Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, plunged to a one-month low on Friday, as investors took profits after a historic rally fueled by the approval of several spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S.
An ETF is a type of investment fund that tracks the performance of an underlying asset, such as a stock, a commodity, or a cryptocurrency. ETFs are traded on stock exchanges, making them accessible to a wide range of investors.
A spot bitcoin ETF is an ETF that holds actual bitcoins in custody, rather than futures contracts or other derivatives. This means that the ETF’s price reflects the spot price of bitcoin, minus fees and expenses.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been reluctant to approve spot bitcoin ETFs for years, citing concerns over market manipulation, fraud, and investor protection. However, on January 10, 2024, the SEC announced that it had approved 13 applications for spot bitcoin ETFs, marking a historic milestone for the crypto industry.
The first spot bitcoin ETF to launch was the BlackRock Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which began trading on January 11, 2024, on the New York Stock Exchange. IBIT quickly attracted over $1 billion in assets under management, becoming the first bitcoin ETF to cross that threshold.
Other spot bitcoin ETFs that followed suit include the Fidelity Bitcoin Trust (FBTC), the Bitwise Bitcoin Trust (BITW), the Valkyrie Bitcoin Trust (VBTC), and the Franklin Templeton Bitcoin Trust (FTBT).
Bitcoin Price Reaction: A Tale of Two Phases
The approval of spot bitcoin ETFs was widely anticipated by the crypto community, as many expected it to boost the demand and adoption of bitcoin, especially among institutional investors. Indeed, the price of bitcoin surged to a new all-time high of $69,899 on January 14, 2024, according to CoinDesk 20 data.
However, the euphoria was short-lived, as some traders decided to sell the news and take profits after the historic rally. Bitcoin entered a correction phase, dropping below $50,000 on January 17, 2024, and then below $40,000 on January 19, 2024, reaching a low of $39,832, the lowest level since December 18, 2023.
Some analysts attributed the sharp decline to the unwinding of leveraged positions, the overbought conditions, and the negative sentiment in the broader financial markets, amid rising inflation and interest rates.
Others pointed out that the spot bitcoin ETFs may have a negative impact on the supply and demand dynamics of bitcoin, as they create a new source of selling pressure. This is because the ETF issuers have to sell bitcoins to cover their expenses and fees, which are typically higher than those of traditional ETFs.
According to a report by CoinShares, a digital asset manager, the spot bitcoin ETFs sold a net amount of 2,216 bitcoins in their first week of trading, equivalent to $137 million at current prices. This amount may increase as more ETFs launch and attract more assets.
Bitcoin Outlook: Bullish or Bearish?
Despite the recent slump, some experts remain optimistic about the long-term prospects of bitcoin, arguing that the spot ETFs will eventually bring more liquidity, transparency, and efficiency to the market, as well as attract new and diverse investors.
For instance, Michael Sonnenshein, the CEO of Grayscale Investments, the largest digital asset manager in the world, said that the spot ETFs are a positive development for the industry, and that they will complement, rather than compete with, Grayscale’s products, such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC).
GBTC is a private trust that holds bitcoins, but trades at a discount to the net asset value (NAV) of its holdings, meaning that investors can buy GBTC shares for less than the value of the bitcoins they represent. This discount has widened since the launch of the spot ETFs, as some investors switched from GBTC to the cheaper and more efficient ETFs.
However, Sonnenshein said that GBTC has some advantages over the ETFs, such as its longer track record, its eligibility for tax-advantaged accounts, and its potential to convert into an ETF in the future. He also said that Grayscale is working on reducing the GBTC discount and enhancing its products.
On the other hand, some analysts are more cautious about the outlook of bitcoin, warning that the spot ETFs may not live up to the hype, and that the market may face more volatility and regulatory uncertainty in the coming months.
For example, Jeff Dorman, the chief investment officer of Arca, a digital asset investment firm, said that the spot ETFs are not a panacea for the crypto market, and that they may have a limited impact on the adoption and innovation of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
He also said that the SEC’s approval of the spot ETFs does not mean that the regulator is friendly to the crypto industry, and that the SEC may still crack down on other areas, such as decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoins, and lending platforms.