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Bernstein Predicts Lukewarm Demand for US Spot Ethereum ETFs

Bernstein Predicts Lukewarm Demand for US Spot Ethereum ETFsMarket strategists from the brokerage firm Bernstein stated on Monday that U.S. spot ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) might not attract the same demand as their bitcoin counterparts did this year. Analysts from the financial firm pointed out that the absence of staking could be a drawback, resulting in less spot conversion. Bernstein Analysts Highlight Tokenization […]

Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

Bitwise Investments Updates Ethereum ETF Filing, Reveals $2.5M Seed Interest

Bitwise Investments Updates Ethereum ETF Filing, Reveals .5M Seed InterestBitwise Investments, a prominent cryptocurrency asset management firm that offers diverse investment products and services focused on digital assets, has updated its ether-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) S-1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), revealing $2.5 million in seed investment interest. Bitwise’s Ether ETF Filing With SEC Highlights Pantera’s Interest As the spot […]

Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

Fidelity exec says most investors should have some Bitcoin allocation

The head of digital asset strategies at Fidelity Bank explained that most investors should have positions in Bitcoin regardless of their market thesis.

Matt Horne, the head of digital asset strategies at Fidelity Investments, argues investors should allocate at least a small portion of their portfolios to Bitcoin (BTC), regardless of their investment thesis on the decentralized currency.

In a June 4 CNBC report, Horne alluded to the problem of analysis paralysis plaguing many traditional investors and asset managers when it comes to investing in Bitcoin and the digital asset market:

"That's why you just have to understand why you might want to own this, understand the potential of this technology, and then position accordingly," he added.

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Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

Hashdex withdraws spot Ether ETF application

Hashdex withdrew its application for a spot Ether exchange-traded fund on May 24, a day after the SEC gave eight similar financial products the green light.

Investment manager Hashdex has withdrawn its application for a spot Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

A filing from May 28 reveals that Hashdex pulled its application for a proposed rule change that would allow the debut of its Hashdex Nasdaq Ethereum ETF. The proposal was taken down on May 24, just a day after eight similar financial products were approved by the financial watchdog.

There are no details on the reasons for the move or whether Hashdex will resubmit its proposal. Cointelegraph reached out to Hashdex but did not receive an immediate response.

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Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

BlackRock, Grayscale and Bitwise amend ETF filings before SEC decision

With the SEC expected to decide by May 23 whether to approve or disapprove a spot Ether exchange-traded fund, three asset managers amended their 19b-4 filings.

Three additional United States-based asset managers with spot Ether (ETH) exchange-traded fund applications in the pipeline have amended their 19b-4 filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In a May 22 filing from the Nasdaq Stock Market, asset management firm BlackRock amended its spot Ether ETF 19b-4 application to remove provisions for staking. Grayscale and Bitwise filed similar amendments with the New York Stock Exchange Arca. Having the SEC approve the 19b-4 filings would be a step toward greenlighting the listing and trading of spot Ether ETFs on exchanges.

“Neither the Trust, nor the Sponsor, nor the Ether Custodian [...] nor any other person associated with the Trust will, directly or indirectly, engage in action where any portion of the Trust’s ETH becomes subject to the Ethereum proof-of-stake validation or is used to earn additional ETH or generate income or other earnings,” said the amended BlackRock filing.

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Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

Galaxy Digital’s revenue soars with mining, fees at record levels

Galaxy Digital’s net income climbed 40% in the first quarter of 2024, buoyed by record-breaking revenue from mining operations and management fees.

Galaxy Digital reported a robust first quarter in 2024, with net income climbing to $422 million, a 40% increase from the previous quarter. The surge was supported by record earnings in mining and management fees.

According to the company, its mining operations generated a record-breaking $31.5 million in revenue, representing a 69% rise from the previous quarter. The growth was primarily driven by its expansion of mining capacity, with its hash rate under management (HUM) reaching 5.7 exahash per second (EH/s).

During the quarter, Galaxy mined 373 Bitcoin (BTC) at an average cost of less than $19,500.

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Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

Base set for ‘material share’ of SocialFi activity: Franklin Templeton

Base is already home to 46% of transactions related to SocialFi on-chain, but the asset manager says it has even more room to grow.

Trillion-dollar asset manager Franklin Templeton suggests “Base Season” has arrived with the rise of Social Finance (SocialFi) apps, with Base leading other Ethereum layer 2s in the vertical.

“[It is] positioning itself well to capture a material share of SocialFi activity and remain a leader in the Ethereum L2 sector going forward,” Franklin Templeton said in a May report.

About 46% of transactions related to SocialFi are on Base, which has increasingly stripped market share away from the BNB Chain and Polygon in recent months, according to one of the charts provided by Franklin Templeton.

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Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

BlackRock met with SEC officials to discuss spot Bitcoin ETF

Representatives from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also met with Grayscale on Nov. 20 in the asset manager’s bid for listing a Bitcoin ETF.

Representatives from BlackRock and the Nasdaq met with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission to discuss the proposed rule allowing the listing of a spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund, or ETF.

According to a Nov. 20 SEC memo, BlackRock provided a presentation detailing how the firm could use an in-kind or in-cash redemption model for its iShares Bitcoin Trust. It’s unclear how SEC officials responded to the two proposed models or if they intend to approve a spot BTC ETF after numerous delays and rejections.

Many reports have suggested the SEC could be nearing a decision on a spot BTC ETF for listing on U.S. markets, an approval that would be one of the most significant positive trends toward mainstream crypto adoption. SEC officials also met with Grayscale representatives on Nov. 20 in the firm’s bid for listing a Bitcoin ETF.

