Backtesting Data Fidelity

Definition

Backtesting data fidelity denotes the degree to which historical datasets accurately represent actual market conditions, including liquidity constraints, transaction costs, and order book dynamics, essential for validating cryptocurrency and derivative trading strategies. This metric serves as a foundational assessment of whether synthetic performance results can be reasonably extrapolated to live, high-frequency environments. Analysts rely on granular, tick-level records rather than aggregated candles to minimize survivorship bias and ensure that model outcomes reflect real-world execution hurdles.