Bitcoin ETFs: What You Need to Know

Bitcoin ETFs

An exchange-traded fund (ETF), in general, is an investment vehicle that monitors the performance of an underlying asset or assets. ETFs, give investors exposure to these assets without the investors having to own them. A Bitcoin ETF tracks the price of the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. With a Bitcoin ETF, an investor can get exposure to Bitcoin without necessarily owning and trading Bitcoin. 

Investors prefer Bitcoin ETFs because they prevent them from holding and trading Bitcoin itself. Owning and trading Bitcoin can be tricky for investors with minimal knowledge in this area because of the complex security and storage procedures involved. ETFs are mainly preferred by investors who are only concerned about making profits. There are many benefits to a Bitcoin ETF, making some investors prefer them to holding the actual Bitcoin. As aforementioned, the process of owning and holding an ETF is easier and less complex compared to the actual Bitcoin.

How It Works

An ETF (exchange-traded fund) is an investment fund that tracks the price of an underlying asset or index. Today, ETFs are available for several assets and industries, ranging from commodities to currencies. A Bitcoin ETF would work the same way – the price of one share of the exchange-traded fund would fluctuate with the price of bitcoin. If bitcoin increases in value, so does the ETF, and vice versa. But instead of trading on a cryptocurrency exchange, the ETF would trade on a market exchange like the NYSE or TSX.

Advantages of Bitcoin ETFs

1. Convenience

Investing in a bitcoin ETF provides leverage to the price of bitcoin without having to learn about how bitcoin works, having to sign up for a cryptocurrency exchange, and taking on the risks of owning bitcoin directly. For example, bitcoins are held in a wallet, and if an investor loses the password to the wallet, their bitcoin is lost forever. A bitcoin ETF simplifies the process of investing in bitcoin.

2. Diversification

An ETF can hold more than just one asset. For example, A Bitcoin ETF could comprise bitcoin, Apple stocks, Facebook stocks, and more—providing investors with the opportunity to mitigate risk and diversify their portfolio. Similarly, by trading on a regulated market exchange, a bitcoin ETF would provide investors with the chance to diversify their existing equity portfolios.

3. Tax efficiency

Given that bitcoin is unregulated and decentralized, the majority of the world’s tax havens and pension funds do not allow for purchases of bitcoin. On the other hand, a bitcoin ETF trading on traditional exchanges would likely be regulated by the SEC and eligible for tax efficiency.

Disadvantages of Bitcoin ETFs

1. Management fees

ETFs usually charge management fees for the convenience they provide. Therefore, owning a significant amount of shares in a bitcoin ETF could lead to high management fees over time.

2. ETF inaccuracy

While ETFs track the price of an underlying asset, they can also have multiple holdings in a bid to diversify the portfolio. However, this suggests that a 50% rise in the price of bitcoin may not be accurately reflected in the value of the exchange-traded fund due to its other holdings. Therefore, while an ETF provides leverage to bitcoin’s price, it may or may not be an accurate tracker of its price.

3. Limits to cryptocurrency trading

Bitcoin can be traded for other cryptocurrencies, like Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP, and more. A bitcoin ETF would not be eligible to trade for other cryptos, as it is not a cryptocurrency but simply an investment fund that tracks the price of bitcoin.

4. Lack of Bitcoin ownership

Bitcoin serves as a hedge against central banks, fiat currencies, and equities. By being independent of central banks, bitcoin provides a way to mitigate risks associated with the financial system. Bitcoin also protects users and investors by providing privacy through the bitcoin blockchain. A bitcoin ETF would be regulated by the government, eliminating these benefits.

Do Bitcoin ETFs Exist?

No, there are no bitcoin ETFs as of yet. It is largely due to the unregulated nature of bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market, which makes the bitcoin market easy to manipulate by investors with large holdings. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)‘s blocked several proposals for bitcoin ETFs on the grounds that the market is unregulated.

While there is no bitcoin ETF, there are publicly-traded funds that invest their money in bitcoin. Unlike bitcoin ETFs that directly purchase bitcoin, shares in the funds represent a pool of money invested in the cryptocurrency. Another way to gain exposure to bitcoin without actually purchasing it is to invest in cryptocurrency and blockchain companies, which provide leverage to the crypto market.

Bitcoin ETFs

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