ETC Group: ETPs most popular way for European investors to invest in Bitcoin

February 17, 2021

New research from ETC Group the company behind the BTCetc - Bitcoin Exchange Traded Crypto (ticker BTCE), the leading physically backed Bitcoin ETP which is listed on the Deutsche Boerse XETRA and SIX stock exchanges, and passported for sale across Europe, reveals that exchange traded products (ETPs) are the most popular way for European institutional investors and wealth managers to gain exposure to Bitcoin.

Its research from 66 institutional investors and wealth managers across Germany, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and the Nordics, who collectively have an estimated $63.5 billion in assets under management and exposure to Bitcoin, reveals that 53% use ETPs to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency. This is followed by 23% who said they use structured products, 21% who use direct investment channels and 17% who use hedge funds.

ETC Group’s research reveals nearly nine out of ten (87%) of professional investors interviewed said they plan to increase their exposure to Bitcoin this year. 80% said they expect the price of Bitcoin, which is currently $48,000 per coin, to be over $50,000 by the end 2021. Bradley Duke, Co-Founder of BTCetc Bitcoin Exchange Traded Crypto ETC (ticker: BTCE) said: “We welcome the exciting findings of this pan-European market research we commissioned. There are a growing number of investment vehicles open to investors looking to gain exposure to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. ETPs have a number of advantages of some of these in terms of the liquidity and transparency which they provide, superior custodial services and more competitive fees.

A product like BTCE is traded on major stock exchanges and is central counterparty cleared, can help institutional investors gain access to the cryptocurrency market. It also simplifies the process of allocating to Bitcoin. Investors bypass the technical challenges of purchasing and storing Bitcoin and the risk of trading on unregulated crypto exchanges. Through an exchange traded product, the investors aren’t required to engage with blockchain technology at all.

For Professional Investors only. The content is issued by HANetf Limited, an appointed representative of Mirabella Advisers LLP, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. BTCE has quickly become the most traded crypto backed ETP on the Deutsche Boerse and has no discount or premium which is inherent in BTC futures and US based BTC trusts. Given the consistent high liquidity and efficient tracking of the underlying BTC price we feel very confident that the investors institutional investors surveyed in this market research will see BTCE as the market access product of choice for their BTC exposure.”

BTCE Bitcoin Exchange Traded Crypto gives investors several benefits over investing directly in Bitcoin. Traded on regulated markets, investors can buy and sell the product in the same way they would when trading conventional shares or ETPs. BTCE is structured as an ETC that is physically backed by bitcoin. Each unit of BTCE gives the holder a claim on a predefined amount of Bitcoin - a structure very similar to physically-backed gold exchange traded commodities, and allows investors the option for redemption in Bitcoin. For every unit of BTCE, there is Bitcoin stored in regulated, institutional-grade safe custody.

The entire Bitcoin ETC structure is based on a transparent and verifiable process to ensure that the provenance of all Bitcoin in custody has been strictly vetted.

Investors aren’t required to engage with the technical challenges of purchasing and storing Bitcoin such as setting up a cryptocurrency wallet or trading on unregulated crypto exchanges and there is no need to manage cryptographic keys or engage with blockchain technology. Units of BTCE are safely held with the investor’s securities broker or bank, thus removing the risk of losing the investment because of, for instance, lack of knowledge of how cryptographic keys work. Bitcoin is a highly volatile product, and your capital is at risk.

BTCE is supported by a network of world class Authorised Participants (APs) and Market Makers, experienced in cryptocurrency markets as well as the ETP markets. The APs ensure on-exchange liquidity and tight spreads, enabling traders to purchase in all sizes without having to worry about market impact. Bitcoin can be a highly volatile product. When you trade Bitcoin ETFs and Bitcoin ETCs your capital is at risk.

BTCE tracks the price of Bitcoin and is 100% physically backed, providing investors with a safer and transparent way to gain exposure to Bitcoin. BTCE has over $700 million AUM after launching in June 2020.

BTCE is distributed and marketed by HANetf.