Financial powerhouse Valkyrie aims to innovate its current Bitcoin Strategy exchange-traded fund (ETF) by adding Ether to its portfolio, creating a novel strategy for the digital assets market. According to filings scheduled for October 3, 2023, the firm intends to revamp its existing ETF into a Bitcoin and Ether Strategy ETF. Valkyrie’s current ETF, traded on Nasdaq, primarily invests in Bitcoin futures contracts.
In an attempt to outpace the competition, Valkyrie’s proposal date is strategically planned to precede the launches of similar offerings by other firms. As noted by Bloomberg’s Senior ETF Analyst, Eric Balchunas, Valkyrie’s desired October 3 conversion date situates the firm approximately two weeks ahead of thirteen other aspirants.
ETF landscape and market response
The proposed conversion aligns Valkyrie with the efforts of ProShares and Bitwise, who have both submitted applications to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for ETFs that involve investments in both Bitcoin and Ether. It also builds upon the existing ten filings related to Ether futures ETFs.
The crypto space anticipates this unique Bitcoin and Ether Strategy ETF could unlock potential investment opportunities for both individual and institutional investors, leveraging the expected future growth in the value of both cryptocurrencies.
Balchunas parallels Valkyrie’s current approach and the inaugural pot ETF, $MJ, which employed a similar technique to lead the market. Industry observers are keenly watching Valkyrie’s maneuver, which coincides with the SEC’s review of its second Bitcoin ETF submission. The increased SEC interest in ETF proposals follows the commission’s recent approval of BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF application.
Moreover, Valkyrie’s Bitcoin Miners ETF has shown remarkable performance, with Athanasios Psarofagis, a financial analyst, heralding it as 2023’s star performer. With $24 million in assets under management as of July 27, the fund has delivered a stunning 261% year-to-date return.
The larger picture
As Valkyrie steers towards a potential early launch of the Bitcoin and Ether ETF, the dynamics of the ETF market appear set for a shake-up. The firm’s creative strategy and the SEC’s recent enthusiasm for crypto ETF proposals could usher in a transformative period in the ETF space.
The prominence of cryptocurrencies and digital assets is clear when reviewing the top ten ETFs of the year, all of which revolve around these assets. This trend underscores cryptocurrencies’ extraordinary gains in 2023 and speaks volumes about the growing interest in digital assets.
