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Advisors ‘wary’ of bitcoin ETFs are moving slowly towards adoption, BlackRock executive says
- Bitcoin exchange-traded funds made their debut in January, but financial advisors have been slow to adopt them.
- Financial advisors’ concerns about bitcoin include the cryptocurrency’s volatile prices and its relatively short track record.
- Bitcoin ETFs can serve as a bridge between cryptocurrency and traditional finance, according to Samara Cohen, chief investment officer of ETFs and index investing at BlackRock.
Jonathan Raa | Nurphoto | Getty Images
The long awaited bitcoin exchange-traded funds launched in Januaryand financial advisors are on track, albeit gradually, to adopt them, according to BlackRock’s Samara Cohen.
For now, about 80% of bitcoin ETF purchases likely come from “self-directed investors who have made their own allocation, often through an online brokerage account,” he said, speaking at Coinbase State of Cryptocurrency Summit in New York on Thursday. THE iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) it was among the funds to debut earlier this year.
Cohen, BlackRock’s chief investment officer of ETF and index investing, noted that hedge funds and brokerages have also been buyers, based on last quarter’s 13-F filings, but registered investment advisors have been a bit more “distrustful”.
CNBC recently interviewed its Advisory Council about why they and their peers are so wary of the new products, which represent a regulated and familiar investment product for a new asset class that has garnered considerable interest in recent years. Responses ranged from bitcoin’s infamous price volatility to the fact that the flagship cryptocurrency was too nascent to have established a significant track record. Regulatory compliance and cryptocurrency’s reputation for fraud and scandal were also on advisors’ minds.
“I would call them distrustful … that’s their job,” Cohen said of skeptical financial advisors.
“An investment advisor is a fiduciary for their clients,” he added. “This is an asset class that has had 90% price volatility at some points in history, and their job is really to build portfolios and do risk analysis and due diligence. They’re doing that right now.”
See graph…
The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) in 2024
“This is a moment, in terms of presenting really important data, risk analysis [and determining] the role bitcoin can play in a portfolio, what kind of allocation is appropriate given an investor’s risk tolerance, their liquidity needs,” he added. “This is what an advisor should do, so I think this journey we’re on is exactly the right one and they’re doing their job.”
Cohen said he sees bitcoin ETFs as a bridge between cryptocurrencies and traditional finance, particularly for investors who may be interested in investing in bitcoin without having to manage their risk in two different ecosystems. Before ETFs, existing paths to cryptocurrencies weren’t sufficient for what some investors wanted to do, he said.
Coinbase Chief Financial Officer Alesia Haas said bitcoin is “on a slow journey to adoption” — a theme echoed throughout the conference sessions.
Blue Macellari, head of digital asset strategy at T. Rowe Price, pointed out 1% allocation. which some investors consider a safe and comfortable amount. He said he views bitcoin portfolio allocations as binary events, where they should be above 1% or zero, but also acknowledged the cautious approach to adoption.
“There is a psychological component where people need to test the waters and get comfortable,” Macellari said. “It’s a paradigm shift… it takes time for people to warm up to it.”
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How Ether Spot ETF Approval Could Impact Crypto Prices: CNBC Crypto World
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CNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and gives viewers a glimpse of what’s to come with high-profile interviews, explainers and unique stories from the ever-changing cryptocurrency industry. On today’s show, Ledn Chief Investment Officer John Glover weighs in on what’s driving cryptocurrency prices right now and how the potential approval of spot ether ETFs could impact markets.
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Miners’ ‘Capitulation’ Signals Bitcoin Price May Have Bottomed Out: CryptoQuant
According to CryptoQuant, blockchain data shows signs that the Bitcoin mining industry is “capitulating,” a likely precursor to Bitcoin hitting a local price bottom before reaching new highs.
CryptoQuant analyzed metrics for miners, who are responsible for securing the Bitcoin network in exchange for newly minted BTC. As outlined in the market intelligence platform’s Wednesday report, multiple signs of capitulation have emerged over the past month, during which Bitcoin’s price has fallen 13% from $68,791 to $59,603.
One such sign includes a significant drop in Bitcoin’s hash rate, the total computing power that backs Bitcoin. After hitting a record high of 623 exashashes per second (EH/s) on April 27, the hash rate has fallen 7.7% to 576 EH/s, its lowest level in four months.
“Historically, extreme hash rate drawdowns have been associated with price bottoms,” CryptoQuant wrote. In particular, the 7.7% drawdown is reminiscent of an equivalent hash rate drawdown in December 2022, when Bitcoin’s price bottomed at $16,000 before rallying over 300% over the next 15 months.
