Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF S-1/A, filed Jan 9, 2024
Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO)
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 9, 2024
Registration No. 333-255175
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 6
TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 6221 | 88-6155978 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
c/o Adam Henkel, Esq.
Invesco Capital Management LLC
3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700
Downers Grove, IL 60515
800-983-0903
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Copy to:
| Paulita Pike, Esq. Ropes & Gray LLP 191
North Wacker Drive, 32nd Floor |
Brian D. McCabe, Esq. Ropes & Gray LLP Prudential Tower, 800 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02199 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box: ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | |||
| Emerging growth company | ☒ | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☒
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
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The information in this Preliminary Prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Preliminary Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion
Preliminary Prospectus dated January 9, 2024
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
INVESCO GALAXY BITCOIN ETF
COMMON SHARES
Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (the “Trust”) is an exchange-traded fund that issues common shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) that trade on Cboe BZX (“Cboe” or the “Exchange”) under the ticker symbol “BTCO”. The Trust’s investment objective is to reflect the performance of the spot price of bitcoin as measured using the Lukka Prime Bitcoin Reference Rate (the “Benchmark”), less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities.
In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin. The Trust will value its Shares each Business Day as of 4:00 p.m. ET. The value of bitcoin held by the Trust is determined based on the fair market value (“FMV”) price for bitcoin, reflecting the execution price of bitcoin on its principal market as determined each day by Lukka Inc., an independent third-party digital asset data company (the “Benchmark Provider”). The Benchmark is designed to provide an estimated fair market value price for bitcoin, based on the execution price of bitcoin on its principal market. In this regard, the Benchmark Provider seeks to identify a “principal market” for bitcoin each day by evaluating eligible bitcoin trading platform across a variety of different criteria, including the trading platforms’ oversight and governance frameworks, microstructure efficiency, trading volume, data transparency and data integrity. Invesco Capital Management LLC (the “Sponsor” or “Invesco”) is the sponsor of the Trust, Delaware Trust Company (the “Trustee”) is the trustee of the Trust, The Bank of New York Mellon is the Trust’s transfer agent (“Transfer Agent”) and will hold all of the Trust’s cash on the Trust’s behalf as cash custodian (“Cash Custodian”), and Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “Bitcoin Custodian”) will hold all of the Trust’s bitcoin on the Trust’s behalf as custodian.
Shareholders who decide to buy or sell Shares of the Trust will place their trade orders through their brokers and may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Such trades may occur at a premium or discount relative to the net asset value per share (“NAV”) of the Shares of the Trust.
The Trust intends to issue Shares on a continuous basis and is registering an indeterminate number of Shares with the SEC in accordance with Rule 456(d) and 457(u) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust will process all creations and redemptions of Shares in transactions with financial firms that are authorized to do so (known as “Authorized Participants”). When the Trust issues or redeems its Shares, it will do so only in blocks of 5,000 Shares (a “Creation Basket”) based on the quantity of bitcoin attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor fees and any accrued but unpaid expenses or liabilities).
Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe in the future receiving the necessary regulatory approval to permit the Trust to create and redeem Creation Baskets in-kind for bitcoin (the “In-Kind Regulatory Approval”), these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin. The timing of the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the related in-kind creation model is unknown and there is no guarantee that the Cboe will receive such approval. If Cboe receives the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the Sponsor chooses to allow in-kind creations and redemptions, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. Galaxy Digital Funds LLC (the “Execution Agent”) will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a counterparty or digital asset trading platform (“Bitcoin Counterparty”), the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will create Shares by receiving bitcoin from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem shares by delivering bitcoin to a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to receive the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
The Trust expects to purchase or sell bitcoin in connection with cash creation and redemption transactions, and to sell bitcoin to pay certain expenses, including the Sponsor’s fee. Each creating or redeeming Authorized Participant will be charged a transaction fee in connection with each creation or redemption transaction. Authorized Participants are expected to sell Shares to the public at prices that reflect, among other factors, the value of the Trust’s assets, supply and demand for the Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction.
The Trust was seeded with $100,000 on December 20, 2023 through the sale of 4,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $25.00 by the Trust to the Sponsor. On January 2, 2024, the Sponsor purchased an additional 200,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $25.00. Upon completion of that transaction, the total assets in the Trust from the Sale of the Shares to the Sponsor (on both December 20, 2023 and January 2, 2024, collectively) were $5,100,000, with 204,000 Shares outstanding. On January 4, 2024, the Sponsor redeemed all of its Shares for cash at a per-Share price of $25.00 for a total redemption value of $5,100,000 and immediately created 110,000 Shares (22 Creation Baskets) at a price of $44.16305 per Share based on the Benchmark price as of 4:00 p.m. ET on January 4, 2024. Accordingly, as of the market close on January 4, 2024, the Trust had total assets of $4,857,935.50, solely represented by bitcoin held in custody by the Bitcoin Custodian, and had 110,000 Shares outstanding, entirely held by the Sponsor. The Sponsor acted as a statutory underwriter in connection with these purchases.
Prior to this offering, pursuant to this Prospectus, there has been no public market for the Shares. The Shares are expected to be listed for trading, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange under the ticker symbol BTCO. Investing in the Trust involves risks similar to those involved with an investment directly in bitcoin, as well as other significant risks. See “Risk Factors ” beginning on page 14.
The offering of the Trust’s Shares is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in accordance with the Securities Act. The offering is intended to be a continuous offering and is not expected to terminate until either all of the registered Shares have been sold or three years from the date of the original offering, whichever is earlier, unless extended as permitted by applicable rules under the Securities Act. The Trust is not a mutual fund, is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and is not subject to regulation under the 1940 Act. The Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the “CEA”), and the Sponsor is not subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor. The Trust’s Shares are neither interests in, nor obligations of, the Sponsor or the Trustee.
AN INVESTMENT IN THE TRUST INVOLVES SIGNIFICANT RISKS AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SHAREHOLDERS THAT ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO ACCEPT RISKS RELATED TO BITCOIN. THE SHARES ARE SPECULATIVE SECURITIES. THEIR PURCHASE INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK, AND YOU COULD LOSE YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT. YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ALL RISK FACTORS BEFORE INVESTING IN THE TRUST. PLEASE REFER TO “RISK FACTORS” BEGINNING ON PAGE 14.
THE SHARES OF THE TRUST ARE NEITHER INTERESTS IN NOR OBLIGATIONS OF THE SPONSOR, THE TRUSTEE, THE BENCHMARK PROVIDER, THE ADMINISTRATOR, THE TRANSFER AGENT, THE EXECUTION AGENT, THE CASH CUSTODIAN, THE BITCOIN CUSTODIAN, THE MARKETING AGENT OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES. THE SHARES ARE NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.
NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE SECURITIES OFFERED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
THE TRUST IS AN “EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY” AS THAT TERM IS USED IN THE JUMPSTART OUR BUSINESS STARTUPS ACT AND, AS SUCH, MAY ELECT TO COMPLY WITH CERTAIN REDUCED REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
The date of this Prospectus is January 9, 2024
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This Prospectus contains information you should consider when making an investment decision about the Shares of the Trust. You may rely on the information contained in this Prospectus. The Trust and the Sponsor have not authorized any person to provide you with different information and, if anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell the Shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the Shares is not permitted.
The Shares of the Trust are not registered for public sale in any jurisdiction other than the United States (the “U.S.”).
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STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Prospectus includes “forward-looking statements” that generally relate to future events or future performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this Prospectus that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as movements in the digital asset markets, the Trust’s operations, the Sponsor’s plans and references to the Trust’s future success and other similar matters, are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor has made based on its perception of historical trends, technology developments regarding the use of bitcoin and other digital assets, including the systems used by the Sponsor and the Trust’s Bitcoin Custodian in their provision of services to the Trust, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the special considerations discussed in this Prospectus, general economic, market and business conditions, changes in laws or regulations, including those concerning taxes, made by governmental authorities or regulatory bodies, and other economic and political developments. Consequently, all the forward-looking statements made in this Prospectus are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that actual results or developments the Sponsor anticipates will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the expected consequences to, or have the expected effects on, the Trust’s operations or the value of its Shares. None of the Trust, the Sponsor, or the Trustee or their respective affiliates is under a duty to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform such statements to actual results or to a change in the Sponsor’s expectations or predictions.
EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY STATUS
The Trust is an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”) and, as such, may elect to comply with certain reduced reporting requirements. For as long as the Trust is an emerging growth company, unlike other public companies, it will not be required to:
| • | provide an auditor’s attestation report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; |
| • | comply with any new requirements adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) requiring mandatory auditor rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer; |
| • | comply with any new audit rules adopted by the PCAOB after April 5, 2012, unless the Securities and Exchange Commission determines otherwise; |
| • | provide certain disclosure regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies; or |
| • | obtain shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. |
The Trust will cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest of (i) when it has $1.235 billion or more in annual revenues; (ii) when it is deemed to be a large accelerated filer under Rule 12b-2 promulgated pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; (iii) when it issues more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period; or (iv) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of its initial public offering.
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In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies; however, the Trust is choosing to “opt out” of such extended transition period, and as a result, the Trust will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that the Trust’s decision to opt out of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards is irrevocable.
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This is only a summary of the Prospectus and, while it contains material information about the Trust and its Shares, it does not contain or summarize all of the information about the Trust and the Shares contained in the Prospectus that is material and/or that may be important to you. You should read this entire Prospectus before making an investment decision about the Shares. For a glossary of defined terms, see Appendix A.
As used below, “Bitcoin” with an uppercase “B” is used to describe the system as a whole that is involved in maintaining the ledger of bitcoin ownership and facilitating the transfer of bitcoins among parties. When referring to the digital asset within the Bitcoin network, “bitcoin” is written with a lower case “b.”
Overview of the Trust
Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (the “Trust”) is an exchange-traded fund that issues common shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) that trade on Cboe BZX (“Cboe” or the “Exchange”) under the ticker symbol “BTCO”. Invesco Capital Management LLC (the “Sponsor”) is the sponsor of the Trust. The Trust’s investment objective is to reflect the performance of the spot price of bitcoin as measured using the Lukka Prime Bitcoin Reference Rate (the “Benchmark”), less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. The Trust is passively managed and the Sponsor does not actively manage the bitcoin held by the Trust. This means that the Sponsor does not sell bitcoin at times when its price is high or acquire bitcoin at low prices in the expectation of future price increases. It also means that the Sponsor does not make use of any of the hedging techniques available to professional bitcoin investors to attempt to reduce the risks of losses resulting from price changes. The Trust, the Sponsor and the service providers will not loan or pledge the Trust’s assets, nor will the Trust’s assets serve as collateral for any loan or similar arrangement. The Trust will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar arrangements in seeking to meet its investment objective. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act and is not required to register under the Investment Company Act. The Sponsor is not registered with the SEC as an investment adviser and is not subject to regulation by the SEC as such in connection with its activities with respect to the Trust. The Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA, and the Sponsor is not subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor in connection with its activities with respect to the Trust.
The Trust intends to continuously offer Shares but may suspend the issuance of Shares at any time.
In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin. The Trust will value its Shares each Business Day as of 4:00 p.m. ET. The value of bitcoin held by the Trust is determined based on the estimated fair market value (“FMV”) price for bitcoin, reflecting the execution price of bitcoin on its principal market as determined each day by Lukka Inc., an independent third-party digital asset data company (the “Benchmark Provider”). In this regard, the Benchmark Provider seeks to identify a “principal market” for bitcoin each day, by evaluating eligible bitcoin trading platform across a variety of different criteria, including the trading platforms’ oversight and governance frameworks, microstructure efficiency, trading volume, data transparency and data integrity. Delaware Trust Company (the “Trustee”) is the trustee of the Trust, The Bank of New York Mellon is the Trust’s transfer agent (“Transfer Agent”) and will hold all of the Trust’s cash on the Trust’s behalf as cash custodian (“Cash Custodian”), and Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “Bitcoin Custodian”) will hold all of the Trust’s bitcoin on the Trust’s behalf as custodian.
The Trust will process all creations and redemptions of Shares in transactions with financial firms that are authorized to do so (known as “Authorized Participants”). When the Trust issues or redeems its Shares, it will do so only in blocks of 5,000 Shares (a “Creation Basket”) based on the quantity of bitcoin attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor fees and any accrued but unpaid expenses or liabilities). Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe in the future receiving the necessary regulatory approval to permit the Trust to create and redeem Creation Baskets in-kind for bitcoin (the “In-Kind Regulatory Approval”), these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin. The timing of the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the related in-kind creation model is unknown and there is no guarantee that the Cboe will receive such approval. If Cboe receives the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the Sponsor
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chooses to allow in-kind creations and redemptions, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. Galaxy Digital Funds LLC (the “Execution Agent”) will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a counterparty or digital asset trading platform (“Bitcoin Counterparty”), the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will create Shares by receiving bitcoin from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem shares by delivering bitcoin to a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to receive the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust. Each creating or redeeming Authorized Participant will be charged a transaction fee in connection with each creation or redemption transaction.
The Trust expects to purchase or sell bitcoin in connection with cash creation or redemption transactions, and may sell bitcoin to pay certain expenses, including the Sponsor’s fee. In this capacity, the Sponsor has entered into an agreement with Execution Agent to facilitate the purchase or sale of bitcoin by the Trust.
The quantity of bitcoin required to create each Creation Basket (“Creation Basket Deposit”) changes from day to day. On each day that the Exchange is open for regular trading, the Sponsor will publish the Creation Basket after market close, which is composed of an amount of bitcoin that will be used to determine the amount of cash required to purchase a Creation Basket the following day. After the Trust’s NAV is struck on a Business Day (as defined herein), The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Administrator”) adjusts the quantity of bitcoin constituting the Creation Basket Deposit as appropriate to reflect accrued expenses. The computation is made by the Administrator as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. ET. The Administrator calculates the Creation Basket Deposit for a given day by multiplying the NAV by the number of Shares in a Creation Basket (5,000) divided by the price of bitcoin at 4:00 p.m. ET as determined consistent with the Benchmark to determine the cash amount required for a Creation Basket. Fractions of a bitcoin smaller than .00000001 (known as a “satoshi”) are
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disregarded for purposes of the computation of the Creation Basket Deposit. Although the Administrator applies the bitcoin price to the calculate of the Creation Basket value, the Administrator plays no role in the determination of the bitcoin price used by the Trust; rather the bitcoin price used in calculating the cash value of a Creation Basket is identical to the bitcoin price used in determining the Trust’s NAV.
To the extent there is a difference between the price actually paid by the Trust to acquire a Creation Basket worth of bitcoin in the creation process compared to the cash value of the Creation Basket (i.e., if there is a difference between the amount paid by the Execution Agent on behalf of the Trust to purchase the requisite amount of bitcoin and the valuation of bitcoin as part of the Trust’s NAV calculation), that difference will also be charged to the creating Authorized Participant in the form of a variable fee.
To support the ability of Authorized Participants to provide liquidity at prices that reflect the value of the Trust’s assets and to facilitate orderly transactions in the Shares, the Trust will ordinarily process redemptions of Creation Baskets on the next day when the Exchange is open for regular trading (a “Business Day”) following receipt of a redemption request by an Authorized Participant.
Creation Baskets are expected to be created when there is sufficient demand for Shares, including when the market price per Share is at a premium to the net asset value per Share (“NAV”). Authorized Participants are expected to sell such Shares to the public at prices that reflect, among other factors, the value of the Trust’s assets, supply of and demand for Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction. Similarly, Creation Baskets are expected to be redeemed when the market price per Share is at a discount to the NAV. Investors (other than Authorized Participants) seeking to purchase or sell Shares on any day are expected to transact in the secondary market, on the Exchange or other national securities exchanges, at the market price per Share, rather than through the creation or redemption of Creation Baskets. Shares initially comprising the same Creation Basket but offered by the Authorized Participants to the public at different times may have different offering prices, which depend on various factors, including the supply and demand for Shares, the value of the Trust’s assets, and market conditions at the time of a transaction.
The Sponsor believes that the design of the Trust will enable investors to effectively and efficiently implement strategic and tactical asset allocation strategies that use bitcoin by investing in the Shares rather than directly in bitcoin.
The Trust’s Expenses
The Trust will pay the Sponsor a unified fee of 0.39% per annum (the “Sponsor Fee”) as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement (as defined herein). The Trust’s only ordinary recurring expense is the Sponsor Fee. For a 6-month period commencing on the day the Trust’s Shares are initially listed on the Exchange, the Sponsor intends to waive the entire Sponsor Fee on the first $5 billion of Trust assets.
Except for during periods during which all or a portion of the Sponsor Fee is being waived, the Sponsor Fee will be accrued daily and paid monthly in arrears in U.S. dollars, and will be calculated by the Administrator. The Administrator will calculate the Sponsor Fee on a daily basis by applying the 0.39% annualized rate to the Trust’s total net assets. To cover the Sponsor’s Fee, and extraordinary expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, the Sponsor or its delegate will cause the Trust (or its delegate) to instruct the Execution Agent to convert bitcoin held by the Trust into U.S. dollars. The NAV of the Trust and the number of bitcoins represented by a Share will decline each time the Trust accrues the Sponsor’s Fee or any Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. The Trust is not responsible for paying any costs associated with the transfer of bitcoin to or from the Trust in connection with paying the Sponsor Fee or in connection with creation and redemption transactions.
Except as noted below, the Sponsor has agreed to pay all of the Trust’s ordinary expenses out of the Sponsor’s unified fee, including, but not limited to, the Trustee’s fees, the fees of The Bank of New York Mellon (for its
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services as the Administrator, Transfer Agent, and Cash Custodian), the fees of the Bitcoin Custodian, the fees of the Execution Agent, Exchange listing fees, Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) registration fees, printing and mailing costs, legal costs and audit fees. The Sponsor also paid the costs of the Trust’s organization.
The Trust may incur certain extraordinary expenses that are not assumed by the Sponsor. These include, but are not limited to, taxes and governmental charges, any applicable brokerage commissions, financing fees, Bitcoin network fees and similar transaction fees, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders (including, for example, in connection with any fork of the Bitcoin blockchain), any indemnification of the Sponsor, Cash Custodian, Bitcoin Custodian, Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters.
The Trust from time to time will be required to sell bitcoin in such quantities as necessary to permit payment of the Sponsor Fee and any Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor. The Sponsor has engaged the Execution Agent to sell bitcoin on the Trust’s behalf in such circumstances. At the direction of the Trust, the Execution Agent will seek to sell bitcoin at approximately the price at which it is valued by the Trust and in the smallest amounts required to permit such payments as they become due, with the intention of minimizing the Trust’s holdings of assets other than bitcoin. Accordingly, the amount of bitcoin to be sold may vary from time to time depending on the level of the Trust’s expenses and liabilities and the market price of bitcoin.
The Trust’s Legal Structure
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust, formed on April 5, 2021, pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“DSTA”). The Trust continuously issues common shares representing fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust that may be purchased and sold on the Exchange. The Trust operates pursuant to a Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, dated as of January 5, 2024 (the “Trust Agreement”). Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, is the Delaware trustee of the Trust (the “Trustee”). The Trust is managed and controlled by the Sponsor. Shareholders will have very limited voting rights, which will limit their ability to influence matters such as amendment of the Trust Agreement, change in the Trust’s basic investment policy, dissolution of the Trust, or the sale or distribution of the Trust’s assets.
The Lukka Prime Bitcoin Reference Rate
The Benchmark is designed to provide an estimated fair market value (“FMV”) for bitcoin, in a manner that aligns with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation (“IFRS”) accounting guidelines regarding fair market value measurements. In this regard, the Benchmark Provider seeks to identify a “principal market” for bitcoin each day, by evaluating eligible bitcoin trading platforms across a variety of different criteria, including the trading platforms’ oversight and governance frameworks, microstructure efficiency, trading volume, data transparency and data integrity. As of December 2023, the following trading platforms are considered to be eligible trading platforms by the Benchmark Provider: Binance, Bitfinex, Bitflyer, Bitstamp, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Gemini, HitBTC, Huobi, Kraken, KuCoin, OKEx, Poloniex (collectively, “Benchmark Pricing Sources”). The Benchmark Provider reviews trading platforms eligible for inclusion in the Benchmark quarterly. In determining which trading platforms to include Benchmark Pricing Sources, the Benchmark Provider evaluates each trading platform using proprietary ratings criteria. The Benchmark Provider periodically reassesses the trading platforms eligible to be considered Benchmark Pricing Sources, and makes adjustments as needed.
For purposes of financial reporting, the Trust will determine the principal market for bitcoin in accordance with ASC Topic 820-10, and such determination is considered from the Trust’s perspective. Procedures will be
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implemented to review and confirm the prices utilized to value bitcoin reflect fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 820 and will be reviewed by the Sponsor’s Valuation Committee on a periodic basis.
