Blockchain Driven Transparency Accelerates Tokenized Finance's $18 Trillion Revolution

In a landmark move to bridge traditional finance and decentralized ecosystems, FTSE Russell has partnered with Chainlink to publish its benchmark equity and digital asset indexes on blockchain networks. The collaboration, announced via Chainlink's DataLink service, marks the first time FTSE Russell's data-including the Russell 1000, Russell 2000, Russell 3000, and FTSE 100 indexes-will be accessible directly on-chain. With over $18 trillion in assets benchmarked against these indices, the integration aims to accelerate the adoption of tokenized financial products and enhance transparency for institutional investors, according to Chainlink's DataLink announcement.

The initiative leverages Chainlink's DataLink, an institutional-grade data publishing service, to deliver real-time, tamper-proof index data across more than 50 public and private blockchains. This infrastructure allows over 2,000 Chainlink ecosystem applications to access FTSE Russell's data 24/7, enabling the creation of next-generation financial instruments such as tokenized ETFs and structured products. Fiona Bassett, CEO of FTSE Russell, emphasized that the move aligns with the firm's strategy to "enable innovation around tokenized assets and next-generation financial products," citing DataLink's ability to distribute trusted benchmarks securely across global markets in the Chainlink press release.

Chainlink's role in this partnership is pivotal. Its oracle technology, which has facilitated over $25 trillion in transaction value and secured nearly $100 billion in DeFi total value locked (TVL), underpins DataLink's reliability. Sergey Nazarov, Chainlink co-founder, called the collaboration a "landmark moment," noting that FTSE Russell's on-chain benchmarks will empower developers and institutions to build "data-driven financial products and tokenized assets" with confidence. The integration also aligns with broader trends in institutional blockchain adoption, as seen in partnerships like the U.S. Department of Commerce's initiative to publish macroeconomic data on-chain, noted in a Yahoo Finance report.

The partnership reflects growing demand for trusted, regulated data sources in digital markets. FTSE Russell's indexes, which track over $18 trillion in assets, now offer institutions a transparent, programmable alternative to traditional data feeds. This move follows FTSE Russell's earlier ventures into digital assets, such as its January 2025 collaboration with SonarX to introduce crypto benchmarks and its 2023 partnership with Grayscale to categorize the crypto market by sectors, as reported by Cointelegraph.

Industry experts view the partnership as a catalyst for mainstream adoption of tokenized assets. JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and BNY have already begun offering tokenized money market funds, while Citigroup highlighted regulatory clarity as a key driver for blockchain integration in April 2025, according to CryptoNews. FTSE Russell's on-chain data could further streamline processes like real-time settlement and cross-chain interoperability, supported by Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and Data Streams, as detailed in a PR Newswire release.

Critically, the initiative underscores the convergence of public and private markets. By making index data accessible across blockchains, FTSE Russell and Chainlink are addressing fragmented datasets and delayed reporting in private markets-a challenge previously tackled by FTSE Russell's collaboration with StepStone Group to launch daily global private market indices, as covered in the Funds Europe report. This dual focus on both public and private market transparency positions FTSE Russell as a leader in alternative asset indexing.

As institutional interest in blockchain continues to grow, the partnership sets a new standard for data integrity and accessibility. With Chainlink's infrastructure enabling seamless data flow, the financial industry may soon witness a surge in innovative, on-chain financial products.