The Hong Kong Virtual Asset Consortium (HKVAC), a newly established professional rating body backed by industry experts, has officially unveiled the methodology and operational details of its flagship HKVAC Large-Cap Cryptocurrency Index. This marks a significant milestone in the evolution of institutional-grade digital asset benchmarking in Asia.
Designed to serve investors, exchanges, and financial institutions, the HKVAC index aims to deliver a transparent, rules-based performance benchmark for the crypto market. By evaluating creditworthiness and market resilience, HKVAC seeks to enhance risk management practices across the virtual asset ecosystem.
π Discover how top-performing cryptocurrencies are shaping new investment benchmarks
Composition of the HKVAC Index: 30 Leading Cryptocurrencies
The inaugural edition of the HKVAC Large-Cap Cryptocurrency Index includes 30 carefully selected digital assets, reflecting a diversified cross-section of the global blockchain landscape. The initial constituents are:
- WBTC
- BTCB
- stETH
- BCH (Bitcoin Cash)
- LTC (Litecoin)
- BNB (Binance Coin)
- MATIC (Polygon)
- ADA (Cardano)
- ATOM (Cosmos)
- FIL (Filecoin)
- NEAR
- ALGO (Algorand)
- ICP (Internet Computer)
- XRP
- DOGE (Dogecoin)
- DOT (Polkadot)
- WTRX
- SHIB (Shiba Inu)
- TRX (TRON)
- LINK (Chainlink)
- LEO (UNUS SED LEO)
- XMR (Monero)
- XLM (Stellar)
- OKB (OKX Token)
- LDO (Lido DAO)
- HBAR (Hedera)
- VET (VeChain)
- QNT (Quant)
- FTM (Fantom)
- EOS
These assets represent a blend of layer-one blockchains, decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens, interoperability protocols, and widely adopted altcoins β all meeting strict eligibility criteria.
Eligibility Criteria: Four Key Requirements for Inclusion
To ensure integrity and relevance, HKVAC has defined four core requirements that any cryptocurrency must meet to qualify for inclusion in the index.
1. Listing and Trading Requirement
The digital asset must have been actively traded on recognized exchanges for at least three months. This ensures sufficient market history and reduces exposure to newly launched or speculative tokens.
2. Market Capitalization Threshold
Only cryptocurrencies with a minimum average daily market capitalization of $10 million over the past three months are considered. This filters out micro-cap projects and focuses on assets with meaningful economic footprint.
3. Liquidity Standard
To prevent price manipulation and ensure tradability, each candidate must achieve an average daily trading volume of at least $100,000 during the evaluation period. High liquidity supports reliable price discovery and investor accessibility.
4. Asset Classification Rules
HKVAC explicitly excludes stablecoins and any crypto assets pegged to fiat currencies or commodities. Additionally, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) are not included β allowing the index to focus specifically on large-cap altcoins rather than the two dominant players.
This classification enables the index to function as a pure-play benchmark for alternative cryptocurrency performance.
π Explore real-time data on high-liquidity altcoins now
Index Rebalancing and Review Schedule
To maintain accuracy and responsiveness to market shifts, the HKVAC index undergoes quarterly reviews. These assessments occur on the last day of March, June, September, and December each year.
Key timeline for adjustments:
- Review Date: Last day of each quarter
- Results Published: Two weeks after quarter-end
- Implementation Date: Three weeks after quarter-end
During each rebalance, HKVAC evaluates all eligible cryptocurrencies based on their 7-day average market cap, ensuring that only the most prominent and sustainable projects remain in the index.
This systematic approach enhances transparency and allows investors to anticipate changes well in advance.
Historical Performance: Insights from Past Returns
The HKVAC Large-Cap Cryptocurrency Index uses January 1, 2021, as its base date, providing valuable insight into how major altcoins have performed collectively over volatile market cycles.
Notable annual returns include:
- 2021: +297.37% β driven by the DeFi boom, NFT surge, and broad institutional adoption
- 2022: -69.71% β reflecting the macroeconomic downturn, Terra collapse, and bear market correction
While these figures illustrate the indexβs sensitivity to market conditions, HKVAC emphasizes that past performance is not indicative of future results. The data serves as an analytical tool rather than an investment guarantee.
Why This Index Matters for Investors
As regulatory clarity improves in Hong Kong and across Asia, tools like the HKVAC index play a critical role in maturing the digital asset space. It offers several key benefits:
- Provides a standardized benchmark for portfolio managers and fund analysts
- Supports the development of index-tracking financial products, such as ETFs or structured notes
- Enhances transparency and trust in virtual asset evaluation
- Encourages healthier competition among blockchain projects seeking inclusion
For retail and institutional investors alike, this index delivers a clearer lens through which to assess altcoin market dynamics beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.
π See how leading altcoins are performing today
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why are Bitcoin and Ethereum excluded from the HKVAC index?
A: HKVAC designed this index specifically to track large-cap alternative cryptocurrencies. Since BTC and ETH dominate market narratives and already have extensive benchmarking coverage, excluding them allows for a more focused analysis of altcoin performance.
Q: Can stablecoins ever be included in the index?
A: No. Stablecoins are excluded by design because they are pegged assets with minimal price volatility. Including them would distort performance metrics intended for speculative digital assets.
Q: How does HKVAC prevent manipulation in index composition?
A: Through objective, quantifiable criteria β including minimum market cap, trading volume, and listing duration β combined with quarterly public rebalancing schedules, HKVAC minimizes subjective influence and promotes fairness.
Q: Is the HKVAC index tradable directly?
A: Currently, it functions as a reference benchmark. However, its publication lays the groundwork for future financial instruments such as index funds or derivatives that could be listed on regulated platforms.
Q: Does HKVAC rate individual cryptocurrencies?
A: Yes. Beyond the index, HKVAC also plans to release credit ratings for virtual assets and assessments of cryptocurrency exchanges, aiming to build a comprehensive risk evaluation framework.
Q: Where can I access real-time data for the HKVAC index?
A: Official data will be published through HKVACβs authorized partners and financial data providers. Market participants should refer to official announcements for access channels.
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