Aspida Life and Market Synergy Group Launch Bitcoin-Linked Index Across Synergy Choice™ Fixed Index Annuity Suite
DURHAM, NC, April 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aspida Life Insurance Company ("Aspida Life"), a life insurance and annuity company, in partnership with Market Synergy Group (MSG), has announced the addition of the BlackRock® U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 10% Index to its Synergy Choice™ Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) product suite.
Through an iShares® ETFs component, this new offering provides clients with indirect exposure to bitcoin through a rules-based, volatility-managed index. The Synergy Choice FIA suite allows clients to earn interest based on the performance of selected external indices, while benefiting from premium protection, tax deferral, and the option for guaranteed lifetime income.
"As bitcoin becomes a more prominent topic in retirement planning, Aspida is committed to expanding the solutions available to financial professionals and their clients," said Ben Koziol, SVP and Head of Retail Products at Aspida. "By adding the BlackRock U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 10% Index to our Synergy Choice FIA suite, we're opening the door to one of today's most talked-about asset classes, giving clients a way to pursue that opportunity within a principal protected framework."
Key Index Features:
Rooted in U.S. Equity: The index is anchored in U.S. equities via BlackRock's iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), providing exposure to a broad, liquid, and historically resilient market that serves as a core foundation for long-term growth.
Bitcoin Exposure – Without Direct Ownership: Rather than holding bitcoin directly, the index gains exposure through BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), which offers an exchange-traded product that holds bitcoin and seeks to reflect generally the performance of the price of bitcoin.
Simple and Transparent Portfolio Construction: At its core, the index is built on three building blocks – two iShares ETFs with exposure to U.S. equities and bitcoin, respectively, and cash. This straightforward design makes the index easy to understand and explain and can complement the broader goals of a retirement portfolio.
Adaptive Risk Control Built for Volatility: Bitcoin is known for dramatic price swings, and this index is designed with that reality in mind. Using a patent-pending methodology inspired by BlackRock's AI Labs, the index automatically reduces bitcoin exposure as volatility rises, rotating first into iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and, if necessary, into cash through the Effective Federal Funds Rate (EFFR).
The result is a dynamic, rules-based system that pursues bitcoin's upside while working to limit the impact of sharp downturns.
"It's important that our Synergy Choice FIA suite complements the wider retirement planning landscape. The addition of the BlackRock U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 10% Index is a natural next step in providing a more diverse set of options to meet the needs of today's retirement clients." said Jared Anderson, Chief Sales Officer at Market Synergy Group.
The BlackRock U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 10% Index is available within the Synergy Choice FIA suite as both a 1-Year Cap and a 2-Year Participation Rate crediting strategy.
"As retirement portfolios continue to evolve, clients are increasingly looking for diversified sources of return within a structured risk framework," said Robert Mitchnick, Head of Digital Assets at BlackRock. "The BlackRock U.S. Equity Bitcoin Balanced Risk 10% Index is designed to provide measured exposure to bitcoin, pairing its long-term growth potential with equity exposure and built-in risk management features aligned with retirement-focused outcomes."
About Aspida
Aspida Holdings Ltd., through its subsidiaries (collectively "Aspida"), is focused on providing retirement and reinsurance solutions, having operations in the U.S., Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands, with total assets of $30bn as of December 31, 2025. Aspida's U.S. platform – Aspida Life Insurance Company – is based in Durham, NC, and focuses on leveraging technology and agility to help clients achieve – and protect – their dreams. Aspida Re, with offices in Hamilton, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, is focused on providing efficient and secure reinsurance solutions to life and annuity clients globally. Aspida seeks to be a trusted partner in its clients' financial security while driving its growth by doing good for the communities it serves. A subsidiary of Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) acts as the dedicated investment manager, capital solutions and corporate development partner to Aspida. For more information, please visit www.aspida.com or follow them on LinkedIn.
About Market Synergy Group
Market Synergy Group develops cutting-edge retirement solutions that address clients' planning challenges before they arise and distributes those solutions through an elite partner network. Market Synergy Group collaborates with top insurance companies to design and build solutions that incorporate proprietary research and exclusive features to help meet individuals' needs leading up to and throughout retirement. The interaction of multiple elements in a system to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of the individual elements is what sets Market Synergy Group and its distribution partners apart. Learn more at marketsynergy.net.
About BlackRock
BlackRock's purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock
iShares and BlackRock are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.
Erika Powell Aspida 9192463108 erika.powell@aspida.com