S&P Dow Jones Indices announced Tuesday the upcoming launch of its Digital Markets 50 Index, marking a significant expansion of traditional finance into digital assets. The benchmark will combine 15 cryptocurrencies with 35 publicly traded companies operating in the blockchain sector.
The announcement arrives as Bitcoin surged 34% year-to-date, hitting a new all‑time high of $126,080 on Monday. Digital asset equities, particularly Bitcoin mining companies, have experienced substantial gains during the broader market rally. Ethereum was recently trading at $4,510, reflecting a 3.6% decline over 24 hours.
The index draws its crypto constituents from the S&P Cryptocurrency Broad Digital Market Index, which monitors over 300 digital tokens. Each selected cryptocurrency must maintain a market capitalization of at least $300 million. Treasury companies will qualify for inclusion, while meme coins have been explicitly excluded from consideration.
Cameron Drinkwater, chief product and operations officer at S&P Dow Jones Indices, stated that cryptocurrencies have transitioned from marginal assets into established market participants. The index provides market participants with consistent, rules‑based evaluation tools, he added.
Companies eligible for the index must carry a minimum market cap of $100 million and demonstrate involvement in crypto infrastructure, financial services, or blockchain applications. No single component will represent more than 5% of the total index weighting. Specific constituent names remain undisclosed ahead of the official debut in coming weeks.
Dinari, a tokenized securities provider, is collaborating with S&P Global to create a tradable token tracking the benchmark. Chief Business Officer Anna Wroblewska explained that the dShare product will offer investors simultaneous access to U.S. equities and digital assets through blockchain infrastructure. The investable version is scheduled to launch by the end of 2025.
The index launch coincides with growing institutional adoption of tokenization technology. The Securities and Exchange Commission is reportedly developing frameworks that would enable stocks to trade as tokenized assets on blockchain networks.
Several crypto index products already operate in the market, including the Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund and Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index offerings. The S&P Digital Markets 50 Index represents a broader approach by combining traditional equities with digital assets in a single benchmark.