With respect to the Trust’s Authorized Participants, the Trust has no authority over which trading platforms the Authorized Participants or their affiliates might transact on, although the Trust expects that most Authorized Participants or their affiliates may transact on several of the trading platforms used by the Benchmark Provider. The Trust notes that for transactions in which it is selling bitcoin, it may do so in principal to principal transactions, although the Trust is eligible to execute trades on all of the trading platforms used by the Benchmark Provider. While the principal to principal market is the market in which the Execution Agent, on the Trust’s behalf, would normally transact for sales of bitcoin, in considering all information reasonably available in accordance with the guidance in ASC 820-10-35-5A, the Trust notes that the identification of a principal market is completed by the Benchmark Provider based on a variety of different criteria including but not limited to trading platforms’ oversight and governance frameworks, microstructure efficiency, trading volume, data transparency and data integrity. The Trust views this evidence to the contrary as an appropriate basis to determine a primary market that is not the principal to principal market, in accordance with the guidance in ASC 820-10-35-5A.
The Trust’s Service Providers
The Sponsor
Invesco Capital Management LLC is the Sponsor of the Trust. The Sponsor arranged for the creation of the Trust and is responsible for the ongoing registration of the Shares for their public offering, the listing of Shares on the Exchange and valuing the bitcoin held by the Trust. The Sponsor is a limited liability company formed in the State of Delaware on February 7, 2003, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. Invesco Ltd. and its subsidiaries, including the Sponsor, are an independent global investment management group. The Sponsor’s principal address is 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, IL 60515.
The Trustee
Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, acts as the Trustee of the Trust as required to create a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the Trust Agreement and the DSTA. The Trustee’s principal address is located at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808.
The Administrator
The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) serves as the Trust’s Administrator. Under the trust administration and accounting agreement, the Administrator provides necessary administrative, tax and accounting services and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust, including calculating the NAV of the Trust, determining the net assets of the Trust, and calculating the size of the Creation Baskets. The Administrator’s principal address is 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286.
The Transfer Agent
BNYM also serves as the Transfer Agent for the Trust. The Transfer Agent is responsible for (1) issuing and redeeming Shares in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (2) responding to correspondence by holders of the Shares (“Shareholders”) and others relating to its duties, (3) maintaining Shareholder accounts and (4) making periodic reports to the Trust. The Transfer Agent’s principal address is 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286.
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The Bitcoin Custodian
Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC serves as the Trust’s Bitcoin Custodian. The Trust has entered into a prime brokerage and custody agreement with the Bitcoin Custodian (the “Bitcoin Custody Agreement”), pursuant to which the Bitcoin Custodian will hold in custody all of the Trust’s bitcoin, other than that which may be maintained in a trading account with Coinbase, Inc. from time to time. See “Prospectus Summary – Custody of the Trust’s Assets,” below. The Bitcoin Custodian is chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYSDFS”) and is authorized by the NYSDFS to provide digital asset custody services. The Bitcoin Custodian is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinbase Global, Inc.
The Bitcoin Custodian is a third-party limited purpose trust company that was chartered in 2018 upon receiving a trust charter from the NYSDFS. The Bitcoin Custodian is subject to regulation by the NYSDFS and has a long track record of providing custodial services for digital asset private keys. The Sponsor believes that the Bitcoin Custodian’s policies, procedures, and controls for safekeeping, exclusively possessing, and controlling the Trust’s bitcoin holdings are consistent with industry best practices to protect against theft, loss, and unauthorized and accidental use of the private keys. The Trust Bitcoin Account and Sponsor Bitcoin Account (each as defined herein) are segregated accounts and are therefore not commingled with the Bitcoin Custodian’s corporate or other customer assets.
Although the Bitcoin Custodian carries insurance for the benefit of its account holders, the Bitcoin Custodian’s insurance does not cover any loss in value to bitcoin and only covers losses caused by certain events such as fraud or theft and, in such covered events, it is unlikely the insurance would cover the full amount of any losses incurred by the Trust.
The Cash Custodian
BNYM also serves as the cash custodian for the Trust (the “Cash Custodian”) pursuant to a custody agreement (the “Cash Custody Agreement”). The Cash Custodian is responsible for holding the Trust’s cash, including in connection with creation and redemption transactions effected in cash. The Cash Custodian is a New York state-chartered bank and a member of the Federal Reserve System. The Cash Custodian’s principal address is 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286.
The Execution Agent
The Sponsor has entered into an agreement with Galaxy Digital Funds LLC, a subsidiary of Galaxy Digital LP (“Galaxy” or the “Execution Agent”) to serve as Execution Agent. At the direction of the Sponsor, the Execution Agent is responsible for selling bitcoin on behalf of the Trust to the extent necessary to permit the payment of the Trust’s expenses. The Trust also will utilize the services of the Execution Agent to purchase or sell bitcoin in connection with cash creations and redemptions. When acquiring or disposing of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust in connection with a creation or redemption transaction, the Sponsor will provide instructions to the Execution Agent, who will identify a Bitcoin Counterparty. In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. In addition, as part of this agreement, the Execution Agent has agreed to co-brand and co-market the Trust and the Sponsor has licensed the use of certain Execution Agent trademarks, service marks and trade names in connection with the Trust. The Execution Agent’s principal address is 300 Vesey Street, New York City, New York 10282.
Galaxy is a subsidiary of Galaxy Digital Holdings LP (“Galaxy Holdings”). Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd., which holds a limited partner interest in Galaxy Holdings, is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “GLXY.”
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Authorized Participants
The Trust will process all creations and redemptions of Shares in transactions with financial firms that are authorized to do so (known as “Authorized Participants”). Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe receiving the necessary regulatory approval to permit the Trust to create and redeem Creation Baskets in-kind for bitcoin (the “In-Kind Regulatory Approval”), these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin. If Cboe receives the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the Sponsor chooses to allow in-kind creations and redemptions, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a counterparty or digital asset trading platform (“Bitcoin Counterparty”), the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will create Shares by receiving bitcoin from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem shares by delivering bitcoin to a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to receive the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
Authorized Participants are expected to sell Shares to the public at prices that reflect, among other factors, the value of the Trust’s assets, supply of and demand for Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction.
The Marketing Agent
Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Marketing Agent”) is responsible for: (1) working with the Transfer Agent to review and approve, or reject, purchase and redemption orders of Shares placed by Authorized Participants with the Transfer Agent; and (2) reviewing and approving the marketing materials prepared by the Trust for compliance with applicable SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) advertising laws, rules, and regulations. The Marketing Agent’s principal address is 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77046.
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Custody of the Trust’s Assets
The Bitcoin Custodian will keep the private keys associated with the Trust’s bitcoin in a “cold storage” environment where the private keys are generated and secured (the “Prime Custody Vault”). From time to time, such as when the Trust’s bitcoin is being processed in connection with certain creation or redemption transactions or it is being sold, the Trust’s bitcoin may be maintained in a trading account (the “Trading Balance”) with Coinbase, Inc. (“Coinbase” or the “Prime Broker”), an affiliate of the Bitcoin Custodian. The Trust’s bitcoin will be maintained by the Bitcoin Custodian and Coinbase in accounts that are required to be segregated from the assets held by the Bitcoin Custodian or Coinbase as principal and, when held in the Prime Custody Vault, the assets of their other customers. “Cold storage” refers to a safeguarding method by which the private keys corresponding to the Trust’s bitcoins are generated and stored in an offline manner using computers or devices that are not directly connected to the internet, which is intended to make them more resistant to hacking, or similarly secure technology. All of the Trust’s bitcoin will be held in the Prime Custody Vault unless it is maintained in the Trading Balance in connection with certain creation or redemption transactions or it is being sold to pay the Sponsor’s Fee or Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor.
The bitcoin in the Trust’s account at the Bitcoin Custodian may be held across multiple wallets, any of which will feature the following safety and security measures to be implemented by the Bitcoin Custodian:
Cold Storage: Cold storage in the context of bitcoin means keeping the reserve of bitcoin offline, which is a widely-used security precaution, especially when dealing with a large amount of bitcoin. Bitcoin held under custodianship with the Bitcoin Custodian will be kept in high-security, offline, multi-layer cold storage vaults. This means that the private key materials, the cryptographic components that allow a user to access bitcoin, are stored offline on hardware that has never been directly connected to the internet. Storing private key materials offline minimizes the risk of the bitcoin being stolen. The Sponsor expects that all of the Trust’s bitcoin will be held in cold storage of the Bitcoin Custodian in the Prime Custody Vault on an ongoing basis, except as noted above. In connection with certain creations or redemptions, the Trust may process creations and redemptions by selling bitcoin from its Prime Custody Vault balance.
Private Keys: All private keys are securely protected using multiple layers of high-quality encryption and in Bitcoin Custodian-owned offline hardware in physically secure environments. No customers or third parties are given access to the Bitcoin Custodian’s private keys.
Whitelisting: Transactions are only sent to vetted, known addresses. The Bitcoin Custodian’s platform supports pre-approval and test transactions. The Bitcoin Custodian requires authentication when adding or removing addresses for whitelisting. All instructions to initiate a whitelist addition or removal must be submitted via the Bitcoin Custodian’s platform. When a whitelist addition or removal request is initiated, the initiating user will be prompted to authenticate their request using a two-factor authentication key. A consensus mechanism on the Bitcoin Custodian’s platform dictates how many approvals are required in order for the consensus to be achieved to add or remove a whitelisted address. Only when the consensus is met is the underlying transaction considered officially approved. An account’s roster and user roles are maintained by the Bitcoin Custodian in a separate log, an Authorized User List (“AUL”). Any changes to the account’s roster must be reflected on an updated AUL first and executed by an authorized signatory.
Audit Trails: Audit trails exist for all movement of bitcoin within Bitcoin Custodian-controlled bitcoin wallets and are audited annually for accuracy and completeness by an independent external audit firm.
In addition to the above measures, in accordance with the Bitcoin Custody Agreement, bitcoin held in custody with the Bitcoin Custodian will be segregated from both the proprietary property of the Bitcoin Custodian and the assets of any other customer in accounts that clearly identify the Trust as the owner of the accounts.
The Bitcoin Custodian has insurance coverage as a subsidiary under its parent company, Coinbase Global, Inc., which procures fidelity (e.g., crime) insurance to protect the organization from risks such as theft of funds.
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Specifically, the fidelity program provides coverage for the theft of funds held in hot or cold storage. The insurance program is provided by a syndicate of industry-leading insurers. The insurance program does not cover, insure or guarantee the performance of the Trust. The Bitcoin Custodian is not FDIC-insured.
The Trust relies on the Cash Custodian to hold or transfer any cash related to the purchase or sale of bitcoin in connection with cash creation and redemption transactions, or held for payment of expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, such as the Sponsor Fee. In its role, the Cash Custodian helps facilitate the creations and redemptions of Shares done in exchange for cash.
Net Asset Value
NAV means the value of the total assets of the Trust including, but not limited to, all bitcoin and cash (if any) less the total liabilities of the Trust (including accrued but unpaid expenses), divided by the number of outstanding Shares.
The Administrator determines the NAV of the Trust on each day that the Exchange is open for regular trading. In determining the Trust’s NAV, the Administrator values the bitcoin held by the Trust based on the price established by the Benchmark Provider as of 4:00 p.m. ET each Business Day.
The amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will be reduced during the life of the Trust each time the Trust accrues the Sponsor’s Fee or pays for any extraordinary expenses. This dynamic will occur irrespective of whether the value of the Trust’s assets, or the trading price of the Shares, rises or falls. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Trust and the Shares—The amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will decline over time” and “Calculation of NAV.”
Plan of Distribution
The Trust is an exchange-traded fund. Shareholders who decide to buy or sell Shares of the Trust will place their trade orders through their brokers and may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, as well as any bid-ask spread. Such trades may occur at a premium or discount relative to the NAV of the Trust.
The Trust will process all creations and redemptions of Shares in transactions with financial firms that are authorized to do so (known as “Authorized Participants”). Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe in the future receiving the In-Kind Regulatory Approval, these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin. If Cboe receives the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the Sponsor chooses to allow in-kind creations and redemptions, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
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Authorized Participants are expected to sell such Shares to the public at prices that reflect, among other factors, the value of the Trust’s assets, supply of and demand for Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the Shares. The Shares are expected to be listed for trading, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange under a ticker symbol to be announced prior to commencement of trading.
Federal Income Tax Considerations
It is expected that owners of Shares will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as if they own a proportionate share of the assets of the Trust, as if they directly receive a proportionate share of any income of the Trust, and as if they incur a proportionate share of the expenses of the Trust. Consequently, each sale of bitcoin by the Trust (which includes, under current Internal Revenue Service guidance, using bitcoin to pay expenses of the Trust, including the Sponsor Fee) would give rise to taxable gain or loss to Shareholders. See “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Taxation of U.S. Shareholders.”
Use of Proceeds
Proceeds received by the Trust from the issuance of Creation Baskets will initially consist of cash deposits. Such cash deposits are held by the Cash Custodian on behalf of the Trust until (i) transferred in connection with the purchase of bitcoin, (ii) delivered to Authorized Participants in connection with a redemption of Creation Baskets or (iii) transferred to pay the Sponsor Fee or for extraordinary expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor.
The Trust’s bitcoin is held by the Bitcoin Custodian (or held temporarily in the Trading Balance with Coinbase) on behalf of the Trust until sold by the Execution Agent to pay the Sponsor Fee or to pay for extraordinary expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor.
Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Network
Bitcoin is a digital asset the ownership and behavior of which are determined by participants in an online, peer-to-peer network that connects computers that run publicly accessible, or “open source,” software that follows the rules and procedures governing the Bitcoin network, commonly referred to as the Bitcoin protocol. The value of bitcoin, like the value of other digital assets, is not backed by any government, corporation or other identified body. Ownership and the ability to transfer or take other actions with respect to bitcoin is protected through public-key cryptography. The supply of bitcoin is constrained or formulated by its protocol instead of being explicitly delegated to an identified body (e.g., a central bank or corporate treasury) to control. Units of bitcoin are treated as fungible. Bitcoin and certain other types of digital assets are sometimes referred to as digital currencies or cryptocurrencies. No single entity owns or operates the Bitcoin network, the infrastructure of which is collectively maintained by (1) a decentralized group of participants who run computer software that results in the recording and validation of transactions (commonly referred to as “miners”), (2) developers who propose improvements to the Bitcoin protocol and the software that enforces the protocol and (3) users who choose what Bitcoin software to run. Bitcoin was released in 2009 and, as a result, there is little data on its long-term investment potential. Bitcoin is not backed by a government-issued legal tender.
Bitcoin is “stored” or reflected on a digital transaction ledger commonly known as a “blockchain.” A blockchain is a type of shared and continually reconciled database, stored in a decentralized manner on the computers of certain users of the digital asset. A blockchain is a canonical record of every digital asset: the blockchain records every “coin” or “token,” balances of digital assets, every transaction and every address associated with a quantity of a particular digital asset. Bitcoin utilizes the blockchain to record transactions into and out of different addresses, facilitating a determination of how much bitcoin is in each address.
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Bitcoin is created by “mining.” Mining involves miners using a sophisticated computer program to repeatedly solve complex mathematical problems on specialized computer hardware. The mathematical problem involves a computation involving all or some bitcoin transactions that have been proposed by the Bitcoin network’s participants. When this problem is solved, the computer creates a “block” consisting of these transactions. As each newly solved block refers back to and “connects” with the immediately prior solved block, the addition of a new block adds to the blockchain in a manner similar to a new link being added to a chain. A miner’s proposed block is added to the blockchain once a majority of the nodes on the network confirm the miner’s work. A miner that is successful in adding a block to the blockchain is automatically awarded a fixed amount of bitcoin for its efforts plus any transaction fees paid by transferors whose transactions are recorded in the block. This reward system is the means by which new bitcoin enter circulation. This reward system, called proof of work, also ensures that the local copies of the Bitcoin blockchain maintained by participants in the Bitcoin network are kept in consensus with one another.
The Bitcoin Market
Bitcoin had a total market capitalization of approximately $527 billion as of September 30, 2023. Bitcoin spot trading occurs on venues in the U.S. that are licensed to conduct that business by the NYDFS, other venues in the U.S. and non-U.S. venues. In addition, bitcoin futures and options trading occurs on exchanges in the U.S. regulated by the CFTC. The market for NYSDFS-licensed and CFTC-regulated trading of bitcoin and bitcoin derivatives has developed substantially. Bitcoin market conditions in the three months ending on September 30, 2023 are briefly summarized as follows:
| • | Bitcoin: There are over 20 NYSDFS-licensed entities operating trading venues with order books for spot trading of bitcoin. Among the top NYSDFS-licensed trading venues, year-to-date as-of September 30th, 2023, the average daily trading volume is approximately $460 million. Across these venues, the average daily deviation of prices was less than 0.06%. The largest NYSDFS-licensed trading venue by volume had an average bid-ask spread during the period of less than 0.004%. |
| • | Futures: There are currently three CFTC-regulated exchanges, two of which are open and facilitate trading of bitcoin futures, with a total average daily trading volume of approximately $1.46 billion. |
| • | Options: One CFTC-regulated exchange facilitates trading of options on bitcoin futures, with average monthly trading volume of approximately $1.08 billion. |
Principal Investment Risks of an Investment in the Trust
An investment in the Trust involves risks. You should consider carefully the risks summarized below, which are described in more detail under “Risk Factors.”
Shareholders may choose to use the Trust as means of investing indirectly in bitcoin. Shareholders considering a purchase of Shares of the Trust should carefully consider how much of their total assets should be exposed to the bitcoin market, and should fully understand, be willing to assume, and have the financial resources necessary to withstand, the risks involved in the Trust’s investment strategy, and be in a position to bear the potential loss of their entire investment in the Trust.
There is no assurance as to whether the Trust will be profitable or meet its expenses and liabilities. Any investment made in the Trust may result in a total loss of the investment.
Risks Related to Bitcoin
Market and Volatility Risk. Bitcoin has historically exhibited high price volatility relative to more traditional asset classes, which may be due to speculation regarding potential future appreciation in value. The value of the Trust’s investments in bitcoin could decline rapidly, including to zero.
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Some market observers have asserted that the bitcoin market periodically experiences pricing “bubbles” and have predicted that, in time, the value of bitcoin will fall to a fraction of its current value, or even to zero. Bitcoin has not been in existence long enough for market participants to assess these predictions with any precision, but if these observers are even partially correct, an investment in the Shares may turn out to be substantially worthless.
Adoption Risk. The further development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network, which is part of a new and rapidly changing industry, is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. The slowing, stopping or reversing of the development or acceptance of the Bitcoin network may adversely affect the price of bitcoin and therefore an investment in the Shares.
Currently, there is relatively limited use of bitcoin in the retail and commercial marketplace in comparison to relatively extensive use as a store of value. Tax treatment of the use of bitcoin as a medium of exchange and other factors could hinder expansion of bitcoin into retail and commercial markets. A lack of expansion by bitcoin into retail and commercial markets, or a contraction of such use, may result in damage to the public perception of bitcoin and the utility of bitcoin as a payment system, increased volatility or a reduction in the value of bitcoin, all of which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares. Furthermore, while bitcoin was the first widely used digital asset, many other digital assets have also been created. To the extent market participants come to prefer these other digital assets, the value of bitcoin, and therefore an investment in the Shares, may be adversely affected.
In recent periods, more corporations have begun incorporating bitcoin into their treasury management strategy. The adoption of bitcoin as a treasury asset so far has been primarily confined to businesses operating in sectors that directly interact with crypto or are adjacent to crypto such as payment processors. In addition, there are an increasing number of established financial services firms that are participating in the crypto ecosystem, whether through providing crypto-related services to third parties, making proprietary investments, and sponsoring funds and products that invest in crypto assets. The failure of bitcoin to see continued growth as a treasury asset beyond firms operating in crypto-adjacent sectors, or a contraction of the existing bitcoin treasury balances, as well as a decline in the number of financial services firms participating in the crypto ecosystem, may negatively impact bitcoin which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
Regulatory Risk. Regulatory changes or actions may alter the nature of an investment in bitcoin or restrict the use of bitcoin or the operations of the Bitcoin network or venues on which bitcoin trades in a manner that adversely affects the price of bitcoin and an investment in the Shares. For example, it may become difficult or illegal to acquire, hold, sell or use bitcoin in one or more countries, which could adversely impact the price of bitcoin.
Cybersecurity Risk Related to Bitcoin. In the past, flaws in the source code for bitcoin have been discovered, including those that resulted in the theft of users’ bitcoin. Several errors and defects have been publicly found and corrected, including those that disabled some functionality for users and exposed users’ personal information. Discovery of flaws in or exploitations of the source code that allow malicious actors to take or create money in contravention of known network rules has occurred.
Additionally, if a malicious actor or botnet (i.e., a volunteer or hacked collection of computers controlled by networked software coordinating the actions of the computers) obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power of the Bitcoin network, such actor or botnet could alter the digital transaction ledger, or “blockchain,” that records transactions in and ownership of bitcoin and adversely affect the value of bitcoin.