This latest hash rate drop follows Bitcoin’s fourth cyclical “halving” event in April, which cut the number of coins paid out to miners in half. According to CryptoQuant’s Miner Profit/Loss Sustainability Indicator, this has left miners “mostly extremely underpaid” since April 20, forcing many to shut down mining machines that have now become unprofitable.
CrypotoQuant said that miners faced a 63% drop in daily revenue after the halving, when both Bitcoin block rewards and transaction fee revenues were much higher.
During this time, Bitcoin miners were seen moving coins from their on-chain wallets at a faster rate than usual, indicating that they may be selling their BTC reserves“Daily miner outflows reached their highest volume since May 21,” the company wrote.
Among the sales of Bitcoin miners, whales and national governmentsBitcoin’s price drop in June also hurt Bitcoin’s “hash price,” a metric of Bitcoin Miner Profitability per unit of computing power.
“Average mining revenue per hash (hash price) continues to hover near all-time lows,” CryptoQuant wrote. “Hashprice stands at $0.049 per EH/s, just above the all-time low hashprice of $0.045 reached on May 1st.”
By Ryan-Ozawa.
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US Congressman French Hill Doubles Down on Trump’s Pro-Crypto Stance
US lawmaker French Hill has noted that Donald Trump will take a more pro-crypto approach than the current administration. The run-up to the presidential election has seen cryptocurrencies become an issue with lawmakers making huge statements ahead of the polls. Donald Trump has also been reaching out to the industry, making a pro-crypto case.
French Hill Backs Trump’s Pro-Crypto Stance
Republican Congressman French Hill has explained the type of cryptocurrency regulatory framework he believes Donald Trump could adopt in the country. In a recent interview with CNBC, French Hill said that the recently passed FIT21 bill is the type of regulatory framework the Trump administration will adopt in the sector.
#FIT21 passed the House with 71 Democratic votes, it’s exactly the kind of digital asset regulatory framework former President Trump would support if re-elected.
See more on @SquawkCNBC🔽 photo.twitter.com/ceTmU4LApU
— French Hill (@RepFrenchHill) July 3, 2024
THE FIT21 Bill It is intended to protect investors and consumers in the market by establishing clear rules and powers for the various regulators in the sector. According to Hill, Trump will adopt it because it directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on the specific regulatory framework needed in the market.
“… for people who are innovating and starting a crypto token, a related business, custody of those assets, how to ensure consumer protection, so I think that framework is the right approach and that’s what I’m going to recommend to the President to pass, which is that we have not passed it between now and the end of this Congress.”
He also called Trump an innovative and pro-growth president in financial matters.
Cryptocurrency is going mainstream
This election cycle saw the cryptocurrency industry taking a place in mainstream issues following broader adoption across demographics. From candidates moving toward enthusiasts to recent pro-Congress legislation, cryptocurrencies have become a rallying point for officials. The U.S. regulatory landscape has been criticized for stifling growth due to frequent SEC LawsuitsThis has led executives to push for pro-cryptocurrency laws and raise money for pro-industry candidates.
Read also: Federal Reserve Predicts “AI Will Be Deflationary” to Stimulate Economy
David is a financial news contributor with 4 years of experience in Blockchain and cryptocurrency. He is interested in learning about emerging technologies and has an eye for breaking news. Keeping up to date with trends, David has written in several niches including regulation, partnerships, cryptocurrency, stocks, NFTs, etc. Away from the financial markets, David enjoys cycling and horseback riding.
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US Court Orders Sam Ikkurty to Pay $84 Million for Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme
A federal court has ordered Jafia LLC and its owner, Sam Ikkurty, to pay nearly $84 million to cryptocurrency investors after ruling that the company was operating a Ponzi scheme.
The ruling, issued by Judge Mary Rowland in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, follows a lawsuit filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in 2022 after the fund collapsed.
Judge Rowland found that Ikkurty, based in Portland, Oregon, did numerous false claims on his company’s hedge funds.
These included misleading statements about his trading experience and the promise of high and stable profits. Instead, Ikkurty used funds from new investors to pay off previous investors, a hallmark of a Ponzi scheme.
The Ponzi Scheme
The court found that Ikkurty misappropriated investment funds for personal use without the knowledge of the investors. These funds were used for personal use and were reported as Fraudulent Investmentscausing significant financial losses to customers.
This non-transparent operation violated Transparency Commission regulations, which led to the imposition of a hefty fine to compensate defrauded investors and restore some public confidence in the financial system.
Judge Rowland emphasized that fraudulent activity such as this violates the law and undermines the integrity of modern financial markets. The $84 million award seeks to address the financial harm inflicted on investors and reinforce the importance of legal compliance in cryptocurrency trading.
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