The Nasdaq Stock Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group have joined forces to unify their cryptocurrency indices, renaming the Nasdaq Crypto Index (NCI) to the Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index.
The NCI benchmark index includes Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), Solana (SOL), Chainlink (LINK), Cardano (ADA), and Avalanche (AVAX), spokespeople confirmed to Nasdaq Cointelegraph.
Sean Wasserman, head of index products management at Nasdaq, said in a release Friday announcement: :
“We see the index-based approach as the direction investors are heading, beyond just Bitcoin. This is similar to what we have seen with other asset classes where there are indices that are representative of the broader market.”
The announcement comes amid an institutional rush toward cryptocurrencies, digital assets and blockchain technologies as customary financial infrastructure integrates digital rails to prepare for an internet-first economy.
Related: Morgan Stanley will launch a digital asset portfolio as part of its expansion of crypto products
In response to increasing complexity, the market is shifting to cryptocurrency index products
Index funds (ETFs) that track the prices of a basket of cryptocurrencies will drive the next wave of cryptocurrency adoption, according to Will Peck, head of digital assets at asset management firm WisdomTree.
Cryptocurrency indexing products eliminate the technical complexity of analyzing a wide range of digital assets, including tokens across a variety of sectors, making them ideal for passive investors seeking exposure to cryptocurrencies, Peck told Cointelegraph.
There were 29.66 million cryptocurrencies listed on the exchange CoinMarketCap At the time of writing, more tokens are being released every day.
Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, shares the same view and said he is “most excited” about the growth of cryptocurrency-indexed products in 2026.
Demand for these investment vehicles will be driven by investors seeking tiny, passive cryptocurrency allocations who cannot engage in deep analysis of the ever-evolving sector, Hougan said.
“The market is becoming more complex and use cases are multiplying” – Hougan he said in December
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