Hedging Slippage
Hedging slippage is the discrepancy between the theoretical price at which a hedge should be executed and the actual price at which the order is filled. This occurs because the market price changes during the time it takes to transmit and fill an order, or because the order size exceeds the available depth at the best bid or offer.
In strategies requiring constant rebalancing, such as delta hedging, slippage accumulates over time, acting as a direct drain on portfolio performance. It is exacerbated in crypto markets by latency in exchange matching engines and sudden bursts of volatility.
Traders mitigate this by using limit orders, splitting large orders into smaller chunks, or using specialized execution algorithms. Reducing hedging slippage is a critical component of maintaining the integrity of a delta-neutral or gamma-positive strategy.
It represents the friction inherent in translating theoretical mathematical models into actionable market reality.