By: Ben Harrison, Director Insights & Research
During the first month of 2026, two carriers made waves in the annuity industry by announcing cryptocurrency-linked index options. While other competitors offer modernized features, these are the first of their kind as carriers look to adapt to a changing financial marketplace. On January 12, Delaware Life announced the BlackRock U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12% Index would now be available on its FIA products while Corebridge Financial announced the Invesco New Economy Index with a Bitcoin component on January 26.
Delaware Life promoted its product as a huge innovation in the marketplace. Stating that it’s an “innovative digital asset growth potential wrapped in downside protection.” They also assuage advisors’ potential concerns on the volatility of Bitcoin by noting a “12% target volatility with dynamic rebalancing.” This index can offer consumers a way to get involved in the ever-growing crypto space while avoiding the volatile swings that can accompany it.
Corebridge Financial also announced a new index with a Bitcoin component. This index offers cryptocurrency exposure in a modest form that may be attractive to consumers. The product is “designed to tap into Bitcoin’s long-term growth potential without investing directly in cryptocurrency.” Like the Delaware Life index, this index targets a 12.5% annual volatility level. As clients look for a safe way into the cryptocurrency space this index provides another great option for them.
Overall, these indices provide an easy way into a complicated and evolving digital space while maintaining the protection and stability of FIAs. While these communications mention cryptocurrency front and center they also make the downside protection a major point of emphasis. Despite Bitcoin being down as of late, Competiscan still expects other carriers to get more involved with crypto-based indices as modernization remains key for the industry. Stay tuned as we continue to monitor the annuity space for any other new industry trends!