iEthereum Digital Commodity Index


FAQ Frequently Asked Questions



What is the iEthereum Digital Commodity Index (DCI)?


The iEthereum Digital Commodity Index (DCI) is a longitudinal research system that documents the observed structure and behavior of iEthereum as a neutral, fixed-supply digital commodity using stable metrics and consistent methodology across time.


Is the DCI a report or an index?


Both. The DCI is an index methodology and measurement framework, delivered through recurring Monthly and Quarterly research reports designed to preserve continuity and comparability over time.


What does the DCI measure?


The DCI measures iEthereum through multiple institutional lenses, including:

  • market structure and access pathways

  • liquidity architecture and depth constraints

  • transfer activity, usage signals, and velocity behavior

  • holder distribution, concentration, and dispersion metrics

  • bounded valuation frameworks presented as comparable lenses

  • structural risk framing (custody, counterparty, execution constraints)


The DCI is designed to preserve measurement continuity—not to promote narratives or predict outcomes.


What makes the DCI different from typical crypto research?


Most crypto research is narrative-driven, promotional, or short-horizon market commentary. The DCI is measurement-led and continuity-driven: it maintains disciplined definitions over time so institutions can evaluate behavior and structure without hindsight bias.


Is the DCI "standard" or "unusual"?


The DCI is standard in institutional form and discipline, but rare in subject. It applies traditional index governance principles—longitudinal consistency, scope control, exclusions, and change handling—to a neutral, fixed-supply digital commodity. Few digital asset research products are constructed this way.


What problem does the DCI solve?


The DCI turns iEthereum from a narrative asset into a measurable commodity by providing the consistent data infrastructure institutions require to price risk, allocate capital, and evaluate market accessibility.


Who is the DCI for?


The DCI is designed for professional and institutional users including:

  • family offices

  • endowments and foundations

  • asset managers and investment professionals

  • market makers and liquidity providers

  • policy and monetary researchers

  • analysts studying scarce assets, monetary architecture, and digital commodities


How will this help my family office?


For a family office, the DCI makes iEthereum decision-grade. It supports disciplined diligence, small initial allocations, and repeatable quarterly re-underwriting by clarifying market structure, concentration, liquidity constraints, activity signals, and risk posture—without reliance on hype or promotional narratives.


What do market makers and institutions need to enter a new digital commodity market?


They require decision-grade structure, not narrative:

  • reliable longitudinal data with consistent definitions

  • clear market structure (venues, pairs, custody pathways)

  • liquidity architecture (where flow can occur, fragmentation)

  • distribution and concentration mapping (holder structure and dispersion)

  • activity and velocity metrics (observed usage behavior)

  • risk framing (counterparty, custody, execution constraints)

  • comparable valuation lenses (multiple bounded frameworks)

  • transparent methodology governance and change-handling rules


What type of digital asset is iEthereum?


iEthereum is classified as a neutral, fixed-supply digital commodity. It functions as a fixed-base settlement commodity: a scarce unit designed to be held, transferred, and measured consistently through time without issuer discretion, governance control, or adaptive monetary policy.


What makes iEthereum a neutral, fixed-supply digital commodity (and not a currency or security?


iEthereum is framed as a neutral, fixed-supply digital commodity because it has immutable scarcity, no issuer-controlled monetary policy, no governance or cash-flow rights, and no dependency on managerial efforts—positioning it as a bearer-like settlement and collateral primitive rather than an enterprise instrument.

For avoidance of doubt, the DCI treats iEthereum as a commodity for measurement purposes; regulatory classification is jurisdiction-dependent.


What does it mean that iEthereum is “neutral”?


Neutral means iEthereum is designed to function as a non-issuer settlement instrument rather than a governed asset whose rules can be altered through voting, discretionary issuance, or protocol-level monetary policy changes.


What is iEthereum not?


iEthereum is not:

  • a governance token

  • a protocol equity or cashflow-based asset

  • a yield-bearing instrument

  • an adaptive monetary-policy token

  • a promotional ecosystem asset dependent on continual changes to remain relevant

Is iEthereum a tokenization platform?

No. iEthereum is not an RWA issuance system, tokenization protocol, or asset-wrapping platform.iEthereum functions as a neutral, fixed-supply digital commodity that can serve as a settlement and measurement instrument for broader tokenized markets. Tokenization creates digital representations of assets and rights. iEthereum supports the market infrastructure those representations require—namely credible settlement, collateral transfer, and longitudinal comparability independent of any single issuer, platform, or governance body.Tokenization wraps claims. iEthereum supports markets as neutral settlement and measurement infrastructure.

How does iEthereum relate to RWAs and tokenization?

