Conservative
+314.7%
vs BTC +100.8% · Alpha +213.9%
2.02
Sharpe
-11.0%
Max Drawdown
75.0%
Win Rate
24
Months OOS
Growth
+842.2%
vs BTC +100.8% · Alpha +741.4%
3.86
Sharpe
-12.1%
Max Drawdown
75.0%
Win Rate
24
Months OOS
Aggressive
+1,872.9%
vs BTC +100.8% · Alpha +1,772.1%
5.56
Sharpe
-18.8%
Max Drawdown
75.0%
Win Rate
24
Months OOS
NAV Growth — Out-of-Sample (Jan 2024 — Dec 2025)
Growth
Conservative
Aggressive
BTC
$200k $150k $100k $50k $0 Jan 24 Jun 24 Nov 24 Mar 25 Aug 25 Dec 25
Monthly Returns — Growth Portfolio (Out-of-Sample)
MonthRegimePortfolioBTCNAVBTC NAV
2024-01BULL-4.6%-2.5%$9,541$9,746
2024-02BULL+53.2%+44.9%$14,615$14,126
2024-03BULL+35.8%+11.6%$19,840$15,767
2024-04BULL+0.2%-16.4%$19,884$13,186
2024-05BEAR+1.9%+16.2%$20,271$15,323
2024-06BULL+7.0%-7.2%$21,695$14,218
2024-07BULL+15.0%+3.9%$24,942$14,775
2024-08BULL+0.5%-12.2%$25,060$12,968
2024-09BEAR-12.1%+6.1%$22,019$13,754
2024-10BULL+14.8%+14.3%$25,288$15,719
2024-11BULL+36.5%+40.0%$34,525$22,009
2024-12BULL+6.5%-3.0%$36,777$21,357
2025-01BULL+16.6%+6.6%$42,865$22,766
2025-02BULL+2.6%-14.5%$43,978$19,470
2025-03BULL-0.6%-1.0%$43,710$19,271
2025-04BULL+15.5%+13.3%$50,484$21,838
2025-05BULL-6.0%+9.5%$47,434$23,916
2025-06BULL+10.1%+0.0%$52,218$23,921
2025-07BULL+22.3%+7.1%$63,851$25,627
2025-08BULL+2.8%-3.5%$65,642$24,720
2025-09BULL+29.1%+8.6%$84,744$26,849
2025-10BULL+11.3%-7.2%$94,358$24,912
2025-11BULL-0.5%-21.6%$93,903$19,527
2025-12BEAR+0.3%+2.8%$94,222$20,079
Methodology

Universe

Investment-grade tokens rated A1, A2, or A3 on the ZARQ Trust Score scale (formerly rated as MAJOR category). Stablecoins excluded. Typical universe: 25–35 tokens per month.

Signal Generation

Composite score calculated from five pillars weighted [0.10, 0.30, 0.30, 0.15, 0.15]. Top quartile candidates for long positions, bottom quartile for short. Pairs formed by matching highest-rated longs with lowest-rated shorts.

Conviction Ranking

Each pair scored: 40% × composite_spread + 60% × DtD_differential. Top 5 pairs selected by conviction. Maximum 2 appearances per token across all pairs.

Portfolio Construction

Three variants with regime-dependent allocation. Regime determined by BTC drawdown from 12-month ATH. Bear regime (>20% DD) shifts allocation toward cash and reduces pair exposure.

Conservative: BULL: 15% L/S + 35% BTC + 50% cash. BEAR: 20% L/S + 5% BTC + 75% cash.

Growth: BULL: 20% L/S + 40% BTC + 40% cash. BEAR: 30% L/S + 10% BTC + 60% cash.

Aggressive: BULL: 100% L/S. BEAR: 100% cash (skip month).

Execution

Monthly rebalance. 90-day hold period per pair. Returns capped at ±100% per leg. No leverage. No transaction costs modeled (conservative assumption for institutional execution).

Validation

In-sample period (36 months) used for parameter calibration. Out-of-sample period (24 months) represents true forward performance on unseen data. Paper trading live since March 2026 with SHA-256 hash-chained audit trail for independent verification.

Past performance is not indicative of future results. Backtest results are hypothetical and do not represent actual trading. Actual results may differ materially due to market conditions, slippage, fees, and execution timing. ZARQ does not provide financial advice. This information is for educational and research purposes only.

Disclaimer — ZARQ provides data-driven crypto intelligence for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on this website constitutes financial advice, investment advice, trading advice, or any other form of professional advice. ZARQ does not recommend buying, selling, or holding any cryptocurrency or financial instrument.

Trust ratings, Distance-to-Default (DtD) scores, crash probabilities, trading signals, and all other data are derived from quantitative models and may contain errors, lag behind real-time conditions, or fail to predict future outcomes. Past performance, whether backtested or live, is not indicative of future results. All backtested results are hypothetical and do not represent actual trading.

Crypto assets are highly volatile, speculative, and may result in total loss of invested capital. You should conduct your own research (DYOR) and consult a qualified, licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. ZARQ is not registered as a broker-dealer, investment advisor, or financial institution in any jurisdiction.

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