Want to stay ahead and invest in bitcoin & crypto ETFs?

Cryptocurrencies got their groove back despite the big hammer China struck on all cryptocurrency mining and trading activities. These pesky assets seem to stick with their U.S. counterpart with strong indications that U.S. Bitcoin ETFs approvals are on the way. As investors wait for the white smoke, other Bitcoin and Crypto ETFs are readily available in the European and Canadian markets. So, what are they and how do you get on board?

Bitcoin and Crypto ETFs: Introducing you to all coins you can invest in

Despite their wild swings, 2021 was a great year for cryptocurrencies, reaching a combined market cap of $2.5 trillion dollars after kickstarting the year at $700 billion. The rally was led by Bitcoin and Ethereum, who represent more than half of total crypto space, and the rise of Twitter fueled meme coins (e.g Dogecoin). The trend spilled into the ETF space with more than $4.3 billion in flows year-to-date, as investors sought easier ways to ride the wave. So far, there are more than 40 crypto ETFs with combined assets under management of $28 billion, tracking Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, Cardano, Ripple, Polkadot, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Tezos, Stellar, Solana and TRON.

We have introduced below each coin, highlighted their 2021 performance, and listed all available products that give exposure to the underlying asset. Investors are invited to view each product separately, to understand the risks involved and compare the fees with similar products.

Crypto ETFs tracking Bitcoin (+114%)

Bitcoin is a decentralized cryptocurrency originally described in a 2008 whitepaper by a person, or group of people, using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. It was launched soon after, in January 2009.

As of today, Bitcoin has $1.16 trillion in market capitalization, the largest among all 6,000+ cryptocurrencies. It has a circulating supply of 18,845,000 BTC coins and a maximum supply of 21,000,000 BTC coins.

To access Bitcoin via ETFs, ETCs, ETPs or ETNs, investors can choose one or more of these following options:

List of Bitcoin ETFs

• Purpose Bitcoin ETF
• 3iQ CoinShares Bitcoin ETF
• CI Galaxy Bitcoin ETF
• Bitcoin ETF
• Ninepoint Bitcoin ETF
• Horizons BetaPro Inverse Bitcoin ETF
• Accelerate Carbon-Negative Bitcoin ETF

List of Bitcoin ETPs

• CoinShares Physical Bitcoin
• 21Shares Bitcoin ETP
• WisdomTree Bitcoin ETP
• 21Shares Bitcoin Suisse Index ETP
• Iconic Funds Physical Bitcoin ETP

List of Bitcoin ETCs

• Bitcoin Tracker Euro ETC
• Bitcoin Tracker One ETC
• BTCetc Bitcoin Exchange Traded Crypto ETC

Bitcoin ETNs

• VanEck Vectors Bitcoin ETN

Crypto ETFs tracking Ethereum (+421%)

Ethereum is a decentralized open source blockchain system that features its own cryptocurrency, Ether. ETH works as a platform for numerous other cryptocurrencies, as well as for the execution of decentralized smart contracts. Vitalik Buterin along with other co-founders, received the funding for the project in an online public crowd sale in the summer of 2014, and was released in July 2015. 

As of today, Ether is the second largest cryptocurrency in the market with $460 billion in market cap. It has a circulating supply of 117,947,477 ETH coins and unlike Bitcoin, it doesn't have a supply limit but has a steady rate that new ETH is being created at, so the market is not getting flooded.

To access Ether via ETFs, ETCs, ETPs or ETNs, investors can choose one or more of these following options:

List of Ether ETFs

• CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF
• 3iQ CoinShares Ether ETF
• Purpose Ether ETF
• CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF
• Evolve Ether ETF

List of Ether ETPs

• 21Shares Ethereum ETP
• CoinShares Physical Ethereum
• WisdomTree Ethereum ETP

List of Ether ETCs

• Ether Tracker One ETC
• ETHetc - ETC Group Physical Ethereum

List of Ether ETNs

• VanEck Vectors Ethereum ETN

Crypto ETFs tracking Binance Coin (+1,165%)

Launched in July 2017, Binance is the biggest cryptocurrency exchange globally based on daily trading volume. Binance aims to bring cryptocurrency exchanges to the forefront of financial activity globally.

Aside from being the largest cryptocurrency exchange globally, Binance has launched a whole ecosystem of functionalities for its users. The Binance network includes the Binance Chain, Binance Smart Chain, Binance Academy, Trust Wallet and Research projects, which all employ the powers of blockchain technology to bring new-age finance to the world. Binance Coin is an integral part of the successful functioning of many of the Binance sub-projects.

Currently Binance Coin is the third largest cryptocurrency by market cap after Bitcoin and Ether at $78 billion. It has a circulating supply of 168,137,036 BNB coins and a maximum supply of 168,137,036 BNB coins.

