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Performance Decoded

What crypto hedge fund managers need to know to master their updates and factsheets for LPs and investors
Federico Mele
GenieAI CEO
September 23, 2024

Performance Decoded: Mastering the Investor Update

Monthly investor updates are a vital part of any hedge fund or asset manager's communication strategy, especially in the crypto world. As Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs gained traction in 2024, investors face a critical question: Should they passively invest in a crypto ETF or entrust a manager to actively manage their capital? This decision hinges on a fund’s ability to communicate its value clearly, and well-crafted monthly investor updates play a key role.

For fund managers, these updates are a golden opportunity to build investor confidence. But creating compelling, compliant, and differentiated reports is challenging and time-consuming. So, how do you ensure that your reports are effective?

At GenieAI, we’ve seen how our clients leverage our platform to produce investor reports 10x faster and 10x more impactful. Through this, we’ve become experts in presenting portfolio performance insights. In this article, we’ll explore key elements of an engaging and informative investor update.

Pitch Your Thesis, Without the Buzzwords

The first section of your investor update should reaffirm your fund’s strategy and differentiation. What's your core investment thesis? For fundamental managers, how do you select sector and token allocations? What's your investment horizon? For market-neutral, quantitative, or systematic funds, what strategies are you deploying? Are you targeting a specific exposure, Sharpe ratio, or volatility?

A clear, concise pitch is essential in a competitive market. Keep it straightforward and avoid overusing jargon—focus on explaining your approach in a way that resonates with both experienced investors and those newer to the space.

Highlight Team Expertise, Beyond Pedigree

Crypto investing requires specialized knowledge. Fundamental investors must understand blockchain technology inside and out. Quantitative investors need to grasp the intricate dynamics of crypto markets. All managers must process vast amounts of on-chain, off-chain, and sentiment data.

Introduce your team by showcasing their expertise, not just their resumes. Do they come from traditional finance, applying tried-and-true investment principles to crypto? Or do they have crypto-native experience, technical skills, and a deep network in the industry? Highlight how these strengths differentiate your fund and build investor trust.

Emphasize Technology as a Competitive Edge

In a volatile space like crypto, reliability and consistency are paramount. Explain how your use of technology enables consistent performance. What data do you rely on? How do you process and analyze it? For example, if you’re using GenieAI’s technology stack for data ingestion or portfolio optimization, let investors know.

This transparency around your technological edge shows that you’re equipped to handle the complexities of the crypto market, reinforcing your investors’ confidence in your process.

Show Your Returns—with Context

When discussing performance, the Time-Weighted Rate of Return (TWR) is a go-to metric because it eliminates the impact of cash flows and focuses on the manager's ability to grow assets. Present your TWR on a monthly, year-to-date, and inception-to-date basis.

Comparing your performance to relevant benchmarks—such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or the Bitwise10 index—adds context. If your fund underperforms a benchmark, explain the reasons behind the gap. Adding familiar benchmarks like the S&P 500 or NASDAQ Composite can also help, especially for investors new to crypto.

Pro Tip: Overlaying your TWR against a market regime chart can highlight your fund’s resilience during downturns and its ability to capitalize on crypto’s high-growth periods. GenieAI’s system can easily generate such insights, demonstrating your fund’s strength across market cycles.

Spotlight Risk Management in Line with Your Strategy

Risk-adjusted return metrics provide a more complete picture of your performance. Use metrics like the Sharpe Ratio, Sortino Ratio, and MAR Ratio to showcase how you manage risk relative to your returns.

For directional funds, emphasize the Sortino and MAR ratios to highlight how you manage downside risk. Long/short funds can focus on the Sharpe Ratio and Calmar Ratio to demonstrate consistent, risk-adjusted returns. When presenting these metrics, provide context through visual aids like radar charts, comparing your fund against benchmarks. This makes the data easier to digest while reinforcing your fund’s strengths.

Break Down Performance Attribution

To show you fully understand your portfolio’s behavior, include a performance attribution analysis. For fundamental funds, break down exposures by token and sector, showing each allocation’s TWR contribution. For quant funds, illustrate net market exposure and returns by strategy, such as market momentum or volatility, and income from staking or funding rates.

Performance attribution highlights your active management skills and ability to generate alpha, positioning your fund as a thoughtful and data-driven manager.

Conclusion: Crafting Your Crypto Fund's Epic Tale

Effective investor updates are about more than just numbers—they’re about telling your fund’s story. By focusing on the right metrics and providing context, you can give investors a full understanding of your strategy, risk management, and operational excellence. In the increasingly competitive digital asset space, those who communicate effectively will be best positioned to build lasting investor relationships.

Reporting isn’t just a regulatory requirement—it’s an opportunity to engage investors, build their confidence, and deepen their understanding of your fund’s unique value proposition. In a data-heavy environment, leveraging cutting-edge technology like GenieAI can be a game-changer. Our Portfolio and Risk Management System automates many of the workflows that would otherwise take days of work, freeing up time for fund managers to focus on what matters: making informed investment decisions and communicating the strengths of their strategy.

For more information on how digital asset funds leverage GenieAI to streamline their operations and amplify their investor communications, request a customized demo at www.genieai.tech.

About GenieAI:

GenieAI is the premier AI-powered Portfolio and Risk Management System for digital assets, leading the industry towards smarter, data-driven decisions and automated workflows. The technology enables investors to anticipate market trends and navigate risks in ways that were once unimaginable—all while managing portfolios with unprecedented precision.

GenieAI helps leading fund managers to:

1. Enhance portfolio metrics

2. Predict market trends

3. Improve data-driven decisions

4. Automate analysis and reporting

5. Boost model performance

GenieAI's expert team of industry leaders brings unmatched AI and ML experience to investment management. GenieAI’s clients include some of the world’s most successful and well-respected digital asset funds.

GenieAI is backed by leading investors, including Coinbase Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Sierra Ventures, Fasanara Digital, Arca, and other prominent firms.

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