Cryptocurrency trading, known for its volatility and rapid price movements, demands a strategic approach for success. One crucial concept in this domain is the Average Buying Price (ABP), which plays a vital role in managing investments and making informed trading decisions. In this article, we'll delve into what ABP is, how it's calculated, and its impact on trading strategies. We will also provide three examples of how to use it for profit-taking or position improvement.
What is Average Buying Price?
The Average Buying Price is an indicator for future transactions profitability, without considering already realised profit/losses (closed positions).
ABP refers to the average price at which an investor has purchased a specific cryptocurrency. It's not just the price of the initial purchase but a weighted average of all purchase prices if the asset was bought multiple times. This metric is particularly relevant in cryptocurrency because of the common practice of dollar-cost averaging – a strategy where investors periodically buy a fixed dollar amount of an asset regardless of its price.
What Average Buying Price is not
It is not to be confused with the Investment Break Even Price which takes a simplistic view on total invested and the marked profits or losses to get the break even point.
Calculating the Average Buying Price
The Average Buying Price is the weighted average of all the buy transactions, where a sell transaction impacts the weight of the average buying price used in further calculations.
ABP = previous_ABP * previous_open_position + current_buy_price * current _buy_amount / previous_open_position + current_buy_amount
previous_open_position = sum of all buy and sell transactions amounts made before the current buy transaction
NOTE:
- Deposits and withdrawal transactions are not taken into consideration when calculating the ABP
- Earn payouts are considered at price 0.
Impact of Buying and Selling on ABP
Understanding how buying and selling affect the ABP is crucial. When you buy more cryptocurrency, the ABP adjusts according to the new purchase price and quantity. Conversely, selling doesn't change the ABP but reduces the number of units held. Therefore, the ABP remains a constant reference point to evaluate the profitability of your remaining holdings.
Example: ABP when Trading Bitcoin
Initial Purchase
- Buy: 2 BTC @ $35,000 each
- previous_ABP = $0
- previous_open_position = 0
- ABP= $0 * 0 + $35,000 * 2 / 0 + 2 = $35,000 per BTC
Second Purchase
- Buy: 1 BTC @ $40,000
- previous_ABP = $35,000
- previous_open_position = 2
- ABP= $35,000 * 2 + $40,000 * 1 / 2 + 1 = $36,666.67 per BTC
First Sale
- Sell: 1 BTC @ $45,000
- previous_open_position = 3
- ABP = $36,666.67 per BTC since the sell doesn’t impact the previous ABP
Third Purchase
- Buy: 2 BTC @ $30,000 each
- previous_ABP = $36,666.67
- previous_open_position = 2 (since we sold 1 BTC)
- ABP= $36,666.67 * 2 + $30,000 * 1 / 2 + 1 = $34,444.44 per BTC
ABP and Trading Decisions
The ABP aids in making strategic trading decisions in several ways:
- Risk Assessment: It helps understand the current open position profitability and evaluate the risk-reward ratio of holding or selling the asset.
- Profit and Loss Analysis: Traders can quickly ascertain their unrealised profits or losses by comparing the current market price with the ABP.
- Strategic Buying and Selling: Traders can use the ABP to strategise further buys to lower their ABP or sells to take profits.
Practical Examples of Using ABP in Cryptocurrency Trading
- Taking Profits: If the current market price is significantly higher than the ABP, a trader might decide to sell a portion of their holdings to realise profits. For example, if the ABP of Ethereum is $2,000 and the current price is $3,000, selling a part could lock in profits.
- Lowering ABP Through Additional Purchases: If the price of a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin drops below your ABP, you could buy more to lower your ABP. This strategy, known as dollar-cost averaging, can reduce the impact of volatility and be beneficial if the market rebounds, reducing potential losses or turning them into gains. Use Auto-Invest to have this on auto-pilot!
- Strategic Reinvestment: After taking profits from a coin whose price has significantly exceeded your ABP, you could reinvest the profits into other cryptocurrencies with lower ABP compared to the current market price or ones that show a higher potential for growth, diversifying your portfolio.
- Limiting loss: If a trader's ABP for Bitcoin is $32,000, they might set an alert at $28,000 to sell and close the position. This limits their loss while giving the asset some room for regular market fluctuations.
Conclusion
The Average Buying Price is a foundational concept in cryptocurrency trading, offering a clear perspective on the open position's performance and aiding in making informed decisions. By understanding and effectively utilising ABP, traders can enhance their strategies, whether it's for taking profits, lowering risks, or rebalancing their portfolio. Remember, knowledge and strategy are key to navigating the market successfully in the dynamic world of cryptocurrency.
In addition to understanding ABP, SwissBorg’s Auto-Invest feature can be a powerful tool for investors looking to optimise their investment strategies. Auto-Invest simplifies the process of price averaging, a technique where you invest a fixed amount of money at regular intervals. This strategy can potentially reduce the impact of market volatility on your investment, as it averages out the purchase price over time. Whether the market is up or down, Auto-Invest methodically continues to invest, which can be particularly beneficial for those looking to build their portfolio steadily without the stress of timing the market. By integrating Auto-Invest into your strategy, you can leverage the benefits of price averaging, helping to navigate through the ever-changing tides of the cryptocurrency market with more consistency and confidence.