Binance Coin is accessible via the following ETP 

• 21Shares Binance Coin ETP

Crypto ETFs tracking Cardano (+1,088%)

Cardano was founded back in 2017 and its native ADA token is designed to ensure that owners can participate in the operation of the network. Because of this, those who hold the cryptocurrency have the right to vote on any proposed changes to the software. The team behind the layered blockchain say that there have already been some compelling use cases for its technology, which aims to allow decentralized apps and smart contracts to be developed with modularity.

Currently, ADA is the fourth largest cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of $72 billion. It has a circulating supply of 32,899,071,908 ADA coins and a max. supply of 45,000,000,000 ADA coins.

There's only one ETP with exposure to Cardano:

• 21Shares Cardano ETP

Crypto ETFs tracking Ripple (+400%)

To begin with, it’s important to understand the difference between XRP, Ripple and RippleNet. XRP is the currency that runs on a digital payment platform called RippleNet, which is on top of a distributed ledger database called XRP Ledger. While RippleNet is run by a company called Ripple, the XRP Ledger is open-source and is not based on blockchain, but rather the previously mentioned distributed ledger database.

XRP is among the top 10 largest cryptocurrencies at $53 billion in market cap. It has a circulating supply of 46,878,114,887 XRP coins and a maximum supply of 100,000,000,000 XRP coins.

Currently there's two ETPs with exposure to Ripple:

• 21Shares Ripple XRP ETP
• CoinShares Physical XRP ETP

Crypto ETFs tracking Polkadot (+362%)

Polkadot is an open-source sharing multichain protocol that facilitates the cross-chain transfer of any data or asset types, thereby making a wide range of blockchains interoperable with each other. This interoperability seeks to establish a fully decentralized and private web, controlled by its users, and simplify the creation of new applications, institutions and services. Polkadot’s native DOT token serves three clear purposes: providing network governance and operations and creating parallel chains by bonding.

DOT is among the top 10 largest cryptocurrencies with $42 billion in market capitalization. It has a circulating supply of 987,579,315 DOT coins and the maximum supply is not available.

DOT is accessible through:

DOT ETP

• 21Shares Polkadot ETP

DOT ETN

• VanEck Vectors Polkadot ETN

Crypto ETFs tracking Litecoin (+50%)

Litecoin (LTC) is a cryptocurrency that was designed to provide fast, secure, and low-cost payments by leveraging the unique properties of blockchain technology. The cryptocurrency was created based on the Bitcoin (BTC) protocol, but it differs in terms of the hashing algorithm used, hard cap, block transaction times and a few other factors. Litecoin has a block time of just 2.5 minutes and extremely low transaction fees, making it suitable for micro-transactions and point-of-sale payments.

Currently Litecoin is among the top 20 largest cryptocurrencies with $13 billion in market capitalization. It has a circulating supply of 68,769,270 LTC coins and a maximum supply of 84,000,000 LTC coins.

There's one ETC and one ETP that provide access to Litecoin:

Litecoin ETC

• LTCetc - ETC Group Physical Litecoin

Litecoin ETP

• CoinShares Physical Litecoin

Crypto ETFs tracking Bitcoin Cash (+80%)

Bitcoin Cash is a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that aims to become sound global money with fast payments, micro fees, privacy, and high transaction capacity (big blocks). In the same way that physical money, such as a dollar bill, is handed directly to the person being paid, Bitcoin Cash payments are sent directly from one person to another. As a permissionless, decentralized cryptocurrency, Bitcoin Cash requires no trusted third parties and no central bank. Unlike traditional fiat money, Bitcoin Cash does not depend on monetary middlemen such as banks and payment processors.

Currently, it stands among the top 20 largest cryptocurrencies with a market capitalization of $11.5 billion. It has a circulating supply of 18,874,844 BCH coins and a maximum supply of 21,000,000 BCH coins.

There are two options that provide access to Bitcoin Cash:

Bitcoin Cash ETC:

• BCHetc – ETC Group Physical Bitcoin Cash

Bitcoin Cash ETP:

• 21Shares Bitcoin Cash ETP

Crypto ETFs tracking Stellar (+205%)

Stellar is an open network that allows money to be moved and stored. When it was released in July 2014, one of its goals was boosting financial inclusion by reaching the world’s unbanked but soon afterwards, its priorities shifted to helping financial firms connect with one another through blockchain technology.

The network’s native token, lumens, serves as a bridge that makes it less expensive to trade assets across borders. All of this aims to challenge existing payment providers, who often charge high fees for a similar service.

Stellar is currently among the top 30 largest cryptocurrencies with a market capitalization of $9.12 billion. It has a circulating supply of 24,065,244,832 XLM coins and a max. supply of 50,001,806,812 XLM coins.

There's only one ETP with exposure to Stellar:

• 21Shares Stellar ETP

Crypto ETFs tracking Tezos (+225%)

Tezos is a blockchain network that’s based on smart contracts, in a way that’s not too dissimilar to Ethereum. However, there’s a big difference: Tezos aims to offer infrastructure that is more advanced, meaning it can evolve and improve over time without there ever being a danger of a hard fork. Currently, it's one of the top 50 cryptocurrencies with a market capitalization of $5.8 billion. It has a circulating supply of 863,531,053 XTZ coins and the maximum supply is not available.