By using computers that appear to be participating in the Bitcoin network, but that are not in fact connected to the network (so-called “cancer nodes”), a malicious actor can disconnect the target user from the bitcoin economy entirely by refusing to relay any blocks or transactions.
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Separate from the cybersecurity risks of the Bitcoin protocol, entities that custody or facilitate the transfers or trading of bitcoin have been frequent and successful targets of cybersecurity attacks, leading to significant theft of bitcoin. If any of these exploitations or attacks occur, it could result in a loss of public confidence in bitcoin, a decline in the value of bitcoin and, as a result, adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
Risks Related to the Trust and the Shares
Expense Risk. The Trust’s returns will not match the performance of bitcoin because the Trust incurs the Sponsor Fee and may incur other expenses.
Risk That Market Price of Shares May Reflect a Discount or Premium to NAV. The NAV of the Trust may not always correspond to the market price of its Shares for a number of reasons, including price volatility, levels of trading activity, differences between the normal trading hours for the Trust and the underlying bitcoin market, the calculation methodology of the NAV, demand or supply for Shares of the Trust in excess of an Authorized Participant’s ability to create or redeem Shares and/or the closing of bitcoin trading venues due to fraud, failure, security breaches or otherwise. As a result, the NAV of the Shares included in Creation Baskets may differ from the market price of the Shares.
Cash Creations and Redemptions. The use of cash creations and redemptions, as opposed to in-kind creations and redemptions, may adversely affect the arbitrage transactions by Authorized Participants intended to keep the price of the Shares closely linked to the price of bitcoin and, as a result, the price of the Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV. The use of cash creations and redemptions could cause delays in trade execution due to potential operational issues arising from implementing a cash creation and redemption model. Such delays could cause the execution price associated with such trades to materially deviate from the Benchmark price used to determine the NAV. Even though the Authorized Participant is responsible for the dollar cost of such difference in prices, Authorized Participants could default on their obligations to the Trust, or such potential risks and costs could lead to Authorized Participants to elect to not participate in the Trust’s Share creation and redemption processes, which may adversely affect the arbitrage mechanism, and as a result, the price of the Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV. If the arbitrage mechanism is not effective, purchases or sales of Shares on the secondary market could occur at a premium or discount to NAV, which could harm Shareholders.
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You should consider carefully the risks described below before making an investment decision. You should also refer to the other information included in this Prospectus, as well as information found in documents incorporated by reference in this Prospectus, before you decide to purchase any Shares. These risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by risk factors contained in any periodic report, prospectus supplement, post-effective amendment or in other reports filed with the SEC in the future.
Risks Related to Bitcoin
Market and Volatility Risk. Bitcoin has historically exhibited high price volatility relative to more traditional asset classes. For example, there were steep increases in the value of certain digital assets, including bitcoin, over the course of 2021. These increases were followed by steep drawdowns throughout 2022. These episodes of rapid price appreciation followed by steep drawdowns have occurred multiple times throughout bitcoin’s history, including, for example, in 2011, 2013-2014, and 2017-2018, before repeating again in 2021-2022. Over the course of 2023, bitcoin prices have continued to exhibit extreme volatility.
Extreme volatility may persist and the value of the Shares may significantly decline in the future without recovery. The digital asset markets may still be experiencing a bubble or may experience a bubble again in the future. For example, in the first half of 2022, each of Celsius Network, Voyager Digital Ltd., and Three Arrows Capital declared bankruptcy, resulting in a loss of confidence in participants of the digital asset ecosystem and negative publicity surrounding digital assets more broadly. In November 2022, FTX Trading Ltd. (“FTX”), one of the largest digital asset trading platforms by volume at the time, halted customer withdrawals amid rumors of the company’s liquidity issues and likely insolvency, which were subsequently corroborated by its CEO. Shortly thereafter, FTX’s CEO resigned and FTX and many of its affiliates filed for bankruptcy in the United States, while other affiliates have entered insolvency, liquidation, or similar proceedings around the globe, following which the U.S. Department of Justice brought criminal fraud and other charges, and the SEC and CFTC brought civil securities and commodities fraud charges, against certain of FTX’s and its affiliates’ senior executives, including its former CEO. In addition, several other entities in the digital asset industry filed for bankruptcy following FTX’s bankruptcy filing, such as BlockFi Inc. and Genesis Global Capital, LLC (“Genesis”). In response to these events, the digital asset markets have experienced extreme price volatility and other entities in the digital asset industry have been, and may continue to be, negatively affected, further undermining confidence in the digital asset markets. These events have also negatively impacted the liquidity of the digital asset markets as certain entities affiliated with FTX engaged in significant trading activity. If the liquidity of the digital asset markets continues to be negatively impacted by these or similar events, digital asset prices, including bitcoin, may continue to experience significant volatility or price declines and confidence in the digital asset markets may be further undermined.
In addition, regulatory and enforcement scrutiny of digital assets has increased, including from, among others, the Department of Justice, the SEC, the CFTC, the White House and Congress, as well as state regulators and authorities. Developments in the regulation of digital assets are ongoing. For example, in July 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on the SEC’s action against Ripple Labs, Inc. The court found that offers and sales of XRP, a digital token, to institutions and sophisticated individuals constituted securities transactions, but that offers and sales of XRP on crypto trading platforms, distributions to employees, and other third-party developers were not securities transactions. More recently, the D.C. Circuit Court found that the SEC’s denial of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust’s listing was “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedures Act in light of the SEC’s approval of two similar bitcoin futures-based exchange-traded products (“ETPs”). In the immediate aftermath of this court decision, the price of bitcoin increased from nearly $26,000 to over $28,100. It is not possible to predict at this time all of the risks that regulatory developments may pose to the Trust, its service providers or to the digital asset industry as a whole.
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Extreme volatility in the future, including further declines in the trading prices of bitcoin, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value. The Trust is not actively managed and will not take any actions to take advantage, or mitigate the impacts, of volatility in the price of bitcoin.
The value of the Trust’s investments in bitcoin could decline rapidly, including to zero.
Bitcoin’s historical volatility may be due to speculation regarding potential future appreciation in value, which could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Momentum investing typically is associated with growth stocks and other assets whose valuation, as determined by the investing public, is impacted by anticipated future appreciation in value. Momentum investing in bitcoin may have contributed, and may continue to contribute, to speculation regarding potential future appreciation in the value of bitcoin, inflating and making these prices more volatile. As a result, bitcoin may be more likely to fluctuate in value due to changing investor confidence in future appreciation or depreciation in prices, which could adversely affect the price of bitcoin, and, in turn, an investment in the Trust.
Some market observers have asserted that the bitcoin market often experiences pricing “bubbles” and have predicted that, in time, the value of bitcoin will fall to a fraction of its current value, or even to zero.
Bitcoin has not been in existence long enough for market participants to assess these predictions with any precision, but if these observers are even partially correct, an investment in the Shares may turn out to be substantially worthless.
The price of bitcoin may be impacted by the behavior of a small number of influential individuals or companies.
The price of bitcoin has experienced increased volatility resulting from the statements and actions of individuals in the bitcoin and broader technology community. Filings by companies and social media statements by prominent individuals have in the past and may in the future have an outsized impact on the price of bitcoin relative to fundamental value considerations. To the extent that the actions of one or more companies or individuals leads to an increase in the price of bitcoin, a reversal of such position by the company or individual may have a sharp, negative impact on the price of bitcoin and the value of the Shares.
Adoption Risk.
User adoption of bitcoin may slow down, stop, or reverse.
The further development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network, which is part of a new and rapidly changing industry, is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. For example, the Bitcoin network faces significant obstacles to increasing the usage of bitcoin without resulting in higher fees or slower transaction settlement times, and attempts to increase the volume of transactions may not be effective. The slowing, stopping or reversing of the development or acceptance of the Bitcoin network may adversely affect the price of bitcoin and therefore an investment in the Shares.
The use of bitcoin to, among other things, buy and sell goods and services is part of a new and rapidly evolving industry that employs digital assets based upon computer-generated mathematical and/or cryptographic protocols. Bitcoin is a prominent, but not unique, part of this industry. The growth of this industry is subject to a high degree of uncertainty. The factors affecting the further development of this industry, include, but are not limited to:
| • | continued worldwide growth or possible cessation or reversal in the adoption and use of bitcoin and other digital assets; |
| • | government and quasi-government regulation of bitcoin and other digital assets and their use, including taxation of bitcoin transactions, or restrictions on or regulation of access to and operation of the Bitcoin network and other digital asset networks; |
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| • | changes in consumer demographics and public tastes and preferences, including the possibility that market participants may come to prefer other digital assets to bitcoin for a variety of reasons, including that such other digital currencies may have features (like different consensus mechanisms) or uses (like the ability to facilitate smart contracts) that bitcoin lacks; |
| • | the maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the Bitcoin network; |
| • | the availability and popularity of other forms or methods of buying and selling goods and services, including new means of using fiat currencies; |
| • | the use of the networks supporting digital assets for developing smart contracts and distributed applications; |
| • | general economic conditions and the regulatory environment relating to digital assets; |
| • | because of the high energy usage required for bitcoin mining, regulation stemming from energy usage and/or climate concerns; and |
| • | negative consumer or public perception of bitcoin specifically and other digital assets generally. |
Currently, there is relatively limited use of bitcoin in the retail and commercial marketplace in comparison to relatively extensive use as a store of value, thus contributing to price volatility that could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Bitcoin has only recently become selectively accepted as a means of payment for goods and services by some retail and commercial outlets, and the use of bitcoin by consumers to pay such retail and commercial outlets remains limited. Banks and other established financial institutions may refuse to process funds for bitcoin transactions; process wire transfers to or from bitcoin trading venues, bitcoin-related companies or service providers; or maintain accounts for persons or entities transacting in bitcoin or providing bitcoin-related services. In addition, some taxing jurisdictions, including the U.S., treat the use of bitcoin as a medium of exchange for goods and services to be a taxable sale of bitcoin, which could discourage the use of bitcoin as a medium of exchange, especially for a holder of bitcoin that has appreciated in value. See “—Regulatory Risk—The tax treatment of bitcoin and transactions involving bitcoin for U.S. federal income tax purposes is uncertain and may be adverse, which could adversely affect the value of an investment in the Shares.”
Conversely, a significant portion of bitcoin’s demand is generated by investors seeking a long-term store of value or speculators seeking to profit from the short- or long-term holding of the asset. Price volatility undermines bitcoin’s role as a medium of exchange, as retailers are much less likely to accept it as a form of payment. Use of bitcoin as a medium of exchange and payment method may always be low. A lack of expansion by bitcoin into retail and commercial markets, or a contraction of such use, may result in damage to the public perception of bitcoin and the utility of bitcoin as a payment system, increased volatility or a reduction in the value of bitcoin, all of which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares. There can be no assurance that such acceptance will grow, or not decline, in the future.
While bitcoin, the first widely used digital asset, and many other digital assets were created and mainly serve as a form of money, digital assets can be used to do more complicated things. Some digital assets were built specifically with more complex use cases in mind. For example, the Ethereum network was designed primarily to facilitate smart contracts, with the digital asset ether serving as the transactional mechanism for many portions of such contracts. Smart contracts are programs that automatically execute on a blockchain, allowing for a myriad of interesting applications to be built. It is possible that market demand for digital assets with use cases beyond serving as a form of money could over time reduce the market demand for bitcoin, which would adversely impact the price of bitcoin and, as a result, an investment in the Shares. Additionally, certain digital assets use non-blockchain technologies, like Directed Acyclic Graph data structures, to maintain consensus. To the extent market participants come to prefer these other consensus mechanisms or digital assets that use non-blockchain technology, the value of bitcoin, and therefore an investment in the Shares, may be adversely affected.
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Bitcoin faces significant scaling obstacles that can lead to high fees or slow transaction settlement times, and attempts to increase the volume of transactions may not be effective.
The Bitcoin network, like many digital asset networks, faces significant scaling challenges. As of July 2017, bitcoin could handle, on average, five to seven transactions per second. For several years, participants in the Bitcoin ecosystem debated potential approaches to increasing the average number of transactions per second that the Bitcoin network could handle. As of August 2017, the Bitcoin network was upgraded with a technical feature known as “segregated witness” that, among other things, could potentially approximately double the transactions per second that can be handled on-chain. More importantly, segregated witness also enables so-called second layer solutions, such as the Lightning Network or payment channels, that could potentially allow greater transaction throughput.
An increasing number of wallets and digital asset intermediaries, such as trading platforms, have begun supporting segregated witness and the Lightning Network, or similar technology. However, the Lightning Network does not yet have material adoption as of August 2023. Additionally, the Lightning Network has not yet seen significant use, and there are open questions about Lightning Network services, such as its cost and who will serve as intermediaries, among other questions.
As the use of digital asset networks increases without a corresponding increase in throughput of the networks, average fees and settlement times have shown significant volatility and can increase significantly at times. Bitcoin’s network has been, at times, at capacity, which has led to increased transaction fees. For example, since January 1, 2019, bitcoin transaction fees have increased from $0.18 per bitcoin transaction, on average, to a high of $60.95 per transaction, on average, on April 20, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, bitcoin transaction fees were $1.17 per transaction, on average. Increased fees and decreased settlement speeds could preclude certain uses for bitcoin (e.g., micropayments), and could reduce demand for, and the price of, bitcoin, which could adversely impact the value of the Shares. In May 2023, events related to the adoption of ordinals, which are a means of inscribing digital content on the bitcoin blockchain, caused transaction fees to temporarily spike above $30 per transaction. As of October 1, 2023, bitcoin transaction fees were averaging $2.22 per transaction.
Increased fees and decreased settlement speeds could preclude certain use cases for bitcoin (e.g., micropayments), and could reduce demand for and the price of bitcoin, which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
There is no guarantee that any of the mechanisms in place or being explored for increasing the scale of settlement of transactions in bitcoin will be effective, or how long these mechanisms will take to become effective, which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
Miners could collude to raise transaction fees, which may adversely affect the usage of the Bitcoin network.
Miners, functioning in their transaction confirmation capacity, collect fees for each transaction they confirm. Miners validate unconfirmed transactions by adding the previously unconfirmed transactions to new blocks in the blockchain. Miners are not forced to confirm any specific transaction, but they are economically incentivized to confirm valid transactions as a means of collecting fees. Miners have historically accepted relatively low transaction confirmation fees. If miners collude in an anticompetitive manner to reject low transaction fees, then bitcoin users could be forced to pay higher fees, thus reducing the attractiveness of the Bitcoin network. Mining occurs globally, and it may be difficult for authorities to apply antitrust regulations across multiple jurisdictions. Any collusion among miners may adversely impact the attractiveness of the Bitcoin network and may adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
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Bitcoin mining activities are resource-intensive, and it is possible that certain jurisdictions will implement regulations regarding the energy and water consumption of the Bitcoin network, which could result in a significant reduction in mining activity and adversely affect the security of the Bitcoin network.
In addition to financial regulation, concerns have been raised about the amount of electricity and water required to secure and maintain the Bitcoin network. The “proof of work” validation mechanism used to verify transactions on the Bitcoin network necessitates that bitcoin miners maintain high levels of computing power, which can require extremely high energy usage. Although measuring the electricity consumed by this process is difficult because these operations are performed by various machines with varying levels of efficiency, the process consumes a significant amount of energy. Further, in addition to the direct energy costs of performing these calculations, there are indirect costs that impact the Bitcoin network’s total energy consumption, including the amount of water and the costs of cooling the machines that perform these calculations. The availability and cost of electricity will restrict the geographic locations of mining activities. High costs of electricity may incentivize miners to redirect their resources to other validation protocols, such as proof-of-stake blockchains, or abandon their validation activities entirely. A significant decrease in the computational resources dedicated to the Bitcoin network’s validation protocol could reduce the security of the network which may erode bitcoin’s viability as a store of value or means of exchange.
Due to concerns around resource consumption and associated environmental concerns, particularly as such concerns relate to public utilities companies, various countries, states and cities have implemented, or are considering implementing, moratoriums on Bitcoin mining in their jurisdictions. Such moratoriums would impede bitcoin mining and/or bitcoin use more broadly. For example, in November 2022, New York imposed a two-year moratorium on new proof-of-work mining permits at fossil fuel plants in the state.
Depending on how future regulations are formulated and applied, such policies could have the potential to negatively affect the price of bitcoin, and, in turn, the value of the Shares. Increased regulation and the corresponding compliance cost of these regulations could additionally result in higher barriers to entry for bitcoin miners, which could increase the concentration of the hash rate, potentially having a negative impact on the price of bitcoin.
Competition from central bank digital currencies (“CBDCs”) and other digital assets could adversely affect the value of bitcoin and other digital assets.
Central banks have introduced digital forms of legal tender (CBDCs). China’s CBDC project, known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment, has reportedly been tested in a live pilot program conducted in multiple cities in China. A recent study published by the Bank for International Settlements estimated that at least 36 central banks have published retail or wholesale CBDC work ranging from research to pilot projects. Whether or not they incorporate blockchain or similar technology, CBDCs, as a form of legal tender in the issuing jurisdiction, could have an advantage in competing with, or replace, bitcoin and other digital assets as a medium of exchange or store of value. As a result, the value of bitcoin could decrease, which could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
Competing digital assets may adversely affect the value of bitcoin and digital assets.
Promoters of other digital assets claim that those digital assets have solved certain of the purported drawbacks of the Bitcoin network, for example, allowing faster settlement times, reducing mining fees, or reducing electricity usage in connection with mining. If these digital assets are successful, such success could reduce demand for bitcoin and adversely affect the value of bitcoin and an investment in the Trust.
Prices of bitcoin may be affected due to stablecoins (including Tether and U.S. Dollar Coin (“USDC”)), the activities of stablecoin issuers and their regulatory treatment.
While the Trust does not invest in stablecoins, it may nonetheless be exposed to these and other risks that stablecoins pose for the bitcoin market through its trading in bitcoin. Stablecoins are digital assets designed to
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have a stable value over time as compared to typically volatile digital assets, and are typically marketed as being pegged to a fiat currency, such as the U.S. dollar. Although the prices of stablecoins are intended to be stable, in many cases their prices fluctuate, sometimes significantly. This volatility has in the past apparently impacted the price of bitcoin. Stablecoins are a relatively new phenomenon, and it is impossible to know all of the risks that they could pose to participants in the bitcoin market. In addition, some have argued that some stablecoins, particularly Tether, are improperly issued without sufficient backing in a way that could cause artificial rather than genuine demand for bitcoin, raising its price, and also argue that those associated with certain stablecoins are involved in laundering money. For example, on February 17, 2021 the New York Attorney General entered into an agreement with Tether’s operators, requiring them to cease any further trading activity with New York persons and pay $18.5 million in penalties for false and misleading statements made regarding the assets backing Tether. On October 15, 2021, the CFTC announced a settlement with Tether’s operators in which they agreed to pay $42.5 million in fines to settle charges that, among others, Tether’s claims that it maintained sufficient U.S. dollar reserves to back every Tether stablecoin in circulation with the “equivalent amount of corresponding fiat currency” held by Tether were untrue.
USDC is a reserve-backed stablecoin issued by Circle Internet Financial that is commonly used as a method of payment in digital asset markets, including the bitcoin market. The issuer of USDC uses the Circle Reserve Fund to hold cash, U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Treasury, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations or cash, which serve as reserves backing USDC stablecoins. While USDC is designed to maintain a stable value at 1 U.S. dollar at all times, on March 10, 2023, the value of USDC fell below $1.00 for multiple days after Circle Internet Financial disclosed that US$3.3 billion of the USDC reserves were held at Silicon Valley Bank, which had entered Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) receivership earlier that day. Stablecoins are reliant on the U.S. banking system and the U.S. treasuries market, and the failure of either to function normally could impede the function of stablecoins, and therefore could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Given the foundational role that stablecoins play in global digital asset markets, their fundamental liquidity can have a dramatic impact on the broader digital asset market, including the market for bitcoin. Because a large portion of the digital asset market still depends on stablecoins such as Tether and USDC, there is a risk that a disorderly de-pegging or a “run” on Tether or USDC could lead to dramatic market volatility in digital assets more broadly. Volatility in stablecoins, operational issues with stablecoins (for example, technical issues that prevent settlement), concerns about the sufficiency of any reserves that support stablecoins or potential manipulative activity when unbacked stablecoins are used to pay for other digital assets (including bitcoin), or regulatory concerns about stablecoin issuers or intermediaries, such as trading platforms, that support stablecoins, could impact individuals’ willingness to trade on trading venues that rely on stablecoins, reduce liquidity in the bitcoin market, and affect the value of bitcoin, and in turn impact an investment in the Shares.
The open-source structure of the Bitcoin network protocol means that certain core developers and other contributors may not be directly compensated for their contributions in maintaining and developing the Bitcoin network protocol. A failure to properly monitor and upgrade the Bitcoin network protocol could damage the Bitcoin network.
