Key Highlights
- Hashdex added HYPE to the NCIQ ETF, expanding the fund from eight to nine crypto assets.
- HYPE has a 3.36% weighting in the index, making it the fifth-largest asset.
- NCIQ now gives investors exposure to Hyperliquid alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana and other major crypto assets.
Hashdex has added Hyperliquid’s HYPE token to the Hashdex Nasdaq CME Crypto Index ETF, giving the fund a ninth crypto asset
According to the press release published on September 1, 2026, the change took effect immediately after HYPE met the index’s rules on market size, trading activity, custody support and regulatory standards. The move brings HYPE into an ETF that already holds several major crypto assets.
In short, HYPE will now join Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Stellar, Cardano, Chainlink and Bitcoin Cash in the NCIQ portfolio.
The token reportedly entered with a 3.36% weighting, making it the fifth-largest asset in the index.
The ETF now holds nine crypto assets
The addition came through the latest quarterly update of the Nasdaq CME Crypto Index. In simple terms, the index has rules that decide which crypto assets can be included. HYPE had to meet those rules before it could become part of the basket tracked by NCIQ.
For people holding NCIQ, the change means exposure to HYPE is now included in the ETF. They do not need to buy HYPE separately to get exposure through the fund. The token now sits alongside eight other crypto assets, giving the ETF a wider mix than it had before.
Why HYPE qualified for the index
NCIQ did not start with such a wide basket. Hashdex launched the ETF in February 2025 with only Bitcoin and Ethereum. The fund later grew as more assets passed the index rules during earlier updates. HYPE is the latest addition, taking the total number of assets from eight to nine.
Hashdex Chief Investment Officer Samir Kerbage said the fund was built to grow as the crypto market changes.
“When we launched NCIQ in February 2025 with two assets, the whole point was that the portfolio would expand,” Kerbage said.
He also pointed to Hyperliquid’s decentralized trading system and recent regulatory developments. According to Kerbage, the Hyperliquid ecosystem has become a more important part of both the crypto market and the wider financial market.
Kerbage said the index approach also gives investors a way to follow changes in the crypto market without having to keep picking individual tokens. As new assets meet the index rules, the fund can add them through its regular updates.
Hyperliquid looks toward the U.S. market
Meanwhile, the HYPE addition comes at a time when Hyperliquid is also looking at ways to reach more U.S. users. The platform is known for its perpetual futures market, which allows traders to take positions on crypto prices without an expiry date.
Hyperliquid and Payward, the parent company of Kraken, have reportedly discussed offering some perpetual futures to U.S. traders through Bitnomial, a derivatives exchange regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Hyperliquid has historically limited U.S. users because of rules around derivatives trading.
A regulated setup could give some Hyperliquid products a path into the U.S. market, although any move would still have to meet U.S. rules. The discussions come as U.S. officials consider ways to bring more offshore crypto trading activity under domestic oversight.
For NCIQ, however, the immediate change is clear: HYPE is now part of the fund’s nine-asset basket. Its 3.36% weighting puts it ahead of the smaller positions held by Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar and Bitcoin Cash, while Bitcoin continues to make up most of the index.
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