Dear Investor,
The new year started out on a strong note for digital assets, with a new pro-crypto president and Congress taking office in the US. The Nasdaq Crypto IndexTM (NCITM) returned nearly 10% on expectations that the environment for crypto in the US will be significantly better in 2025.
In his latest Notes from the CIO, Samir Kerbage writes about the impact this new regime in the US will have on investors, both in the US and beyond. Our Research Team also released the Q4 Market Pulse, tracking the most important developments in institutional adoption, regulation, and the crypto ecosystem broadly.
As always, we are greatly appreciative of your trust in us and are here to answer any questions you may have.
-Your Partners at Hashdex
Market Review
As President Trump began his second term in January, hopes for greater regulatory clarity triggered a positive reaction in the crypto asset class, with the Nasdaq Crypto IndexTM (NCITM) rising nearly 10%. The impact of the new president was not limited to the crypto market: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 posted positive returns of 2.78% and 2.25%, respectively. The month was positive overall but saw significant turbulence, driven by factors such as stronger-than-expected US labor market data and fear over the impact of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek. The NCITM closed the first month of 2025 with a 9.8% gain.
Among the NCITM constituents the standout performer was XRP, which surged approximately 44%. This marks a new phase for this crypto asset, driven by a leadership change at the SEC which has been in multiple disputes with Ripple—the institution behind XRP—over the past few years. The biggest laggard was UNI, which posted a -12.8% return in January. This drop can be seen as a natural correction after UNI delivered the third-best performance among index constituents in Q4, gaining nearly 80%. The index’s two largest assets, Bitcoin and Ethereum, returned 8.9% and -0.6%, respectively.
Across sectoral indices, performance was more varied. The Smart Contract Platforms and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) indices posted gains of 5.86% and 2.19%, respectively. Meanwhile, the Digital Culture index had a negative return of -6.24%. Lastly, the Vinter Hashdex Risk Parity Momentum Index delivered a strong 14.67% gain, outperforming both the NCITM and Bitcoin, driven by its significant allocation to XRP, which accounted for about 19% at the beginning of the month.
A new landscape is emerging for crypto assets in 2025. The newly inaugurated US president and Congress have an overwhelmingly pro-crypto stance. Many promises and expectations remain to be fulfilled in this phase, especially for smaller-cap assets, which are starting to regain attention. We remain highly optimistic about the outlook for the rest of the year and for the longer term.
Top Stories
Trump’s signs crypto executive order
Trump signed the order, titled "Strengthening American leadership in digital financial technology." This is another sign of the shift to a pro-crypto administration and a pivot in digital asset policy in the US. It also showcases new US efforts to foster innovation and clarify its regulatory landscape.
SEC creates crypto task force
Acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda announced the establishment of a Crypto Task Force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. The task force reflects an important step toward ending the contentious practice of "regulation by enforcement," which has long stymied innovation for crypto entrepreneurs and limited opportunity for US investors.
Bitcoin-backed loans enabled on Coinbase’s L2
Now customers can borrow USDC in the new base’s lending protocol by using bitcoin as collateral. This initiative underscores the importance of onchain innovations as the pillar for future adoption of blockchain technology, in this case enhancing personal finance to be more decentralized and intuitive.
_____________________________
This material expresses Hashdex Asset Management Ltd. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“Hashdex”)'s opinion for informational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives, financial situation or individual needs of one or a particular group of investors. We recommend consulting specialized professionals for investment decisions. Investors are advised to carefully read the prospectus or regulations before investing their funds.
The information and conclusions contained in this material may be changed at any time, without prior notice. Nothing contained herein constitutes an offer, solicitation or recommendation regarding any investment management product or ser vice. This information is not directed at or intended for distribution to or use by any person or entity located in any jurisdiction where such distribution, publication, availability or use would be contrary to applicable law or regulation or which would subject Hashdex to any registration or licensing requirements within such jurisdiction.
These opinions are derived from internal studies and do not have access to any confidential information. Please note that future events may not unfold as anticipated by our team’s research and analysis. No part of this material may be (i) copied, photocopied or duplicated in any form by any means or (ii) redistributed without the prior written consent of Hashdex.
By receiving or reviewing this material, you agree that this material is confidential intellectual property of Hashdex and that you will not directly or indirectly copy, modify, recast, publish or redistribute this material and the information therein, in whole or in part, or other wise make any commercial use of this material without Hashdex’s prior written consent.
Investment in any investment vehicle and crypto assets is highly speculative and is not intended as a complete investment program. It is designed only for sophisticated persons who can bear the economic risk of the loss of their entire investment and who have limited need for liquidity in their investment. There can be no assurance that the investment vehicles will achieve its investment objective or return any capital. No guarantee or representation is made that Hashdex’s investment strategy, including, without limitation, its business and investment objectives, diversification strategies or risk monitoring goals, will be successful, and investment results may var y substantially over time.
Nothing herein is intended to imply that the Hashdex s investment methodology or that investing any of the protocols or tokens listed in the Information may be considered “conservative,” “safe,” “risk free,” or “risk averse.” These opinions are derived from internal studies and do not have access to any confidential information. Please note that future events may not unfold as anticipated by our team’s research and analysis.
Certain information contained herein (including financial information) has been obtained from published and unpublished sources. Such information has not been independently verified by Hashdex, and Hashdex does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of such information. Hashdex does not provide tax, accounting or legal advice. Certain information contained herein constitutes for ward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of terms such as “may,” “ will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue” “believe” (or the negatives thereof ) or other variations thereof. Due to various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed above, actual events or results, the ultimate business or activities of Hashdex and its investment vehicles or the actual performance of Hashdex, its investment vehicles, or digital tokens may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such for ward-looking statements.
As a result, investors should not rely on such for ward- looking statements in making their investment decisions. None of the information contained herein has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other governmental or self-regulator y authority. No governmental authority has opined on the merits of Hashdex’s investment vehicles or the adequacy of the information contained herein.
Nasdaq® is a registered trademark of Nasdaq, Inc. The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular digital asset or an overall investment strategy. Neither Nasdaq, Inc. nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any digital asset or any representation about the financial condition of a digital asset. Statements regarding Nasdaq proprietary indexes are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate assets before investing. ADVICE FROM A FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL IS STRONGLY ADVISED.
Monthly Letters