The Bitcoin network operates based on open-source protocol maintained by a group of core developers. As the Bitcoin network protocol is not sold and its use does not generate revenue for development teams, core developers may not be directly compensated for maintaining and updating the Bitcoin network protocol. Consequently, developers may lack a financial incentive to maintain or develop the network, and the core developers may lack the resources to adequately address emerging issues with the network. There can be no guarantee that developer support will continue or be sufficient in the future. Additionally, some development and developers are funded by companies whose interests may be at odds with other participants in the network or with investors’ interests. To the extent that material issues arise with the Bitcoin network protocol and the core developers and open-source contributors are unable or unwilling to address the issues adequately or in a timely manner, the Bitcoin network and an investment in the Shares may be adversely affected.
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Lack of clarity in the corporate governance of bitcoin may lead to ineffective decision-making that slows development or prevents the Bitcoin network from overcoming important obstacles.
Governance of decentralized networks, such as the Bitcoin network, is by voluntary consensus and open competition. Bitcoin has no central decision-making body or clear manner in which participants can come to an agreement other than through overwhelming consensus. The lack of clarity on governance may adversely affect bitcoin’s utility and ability to grow and face challenges, both of which may require solutions and a directed effort to overcome problems, especially long-term problems.
To the extent lack of clarity in corporate governance of bitcoin leads to ineffective decision-making that slows development and growth, the value of the Shares may be adversely affected.
If the award of new bitcoin for solving blocks and transaction fees for recording transactions are not sufficiently high to incentivize miners, miners may cease expending processing power to solve blocks and confirmations of transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain could be slowed temporarily. A reduction in the processing power expended by miners on the Bitcoin network could increase the likelihood of a malicious actor or botnet obtaining control.
Miners generate revenue from both newly created bitcoin, known as the “block reward” and from fees taken upon verification of transactions. See “Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Market—Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Network.” If the aggregate revenue from transaction fees and the block reward is below a miner’s cost, the miner may cease operations. If the award of new units of bitcoin for solving blocks declines and/or the difficulty of solving blocks increases, and transaction fees voluntarily paid by participants are not sufficiently high, miners may not have an adequate incentive to continue mining and may cease their mining operations. The current fixed reward for solving a new block on the Bitcoin network is 6.25 bitcoin per block, which decreased from 12.5 bitcoin in May 2020. It is estimated that it will halve again in or around April 2024. This reduction may result in a reduction in the aggregate hash rate of the Bitcoin network as the incentive for miners decreases. Miners ceasing operations would reduce the collective processing power on the Bitcoin network, which would adversely affect the confirmation process for transactions (i.e., temporarily decreasing the speed at which blocks are added to the blockchain until the next scheduled adjustment in difficulty for block solutions) and make the Bitcoin network more vulnerable to a malicious actor or botnet obtaining sufficient control to alter the blockchain and hinder transactions. Any reduction in confidence in the confirmation process or processing power of the Bitcoin network may adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Over the past several years, digital asset mining operations, including those mining bitcoin, have evolved from individual users mining with computer processors, graphics processing units and first-generation application specific integrated circuit machines to “professionalized” mining operations using proprietary hardware or sophisticated machines. If the profit margins of digital asset mining operations are not sufficiently high, including due to an increase in electricity costs or a decline in the market price of the relevant digital asset issued as a mining reward, or if digital asset mining operations are unable to arrange alternative sources of financing (e.g., if lenders refuse to make loans to such miners), digital asset miners are more likely to immediately sell tokens earned by mining or sell more such digital assets than they otherwise would, resulting in an increase in liquid supply of that digital asset, which would generally tend to reduce that digital asset’s market price.
To the extent that any miners exclude some or all transactions, significant increases in fees and widespread delays in the recording of transactions could result in a loss of confidence in the Bitcoin network, which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
To the extent that any miners solve blocks that exclude some or all transactions that have been transmitted to the Bitcoin network, such transactions will not be recorded on the blockchain until another miner solves a block that incorporates those transactions. Some in the bitcoin community have suspected that certain technologies (for example, before segregated witness was activated, ASICBoost) enhance speed and reduce electricity use of
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mining while reducing the number of transactions that are included in mined blocks on the Bitcoin network. To the extent that more blocks are mined without transactions, transactions will settle more slowly, and fees will increase. This could result in a loss of confidence in the Bitcoin network, which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
A temporary or permanent blockchain “fork” could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
The Bitcoin network operates using open-source protocols, meaning that any user can download the software, modify it and then propose that the users and miners of bitcoin adopt the modification. When a modification is introduced and a substantial majority of users and miners consent to the modification, the change is implemented and the network remains uninterrupted. However, if less than a substantial majority of users and miners consent to the proposed modification, and the modification is not compatible with the software prior to its modification, the consequence would be what is known as a “hard fork” of the Bitcoin network, with one group running the pre modified software and the other running the modified software. The effect of such a fork would be the existence of two versions of bitcoin running in parallel on separate networks using separate blockchain ledgers, yet lacking interchangeability. For example, in August 2017, bitcoin “forked” into bitcoin and a new digital asset, bitcoin cash, as a result of a several-year dispute over how to increase the rate of transactions that the Bitcoin network can process. Since then, bitcoin has been forked numerous times to launch new digital assets, such as bitcoin gold, bitcoin silver and bitcoin diamond. Additional hard forks of the Bitcoin blockchain could impact demand for bitcoin or other digital assets and could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
Furthermore, a hard fork can introduce new security risks. For example, when Ethereum and Ethereum Classic split in July 2016, replay attacks, in which transactions from one network were rebroadcast to nefarious effect on the other network, plagued trading venues through at least October 2016. An trading platform announced in July 2016 that it had lost 40,000 ether tokens from the Ethereum Classic network, which was worth about $100,000 at that time, as a result of replay attacks. Another possible result of a hard fork is an inherent decrease in the level of security. After a hard fork, it may become easier for an individual miner or mining pool’s hashing power to exceed 50% of the processing power of the Bitcoin network, thereby making the network more susceptible to attack.
A fork could also be introduced by an unintentional, unanticipated software flaw in the multiple versions of otherwise compatible software users run. Such a fork could adversely affect bitcoin’s viability. It is possible, however, that a substantial number of users and miners could adopt an incompatible version of bitcoin while resisting community-led efforts to merge the two chains. This would result in a permanent fork, as in the case of Ethereum and Classic Ethereum Classic, as detailed above.
A fork in the Bitcoin network could adversely affect an investment in the Shares. A hard fork may adversely affect the price of bitcoin at the time of announcement or adoption. For example, the announcement of a hard fork could lead to increased demand for the pre-fork digital asset, in anticipation that ownership of the pre-fork digital asset would entitle holders to a new digital asset following the fork. The increased demand for the pre fork digital asset may cause the price of the digital asset to rise. After the hard fork, it is possible the aggregate price of the two versions of the digital asset running in parallel would be less than the price of the digital asset immediately prior to the fork. Furthermore, while the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, determine which network is generally accepted as the Bitcoin network and should therefore be considered the appropriate network for the Trust’s purposes, there is no guarantee that the Sponsor will choose the network and the associated digital asset that is ultimately the most valuable fork. Either of these events could therefore adversely impact the value of the Shares. When Bitcoin Cash forked from the Bitcoin network, the value of bitcoin went from $2800 to $2700.
As another example of the effects of hard forks on digital assets, on September 15th, 2022, the Ethereum Network successfully completed its Merge, moving from a Proof-of-Work (“PoW”) model to a Proof-of-Stake (“PoS”) model. Ethereum PoW miners who disagreed with the new consensus mechanism forked the network,
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which resulted in the EthereumPoW network (“ETHW”). ETHW was driven by a small but vocal group of miners who wished to hold onto revenue as Ethereum switched to PoS. The vast majority of token holder votes preferred the new PoS consensus method. There was no material impact on the Ethereum network as a result of the fork. All ether holders were airdropped ETHW tokens as a result of the hard fork. However, not all liquidity providers were able to trade the new token and the ETHW token almost immediately lost most of its value.
In the event of a hard fork of the Bitcoin network, the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency so created. Bitcoin is the only digital asset that will be held by the Trust. In the event the Trust seeks to change its treatment of Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, an application would need to be filed with the SEC by the Exchange seeking approval to amend its listing rules.
In the event of a fork, the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, determine which network it believes is generally accepted as the Bitcoin network and should therefore be considered the appropriate network, and the associated asset as bitcoin, for the Trust’s purposes. If the Trust modifies its policy on forks and airdrops, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
Cybersecurity Risk Related to Bitcoin.
Flaws in the source code of Bitcoin, or flaws in the underlying cryptography, could leave the Bitcoin network vulnerable to a multitude of attack vectors.
If the source code or cryptography underlying bitcoin proves to be flawed or ineffective, malicious actors may be able to steal bitcoin held by others, which could negatively impact the demand for bitcoin and therefore adversely impact the price of bitcoin. In the past, flaws in the source code for bitcoin have been discovered, including those that resulted in the loss of users’ bitcoin. Several errors and defects have been publicly found and corrected, including those that disabled some functionality for users and exposed users’ personal information. Discovery of flaws in or exploitations of the source code that allow malicious actors to take or create money in contravention of known network rules have occurred. In addition, the cryptography underlying bitcoin could prove to be flawed or ineffective, or developments in mathematics and/or technology, including advances in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could result in such cryptography becoming ineffective. In any of these circumstances, a malicious actor may be able to steal bitcoin held by others, which could adversely affect the demand for bitcoin and therefore adversely impact the price of bitcoin. Even if the affected digital asset is not bitcoin, any reduction in confidence in the source code or cryptography underlying digital assets generally could negatively impact the demand for bitcoin and therefore adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Additionally, if a malicious actor or botnet (i.e., a volunteer or hacked collection of computers controlled by networked software coordinating the actions of the computers) obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power of the Bitcoin network, such actor or botnet could alter the blockchain and adversely affect the value of bitcoin, which would adversely affect the value of the Trust’s investments. The Bitcoin network is subject to control by entities that capture a significant amount of the network’s processing power or a significant number of developers or intermediaries important for the operation and maintenance of the Bitcoin network. The Bitcoin network is secured by proof of work and depends on the strength of processing power of participants to protect the network. If a malicious actor or botnet obtains a majority of the processing power dedicated to mining on the Bitcoin network, it may be able to alter the blockchain on which the network and most transactions rely by constructing fraudulent blocks or preventing certain transactions from being completed in a timely manner or at all. The malicious actor or botnet could control, exclude or modify the ordering of transactions. However, it could not generate new bitcoin units or transactions using such control. The malicious actor could “double-spend” its own bitcoin units (i.e., spend the same units in more than one transaction) and prevent the confirmation of other users’ transactions for so long as it maintained control. To the extent that such malicious actor or botnet did not yield its control of the processing power on the Bitcoin network or the network community did not reject the fraudulent blocks as malicious, reversing any changes made to the blockchain may
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not be possible. Further, a malicious actor or botnet could create a flood of transactions in order to slow down confirmations of transactions on the Bitcoin network.
Some digital asset networks have been subject to malicious activity achieved through control over 50% of the processing power on the network. For example, on May 24, 2018, it was reported that attackers compromised the Bitcoin Gold network in this manner and were successfully able to double-spend units of bitcoin gold in a series of transactions over the course of at least one week and in a total amount of at least $18 million. In addition, in May 2019, the Bitcoin Cash network experienced a 51% attack when two large mining pools reversed a series of transactions in order to stop an unknown miner from taking advantage of a flaw in a recent Bitcoin Cash protocol upgrade. Although this particular attack was arguably benevolent, the fact that such coordinated activity was able to occur may negatively impact perceptions of the Bitcoin Cash network. Furthermore, in August 2020, the Ethereum Classic Network was the target of two double-spend attacks by an unknown actor or actors that gained more than 50% of the processing power of the Ethereum Classic network. The attacks resulted in reorganizations of the Ethereum Classic blockchain that allowed the attacker or attackers to reverse previously recorded transactions in excess of $5.0 million and $1.0 million. Other digital assets such as Verge, Monacoin and Electroneum have also suffered similar attacks. Although there have been no reports of such activity on the Bitcoin network, certain mining pools may have exceeded the 50% threshold on the Bitcoin network in the past. The possible crossing of the 50% threshold indicates a greater risk that a single mining pool could exert authority over the validation of digital asset transactions, and this risk is heightened if over 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin network falls within the jurisdiction of a single governmental authority. For example, it is believed that more than 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin network is now or at one time was located in China. Because the Chinese government has subjected digital assets to heightened levels of scrutiny recently, forcing several digital asset trading venues to shut down, and has reportedly begun to place restrictions on mining activities, there is a risk that the Chinese government could also achieve control over more than 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin network. To the extent that the Bitcoin ecosystem, including the core developers and the administrators of mining pools, does not act to ensure greater decentralization of mining processing power, the feasibility of a malicious actor obtaining control of the processing power on the Bitcoin network will increase, which may adversely affect an investment in the Shares. See “—Regulatory Risk.”
A malicious actor may also obtain control over the Bitcoin network through its influence over core or influential developers. For example, this could allow the malicious actor to stymie legitimate network development efforts or attempt to introduce malicious code to the network under the guise of a software improvement proposal by such a developer. To the extent that the Bitcoin ecosystem fails to attract a significant number of users, the possibility that a malicious actor may be able to obtain control of the processing power on the Bitcoin network in this manner will remain heightened.
By using cancer nodes, a malicious actor can disconnect the target user from the bitcoin economy entirely by refusing to relay any blocks or transactions.
Separate from the cybersecurity risks of the Bitcoin protocol, entities that custody or facilitate the transfers or trading of bitcoin have been frequent and successful targets of cybersecurity attacks, leading to significant theft of bitcoin.
See “Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Market—The Bitcoin Market—Forms of Attack.”
If any of these exploitations or attacks occur, it could result in a loss of public confidence in bitcoin and a decline in the value of bitcoin and, as a result, adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
Bitcoin transactions are irrevocable and stolen or incorrectly transferred bitcoin may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed bitcoin transactions could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
Bitcoin transactions are not reversible. Once a transaction has been verified and recorded in a block that is added to the Bitcoin blockchain, an incorrect transfer of a digital asset, such as bitcoin, or a theft of bitcoin generally
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will not be reversible and the Trust may not be capable of seeking compensation for any such transfer or theft. To the extent that the Trust is unable to successfully seek redress for such error or theft, such loss could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
The custody of the Trust’s bitcoin is handled by the Bitcoin Custodian, and the transfer of bitcoin to and from Authorized Participants or their agents is directed by the Sponsor. If the Bitcoin Custodian’s internal procedures and controls are inadequate to safeguard the Trust’s bitcoin holdings, and the Trust’s private key(s) is (are) lost, destroyed or otherwise compromised and no backup of the private key(s) is (are) accessible, the Trust will be unable to access its bitcoin, which could adversely affect an investment in the Shares of the Trust. In addition, if the Trust’s private key(s) is (are) misappropriated and the Trust’s bitcoin holdings are stolen, including from or by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Trust could lose some or all of its bitcoin holdings, which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares of the Trust.
Security threats to the Trust’s account with the Bitcoin Custodian could result in the halting of Trust operations and a loss of Trust assets or damage to the reputation of the Trust, each of which could result in a reduction in the price of the Shares.
The Trust and its service providers’ use of internet, technology and information systems (including mobile devices and cloud-based service offerings) may expose the Trust to potential risks linked to cyber-security breaches of those technological or information systems. Security breaches, computer malware, ransomware and computer hacking attacks have been a prevalent concern in relation to digital assets. The Sponsor believes that the Trust’s bitcoin held in the Trust’s account with the Bitcoin Custodian will be an appealing target to hackers or malware distributors seeking to destroy, damage or steal the Trust’s bitcoin and will only become more appealing as the Trust’s assets grow. To the extent that the Trust, the Sponsor or the Bitcoin Custodian is unable to identify and mitigate or stop new security threats or otherwise adapt to technological changes in the digital asset industry, the Trust’s bitcoin may be subject to theft, loss, destruction or other attack.
The Sponsor has evaluated the security procedures in place for safeguarding the Trust’s bitcoin. Nevertheless, the security procedures cannot guarantee the prevention of any loss due to a security breach, software defect or act of God that may be borne by the Trust.
The security procedures and operational infrastructure may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, error or malfeasance of an employee of the Sponsor, the Bitcoin Custodian, or otherwise, and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to the Trust’s account with the Bitcoin Custodian, the private keys (and therefore bitcoin) or other data of the Trust. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees of the Sponsor, the Bitcoin Custodian, or the Trust’s other service providers to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to the Trust’s infrastructure. As the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, or may be designed to remain dormant until a predetermined event and often are not recognized until launched against a target, the Sponsor and the Bitcoin Custodian may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures.
An actual or perceived breach of the Trust’s account with the Bitcoin Custodian could harm the Trust’s operations, result in partial or total loss of the Trust’s assets, damage the Trust’s reputation and negatively affect the market perception of the effectiveness of the Trust, all of which could in turn reduce demand for the Shares, resulting in a reduction in the price of the Shares. The Trust may also cease operations, the occurrence of which could similarly result in a reduction in the price of the Shares.
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While the Sponsor has established business continuity plans and systems that it believes are reasonably designed to prevent cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been, or cannot be, identified. Service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Trust, which could be negatively impacted as a result.
If the Bitcoin Custody Agreement is terminated or the Bitcoin Custodian or Prime Broker fail to provide services as required, the Sponsor may need to find and appoint a replacement custodian and/or prime broker, which could pose a challenge to the safekeeping and safe transfer of the Trust’s bitcoins, and the Trust’s ability to continue to operate may be adversely affected.
The Trust is dependent on the Bitcoin Custodian to operate. The Bitcoin Custodian performs essential functions in terms of safekeeping the Trust’s bitcoin, and its affiliate, Coinbase may be utilized by the Trust to facilitate the selling of bitcoin by the Trust to pay the Sponsor Fee and, to the extent applicable, other Trust expenses, or in certain circumstances, to purchase and sell bitcoin in connection with cash creation or redemption transactions. If the Bitcoin Custodian or Prime Broker fail to perform the functions they perform for the Trust due to insolvency, business failure or interruption, default, failure to perform, security breach, or other problems affecting the Bitcoin Custodian or the Prime Broker, the Trust may be unable to operate or create or redeem Creation Baskets, which could force the Trust to liquidate or adversely affect the price of the Shares.
On March 22, 2023, Coinbase and the Bitcoin Custodian’s parent company, Coinbase Global Inc. (“Coinbase Global” and together, the “Relevant Coinbase Entities”) received a “Wells Notice” from the SEC staff stating that the SEC staff made a “preliminary determination” to recommend that the SEC file an enforcement action against the Relevant Coinbase Entities alleging violations of the federal securities laws, including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). According to Coinbase Global’s public reporting company disclosure, based on discussions with the SEC staff, the Relevant Coinbase Entities believe these potential enforcement actions would relate to aspects of the Relevant Coinbase Entities’ Coinbase Prime service, spot market, staking service Coinbase Earn, and Coinbase Wallet and the potential civil action may seek injunctive relief, disgorgement, and civil penalties. On June 6, 2023, the SEC filed a complaint against the Relevant Coinbase Entities in federal district court in the Southern District of New York, alleging, inter alia: (i) that Coinbase has violated the Exchange Act by failing to register with the SEC as a national securities exchange, broker-dealer, and clearing agency, in connection with activities involving certain identified digital assets that the SEC’s complaint alleges are securities, (ii) that Coinbase has violated the Securities Act by failing to register with the SEC the offer and sale of its staking program, and (iii) that Coinbase Global is jointly and severally liable as a control person under the Exchange Act for Coinbase’s violations of the Exchange Act to the same extent as Coinbase The SEC’s complaint against the Relevant Coinbase Entities does not allege that bitcoin is a security nor does it allege that Coinbase’s activities involving bitcoin caused the alleged registration violations, and the Bitcoin Custodian was not named as a defendant. The SEC’s complaint seeks a permanent injunction against the Relevant Coinbase Entities to prevent them from violations of the Exchange Act or Securities Act, disgorgement, civil monetary penalties, and such other relief as the court deems appropriate or necessary. Coinbase could be required, as a result of a judicial determination, or could choose, to restrict or curtail the services it offers, or its financial condition and ability to provide prime brokerage services to the Trust could be affected. If Coinbase were to be required or choose as a result of a regulatory action (including, for example, the litigation initiated by the SEC), to restrict or curtail the services it offers, it could negatively affect the Trust’s ability to operate or process creations or redemptions of Creation Baskets, which could force the Trust to liquidate or adversely affect the price of the Shares. While the Bitcoin Custodian is not named in the complaint, if Coinbase Global, as the parent of the Bitcoin Custodian, is required, as a result of a judicial determination, or could choose, to restrict or curtail the services its subsidiaries provide to the Trust, or its financial condition is negatively affected, it could negatively affect the Trust’s ability to operate.
