VanEck will launch Australia’s first bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) onto the market this Thursday following approval from the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
The VanEck Bitcoin ETF will trade under the VBTC ticker on the ASX and marks the first such fund on the exchange to track the spot price of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency. VBTC is fully backed by bitcoin, with the digital assets stored with a regulated crypto-custodian.
VanEck Asia-Pacific chief executive Arian Neiron stated the firm was launching the fund after observing strong interest from clients following the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to approve the listing and trading of bitcoin ETFs.
According to the VanEck Pulse survey, conducted in early May among 324 financial advisers and investment professionals, 76.2 per cent of advisers reported their clients had expressed an interest in investing in a bitcoin ETF and 33 per cent noted they would add one to client portfolios if available on the ASX.
“We are pleased to bring bitcoin to the Australian market as a regulated financial product on the nation’s primary capital market destination, the ASX,” Neiron said.
“Notwithstanding that crypto-investing is a polarising topic, we recognise bitcoin is an emerging asset class that many advisers and investors want to access. We have developed a robust offering that we believe provides an opportunity for bitcoin exposure using a regulated, transparent and familiar investment vehicle.
“VBTC also makes bitcoin more accessible by managing all the back-end complexity. Understanding the technical aspects of acquiring, storing and securing digital assets is no longer necessary.”
VBTC will be VanEck’s 42nd ETF available to investors on the ASX following the launch of a global fixed credit fund in January.