Latest news with #S&P500ETF
Cision Canada
18-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
KuCoin Launches xStocks, Delivering a One-Stop Access Point to Top Global Tokenized Equities for the World's Most Extensive Crypto User Base
VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 18, 2025 /CNW/ -- KuCoin, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, officially announced the listing of xStocks and its joining of the xStocks alliance. xStocks are tokenized stocks powered by Swiss-based company Backed. This launch marks a significant step forward in KuCoin's expansion of multi-asset allocation capabilities. The first batch of supported assets includes SPYx (S&P 500 ETF), CRCLx (Circle), TSLAx (Tesla), MSTRx (MicroStrategy), and NVDAx (NVIDIA) —all tokenized equities backed 1:1 by real stocks held in secure, bankruptcy remote collateral accounts, and issued on the Solana blockchain. Capturing a Dual-Cycle Growth Opportunity: Bridging Traditional and Crypto Assets On July 10, 2025, NVIDIA became the first publicly listed company to surpass a $4 trillion market capitalization. Just days later, on July 14, Bitcoin reached an all-time high, breaching $120,000 for the first time. As traditional equities and crypto assets simultaneously enter bullish territory, xStocks offer global investors a new paradigm of portfolio construction—"with tokenized NVIDIA in one hand, Bitcoin on the other." As the first USDT-denominated tokenized equity platform accessible in the largest number of countries and regions, KuCoin's listing of xStocks opens a low-barrier, highly efficient, and transparent investment gateway, empowering users to seamlessly move between top US equity exposure and crypto assets. A Truly Global Asset Allocation Platform: Empowering Long-Term User Value As one of the most internationally accessible crypto trading platforms, KuCoin currently serves over 41 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Committed to user asset safety and long-term value creation, KuCoin continues to build a comprehensive, sustainable, and robust product ecosystem designed to empower global investors. The xStocks product line is grounded in transparency and composability, with the following structural safeguards: Each tokenized asset is fully backed 1:1 by real stocks held in third-party regulated custodian banks, in a bankruptcy remote structure. Tokens are issued under an approved EU prospectus and tokenized following the Swiss DLT Act. Token holders have the primary claim to the value of any held collateral. Proof of Reserves, powered by Chainlink, coming soon for xStocks. Unlocking Greater Flexibility: Smarter Allocation, Seamless Execution The launch of xStocks enhances capital efficiency and portfolio agility for crypto-native users, while also providing new tools to balance risk and reward across market cycles: Flexible allocation, diversified exposure: Users can tailor portfolios to their risk preferences by allocating between exposure to US ETFs, high-growth tech stocks, and digital assets—blending conservative and aggressive strategies. Unified trading, frictionless switching: Through KuCoin's account, users can effortlessly swap between tokenized stocks and crypto using USDT, without fiat onramps or platform switching. A true one-account solution for global multi-asset investing. BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin, commented: "At KuCoin, we are dedicated to building a secure and trustworthy investment platform centered on user asset protection and long-term value growth. The launch of xStocks is not only a key extension of our global asset offering—it's a strategic milestone in bridging traditional finance and the Web3 ecosystem. Moving forward, we will continue expanding quality listings and refining the user experience, helping investors capture global growth opportunities—all in one account." About KuCoin Founded in 2017, KuCoin has established itself as one of the most globally recognized and reliable cryptocurrency platforms, built on a robust and secure foundation of cutting-edge blockchain technology, liquidity solutions, and enhanced user account protection. With over 41 million users across 200+ countries and regions, KuCoin is committed to empowering the digital economy by providing secure, innovative, and compliant solutions tailored to meet the needs of its global community. KuCoin offers access to 1,000 digital assets and a diverse range of digital assets solutions, including web3 wallet, Spot trading, Futures Trading, institutional wealth management services, and payments. KuCoin's dedication to excellence has garnered prestigious recognitions, such as being named among Forbes' "Best Crypto Apps & Exchanges" and one of the "Top 50 Global Unicorns" by Hurun in 2024. KuCoin has successfully achieved SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001:2022 Certifications, which provide a structured approach to managing information security, covering aspects like risk management, access control, data governance, and incident response. In 2022, KuCoin raised over $150 million in investments through a pre-Series B round, bringing total investments to $170 million with Round A combined, at a total valuation of $10 billion, underscoring its legitimacy and stability in the rapidly evolving digital finance landscape. Under the leadership of its new CEO, BC Wong, KuCoin reaffirms its commitment to global growth, innovation, and meeting the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance. As a trusted and forward-looking platform, KuCoin strives to deliver a secure, transparent, and reliable ecosystem for users to thrive in the digital economy.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kraken and Backed Expand Tokenized Stocks to BNB Chain as RWA Momentum Accelerates
