An exchange-traded product (ETP) is a type of investment that tracks the price of an underlying asset, such as gold or oil, and trades on a stock exchange. ETPs come in many different forms, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded notes (ETNs), and exchange-traded commodities (ETCs).
Bitcoin is the world’s first and most well-known cryptocurrency, with its price often volatile. A Bitcoin ETP is a type of ETP that tracks the price of Bitcoin and trades on a stock exchange.
There are a few different types of Bitcoin ETPs available, each with their own benefits and risks.
The first Bitcoin ETP was launched in 2015 by XBT Provider, a Swedish company. XBT Provider’s Bitcoin ETP is traded on the NAsdaq Stockholm exchange under the ticker symbol COINXBT.
The XBT Provider Bitcoin ETP is an ETF, meaning it tracks the price of Bitcoin and is backed by actual Bitcoins.
The second major type of Bitcoin ETP is an ETN, which is also traded on the NAsdaq Stockholm exchange. The ETN is called COINETH and is provided by Ethereum World News. Unlike an ETF, an ETN does not track the price of an underlying asset.
Instead, it tracks the performance of a benchmark, in this case, the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index. The index includes major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple.
The third type of Bitcoin ETP is an ETC, which stands for Exchange Traded Commodity. The ETC is called BTCE and is traded on the London Stock Exchange.
BTCE tracks the price of Bitcoin and is backed by actual Bitcoins. BTCE was launched in 2017 by Digital Asset Exchange (DAX), a UK-based company.
Bitcoin ETFs are currently not available in the United States due to regulatory concerns. However, there are a few companies that have filed for approval with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The SEC has yet to approve any Bitcoin ETFs, but it is possible that they will be approved in the future.
Bitcoin ETNs and ETCs are available to investors in the United States through brokerages like TD Ameritrade and Fidelity Investments. However, these products are not available to all investors due to restrictions imposed by US regulators.
For example, TD Ameritrade only allows US investors who are accredited investors to trade COINETH.
Investing in a Bitcoin ETP comes with a few risks. First, there’s the risk that the price of Bitcoin will go down. This risk can be mitigated by investing in an ETF or ETC that tracks multiple cryptocurrencies instead of just Bitcoin. Second, there’s counterparty risk associated with ETNs since they’re unsecured debt obligations of the issuer.
This means that if Ethereum World News goes bankrupt, investors could lose their entire investment. Finally, there’s regulatory risk since most jurisdictions have not yet created regulations specifically for cryptocurrency investments like Bitcoin ETNs or ETCs. This regulatory risk could change in the future as more countries create regulations around cryptocurrency investments.
Despite these risks, investing in a Bitcoin ETP could be a good way to gain exposure to the price movements of Bitcoin without having to directly purchase and store Bitcoins yourself. For investors who are willing to take on additional risk, investing in an ETF or ETN that tracks multiple cryptocurrencies could provide more diversification and potentially higher returns than investing in just one cryptocurrency like Bitcoin alone.