In order to give investors exposure to the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry without requiring them to physically own digital assets, BlackRock has officially established a blockchain-focused ETF. On Wednesday, April 27, the corporation, which oversees around $10 trillion in assets, added the Blockchain and Tech ETF (IBLC) to its iShares product lineup.
The iShares Future Metaverse Tech & Communications ETF (IVRS) will invest in businesses that have a direct or indirect impact on the Metaverse-related technologies. Some of these sectors include virtual platforms, social networking, gaming, 3D software, digital assets, and virtual and augmented reality.
What was the SEC’s role in the application
The Securities and Exchange Commission received the ETF application in January, and it wanted to track the investment outcomes of an index made up of American and foreign businesses engaged in the creation, advancement, and implementation of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies.
The ETF, which has about $4.7 million in net assets (excluding cash positions and derivative exposures), does not directly own cryptocurrencies or digital assets; instead, it monitors a number of global businesses active in the sector. The main focus is on American and foreign businesses operating in the sector, like exchanges.
It consists of 41 different assets, with 11.45% of the total coming from Coinbase, the top American bitcoin exchange. The ETF will also monitor the two largest bitcoin miners, Marathon Digital Holdings (11.19%) and Riot (10.4%), as well as the world’s largest payments company, PayPal, which began offering cryptocurrency services in 2020.
What is the ETF’s primary focus
The BlackRock ETF, which currently focuses solely on stocks and has a net asset value of about $5 million, trades under the symbol AMZI on the New York Stock Exchange.
While it would appear from its top holdings that the main emphasis is on VR and AR applications and hardware, with digital assets currently seeming to be a secondary priority. Having said that, many of the businesses on the list have investigated or are investigating the usage of cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based technology in their own products.
The Morningstar Global Metaverse & Virtual Interaction Select Index, which gauges the performance of equity instruments issued by businesses that “allow the metaverse,” was the focus of the fund’s prospectus.
Virtual reality headsets are commonly used to enter the Metaverse. Meta has already spent 36 billion dollars on this technology.
Conclusion
As a way to obtain exposure to the cryptocurrency market, institutional investors are investing more and more in crypto and blockchain ETFs. BlackRock’s ETF comes after the launch of two ETFs by the trading firm Fidelity that will track the cryptocurrency market and the metaverse, a more immersive version of the internet on which many major firms are now betting.
Andrew is a blockchain developer who developed his interest in cryptocurrencies while his post-graduation. He is a keen observer of details and shares his passion for writing along with being a developer. His backend knowledge about blockchain helps him give a unique perspective to his writing
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2023/02/27/blackrock-launches-metaverse-etfs-users-remain-unsatisfied/