Automated trading using deep learning and machine learning, time series forecasting using transformer models. Trading strategy utilizing transformer-based time series forecasting models.

In recent years, the cryptocurrency market has grown rapidly, attracting attention to various investment methods for cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. Among these, automated trading systems utilizing deep learning and machine learning technologies have gained significant popularity. This article will specifically discuss how to use the transformer model to predict Bitcoin time series data and develop trading strategies based on it.

1. Basic Concepts of Deep Learning and Machine Learning

Deep learning and machine learning are fields of artificial intelligence that involve algorithms that learn patterns from data to perform predictions or classifications. Machine learning primarily includes techniques that train models based on given data to predict outcomes, while deep learning has the ability to solve more complex and nonlinear problems using artificial neural networks.

2. Importance of Time Series Prediction

The prices of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin include complex data that changes over time. This data is time series data, which plays a crucial role in predicting the future from past data. To make trading decisions in an unstable market, an efficient prediction model is necessary.

3. Overview of the Transformer Model

The transformer model was first introduced in the field of natural language processing (NLP) and has the advantage of being able to process the entire input sequence simultaneously. This makes it suitable for predicting future values using past time series data. The main components of a transformer are the attention mechanism and the multi-layer encoder-decoder structure.

3.1 Attention Mechanism

The attention mechanism allows each part of the input data to calculate how it relates to one another. By using this technique, one can dynamically assess how much each input value influences other input values.

3.2 Encoder-Decoder Structure

The encoder receives the input data and compresses its inherent meaning to pass it to the next stage. The decoder generates prediction values based on this inherent meaning. This structure is useful even in complex time series predictions.

4. Preparing Bitcoin Time Series Data

To train the model, it is necessary to collect Bitcoin’s time series data. Here, we will introduce the data preprocessing process using the pandas library in Python.

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np

# Load data
data = pd.read_csv('bitcoin_price.csv')  # Path to the CSV file containing Bitcoin price data

# Convert date to datetime format
data['Date'] = pd.to_datetime(data['Date'])

# Select necessary columns
data = data[['Date', 'Close']]

# Set index to date
data.set_index('Date', inplace=True)

# Handle missing values
data = data.fillna(method='ffill')

# Check data
print(data.head())

5. Building a Transformer Time Series Prediction Model

Now we will build a transformer model using the prepared Bitcoin price data. We will use the TensorFlow and Keras libraries for this purpose.

5.1 Defining the Transformer Model

import tensorflow as tf
from tensorflow import keras

def create_transformer_model(input_shape, num_heads, ff_dim):
    inputs = keras.Input(shape=input_shape)
    attention = keras.layers.MultiHeadAttention(num_heads=num_heads, key_dim=input_shape[-1])(inputs, inputs)
    x = keras.layers.Add()([inputs, attention])  # Skip connection
    x = keras.layers.LayerNormalization()(x)
    x = keras.layers.Dense(ff_dim, activation='relu')(x)  # Feed Forward Network
    x = keras.layers.Dense(input_shape[-1])(x)
    x = keras.layers.Add()([inputs, x])  # Skip connection
    x = keras.layers.LayerNormalization()(x)
    
    # Output layer
    outputs = keras.layers.Dense(1)(x)
    
    model = keras.Model(inputs=inputs, outputs=outputs)
    return model

# Create model
model = create_transformer_model(input_shape=(30, 1), num_heads=4, ff_dim=32)
model.compile(optimizer='adam', loss='mean_squared_error')

# Model summary
model.summary()

5.2 Data Preprocessing and Model Training

To train the transformer model, the data needs to be split into sequences of a fixed length.

def create_sequences(data, seq_length):
    sequences = []
    labels = []
    for i in range(len(data) - seq_length):
        sequences.append(data[i:i+seq_length])
        labels.append(data[i+seq_length])
    return np.array(sequences), np.array(labels)

# Set time series length
SEQ_LENGTH = 30

# Generate sequences
sequences, labels = create_sequences(data['Close'].values, SEQ_LENGTH)

# Split into training and validation sets
split_idx = int(len(sequences) * 0.8)
X_train, X_val = sequences[:split_idx], sequences[split_idx:]
y_train, y_val = labels[:split_idx], labels[split_idx:]

# Train model
model.fit(X_train, y_train, validation_data=(X_val, y_val), epochs=50, batch_size=32)

6. Building a Trading Strategy

Once the model is trained, a realistic trading strategy needs to be established. A basic trading strategy can be based on the following fundamental rules.

6.1 Generating Buy/Sell Signals

def generate_signals(predictions, threshold=0.01):
    signals = []
    for i in range(1, len(predictions)):
        if predictions[i] > predictions[i - 1] * (1 + threshold):
            signals.append(1)  # Buy
        elif predictions[i] < predictions[i - 1] * (1 - threshold):
            signals.append(-1)  # Sell
        else:
            signals.append(0)  # Hold
    return signals

# Generate predictions
predictions = model.predict(X_val)
signals = generate_signals(predictions.flatten())

# Check signals
print(signals[-10:])

7. Evaluating Results

Various methods can be used to evaluate the model's performance. For example, accuracy, precision, and recall can be calculated to measure the predictive power of the model. Additionally, the effectiveness of the strategy can be verified by evaluating the returns through actual trading.

7.1 Calculating Performance Metrics

def calculate_performance(signals, actual_prices):
    portfolio = 10000  # Initial investment amount
    for i in range(len(signals)):
        if signals[i] == 1:  # Buy
            portfolio *= (actual_prices[i+1] / actual_prices[i])
        elif signals[i] == -1:  # Sell
            portfolio *= (actual_prices[i] / actual_prices[i+1])
    return portfolio

# Calculate performance
final_portfolio_value = calculate_performance(signals, data['Close'].values[-len(signals):])
print(f'Final portfolio value: {final_portfolio_value}') //

8. Conclusion

An automated trading system for Bitcoin utilizing deep learning and machine learning can process complex time series data to perform predictions. In particular, the transformer model is a very effective tool for predicting future prices based on past data. However, due to the nature of the market, no model can guarantee perfect predictions, and risks must always be taken into account. Therefore, when using such models, it is crucial to formulate a comprehensive strategy alongside various risk management techniques.

The automated trading system using the transformer model described in this article is expected to continue to evolve. It is important to explore various strategies through data collection and processing, model training, and evaluation in order to build your own investment style.