Positive Expected Returns

Definition

Positive expected returns represent the statistical probability that a trading strategy or investment portfolio will yield a net profit when aggregated over an infinite sequence of trades. In the context of cryptocurrency derivatives, this metric requires that the sum of potential gains multiplied by their respective probabilities outweighs the sum of potential losses. Professional traders utilize this concept to distinguish between high-variance speculation and systematic edge. By focusing on the expectancy of a model, market participants remove the emotional bias associated with individual trade outcomes.