Momentum study

Bitcoin after Weekly RSI crosses 50

How Bitcoin performed after weekly momentum crossed into positive territory.

LOW · N=11 ACTIVE Last event 2026-08-24 Model 1.1.0
HOW TO READ THIS

Context before conviction.

After removing overlapping forward windows, N=11 independent observations remain from 16 raw events. Their 26W median return was +22.14% with a 54.5% win rate and -17.39% median adverse excursion.

OVERLAP CONTROL11 of 16 completed 26W observations retained · 31.3% overlapping events excluded from the primary estimate.
FORWARD RETURNS

Outcome by horizon

Primary non-overlapping results are shown beside the complete raw event population.

HorizonPopulationSampleMedianMeanWin rate25th percentile75th percentileMedian MAE
4WIndependentN=17-3.4%-4.6%47.1%-21.8%+10.0%-17.7%
4WRaw eventsN=17-3.4%-4.6%47.1%-21.8%+10.0%-17.7%
13WIndependentN=14-2.2%+12.0%50%-20.3%+40.8%-23.8%
13WRaw eventsN=17-7.8%+11.0%47.1%-18.0%+45.2%-28.2%
26WIndependentN=11+22.1%+20.9%54.5%-25.3%+52.9%-17.4%
26WRaw eventsN=16+0.5%+7.8%50%-33.2%+46.5%-28.9%
52WIndependentN=6+63.2%+109.2%66.7%-23.5%+98.8%-22.5%
52WRaw eventsN=15+30.5%+71.1%60%-40.9%+97.8%-55.6%
OUTCOME GEOMETRY

Distribution and drawdown

Inspect the stored event-level outcomes behind the aggregate table.

FORWARD RETURN · 26WDistribution
N=11
Most populated range-59.9% to -6.2%4 observations
MAXIMUM ADVERSE EXCURSION · 26WDrawdown by event
NON-OVERLAPPING
0.0%-15.6%-31.3%-46.9%-62.5%
27 Oct 2025-47.6% MAEReturn -31.3%MFE +1.6%
OUT-OF-SAMPLE CHECK

Temporal validation

Chronological 70/30 holdouts and expanding-window folds use only independent observations. Later outcomes never influence event selection or thresholds.

DETAIL · 26WUnstable

1 of 3 expanding folds retained the training median direction.

TRAIN · EARLIER 70%-4.9%N=7 · 2018-02-19 2023-01-16
TEST · LATER 30%+38.8%N=4 · 2023-10-02 2025-10-27
HorizonIndependent NTrain medianTest medianDirectionStable foldsAssessment
4WN=17-15.8%+2.6%Changed1/3 · 33.3%Unstable
13WN=14-7.8%+3.4%Changed1/3 · 33.3%Unstable
26WN=11-4.9%+38.8%Changed1/3 · 33.3%Unstable
52WN=6Insufficient Data
EXPANDING-WINDOW FOLDS · 26W
FoldTrain throughFuture test windowTrain / test NTrain medianTest medianDirection
12021-08-022022-03-282023-01-165 / 2-4.9%-7.5%Stable
22023-01-162023-10-022024-07-157 / 2-4.9%+105.0%Changed
32024-07-152025-04-282025-10-279 / 2+44.9%-4.6%Changed
PARAMETER ROBUSTNESS

Sensitivity analysis

One detector setting changes at a time around the published configuration. Returns never determine which configuration is canonical.

ASSESSMENT · 26WStable Direction

100% of 4 comparable alternatives retained the canonical median direction.

INDEPENDENT MEDIAN RANGE+22.1% → +44.8%Eligible configurations only
SAMPLE RANGE10–12Non-overlapping observations
ConfigurationParametersRaw NIndependent NMedianWin rateDirection
RSI threshold 45Cooldown 8 · Threshold 45N=13N=10+39.7%70%Stable
Canonical · RSI 50 / 8W cooldownPublishedCooldown 8 · Threshold 50N=16N=11+22.1%54.5%Baseline
RSI threshold 55Cooldown 8 · Threshold 55N=20N=12+44.8%83.3%Stable
Cooldown 6 weeksCooldown 6 · Threshold 50N=16N=11+22.1%54.5%Stable
Cooldown 12 weeksCooldown 12 · Threshold 50N=14N=11+22.1%54.5%Stable

This is a robustness check, not model selection. Each row changes one assumption while every other detector rule remains fixed.