If the Bitcoin Custody Agreement is terminated, the Sponsor may not be able to find a party willing to serve as the custodian of the Trust’s bitcoin or as the Trust’s prime broker under the same terms as the current Bitcoin
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Custody Agreement or at all. To the extent that Sponsor is not able to find a suitable party willing to serve as the custodian or prime broker, the Sponsor may be required to terminate the Trust and liquidate the Trust’s bitcoin. In addition, to the extent that the Sponsor finds a suitable party but must enter into a modified Bitcoin Custody Agreement that is less favorable for the Trust or Sponsor, the value of the Shares could be adversely affected.
Loss of a critical banking relationship for, or the failure of a bank used by, the Execution Agent could adversely impact the Trust’s ability to create or redeem Creation Baskets, or could cause losses to the Trust.
The Execution Agent is responsible for selling bitcoin on behalf of the Trust to pay the Sponsor Fee and, to the extent applicable, other Trust expenses. In addition, the Execution Agent will purchase or sell bitcoin in connection with cash creations and redemptions. The Execution Agent may rely on bank accounts to provide its execution services and hold any cash related to a customer’s purchase or sale of bitcoin. To the extent that the Execution Agent faces difficulty establishing or maintaining banking relationships, the loss of the Execution Agent’s banking partners or the imposition of operational restrictions by these banking partners and the inability for the Execution Agent to utilize other financial institutions may result in a disruption of creation and redemption activity of the Trust, or cause other operational disruptions or adverse effects for the Trust.
The Trust could also suffer losses in the event that a bank in which the Execution Agent holds customer cash fails, becomes insolvent, enters receivership, is taken over by regulators, enters financial distress, or otherwise suffers adverse effects to its financial condition or operational status. For example, Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank recently experienced financial distress, including voluntary liquidation and receiverships.
Changing circumstances and market conditions, some of which may be beyond the Trust’s or the Sponsor’s control, could impair the Trust’s ability to access the Trust’s cash associated with the Trust’s orders to purchase or sell bitcoin in connection with payment of the Sponsor Fee, and to the extent applicable, other Trust expenses, or in connection with creation and redemption transactions. If the Execution Agent were to experience financial distress or its financial condition is otherwise affected by the failure of its banking partners, the Execution Agent’s ability to provide services to the Trust could be affected. Moreover, the future failure of a bank at which the Execution Agent maintains customer cash could result in losses to the Trust, to the extent the balances are not subject to deposit insurance.
The Execution Agent may utilize the services of the Prime Broker to route Trust orders through certain Connected Trading Venues. The loss or failure of any such Connected Trading Venues may adversely affect the Execution Agent’s ability to execute the Trust’s bitcoin transactions and cause losses for the Trust.
In connection with selling bitcoin on behalf of the Trust, the Execution Agent (acting as agent of the Trust) may elect to route bitcoin purchase or sale orders to a trading platform operated by Coinbase, Inc., the Prime Broker. The Prime Broker provides access to a number of trading platforms and venues where the Execution Agent, acting on behalf of the Trust, may execute orders to buy and sell bitcoin (each such venue, a “Connected Trading Venue”). In connection with these activities, the Prime Broker may hold bitcoin with such Connected Trading Venues for a short time in order to effect the Trust’s orders. If the Prime Broker were unable to access to these Connected Trading Venues, its trading services (and therefore the Execution Agent’s services as well) could be adversely affected to the extent that the Execution Agent is limited in its ability to execute order flow for the Trust, and the Trust could suffer resulting losses or disruptions to its operations. While the Prime Broker has policies and procedures to oversee Connected Trading Venues, if any of these venues experience any technical, legal, regulatory or other adverse events, such as shutdowns, delays, system failures, suspension of withdrawals, illiquidity, insolvency, or loss of customer assets, the Execution Agent, on behalf of the Trust, might not be able to fully recover the Trust’s bitcoin.
A disruption of the internet may affect the use of bitcoin and subsequently the value of the Shares.
Bitcoin is dependent upon the internet. A significant disruption in internet connectivity could disrupt the Bitcoin network’s operations until the disruption is resolved and have an adverse effect on the price of bitcoin. In
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particular, some variants of digital assets have been subjected to a number of denial-of-service attacks, which have led to temporary delays in block creation and in the transfer of the digital assets. While in certain cases in response to an attack, an additional hard fork has been introduced to increase the cost of certain network functions, the relevant network has continued to be the subject of additional attacks. Moreover, it is possible that if bitcoin increases in value, it may become a bigger target for hackers and subject to more frequent hacking and denial-of-service attacks.
Bitcoin is also susceptible to border gateway protocol (“BGP”) hijacking. Such an attack can be a very effective way for an attacker to intercept traffic en route to a legitimate destination. BGP hijacking impacts the way different nodes and miners are connected to one another to isolate portions of them from the remainder of the network, which could lead to a risk of the network allowing double-spending and other security issues. If BGP hijacking occurs on the Bitcoin network, participants may lose faith in the security of bitcoin, which could affect bitcoin’s value and consequently the value of the Shares.
Any future attacks that impact the ability to transfer bitcoin could have a material adverse effect on the price of bitcoin and the value of an investment in the Shares.
Regulatory Risk.
As bitcoin and the broader digital assets ecosystem has grown, it has begun to attract more regulatory attention around the globe. The future regulatory environment is uncertain and may vary by country or even within countries. Failure to appropriately regulate the digital assets ecosystem could stifle innovation, which could adversely impact the value of the Shares.
As bitcoin and digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S. Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state agencies (including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), SEC, OCC, CFTC, FINRA, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS, state financial institution regulators, and others) have been examining the operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and the digital asset trading platform market. Many of these state and federal agencies have brought enforcement actions and issued advisories and rules relating to digital asset markets. Ongoing and future regulatory actions with respect to digital assets generally or any single digital asset in particular may alter, perhaps to a materially adverse extent, the nature of an investment in the Shares and/or the ability of the Trust to continue to operate.
For example, the events of 2022, including among others the bankruptcy filings of FTX and its subsidiaries, Three Arrows Capital, Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, Genesis, BlockFi and others, and other developments in the digital asset markets, have resulted in calls for heightened scrutiny and regulation of the digital asset industry, with a specific focus on intermediaries such as digital asset trading platforms and custodians. Federal and state legislatures and regulatory agencies may introduce and enact new laws and regulations to regulate crypto asset intermediaries, such as digital asset trading platforms and custodians. The March 2023 collapses of Silicon Valley Bank, Silvergate Bank, and Signature Bank, which in some cases provided services to the digital assets industry, or similar future events, may amplify and/or accelerate these trends. On January 3, 2023, the federal banking agencies issued a joint statement on crypto-asset risks to banking organizations following events which exposed vulnerabilities in the crypto-asset sector, including the risk of fraud and scams, legal uncertainties, significant volatility, and contagion risk. Although banking organizations are not prohibited from crypto-asset related activities, the agencies have expressed significant safety and soundness concerns with business models that are concentrated in crypto-asset related activities or have concentrated exposures to the crypto-asset sector.
US federal and state regulators, as well as the White House, have issued reports and releases concerning crypto assets, including Bitcoin and crypto asset markets. Further, in 2023 the House of Representatives formed two new subcommittees: the Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion Subcommittee and the Commodity
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Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee, each of which were formed in part to analyze issues concerning crypto assets and demonstrate a legislative intent to develop and consider the adoption of federal legislation designed to address the perceived need for regulation of and concerns surrounding the crypto industry. However, the extent and content of any forthcoming laws and regulations are not yet ascertainable with certainty, and it may not be ascertainable in the near future. A divided Congress makes any prediction difficult. We cannot predict how these and other related events will affect us or the crypto asset business.
In August 2021, the chair of the SEC stated that he believed investors using digital asset trading platforms are not adequately protected, and that activities on the platforms can implicate the securities laws, commodities laws and banking laws, raising a number of issues related to protecting investors and consumers, guarding against illicit activity, and ensuring financial stability. The chair expressed a need for the SEC to have additional authorities to prevent transactions, products, and platforms from “falling between regulatory cracks,” as well as for more resources to protect investors in “this growing and volatile sector.” The chair called for federal legislation centering on digital asset trading, lending, and decentralized finance platforms, seeking “additional plenary authority” to write rules for digital asset trading and lending. Moreover, President Biden’s March 9, 2022 Executive Order, asserting that technological advances and the rapid growth of the digital asset markets “necessitate an evaluation and alignment of the United States Government approach to digital assets,” signals an ongoing focus on digital asset policy and regulation in the United States. A number of reports issued pursuant to the Executive Order have focused on various risks related to the digital asset ecosystem, and have recommended additional legislation and regulatory oversight. There have also been several bills introduced in Congress that propose to establish additional regulation and oversight of the digital asset markets.
It is not possible to predict whether, or when, any of these developments will lead to Congress granting additional authorities to the SEC or other regulators, what the nature of such additional authorities might be, how they might impact the ability of digital asset markets to function or how any new regulations or changes to existing regulations might impact the value of digital assets generally and bitcoin held by the Trust specifically. The consequences of increased federal regulation of digital assets and digital asset activities could have a material adverse effect on the Trust and the Shares.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) requires any administrator or exchanger of convertible digital assets to register with FinCEN as a money transmitter and comply with the anti-money laundering regulations applicable to money transmitters. In 2015, FinCEN assessed a $700,000 fine against a sponsor of a digital asset for violating several requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act by acting as a money services business and selling the digital asset without registering with FinCEN, and by failing to implement and maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program. In 2017, FinCEN assessed a $110 million fine against BTC-e, a now defunct digital asset trading platform, for similar violations. The requirement that trading platforms that do business in the U.S. register with FinCEN and comply with anti-money laundering regulations may increase the cost of buying and selling bitcoin and therefore may adversely affect the price of bitcoin and an investment in the Shares. In a March 2018 letter from FinCEN’s assistant secretary for legislative affairs to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, the assistant secretary indicated that under current law both the developers and the trading platforms involved in the sale of tokens in an initial coin offering (“ICO”) may be required to register with FinCEN as money transmitters and comply with the anti-money laundering regulations applicable to money transmitters.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “U.S. Treasury Department”) has added digital currency addresses to the list of Specially Designated Nationals whose assets are blocked, and with whom U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing. Such actions by OFAC, or by similar organizations in other jurisdictions, may introduce uncertainty in the market as to whether bitcoin that has been associated with such addresses in the past can be easily sold. This “tainted” bitcoin may trade at a substantial discount to untainted bitcoin. Reduced fungibility in the Bitcoin markets may reduce the liquidity of bitcoin and therefore adversely affect their price.
In February 2020, then-U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated digital assets were a “crucial area” on which the U.S. Treasury Department has spent significant time. Secretary Mnuchin announced that the U.S.
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Treasury Department is preparing significant new regulations governing digital asset activities to address concerns regarding the potential use for facilitating money laundering and other illicit activities. In December 2020, FinCEN, a bureau within the U.S. Treasury Department, proposed a rule that would require financial institutions to submit reports, keep records, and verify the identity of customers for certain transactions to or from so-called “unhosted” wallets, also commonly referred to as self-hosted wallets. In January 2021, U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen stated her belief that regulators should “look closely at how to encourage the use of digital assets for legitimate activities while curtailing their use for malign and illegal activities.”
Under regulations from the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYSDFS”), businesses involved in digital asset business activity for third parties in or involving New York, excluding merchants and consumers, must apply for a license, commonly known as a BitLicense, from the NYSDFS and must comply with anti-money laundering, cyber security, consumer protection, and financial and reporting requirements, among others. As an alternative to a BitLicense, a firm can apply for a charter to become a limited purpose trust company under New York law qualified to engage in digital asset business activity. Other states have considered or approved digital asset business activity statutes or rules, passing, for example, regulations or guidance indicating that certain digital asset business activities constitute money transmission requiring licensure.
The inconsistency in applying money transmitting licensure requirements to certain businesses may make it more difficult for these businesses to provide services, which may affect consumer adoption of bitcoin and its price. In an attempt to address these issues, the Uniform Law Commission passed a model law in July 2017, the Uniform Regulation of Virtual Currency Businesses Act, which has many similarities to the BitLicense and features a multistate reciprocity licensure feature, wherein a business licensed in one state could apply for accelerated licensure procedures in other states. It is still unclear, however, how many states, if any, will adopt some or all of the model legislation.
The transparency of blockchains has in the past facilitated investigations by law enforcement agencies. However, certain privacy-enhancing features have been or are expected to be introduced to a number of digital asset networks, and these features may provide law enforcement agencies with less visibility into transaction histories. Although no regulatory action has been taken to treat privacy-enhancing digital assets differently, this may change in the future.
In addition, a determination that bitcoin is a security under U.S. or foreign law could adversely affect an investment in the Shares. See “—Future regulations may require the Trust and the Sponsor to become registered, which may cause the Trust to liquidate.”
As an owner of Shares, you will not have the rights normally associated with ownership of other types of shares.
Shares are not entitled to the same rights as shares issued by a corporation. By acquiring Shares, you are not acquiring the right to elect directors, to receive dividends, to vote on most matters regarding the issuer of the Shares or to take other actions normally associated with the ownership of shares.
The Sponsor and the Trustee may agree to amend the Trust Agreement without the consent of the Shareholders.
The Sponsor and the Trustee may agree to amend the Trust Agreement without Shareholder consent. The Sponsor shall determine the content and manner of delivery of any notice of any Trust Agreement amendment. Such notice may be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports. If an amendment to the Trust Agreement imposes new fees and charges or increases existing fees or charges, including the Sponsor Fee (except for taxes and other governmental charges, registration fees or other such expenses), or prejudices a substantial existing right of
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Shareholders, it will become effective for outstanding Shares 30 days after notice of such amendment is given to registered owners. Shareholders that are not registered owners (which most Shareholders will not be) may not receive specific notice of a fee increase other than through an amendment to the Prospectus. Moreover, at the time an amendment becomes effective, by continuing to hold Shares, Shareholders are deemed to consent and agree to the amendment and to be bound by the Trust Agreement as amended without specific agreement to such increase (other than through the “negative consent” procedure described above).
Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of Shares in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) or the protections afforded by the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”).
The Trust is not an investment company subject to the 1940 Act, and the Sponsor believes that the Trust is not required to register under such act. Accordingly, investors do not have the protections afforded by that statute, which is designed to ensure that registered funds are acting in their investors’ best interests, minimize conflicts of interest and provide for the impartial oversight of investment companies. For example, registered investment companies subject to the 1940 Act must have a board of directors, a certain minimum percentage of whom must be independent (generally, at least a majority). Further, registered investment companies’ advisory and sub-advisory contracts must be annually reapproved by a majority of (1) the entire board of directors and (2) the independent directors. Additionally, such registered investment companies are subject to prohibitions and restrictions on transactions with their affiliates and required to maintain fund assets with special types of custodians (generally, banks or broker-dealers). Moreover, such registered investment companies are subject to significant limits on the use of leverage, as well as limits on the form of capital structure and the types of securities a registered fund can issue. In addition, under Section 36(b) of the 1940 Act, investment advisers to registered investment companies have an express fiduciary duty with respect to their receipt of compensation for services.
The Trust will not hold or trade in commodity interests regulated by the CEA, as administered by the CFTC. Furthermore, the Sponsor believes that the Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA, and that neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor in connection with the operation of the Trust. Consequently, Shareholders will not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in CEA-regulated instruments or commodity pools.
The exclusive jurisdiction for certain types of actions and proceedings and waiver of trial by jury clauses set forth in the Trust Agreement may have the effect of limiting a Shareholder’s rights to bring legal action against the Trust and could limit a purchaser’s ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with the Trust.
The Trust Agreement provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other courts located in Delaware will be the exclusive jurisdiction for any claims, suits, actions or proceedings, provided that (i) the forum selection provisions do not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction and (ii) the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under any federal securities law. By purchasing Shares in the Trust, Shareholders waive certain claims that the courts of the State of Delaware and any other courts located in Delaware is an inconvenient venue or is otherwise inappropriate. As such, Shareholder could be required to litigate a matter relating to the Trust in a Delaware court, even if that court may otherwise be inconvenient for the Shareholder.
The Trust Agreement also provides that each Shareholder waives the right to trial by jury in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding. If a lawsuit is brought against the Trust, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiffs
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in any such action. No Shareholder can waive compliance with respect to the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
If a Shareholder opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the applicable court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with applicable federal laws. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising under the U.S. federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, we believe that a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws of the State of Delaware, which govern the Trust Agreement. By purchasing Shares in the Trust, Shareholders waive a right to a trial by jury which may limit a Shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the Trust.
As the Sponsor and its management have limited history of operating investment vehicles like the Trust, their experience may be inadequate or unsuitable to manage the Trust.
While the Sponsor, its management team, and the Execution Agent operate other investment vehicles that, like the Trust, specifically invest in digital assets, they have a limited track record. This limited experience poses several potential risks to the effective management and operation of the Trust. Digital assets, such as bitcoin, are known for their high volatility, unique technical, legal and regulatory challenges, and rapidly evolving market dynamics. The Sponsor’s limited experience in this specific field may not fully equip them to navigate these complexities effectively.
The past performance of the Sponsor’s or the Execution Agent’s management in other investment vehicles are no indication of their ability to manage an investment vehicle such as the Trust. The unique nature of digital assets makes past performance an unreliable indicator of future success in this area. The digital asset market is technology-driven and requires a deep understanding of the underlying blockchain technology and security considerations. The Sponsor’s limited experience may not fully encompass the technical expertise required to mitigate risks such as cyber threats, technological failures, or operational errors related to digital asset transactions and custody.
Should the experience of the Sponsor, its management team, or the Execution Agent prove inadequate or unsuitable for managing a digital asset-based investment vehicle like the Trust, it could result in suboptimal decision-making, increased operational risks, and potential legal or regulatory non-compliance. These factors could adversely affect the Trust’s operations, leading to potential losses for investors or a decrease in the Trust’s overall value.
Furthermore, the Sponsor and the Execution Agent are currently engaged in the management of other investment vehicles which could divert their attention and resources. If the Sponsor were to experience difficulties in the management of such other investment vehicles that damaged the reputation of either the Sponsor or the Execution Agent, it could have an adverse impact on their ability to continue to serve as Sponsor or Execution Agent, respectively, for the Trust.
Future regulations may require the Trust and the Sponsor to become registered, which may cause the Trust to liquidate.
Current and future legislation, SEC and CFTC rulemaking, and other regulatory developments may impact the manner in which bitcoin is treated for classification and clearing purposes. In particular, certain transactions in bitcoin may be deemed to be commodity interests under the CEA or bitcoin may be classified by the SEC as a “security” under U.S. federal securities laws. Public statements made in the past by senior officials at the SEC, including a June 2018 speech by the director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, indicate that such officials do not believe that bitcoin is a security. Such statements are not official policy statements by the SEC and reflect only the speaker’s views, which are not binding on the SEC or any other agency or court. If bitcoin is
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determined to be a “security” under federal or state securities laws by the SEC or any other agency, or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it may have material adverse consequences for bitcoin as a digital asset. In the face of such developments, the required registrations and compliance steps may result in extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust. If the Sponsor decides to dissolve the Trust in response to the changed regulatory circumstances, the Trust may be dissolved or liquidated at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders.
The SEC has not asserted regulatory authority over bitcoin or trading or ownership of bitcoin and has not expressed the view that bitcoin should be classified or treated as a security for purposes of U.S. federal securities laws. In fact, senior members of the staff of the SEC have expressed the view that bitcoin is not a security under the federal securities laws. However, the SEC has commented on bitcoin and bitcoin-related market developments and has taken action against investment schemes involving bitcoin. For example, in a recent letter regarding the SEC’s review of proposed rule changes to list and trade shares of certain bitcoin-related investment vehicles on public markets, the SEC staff stated that it has significant investor protection concerns regarding the markets for digital assets, including the potential for market manipulation and fraud. In March 2018, it was reported that the SEC was examining as many as 100 investment funds with strategies focused on digital assets. The reported focus of the examinations is on the accuracy of risk disclosures to investors in these funds, digital asset pricing practices, and compliance with rules meant to prevent the theft of investor funds, as well as on information gathering so that the SEC can better understand new technologies and investment products. It has further been reported that some of these funds have received subpoenas from the SEC’s Enforcement Division. The SEC also has determined that certain digital assets are securities under the U.S. securities laws. In these determinations, the SEC reasoned that the unregistered offer and sale of digital assets can, in certain circumstances, including ICOs, be considered illegal public offering of securities. A significant amount of funding for digital asset startups has come from ICOs, and if ICOs are halted or face obstacles, or companies that rely on them face legal action or investigation, it could have a negative impact on the value of digital assets, including bitcoin. Finally, the SEC’s Division of Examinations (“Examinations”) has stated that digital assets are an examination priority. In particular, Examinations has expressed its intent to focus its examination on portfolio management of digital assets, safety of client funds and assets, pricing and valuation of client portfolios, compliance and internal controls, and supervision of employee outside business activities.
