STOXX has introduced the STOXX Digital Asset Blue Chip index, which aims to track high-quality assets that represent the crypto universe today.
The launch, in partnership with Bitcoin Suisse, a Swiss crypto-financial services provider, marks STOXX’s entry into the digital assets space.
Dr. Dirk Klee, Chief Executive Officer at Bitcoin Suisse, said:
“With the launch of this unique blue-chip crypto index together with STOXX, we are taking the next step in the development of our digital assets offering. We are recognizing the need for institutional investors to move into crypto currency diversification in their portfolios and proud to partner up with STOXX to drive innovation further in the crypto and traditional space.”
As noted in the update, a blue-chip focus “means the new index does not just select the largest crypto assets by market capitalization, as is customary with other indices, but instead considers crypto-native metrics including the level of adoption, total value secured, the size of the developer community, the fees paid by users and the age of the protocol.”
More investment institutions are “turning to digital assets for strategic objectives such as portfolio diversification, and as enhanced, institutional-grade infrastructure and clearer regulation make market fundamentals more attractive to a larger breed of investors. After a bout of market volatility in 2022, asset prices have recovered in 2023, and the crypto market is now valued at USD 1.45 trillion.”
In a survey of over 250 investment institutions “conducted by Ernst & Young, 60% of respondents indicated they allocate more than 1% of their portfolio to digital assets and/or related products. Over two-thirds of respondents (69%) said they plan to increase the holdings in the next two to three years.”
Just below half of professional investors “polled in another survey this year, conducted by Trackinsight, said they would consider investing in single- and multi-cryptocurrency ETPs. A smaller 37% indicated they would be willing to invest directly in cryptocurrencies.”
Axel Lomholt, General Manager at STOXX, said:
“As the current era of reliably negative equity/bond correlations is ending, investors will need to further diversify for efficient portfolio construction. That’s why we are moving into an investment segment that’s increasingly gaining a foothold in portfolios. With Bitcoin Suisse, we are doing so with a strong and established partner, and with an index methodology designed to meet the robustness needs of today’s investors.”
A benchmark for digital assets
The STOXX Digital Asset Blue Chip index is “intended to be a barometer for large, well-established and high-quality digital assets, and become a benchmark for the space. The gauge serves as an important tool for investors and the broader market to understand, measure and participate in the evolving crypto landscape. An index contributes to the development of a more mature and transparent market, and this launch comes at a time when interest in digital assets is growing strongly.”
