Two Important Things You Need to Know About the Upcoming Bitcoin ETFs

As we step into the new year, one of the most eagerly watched investment trends is unfolding at the intersection of cryptocurrency and traditional finance.

Right now, investors are awaiting the impending union of Bitcoin with the world of funds through the highly anticipated debut of the first U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs.

In December 2023, a wave of prominent firms, including BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), VanEck, Valkyrie, Bitwise, Invesco, Fidelity, WisdomTree, and a collaborative venture between Ark Investments and 21Shares, intensified their preparations.

They filed updates to their prospectuses, announced authorized participants, and even disclosed initial seed investments, indicating serious momentum towards the launch of these ETFs.

In response to these developments, the market reacted positively, with Bitcoin's price in USD soaring to over $45,000 on the first day of 2024. This surge reflects the growing investor enthusiasm and confidence in the potential of Bitcoin ETFs.

As we approach the finish line for these ETFs' debut, here are the top two items investors should watch ahead of the January 10th deadline for SEC approval.

The battle over expense ratios

The upcoming launch of U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs is set to ignite fierce competition over expense ratios. Given the precedents set in the Canadian market, where Bitcoin ETFs have been trading since 2021, investors should brace for relatively high costs.

In Canada, these ETFs feature expense ratios ranging from 0.80% to as high as 1.49%. This range might come as a surprise to ETF investors who are accustomed to the ultra-low costs of index funds, some of which charge as little as 0.02%.

Fund managers are keenly aware of the importance of fees in attracting investors. Fidelity has set an aggressive benchmark in this regard, with their prospectus revealing an expense ratio of 0.39%.

This rate translates to approximately $39 for a $10,000 investment. In contrast, the joint venture between Ark Invest and 21Shares has disclosed a higher expense ratio of 0.80%.

Despite these fees being on the higher end for ETFs, they are still more competitive compared to the current alternatives in the Bitcoin investment space.

For instance, the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) carries an expense ratio of 2%, and futures-based Bitcoin ETFs like the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) charge around 0.95%.

The cash creation requirement

In traditional ETFs like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY (NYSE:SPY)), the creation and redemption process typically occur through an "in-kind" mechanism, which is a unique feature of the ETF structure. This process involves Authorized Participants (APs) and market makers.

For instance, when there's demand for more ETF shares, an Authorized Participant, usually a large financial institution, steps in to create additional shares. The AP does this by assembling a basket of the underlying assets that the ETF tracks – in the case of SPY, these would be the stocks making up the S&P 500 Index. The AP then delivers this basket of assets to the ETF issuer and, in exchange, receives an equivalent value of ETF shares.

Similarly, when shares need to be redeemed, the AP returns the ETF shares to the issuer. In return, the AP receives a basket of the underlying assets from the ETF.

This in-kind process helps to keep the ETF's share price in line with its net asset value (NAV) and minimizes the tax impact on investors, as it doesn't typically involve transactions that could realize capital gains. This is why ETFs tend to be more tax-efficient than mutual funds.

However, for upcoming Bitcoin ETFs, the creation and redemption process will be notably different. These ETFs will use cash creations and redemptions only.

This means that when new shares of the ETF need to be created, the fund issuer will use cash to purchase Bitcoin. Conversely, when shares are redeemed, the issuer will sell Bitcoin for cash.

This mechanism for Bitcoin ETFs implies certain backend operational differences compared to traditional ETFs. While it ensures regulatory compliance, it may not be as efficient as the in-kind process used in standard ETFs.

For instance, the need to constantly buy and sell Bitcoin for cash creations and redemptions could introduce additional transaction costs and potential pricing inefficiencies. Moreover, it could impact the ETF's ability to precisely track the price of Bitcoin, leading to possible premiums or discounts to NAV especially during periods of high volatility or market stress.

This content was originally published by our partners at ETF Central.