Indices are essentially statistical measures that track the performance of a group of assets. Learn more here.

From the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA, or simply the Dow) to the Hang Seng Index (HSI), the world’s major stock market indices are vital benchmarks that reflect the performance of leading companies across regions. For beginning and veteran traders alike, such indices act as overarching market bellwethers that provide deeper insights into market trends and serve as tools for trading strategies, risk management and portfolio diversification.

Given their mass popularity, indices are widely traded in the forms of futures, options and 

 (ETFs), enabling traders to effortlessly hedge against volatility or speculate on market movements through their preferred instrument. In this article, we’ll explore the world’s biggest market benchmarks, their composition, significance in trading and their role in shaping global financial markets.

Indices are essentially statistical measures that track the performance of a group of assets. For example, by referring to the three major US indices, we can immediately tell how a particular segment of the market is performing, thanks to the snapshot provided by these indices. 

At their core, these indices provide a way to gauge market trends, manage risk and diversify portfolios by offering a broad view of different sectors or asset classes. They’re widely used in financial markets for investment strategies, and as benchmarks for evaluating performance.

While more popular indices typically track the prices of stocks, traders may also consider trading indices that take into account the performance of other asset types, such as commodities and fixed-income instruments (e.g., bonds).

How indices work — mechanics, composition and weightage

Beyond simple tracking, indices also serve as the basis for numerous financial products that enable traders to participate in broad market movements without needing to purchase individual assets. This unmatched level of accessibility makes indices crucial for both institutional and retail traders. To go one step further, the construction of an index — including the specific assets being included, and their weighting — can significantly impact the index’s behavior, and the extent to which it effectively represents its target market.

Overall, understanding these construction methodologies is vital for traders who want to accurately interpret index movements and make informed decisions. We’ll go into more detail on the inner workings of index trading in the subsequent sections of this article.

Index trading involves speculating on the price movements of a group of assets without directly owning them. This is typically achieved through financial instruments, such as contracts for difference (CFDs), futures or options. The following section provides a detailed explanation of the mechanics involved.

As previously mentioned, indices are composed of various assets, such as stocks, commodities or bonds, and their performance is tracked using different weighting methods. The most common methods include the following.

Now that you’re familiar with the technicalities involved with index composition, let’s dive deeper into the instruments involved with the trading of indices.

New to trading indices? No worries. Here’s a quick four-step process to help you get started.

In summary, index trading provides a way to participate in broad market movements through various financial instruments. It offers diversification and flexibility but requires careful 

, given the volatility associated with index trading.

Trading indices offers several compelling advantages that make them an attractive option for both novice and experienced traders. The following reasons are worth considering.

Indices can be categorized based on their coverage, weighting method and focus. 

Following are some of the main types of indices.

Index prices are influenced by a variety of factors that can be broadly categorized into economic indicators, company performance, market sentiment and external events. These factors interact dynamically, influencing the overall performance of indices and shaping market trends.

For traders looking to get started with index trading, 

 with deep liquidity and competitive spreads. For a limited time (from Mar 13 through Apr 12, 2025), we’re running a 

 in which traders can enjoy zero fees on selected index pairs, making it even more cost-effective to explore index trading.

Ultimately, trading indices can seem daunting, given their depth of assets and the mechanics involved. For example, the S&P 500 comprises hundreds of stocks, each with different amounts of weightage. If mega-cap stocks like Tesla were to face some form of volatility, there would definitely be an impact on the index. As such, beginning traders who are new to index trading must 

 prior to transacting with indices, given the risks involved with the use of leveraged instruments.

For those with a longer time horizon in mind, trading indices can certainly be useful, especially if you’re intending to 

 your entries over time when building up your position. Given the extent of diversification involved and the sheer amount of liquidity present, it certainly would make sense for any trader with a long-term bullish inclination to trade indices and hold their ETFs for the long haul.

With a reliable platform like Bybit Gold&FX, you’ll practically be spoiled for choice when it comes to navigating the diverse world of indices and other financial instruments. By empowering traders with access to real-time data, advanced charting tools and a user-friendly interface, Bybit Gold&FX helps traders make informed decisions when analyzing market trends and execute trades with precision.

Whether you're interested in tracking the performance of major stock market indices, exploring commodity indices or diversifying your portfolio with forex and gold, Bybit Gold&FX offers the necessary resources and support. The platform's focus on security and transparency provides traders with peace of mind, allowing them to concentrate on their investment strategies and capitalize on market opportunities. In essence, it transforms the complexities of index trading into an accessible and sleek experience.

