Tree-Based Pricing Models

Algorithm

Tree-based pricing models, within cryptocurrency derivatives, leverage recursive binary partitioning to represent the underlying asset’s potential price evolution over the life of the option or derivative. These models discretize time into a series of nodes, each representing a possible price at a specific point in time, and construct a lattice reflecting potential price movements, typically based on an assumed volatility structure. The valuation process then works backward from the expiration date, calculating the option’s value at each node based on its payoff at expiration and the expected continuation value. Consequently, these approaches are particularly adaptable to path-dependent options and American-style options where early exercise is permissible.