FTSE Russell and Chainlink Redefine Markets by Merging Traditional and DeFi Benchmarks

FTSE Russell, a leading global index provider, has partnered with blockchain oracle platform Chainlink to publish its world-renowned market indices onchain for the first time, marking a significant step in bridging traditional finance with decentralized markets. The collaboration, announced via Chainlink's DataLink service, will make data from indices such as the Russell 1000, Russell 2000, FTSE 100, and digital asset benchmarks available across 50+ public and private blockchains. This move aims to accelerate the adoption of tokenized assets and enable the creation of next-generation financial products, including ETFs and regulated DeFi instruments.

The initiative leverages Chainlink's institutional-grade infrastructure to securely distribute FTSE Russell's high-quality data, which underpins over $18 trillion in assets under management (AUM) globally. By publishing index data onchain, FTSE Russell is addressing the need for real-time, tamper-proof benchmarks that institutions and developers can trust. Fiona Bassett, CEO of FTSE Russell, emphasized that the partnership "marks a major step in enabling innovation around tokenized assets and next-generation financial products," adding that DataLink allows the firm to "securely distribute underlying data of our most trusted benchmarks across global onchain markets".

Chainlink's Sergey Nazarov highlighted the collaboration's transformative potential, calling it a "landmark moment for the industry." He noted that DataLink's secure and reliable infrastructure empowers benchmark providers to deliver institutional-grade financial data directly into blockchain markets, fostering trust and enabling new use cases. The integration also allows DeFi protocols and developers to access and verify FTSE Russell's data 24/7 across multiple blockchains, potentially unlocking novel applications in asset tokenization and cross-chain interoperability.

The partnership aligns with broader trends in financial markets, where demand for real-time data and transparency is growing. FTSE Russell's indices are already foundational for institutional and retail investors, with approximately $18.1 trillion benchmarked against its products. By extending these benchmarks to blockchain ecosystems, the firm is positioning itself at the forefront of the convergence between traditional and decentralized finance. Chainlink's proven infrastructure, which has facilitated over $25 trillion in transaction value and secured nearly $100 billion in DeFi TVL, further strengthens the credibility of this onchain data layer.

The move also reflects FTSE Russell's strategic focus on innovation and expanding its reach into emerging asset classes. Gerald Toledano, Global Head of Equity and Multi Assets at FTSE Russell, previously highlighted the firm's commitment to "setting a new standard for rules-based and consistent benchmarking" in private markets through collaborations like its recent launch of daily private market indices with StepStone. This latest onchain initiative builds on that ethos, leveraging Chainlink's network to democratize access to institutional-grade financial data.

As the financial industry continues to evolve, the integration of trusted benchmarks into blockchain ecosystems could redefine how markets operate, enabling seamless, transparent, and efficient transactions across both traditional and decentralized platforms.