Intermediate

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Indices: Trading the world’s biggest market benchmarks

Bybit celebrated the second anniversary of the Bybit Card at its Dubai headquarters, highlighting its rapid growth with over 1.5 million cards issued since launch.

The S&P 500 dropped 1.39%, entering correction territory amid Trump’s tariff threats and trade war concerns. Gold surged to a record $2,988, driven by trade uncertainty, recession fears, and Fed rate cut expectations. The Coindesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, fell by 0.90%, with Bitcoin and Ether down by 3.36% and 2.63% in the past 24 hours. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today’s top performer is S, up 7.9% after 0xGasless launched AgentKit on Sonic, enabling AI-powered, gasless on-chain automation.

Sonic Labs (S), established in 2018, is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain built from Fantom, delivering over 10,000 transactions per second. Its native token, S, replaces FTM at a 1:1 ratio. The network prioritizes high performance, interoperability, and developer incentives. 

, enabling AI agents to execute on-chain actions with NLP-powered automation and gasless transactions via smart wallets. Developers can use Sonic AgentKit to build DeFi copilots or automate blockchain tasks and contribute custom tools through its open-source GitHub.

Check out the latest prices, charts, and data of 

Bybit celebrated the second anniversary of the 

 at its Dubai headquarters, highlighting its rapid growth with over 1.5 million cards issued since launch. The exchange announced a limited-edition Premium Metal Card coming in 2025, alongside enhanced user experience features such as an improved rewards program, stronger fraud protection, and wearables connectivity. Backed by Mastercard’s global network, the Bybit Card supports multiple cryptocurrencies and offers seamless payments at any Mastercard-accepting merchant. Bybit reaffirmed its commitment to expanding crypto financial solutions and bridging digital assets with everyday transactions.

Yesterday, BTC Spot ETFs saw $180.9M in net outflows, with GBTC losing $12.7M and non-GBTC funds dropping $168.2M.

 $EDGE tokens to active traders on Solana and EVM chains. Users who traded on Jupiter, Odos, Hyperliquid, and more can check eligibility and claim by depositing funds and trading $1K spot volume via TWAP. Airdrop claims open in 19 days, with a raffle for 500 users to win 100K $EDGE tokens.

Beginner

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Bybit marks Bybit Card’s second anniversary with new features and expansion plans

Dogecoin Spot ETFs would offer a regulated vehicle for investors to capture Dogecoin's price movements without directly managing the cryptocurrency themselves.

 is defying expectations, transitioning from a crypto punchline to Wall Street legitimacy. In a landmark shift, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally acknowledged Spot ETF applications for DOGE from heavyweight asset managers, including Grayscale and Bitwise, potentially catapulting the Shiba Inu–themed token into regulated markets. 

 (ETFs) would cement Dogecoin’s status as a serious investment vehicle, challenging perceptions of meme coins as fleeting novelties. 

This article delves into the mechanics of a Dogecoin Spot ETF, the current state of applications, their impact on the crypto market and the broader implications of such financial instruments.

A Dogecoin Spot ETF is a proposed exchange-traded fund that would directly hold Dogecoin as its underlying asset, allowing investors to gain regulated exposure to DOGE’s price movements without owning the cryptocurrency outright.

A Dogecoin Spot ETF would mirror the price movements of Dogecoin by holding the cryptocurrency directly, thereby enabling investors to capture its market performance without the complexities of purchasing, storing or managing the digital asset themselves.

Asset managers — in this case, Bitwise and Grayscale — would securely store actual Dogecoin tokens in 

 that often use cold storage solutions to reduce hacking risks. This responsibility is entrusted to custodians such as Coinbase Custody, which would safeguard Bitwise's Dogecoin holdings. These custodians specialize in cryptocurrency storage and employ robust security measures, such as multi-signature wallets and offline storage, to ensure the fund's value remains closely aligned with Dogecoin's current market price, while protecting the assets from potential threats.

Authorized Participants — usually large financial institutions — play a key role in maintaining this alignment by facilitating the creation and redemption of ETF shares. When demand surges, these institutions purchase Dogecoin from the open market and deposit it into the fund in exchange for newly issued shares. Conversely, they redeem shares by returning them to the fund for an equivalent amount of Dogecoin. This dynamic mechanism helps ensure that the ETF’s share price consistently reflects the underlying asset’s value.

