You Can Already Trade Bitcoin Futures Through a Commodity ETF
It turns out that you can already buy an ETF that offers exposure to Bitcoin, despite the recent buzz over the new fund.
(Bloomberg) -- The crypto world is abuzz over the idea of an exchange-traded fund that tracks Bitcoin futures. It turns out that you can already buy an ETF that offers such exposure.
The actively managed WisdomTree Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund, ticker GCC, has added a roughly 3% allocation to cash-settled Bitcoin futures traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the money manager said. That makes it the first ETF to provide exposure to crypto assets through futures contracts tied to the cryptocurrency, according to WisdomTree, which has the ability to raise the allocation as high as 5%.
“We recognize the growing number of advisors and investors allocating to digital assets and investments that provide exposure to digital assets,” said Jarrett Lilien, WisdomTree’s president. “We have made a strategic effort over the past few years to invest in and develop expertise in the space.”
The $183 million fund, which launched at the end of 2020, provides investors with exposure -- via futures contracts -- to four commodities sectors: agriculture, industrial metals, energy and precious metals. The company website says GCC’s cumulative return totals about 24% this year.
Bitcoin, up roughly 30% in the past month, has rallied amid optimism ETF issuers won’t face resistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission in launching products tied to Bitcoin futures, a format the regulator has suggested it might be more favorable toward.
ProShares is preparing to launch its Bitcoin futures fund on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Others could follow soon after: At the start of October, there were 12 filings for futures-based ETFs in front of the SEC. Ten of them are filed under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which the SEC has suggested it favors, while two others are under the 1933 act, according to James Seyffart at Bloomberg Intelligence. One other, filed under the 1940 act, proposes to hold a combination of crypto equities and Bitcoin futures. The 1940 Act is seen as a route that offers higher investor protection.
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