Related: Spot Bitcoin ETF: Why this time is different

BlackRock is one of many firms with spot crypto ETF applications in the SEC pipeline awaiting a response, including Fidelity, WisdomTree, Invesco Galaxy, Valkyrie, VanEck and Bitwise. The asset management company first applied for listing a spot BTC ETF in June on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

A video of SEC chair Gary Gensler from 2019 resurfaced in October, criticizing the commission’s “inconsistent” approach to spot BTC products. It’s unclear whether the SEC chair will get behind efforts for crypto-linked investment vehicles, but the commission has previously approved ETFs tied to Bitcoin and Ether (ETH) futures.

Magazine: Crypto regulation: Does SEC Chair Gary Gensler have the final say?

Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

CoinShares gets buying rights to Valkyrie’s crypto ETF unit

The deal comes as Bitcoin ETF applications in the U.S. are seemingly inching closer toward regulatory approval.

European digital asset management firm CoinShares secured the exclusive option to acquire the exchange-traded fund (ETF) unit of its United States competitor Valkyrie Investments, including the Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund that’s awaiting approval in the U.S.

CoinShares said on Nov. 17 that the move helps it expand to the U.S., which could soon become the epicenter for ETF offerings. The firm’s CEO Jean-Marie Mognetti added he hopes the Valkyrie acquisition will help it capitalize on what is currently a fragmented global ETF market.

“The establishment of crypto spot ETPs in Europe since 2015, a development about to be mirrored in the U.S., is the perfect illustration,” said Mognetti. “This disparity in market evolution presents both challenges and significant opportunities.”

The option will remain active until March 31, 2024. For now, Valkyrie Funds will continue to operate as an independent entity until an acquisition by CoinShares is finalized.

The two crypto-centric firms also agreed on a brand licensing term where the CoinShares name would be used in future S-1 filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission — used to register a securities offering with the regulator when companies plan to go public.

Related: Bitcoin ETFs will drive institutional adoption in 2024 — Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz

If the SEC approves the Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund, Valkyrie plans to incorporate the CoinShares name into the ETF.

Valkyrie filed for the spot Bitcoin ETF on June 21, along with BlackRock and a host of other financial firms.

CoinShares, which oversees over $3.2 billion in assets under management, expressed its optimism toward the U.S. cryptocurrency ETF market in September and iterated that the economic powerhouse isn’t lagging on digital asset regulation.

Magazine: Bitcoin ETF optimist and Worldcoin skeptic Gracy Chen: Hall of Flame

Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal

Crypto portfolio management platform MC2 Finance joins Cointelegraph Accelerator

Decentralized crypto wealth management platform MC2 Finance becomes the latest participant of the Cointelegraph Accelerator program.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) might hold immense potential to solve the problems faced by traditional finance (TradFi). However, DeFi still struggles with onboarding new users -both retail and institutional- due to its limitations on the user experience side. 

Despite all the innovation and development happening on the infrastructure level, the “DeFi revolution” is presented to users with unnecessarily complicated screens that would require expert-level technical knowledge. 

To reach the mainstream, blockchain protocols need a robust infrastructure on the back while delivering a smooth, clean and user-friendly experience on the front. The easiest way to achieve this is to take a cue from what has worked in TradFi and fintech all these years in terms of user experience.

MC2 Finance, a decentralized crypto asset management platform, aims to onboard both TradFi users and crypto newcomers by simplifying the investment experience in DeFi. It offers an infrastructure for creating KYC-free digital asset funds that are aligned with regulatory requirements. 

Asset managers can instantly create non-custodial portfolio structures across multiple blockchains using MC2 Finance and trade a strategy as a token. Users can then follow experts’ strategies with their own cross-chain portfolios automatically. Once a user connects to MC2 Finance with a Web3 wallet, they’re free to explore different token strategies and review risks and ratings to make informed decisions based on their goals.

DeFi needs simple screens

The simplistic design of the platform allows DeFi newcomers to easily mix their strategies through an uncluttered interface while learning from the expert community by joining exclusive traders’ clubs.

The platform features a white-label marketplace that is integrated into popular decentralized exchanges (DEXs). The integration means increased trading volume and total value locked (TVL) for some of the biggest DEXs in the space. MC2 Finance also offers automated auditing and strategy verification to ensure the safety and reliability of investments. What’s more, by implementing trading competitions, the platform will allow users to have access to tested out investment strategies.

“The digitization and decentralization of all asset classes is a clear trend in the financial sector,” an MC2 Finance spokesperson commented, adding that MC2 Finance is bridging traditional finance and DeFi by bringing TradFi standards to DeFi and introducing decentralization to traditional funds.

“By creating a compliant, non-custodial, and decentralized fund management infrastructure, we're addressing key challenges in both sectors and facilitating the transition to on-chain financial systems.” 

MC2 Finance joins Cointelegraph Accelerator

MC2 Finance joined the Cointelegraph Accelerator, a program designed to help up-and-coming Web3 projects benefit from Cointelegraph’s established media presence and marketing opportunities. Cointelegraph Accelerator picked MC2 Finance due to its team expertise and vision of the potential to disrupt the traditional investment industry using the blockchain technilogy . 

Having 14 employees across Europe, the project already has partnerships with several blockchains and DEXs. The platform hosted over a thousand users during its testnet phase, and a full launch is slated for early 2024. 

Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC’s Short-Term Correction—What the Charts Reveal