The CFTC has regulatory jurisdiction over the bitcoin futures markets. In addition, because the CFTC has determined that bitcoin is a “commodity” under the CEA and the rules thereunder, it has jurisdiction to prosecute fraud and manipulation in the cash, or spot, market for bitcoin. Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the CFTC generally does not oversee cash or spot market exchanges or transactions involving bitcoin that do not utilize collateral, leverage, or financing. The National Futures Association (“NFA”) is the self-regulatory agency for the U.S. futures industry, and as such has jurisdiction over bitcoin futures. However, the NFA does not have regulatory oversight authority for the cash or spot market for bitcoin trading or transactions.
Bitcoin and other digital assets currently face an uncertain regulatory landscape in many foreign jurisdictions such as the European Union, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Israel, Poland, India and Canada. Cybersecurity attacks by state actors, particularly for the purpose of evading international economic sanctions, are likely to attract additional regulatory scrutiny to the acquisition, ownership, sale and use of digital assets, including bitcoin. Moreover, other events, such as the interruption in telecommunications or internet services, cyber-related terrorist acts, civil disturbances, war or other catastrophes, could also negatively affect the digital asset economy in one or more jurisdictions. For example, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 led to volatility in digital asset prices, with an initial steep decline followed by a sharp rebound in prices. The effect of any existing regulation or future regulatory change or other events on the Trust or bitcoin is impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to the Trust and the value of the Shares. Various foreign jurisdictions have adopted, and may continue to adopt in the near future, laws, regulations or directives that affect bitcoin, particularly with respect to bitcoin trading platforms and service providers that fall within such jurisdictions’ regulatory scope. On May 21, 2021, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and the State Council issued a statement aiming to crackdown on bitcoin mining in China. Over the subsequent weeks, multiple regions began to shut down mining operations,
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including what was estimated to be the three largest Chinese mining regions in Xinjiang, Sichuan, and Inner Mongolia. This resulted in a material decrease in the global bitcoin hash rate. Such laws, regulations or directives may conflict with those of the United States and may negatively impact the acceptance of bitcoin by users, merchants and service providers outside the United States and may therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the bitcoin economy in these jurisdictions as well as in the United States and elsewhere, or otherwise negatively affect the value of bitcoin, and, in turn, the value of the Shares.
In addition to financial regulation, because of the high energy usage required for bitcoin mining, bitcoin may be subject to regulation stemming from energy usage and/or climate concerns. For example, as of December 31, 2022, approximately 245 million tera hashes are performed every second in connection with mining on the Bitcoin network. Although measuring the electricity consumed by this process is difficult because these operations are performed by various machines with varying levels of efficiency, the process consumes a significant amount of energy. The operations of the Bitcoin network and other digital asset networks may also consume significant amounts of energy. Further, in addition to the direct energy costs of performing calculations on any given digital asset network, there are indirect costs that impact a network’s total energy consumption, including the costs of cooling the machines that perform these calculations. A number of states and countries have adopted, or are considering the adoption of, regulatory frameworks to impede bitcoin mining and/or bitcoin use more broadly. For example, New York State recently failed to pass a bill that would place a moratorium on mining operations for proof-of-work blockchains such as bitcoin. Depending on how futures regulations are formulated and applied, such policies could have the potential to negatively affect the price of bitcoin, and, in turn, the value of the Shares. Increased regulation and the corresponding compliance cost of these regulations could additionally result in higher barriers to entry for bitcoin miners, which could increase the concentration of the hash rate, potentially having a negative impact on the price of bitcoin.
If regulatory changes or interpretations of an Authorized Participant’s, the Trust’s or the Sponsor’s activities require the regulation of an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor as a money service business under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act or as a money transmitter or digital asset business under state regimes for the licensing of such businesses, an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor may be required to register and comply with such regulations, which could result in extraordinary, recurring and/or nonrecurring expenses to the Authorized Participant, Trust or Sponsor or increased commissions for the Authorized Participant’s clients, thereby reducing the liquidity of the Shares.
To the extent that the activities of any Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor cause it to be deemed a “money services business” under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, such Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor may be required to comply with FinCEN regulations, including those that would mandate the Authorized Participant to implement anti-money laundering programs, make certain reports to FinCEN and maintain certain records. Similarly, the activities of an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor may require it to be licensed as a money transmitter or as a digital asset business, such as under NYSDFS’ BitLicense regulation.
Such additional regulatory obligations may cause an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor to incur extraordinary expenses. If an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor decide to seek the required licenses, there is no guarantee that they will timely receive them. In addition, to the extent an Authorized Participant, the Trust, or the Sponsor is found to have operated without appropriate state or federal licenses, it may be subject to investigation, administrative or court proceedings, and civil or criminal monetary fines and penalties, all of which could harm the reputation of the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor and affect the value of the Shares. Furthermore, an Authorized Participant, the Trust, or the Sponsor may not be able to timely acquire necessary state licenses or be capable of complying with certain federal or state regulatory obligations applicable to money services businesses, money transmitters, and businesses engaged in digital asset activity. An Authorized Participant may also instead decide to terminate its role as Authorized Participant of the Trust, or the Sponsor may decide to dissolve the Trust. Dissolution by an Authorized Participant may decrease the liquidity of the Shares, which may adversely affect the value of the Shares, and any dissolution of the Trust in response to the changed regulatory circumstances may be at a time that is disadvantageous to the Shareholders.
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The tax treatment of bitcoin and transactions involving bitcoin for U.S. federal income tax purpose is uncertain and may change, which could adversely affect the value of an investment in the Shares.
Current U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) guidance indicates that bitcoin should be treated and taxed as property, not as currency, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and that transactions involving the payment of bitcoin in return for goods and services should be treated as barter transactions. Such exchanges result in capital gain or loss measured by the difference between the price at which bitcoin is exchanged and the taxpayer’s basis in the bitcoin. However, because bitcoin is a new technological innovation, because IRS guidance has taken the form of administrative pronouncements that may be modified without prior notice and comment, and because there is as yet little case law on the subject, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in bitcoin or in transactions relating to investments in bitcoin may change from that described in this Prospectus, possibly with retroactive effect. Any such change in the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoin may have a negative effect on prices of bitcoin and may adversely affect the value of the Shares. In this regard, the IRS has indicated that it has made it a priority to issue additional guidance related to the taxation of virtual currency transactions, such as transactions involving bitcoin. In addition, the IRS and U.S. Department of Treasury have proposed regulations regarding the tax information reporting rules for cryptocurrency transactions. While it has started to issue such additional guidance, whether any future guidance will adversely affect the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in bitcoin or in transactions relating to investments in bitcoin is unknown. Moreover, future developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Investors should consult their personal tax advisors before making any decision to purchase the Shares of the Trust. Additionally, the tax considerations contained herein are in summary form and may not be used as the sole basis for the decision to invest in the Shares from a tax perspective, since the individual situation of each investor must also be taken into account. Accordingly, the considerations regarding taxation contained herein should not be used as any sort of material information or tax advice nor are they in any way to be construed as a representation or warranty with respect to specific tax consequences.
The tax treatment of bitcoin and transactions involving bitcoin for state and local tax purposes is uncertain and may change, which could adversely affect the value of an investment in the Shares.
Because bitcoin is a new technological innovation, the tax treatment of bitcoin for state and local tax purposes, including without limitation state and local income and sales and use taxes, is not settled. A number of states have issued their own guidance regarding the tax treatment of certain digital assets for state income or sales and use tax purposes. For example, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“NYSDTF”) has issued guidance regarding the application of state tax law to virtual currency. The agency determined that New York State would follow IRS guidance with respect to the treatment of virtual currency for state income tax purposes. Furthermore, the NYSDTF concluded that virtual currency is a form of “intangible property,” meaning that transactions using virtual currency to purchase goods or services may be subject to state sales tax under barter transaction treatment. It is uncertain what guidance, if any, on the treatment of bitcoin for state and local tax purposes may be issued in the future. Such treatment may have negative consequences for investors in digital assets, including the potential imposition of a greater tax burden on investors in digital assets or the potential imposition of greater costs on the acquisition and disposition of digital assets. In either case, such different tax treatment may potentially have a negative effect on the price of bitcoin and a negative impact on the NAV of the Trust.
A hard “fork” or airdrop of the Bitcoin blockchain could result in Shareholders incurring a tax liability.
If a hard fork, airdrop or similar event occurs in the Bitcoin blockchain, the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency so created. Although the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency so created, it is possible that Shareholders may still incur a federal income tax liability as a result of a hard fork, airdrop or similar event if, for example, the IRS does not recognize such a disclaimer. Under current guidance, the IRS has
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held that a hard fork resulting in the receipt of new units of cryptocurrency is a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income. While the IRS has not addressed all situations in which airdrops occur, it is clear from the reasoning of the IRS’s current guidance that it generally would treat an airdrop as a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income.
Current IRS guidance does not address whether income recognized by a non-U.S. person as a result of a hard fork, airdrop or similar occurrence could be subject to the 30% withholding tax imposed on U.S. source “fixed or determinable annual or periodical gains, profits and income” (“FDAP”). A Non-U.S. Shareholder (as defined under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” below) should assume that, in the absence of guidance, a withholding agent (including the Sponsor) is likely to withhold 30% of any such income recognized by a Non-U.S. Shareholder in respect of its Shares, including by deducting such withheld amounts from proceeds that such Non-U.S. Shareholder would otherwise be entitled to receive in connection with a distribution of the new digital asset.
The receipt, distribution and/or sale of the new digital asset may cause Shareholders to incur a United States federal, state, and/or local, or non-U.S. tax liability. Any tax liability could adversely impact an investment in the Shares and may require Shareholders to prepare and file tax returns they would not otherwise be required to prepare and file.
A U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder may recognize “unrelated business taxable income” as a consequence of an investment in the Shares.
Under current IRS guidance, hard forks, airdrops and similar events with respect to digital assets will under certain circumstances be treated as taxable events giving rise to ordinary income. In the absence of guidance to the contrary, it is possible that any such income recognized by a U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder (as defined under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” below) would constitute “unrelated business taxable income” (“UBTI”). U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding whether such Shareholders may recognize UBTI as a consequence of an investment in the Shares.
Intellectual property rights claims may adversely affect the operation of the Bitcoin network.
Third parties may assert intellectual property claims relating to the holding and transfer of bitcoin and its source code. Regardless of the merit of any intellectual property or other legal action, any threatened action that reduces confidence in long-term viability or the ability of end-users to hold and transfer bitcoin may adversely affect an investment in the Trust. Additionally, a meritorious intellectual property claim could prevent the Trust and other end-users from accessing, holding or transferring bitcoin, which could force the liquidation of the Trust’s holdings of bitcoin. As a result, an intellectual property claim against the Trust or other large bitcoin participants could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Risks Related to the Markets and Service Ecosystems for Bitcoin
The venues through which bitcoin trades are relatively new and may be more exposed to operational problems or failure than trading platforms for other assets, which could adversely affect the value of bitcoin and therefore adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Platforms through which bitcoin trades are relatively new. Bitcoin trading platforms are generally subject to different regulatory requirements than platforms for trading more traditional assets, and may be subject to limited or no regulation, especially outside the U.S. Furthermore, many such trading platforms, including exchanges and over-the-counter trading venues, do not provide the public with significant information regarding their ownership structure, management teams, corporate practices or regulatory compliance, and may take the position that they are not subject to laws and regulations that would apply to a national securities exchange or designated contract market in the United States, or may, as a practical matter, be beyond the ambit of U.S. regulators. Bitcoin trading platforms may impose daily, weekly, monthly or customer-specific transaction or distribution limits or suspend withdrawals entirely, rendering the exchange of bitcoin for fiat currency difficult or impossible. Participation in bitcoin trading on some platforms requires users to take on credit risk by transferring digital assets from a personal account to a third party’s account, which could discourage trading on those platforms.
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Over the past several years, a number of bitcoin trading platforms have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches. In many of these instances, the customers of such trading platforms were not compensated or made whole for the partial or complete losses of their account balances in such trading platforms. While smaller trading platforms are less likely to have the infrastructure and capitalization that make larger trading platforms more stable, larger trading platforms are more likely to be appealing targets for hackers and “malware” (i.e., software used or programmed by attackers to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information or gain access to private computer systems) and their shortcomings or ultimate failures are more likely to have contagion effects on the digital asset ecosystem. For example, in 2014, the largest bitcoin trading platform at the time, Mt. Gox, filed for bankruptcy in Japan amid reports the trading platform lost up to 850,000 bitcoin, valued then at over $450 million.
As another example, in January 2015, Bitstamp announced that approximately 19,000 bitcoin had been stolen from its operational or “hot” wallets. In August 2016, it was reported that almost 120,000 bitcoin worth around $78 million were stolen from Bitfinex, a large bitcoin trading platform. The value of bitcoin immediately decreased by more than 10% following reports of the theft at Bitfinex. In addition, in December 2017, Yapian, the operator of Seoul-based digital asset trading platform Youbit, suspended digital asset trading and filed for bankruptcy following a hack that resulted in a loss of 17% of Yapian’s assets. Following the hack, Youbit users were allowed to withdraw approximately 75% of the digital assets in their trading platform accounts, with any potential further distributions to be made following Yapian’s pending bankruptcy proceedings. In January 2018, Japan-based trading platform Coincheck reported that over $500 million worth of the digital asset NEM had been lost due to hacking attacks, resulting in significant decreases in the prices of bitcoin, ether and other digital assets as the market grew increasingly concerned about the security of digital assets. Following South Korean-based trading platform Coinrail’s announcement in early June 2018 about a hacking incident, the price of bitcoin and ether dropped more than 10%. In September 2018, Japan-based trading platform Zaif announced that approximately $60 million worth of digital assets, including bitcoin, was stolen due to hacking activities. In May 2019, one of the world’s largest digital asset trading platforms, Binance, was hacked, resulting in losses of approximately $40 million. Further, in November 2022, FTX Trading Ltd. (“FTX”), one of the largest digital asset trading platforms by volume at the time, halted customer withdrawals amid rumors of the company’s liquidity issues and likely insolvency, which were subsequently corroborated by its CEO. Shortly thereafter, FTX’s CEO resigned and FTX and many of its affiliates filed for bankruptcy in the United States, while other affiliates have entered insolvency, liquidation, or similar proceedings around the globe, following which the U.S. Department of Justice brought criminal fraud and other charges, and the SEC and CFTC brought civil securities and commodities fraud charges, against certain of FTX’s and its affiliates’ senior executives, including its former CEO. Around the same time, there were reports that approximately $300-600 million of digital assets were removed from FTX and the full facts remain unknown, including whether such removal was the result of a hack, theft, insider activity, or other improper behavior. Various claims and issues related to FTX have not yet been resolved.
Bitcoin trading platforms that are regulated typically must comply with minimum net worth, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering requirements, but are not typically required to protect customers to the same extent as regulated securities exchanges or futures exchanges.
Some academics and market observers have put forth evidence to support claims that manipulative trading activity has occurred on certain bitcoin trading platforms. For example, in a 2017 paper titled “Price Manipulation in the Bitcoin Ecosystem” sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center at Tel Aviv University, a group of researchers used publicly available trading data, as well as leaked transaction data from a 2014 Mt. Gox security breach, to identify and analyze the impact of “suspicious trading activity” on Mt. Gox between February and November 2013, which, according to the authors, caused the price of bitcoin to increase from around $150 to more than $1,000 over a two-month period. In August 2017, it was reported that a trader or group of traders nicknamed “Spoofy” was placing large orders on Bitfinex without actually executing them, presumably in order to influence other investors into buying or selling by creating a false appearance that greater demand existed in the market. In December 2017, an anonymous blogger (publishing under the pseudonym
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Bitfinex’d) cited publicly available trading data to support his or her claim that a trading bot nicknamed “Picasso” was pursuing a paint-the-tape-style manipulation strategy by buying and selling bitcoin and bitcoin cash between affiliated accounts in order to create the appearance of substantial trading activity and thereby influence the price of such assets.
Bitcoin trading platforms used by the Trust may lack certain safeguards to detect and prevent fraudulent or manipulative trading.
Many bitcoin trading platforms lack certain safeguards put in place by exchanges for more traditional assets to enhance the stability of trading on the exchanges and prevent “flash crashes,” such as limit-down circuit breakers. As a result, the prices of bitcoin on trading platforms may be subject to larger and/or more frequent sudden declines than assets traded on more traditional exchanges. Tools to detect and deter fraudulent or manipulative trading activities such as market manipulation, front-running of trades, and wash-trading may not be available to or employed by digital asset trading platforms, or may not exist at all. The SEC has identified possible sources of fraud and manipulation in the bitcoin market generally, including, among others (1) “wash trading”; (2) persons with a dominant position in bitcoin manipulating bitcoin pricing; (3) hacking of the Bitcoin network and trading platforms; (4) malicious control of the Bitcoin network; (5) trading based on material, non-public information (for example, plans of market participants to significantly increase or decrease their holdings in bitcoin, new sources of demand for bitcoin) or based on the dissemination of false and misleading information; (6) manipulative activity involving purported “stablecoins,” including Tether (for more information, see “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Digital Assets—Prices of bitcoin may be affected due to stablecoins (including Tether and US Dollar Coin (“USDC”), the activities of stablecoin issuers and their regulatory treatment”), the activities of stablecoin issuers and their regulatory treatment”); and (7) fraud and manipulation at bitcoin trading platforms. The effect of potential market manipulation, front-running, wash-trading, and other fraudulent or manipulative trading practices may inflate the volumes actually present in crypto market and/or cause distortions in price, which could adversely affect the Trust or cause losses to Shareholders.
Operational problems or failures by bitcoin trading platforms and fluctuations in bitcoin prices may reduce confidence in these platforms or in bitcoin generally, which could adversely affect the price of bitcoin and therefore adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Anonymity and illicit financing risk.
Although transaction details of peer-to-peer transactions are recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain, a buyer or seller of digital assets on a peer-to-peer basis directly on the Bitcoin network may never know to whom the public key belongs or the true identity of the party with whom it is transacting. Public key addresses are randomized sequences of alphanumeric characters that, standing alone, do not provide sufficient information to identify users. In addition, certain technologies may obscure the origin or chain of custody of digital assets. The opaque nature of the market poses asset verification challenges for market participants, regulators and auditors and gives rise to an increased risk of manipulation and fraud, including the potential for Ponzi schemes, bucket shops and pump and dump schemes. Digital assets have in the past been used to facilitate illicit activities. If a digital asset was used to facilitate illicit activities, businesses that facilitate transactions in such digital assets could be at increased risk of potential criminal or civil lawsuits, or of having banking or other services cut off, and such digital asset could be removed from digital asset trading platforms. Any of the aforementioned occurrences could adversely affect the price of the relevant digital asset, the attractiveness of the respective blockchain network and an investment in the Shares. While the Trust’s bitcoin transactions are expected to be effected by the Execution Agent over-the-counter with known counterparties, if the Trust or the Sponsor were to transact with a sanctioned entity, the Trust or the Sponsor would be at risk of potential criminal or civil lawsuits or liability.
The Trust takes measures with the objective of reducing illicit financing risks in connection with the Trust’s activities. However, illicit financing risks are present in the digital asset markets, including markets for bitcoin. There can be no assurance that the measures employed by the Trust will prove successful in reducing illicit
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financing risks, and the Trust is subject to the complex illicit financing risks and vulnerabilities present in the digital asset markets. If such risks eventuate, the Trust or the Sponsor or their affiliates could face civil or criminal liability, fines, penalties, or other punishments, be subject to investigation, have their assets frozen, lose access to banking services or services provided by other service providers, or suffer disruptions to their operations, any of which could negatively affect the Trust’s ability to operate or cause losses in value of the Shares.
Furthermore, Authorized Participants, as broker-dealers, and the Execution Agent, Prime Broker and Bitcoin Custodian, as entities licensed to conduct virtual currency business activity by the New York Department of Financial Services and a limited purpose trust company subject to New York Banking Law, respectively, are “financial institutions” subject to the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, as amended (“BSA”), and U.S. economic sanctions laws. The Trust will only accept bitcoin in connection with creation and redemption requests from Bitcoin Counterparties who have represented to the Trust or the Execution Agent that they have implemented compliance programs that are designed to ensure compliance with applicable sanctions and anti-money laundering laws. In addition, with respect to all bitcoin delivered to the Trust by Bitcoin Counterparties in connection with creation requests, the Bitcoin Counterparties must represent to the Trust or the Execution Agent that it will form a reasonable belief (i) as to the identities of, and conduct necessary diligence with respect to, any counterparties from whom the Bitcoin Counterparty obtains bitcoin being transferred and (ii) that such bitcoin being transferred by the Bitcoin Counterparty to the Trust were not derived from, or associated with, unlawful or criminal activity.
