these cryptocurrency forums and fluctuations in cryptocurrency values. In particular, the most popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin (BTC) and a related active discussion community, Bitcointalk, are analyzed. This study shows that the activity of Bitcointalk forum keeps a direct relationship with the trend in the values of BTC, therefore analysis of this interaction would be a perfect base to support personal investments in a non-regulated market and, to confirm whether cryptocurrency forums show evidences to detect abnormal behaviors in BTC values as well as to predict or estimate these values. The experiment highlights that forum data can explain specific events in the financial field. It also underlines the relevance of quotes (regular mechanism to response a post) at periods: (1) when there is a high concentration of posts around certain topics; (2) when peaks in the BTC price are observed; and, (3) when the BTC price gradually shifts downwards and users intend to sell.

Keywords: cryptocurrencies; bitcoin; financial forums; Bitcointalk; social media (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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