Marex Bridges TradFi and Crypto with First Institutional QIS Indices on Digital Assets

Marex has launched the first Institutional Quantitative Investment Strategies (QIS) indices for digital assets, targeting the volatility gap in Bitcoin and Ethereum. For fintech professionals, this move signals a maturing of crypto market infrastructure, applying rigorous traditional finance quantitative methods to digital assets to provide institutional-grade risk premia strategies for a diversifying investor base.

What was announced

Marex Group Limited introduced the Marex Crypto Volatility Carry Indices, marking the first family of Institutional QIS indices specifically for the digital asset class. The initial rollout features two distinct indices: one focused on Bitcoin and the other on Ethereum. These strategies are designed to systematically harvest the risk premium that exists between implied and realised volatility, providing a structured way for investors to capture market inefficiencies.

The indices operate on a systematic, rules-based approach, utilizing listed options and perpetual futures directly on the underlying assets. To facilitate these trades, Marex has partnered with Coinbase, utilizing the exchange’s institutional-grade infrastructure and liquidity. This partnership allows for the continuous risk management of the indices on a 24/7 basis, a necessity given the non-stop nature of digital asset markets.

To ensure the integrity and independence of the data, Marex selected MSCI, through Compass Financial Technologies, to serve as the independent index calculation agent and index administrator. This arrangement brings the rigour of a regulated benchmark administrator to the offering. The launch is an extension of Marex’s broader Institutional QIS portfolio, which spans multiple asset classes and risk premia where the firm’s specialist quantitative and trading capabilities can be applied to add value for institutional and crypto-native clients.

"Working together with our Structuring, Quant and Trading teams, we have applied the same R&D and implementation rigor which defines Institutional QIS to the crypto asset class. This resulted in bringing a brand new and diversifying risk premia to the traditional institutional and the crypto native investor communities."

Walter Cegarra, Head of Institutional Solutions, Financial Products at Marex.

The companies involved

Marex Group Limited, which trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker MRX, is a diversified global financial services platform. The firm provides essential market access, infrastructure services, and liquidity to clients across both commodities and financial markets. Marex has positioned itself as a specialist in bridging the gap between traditional financial frameworks and the emerging digital asset sector, drawing on its internal quantitative and structuring expertise.

Coinbase is a central pillar of the digital asset ecosystem, providing the institutional infrastructure and liquidity required for complex financial products. Its institutional arm is designed to support the risk management requirements of global markets that operate without pause. Liz Martin serves as the Head of Coinbase Institutional at Coinbase.

MSCI Inc. is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. In this collaboration, MSCI operates through Compass Financial Technologies, which has a documented track record in implementing and publishing indices within regulated frameworks. Guillaume Le Fur is the Managing Director, Index, at MSCI, overseeing the application of benchmark administration standards to these new digital asset strategies.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely tracked the convergence of traditional institutional frameworks and digital asset markets. On October 1, 2026, we reported that Marex Launches OTC Rolling Spot Crypto to Bridge Institutional Finance and Digital Assets, a move that established the firm's foundational digital asset infrastructure. This followed news on October 8, 2026, that Coinbase Unveils Global Exchange with Deribit Integration and Rebirth of Coinbase Pro, highlighting the exchange's push for institutional-grade trading tools. Furthermore, the broader market sentiment appears to be shifting toward professionalization; our coverage on Crypto Adoption Set to Surge in 2026 as Knowledge Gap Narrows suggests a growing appetite for sophisticated entry points. We also noted the rise of tokenized assets and institutional collateral in Aave V4 Launches Equities Hub on Base: Borrow USDC Against Apple, Nvidia, and Tesla Stocks.

What this means

The introduction of QIS indices to the crypto space marks a significant shift from speculative retail trading toward sophisticated institutional yield generation. By focusing on volatility carry, Marex is targeting one of the most persistent anomalies in digital assets, effectively treating Bitcoin and Ethereum as mature volatility markets rather than just directional bets. This puts pressure on traditional index providers and hedge funds to accelerate their digital asset integration or risk losing ground to firms that can bridge the two worlds. The reliance on 24/7 liquidity providers like Coinbase also highlights the ongoing challenge for traditional banks that still operate on legacy market hours while trying to service a global, always-on asset class.