CRYPTO · STRATEGY TEST

Does “sell in May” work on ADA-USD?

Hold only from November through April and stay in cash for the summer months, on the old market adage.

Yes — on this asset, over this period. Over the last 8.7 years, “sell in May and go away” beat buying and holding Cardano by 38.74 percentage points a year (40.80% versus 2.06%).

Every rule on ADA-USD, ranked

StrategyCAGRTotalWorst DDIn market
Sell in May (hold Nov–Apr) ← this page40.80%1827%-87.5%51%
200-day moving average timing39.02%1374%-79.7%40%
Golden cross (50/200)11.55%144%-84.0%42%
Buy and hold — benchmark2.06%19%-97.8%100%
Buy the dip (RSI < 30, hold 20d)-31.02%-96%-96.6%50%

8.7 years · 3,184 trading days · $0.032 → $0.162

How to read this

One asset over one window is a single data point, not a law. A rule that wins on ADA-USD may lose on the next ticker you try — which is exactly why the free tester exists: change the asset and see whether the edge survives. When it evaporates on a different market, it was fitted to this one.

Note the drawdown column as much as the return. Most timing rules earn less than holding but lose less in a crash, and whether that trade is worth it depends entirely on whether you would actually have held through the worst of it.

Method

Signals are read from the previous close and the next day's return is applied — no lookahead. Prices are dividend-adjusted so buy-and-hold is not handicapped. 0.05% cost per switch. No leverage, no shorting.

Test the same rule on something else

SPYQQQDIAIWMAAPLMSFTNVDATSLAAMZNGOOGLMETANFLX
the 200-day moving average on ADA-USDthe golden cross on ADA-USDbuying the dip on ADA-USD
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Vorrik Research publishes tests of publicly discussed trading strategies using public market data and our own capital. It is factual reporting of what happened in historical and live tests — not investment advice, and not a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Past results never predict future results.