Crypto exchange Kraken and tokenized asset issuer Backed Finance are bringing tokenized equities to the BNB Chain (BNB), allowing trading with stocks like Apple and Nvidia around-the-clock on the network, the firms said on Wednesday. The move allows token versions of U.S. stocks such as Apple (AAPLx), Tesla (TSLAx) and S&P 500 ETF (SPYx) to be issued as BEP-20 tokens and accessible to users across BNB Chain's ecosystem. The development comes with BNB Chain joining the xStocks Alliance, a network of exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols that offers trading with 60 equity and ETF tokens on crypto rails. Kraken said it will allow users to deposit and withdraw xStocks tokens through the BNB Chain in the upcoming weeks. The goal is to integrate equity tokens deeper into DeFi, making them available to move across protocols and chains or post as collateral for borrowing, Adam Levi, co-founder of Backed, said in a press release. "This is the beginning of an always-on equity market — one that is permissionless, transparent, and built for the internet," Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Kraken, said in a statement. "These instruments behave as programmable settlement primitives, unlocking atomic settlement, real-time global transferability, and composability with on-chain lending, derivatives, and structured products." Trading platforms are racing to bring equities onto blockchain rails as tokenization of traditional financial instruments, or real-world assets (RWA), gains steam. Backed's xStocks debuted last week on Kraken, Bybit and Solana-based (SOL) DeFi platforms, while Gemini and Robinhood have introduced trading with tokenized U.S. stocks. Crypto exchange Bitget also introduced xStocks tokens on its trading platform on Wednesday after joining the alliance, the exchange said in a press in to access your portfolio
Mint
10-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Why Jio BlackRock has potential to disrupt the asset management industry
Legendary investor Warren Buffett has long argued that passive funds such as the S&P 500 ETF remain the best bet for the average investor. It seems investors in the US have heeded his advice, as passive funds now account for 59% of the total domestic and international equity investments of $23 trillion by US investors as of April, as per the Investment Company Institute, Washington. Back home in India, passive investing is yet to pick up in a big way. AMFI data shows total assets under management (AUM) of the industry at FY25-end were ₹66 trillion, and within this, the share of passive funds is just about 17%. However, the scenario is promising to become action-packed in the coming days. Jio BlackRock Asset Management has announced the appointment of its executive leadership team and the launch of its website on Monday. It had appointed Sid Swaminathan as its managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) last month. Swaminathan was earlier the head of Index equity funds at BlackRock. Given the CEO's expertise in index funds, it is likely that Jio BlackRock could target passive index funds initially. The existing asset management companies could feel the effect of disruption more in actively managed equity funds if industry AUM starts shifting from active equity funds to passive equity funds. Also Read | Q4 earnings: Jio set for steady growth on last tariff hike, subscriber additions Index funds well-liked How can Jio BlackRock take passive flows higher? First, let's understand why index funds are popular. Index funds are better as the job of stock picking is done by the exchanges with the best-performing stocks in terms of free-float market capitalization replacing the worst-performing stocks periodically. Also, their asset management charges, including salaries, are lower than actively managed funds as passive funds don't have to do in-depth research and just mimic the underlying index. Now, Jio BlackRock can go one step ahead of index funds. How? There are many ways but for now, let's consider the Nifty Pharma and Nifty Healthcare indices. They have constituents such as Lupin Ltd, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, which are exposed to potential sudden actions from the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) leading to volatility in their stock prices. If an investor is bullish on the Indian pharma sector in general but wants to avoid the Nifty Pharma index and its constituents that suffer from frequent US FDA inspection-related deficiencies, there can be an index of only hospital and diagnostic stocks. An index fund/ETF based on such an index could attract investors. Now let's look at the Nifty Auto index, which includes two-wheeler stocks as well. If an investor feels that the growth rate of the passenger car industry would outperform the two-wheeler industry, then it is better