“Providers are gearing up to launch their crypto-ETFs in America, Europe and Asia, as soon as the regulator gives permission. As the custodian bank of some of these trackers, State Street is counting on about 20 new products initially, with a variety of products over time, including single asset crypto funds and baskets of cryptos,” said State Street’s Swen Werner, in a conversation with Fondsnieuws, Investment Officer Luxembourg’s sister publication.
Werner works at State Street Digital, the division set up earlier this year for the transition to digital assets.
“Whereas before it was a question of whether crypto currencies would stay at all, providers are now concerned with the next question: can we offer a product around crypto currencies, really offer a solution,” Werner explained.
The conversation with him is about crypto-ETFs, but according to Werner, this is just one example of a new asset that funds need to be able to wrap around these days. Structures remain traditional in many cases, but details and requirements around funds are changing, which he explained requires a changing industry.
“To move forward, we have had to be faster, react more proactively to new developments and develop services. Interest in products such as bitcoin ETFs is really growing. That requires new work, a new commercial model.”
“When we get customers with ideas and suggestions, we need to be able to respond to them, have the technology in place and provide them with clear explanations. That level of industry standards does not yet exist for cryptos. Moreover, definitions can still change. That makes it complex for us as providers.”
Fund administrator for Bitcoin ETF
State Street has been appointed fund administrator and transfer agent for the VanEck Bitcoin Trust ETF, a tracker that is still awaiting approval from the US regulator. Once the green light is given, the bank will, among other things, perform fund accounting, fund administration and the provision of reporting services for this ETF. Services that are not very different from those for other funds, according to Werner. “The only difference is that we are now doing this for a portfolio focused on bitcoin.”
The custodian bank has been implementing the technology required for this for some time, as it received the first application for a crypto-ETF in 2016. But for now, the SEC was holding back actual launches. Werner went on to say: “As always with regulated funds, you have to deal with investment guidelines. The SEC has looked at many applications of these types of products over the years, but they have still not been approved for sale in America. Let’s hope it happens this year, but we’ll have to see.”
The US regulator’s refusal stems from concerns for transparency around the asset and possible manipulation in the underlying market. However, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler recently hinted that the regulator might be open to bitcoin futures ETFs, after which VanEck submitted an application for such a tracker.
Europe
In Europe, some countries do permit trading in crypto products, with the German exchange at the helm. Since a few months, a Bitcoin ETN and Ethereum ETN from VanEck, as well as a bitcoin ETP and Ethereum ETP from WisomTree, have been available on the Amsterdam and Paris exchanges.
These types of providers are eager to market their products more widely, State Street can be sure about. In addition to physical crypto-ETFs, they also offer synthetic variants, in the hope of increasing their chances of securing regulatory approval. Werner gave this view: “The most important thing I want to say about this is that a fund is a fund. There is nothing crypto-ish about that. The same as a traditional regulated investment fund, which happens to be a way to get exposure to cryptos. The overall structure, how you invest as an investor, that’s like a traditional fund.”