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Strix Leviathan: Systematic Crypto Trading

Reported by The Hedge Fund Journal
Jan 10, 2024· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Strix Leviathan employs predominantly quantitative, directional CTA-style cryptocurrency trading strategies combined with delta-neutral DeFi strategies, utilizing proprietary technology, models, and analytics to navigate multiple market cycles.
  • • CEO Sadie Raney and CIO Nico Cordeiro co-founded Strix Leviathan in late 2017 after meeting through Seattle's Bitcoin community; Raney was recognized in The Hedge Fund Journal's 2023 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds report in association with EY.
  • • The founding team previously launched Makara, one of the first SEC-registered digital investment advisers for cryptocurrency, which was acquired by Betterment in 2022, demonstrating institutional-grade experience in crypto asset management.
  • • Cordeiro's philosophy emphasizes that human behavior in aggregate remains constant despite crypto market institutionalization, providing a foundation for systematic trading models designed to capitalize on persistent market inefficiencies.
  • • Raney brings diverse financial experience including roles as Financial Controller at Blue Box (acquired by IBM), consulting, venture investing, and financial writing; Cordeiro previously served as research analyst at PitchBook Data and completed seven years of US military service.
Summary
Strix Leviathan operates as a systematic cryptocurrency hedge fund specializing in quantitative trading strategies that blend directional CTA (Commodity Trading Advisor) approaches with delta-neutral decentralized finance strategies. The firm distinguishes itself through proprietary algorithmic models and analytics designed to generate risk-adjusted returns by systematically analyzing cryptocurrency market data across multiple digital asset exchanges.

The firm was co-founded in late 2017 by Sadie Raney and Nico Cordeiro, who met through mutual connections in Seattle's Bitcoin community. The two developed a software platform that became the foundation for Strix Leviathan's strategy after recognizing a market gap: the absence of institutional-quality trading tools for hedge fund-style cryptocurrency strategies. Raney's background spans consulting, finance, venture investing, and financial writing, with prior experience as Financial Controller at Blue Box, where she led finance and operations through the company's acquisition and integration by IBM. Cordeiro brought research expertise from PitchBook Data along with seven years of US military service.

Prior to establishing Strix Leviathan, the co-founders were part of the founding team at Makara, one of the first SEC-registered digital investment advisers for cryptocurrency, which was subsequently acquired by Betterment in 2022. This track record demonstrates institutional-grade experience and credibility in building regulated digital asset management infrastructure.

Philosophically, Strix Leviathan's approach is grounded in the conviction that human behavior in aggregate remains fundamentally constant, even amid crypto market institutionalization. This belief informs the firm's systematic models, which are designed to capitalize on persistent market patterns and behavioral inefficiencies across various market cycles. Raney's inclusion in The Hedge Fund Journal's 2023 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds report (published in association with EY) reflects her recognition as a prominent institutional investor in the alternative asset management sector.

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Sources

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AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

The Hedge Fund Journal Strix Leviathan: Systematic Crypto Trading