The Sponsor, the Execution Agent and the Trust have adopted and implemented policies and procedures that are designed to ensure that they do not violate applicable AML and sanctions laws and regulations and to comply with any applicable KYC laws and regulations. Each of the Sponsor, the Execution Agent and the Trust will only interact with known third party service providers with respect to whom it has engaged in a due diligence process including a thorough KYC process, such as the Authorized Participants and the Bitcoin Custodian. Authorized Participants, as broker-dealers, and the Bitcoin Custodian, as a limited purpose trust company subject to New York Banking Law, are subject to the BSA and U.S. economic sanctions laws.
The Bitcoin Custodian has adopted and implemented an anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance program that provides protections intended to ensure that the Sponsor and the Trust do not transact with a sanctioned party. Notably, the Bitcoin Custodian performs Know-Your-Transaction (“KYT”) screening using blockchain analytics to identify, detect, and mitigate the risk of transacting with a sanctioned or other unlawful actor. Pursuant to the Bitcoin Custodian’s KYT program, any bitcoin that is delivered to the Trust’s custody account will undergo screening to ensure that the origins of that bitcoin are not illicit.
There is no guarantee that such procedures will always be effective. If the Authorized Participants, the Execution Agent, the Bitcoin Custodian or the Prime Broker were to have inadequate policies, procedures and controls for complying with applicable anti-money laundering and applicable sanctions laws or the Trust’s diligence is ineffective, violations of such laws could result, which could result in regulatory liability for the Trust, the Sponsor, the Trustee or their affiliates under such laws, including governmental fines, penalties, and other punishments, as well as potential liability to or cessation of services by the Bitcoin Custodian. Any of the foregoing could result in losses to the Shareholders or negatively affect the Trust’s ability to operate.
Spot bitcoin markets may be exposed to fraud and market manipulation.
The blockchain infrastructure could be used by certain market participants to exploit arbitrage opportunities through schemes such as front-running, spoofing, pump-and-dump and fraud across different systems, platforms or geographic locations. As a result of reduced oversight, these schemes may be more prevalent in digital asset markets than in the general market for financial products.
The SEC has identified possible sources of fraud and manipulation in the bitcoin market generally, including, among others (1) “wash trading”; (2) persons with a dominant position in bitcoin manipulating bitcoin pricing;
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(3) hacking of the Bitcoin network and trading platforms; (4) malicious control of the Bitcoin network; (5) trading based on material, non-public information (for example, plans of market participants to significantly increase or decrease their holdings in bitcoin, new sources of demand for bitcoin, etc.) or based on the dissemination of false and misleading information; (6) manipulative activity involving purported “stablecoins,” including Tether; and (7) fraud and manipulation at bitcoin trading platforms.
Over the past several years, a number of bitcoin spot markets have been closed or faced issues due to fraud. In many of these instances, the customers of such bitcoin spot markets were not compensated or made whole for the partial or complete losses of their account balances in such bitcoin trading platforms.
In 2019, there were reports claiming that 80.95% of bitcoin trading volume on digital asset trading platforms was false or noneconomic in nature, with specific focus on unregulated trading platforms located outside of the United States. Such reports alleged that certain overseas trading platforms have displayed suspicious trading activity suggestive of a variety of manipulative or fraudulent practices.
The potential consequences of a spot market’s failure or failure to prevent market manipulation could adversely affect the value of the Shares. Any market abuse, and a loss of investor confidence in bitcoin, may adversely impact pricing trends in bitcoin markets broadly, as well as an investment in Shares of the Trust.
Spot bitcoin markets may be exposed to wash trading.
Spot markets on which bitcoin trades may be susceptible to wash trading. Wash trading occurs when offsetting trades are entered into for other than bona fide reasons, such as the desire to inflate reported trading volumes. Wash trading may be motivated by non-economic reasons, such as a desire for increased visibility on popular websites that monitor markets for digital assets so as to improve their attractiveness to investors who look for maximum liquidity, or it may be motivated by the ability to attract listing fees from token issuers who seek the most liquid and high-volume trading platforms on which to list their coins. Results of wash trading may include unexpected obstacles to trade and erroneous investment decisions based on false information.
Even in the United States, and even on regulated venues there have been allegations of wash trading. Any actual or perceived false trading in the digital asset trading platform market, and any other fraudulent or manipulative acts and practices, could adversely affect the value of bitcoin and/or negatively affect the market perception of bitcoin.
To the extent that wash trading either occurs or appears to occur in spot markets on which bitcoin trades, investors may develop negative perceptions about bitcoin and the digital assets industry more broadly, which could adversely impact the price bitcoin and, therefore, the price of Shares. Wash trading also may place more legitimate digital asset trading platforms at a relative competitive disadvantage.
Spot bitcoin markets may be exposed to front-running.
Spot markets on which bitcoin trades may be susceptible to “front-running,” which refers to the process when someone uses technology or market advantage to get prior knowledge of upcoming transactions. Front-running is a frequent activity on centralized as well as decentralized trading platforms. By using bots functioning on a millisecond-scale timeframe, bad actors are able to take advantage of the forthcoming price movement and make economic gains at the cost of those who had introduced these transactions. The objective of a front runner is to buy a group of tokens at a low price and later sell them at a higher price while simultaneously exiting the position. Front-running happens via manipulations of gas prices or timestamps, also known as slow matching. To extent that front-running occurs, it may result in investor frustration and concerns as to the price integrity of digital asset trading platforms and digital assets more generally.
Spot bitcoin markets may be exposed to momentum pricing.
The market value of bitcoin is not based on any kind of claim, nor backed by any physical asset. Instead, the market value depends on the expectation of being usable in future transactions and continued interest from
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investors. This strong correlation between an expectation and market value is the basis for the current (and probable future) volatility of the market value of bitcoin and may increase the likelihood of momentum pricing.
Momentum pricing typically is associated with growth stocks and other assets whose valuation, as determined by the investing public, is impacted by appreciation in value. Momentum pricing may result in speculation regarding future appreciation in the value of digital assets, which inflates prices and leads to increased volatility. As a result, bitcoin may be more likely to fluctuate in value due to changing investor confidence in future appreciation or depreciation in prices, which could adversely affect the price of bitcoin, and, in turn, an investment in the Trust.
The value of a bitcoin as represented by the Benchmark may also be subject to momentum pricing due to speculation regarding future appreciation in value, leading to greater volatility that could adversely affect the value of the Shares. Momentum pricing of bitcoin has previously resulted, and may continue to result, in speculation regarding future appreciation or depreciation in the value of bitcoin, further contributing to volatility and potentially inflating prices at any given time. These dynamics may impact the value of an investment in Trust.
Some market observers have asserted that in time, the value of bitcoin will fall to a fraction of its current value, or even to zero. Bitcoin has not been in existence long enough for market participants to assess these predictions with any precision, but if these observers are even partially correct, an investment in the Shares may turn out to be substantially worthless.
Failure of funds that hold bitcoin, or that have exposure to bitcoin through derivatives, to receive SEC approval to list their shares on exchanges could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
There have been a growing number of attempts to list on national securities exchanges the shares of funds that hold bitcoin or that have exposure to bitcoin through derivatives. These investment vehicles attempt to provide institutional and retail investors exposure to markets for digital assets including bitcoin and related products. The SEC has repeatedly denied such requests of funds that have attempted to list their shares on exchanges. On January 18, 2018, the SEC’s Division of Investment Management outlined several questions that sponsors would be expected to address before it would consider granting approval for funds holding “substantial amounts” of digital assets or “cryptocurrency-related products.” The questions, which focus on specific requirements of the 1940 Act, generally fall into one of five key areas: valuation, liquidity, custody, arbitrage and potential manipulation. Further, by way of illustration, in the fall of 2021, NYSE Arca proposed listing shares of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (“GBTC”) on the exchange as a spot bitcoin exchange-traded product (“ETP”). After delaying a decision for nearly eight months, the SEC denied GBTC’s application in June 2022, finding that NYSE Arca’s proposed rule change. After the SEC’s denial, Grayscale sued the SEC under the Administrative Procedures Act, arguing that the denial of GBTC’s listing was “arbitrary and capricious” in light of the SEC’s approval of two similar bitcoin futures-based ETPs. On August 29, 2023, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously sided with Grayscale, finding that GBTC was materially similar to SEC-approved bitcoin futures ETPs across the relevant regulatory factors.
Political or economic crises may motivate large-scale sales of bitcoin, which could result in a reduction in the prices of bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
As an alternative to fiat currencies that are backed by central governments, bitcoin is subject to supply and demand forces based upon the desirability of an alternative, decentralized means of buying and selling goods and services, and it is unclear how such supply and demand will be impacted by geopolitical events. Nevertheless, political or economic crises may motivate large-scale acquisitions or sales of bitcoin, either globally or locally. Large-scale sales of bitcoin would result in a reduction in its price and adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
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Ownership of bitcoin is pseudonymous, and the supply of accessible bitcoin is unknown. Entities with substantial holdings in bitcoin may engage in large-scale sales or distributions, either on nonmarket terms or in the ordinary course, which could result in a reduction in the price of bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
There is no registry showing which individuals or entities own bitcoin or the quantity of bitcoin that is owned by any particular person or entity. It is possible, and in fact, reasonably likely, that a small group of early bitcoin adopters hold a significant proportion of the bitcoin that has been created to date. There are no regulations in place that would prevent a large holder of bitcoin from selling bitcoin it holds. To the extent such large holders of bitcoin engage in large-scale sales or distributions, either on nonmarket terms or in the ordinary course, it could result in a reduction in the price of bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Shares. For example, in March 2018, it was reported that the trustee overseeing the bankruptcy of the Mt. Gox trading platform had sold roughly $400 million worth of bitcoin and bitcoin cash belonging to the Mt. Gox bankruptcy estate. While the trustee has publicly stated that the sale was conducted in a manner that would avoid affecting the market price, others have speculated that corresponding reductions in the trading price of bitcoin were a result of these large sales. A significant quantity of bitcoin and bitcoin cash remain in the Mt. Gox bankruptcy estate, and the process for selling the estate’s remaining bitcoin and bitcoin cash has not yet been determined. Further large-scale sales or distributions, either by the Mt. Gox bankruptcy estate or other entities with substantial holdings, could result in selling pressure that may reduce the price of bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Risks Related to the Trust and the Shares
Several factors may affect the Trust’s ability to achieve its investment objective on a consistent basis.
There is no guarantee that the Trust will meet its investment objective. Factors that may affect the Trust’s ability to meet its investment objective include:
| • | the development and maintenance of an active trading market for Shares; |
| • | the continued participation of Authorized Participants; |
| • | the ability of Authorized Participants to obtain and dispose of bitcoin in an efficient manner to effectuate creation and redemption orders; |
| • | the liquidity of the bitcoin market; |
| • | the functioning of the markets on which bitcoin trades; |
| • | the compliance of the Trust’s portfolio holdings with investment restrictions, policies or regulatory or tax law requirements; and |
| • | the ability of the Trust to achieve or maintain an economically viable size. |
The Trust is subject to risks due to its concentration of investments in a single asset.
Unlike other funds that may invest in diversified assets, the Trust’s investment strategy is concentrated in a single asset: bitcoin. This concentration maximizes the degree of the Trust’s exposure to a variety of market risks associated with bitcoin, including the rise or fall in its price, sometimes rapidly or unexpectedly. By concentrating its investment strategy solely in bitcoin, any losses suffered as a result of a decrease in the value of bitcoin can be expected to reduce the value of an interest in the Trust and will not be offset by other gains if the Trust were to invest in underlying assets that were diversified.
Shareholders will not receive the benefits of any forks or “airdrops.”
The Bitcoin blockchain may be subject to forks or airdrops that create new digital assets. See “Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Market—The Bitcoin Market—Forks and Airdrops.” Shareholders may not receive the benefits of any
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forks, the Trust may not choose, or be able, to participate in an airdrop, and the timing of receiving any benefits from a fork, airdrop or similar event is uncertain. The Sponsor refers to the right to receive any such benefit as an “Incidental Right” and any such virtual currency acquired through an Incidental Right as “IR Virtual Currency.” If a hard fork, airdrop or similar event occurs in the Bitcoin blockchain, the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency so created. Bitcoin is the only digital asset that will be held by the Trust. In the event the Trust seeks to change its treatment of Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, an application would need to be filed with the SEC by the Exchange seeking approval to amend its listing rules.
Although the Sponsor is under no obligation to do so, an inability to realize the economic benefit of a hard fork or airdrop could adversely affect the value of the Shares. Investors who prefer to have a greater degree of control over events such as forks, airdrops, and similar events, and any assets made available in connection with each, should consider investing in bitcoin directly rather than purchasing Shares.
The Trust is subject to management and operational risks from its Sponsor and service providers.
The Trust is subject to management risk because it relies on the Sponsor’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Shareholders will have very limited voting rights, which will limit their ability to influence matters such as amendment of the Trust Agreement, change in the Trust’s basic investment policy, dissolution of the Trust, or the sale or distribution of the Trust’s assets.
The Trust also is subject to the risk of loss as a result of other services provided by the Sponsor and other service providers, including benchmark, custody, administrative, accounting, tax, legal, custody, transfer agency and other services. Operational risk includes the possibility of loss caused by inadequate procedures and controls, human error and cyber attacks, disruptions and failures affecting, or by, a service provider. In addition, the Sponsor may be required to indemnify its officers, directors and key employees with respect to their activities on behalf of the Trust and other accounts, if the need for indemnification arises. This potential indemnification could cause the Sponsor’s assets to decrease. If the Sponsor’s sources of income are not sufficient to compensate for the indemnification, it could cease operations, which could in turn result in Trust losses and/or dissolution of the Trust.
In addition, the Trust’s service providers, including the Bitcoin Custodian, act in similar capacities for a number of other digital asset ETPs. If those digital asset ETPs experience operational challenges or regulatory problems that impact or implicate one or more of the Trust’s service providers, the Trust’s operations may be adversely impacted as a result. The Sponsor will monitor the services provided by the Trust’s service providers to detect and identify any such potential issues with the service providers.
The Trust as well as the Sponsor and its service providers are vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other public crises that may arise in the future, which may adversely affect the performance of the Trust’s investment in bitcoin and your investment in the Trust.
The recent spread of the human coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) is an example. In the first quarter of 2020, the World Health Organization (the “WHO”) recognized COVID-19 as a global pandemic and both the WHO and the United States declared the outbreak a public health emergency. The subsequent spread of COVID-19 resulted in, among other significant adverse economic impacts, instances of market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations (including business closures) and supply chains, employee layoffs and general lack of employee availability, lower consumer demand, and defaults and credit downgrades, all of which contributed to disruption of global economic activity across many industries and exacerbated other pre-existing political, social and economic risks domestically and globally. Although the WHO and the United States ended their declarations of COVID-19 as a global health emergency in May 2023, the full economic impact at the macro-level and on individual businesses,
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as well as the potential for a future reoccurrence of COVID-19 or the occurrence of a similar epidemic or pandemic, is unpredictable and could result in significant and prolonged adverse impact on economies and financial markets in specific countries and worldwide and thereby could negatively affect a Fund’s performance.
The Trust’s risk management processes and policies may prove to not be adequate to prevent any loss of the Trust’s bitcoin.
The Sponsor will continue to monitor and evaluate the Trust’s risk management processes and policies and believes that the current risk management processes and procedures are reasonably designed and effective. The Sponsor believes that the security procedures that the Sponsor and the Bitcoin Custodian utilize, such as hardware redundancy, segregation and offline data storage (i.e., the maintenance of data on computers and/or storage media that is not directly connected to or accessible from the internet and/or networked with other computers, also known as “cold storage”) protocols are reasonably designed to safeguard the Trust’s bitcoin from theft, loss, destruction or other issues relating to hackers and technological attack. Despite the number of security procedures that the Sponsor and Bitcoin Custodian employ, it is impossible to guarantee the prevention of any loss due to a security breach, software defect, act of God, pandemic or riot that may be borne by the Trust. Notwithstanding the above, the Bitcoin Custodian is responsible for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. In the event that the Trust’s risk management processes and policies prove to not be adequate to prevent any loss of the Trust’s bitcoin and such loss is not covered by insurance or is otherwise recoverable, the value of the Shares will decrease as a result and investors would experience a decrease in the value of their investment.
The development and commercialization of the Trust is subject to competitive pressures and may be adversely affected by competition from competing products and other investment vehicles focused on bitcoin or other digital assets.
The Trust and the Sponsor face competition with respect to the creation of competing products. The Sponsor’s competitors may have greater financial, technical and human resources than the Sponsor. These competitors may also compete with the Sponsor in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel. Smaller or early stage companies may also prove to be effective competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. Accordingly, the Sponsor’s competitors may commercialize a product involving bitcoin more rapidly, effectively or for a lower fee than the Sponsor is able to, which could adversely affect the Sponsor’s competitive position, the likelihood that the Trust will achieve initial market acceptance and the Sponsor’s ability to generate meaningful revenues from the Trust. For exchange-traded products similar to the Trust, there have been significant “first-mover” advantages in terms of asset gathering, trading volume and media coverage. In many cases, the first mover in an asset class has been able to maintain these advantages for extended periods.
Investors may invest in bitcoin through means other than the Shares, including through direct investments in bitcoin and other potential financial vehicles, possibly including securities backed by or linked to bitcoin and digital asset financial vehicles similar to the Trust, or bitcoin futures-based products. Market and financial conditions, and other conditions beyond the Sponsor’s control, may make it more attractive to invest in other financial vehicles or to invest in bitcoin directly, which could limit the market for, and reduce the liquidity of, the Shares. In addition, to the extent digital asset financial vehicles other than the Trust tracking the price of bitcoin are formed and represent a significant proportion of the demand for bitcoin, large purchases or redemptions of the securities of these digital asset financial vehicles, or private funds holding bitcoin, could negatively affect the Benchmark, the Trust’s bitcoin holdings, the price of the Shares, the net asset value of the Trust and the NAV.
If the Trust fails to achieve sufficient scale due to competition, the Sponsor may have difficulty raising sufficient revenue to cover the costs associated with launching and maintaining the Trust, and such shortfalls could impact the Sponsor’s ability to properly invest in robust ongoing operations and controls of the Trust to minimize the risk of operating events, errors, or other forms of losses to the Shareholders. In addition, the Trust may also fail
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to attract adequate liquidity in the secondary market due to such competition, resulting in a sub-standard number of Authorized Participants willing to make a market in the Shares, which in turn could result in a significant premium or discount in the Shares for extended periods and the Trust’s failure to reflect the performance of the price of bitcoin.
In addition, the Trust will compete with direct investments in bitcoin, bitcoin futures-based products, other digital assets and other potential financial vehicles, possibly including securities backed by or linked to digital assets and other investment vehicles that focus on other digital assets. Market and financial conditions, and other conditions beyond the Trust’s control, may make it more attractive to invest directly or in other vehicles, which could adversely affect the performance of the Trust.
The value of the Shares may be influenced by a variety of factors unrelated to the value of bitcoin.
The value of the Shares may be influenced by a variety of factors unrelated to the price of bitcoin that may have an adverse effect on the price of the Shares. These factors include:
| • | The Trust could experience unanticipated problems or issues with respect to the mechanics of the Trust’s operations and the trading of the Shares, in particular due to the fact that the mechanisms and procedures governing the creation and offering of the Shares and storage of bitcoin have been developed specifically for this product; |
| • | The Trust could experience difficulties in operating and maintaining its technical infrastructure, including in connection with expansions or updates to such infrastructure, which are likely to be complex and could lead to unanticipated delays, unforeseen expenses and security vulnerabilities; |
| • | The Trust could experience unforeseen issues relating to the performance and effectiveness of the security procedures, such as algorithms, codes, passwords, multiple signature systems, encryption and telephone call-backs, used to protect the Trust’s account with the Bitcoin Custodian, or the security procedures may not protect against all errors, software flaws or other vulnerabilities in the Trust’s technical infrastructure, which could result in theft, loss or damage of its assets; or |
| • | If the Bitcoin network introduces privacy enhancing features in the future, service providers may decide to terminate their relationships with the Trust due to concerns that the introduction of privacy enhancing features to the Bitcoin network may increase the potential for bitcoin to be used to facilitate crime, exposing such service providers to potential reputational harm. |
Any of these factors could affect the value of the Shares, either directly or indirectly through their effect on the Trust’s assets.
The NAV may not always correspond to the market price of the Shares.
The NAV of the Trust may not always correspond to the market price of its Shares. Shareholders should be aware that the public trading price per Share may be different from the NAV for a number of reasons, including price volatility, trading activity, normal trading hours for the Trust, the calculation methodology of the NAV, demand or supply for Shares of the Trust in excess of an Authorized Participant’s ability to create or redeem Shares and/or the closing of bitcoin trading venues due to fraud, failure, security breaches or otherwise, and the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares are related, but not identical, to the supply and demand forces influencing the market price of bitcoin. Additionally, bitcoin is traded on trading platform markets and over-the-counter 24-hours a day and seven days a week, and the value of the Shares may therefore change on days and at times when an investor is not able to buy or sell Shares.
