Machine learning-driven feature selection and anomaly detection for Bitcoin price analysis

Crypto analysts have to deal with a variety of challenges, with the most important area being the price volatility of cryptocurrencies. Due to uncertain market trends, many studies have been conducted on forecasting techniques, and some of these techniques have been integrated with advanced analytical tools, including machine learning (ML) techniques. Making reliable predictions of the speculative behavior of financial assets, especially in non-stationary and highly volatile environments such as the cryptocurrency market, is a challenging task. In this study, ML techniques are used to identify influential features that affect the prices of cryptocurrencies, especially for Bitcoins. In addition, multivariate control charts are utilized for signal detection, allowing for a structured approach to develop trading strategies for seasonal market conditions. Unlike other studies that do not take seasonality into serious consideration when analyzing market fluctuations, the proposed approach explicitly accounts for it. The developed strategy is tested across various market conditions, including the final days of each year from 2019 to 2024, and demonstrates strong and consistent performance in all cases. By systematically identifying key on-chain features and analyzing them by means of control charts, this study develops a structured approach to anomaly-based trading strategies in Bitcoins. These discoveries address an extensive discussion on automated trading systems, demonstrating that feature selection, technical indicators, market seasonality, and halving impacts are important components in hinting at successful cryptocurrency exchange strategies. • A hybrid framework combining machine learning algorithms with multivariate control charts for Bitcoin price analysis is proposed. • Expert-informed and algorithmic feature selection is implemented on blockchain on-chain data to improve model interpretability and accuracy. • An anomaly-based trading strategy using control chart signals integrated with technical indicators is developed. • The proposed strategy is comprehensively backtested, consistently outperforming Buy & Hold benchmarks with robust risk-adjusted returns.