NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The New York Stock Exchange, part of the Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) global network of exchanges and clearing houses, today announced the NYSE Bitcoin Index (NYXBT), the first exchange-calculated and disseminated bitcoin index. Launching today, the NYXBT Index will represent the U.S. dollar value of one bitcoin unit based upon actual transactions occurring on select bitcoin exchanges which have been evaluated and meet NYSE’s quality standards.

“Bitcoin values are quickly becoming a data point that our customers want to follow as they consider transacting, trading or investing with this emerging asset class,” said NYSE Group President Thomas Farley. “As a global index leader and administrator of ICE LIBOR, ICE Futures U.S. Dollar Index and many other notable benchmarks, we are pleased to bring transparency to this market. By combining our technology infrastructure with our expertise in index calculation and data management, we will continue to launch complimentary products based on our rigorous standards and proprietary index methodology.”

NYXBT utilizes a unique methodology that relies on rules-based logic to analyze a dataset of matched transactions and verify the integrity of the data to ultimately produce an objective and fair daily value for one bitcoin in U.S. Dollars as of 16:00 London time. The index will be published within a short period of that time via the widely-distributed NYSE Global Index Feed (GIF) as well as made publicly available for an initial period on the NYSE index page.

The NYSE Bitcoin Index will initially feature data from transactions from Coinbase Exchange, the leading U.S.-based bitcoin exchange. In 2015, NYSE made a minority investment in Coinbase, a leading bitcoin wallet and trading platform with over 2.8 million consumer wallets, 39,000 merchants and 7,000 developers.

NYSE’s Index Committee will oversee the rules and methodology behind the benchmark, working to ensure it continuously reflects the current nature of the evolving bitcoin market. The committee will also identify and review the data sources for the index calculation process as further exchanges that meet NYSE’s rigorous standards for transparency, liquidity and governance are identified. The NYSE Bitcoin suite of indices is anticipated to grow, with new indices introduced over time.

NYSE, along with Intercontinental Exchange is a leading provider of data services, including ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA), which combines robust regulatory and governance frameworks to bring credibility and trust to globally important benchmarks. IBA administers some of the world’s most systemically important benchmarks including ICE LIBOR, LBMA Gold Price and ICE Swap Rate (formerly known as ISDAFIX). The NYSE Global Index Group has more than 250 proprietary indices in its portfolio – including the NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index, StrataQuant® Index Family and NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index – and $28 billion in benchmarked assets tracking them via exchange-traded products.

About Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) operates the leading network of regulated exchanges and clearing houses. ICE’s futures exchanges and clearing houses serve global commodity and financial markets, providing risk management and capital efficiency. The New York Stock Exchange is the world leader in capital raising and equities trading.

Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located at www.intercontinentalexchange.com/terms-of-use

With a collective portfolio of over 250 benchmark indices, NYSE is a leading provider of indices. NYSE develops proprietary indices to provide investors and issuers with benchmarks that measure performance of key segments of the world economy. NYSE indices are available to be licensed as the basis for tradable products, including Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), to be launched in the future. For more information on NYSE index services please visit: www.nyse.com/indices

NYSE®, NYSE U.S. 100 Index®, NYSE Arca®, NYSE Composite Index®, Intellidex® and StrataQuant® are registered trademarks of NYSE Group, Inc., or its subsidiaries.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 - Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, as filed with the SEC on February 5, 2015.

SOURCE: Intercontinental Exchange

ICE-EQ