Measuring the risk or reducing it, that is the question: is risk measurement necessary for risk reduction?

In this research, starting from a widely accepted definition of risk, we support the idea that risk reduction is a more realistic objective than risk minimization, which represents a theoretical utopia. Furthermore, significant risk reduction can be achieved without relying on risk measurement and r

April 30, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

The Satoshi Overhang: Why the Bear Case is Bounded

Renewed public attention on the identity of Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator has sharpened focus on the Satoshi overhang, commonly framed as a tail risk for bitcoin. This paper argues that the mechanical downside of a disposition is bounded well below the existential-loss framing, and that the termina

April 30, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

A Motif-Based Framework for Decomposing Risk Spillovers

Connectedness measures quantify aggregate risk spillovers but obscure the local interaction patterns that generate systemic risk. We develop a motif-based framework that first extracts multiscale backbones from quantile connectedness networks and then identifies directed triadic motifs whose frequen

April 28, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

The Financialization of Proof-of-Stake: Asymptotic Centralization under Exogenous Risk Premiums

This paper introduces a heterogeneous macroeconomic model of a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) network to analyze the long-term centralizing effects of external traditional finance (TradFi) yields. We model a continuum of rational actors divided into two distinct classes: investors, who optimize portfolios bet

April 28, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

A Geometric Witness Framework for Signed Multivariate Tail-Dependence Compatibility: Asymptotic Structure and Finite-Threshold Synthesis

We study multivariate tail-dependence compatibility for complete and partial signed tail families, treating lower-tail, upper-tail, and mixed configurations in one geometric witness representation indexed by active coordinate sets and sign patterns. For a complete signed tail family, witness generat

April 27, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Comonotonic improvement under feasibility constraints

Regulatory and contractual constraints on individual exposures are standard in insurance and reinsurance markets, but a poorly designed constraint can distort the economic incentives of risk-averse agents. In the unconstrained problem, the classical comonotonic improvement theorem guarantees Pareto-

April 27, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Efficient Multivariate Kelly Optimization Reveals Sigmoidal Scaling Laws

For a sequence of binary bets, the Kelly criterion provides a closed-form solution that maximizes the expected growth rate of wealth. In contrast, when multiple bets are placed simultaneously (e.g., in portfolio allocation or prediction markets), the optimal Kelly strategy generally requires numeric

April 27, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Multiplicative Contractions, Additive Recoveries: Functional-Form Restrictions on Risk Exposure Dynamics

We test a regime-conditional functional-form restriction on aggregate risk-exposure dynamics implied by VaR-constrained intermediary models: exposures contract multiplicatively when capital constraints bind and grow additively (level-independent) when slack. The contraction half follows from binding

April 25, 2026 · 3 min · thequant.space

Malliavin calculus for signatures with applications to finance

Malliavin calculus is a powerful and general framework for the analysis of square-integrable random variables, but it often suffers from a lack of tractability and explicit representations. To address this limitation, we focus on a subclass of random variables given by finite linear combinations of

April 24, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Optimal Investment and Entropy-Regularized Learning Under Stochastic Volatility Models with Portfolio Constraints

We study the problem of optimal portfolio selection under stochastic volatility within a continuous time reinforcement learning framework with portfolio constraints. Exploration is modeled through entropy-regularized relaxed controls, where the investor selects probability distributions over admissi

April 24, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

ChatGPT as a Time Capsule: The Limits of Price Discovery

Frozen large language model (LLM) checkpoints extract information from pre-cutoff public text that is associated with future fundamentals and equity returns beyond standard contemporaneous valuation measures. Because each frozen checkpoint has a fixed knowledge cutoff, it can be interpreted as a com

April 23, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Identifying dynamical network markers of financial market instability

Market instability has been extensively studied using mathematical approaches to characterize complex trading dynamics and detect structural change points. This study explores the potential for early warning of market instability by applying the Dynamical Network Marker (DNM) theory to order placeme

April 23, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Modeling dependency between operational risk losses and macroeconomic variables using Hidden Markov Models

Predicting future operational risk losses gives rise to a significant challenge due to the heterogeneous and time-dependent structures present in real-world data. Furthermore, stress test exercises require examining the relationship with operational losses. To capture such relationship, we propose t

April 23, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Research Streams in Biodiversity Finance: A Bibliometric Analysis and Research Agenda

Biodiversity loss is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, threatening ecosystem stability, economic resilience, and human well-being, with billions required to reverse current trends. Against this backdrop, biodiversity finance has emerged as a rapidly expanding but highly fragmented field spannin

April 23, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Revealing Geography-Driven Signals in Zone-Level Claim Frequency Models: An Empirical Study using Environmental and Visual Predictors

Geographic context is often consider relevant to motor insurance risk, yet public actuarial datasets provide limited location identifiers, constraining how this information can be incorporated and evaluated in claim-frequency models. This study examines how geographic information from alternative da

April 23, 2026 · 3 min · thequant.space

A Wasserstein GAN-based climate scenario generator for risk management and insurance: the case of soil subsidence

According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2025), the average annual cost of natural catastrophes increased from 70–80 billion USD between 1970 and 2000 to 180–200 billion USD between 2001 and 2020. Reports from organizations such as the IFOA and the WWF highlight the need

April 22, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Bond Market Making with a Hit-Ratio Target

We study OTC bond market making on a size ladder with quadratic inventory penalty and a running target on the dealer’s size-weighted hit ratio within a stochastic optimal control approach. We demonstrate that the corresponding reduced Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation remains separable by duali

April 22, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Tuning in to Frequencies: How Global Assets Align with U.S. Put-Call Parity Residuals

Put-call parity is a risk-neutral identity, but enforcing it is path-dependent and capital-using. I study the carry gap, the annualized wedge between option-implied and OIS discount factors, in SPX and RUT options. Because parity enforcement ties up scarce capital, its opportunity cost may reflect o

April 21, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Contagion or Macroeconomic Fluctuations? Identifiability in Aggregated Default Data

Can contagion be inferred from aggregated default data? We study this as a problem of identifiability, asking whether contagion generates components in default count distributions that remain distinct from those induced by macroeconomic fluctuations. We compare three dependence structures: cumulativ

April 20, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space

Dissecting AI Trading: Behavioral Finance and Market Bubbles

We study how AI agents form expectations and trade in experimental asset markets. Using a simulated open-call auction populated by autonomous Large Language Model (LLM) agents, we document three main findings. First, AI agents exhibit classic behavioral patterns: a pronounced disposition effect and

April 20, 2026 · 2 min · thequant.space