What caused the sudden 30% decrease in Bitcoin trading volume on the Luno exchange yesterday?

Introduction

A sudden 30% decrease in Bitcoin trading volume on the Luno exchange is a significant event that requires immediate attention and thorough analysis. This issue could have far-reaching implications for user trust, platform stability, and overall business performance. I'll approach this problem systematically, focusing on identifying the root cause while considering both short-term and long-term impacts.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking this could be related to a specific event. When exactly did this 30% decrease occur, and was it a gradual decline or a sudden drop?

Why it matters: Understanding the timing helps identify potential triggers and narrows down the investigation scope. Expected answer: The drop occurred suddenly at 2 PM yesterday. Impact on approach: A sudden drop suggests a specific trigger rather than a gradual trend, focusing our investigation on events around that time.

• Considering user segments, I'm wondering if this affected all types of traders equally. Did you notice any differences in the impact on high-volume traders versus casual users?

Why it matters: This helps determine if the issue is user-specific or platform-wide. Expected answer: The decrease was observed across all user segments. Impact on approach: A uniform decrease across segments suggests a platform-wide issue rather than a user-specific problem.

• Given the volatility of cryptocurrency markets, I'm curious about the broader context. How did Bitcoin's price and trading volumes on other major exchanges perform during the same period?

Why it matters: This helps distinguish between Luno-specific issues and market-wide trends. Expected answer: Other exchanges saw normal trading volumes, and Bitcoin's price remained stable. Impact on approach: If Luno is uniquely affected, we'll focus on internal factors rather than market conditions.

• Thinking about recent changes, have there been any significant updates to the platform's trading engine, user interface, or security protocols in the past week?

Why it matters: Recent changes could introduce bugs or user experience issues affecting trading volume. Expected answer: A minor security update was deployed two days ago. Impact on approach: This could point us towards investigating potential unintended consequences of the security update.