There's only one ETP with exposure to Tezos:

• 21Shares Tezos ETP

Crypto ETFs tracking Solana and TRON

There are other newly launched ETNs in the market, tracking Solana and TRON:

• VanEck Vectors TRON ETN
• VanEck Vectors Solana ETN

Own a basket of cryptocurrencies

As much as it's hard to pick a stock, picking a cryptocurrency is even a harder task, due to the lack of fundamentals to analyze. Therefore, providers have created products that give exposure to a basket of cryptocurrencies, an ease of mind for some investors because of the diversification aspect. Currently there are 7 products to choose from:

• 21Shares Crypto Basket Index ETP
• Sygnum Platform Winners Index ETC
• 21Shares Bitwise Select 10 ETP
• 15 FiCAS Active Crypto ETP
• Evolve Cryptocurrencies ETF
• 21Shares Crypto Basket 10 ETP
• 21Shares Crypto Basket Equal Weight ETP

For example, the 21Shares Crypto Basket Index ETP (HODL) provides exposure to Bitcoin (50%), Polkadot (24%), Ethereum (20%), Cardano (4%) and Cosmos (2%), which could be an interesting mix for investors. Year-to-date, HODL generated over 220% in returns.

For risk-averse investors, check out RIGZ and BITQ

Investing in cryptocurrencies is not for the faint hearted. It is a journey full of wild swings, intensity, and heart breaks. However, providers found a way to give risk-averse investors access to the crypto world through two Crypto ETFs with different approaches: RIGZ and BITQ.

Viridi Cleaner Energy Crypto-Mining & Semiconductor ETF (RIGZ)

RIGZ ETF is an actively managed fund that invests in ESG focused companies involved in the cryptocurrency mining industry, including crypto miners, crypto mining equipment providers, semiconductor producers, hosting and software providers, among others. 

RIGZ 17 holdings include: Hut 8 Mining (17.72%), Marathon Digital Holdings inc. (12.82%), Bitfarms Ltd. (10.95%), Samsung Electronics (4.88%) and CleanSpark Inc. (4.57%)

Since inception on July 7th, 2021, the fund has grown to $11.1 million in assets under management and generated +48% in returns. RIGZ trades on the NYSE Arca and has an expense ratio of 0.90%.

Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF (BITQ)

BITQ ETF provides focused exposure to the crypto economy by investing in 30 pure-play crypto companies, including bitcoin and crypto trading venues, crypto mining and mining equipment firms, and service providers.

Its top holdings include Microstrategy (11.48%), Coinbase (10.55%), Galaxy Digital Holding (9.01%), Silvergate Capital (6.75%) and Marathon Digital Holdings (5.10%).

Since inception on May 15th, 2021, the fund has grown to $81 million in assets and generated a modest + 3.5% in returns. BITQ trades on the NYSE Arca and has an expense ratio of 0.85%.

Other crypto ETFs on the way: BITO and ARKA

The recent crypto rally is linked to the highly anticipated U.S. Bitcoin ETF verdicts. There are dozens of Bitcoin ETF filings piled up on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) desks waiting for the green light, but the SEC is set to move forward with a Bitcoin Futures ETF first to test the waters.

The ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF, which will give exposure to bitcoin futures contracts but not the spot market, is set for formal approval on Monday 18th of October and will trade under the ticker “BITO.” Unlike Bitcoin ETF applications that the regulator has previously denied, the proposal by ProShares is based on futures contracts and were filed under mutual fund rules, which provides significant investor protection, a key requirement for the SEC.

The SEC has argued in the past that the crypto market is too risky and had expressed worries that prices could be manipulated, and liquidity might be scarce, and that Bitcoin’s drastic price volatility may be a hard pill to swallow for individual investors.

However, many consider the Bitcoin futures approval will make way for the approval for the growing list of Physical backed ETFs which include:

• ARK 21 Shares Bitcoin ETF – 21 Shares/Ark Invest
• Kryptoin Bitcoin ETF – Kryptoin Investment Advisors
• Galaxy Bitcoin ETF – Galaxy Digital
• Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF – Invesco/Galaxy
• NYDIG Bitcoin ETF – Stone Ridge/NYDIG
• First Trust SkyBridge Bitcoin ETF – First Trust/SkyBridge
• Global X Bitcoin Trust – Global X

Keep reading:

• Invest in UN SDG Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
• Top ETFs of the week: Crypto, Energy & Palladium
• Gain +1,000% with Becky ETF?
• Top ESG ETFs of the week: VLCO, Gold & Crypto Mining

Find and compare over 7,000 ETFs with our free tools:

• ETF Screener
• ESG Investing
• Download the 2021 Trackinsight Global ETF Survey