VanEck’s Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) experienced a remarkable development on Tuesday, as its daily trading volume soared to over $258 million. This represented an astonishing 14-fold increase in just one day. Despite this achievement, VanEck has struggled to keep pace with other major ETFs like BlackRock, Fidelity, and Grayscale, which have consistently dominated daily trading volumes since the launch of VanEck’s crypto-based ETF. Prior to this surge, VanEck’s ETF’s highest daily trading volume was a mere $25.5 million, paling in comparison to its competitors.
Bloomberg’s senior ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, expressed surprise at the unprecedented performance of VanEck’s ETF and the surge in trading activity. The daily trading volume of $258 million was fueled by approximately 32,000 individual trades, a significant increase from the average volume. Balchunas noted that this surge was caused by a multitude of small investors rather than a single large entity. However, he remained uncertain about the exact reasons behind this sudden spike in trading activity. Speculation pointed to influence from online communities like Reddit and TikTok, which may have attracted retail investors to the ETF.
VanEck’s head of ETF Products, Ed Lopez, acknowledged the challenge of pinpointing the reasons behind ETF purchases in the secondary market. Despite this, he highlighted the robust volume and tight spreads seen during the day’s trading, indicating healthy market activity regardless of investor sentiment. The decision to reduce the fee of VanEck’s ETF from 0.25% to 0.20% on February 21 further increased interest in the fund and attracted more retail investors. This fee reduction puts VanEck in a more competitive position against rivals like BlackRock and Fidelity, which charge a fee of 0.25%.
Meanwhile, WisdomTree’s Bitcoin Fund (WBTC) has also experienced a surge in trading volumes, with a total daily volume of $154 million on February 20. This represents an astounding 1,200% increase from the average volume. Additionally, the number of individual trades for WBTC rose significantly from 221 trades on the previous Friday to 23,000 trades on February 20. Comparatively, VanEck’s Bitcoin Trust currently ranks as the seventh-largest spot Bitcoin ETF, with assets under management (AUM) totaling $191.9 million. In contrast, WisdomTree’s fund holds the smallest AUM at $29.4 million, according to data from Dune Analytics.
VanEck’s Bitcoin ETF experienced a surprising surge in trading volume, outperforming expectations and attracting significant interest from retail investors. Despite facing tough competition from established ETFs, VanEck’s fee reduction strategy and robust trading activity have positioned it favorably in the market. The evolving dynamics of the crypto ETF landscape underscore the growing popularity and interest in digital assets among investors.
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