Nasdaq and CME Merge Cryptocurrency Indexes into New Standard

Nasdaq and CME Group have consolidated their cryptocurrency indexing initiatives into a single benchmark, rebranding the Nasdaq Crypto Index as the Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index.

Key Takeaways:

• Nasdaq and CME Group have merged their crypto benchmarks to establish a singular, multi-asset index targeted at institutional investors.
• The Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index is crafted to reflect traditional market standards.
• The index supports an expanding ecosystem of regulated offerings.

This announcement strengthens a collaboration between the two market infrastructure entities that has lasted nearly thirty years, as noted by Nasdaq.

The enhanced index is intended to act as a fundamental benchmark for investors looking for exposure beyond single-asset cryptocurrency strategies, as regulatory clarity and institutional involvement continue to grow.

CME States New Crypto Index Aims to Align with Traditional Market Standards

“This is more than a mere name change,” remarked Giovanni Vicioso, executive director of equity and alternative products at CME Group.

He characterized the index as a fusion of two well-established market standards that aim to provide governance and diversification akin to traditional asset classes.

The Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index monitors a collection of significant digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Chainlink, Cardano, and Avalanche.

Nasdaq indicated that the index is designed to represent the wider cryptocurrency market rather than focusing exclusively on Bitcoin, reflecting a shift in how investors approach equities and other asset classes.

Sean Wasserman, head of index product management at Nasdaq, noted that investors are increasingly leaning toward index-based exposure as the cryptocurrency market becomes more intricate.

“We view the index-based strategy as the path investors are pursuing, extending beyond Bitcoin alone,” he stated, highlighting parallels with the evolution of equity and commodity markets.

Governance and transparency are vital components of the index’s framework. The benchmark is computed by CF Benchmarks and supervised by a joint governance committee, with eligibility criteria, liquidity thresholds, and quarterly rebalancing specified in a published methodology.

Today, Nasdaq & @CMEGroup are addressing that demand by reintroducing the Nasdaq Crypto Index (NCI) as the Nasdaq CME Crypto Index (NCI) establishing a premier benchmark tailored for institutional-grade exposure and the forthcoming wave of derivatives innovation.… pic.twitter.com/25uqoc22F8

— Nasdaq (@Nasdaq) January 8, 2026

Executives indicated that this structure is intended to align with institutional risk and compliance requirements.

The launch also builds upon Nasdaq and CME Group’s extensive history of cooperation, which began with Nasdaq-100 futures in the 1990s and later grew into one of the world’s most liquid equity index derivatives ecosystems.

Earlier this year, the two companies renewed their Nasdaq-100 licensing agreement for another decade.

In addition to benchmarking, the index is anticipated to support a broader variety of regulated products, including exchange-traded funds and structured investment vehicles.

Nasdaq reported that the index currently backs licensed products across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, representing over $1 billion in assets.

CME Group Achieves Record Trading Volumes in 2025

As reported, CME Group experienced its highest trading activity ever in 2025, with the average daily volume reaching 28.1 million contracts, a 6% rise from the previous year.

This increase reflected robust participation across interest rates, equities, commodities, foreign exchange, and cryptocurrency derivatives as investors adjusted to changing macroeconomic circumstances.

Activity surged as the year came to a close, with fourth-quarter average daily volume rising to 27.4 million contracts and December achieving its strongest performance on record.

CME attributed the demand to increased utilization of hedging tools amid fluctuating interest rate expectations, commodity price variations, and ongoing growth in cryptocurrency derivatives.

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