Australia’s first spot Bitcoin ETF is set to go live on June 4th making it the third nation after Hong Kong and the United States to offer investors an ETF that holds the crypto directly. Monochrome Asset Management, the ETF issuer, announced the news of the Monochrome BTC ETF [IBTC] at an event in Sydney last week. This marks a new era in the nation’s digital financial landscape.
Additionally, Monochrome allows users to withdraw and self-custody BTC. Along the same lines, CEO, Jeff Yew reportedly stated that the firm is “ready” to launch an Ethereum ETF which will hold ETH directly.
Before IBTC, Australian investors were only able to invest in ETFs that indirectly hold Bitcoin or through offshore BTC products, both of which don’t benefit from the investor protection rules under the directly held crypto asset AFS licensing regime.
As per a Yahoo report, the firm initially planned to list the ETF on the much bigger Australian Securities Exchange [ASX], where trading volumes are higher but opted for launch on Cboe Australia, one of Cboe Global Markets’ five global exchanges. When asked, a company spokesperson asserted that the decision aligned with its goals.
Bitcoin Heatwave Across World
Before the spot BTC ETF, the nation hosted two crypto exchange-traded products on Cboe Australia, but neither of them holds actual Bitcoin. Apart from that, Australian firms must first secure approval from the national regulator, the Australian Securities Exchange [ASX], before applying to an exchange for an ETF listing. Monochrome has already obtained this clearance from the ASX for its BTC ETF product in early April 2024.
Elsewhere, Nigeria’s interest in Bitcoin remains high, despite regulatory restrictions, with Delta state leading in search interest, while Lagos falls outside the top 15. El Salvador’s pro-Bitcoin President Nayib Bukele embarked on a second term, gaining crypto industry support and positioning the country as a “world leader.” Meanwhile, renowned market analyst Peter Brandt predicted Bitcoin’s post-halving bull run could reach $130K-$150K by late August to early September 2025, if trends hold.