Once issued, Dogecoin Spot ETF Shares would be traded on traditional stock exchanges, providing investors with an established and secure platform to gain exposure to Dogecoin. The ETF’s net asset value (NAV) would be determined by a comprehensive pricing mechanism that continuously reflects the current market price of Dogecoin. This process relies on the 

, which aggregates data from multiple reputable cryptocurrency exchanges. 

Using this standardized reference, the ETF ensures that fluctuations in Dogecoin's price — driven by market supply, demand and investor sentiment — are accurately captured. Consequently, the NAV is updated in real time, so it would provide investors with a transparent and precise representation of the fund’s true market value.

With this structured approach, a prospective Dogecoin Spot ETF promises a streamlined, regulated avenue for investors to participate in the dynamic cryptocurrency market, seamlessly integrating digital asset exposure with traditional financial systems.

In January 2025, REX Shares (in collaboration with Osprey Funds) filed with the SEC, seeking approval for a Dogecoin Spot ETF. The following month, Grayscale Investments advanced its crypto offerings by submitting SEC Form 19b-4 to launch its own Dogecoin Spot ETF, signaling an intent to diversify beyond traditional assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Shortly thereafter, Bitwise Asset Management, Inc. filed both S-1 and 19b-4 registration forms for a similar ETF, with its proposed fund set to hold Dogecoin as the primary asset and determine its net asset value using the CF Dogecoin-Dollar Settlement Price benchmark.

The SEC has officially acknowledged these filings, initiating a comprehensive review process. The Commission is known for its cautious approach in approving cryptocurrency-based ETFs, due to concerns over market volatility, liquidity and investor protection. However, this acknowledgment suggests a willingness to assess the potential of integrating Dogecoin into regulated financial products. The approval process is expected to be methodical, potentially taking up to 240 days from the initial acknowledgment. Bloomberg analysts 

Despite these promising regulatory developments, market reaction has been mixed. While the filing of Dogecoin Spot ETF applications has generated significant interest among investors, Dogecoin’s price experienced a decline after an initial increase following the announcements, indicating that investor sentiment could be influenced by broader market dynamics beyond ETF-related news.

Current impact of Dogecoin Spot ETF applications on the crypto market

Following the ETF application announcements, Dogecoin's price experienced significant fluctuations. Initially, there was a surge in optimism, with 

 within 24 hours (as of Feb 14, 2025) as investors anticipated potential institutional adoption. However, this uptick was short-lived, and within a week, Dogecoin's price declined by over 7%. This retracement underscores the inherent volatility of the cryptocurrency market — and suggests that while ETF filings can boost confidence, they also introduce speculative dynamics that may lead to rapid price corrections.

This mix of enthusiasm and caution among investors reflects the duality of a market in transition, balancing prospects of institutional legitimacy and the realities of speculative volatility. On the one hand, potential approval of a Dogecoin Spot ETF is viewed as a gateway for mainstream and institutional investors to engage with DOGE, potentially leading to increased liquidity and market stability. On the other, the subsequent price decline following the ETF announcements indicates that the market remains sensitive to speculative trading and profit-taking behaviors. Investors are advised to approach such developments with a balanced perspective, considering both the opportunities and risks inherent in cryptocurrency markets.

What will it mean if a Dogecoin Spot ETF application is approved?

Should the SEC approve a Dogecoin Spot ETF, it would mark a significant milestone in legitimizing meme-based cryptocurrencies within a traditional financial structure. Such an ETF would allow investors to gain direct exposure to Dogecoin's price movements through traditional investment platforms, which in turn could lead to increased institutional participation as it provides a regulated and familiar investment vehicle for entities that may previously have been hesitant to invest directly in crypto.

The introduction of a Dogecoin ETF is anticipated to enhance the cryptocurrency's liquidity and market stability. By facilitating easier access for a broader investor base, the ETF could lead to higher trading volumes and reduced price volatility over time. The legitimacy conferred by regulatory approval could potentially bolster investor confidence and attract more capital inflows into Dogecoin.

Dogecoin Spot ETF approval could also set a precedent for other meme-based cryptocurrencies, such as 

 (SHIB), to pursue similar financial instruments. The Shiba Inu community has been actively advocating for a SHIB-based ETF, highlighting factors like strong diversification prospects and growing investor demand. Notably, after the Spot Ethereum ETF approvals in July 2024, Shiba Inu's pseudonymous lead developer, Shytoshi Kusama, hinted that SHIB could be next in line. 

