UAE’s OFZA and France’s Trakx Partner to Advance Crypto Index Research

OFZA Fintech Virtual Asset Exchange LLC (OFZA), a regulated Virtual Asset Service Provider headquartered in Dubai, and Paris‑based Trakx, a specialist in Crypto Tradable Index (CTI) methodologies, announced a non‑binding strategic collaboration intended to advance research, market insight and industry dialogue on index design frameworks for virtual assets.

The move doesn’t immediately produce a new tradable product, but signals a shift in how market participants, especially institutional and professional investors, might come to evaluate crypto markets through structured, transparent lenses increasingly familiar in traditional finance.

Amir Tabch, CEO of OFZA, emphasized the importance of building trustworthy digital markets, saying, “The development of credible virtual asset markets depends on strong governance, transparency, and informed dialogue. This collaboration reflects our focus on supporting market understanding and regulatory alignment rather than product activity.”

Indexing methods are not new to financial markets. In equities, bond markets, and commodities, indices like the S&P 500 and the Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate have become benchmarks for asset allocation, performance measurement and passive investment strategies. But in the dynamic, non‑linear world of digital assets, creating equivalent frameworks requires dealing with a far broader array of underlying tokens, highly variable liquidity profiles and continuous 24/7 trading.

Lionel Rebibo, CEO and Founder of Trakx, highlighted the significance of structured market analysis, saying, “Index methodologies play an important role in bringing structure and clarity to how markets are analyzed. Working with OFZA allows us to contribute research and perspective on how Crypto Tradable Index frameworks can be studied and governed within regulated market discussions.”

Trakx’s platform has been at the forefront of building CTIs, baskets of cryptocurrencies weighted and rebalanced according to predefined rules, intended to offer thematic, diversified exposure without relying on speculation tied to just one token. The company’s existing indices range from broad market exposures to thematic baskets targeting sectors like decentralized finance, interoperability, or risk‑profile strategies.

These instruments have also been employed as a tool for financial advisors to streamline crypto allocation in client portfolios, blending diversification with risk controls often absent in single‑asset investments.

OFZA, regulated under Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), brings a complementary perspective grounded in the UAE’s broader effort to cultivate a transparent, compliant digital asset ecosystem. The Emirates, particularly Dubai, have positioned themselves as hubs for blockchain innovation, attracting exchanges, custodians and technology firms seeking a regulatory foothold in the Middle East. While the strategic collaboration with Trakx doesn’t immediately entail product issuance or index deployment, the emphasis on thought leadership and shared research underscores this positioning.

An institutional standpoint shows that indices serve multiple purposes: they act as benchmarks that can inform portfolio construction, provide comparability across market segments, and highlight intrinsic risk and concentration dynamics that might otherwise be obscured in a fragmented marketplace.

In traditional markets, this role has been critical to the growth of passive investing, exchange‑traded funds and derivatives that reference rule‑based benchmarks. Applying similar intellectual frameworks to digital assets, where assets trade 24/7 and token lifecycles can be extremely short, requires careful design and governance. Trakx’s experience in both creating CTIs and navigating European regulatory standards gives it a platform that could help shape these frameworks.

Trakx is registered with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France’s financial markets regulator, giving it an operational distinction from many crypto firms that eschew formal regulatory oversight. Being AMF‑regulated entails compliance with investor protection standards, transparency reporting and custodial safeguards that appeal to institutional investors cautious about digital assets.

Despite these credentials, both OFZA and Trakx emphasize that the collaboration remains research‑oriented and exploratory. Any future initiatives that might produce market products or services will be subject to regulatory approvals and alignment with legal frameworks in their respective jurisdictions.

Industry analysts say this kind of partnership reflects the broader trend of institutionalization in crypto markets. Large asset managers globally have begun incorporating rule‑based indices and structured products as a way to introduce stability and comparability, elements once thought incompatible with crypto’s high‑volatility profile.

At the same time, critics caution that indices based on algorithmic or thematic construct might still fail to fully account for systemic risk in digital assets, given the opacity of some token models and the uneven nature of liquidity. Whether frameworks developed through collaborations like OFZA–Trakx ultimately win broad industry adoption will depend on the credibility and transparency of the methodologies themselves.

The announcement marks a step toward formalized dialogue, a signal that the next chapter of crypto market development might be less about headline‑grabbing yields and more about analytical depth.

Both firms embarking on joint research and educational initiatives have the industry watching closely to see whether these frameworks can help bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralized markets, an ambition that, until now, has remained more aspirational than operational.