A new Bitcoin ETF authorized by the Securities and Exchange Commission has been the talk in the cryptoverse for months now. So far, SEC has turned down all the applications but many experts believe that an ETF is unavoidable. But who will get the first authorization in the US? Ever heard of Reality Shares ETF Trust?
A new application is filed at SEC
Reality Shares ETF Trust filed a new registration statement with SEC just yesterday. They want to start an ETF that will include Bitcoin futures as an investment strategy and instrument. The Reality Shares Blockforce Global Currency Strategy ETF will be managed actively and listed on the NYSE Arca exchange. It’s “designed to provide investment exposure to global currencies, both fiat and virtual currencies,” according to the filing.
The new ETF, if accepted, will trade Bitcoin futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and at the Cboe Futures Exchange.
The new firm’s portfolio will be composed of “high-quality, short-term (no greater than 18-month maturity), sovereign debt instruments” in US exchanges listed as pairs against Swiss Francs, Japanese Yen, British Pounds, Euros, and USD. And there will be more instruments available in “bitcoin futures contracts of various maturities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges that provide exposure to the price movements of bitcoin” as well as “money market mutual funds and/or other cash equivalents.”
The fund’s strategy to get access to Bitcoin future includes an investment that could be as high as 25% in a subsidiary it owns and controls in the Cayman Islands. The filing mentions the fund’s investment adviser in that he “will seek to limit the subsidiary’s investment in bitcoin futures so the fund’s aggregate notional exposure to bitcoin futures is limited to 15% of the fund’s net assets at the time of investment.”
A seasoned player
An advantage to Reality Shares is that it already operates two blockchain-based ETFs in partnership with Nasdaq. One is the Reality Shares Nasdaq Blockchain China Index (BCNA) and the other one is The Reality Shares Nasdaq Nexgen Economy ETF (BLCN). While it’s still anybody’s guess what would be the criteria that could persuade SEC to finally approve a blockchain ETF in the US, a proven track record could surely be very important. Also, the association with Nasdaq could confer credibility regarding integration with the traditional financial system.
The first one came online on June 20th, 2018 and tracks the long-term growth of investment returns in the Reality Shares Nasdaq Blockchain China Index, which includes blockchain-based firms from Hong Kong and mainland China. The first one is a bit older (January 17th) and it tracks similar markets but in the Reality Shares Nasdaq Blockchain Economy Index.
Is this application the one who gets accepted? We will find out soon. The most important thing is that, whatever ETF appears first in the US market, it could be the first step in attracting some serious institutional investors to join the cryptocurrency market. And that could be the key to unlock the next bull run.
Image courtesy of Pixabay.
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