As with a Dogecoin Spot ETF, the introduction of a Shiba Inu Spot ETF would provide investors with regulated exposure to SHIB, potentially increasing its adoption and market presence. However, the approval process for such ETFs is complex and subject to stringent regulatory scrutiny. While the SEC has approved ETFs for major cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum, the path for altcoins like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu remains uncertain. Factors such as liquidity, market maturity and regulatory perspectives will play crucial roles in any approval process.

Looking to capture the market and trade DOGE tokens? Bybit offers the 

The approval of a Dogecoin Spot ETF would mark a watershed moment for meme cryptocurrencies, offering regulated access to Dogecoin’s price movements and potentially stabilizing its volatile market through institutional investments. While initial price surges and subsequent corrections highlight speculative risks, long-term benefits would likely include enhanced liquidity, legitimacy and broader investor adoption. This precedent could pave the way for altcoins like Shiba Inu to pursue similar ETFs, though regulatory hurdles and market maturity remain critical barriers. 

Ultimately, a Dogecoin Spot ETF would bridge meme-driven crypto culture with traditional finance, providing the much-beloved dog-themed Dogecoin with a previously unattainable level of credibility.

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Dogecoin Spot ETF: A giant leap for Dogecoin's legitimacy

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can complete a series of tasks in Prosper for Bybit Web3 Airdrop Arcade.

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can complete a series of tasks in Prosper for 

Task: Stake at least 20 PROS on the Prosper DApp on BSC

 and connect your Bybit Wallet by clicking on the 

button at the top-right corner of the page and selecting 

: Type in the amount of PROS tokens you would like to stake. You’ll need to stake at least 20 PROS tokens to complete this task.

If you notice the available amount shown for the connected wallet is incorrect or unexpected, simply click on the “refresh” icon to update your token balance. Also, please ensure that you’re connected to the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) network.

 to approve both the application permissions and the stake amount via your Bybit Wallet. 

Once both interactions have been completed, you’ll have successfully staked PROS!

: You’ll be prompted to add rePROS (receipt for staked PROS) to your Bybit Wallet (for display purposes) after you finish staking. These tokens effectively serve as a receipt for your staked PROS.

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How to complete Prosper tasks for Bybit Web3 Airdrop Arcade

web3

Metaverse

We're familiar with Instagram, TikTok & Twitter. But an abundance of Web3 social media platforms deserves our attention. Dive right into the rabbit hole with us! 

Web3.png

The World Wide Web and its resources have become entwined with everything people do, from basic banking activities to dating and keeping up with family. Yet, most of this arose as a byproduct of Web2, or Web 2.0. One of Web2’s defining aspects was the rise of social media. Centralized social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more recent entries like TikTok have 

 people interact, exchange information, launch businesses, and market. 

 social media platforms share similar disruptive effects, but carry them out differently. Let’s dig into what some of those differences are, and which five social media platforms you should keep an eye on.

For anyone following the ups and downs of the cryptocurrency market, one of the big selling points is its underlying 

. What makes it so appealing is that it employs a decentralized ledger. Without drifting too far into the technical explanation, think of it as lots of different people (or computers) hanging on to a copy of all the transactions. Combine that with solid encryption and you’ve got a pretty secure, if not necessarily stable, method of trading securities or assets like cryptocurrency.

A decentralized social media platform aims to employ a similar structure on the decentralized ledgers of blockchain. These platforms rely on independently run servers, rather than independently stored ledgers. So, a decentralized Twitter alternative will have multiple servers running the software. Among other benefits, that removes the problem of a single point of failure: If one server goes down, it doesn’t cripple the entire service. It also provides superior user control, potentially enabling free speech and limiting censorship.

In essence, by disconnecting social media from corporate control, a decentralized platform offers an opportunity for true user-owned content.

A popular term used in marketing circles is 

 (UGC). This refers to the content that an actual product or service users create, which heavily features the product or service. The content creators aren’t paid for the content and aren’t sponsored by the company. In practice, though, it amounts to free advertising. For example, the camera company GoPro garnered enormous benefits from this kind of content via YouTube videos of people engaged in various sports activities. Yet, in many ways, this content remains under the control of corporate entities. YouTube, for example, can take videos down. Other social media platforms also maintain the right to delete content, which often results in legitimate content being taken down, including legitimate advertising and marketing content.

