Bitcoin financial services company Fold Holdings will be added to the Russell 2000, a primary US small-cap benchmark index.
The announcement comes as MSCI considers excluding crypto-holding companies from its indexes, drawing significant industry attention.
Fold Holdings Announces Russell 2000 Inclusion
Fold Holdings (NASDAQ: FLD) officially announced its inclusion in the Russell 2000 on December 22. As a pioneering Bitcoin financial services firm, Fold Holdings boasts over 1,500 BTC in its treasury. The company’s product lineup includes the innovative Fold App, Fold Bitcoin Gift Card, Fold Debit Card, and the anticipated Fold Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card, emphasizing its commitment to integrating cryptocurrency into everyday financial services.
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Reflecting on their recent milestone, Will Reeves, the Chairman and CEO of Fold, remarked, “Fold’s inclusion in the Russell 2000 Index is a significant milestone that further validates our position as a successful public company.” He expressed optimism that being part of this index would broaden the company’s market awareness and increase visibility among both institutional and retail investors. Reeves highlighted Fold’s strategy of “disciplined execution, expanding distribution, and creating sustained value for shareholders,” which underpins their growth trajectory.
Goldman Sachs analyst Ben Snider projected that the Russell 2000 could witness upward momentum in early 2026. However, he tempered expectations with a forecast of roughly 10% annual returns, slightly below the S&P 500’s anticipated 12%. Snider also noted that the consensus EPS growth estimate of 61% for the Russell 2000 might be overly optimistic, hinting at the potential for significant variability or “high return dispersion” within the index—creating alpha generation opportunities for astute investors.
What Is the Russell 2000?
The Russell 2000 is a prominent benchmark comprised of approximately 2,000 small-cap stocks in the US, representing roughly 5-7% of the total US public equity market capitalization. Unlike its large-cap counterpart, the S&P 500, the Russell 2000 focuses on smaller companies that often exhibit higher growth potential, making it an essential indicator for mutual funds and ETFs targeting small-cap investment performance.
Fold Holdings is not alone in its journey into the Russell 2000; it joins a cadre of crypto-related entities already part of the index. Notably, Bitcoin mining firms such as Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA), Riot Blockchain, and Cipher Mining have made their mark here, consistently ranking among the top performers in 2023. Yet, Fold Holdings stands apart by providing consumer-facing fintech services rather than engaging solely in mining operations, thereby diversifying the representation of cryptocurrency-related companies within the index.
MSCI Considers Excluding Crypto Companies
The inclusion of Fold Holdings in the Russell 2000 has garnered heightened attention due to MSCI’s scrutiny of crypto-holding companies. In October, the globally recognized index provider proposed excluding companies that have digital asset holdings exceeding 50% of their total assets from its global benchmarks. The rationale behind this move hinges on the perception that such firms resemble investment funds rather than operational businesses.
Among those at risk is Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), a notable player within the digital asset treasury community. According to JPMorgan analysis, Strategy could face significant outflows totaling $2.8 billion due to MSCI’s exclusion alone, with potential losses ballooning to $8.8 billion if other indexes follow suit. In a public letter, Saylor and Strategy CEO Phong Le cautioned that exclusion would “deprive these companies of about $15 trillion in passive investments” and have a chilling effect on the industry.
The consultation period for MSCI’s potential decision concludes on January 15, with a final verdict anticipated shortly thereafter. Analysts warn that a ruling favoring exclusion could establish a troubling precedent for the broader index landscape, as other equity index providers might adopt similar policies. The stakes are considerable for digital asset treasury firms, many of which depend on capitalizing on stock sales to fund token purchases, while influxes from passive funds are critical for their operations. MSCI’s preliminary assessment identifies 38 companies at risk of exclusion, which collectively possess a market capitalization of $46.7 billion.
The digital asset treasury sector has seen exponential growth, now boasting a combined market capitalization exceeding $150 billion as of September—more than triple the figure from just one year prior, according to industry estimates. This fledgling market’s evolution positions companies like Fold Holdings at the forefront of an ongoing dialogue surrounding the future of cryptocurrency in traditional financial markets.
