Coin Metrics is introducing a new nomenclature policy for our Network Data metrics for cross-chain assets, which are assets that have the same ticker but exist in multiple networks. Our goal is to remove the ambiguity of cross-chain assets by adding standardized network identifiers to their tickers, and in the case of USDT, by also adding an aggregated suffix to simplify macro analyses.
The implementation of this framework will entail ticker changes that are not backwards compatible for all of our Network Data products, including Network Data Pro, CM ATLAS and FARUM. We advise a review of ingestion pipelines to account for these changes and appreciate your understanding as we standardize and future-proof network data tickers.
- BNB will be changed to BNB_ETH to denote that this is the ERC20 version of Binance Coin.
- BNB_MAINNET will be changed to BNB_BC to denote that this is the Binance Chain version of Binance Coin (BNB). Future support for the BNB version in Binance Smart Chain will carry the ticker BNB_BSC.
- USDT will be changed to USDT_OMNI to denote that this is the Omnilayer version of Tether USD.
We also plan on adding a USDT_ALL as the first aggregated cross-chain ticker to simplify macro analyses of stablecoins.
These changes will be implemented on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, so please reach out if you have any questions or concerns regarding the timeline for updating your ingestion pipelines. For more information on our Asset Nomenclature Policy, please refer to the breakdown below.
Introduction
With the advent of cross-chain bridges and token wrapping frameworks, a recurring point of confusion for our clients is which network, or mainnet, a specific asset resides in. Tether USD (USDT), for example, has been issued on Bitcoin’s Omni Layer, Ethereum, Tron, Algorand, amongst many other blockchains. As a result, there is room for ambiguity when measuring the activity of a single iteration of USDT. In order to address this issue, Coin Metrics has decided to increase the granularity and standardization of asset tickers.
Framework
In the past, Coin Metrics has added a suffix to denote the specific network that a cryotoasset’s metrics are based on. For example, the ERC20 version of Binance Coin (BNB) issued on the Ethereum network in 2017 was given the ticker BNB. As was the case with several ICOs of that time, a mainnet launch took place, where the token stopped being transacted on Ethereum and its holders migrated to Binance’s own standalone network, Binance Chain. At the time, we decided to call that new network BNB_MAINNET to denote the migration. However, with the launch of Binance Smart Chain and the proliferation of cross-chain issuance, the notion of a single mainnet has changed.
In order to future-proof our network data tickers and remove ambiguity, we will refine and standardize the NETWORK-TICKER suffix of the cross-chain assets we support. ASSET-TICKER will continue to denote the ticker used by cryptoasset exchanges (e.g. ETH). If the asset exists in more than one network, and Coin Metrics supports that additional network, a standardized NETWORK-TICKER will be added: ASSET-TICKER_NETWORK-TICKER.
Since aggregate metrics can be useful when assessing an asset’s activity across all networks supported by Coin Metrics, we are also introducing aggregate tickers with the suffix ALL. This ticker aggregates the metrics of all supported iterations of a crypto asset. For example, the market cap (CapMrktCurUSD) of USDT_ALL would aggregate the market capitalization of all versions of USDT supported by Coin Metrics. The format of this ticker will be: ASSET-TICKER_ALL.
Note that both _NETWORK-TICKER and _ALL will only be added to cross chain assets supported by Coin Metrics, such as USDT. In other words, if an asset supported by Coin Metrics exists in additional networks that have yet to be supported by Network Data Pro (NDP), the asset’s ticker will remain the same. Additionally, we will exclusively implement the _ALL suffix to assets that exist in more than two networks supported by Coin Metrics, which at this time is only applicable to USDT.
It is also important to note that wrapped versions of assets that have standalone tickers, such as Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) or Wrapped Ether (WETH), will not have to abide by the framework if a) they have their own unique ticker and b) they exclusively exist in one network.
Ticker Changes
Coin Metrics will take a discretionary policy when it comes to ticker changes. While there have been multiple instances where a cryptoasset was rebranded, precedents exist where the scope of a change in name was broader than the ticker itself. Notably, the Aave project in 2020 underwent a ticker change from LEND to AAVE. In this particular example, the ticker change was accompanied by a change in the asset’s monetary base unit, whereby one hundred units of LEND were equivalent to one unit of AAVE.
In such circumstances, Coin Metrics may decide to add the new ticker as if it was a new asset in order to make metrics consistent. If the only change is a cryptoasset’s name and ticker symbol, we may decide to simply rename the asset id. Similarly, if an asset that was originally supported by a single network becomes economically relevant in other networks, as it was the case with Tether, we may decide to add the NETWORK-TICKER identifier to the original ticker when adding support to the other versions of that asset. In both circumstances we will proactively notify clients of the change in order to minimize impact.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us through our website or by emailing [email protected]. Thank you for being a Coin Metrics customer.
