Valkyrie’s Bitcoin Futures ETF Is Now Live on Nasdaq

Valkyrie has launched its Bitcoin futures ETF, an investment fund that tracks the value of Bitcoin futures.

Valkyrie ETF Is Live

The fund went live on Friday, Oct. 22, under the ticker BTFD on Nasdaq. The acronym was chosen to suggest “Bitcoin futures” as well as the meme trader catchphrase “buy the f—ing dip.”

Valkyrie noted that Bitcoin futures are “becoming an increasingly popular investment vehicle for both individuals and institutions” and said that its ETF provides exposure to more investors “without the pitfalls and hurdles” of direct investment.

Exchange-traded funds or ETFs provide investors with a way to invest in Bitcoin and its derivatives indirectly, without the need to hold Bitcoin in a wallet and without the need to register with a retail exchange. This approach appeals to institutional investors who are more familiar with traditional investment vehicles.

Market Details Revealed

Valkyrie’s fund carries a fee of 0.95%, or $0.95 on every $100 invested. That fee is equivalent to ProShares’ ETF fee, though VanEck’s upcoming ETF aims to provide a lower fee of 0.65%.

Currently, ProShares’ fund (BITO) is outperforming Valkyrie’s fund (BTFD). While the former has a daily high/low of $41.30/$38.90, the latter has a daily high/low of just $25.50/$23.93.

The trading day has not yet concluded, making it difficult to say which fund will have more appeal. Valkyrie’s fund brought in $10 million of volume within the first five minutes. ProShares, by contrast, brought in $570 million over the course of its first day.

Futures ETFs Are on the Rise

Today’s launch is the second in a series of newly-approved Bitcoin futures ETFs. ProShares was the first company to launch a Bitcoin futures ETF in the United States as its product went live on Tuesday, one day later than expected.

VanEck’s Bitcoin futures ETF will be the next fund to go live. It is expected to launch next week on Monday, Oct. 25.

These ETFs all track the value of Bitcoin futures, not the value of Bitcoin itself. To date, there is still no true Bitcoin ETF in the United States that tracks the market value of Bitcoin.