CME Group has launched two new crypto indexes that give investors a clearer way to track major digital assets beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.
One of the new indexes, the CME CF Emerging Crypto Index, follows 10 cryptocurrencies and leaves out Bitcoin and Ether. The basket includes BNB, XRP, Solana, Hyperliquid, Chainlink, Stellar, Sui, Uniswap, Avalanche and Aave.
The second index, the CME CF Crypto Market Index, tracks 12 cryptocurrencies. It includes the same 10 assets along with Bitcoin and Ether, giving investors a broader view of the large-cap crypto market.
Both indexes are weighted by free-float market value. This means cryptocurrencies with more tokens available for trading and a larger market value get a bigger share of the index.
CME calculates live values for both indexes every second, 24 hours a day. It also publishes daily settlement values at 4 p.m. across London, New York and Singapore/Hong Kong.
The baskets will be reviewed twice a year, in June and December. During these reviews, CME can change the assets included in the indexes and adjust their weights based on market conditions.
The Emerging Crypto Index also has several rules for which assets can qualify. Cryptocurrencies must meet custody requirements, while meme coins are excluded. The methodology also looks at how much real activity and value a crypto network has compared with its fully diluted market value.
CME says the Emerging Crypto Index is designed to be used by investment funds and other financial products. It can also serve as a reference for derivatives, giving traders another way to gain exposure to a group of major altcoins through a single benchmark.
The move is part of CME Group’s wider push into regulated crypto products. The exchange has already expanded its futures lineup to include assets such as Avalanche and Sui, alongside Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar.
CME also moved its crypto futures and options market to 24-hour trading earlier this year, bringing its schedule closer to the nonstop nature of the crypto market.
With these new indexes, CME is going beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum and giving the market a dedicated benchmark for major altcoins. The move could also make it easier for funds and derivatives markets to build products around a wider group of cryptocurrencies.