With a decentralized social media platform, the power to upload or delete content typically rests with the users themselves. They decide what gets posted and what comes down, based on their principles. That makes their content truly user-owned because no third party can arbitrarily choose to delete their images, videos or comments with little or no recourse for the users. It also means that people can upload content that might disturb the sensibilities of others. For example, a user in a location where the government or police are engaged in violence against their citizens can upload videos without concern that an admin in an air-conditioned office somewhere will censor it.

Web3 Social Media vs. Traditional Social Media Platforms

In some ways, you can distinguish a Web3 social media platform from a traditional social media platform by whether it’s decentralized or centralized. If it’s decentralized, it’s probably a Web3 platform. If not, it’s probably a traditional platform. Of course, the differences run a lot deeper than that.

One of the guiding principles of traditional social media, much like websites, is that you want to keep people on the platform as long as possible. That often means limiting what content can move between platforms, and even limiting what other sites you can link to on a given platform. By keeping displayed content limited to what appears on the parent platform, you encourage users to stay on that platform. Decentralized social media will typically not limit where content comes from or where links will lead users. In essence, it helps democratize content distribution.

Ideally, Web3 platforms will also operate on a permissionless basis, as well as on a trustless one. In other words, you won’t rely on third parties to grant you access to the platform, nor will you rely on them to mediate your interactions with other users. This should facilitate community-building in the way Web2 social media platforms have promised, but has ultimately failed to deliver.

Best Web2 Social Media Platforms For Web3 Marketing

While Web2 social media platforms aren’t always the best for privacy and user control, they’re still enormous platforms for marketing the content you post on Web3 platforms. While the best site for any content will vary, big Web2 hitters are generally your best options for promoting your work. These sites include:

While Twitter used to be a huge platform for creators, the change in ownership – and uncertainty about policies moving forward – has driven a lot of creators off the platform. Many people are waiting for things to shake out before deciding if they’re staying or going back.

With these essentials out of the way, let’s look at some of the big Web3 platforms you’ll want to keep an eye on as a creator.

 is a content-focused platform that lives up to the Web3 dream. It’s decentralized and uses blockchain to store content such as blogs and social graphs. That makes the content posted there much more portable between different apps. It also facilitates monetization for creators looking to build audiences.

 caters to the music crowd, both creators and listeners, serving as a streaming service with some crypto baked into the app’s DNA. It’s blockchain-based, with the audio files time-stamped at the time of upload. While the monetization of the app is still finding its feet, the audio tokens people can earn are tradeable on several crypto exchanges.

 is less a social platform in and of itself, and more of a framework for other social media platforms. Its core design lets people build social apps, and supports blogging platforms as well. It employs the basic decentralized option of blockchain technology, but its main attraction for creators is that it rewards them with in-house cryptocurrency. While the exact mechanics of the rewards are complex, the idea is that there is a rewards pool for creators. The platform keeps values stable by soft-pegging the cryptocurrency to the U.S. dollar.

 platform promotes itself as an alternative to Facebook, but also includes some monetization features more common to platforms like 

. The platform rewards users for interacting with it by posting new content. The rewards take the form of Ethereum cryptocurrency. Users can spend cryptocurrency on the site to fund their advertising. They can also support other creators on the site by pledging some or all of their crypto rewards to subscriptions to other users.

 is something of a unique animal in the Web3 world. It’s built a full-blown metaverse social media platform, named Massina, and aims to develop video games for the Web3 world. Its first foray into that gaming space is called 

, in which users earn rewards through their play. While the game remains in the early stages, it also leverages the unique facet of using NFTs as the primary character design. While the NFTs all originate in-house at this point, and must be acquired at auction, the company plans down the road to let users upload their digital assets.

The world of Web3 and the social media platforms that will live there are still firmly in the development stage, but they’re developing fast. These platforms will reject the received wisdom of centralized social media and embrace the opportunities for decentralization that blockchain provides. Their websites will allow for much greater privacy and content mobility between apps and help secure user-owned content for the creators. While still in its nascent stages, the cryptocurrency potential of blockchain also provides options for rewarding users on these sites for participation, content creation and even gameplay. With those options in place, it’s only a matter of time before the internet sees a new revolution.

Top 5 Web3 Social Media Platforms in 2023

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