Effects of rebalancing

A different form of leveraged exposure

Unlike conventional perpetual futures, leveraged tokens rebalance their leverage factor which leads to a number of notable implications.

Directional de-/leveraging

Leveraged tokens can offer amplified returns and loss mitigation for one-directional price movements. In conventional perpetual futures contracts, e.g., a 3x long position, the leverage decreases as the underlying asset appreciates, and conversely, it increases as the asset depreciates. Rebalancing counteracts this effect. After an underlying asset appreciation, leveraged tokens can exhibit relatively higher leverage than perpetual futures, thereby enhancing the Return on Investment (ROI). Conversely, if the underlying asset depreciates, rebalancing the leverage alleviates the impact of further asset depreciation - a characteristic distinct from perpetual futures.

The following simplified calculation illustrates how rebalancing works during one-directional movements:

Note that this is not TLX-specific but merely illustrates a potential effect of rebalancing.

PF = Perpetual future

LT = Leveraged token

UA = Underlying asset

Form of leverage	T1	T2	ROI (T2)
2x Long PF	UA +10%	UA +10%	42%
2x Long LT	UA +10%	Rebalancing, UA +10%	44%

Volatility decay

In contrast to the amplified returns and loss mitigation seen with one-directional movements, volatility introduces an opposing effect, leading to volatility decay. For instance, following the rebalancing of a long position due to a depreciation in the underlying asset, the leverage factor will be lower in comparison to a position that did not undergo rebalancing. Consequently, a subsequent asset appreciation would lead to a comparatively lower increase in ROI.

The following simplified calculation illustrates the impact of rebalancing due to volatility:

Note that this is not TLX-specific but merely illustrates a potential effect of rebalancing.

Form of leverage	T1	T2	ROI (T2)
2x Long PF	UA -10%	UA +10%	-2%
2x Long LT	UA -10%	Rebalancing, UA +10%	-4%