Delaware Life is taking a new step toward mainstreaming Bitcoin exposure in retirement-style products, adding a BlackRock-built index that blends US equities and Bitcoin to its fixed indexed annuity lineup.

The insurer, which sits within Group 1001, said Tuesday it has added the BlackRock US Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 12% Index to its fixed indexed annuity portfolio, calling it the first time an insurance carrier has offered an index that includes cryptocurrency.

Fixed indexed annuities, or FIAs, typically protect the policyholder’s principal while crediting interest that is linked to a market index, often with caps or other limits on upside.

The new index is designed to deliver exposure to the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alongside the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, and it targets 12% volatility by adding a cash component that can dial risk up or down.

Delaware Life Blends Crypto Access With Capital Preservation

Delaware Life framed the move as a way to let investors add Bitcoin exposure without handling coins directly, while keeping the principal protection structure that defines the FIA wrapper.

“We’re proud to partner with BlackRock as the first insurance carrier to offer cryptocurrency exposure through a fixed index annuity,” said Colin Lake, president & CEO of Delaware Life Marketing.

“As the retirement-planning landscape evolves, we’re continuously and thoughtfully innovating to meet the needs of financial professionals and their clients. Our fixed index annuities deliver what today’s investors want and need: opportunity for growth with protection.”

Demand For Bitcoin Exposure Pushes Deeper Into Retirement Products

Meanwhile, BlackRock’s Robert Mitchnick tied the launch to demand for Bitcoin exposure through familiar rails, saying the index aims for a measured approach that keeps the downside protection annuity buyers expect.

At the same time, the index option will be available on three Delaware Life products, Momentum Growth, Momentum Growth Plus, and DualTrack Income, as traditional finance keeps experimenting with ways to package crypto exposure inside regulated products.

The launch also leans on the momentum behind BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin vehicle, with iShares’ site listing tens of billions of dollars in net assets for IBIT.

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