Digital Asset Taxonomy

DACS: The Digital Asset Classification Standard

As the broad spectrum of digital assets grows, how does one categorize this sprawling and ever evolving landscape? The answer is simple. The Digital Asset Classification Standard (DACS), created by CoinDesk Indices.

DACS provides digital asset and crypto taxonomy with reliable, comprehensive and standardized industry definitions and classifications for digital assets by delivering a transparent and standardized method to determine sector and industry exposure, facilitate portfolio attribution analysis and help pinpoint investment opportunities.

Additional information can be found below or by viewing our DACS Brochure.

Scroll down for the complete DACS 500 list


Click to view the DACS Methodology


Click to view the DACS Glossary


ComputingCulture & EntertainmentCurrencyDeFiDigitizationSmart Contract PlatformStablecoinIoTOraclePrivate ComputingShared NetworkShared StorageArtMediaMetaverseBaaSPrivateTransparentAsset ManagementAtomic SwapsCredit PlatformDAODerivativesExchangesInsuranceYieldDigitizationLayer 0Layer 1Layer 2Fiat-Backed StablecoinCrypto-Backed StablecoinAlgorithmic StablecoinIoTOraclePrivate ComputingShared NetworkShared StorageArtBroadcastSocialMedia (Other)GamingVirtual WorldMetaverse PlatformBaaS (Other)PaymentsSupply Chain / CommercePrivateTransparent (Other)Transparent CeFi CurrencyTransparent DeFi CurrencyAsset ManagementAtomic SwapsCredit Platform (Other)Lending / BorrowingActive DAODAO (Other)DAO BuilderDerivativesAMMCLOBExchanges (Other)InsuranceYieldDigitizationLayer 0Layer 1RollupsSidechainsFiat-Backed StablecoinCrypto-Backed StablecoinAlgorithmic Stablecoin


DACS Sector White Papers

How does DACS help investors?

  • Identifying investment opportunities across digital assets by sector and industry group
  • Analyzing the impact of sector trends on a portfolio
  • Evaluating sector and industry group exposures versus benchmarks
  • Measuring the performance of a digital asset against its peers
  • Helping portfolio managers build well-defined sector focused and sector rotation strategies

How is DACS designed?

  • Seeks to classify the top 500 digital assets by market capitalization (see full methodology for eligibility criteria)
  • Classification is determined by use case and technology of the digital asset categorized into a three-tiered hierarchy of Sectors, Industry Groups, and Industries
  • Each digital asset is assigned to an industry, and each industry is assigned to an industry group and finally, each industry group is placed within one of seven distinct sectors: currency, smart contract platforms, decentralized finance (DeFi), culture & entertainment, computing, stablecoin, and digitization

How will DACS evolve in this ever-changing landscape?

  • Market feedback is gathered through consultations with CoinDesk Indices and a DACS Advisory Council
  • Assets are reconstituted on a monthly basis to ensure largest assets are captured and classified
  • Material changes are announced prior to implementation

Does CoinDesk Indices offer indices covering DACS?

  • The CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) Family provides benchmarks for the performance of the entire digital asset market, and is the first to help quantify contributions to returns and risk by sector
  • The CoinDesk Select Sector Index Family is a suite of investable indices that follows a rules-based methodology

To view our full index and data offering visit: CoinDesk Indices Lineup Card

Disclaimer:

This content was produced by CoinDesk Indices, Inc. (“CDI”) and not the CoinDesk Editorial team. CDI does not sponsor, endorse, sell, promote or manage any investment offered by any third party that seeks to provide an investment return based on the performance of any index.

CDI is neither an investment adviser nor a commodity trading adviser and makes no representation regarding the advisability of making an investment linked to any CDI index. CDI does not act as a fiduciary. A decision to invest in any asset linked to a CDI index should not be made in reliance on any of the statements set forth in this material or elsewhere by CDI.

CDI indices, including all content contained or used in any CDI index (the “Content”), are owned by CDI and/or its third-party data providers and licensors, unless stated otherwise by CDI. CDI does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, adequacy, validity or availability of any of the Content. CDI is not responsible for any errors or omissions, regardless of the cause, in the results obtained from the use of any of the Content. CDI does not assume any obligation to update the Content following publication in any form or format.

© 2023 CoinDesk Indices, Inc. All rights reserved.