to focus on stocks such as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Thus, an auto index can be constituted with only car companies, and an index fund/ETF tracking the passenger car industry's performance can be launched. Sure, the outlook for the Indian asset management industry appears bright in the foreseeable future. But, the entry of Jio BlackRock could create disruption because of its innovative products and vast distribution reach. Thus, investors have to watch how the valuations of leading listed asset management companies (AMCs) behave. Based on Motilal Oswal Financial Services' FY26 estimates, HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd and Nippon Life India Asset Management Ltd shares are trading at a price-to-earnings multiple of 40x and 35x, respectively. As for Jio Financial, material business activity is set to begin with the leadership team announcement. Also Read: Blue Star faces the heat in Q1 from a milder summer season
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Suze Orman Thinks the Stock Market Will ‘Absolutely Skyrocket' This Year: 5 Types of Investments Poised To Benefit
Suze Orman is feeling optimistic about the stock market. On a mid-May episode of her 'Women & Money' podcast, she predicted that the market could 'absolutely skyrocket' through the end of 2025 and into early 2026, despite short-term volatility. In her view, long-term investors should avoid fear-based selling and instead focus on building wealth through smart, diversified investing. Learn More: Find Out: Orman emphasized the importance of spreading out your investments and staying consistent, especially if you're not a daily market watcher. 'One stock, three stocks, five stocks does not a portfolio make,' she said. 'You need to have at least 25, maybe even 50 individual stocks, so that you could have true diversification.' She recommended index ETFs as 'one of the best ways to invest.' Here are the types of investments she believes are best positioned to benefit as the market rises. Orman expects large growth stocks to outperform in the coming months, especially as the market gains momentum through the end of 2025. 'I think you will find that large growth stocks are stocks that increase in price these coming next few months,' she said. 'Many of the Magnificent Seven, not all, will participate. Some of the FAANG stocks will participate.' While she didn't name specific companies, the 'Magnificent Seven' and 'FAANG' groups include major tech players like Apple, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet and Microsoft — firms that have historically led market rallies. Check Out: Orman pointed to growth-oriented ETFs as a solid option for investors who prefer a simpler approach. These funds are composed entirely of companies expected to outperform the broader market. Two she specifically mentioned were: SPYG: S&P 500 Growth ETF VUG: Vanguard Growth ETF 'Those are ETFs that are made up 100% of your growth,' she explained. 'So you might want to mix a little bit in that for now.' Core holdings in broad-based index ETFs still play an important role in Orman's long-term strategy. Examples she highlighted include: SPY: S&P 500 ETF VOO: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VTI: Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF 'They're really a blend of stocks,' she said. 'No matter what's happening in the market, you are participating.' Orman explained that while growth stocks may outperform now, value stocks could lead in future cycles, which is why blended ETFs offer useful all-weather exposure. While she once warned against crypto, Orman now believes bitcoin is here to stay. 'There is not a 40-year-old, a 30-year-old that I can talk to that doesn't want to put all their money into bitcoin,' she said. For those interested, she recommended gaining exposure through: IBIT: iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF MSTR: MicroStrategy, which mirrors bitcoin's performance But she warned that crypto remains highly volatile. 'Bitcoin will absolutely follow the Nasdaq 100. … If the Nasdaq 100 happens to go down, bitcoin is going to go down.' While she doesn't see gold taking off right now, Orman believes it's a good hedge against uncertainty. 'Gold is a safe haven, believe it or not,' she said. Her top pick? GLD, the SPDR Gold Shares ETF. She advised avoiding gold miners. 'I think you are better off investing in the ETF GLD versus the miners GOLD,' she said. 'The miner stocks are just not really functioning the way that they should be.' Orman's core philosophy hasn't changed: Consistent saving, emotional discipline and a long-term mindset are the keys to building real wealth. 'True wealth comes when you feel secure,' she said. 'And the reason you feel secure is that you know you have savings to get you by if certain things go wrong.' More From GOBankingRates These 10 Used Cars Will Last Longer Than an Average New Vehicle This article originally appeared on Suze Orman Thinks the Stock Market Will 'Absolutely Skyrocket' This Year: 5 Types of Investments Poised To Benefit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Mint
26-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Investors pile into ETFs at record pace despite market turmoil
