Grayscale, the globe’s leading crypto asset manager, has witnessed a 33% reduction in its Bitcoin holdings within the GBTC trust since its transformation into an ETF in January, a development with significant implications for South African investors and the global market alike.
Since its conversion, GBTC experienced its 36th consecutive day of outflows on March 4, with 5,450 BTC (equivalent to $368 million) exiting the fund, culminating in a total outflow of $9.26 billion as reported by BitMEX Research. Prior to becoming an ETF, Grayscale’s BTC holdings were approximately 620,000, according to Coinglass data.
The shift to a spot Bitcoin ETF format was a pivotal change, allowing investors the previously unavailable option to exchange their shares for Bitcoin directly. However, GBTC’s relatively higher fees compared to competitors like BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC have not worked in its favor.
Currently, GBTC’s portfolio contains 420,682 BTC, valued at an estimated $28.8 billion. This ongoing “Bitcoin bleed” has sparked widespread speculation among market watchers regarding its potential cessation.
Outflows decelerated in late January and February, hinting at a possible stabilization. Nevertheless, a bankruptcy court decision in mid-February permitted the crypto lender Genesis to liquidate around $1.3 billion in GBTC shares to pay back investors, influencing the fund’s dynamics further.
Bloomberg’s ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, speculated that the outflows might halt after a 25% reduction in outstanding shares, though opinions on the exact threshold vary widely among market participants.
In contrast to GBTC’s challenges, the nine new spot Bitcoin ETFs have been surpassing expectations amidst a continuous Bitcoin rally. Notably, March 4 marked the second-largest trading volume day for these ETFs, totaling about $5.5 billion, with BlackRock’s IBIT alone reaching around $2.4 billion in daily volume and assets under management exceeding $11 billion.
These new ETFs have all seen over a 30% increase in volume within six days, contributing to sustained market interest and potentially influencing the future trajectory of GBTC and the broader crypto ETF landscape. This evolving scenario presents both challenges and opportunities for South African investors, highlighting the dynamic nature of the cryptocurrency investment field.
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