- It was reported that domestic investors cannot directly invest in spot Bitcoin ETFs.
- Instead, there are indirect investment alternatives such as futures-based ETFs and cryptocurrency-themed stock basket ETFs.
- The leverage ETF strategy is suitable for short-term momentum investment but requires caution for long-term holding.
- The article was summarized using an artificial intelligence-based language model.
- Due to the nature of the technology, key content in the text may be excluded or different from the facts.
Global ETF
Futures-based US 'BITO' is Representative
Coin-related Theme ETFs are also Possible
Recently, cryptocurrencies are taking up a larger share in the global exchange-traded fund (ETF) market. Since several spot Bitcoin-based ETFs were listed in the U.S. last January, the asset size of spot Bitcoin-based ETFs has reached $120 billion (about 176 trillion won) as of now. Among them, BlackRock's 'iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)' has risen to 32nd in asset size among over 4,000 U.S. ETFs within a year of its launch.
However, domestic investors cannot invest in spot Bitcoin ETFs. Instead, if you want to invest in cryptocurrency themes in the ETF market, there are several alternatives. It is a method of indirect investment.
First is the futures-based Bitcoin ETF. 'ProShares Bitcoin Strategy (BITO)' is representative. It uses Bitcoin futures traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) as its underlying asset. Since it follows the movements of derivative contracts, there is a difference from spot ETFs. Last year, there was a significant gap between Bitcoin price movements and BITO stock performance.
Next is buying a basket of theme stocks related to the cryptocurrency industry as an ETF. It is a strategy to invest in companies related to blockchain and cryptocurrency industries and themes. A representative example is 'Amplify Transformational Data Sharing (BLOK)'. It invests in cryptocurrency trading, mining-related companies, and semiconductor companies.
You can also use a strategy of buying ETFs related to companies that hold a lot of Bitcoin. Last year, as Bitcoin prices surged, the stock price of MicroStrategy, which holds a lot of Bitcoin, soared. You can invest in 'Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators (BITQ)', a theme ETF with a high proportion of this company, and approach it tactically in the short term with leverage methods that track the movement of a single MicroStrategy stock twice, such as 'Daily Target 2X Long MSTR (MSTX)'.
How to Invest in 'Bitcoin ETF' in Korea
There are also leverage ETF strategies for Bitcoin and Ethereum. Last year, domestic investors heavily bought '2X Bitcoin Strategy (BITX)' and 'ProShares Ultra Bitcoin (BITU)'. The former tracks the CME Bitcoin futures index, and the latter tracks the Bloomberg Bitcoin index at twice the daily volatility. Since leverage ETFs should be used for momentum investment in the short term, be cautious about long-term holding.
Eun-Hye Lim, Senior Researcher at Samsung Securities

Korea Economic Daily

hankyung@bloomingbit.ioThe Korea Economic Daily Global is a digital media where latest news on Korean companies, industries, and financial markets.PiCK News
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