London, New York, Santa Monica, Calif., September 20, 2021 –Wilshire, a global investment technology and advisory company, in associationwith leading global news organisation, the Financial Times (FT), todayannounced the launch of a new series of digital asset indexes to help investorsunderstand and navigate this fast expanding market better.
Developed with CryptoCompare, a leading globalcryptocurrency market data provider, the FT Wilshire indexes combineCryptoCompare’s market standard exchange ratings and Wilshire’s methodology toaggregate the prices of digital assets from an initial seven of the most highlyrated crypto exchanges. Requirements of a minimum A rating and overall score ofat least 70 over the previous 12 months mean they have robust Know YourCustomer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policies, as well as legal andregulatory compliance and due diligence processes
The series of indexes will allow institutional investors tomore confidently access an asset class that has previously held greater appealfor retail investors with higher risk tolerances. Wilshire’s proprietarymethodology will apply to both individual digital assets and indexes coveringover 85% of the market capitalization on eligible exchanges. This rigorous andinnovative approach offers higher levels of data transparency and establishes aset of credible benchmarks.
Digital assets have experienced rapid growth and flourishinginnovation. The market capitalisation of the top five cryptocurrencies isestimated to be $1.4 trillion. Links between crypto and fiat currencies areexpanding. Regulators are now stepping up with more standard-setting andgreater consumer protections.
By aggregating the prices of these consistently highly ratedcrypto exchanges, Wilshire can build digital asset index products whose valuesare derived from genuine price discovery.
As digital assets are traded 24/7, Wilshire is alsointroducing closing times for different geographical regions, givingjurisdictions the flexibility for end-of-day valuation at hours convenient totheir time zone. This can help institutions settle derivative contracts andsatisfy regulatory obligations.
Institutional investors, fund managers and banks are keen toexplore the potential of digital assets as global regulators and policymakersseek to harmonise and regulate the market.
The new FT Wilshire Digital Asset Index Series is the latestproduct development under a brand licencing agreement with the FT, firstannounced earlier this year. The series will initially include 10 single assetindexes and three multi-asset indexes:
• FT Wilshire Bitcoin Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Ethereum Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Cardano Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Dogecoin Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Chainlink Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Uniswap Protocol Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Bitcoin Cash Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Polkadot Protocol Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Solana Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Litecoin Blended Price Index
• FT Wilshire Top 5 Digital Assets
• FT Wilshire Top 5 Digital Assets ex Bitcoin
• FT Wilshire Bitcoin & Ethereum Index
The new indexes, enhanced data and blended prices will bepublished in real time and feature among the FT’s markets data.
Mark Makepeace, Chief Executive Officer of Wilshire, said:“Our role is to provide the tools and strategy necessary for safe access to newmarkets for investors. As new digital forms of investment and the adoption ofblockchain technologies take shape, the financial services will need help toensure institutional investors gain safe access and understand the drivers ofperformance and risk associated with digital assets.”
John Ridding, Chief Executive Officer of The FinancialTimes, said: “Digital assets are a dynamic and fast moving sector with thepotential to have considerable impact on financial services and the investmentindustry. They are drawing the attention of a wider pool of investors andregulators. There is a need and an opportunity to provide investors and readerswith authoritative metrics, news and analysis. As a globally trusted source onmarket trends and innovations, the FT is supportive of enhanced data that helpsreaders understand the risks as well as the opportunities and informs theirperspectives.”
Charles Hayter, Chief Executive Officer of CryptoComparesaid, “We are seeing a substantial and increasing interest in digital assetsfrom institutional investors. Since 2014, we have worked to develop anextensive and reliable suite of market data to offer access and transparency tothis rapidly growing asset class. We look forward to working closely with theFinancial Times and Wilshire to provide our trusted digital asset data to buildthese innovative products offering institutional investors new avenues fordigital asset exposure.”
About Wilshire
Wilshire is a global provider of market-leading indexes,advanced analytics, and multi-asset investment solutions. A trusted partner toa diverse range of more than 500 institutional investors and financial advisorsand intermediaries, our clients rely on us to improve investment outcomes for abetter future. Wilshire is headquartered in the United States with officesworldwide and advises on over $1.3 trillion in assets, $87 billion of which areassets under management.
About the Financial Times
The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading businessnews organizations, recognized internationally for its authority, integrity andaccuracy. The FT has a record paying readership of more than one million,three-quarters of which are digital subscriptions. It is part of Nikkei Inc.,which provides a broad range of information, news and services for the globalbusiness community.
More information on The FT can be found at www.ft.com
About CryptoCompare
CryptoCompare is a global leader in digital asset dataproviding institutional and retail investors with real-time and historical dataspanning 5,500+ coins and 250,000+ currency pairs. By aggregating and analysingtick data from globally recognised exchanges and seamlessly integratingmultiple datasets, CryptoCompare offers a comprehensive, granular overview ofthe market across trade, order book, historical, social and blockchain data.
More information on CryptoCompare can be found athttps://data.cryptocompare.com
