Over a year after it’s initial planned launch, Jacobi Asset Management has now officially launched Europe’s first spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) on Euronext Amsterdam.
Operating under the ticker BCOIN, the ETF is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC), with Fidelity Digital Assets providing custodial services, while Flow Traders operate as market makers while Jane Street and DRW operate as Authorized Participants. The benchmark for the fund, the FT Wilshire Bitcoin Blended Price Index, is provided by Wilshire Indexes.
“It is exciting to see Europe moving ahead of the US in opening up Bitcoin investing for institutional investors who want safe, secure access to the benefits of digital assets using familiar and regulated structures like our ETF,” said Martin Bednall, CEO of Jacobi Asset Management. “Unlike other products in the European market which are debt instruments, our fund owns the underlying asset directly. Jacobi is proud to be supported by Tier1 partners at the forefront of this digital asset market evolution whilst also pioneering an innovative, environmentally sound solution for European investors.”
Mark Makepeace, CEO of Wilshire Indexes, highlighted the significance of the launch of this ETF, stating, “The launch of the Jacobi FT Wilshire Bitcoin ETF is an important milestone for the digital asset industry and a transformative moment for the global financial industry. We are excited about the partnership with Jacobi and, as a leader in the development of institutional grade digital asset benchmarks, we are committed to helping accelerate the advancement of the entire digital asset ecosystem.”
While Europe launches its first spot Bitcoin ETF, the United States continues to delay the inevitable listing of one. Last week, the SEC delayed its decision to approve or deny the listing of Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest spot Bitcoin ETF application, leaving many investors scratching their heads as to when one will eventually be approved.
More information on the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF race can be found here.