The S&P 500, which tracks the stock performance of 500 leading companies listed on US stock exchanges, has entered the blockchain sector.
Given its helm as one of the world’s most iconic financial benchmarks, this marks a notable milestone and redefines what’s possible in the future of global finance.
S&P 500 Tokenized via Centrifuge and S&P Dow Jones Partnership
Centrifuge has partnered with S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) to launch the first tokenized version of the S&P 500 index.
The move brings the legacy of Wall Street into the programmable, decentralized finance (DeFi).
The collaboration, announced at the Centrifuge RWA Summit in Cannes on July 1, introduces a new “Proof-of-Index” infrastructure. It enables compliant, on-chain index-tracking products using official S&P DJI data.
The Janus Henderson Anemoy S&P 500 Index Fund Segregated Portfolio will be the first to utilize this framework. It is a fully tokenized S&P 500 index fund managed by Anemoy Capital and Janus Henderson Investors.
“This isn’t just another product. It’s a blueprint for how institutional finance can thrive on-chain. Together, we’re setting a new standard for what’s possible when best-in-class asset management meets market-leading infrastructure,” read an excerpt in an official blog, which cited Nick Cherney, Head of Innovation at Janus Henderson.
Centrifuge’s Proof-of-Index is at the core of the launch. It presents a blockchain-native system designed to bring traditional index data into smart contracts.
This enables S&P DJI-licensed asset managers to build programmable, compliant index funds with real-time capabilities.
Investors can buy, hold, trade, or collateralize their exposure to the S&P 500 directly on-chain. More closely, it eliminates the need to rely on legacy financial intermediaries.
Centrifuge offers tokenized RWA pools for investors. Source: Centrifuge
The infrastructure is designed to serve both decentralized and institutional market participants. It unlocks 24/7 access to a benchmark that sees over $1 trillion in daily trading volume. This is across ETFs (exchange-traded funds), derivatives, and structured products.
“This collaboration with S&P DJI marks a foundational step toward building a capital markets system that’s faster, more open, and far more efficient. It’s about taking everything we learned in traditional markets and reimagining it with programmability, transparency, and global, 24/7 accessibility,” said Anil Sood, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at Centrifuge.
Compliant, 24/7 Access to the S&P 500
According to Centrifuge, the on-chain version of the S&P 500 will operate in full compliance. It will allow DAOs, fintech platforms, and institutions to license index data and launch novel investment strategies.
The first fund built using this model, tickered SPX, follows the success of prior tokenized funds by Anemoy and Centrifuge.
Their inaugural fund, JTRSY, exceeded $500 million in assets under management (AUM) within weeks. Meanwhile, JAAA, another tokenized fund strategy, became the fastest on-chain fund to reach $1 billion in AUM.
The S&P 500’s tokenization is part of a broader trend. With the on-chain economy projected to hit $16 trillion by 2030, according to Boston Consulting Group, traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) are increasingly converging.
Meanwhile, a general concern regarding tokenizing real-world assets (RWA) is that tokenization alone may not suffice without actual utility.
