Cardano Smashes Into Nasdaq Crypto Index – Wall Street Finally Wakes Up?

ADA bulls just got a shot of institutional adrenaline. The proof-of-stake darling joins Nasdaq’s benchmark crypto index—meaning every ETF manager and hedge fund dinosaur now has to pretend they understand staking rewards.

Why this isn’t just another listing

Nasdaq’s index feeds directly into billion-dollar product pipelines. Think institutional cash firehoses—the kind that turned Bitcoin into a ‘respectable’ asset (before it crashed again).

The cynical footnote

Wall Street’s stamp of approval arrives right as retail traders flee altcoins. Coincidence? Probably not. But hey—if pension funds want to FOMO into smart contracts, who are we to stop them?

Cardano’s Nasdaq Index inclusion

As highlighted by Cardanians, a prominent community account on X, this achievement may open new doors for Wall Street exposure, offering a potential turning point for the 10th-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.

They said, 

“Nasdaq has officially reconstituted its crypto US Settlement Price Index (NCIUS) to include Cardano $ADA. This index serves as the benchmark for the Hashdex Crypto ETF. This is a major step forward in bringing Cardano closer to Wall Street and traditional markets.”

Community reactions and price action

As expected, the crypto community appreciated this move. However, ADA’s price did not react positively as it fell on the charts and was valued at $0.6647 at press time.

This move marks a notable shift in institutional recognition of digital assets, with Cardano, Solana [SOL], Stellar, and XRP now joining Bitcoin [BTC] and ethereum [ETH] in the benchmark index.

While this expanded composition is a sign of growing market maturity and broader crypto adoption, the Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index U.S. ETF remains limited to holding only BTC and ETH under its current regulatory framework.

What’s more?

Now, as the fund awaits SEC approval for a rule change, the inclusion of these additional assets means a strong push towards diversification. It also sets the stage for what could be a pivotal moment in expanding crypto exposure within traditional investment vehicles.

This also coincided with Nasdaq recently submitting a proposal with the SEC to expand the Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index U.S. ETF’s benchmark from NCIUS to the wider Nasdaq Crypto Index (NCI), pending approval.

As per the proposal, this change WOULD enable the ETF to include a wider range of cryptocurrencies, expanding its holdings to nine digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, XRP, Solana, Chainlink, Litecoin, Stellar, and Uniswap.

The SEC’s decision on this proposal is anticipated by 2 November 2025, potentially paving the way for greater diversification and exposure within the crypto ETF market.