This year's volatile, trade war-obsessed market didn't shake American investors' fondness for exchange-traded funds. In fact, it only made them love them more. Investors have plowed a record $437 billion into U.S. ETFs so far this year, unfazed by the wildest markets since Covid. And if inflows maintain the current pace—historically, they accelerate in the summer and fall months—it will mark the second straight record year for U.S. ETF flows. That is happening in part because of the relentless flow of money out of mutual funds and into ETFs, which tend to offer lower fees and certain tax advantages that their older cousins can't match. But the decadelong trend doesn't fully explain this year's surge; indeed, when U.S. markets turned choppy, many began to double down on their bets on U.S. assets. And, now more than ever, they placed those wagers by buying ETFs. 'Investors are seeing selloffs as buying opportunities," said Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at data provider VettaFi. The hundreds of billions of dollars that investors poured into ETFs found their way into every major fund category: Stock funds and bond funds. Funds that track popular indexes continue to sell well, but so have those managed by professional stock and bond pickers, a relatively new corner of the ETF market that has gained momentum. No one fund benefited more from the surge than the ETF industry's new champ: Vanguard Group's S&P 500 ETF. The ultracheap index fund has soaked up a stunning $65 billion in net inflows this year, along the way becoming the world's biggest ETF by assets. Known by ticker symbol VOO, the fund more than doubled the previous annual ETF inflow record when it took in $116 billion last year. Now it is on pace to reset that mark again by October. VOO's rise illustrates how investors more broadly turned to ETFs this year. When stock-market volatility soared to a five-year high in April, Vanguard's S&P 500 fund reported its highest monthly inflows ever. Many investors had built up large cash holdings by then, and had been waiting for the right moment to shift money back into stocks, according to Greg Davis, president and chief investment officer at Vanguard. 'During that period of tumult in early April, we saw a 5-to-1 buy-to-sell ratio," Davis said. 'Investors have a tremendous amount of cash sitting on the sidelines and they know that if things are on sale, it is time to put money to work." Swelling ETF assets have been a windfall for Vanguard and BlackRock, the two largest U.S. fund managers. BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink has talked repeatedly about the opportunity for his firm to capitalize on a reallocation from cash to stock and bond funds. 'In the United States, there's $11 trillion sitting in money-market funds," Fink said at the Saudi-U. S. investment forum in Riyadh earlier this month. 'When there is uncertainty, you're going to keep more money in cash and that is what we witnessed." Several years after the Federal Reserve began lifting interest rates to combat inflation, the allure of cash is still strong for many investors. The second-most popular ETF this year has been a BlackRock 0-3 month Treasury bond fund, which has almost $17 billion in inflows. The cashlike fund has a 12-month trailing yield of 4.7%. A similar offering from State Street is also in the top 10 of the flows leaderboard. 'We are seeing some defensiveness on the fixed-income side," said VettaFi's Rosenbluth. 'With several short-term Treasury products in the top 10, that's a sign investors are happy being paid to wait." Still, equity funds have taken in a majority of this year's flows. Joining VOO in the top 10 are State Street's S&P 500 fund, Vanguard's total stock-market and equity growth funds, and two Nasdaq-100 funds from Invesco. An actively managed equity fund from JPMorgan that aims to reduce volatility and produce above-average dividend income through an options strategy also cracked the top 10. Part of a broader class of active funds that some analysts have dubbed 'boomer candy" thanks to their popularity with retirees, the JPMorgan fund is building on a breakout 2024. Actively managed funds continue to capture an outsize share of new assets. According to Trackinsight, 30% of this year's ETF flows have gone to active funds even though they make up less than 10% of the industry's total assets. Longtime mutual-fund giant Fidelity has been focusing on active ETF launches in recent years, and interest continues to grow, said Greg Friedman, Fidelity's head of ETF management and strategy. 'For the last 12 to 24 months, we've been seeing a very nice level of inflows with most of it on the active side," Friedman said. 'That has held up even during extreme volatility." For years, investors have been swapping their mutual funds for the tax benefits and liquidity offered by ETFs, boosting inflows. That trend could soon accelerate even further. Dozens of fund managers have filed applications with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer new ETF share classes of existing mutual funds, which would allow them to offer popular strategies in the ETF wrapper without starting from scratch. SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda said earlier this year he has told the agency's staff to give priority to the issue, and many in the industry are expecting approval as soon as this year. Write to Jack Pitcher at