CONDITIONAL RSI RESEARCH

Threshold and regime comparison

Compare every predeclared weekly RSI threshold using raw events and horizon-specific non-overlapping observations, segmented by the regime known at each signal close.

ThresholdRaw NIndependent NMedianWin rateP25 / P75Median MAEConfidenceInterpretation
RSI 45N=13N=10+39.7%70%-2.9% / +49.7%-8.1%LowEligible
RSI 50PublishedN=16N=11+22.1%54.5%-25.3% / +52.9%-17.4%LowEligible
RSI 55N=20N=12+44.8%83.3%+21.3% / +110.9%-10.5%LowEligible
RSI 60N=20N=11+48.4%90.9%+11.6% / +100.0%-12.8%LowEligible

Non-overlap is selected globally per threshold and horizon before regime rows are formed. Threshold variants may share source events, so rows are descriptive comparisons—not independent experiments. The interpretation gate is N=8; smaller samples remain visible and explicitly marked insufficient.

VENUE ROBUSTNESS

Cross-exchange benchmark

The published detector is replayed independently on each venue over the shared completed-candle window. Exchange populations are never mixed.

ASSESSMENT · 26WConfirmed Direction

Both eligible venue samples retain the same independent median direction.

SHARED COMPLETED HISTORY2015-07-20 → 2026-09-01Identical calendar boundary for both detector replays
CANONICAL SOURCECOINBASEBTC-USD
LOW · N=11
Completed candles4062
Raw / independent N16 / 11
Independent median+22.1%
Win rate54.5%
COMPARISON SOURCEBITSTAMPBTC/USD
LOW · N=11
Completed candles4062
Raw / independent N16 / 11
Independent median+22.2%
Win rate54.5%

Coinbase remains the canonical research source. Bitstamp is an external robustness check; its candles, events, and forward-return population remain separate.

EVENT DEFINITION

Weekly RSI crosses above 50 · 8-week cooldown

The signal is evaluated only with information available at the event close. Future observations are used solely to calculate outcomes.

STUDY RULES

RSI uses Wilder smoothing over 14 completed weekly candles.

The event occurs only when RSI crosses from below to at least 50.

An eight-week cooldown limits threshold clusters.

Forward returns begin at the completed weekly close.

Primary confidence and headline statistics use the earliest chronological non-overlapping sample for each horizon; raw events remain reported for audit.

Temporal validation uses the independent sample only: a chronological 70/30 holdout plus expanding-window folds with at least two later observations per fold and no threshold tuning.

Sensitivity analysis changes one detector parameter at a time around the published canonical configuration, compares independent 26W outcomes, requires at least 8 observations per comparable variant, and never selects a parameter from performance.

Cross-exchange robustness replays the canonical detector independently on Coinbase BTC-USD and Bitstamp BTC/USD over their shared completed-daily history. Each source keeps its own signal and non-overlapping outcome population, with at least 8 observations required per benchmark.

RSI threshold research is predeclared at 45, 50, 55, 60 and reports every configured forward horizon without selecting a threshold from performance.

Each RSI threshold first selects its chronological non-overlapping outcome population globally for a horizon, then partitions raw and independent observations by the exact point-in-time market regime stored at the signal close. Missing historical regimes remain explicitly unclassified.

Threshold and regime cells require at least 8 independent observations for interpretation. Smaller cells remain visible as descriptive insufficient-data results, and threshold variants can share source events so they are comparisons rather than independent experiments.

Research, not a recommendation. Live market data can be delayed or temporarily unavailable. Historical results are displayed only when they have been computed and stored by the database research pipeline.