Tokenization can apply to many categories—physical assets, equity shares, funds, commodities, intellectual property, collectibles, debt, revenue streams, services, and stable-value instruments. In all cases, tokenization improves transferability and automation, but it does not automatically solve real-world requirements such as custody, auditability, enforceability, jurisdiction, redemption clarity, or governance durability.iEthereum’s role is distinct: it provides a scarce, non-issuer dependent settlement asset that allows tokenized markets to clear value and price risk without inheriting the same issuer or platform dependencies as the tokenized claim itself. This separation is a core institutional principle: the asset token and the settlement instrument should not be the same thing.In practice, tokenized assets may be issued by many parties, but settlement and collateral can be standardized around neutral instruments. iEthereum is designed to function as that neutral base layer.


How can a neutral, fixed-supply digital commodity be used?

A neutral base digital commodity can be used as:

  • a reserve asset held for long-duration continuity

  • a settlement instrument for peer-to-peer or institutional obligations

  • a collateral primitive in secured financial agreements

  • a unit of account and measurement layer over time

  • a bridge asset for cross-platform or cross-domain value transfer

  • a durable hedge against issuer risk and policy path dependency

How is a digital commodity different from a physical commodity?

Unlike physical commodities, a neutral fixed-supply digital commodity is programmable. It can serve as reserve, settlement, and collateral while also enabling deterministic automated agreements through smart-contract execution.

What are examples of programmable use?

Programmable use cases may include:

  • escrow and conditional settlement

  • milestone-based payouts

  • collateral lock/unlock logic

  • automated distributions or streaming payments

  • structured settlement between parties without intermediaries

  • machine-to-machine settlement for digital services (API-native payments)


What market conditions favor scarce, fixed, neutral base digital commodities?

These commodities benefit in regimes where settlement certainty and non-discretionary scarcity become more valuable, including:

  • monetary regime uncertainty

  • negative real yield environments

  • fiscal dominance and sovereign debt overhang

  • institutional trust decay (even without crisis)

  • liquidity fragmentation and cross-border settlement friction

  • financialization and collateral repricing cycles

  • rapid settlement infrastructure innovation (tokenization, programmable rails)

  • geopolitical multipolarity and neutral settlement demand

  • systemic liquidity crises and funding stress

  • credit crises and cascading counterparty failures

  • sovereign bond market stress and duration repricing

  • currency reset or monetary re-anchoring environments

  • geopolitical escalation and war-risk environments


Does the DCI make price predictions?

No. The DCI does not provide forecasts or price targets. It provides measurement continuity, structural observation, and bounded valuation lenses for comparison—not predictions.

Is this investment advice?

No. The DCI is not financial advice. It is an institutional research and measurement product.

Is the DCI affiliated with Apple?

No claims of affiliation, endorsement, or issuer attribution are made. The DCI treats iEthereum strictly as an observed digital commodity on Ethereum mainnet.


Do you provide a sample report?

Yes. A limited sample excerpt is available to demonstrate the DCI’s format and analytical posture. Full reports are available under licensed access.

What supporting documents are available?

Supporting materials available for institutional diligence include:

  • DCI One-Page Summary

  • Institutional Information Pack

  • Methodology Overview / Methodology Appendix

  • Teacher’s Guide (interpretive guide)

  • Sample Report Excerpt

How do we request the supporting documents?

Supporting materials may be requested through the Request Institutional Access pathway on iEthereum.org or by contacting Knive Spiel directly at [email protected].


What does licensed access include?

Licensed access includes institutional delivery of:

  • full Monthly and Quarterly DCI research reports

  • longitudinal continuity archive access during license term

  • market structure and risk framing

  • comparable valuation lenses and diagnostics

  • supporting materials and datasets as defined by license scope

Does the license include archival access?

Yes. The DCI is designed as a continuity archive. Licensed organizations receive archive access during the active license term for longitudinal review and comparative analysis.

How is the DCI delivered?

The DCI is delivered as finalized institutional PDF research publications, with supporting materials provided under licensed access.

Can we share the DCI internally?

Yes. Licensed access is designed for internal organizational use and internal circulation consistent with license terms.

Can we cite the DCI in our own research?

Yes. Licensed organizations may cite the DCI in internal research and may reference it externally consistent with the license terms.

Can we redistribute the report publicly?

No. External redistribution is not permitted unless explicitly granted through a redistribution license.


Why is licensed access required instead of a public paywall?

Because institutional research products require defined usage rights, continuity access structure, and redistribution controls. Licensing is the standard framework for professional research and index products.

Why is the DCI priced at $18,000 per year?

Because the DCI is not a one-time report—it is a longitudinal measurement system. Pricing reflects recurring production, methodology governance, continuity preservation, and the non-duplicated value of a consistent archive over time.

How do we request institutional access?

Use the Request Institutional Access pathway on iEthereum.org to initiate a licensing inquiry and receive access terms.