Bitwise To Launch World’s First Aptos Staking ETP on SIX Swiss Exchange

• First of its kind: The Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP is the world’s first Aptos ETP, demonstrating Bitwise’s continued leadership in providing access to new opportunities in the emerging crypto asset class.
• Exposure to Aptos, a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain: Aptos is often described as a “production ready” blockchain due to its high speed and cost efficiency. Several large financial institutions and consumer brands have recently chosen to build on it.
• Staking: The ETP will seek to stake the Aptos it holds, which is expected to generate additional returns of approximately 4.7% net of fees.

Bitwise Asset Management announced today that a new Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP is scheduled to list on the SIX Swiss Exchange on November 19, 2024. The product will be the first Aptos staking ETP in the world.¹

Bitwise designed the ETP to be accessible to both institutional and retail investors via regulated markets, utilizing a best-in-class custodian, auditor, administrator, and staking infrastructure. The Aptos Staking ETP is physically backed and will stake the underlying Aptos to generate returns (net of fees) of approximately 4.7%, which will be accumulated directly within the ETP.

A high-performance Layer 1 blockchain, Aptos launched in 2022, two years after Solana and seven years after Ethereum. Aptos has been lauded for breakthrough performance that enables enterprise-scale applications, with the blockchain having grown to over 8 million monthly active users. Aptos Labs, which is a core contributor to the blockchain, is led by a senior team that previously worked on Meta’s blockchain initiative, and the organization is backed by leading institutional investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Apollo Global Management, PayPal Ventures, and Franklin Templeton Investments.

The Aptos Staking ETP is the second product in Bitwise Europe’s Total Return product suite, following the ETC Group Ethereum Staking ETP, which recently surpassed $50 million in assets under management.

“For seven years, Bitwise has been a dedicated partner to investors working to understand and access the opportunities in the new crypto asset class,” said Hunter Horsley, CEO and co-founder at Bitwise. “With the launch of Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETPs in the U.S., a huge cross-section of investors have begun researching and adding digital assets to their portfolios this year. We’re thrilled to launch the Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP to expand access to one of the most exciting next-generation blockchains in the space.”

“Accessibility is core to the Aptos ecosystem. Every day, users from all corners of the world and all levels of experience build, transact, and create on Aptos,” said Bashar Lazaar, Head of Grants and Ecosystem at Aptos Foundation. “This ETP makes joining the Aptos ecosystem more accessible and opens the door for new voices, developers, and audiences to get involved in a secure and transparent way.”

“As a leading asset manager in the crypto industry, Bitwise is in a position to expand financial inclusivity on a global scale,” said Mo Shaikh, CEO and co-founder of Aptos Labs and a key contributor to the Aptos ecosystem. “Their Aptos Staking ETP marks a significant leap forward for the future of institutional adoption and validates the reliability, scalability, and speed of the Aptos blockchain. I can’t wait to see what new potential it will unlock in the near future.”

Bradley Duke, Head of Europe at Bitwise, added: “We have seen investors in Europe increasingly engaging with the digital asset class this year. The Aptos Staking ETP is designed for forward-thinking institutional investors and crypto-savvy individuals looking for a high-quality way to get exposure to this promising blockchain through a regulated wrapper. We’re thrilled to introduce the Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP via a primary listing on SIX Swiss Exchange.”

The Aptos Staking ETP is the tenth ETP for Bitwise in Europe, joining a suite that includes the largest and most liquid physically backed Bitcoin ETP and the fast-growing Ethereum staking ETP, which launched earlier this year. The Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP is also the first product launched by Bitwise since its acquisition of ETC Group in August. Following the Aptos ETP’s debut on the SIX Swiss Exchange, Bitwise plans to list the product on other leading European stock exchanges.

Staking is a way to generate income for crypto asset owners. When token holders stake their tokens to validate transactions on a Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchain network such as Aptos, they contribute to the security of the blockchain and receive additional tokens as rewards. In many ways staking is similar to receiving dividends in equities. For more information, visit https://etc-group.com/blog/guides/staking-guide.

About Bitwise

Bitwise is one of the world’s leading crypto specialist asset managers. Thousands of financial advisors, family offices, and institutional investors across the globe have partnered with us to understand and access the opportunities in crypto. Since 2017, Bitwise has established a track record of excellence managing a broad suite of index and active solutions across ETPs, separately managed accounts, private funds, and hedge fund strategies, spanning both the U.S. and Europe.

In Europe, for the past four years Bitwise (formerly ETC Group) has developed an extensive and innovative suite of crypto ETPs, including Europe’s largest and most liquid bitcoin ETP, and the first diversified Crypto Basket ETP replicating an MSCI digital assets index.

This family of crypto ETPs is domiciled in Germany and approved by BaFin. Bitwise exclusively partners with reputable entities from the traditional financial industry, ensuring that 100% of the assets are securely stored offline (in cold storage) with regulated custodians.

Our European products comprise a collection of carefully designed financial instruments that seamlessly integrate into any professional portfolio, providing comprehensive exposure to crypto as an asset class. Access is straightforward via major European stock exchanges, with primary listings on Xetra, the most liquid exchange for ETF trading in Europe. Retail investors benefit from easy access through numerous DIY/online brokers, coupled with our robust and secure physical ETP structure, which includes a redemption feature. For more information, visit www.bitwiseinvestments.com/eu.

Important information

This article does not constitute investment advice, nor does it constitute an offer or solicitation to buy financial products. This article is issued by Bitwise Europe GmbH (“BEU”), a limited company domiciled in Germany, for information only and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. BEU gives no explicit or implicit assurance or guarantee regarding the fairness, accuracy, completeness, or correctness of this article or the opinions contained therein. It is advised not to rely on the fairness, accuracy, completeness, or correctness of this article or the opinions contained therein. Please note that this article is neither investment advice nor an offer or solicitation to acquire financial products or cryptocurrencies.

Before investing in crypto Exchange Traded Products (“ETPs”), potential investors should consider the following:

Potential investors should seek independent advice and consider relevant information contained in the base prospectus and the final terms for the ETPs, especially the risk factors. ETPs issued by BEU are suitable only for persons experienced in investing in cryptocurrencies and risks of investing can be found in the prospectus and final terms available on www.bitwiseinvestments.com/eu. The invested capital is at risk, and losses up to the amount invested are possible. ETPs backed by cryptocurrencies are highly volatile assets and performance is unpredictable. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The market price of ETPs will vary and they do not offer a fixed income or match precisely the performance of the underlying cryptocurrency. Investing in ETPs involves numerous risks including general market risks relating to underlying adverse price movements and currency, liquidity, operational, legal and regulatory risks.

¹ The ETP is available to Europe-based investors only.

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