Generalized visible curvature: An indicator for bubble identification and price trend prediction in cryptocurrencies

Abstract

We propose a novel curvature-based indicator constructed on log-price time series that captures an interplay between trend, acceleration, and volatility found relevant to quantify risks and improve trading strategies. We apply it to diagnose explosive bubble-like behaviors in cryptocurrency price time series and provide early warning signals of impending market shifts or increased volatility. This improves significantly on standard statistical tests such as the Generalized Supremum Augmented Dickey–Fuller (GSADF) and the Backward SADF tests. Furthermore, the incorporation of our curvature-based indicator as a feature into the Light Gradient Boosting Machine enhances its predictive capabilities, as measured by classification accuracy and trading performance.