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SPY · NYSE Arca · US index fund

How to Get Exposure to the S&P 500 (SPY)

Ways to invest in the S&P 500 from outside the US: index ETFs, local funds, tokenized versions and their trade-offs.

Updated 22 October 2026

About the S&P 500

The S&P 500 is an index of about 500 of the biggest US listed companies, from Apple and Nvidia to banks and supermarkets. SPY, run by State Street, is the oldest US fund that tracks it, so one share gives you a small slice of all of them.

Buy the S&P 500 in your country

Pick your country for a short guide to buying SPYx, the token that tracks the S&P 500. Where the token isn't available, the guide explains why and what to do instead.

Ways to get exposure to the S&P 500

You can't buy the index itself. You buy something that tracks it, and each option works a bit differently.

  • US-listed ETFs such as SPY, VOO or IVV, through a broker that accepts people living in your country. You own fund shares.
  • Local index funds or ETFs listed in your own country that track the S&P 500. Often the easiest choice where they exist.
  • Tokenized ETFs such as SPYx: tokens backed by SPY shares held by the issuer. Rights and redemption depend on the issuer's terms.
  • Derivatives such as CFDs: contracts that pay the price difference. You never own any fund shares and may face leverage and overnight costs.

Questions to ask before buying a tokenized version

  • Who is the issuer, and in which jurisdiction is it regulated?
  • Are the underlying fund shares held 1:1 by a named custodian?
  • Are dividends passed on, and in what form?
  • Can tokens be redeemed for shares or cash, and by whom?
  • Is the product offered to residents of my country under the platform's terms?

Exposure types compared

Types of US stock exposure and what you own
TypeWhat you ownShareholder rights
Direct sharesActual company shares via a brokerUsually dividends & voting
Tokenized securitiesA regulated token or note from an issuerDefined by issuer terms
Synthetic / derivativeA contract tracking the priceNo shareholder rights
ETFsUnits in a fund holding many sharesFund distributions
Price-tracking cryptoA crypto asset with no claim on sharesNone

Frequently asked questions

Is SPYx the same as owning SPY?

Not quite. SPYx is issued by xStocks, which holds SPY shares to back each token 1:1. You get the price moves and reinvested dividends, but you hold a claim on the issuer, not SPY shares in your own name.

Sources

  1. 1.
    SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) fund page

    State Street Global Advisors · official

  2. 2.
    S&P 500 index page

    S&P Dow Jones Indices · official

  3. 3.

Last updated .