Landmark Achievement: FTSE Russell Connects Conventional and Blockchain Markets

FTSE Russell, a prominent global index provider, has made a significant move by integrating its flagship indices with blockchain technology through a collaboration with

, representing a major milestone in merging conventional finance with decentralized systems. Announced via Chainlink's DataLink platform, this partnership will provide continuous, round-the-clock blockchain access to data for the Russell 1000, Russell 2000, Russell 3000, and FTSE 100 indices, as well as digital asset benchmarks. According to FTSE Russell CEO Fiona Bassett in a , this initiative is designed to facilitate the development of tokenized assets, ETFs, and innovative financial products.

Utilizing Chainlink's DataLink—a secure, institutional-grade data delivery service—the project will distribute FTSE Russell’s index information to more than 50 public and private blockchain networks. This infrastructure, which already serves organizations such as Deutsche Börse and

, enables decentralized applications to retrieve reliable, real-time market data, as highlighted in the TradingView article. By bringing its indices onto blockchain, FTSE Russell, a division of the London Stock Exchange Group, aims to improve transparency and accessibility for institutional clients and meet the rising interest in tokenized financial products, according to a .

This collaboration is part of FTSE Russell’s broader push to innovate within alternative asset classes. Earlier this year, the company introduced the FTSE StepStone Global Private Market Indices in partnership with StepStone Group, providing daily performance data for private markets—a shift from the standard quarterly updates—as reported by

. These indices, which blend StepStone’s private fund data with FTSE Russell’s index methodology, are intended to offer deeper insights into private market trends and enhance portfolio benchmarking. Gerald Toledano, FTSE Russell’s global head of equity and multi-assets, noted that these new benchmarks are "redefining the way private assets are measured," giving investors quicker access to market intelligence.

The blockchain project highlights a wider movement among institutions toward decentralized technologies. Leading financial firms such as JPMorgan, BNY Mellon, and Citigroup have also embraced tokenization, providing services like tokenized money market funds and onchain private equity solutions, according to

. The Cointelegraph article also points out that clearer regulations, especially regarding stablecoins, are crucial for further integrating blockchain with mainstream finance.

FTSE Russell’s indices, which serve as the foundation for over $18 trillion in assets worldwide, are now among the growing number of financial data sets being tokenized. This step supports the company’s mission to connect traditional and decentralized markets. Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov described the development as a "historic event" for both sectors, as reported by

. Making FTSE data available onchain is expected to speed up the creation of regulated financial products, giving institutions and developers access to the same trusted benchmarks that drive traditional markets.

Additionally, FTSE Russell’s influence in alternative assets was further demonstrated when Abacus Global Management was added to the Russell 2000 and 3000 indices, according to

. This achievement highlights Abacus’s leadership in alternative asset management and reinforces the importance of the Russell indices in shaping investment approaches.

As blockchain technology continues to gain traction, FTSE Russell’s strategic alliances are positioning the company at the cutting edge of financial transformation. By leveraging Chainlink’s infrastructure and advancing private market indexing, FTSE Russell is not only expanding its product suite but also reshaping how global markets access and use financial data.