Kinked Interest Rate Curve

Analysis

A kinked interest rate curve, within cryptocurrency derivatives, reflects non-linear pricing discrepancies across different maturities of implied forward rates. This phenomenon arises from imbalances in supply and demand for contracts at specific tenors, often influenced by hedging flows from underlying spot markets or anticipated regulatory events. Consequently, the curve exhibits distinct ‘kinks’ where the cost of carry deviates from a smooth interpolation, impacting arbitrage opportunities and the valuation of complex structured products.