Goldman Sachs launches crypto explainer, trend tool for institutional clients

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Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the 153-year old Wall Street investment bank, is launching a service to explain, categorize and bring transparency to digital currency markets for institutional investors seeking to invest in the asset class, according to a Thursday press release.

See related article: Goldman Sachs offers first Bitcoin-backed loan

Fast facts

  • Called Datonomy, the tool is a collaboration between Goldman Sachs, financial services firm MSCI Inc. and crypto intelligence firm Coin Metrics Inc.
  • Datonomy classifies coins and tokens based on how they are used and aims to provide a standardized way for clients to analyze the broader cryptocurrency industry, including Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and smart contract platforms.
  • “We firmly believe a consistent and standardized framework for the classification of digital assets is essential to support investors’ ability to evaluate the market,” said StĂ©phane Mattatia, Managing Director, Global Head of Derivatives Licensing and Thematic Indexes at MSCI, in a statement.
  • The move comes as part of a wider trend of institutional adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Goldman Sachs became the first major U.S. bank to make an over-the-counter cryptocurrency transaction when it traded a Bitcoin non-deliverable option — a Bitcoin derivative settled in cash — facilitated by New York-based crypto investment firm Galaxy Digital Holdings in March.
  • In March the bank reached another milestone when it offered its first Bitcoin-backed loan, joining the likes of crypto-friendly banks, such as Silvergate Capital Corp.
  • In August the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock Inc., announced it was launching a Bitcoin trust for institutional customers in the U.S. as it said it had seen substantial interest from such clients despite the broader slump in the crypto market. 

See related article: BlackRock backflips on Bitcoin as latest institution to see promise in crypto

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