U.S. stock exchange NASDAQ has listed a new decentralized finance (DeFi) index that will follow popular blockchain-based prediction markets. The index will include projects such as Augur, MakerDAO, and 0x.
The index was launched by London-based brokerage EXANTE, a pioneer in the crypto industry who launched the first Bitcoin hedge fund in 2012.
Called DeFix, the index debuted on NASDAQ on Monday as DEFX and is available on the NASDAQ Global Index Data ServiceSM (GIDS), the exchange’s consolidated data feed, where it will be refreshed every 60 seconds.
According to the press release, the index will include “real-time” information for some of the most popular projects in the blockchain marketplace, including Augur, Gnosis, Amoveo, Numerai, MakerDAO, and 0x.
A spokesperson for NASDAQ said that “DeFiX is the first altcoin index that reflects the dynamics of the most promising blockchain projects working in decentralized finance.”
Zack Hess, the main developer of Amoveo, one of the projects listed on the index, said that he was glad to see “increased awareness being brought to decentralized finance projects,” adding that it would give everyone access to modern financial tools.
Apart from NASDAQ, users can also find EXANTE’s DeFix index on TradingView and Google.
The index will reportedly be listed on Yahoo Finance, but no clear timeline was given by the platform as to when.
NASDAQ and EXANTE bring crypto closer to the masses
Listing a prediction marketplace index on such a large stock exchange as NASDAQ will inevitably bring more recognition and attention to the space.
NASDAQ has been one of the first operators to list a crypto-related index and in June of this year launched a crypto pricing product in collaboration with CryptoCompare.
Dubbed “Nasdaq/CryptoCompare Aggregate Crypto Reference Prices,” it provides institutional investors with up to date pricing data for the most liquid crypto markets.
NASDAQ has also worked with several cryptocurrency exchanges in the past.
According to Finance Magnates, NASDAQ’s SMARTS trade surveillance technology is currently being used by seven cryptocurrency exchanges, including Gemini and SBI Virtual Currencies.
EXANTE’s history in the crypto industry will also bring more recognition to the space.
The company’s Bitcoin fund, launched in 2012, has been recognized as the most profitable hedge fund in history, setting record-breaking returns of 70,000% since its inception.
Bitcoin also isn’t the only cryptocurrency EXANTE has brought closer to the masses.
The company’s XAI fund helped investors gain exposure to a basket of different altcoins. Apart from Ethereum, the XAI fund included Litecoin and Monero.
A new fund appears to be in the offing as well. EXANTE said in the press release that consumers will soon have the ability to invest in the newly listed index through a DeFix fund.
This, the company explained, will help more people gain exposure to blockchain-based projects through a secure and financially accredited agency.