Beta is a statistic that measures how the value of an asset changes as the market overall changes. For example, an ETF that tracks the stock market overall has a very high beta. This might be highly valuable to many investors who do not want to engage in active management, as the value of the ETF will generally grow at the same rate as the overall market. In contrast, products like binary options generally have no beta due to their nominally zero-sum nature. If you just buy every contract and hold, the value won’t rise as the overall does since someone has to lose and someone has to win. There’s no “rising tide” to “lift all boats”. As a result, such contracts are best for people with hedging needs, an active trading strategy or directional predictions, and not for those who want to engage in passive investing.