VanEck Filed for Digital Assets Mining ETF

Global investment manager VanEck, with more than $60 billion assets under management, has filed an application to establish an exchange-traded fund that will track the price and yield performance of the Global Digital Asset Mining index.

Fund's investment principles

The Global Digital Asset Mining index is being used to track the performance of companies that are somehow engaged in digital assets mining activities, including Bitcoin or altcoin mining operations. Additionally, companies that provide various services like software development, as well as hardware suppliers, also fall into the category of mining operations providers.

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The fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities in the DAMC but, at the same time, the company is not allowed to invest in digital assets by using derivatives products like options or futures. Hence, the fund is not going to track the price movement of any cryptocurrency.

The VanEck ETF will be able to provide exposure to companies that are in fact operating with digital assets or holding them on their balance sheet and are also being presented in the Global Digital Assets Mining index.

Risks for investors

The application also contains a section related to the risks behind the digital assets mining industry. According to the filing, the main risks for investors are technological obsolescence, supply chain issues and certain issues with obtaining new hardware.

Additionally, the fund agrees that most digital assets mining companies are exposed to the issue of relying on third-party companies that are located and functioning overseas.

In addition to risks tied to hardware wearing, digital assets miners generate revenue from selling their assets on various cryptocurrency exchanges, and the price of their assets is a subject of high volatility that could lead to the value loss of their holdings.

While most cryptocurrency miners remain in high profit from their operations, rapid change of assets like Bitcoin may potentially lead to additional losses of those companies and, therefore, losses for investors that receive direct exposure to the aforementioned index.