Backtesting Arena

Backtesting Arena

Backtesting Arena Blog

Arena Blog

Data-driven insights on trading strategies, backtests, and market analysis.

📬 New posts straight to your inbox:
★ FeaturedTools

We Just Shipped an API That Charges $0.01 Per Call — In USDC, On-Chain, No Account

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

Phase 4 is live: the same Bitcoin cycle data, on-chain indicators, and aggregated strategy insights now reachable through three channels — REST, MCP, and x402 pay-per-call in USDC on Base. No account required for the third. An AI agent gets HTTP 402, signs a USDC authorization, retries, and has the data three seconds later. What's actually live, why we built it this way, and the Coinbase detour that cost us a day.

x402MCPREST-API+7
May 23, 20261 min
★ FeaturedTools

We're Opening Our API: REST + MCP + (soon) x402

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

For 18 months we've been quietly building Backtesting Arena — a platform where 500+ users have run 10,000+ backtests across Bitcoin, stocks, ETFs, commodities, and forex. Daily cycle scores, on-chain indicators, sentiment dashboards, strategy insights. All powered by the same data layer that's been running on a private quasi-API.

APIMCPX402+1
May 21, 20261 min
★ FeaturedMarket Structure

AI Agents and Crypto Payments: Where This Is Really Heading

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

This is the crypto-rail deep-dive companion to our earlier piece [AI and the Future of Payment Systems](https://tradingstrategies.work/blog/ai-future-of-payment-systems-2026), which covered the broader fintech picture including Visa Intelligent Commerce and Mastercard Agent Pay. Here we zoom in on what's happening on the crypto layer specifically.

AI-AgentsCryptoPayment-Systems+3
May 15, 20261 min
Tools

Oracle Manipulation in DeFi: What Happens When a Protocol Trusts Bad Data

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

Oracle manipulation drained millions from Ostium — not through a contract bug, but through bad data. The failure modes when DeFi protocols trust their price feeds.

oracledefisecurity+2
Jul 17, 20261 min
Backtesting

When Simulations Lie: What Persi Diaconis Actually Said About Convergence and Proof

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

Persi Diaconis shows a simulation can run for thousands of hours, look stable, and still be wrong. What he actually said about convergence and proof.

simulationbacktestingmonte-carlo+3
Jul 17, 20261 min
Tools

Consensus Is Not an Edge: Why a Quorum of Correlated Simulations Isn't One

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

An AI swarm turned $1,000 into nearly a million? The number falls apart at its own source. Why consensus from correlated simulations is not an edge.

simulationbacktestingkonsens+3
Jul 17, 20261 min
Backtesting

Look-Ahead Bias in Macro Data: Why We Rebuilt Our Regime History

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

Look-ahead bias corrupts backtests when macro data is revised after the fact. Why we rebuilt our regime history to be strictly point-in-time — and proved it.

look-ahead-biaspoint-in-timebacktesting+1
Jul 16, 20261 min
Market Analysis

Bitcoin Yield: Where It Comes From — and What You Sell for It

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

Bitcoin has no native yield. Every advertised BTC yield is a sold option, a loan, or a token emission. And with the income ETFs, the window decides whether the answer flatters or destroys.

bitcoinyieldderivatives+1
Jul 14, 20261 min
Tools

Market Data Licensing: How Price Data Is Licensed — and Why We're Switching Off Four Asset Classes

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

Market data licensing is tiered, and the decisive line runs between derived values and raw prices. What that costs — and why we're switching off four asset classes for now.

market-datalicensingplatform
Jul 14, 20261 min
Backtesting

The Gap Tax: Your Daily Backtest Fills at a Price You Can't Trade — How Big Is the Error Really?

Backtesting Arenatradingstrategies.work

Daily backtests compute the signal from the close and fill at that same close — a price you can no longer trade. We recomputed 7,000+ trades twice (close fill vs. next open) to size the distortion. Result: smaller than the myth.

backtestingmethodologyfill realism+4
Jul 14, 20261 min
📬

Don't miss new blog posts

One short email per new post — strategies, backtests, market analysis. No spam, unsubscribe with one click anytime.

By subscribing you accept our privacy policy. We use Resend for delivery. Double opt-in confirmation required.