The Trust and the Sponsor believe that slippage in trading (i.e., the difference between the expected price and the price at which the trade is executed) is not necessarily more pronounced in the trading of digital assets as compared to other asset classes or in the trading of bitcoin as compared to other digital assets. To monitor the
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trading of bitcoin and other digital assets, the Execution Agent requests quotes from liquidity providers to trade bitcoin or other digital asset as a spread off a corresponding index. While trading slippage is not expected to have a material impact on the Trust over the long term, trading slippage may from time to time be material on a given day. The Trust does not currently intend to take specific steps to limit the impact of trading slippage.
An Authorized Participant may be able to create or redeem a Creation Basket at a discount or a premium to the public trading price per Share. To the extent creations or redemptions take place in kind in the future, the Trust’s operations will therefore not be directly impacted by any discount or premium in the market price of its Shares.
Benchmark tracking risk.
Although the Trust will attempt to structure its portfolio so that it is able to track the Benchmark, the Trust may not achieve the desired degree of correlation between its performance and that of the Benchmark and thus may not achieve its investment objective. The difference in performance may be due to factors such as fees, transaction costs, redemptions of, and subscriptions for, Shares, differences in the timing of the addition or removal of constituent trading platforms underlying the Benchmark, pricing differences or the cost to the Trust of complying with various new or existing regulatory requirements.
The use of cash creations and redemptions may adversely affect the arbitrage transactions by Authorized Participants intended to keep the price of the Shares closely linked to the price of bitcoin and, as a result, the price of the Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV.
The use of cash creations and redemptions, as opposed to in-kind creations and redemptions, could cause delays in trade execution due to potential operational issues arising from implementing a cash creation and redemption model, which involves greater operational steps (and therefore execution risk) than the originally contemplated in-kind creation and redemption model. Such delays could cause the execution price associated with such trades to materially deviate from the Benchmark price used to determine the NAV. Even though the Authorized Participant is responsible for the dollar cost of such difference in prices, Authorized Participants could default on their obligations to the Trust, or such potential risks and costs could lead to Authorized Participants, who would otherwise be willing to purchase or redeem Baskets to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price of the Shares and the price of the underlying bitcoin, to elect to not participate in the Trust’s Share creation and redemption processes. This may adversely affect the arbitrage mechanism intended to keep the price of the Shares closely linked to the price of bitcoin, and as a result, the price of the Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV. If the arbitrage mechanism is not effective, purchases or sales of Shares on the secondary market could occur at a premium or discount to NAV, which could harm Shareholders by causing them buy Shares at a price higher than the value of the underlying bitcoin held by the Trust or sell Shares at a price lower than the value of the underlying bitcoin held by the Trust, causing Shareholders to suffer losses. Further, if and when In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained, the Trust may not be able to successfully implement in-kind creation and redemption transactions, which could put the Trust at a disadvantage compared to other digital asset ETPs that are able to implement in-kind creations and redemptions.
Bitcoin buying and selling activity associated with the creation and redemption of Creation Baskets, or withdrawal from participation by an Authorized Participant, may adversely affect an investment in the Shares of the Trust.
The Trust’s or the Execution Agent’s purchase of bitcoin in connection with Creation Basket purchase orders may cause the price of bitcoin to increase, which will result in higher prices for the Shares. Increases in bitcoin prices may also occur as a result of bitcoin purchases by other market participants who attempt to benefit from an increase in the market price of bitcoin when Creation Baskets are issued. The market price of bitcoin may therefore decline immediately after Creation Baskets are issued.
Selling activity associated with sales of bitcoin by the Trust or the Execution Agent in connection with redemption orders may decrease the bitcoin prices, which will result in lower prices for the Shares. Decreases in bitcoin prices may also occur as a result of selling activity by other market participants.
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In addition to the effect that purchases and sales of bitcoin by the Trust or Execution Agent may have on the price of bitcoin, sales and purchases of bitcoin by similar investment vehicles (if developed) could impact the price of bitcoin. If the price of bitcoin declines, the trading price of the Shares will generally also decline.
Authorized Participant Risk
The Trust has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants and engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Trust, and none of those Authorized Participants is obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. In the event that one or more Authorized Participants that have substantial interests in the Trust’s Shares exit the business or are unable to proceed with participation in the purchase (creation) or sale (redemption) of the Trust’s Shares, and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Baskets, this may result in a significantly diminished trading market for the Shares, and the Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to the Trust’s NAV and to face trading halts and/or delisting. Further, the Trust’s Authorized Participants may act as authorized participants for a number of other digital asset ETPs. If those digital asset ETPs experience operational challenges or regulatory problems that impact or implicate one or more of the Trust’s Authorized Participants, the Trust may be adversely impacted. In addition, if one or more of the Trust’s Authorized Participants discontinue serving as an Authorized Participant with respect to the Trust but not to other digital asset ETPs, the liquidity of Shares and the value of an investment in the Shares may be adversely affected. Finally, in periods of heightened bitcoin price volatility, the Authorized Participants may not be able to effectively make markets in several impacted digital asset ETPs at once, which could lead to larger bid-ask spreads or Share price premiums and discounts. The Sponsor will monitor the activity and operations of the Trust’s Authorized Participants to identify any such potential issues.
The inability of Authorized Participants to hedge their bitcoin exposure may adversely affect the liquidity of Shares and the value of an investment in the Shares.
Authorized Participants will generally want to hedge their exposure in connection with Creation Basket creation and redemption orders. To the extent Authorized Participants are unable to hedge their exposure due to market conditions (e.g., insufficient bitcoin liquidity in the market, inability to locate an appropriate hedge counterparty, extreme volatility in the price of bitcoin, etc.), such conditions may make it difficult to create or redeem Creation Baskets or cause them to not create or redeem Creation Baskets. In addition, the hedging mechanisms employed by Authorized Participants to hedge their exposure to bitcoin may not function as intended, which may make it more difficult for them to enter into such transactions. Such events could negatively impact the market price of the Trust and the spread at which the Trust trades on the open market.
The market infrastructure of the bitcoin spot market could result in the absence of active Authorized Participants able to support the trading activity of the Trust.
Bitcoin is extremely volatile, and concerns exist about the stability and reliability of many trading venues where bitcoin trade. In a highly volatile market, or if one or more trading venues supporting the bitcoin market face an issue, it could be extremely challenging for any Authorized Participants to provide continuous liquidity in the Shares. There can be no guarantee that the Sponsor will be able to find an Authorized Participant to actively and continuously support the Trust.
Bitcoin spot trading platforms are not subject to the same regulatory oversight as traditional equity exchanges, which could negatively impact the ability of Authorized Participants to implement arbitrage mechanisms.
The trading for spot bitcoin occurs on multiple domestic and foreign trading platforms that have various levels and types of regulation, but are not regulated in the same manner as traditional stock and bond exchanges. If these trading platforms do not operate smoothly or face technical, security or regulatory issues, that could impact the ability of Authorized Participants to make markets in the Shares. In such an event, trading in the Shares could occur at a material premium or discount to the NAV.
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In addition, trading on these trading platforms may be halted or disrupted due to regulatory actions, operational problems at the trading platforms or third parties, cybersecurity incidents or acts of fraud or misconduct, among others. In the event a trading platform experiences such a disruption, the Trust may be impacted and the value of the Shares may decline. Further, the price and availability of bitcoin on these trading platforms may differ, and if the Trust transacts at one trading platform at a time where the price and/or availability of bitcoin is materially worse than that of another trading platform, the value of Shares may be impacted. Operational problems or failures by bitcoin trading platforms and fluctuations in bitcoin prices may reduce confidence in these platforms or in bitcoin generally, which could adversely affect the price of bitcoin and therefore adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Only Authorized Participants may transact in Creation Baskets.
The Trust will process all creations and redemptions of Shares in transactions with financial firms that are authorized to do so (known as “Authorized Participants”). Shareholders that are not Authorized Participants or who are unable to transact in Creation Baskets through Authorized Participants may only purchase or sell their Shares in secondary trading markets, and the conditions associated with trading in secondary markets may adversely affect Shareholders’ investment in the Shares. Although shares of the Trust are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Secondary market trading in Shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons. Shares of the Trust, similar to shares of other issuers listed on a stock exchange, may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility and price decreases associated with being sold short. Shares trade on the Exchange at prices at, above or below the most recent NAV. The NAV is calculated at the end of each Business Day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Trust’s bitcoin. The trading price of the Shares fluctuates continuously throughout trading hours based on both market supply of and demand for Shares and the underlying value of the Trust’s bitcoin or the Trust’s NAV. As a result, the trading prices of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it more likely that Shares normally will trade on the Exchange at prices close to the next calculated NAV, market prices are not expected to correlate exactly with the Trust’s NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at Authorized Participants, or other market participants, and during periods of significant market volatility, may result in trading prices for Shares that differ significantly from its NAV. Authorized Participants may be less willing to create or redeem Shares if there is a lack of an active market for such Shares or its underlying investments, which may contribute to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. Buying or selling Shares on the Exchange involves two types of costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, Shareholders will likely incur a brokerage commission and other charges. In addition, Shareholders may incur the cost of the “spread”; that is, the difference between what investors are willing to pay for Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). The spread, which varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, is generally narrower if the Trust has more trading volume and market liquidity and wider if the Trust has less trading volume and market liquidity. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads. There may also be regulatory and other charges that are incurred as a result of trading activity. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments through a brokerage account.
Bitcoin Counterparty Risk.
There can be no guarantee that the Execution Agent will be able to find Bitcoin Counterparties to actively and continuously provide bitcoin liquidity to the Trust. Because the Bitcoin Counterparties are not contractually obligated to provide bitcoin liquidity to the Trust, if the Trust is unable to find sufficient sources of bitcoin liquidity, the Execution Agent may not be able to purchase or sell bitcoin on behalf of the Trust at prices and at
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times that will enable the Trust to track the Benchmark. If the Execution Agent is unable to transact in bitcoin on the Trust’s behalf on a timely and cost-efficient basis, it could adversely affect the price of bitcoin and therefore adversely affect an investment in the Shares. To the extent that the unavailability of bitcoin liquidity results in a diminished trading market for the Shares, the Shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to the Trust’s NAV and to face trading halts and/or delisting. Further, if one or more Bitcoin Counterparties or trading platforms or venues supporting the bitcoin market are unwilling or unable to provide liquidity to the Trust, it could be challenging for any Authorized Participants to provide continuous liquidity in the Shares.
Shareholders may be adversely affected by creation or redemption orders that are subject to postponement, suspension or rejection under certain circumstances.
The Trust may, in its discretion, suspend the right of creation or redemption or may postpone the purchase or redemption settlement date, for (1) any period during which the Exchange is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings, or trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted, (2) any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which the fulfillment of a purchase order or the redemption distribution is not reasonably practicable, (3) such other period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the protection of the Trust or its Shareholders (for example, where acceptance of the total deposit required to create each Creation Basket would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Trust or its Shareholders), or (4) as agreed upon between the Sponsor and Authorized Participant. An emergency could include situations where the Trust is unable to transact in bitcoin or where the Trust is unable to value its bitcoin holdings. Such a situation may arise when trading of bitcoin is suspended on one or more of the digital asset trading platforms that are included in the Benchmark (for example, as a result of a significant technical failure, power outage or network error) or the Trust is unable to access the bitcoin in the Trust’s bitcoin custody account at the Bitcoin Custodian due to technical or operating issues at the Trust or the Bitcoin Custodian. Because the Trust’s bitcoin transactions are expected to be effected by the Execution Agent over-the-counter, it is unlikely that the Trust’s bitcoin transactions would be directly impacted by a trading halt on one or more digital asset trading platforms. However, such disruptions may have an effect on overall bitcoin liquidity or cause price spreads of bitcoin to widen.
In addition, the Trust may reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form as described in the authorized participant agreement by and among the Trust, the Sponsor and the Authorized Participants (the “Authorized Participant Agreement”) or if the fulfillment of the order might be unlawful. Any such postponement, suspension or rejection could adversely affect a redeeming Authorized Participant. Suspension of creation privileges may adversely impact how the Shares are traded and arbitraged on the secondary market, which could cause them to trade at levels materially different (premiums and discounts) from the fair value of their underlying holdings.
The Exchange on which the Shares are listed may halt trading in the Trust’s Shares, which would adversely impact a Shareholder’s ability to sell Shares.
The Trust’s Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange under the ticker symbol BTCO. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or, in light of the Exchange rules and procedures, for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules that require trading to be halted for a specified period based on a specified market decline. Additionally, there can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the Trust’s Shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
The lack of active trading markets for the Shares of the Trust may result in losses on Shareholders’ investments at the time of disposition of Shares.
Although Shares of the Trust are expected to be publicly listed and traded on an exchange, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market for the Trust will develop or be maintained. If Shareholders need to sell their Shares at a time when no active market for them exists, the price Shareholders receive for their Shares,
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assuming that Shareholders are able to sell them, will likely be lower than the price that Shareholders would receive if an active market did exist and, accordingly, a Shareholder may suffer losses.
Shareholders could incur a tax liability without an associated distribution of the Trust.
In the normal course of business, Shareholders could incur a taxable gain as a result of the sale of bitcoin (including sales of bitcoin to pay the Sponsor Fee and other Trust expenses), which gain does not correspond to a distribution to Shareholders (so-called “phantom income”). Any tax liability could adversely impact an investment in the Shares and may require Shareholders to prepare and file tax returns. In that event, Shareholders may be subject to tax on any realized capital gain resulting from their pro-rata share of the bitcoins sold by the Trust even though there is not a corresponding distribution from the Trust. See “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Taxation of U.S. Shareholders” and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Taxation of the Trust.”
The amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will decline over time.
The amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will be reduced during the life of the Trust each time the Trust accrues the Sponsor’s Fee, and to pay for any extraordinary expenses. This dynamic will occur irrespective of whether the value of the Trust’s assets, or the trading price of the Shares, rises or falls.
Each outstanding Share represents a fractional, undivided interest in the bitcoin held by the Trust. The Trust transfers bitcoin to pay for the Sponsor Fee, and to pay for any extraordinary expenses, including, but not limited to, taxes and governmental charges, any applicable brokerage commissions, financing fees, Bitcoin network fees and similar transaction fees, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders (including, for example, in connection with any fork of the Bitcoin blockchain), any indemnification of the Sponsor, Cash Custodian, Bitcoin Custodian, Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters. Therefore, the amount of bitcoin represented by each Share will gradually decline over time. This is also true with respect to Shares that are issued in exchange for additional deposits of bitcoin or cash used to acquire bitcoin over time, as the amount of bitcoin required to create Shares proportionally reflects the amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares outstanding at the time of such Share issuance. Assuming a constant bitcoin price, the trading price of the Shares is expected to gradually decline relative to the price of bitcoin at the rate of the Sponsor Fee and other expenses.
Any errors or changes in calculations used to value the Trust’s bitcoin holdings and bitcoin holdings per Share may have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares.
The value of Trust’s bitcoin holdings is typically determined on a daily basis as of 4:00 p.m. ET on each Business Day. This determination is made utilizing data from the operations of the Trust, calculated as of 4:00 p.m. ET on such day. In the event that the value of the Trust’s bitcoin holdings or bitcoin holdings per Share is incorrectly calculated, the Sponsor and the Administrator will not be liable for any error and such misreporting of valuation data could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
The value of the Shares will be adversely affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Transfer Agent, the Bitcoin Custodian or the Cash Custodian.
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee and the Sponsor will have a right to be indemnified by the Trust for certain liabilities or expenses that it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part. The Trust has also agreed to indemnify the Transfer Agent, Bitcoin Custodian and Cash Custodian under their respective agreements with the Trust for certain liabilities or expenses that such party incurs, subject to certain qualifications. Therefore, the Trustee, Sponsor, Transfer Agent, the Bitcoin Custodian or the Cash Custodian may require that the assets of the Trust be sold in order to cover losses or liability suffered by it. Any sale of that kind would reduce the bitcoin holdings of the Trust and the value of the Shares.
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The Sponsor and its affiliates are subject to conflicts of interest that could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
The Sponsor and its affiliates and their respective officers, directors and employees and other related parties engage in a broad spectrum of activities and may expand the range of services that they provide over time. The Sponsor and its related parties will generally not be restricted in the scope of their business or in the performance of any such services (whether now offered or undertaken in the future), even if such activities could give rise to conflicts of interest, and whether or not such conflicts are described herein. In the ordinary course of their business activities, the Sponsor and its related parties may engage in activities where the interests of the Sponsor and its related parties or the interests of their clients conflict with the interests of the Trust. Certain employees of the Sponsor also have responsibilities relating to the business of one or more related parties. These employees are not restricted in the amount of time that may be allocated to the business activities of the Sponsor’s related parties, and the allocation of such employees’ time between the Sponsor and its related parties may change over time.
The Sponsor and its related parties are responsible for managing other accounts in addition to the services that they provide to the Trust, including other accounts of the Sponsor or its affiliates. Other accounts may include, without limitation, private or SEC-registered funds, separately managed accounts, offshore funds or accounts, or investments owned by the Sponsor or its affiliates. Management of other accounts in addition to services provided to the Trust can present certain conflicts of interest. The other accounts might have similar or different investment objectives or strategies as the Trust, or otherwise hold, purchase or sell investments that are eligible to be held, purchased or sold by the Trust, or may take positions that are opposite in direction from those taken by the Trust.
The Sponsor may devote unequal time and attention to the management of different accounts. As a result, the Sponsor may not be able to fulfill its obligations to the Trust as might be the case if it were to devote substantially more attention to the management of a single account. The effects of this potential conflict may be more pronounced where accounts overseen by the Sponsor have different investment strategies.
A conflict of interest arises where the financial or other benefits available to the Sponsor or its related parties differ among the accounts that it manages. Where the structure of the Sponsor’s or its related party’s fee differs among accounts (such as where certain accounts pay higher management fees or a performance or incentive fee), the Sponsor might be motivated to help certain accounts over others. In addition, the Sponsor might be motivated to favor accounts in which it has an interest and/or its related parties have interests. Similarly, the desire to maintain or raise assets under management or to enhance the Sponsor’s or its related parties’ performance record or to derive other rewards, financial or otherwise, could influence the Sponsor to give preferential treatment to those accounts that could most significantly benefit the Sponsor.
The Trust’s service providers (including its Bitcoin Custodian, Administrator, auditor and legal counsel) may provide services to other pooled investment vehicles with similar investment strategies and objectives and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest. The Trust’s Sponsor and other service providers and their principals, employees or affiliates may invest or trade in digital assets for their own accounts, which activities may conflict or compete with the Trust.
The Sponsor or its related parties may purchase Shares from the Trust from time to time, and may hold a material position in the Trust. The Trust will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Sponsor or its affiliates of these Shares, and the sale of such Shares may impact the price at which you may be able to sell your Shares. The Sponsor and its related parties reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, to sell into the market or redeem in Creation Baskets through an Authorized Participant at any time some or all of the Shares of the Trust acquired for their own accounts. The Sponsor or its related parties face conflicting interests in determining whether, when and in what amount to sell or redeem Shares of the Trust. The Sponsor and its related parties are under no obligation to consider the effect of redemptions on the Trust and other Shareholders in deciding whether to sell or redeem their Shares.
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The Sponsor is responsible for selecting and engaging the Trust’s service providers, including the Benchmark Provider. To the extent that the Sponsor has other commercial arrangements with the service providers, the Sponsor may face conflicts of interest with respect to its oversight and supervision of the service providers. Further, to the extent that the Sponsor has investments in bitcoin and/or in Shares, and due to the fact that the Sponsor’s fee is payable based on the value of the Shares, the Sponsor may face potential conflicts of interest with respect to the Benchmark Provider’s valuation of Shares.
Investment vehicles advised or managed by affiliates of the Sponsor hold a minority interest in Coinbase Global, the parent of Coinbase Inc., which serves as the Trust’s Prime Broker and operates one of the digital asset trading platforms included in the Benchmark price and is the parent of the Bitcoin Custodian.
Investment vehicles advised or managed by affiliates of the Sponsor own shares in many public companies listed in the United States, including Coinbase Global, the parent of Coinbase Inc. which operates the Coinbase trading platform and serves as the Trust’s Prime Broker. The Trust values its digital assets by reference to the Benchmark price. Coinbase is one of the digital asset trading platforms included in the Benchmark.
Although neither the Sponsor nor any affiliates of the Sponsor nor any investment vehicles managed or advised by any of them exercise control over Coinbase, it is possible that positions of investment vehicles managed by affiliates of the Sponsor in Coinbase may present risks to Shareholders to the extent affiliates of the Sponsor cause the Sponsor to favor Coinbase’s interests over the interests of the Trust or its Shareholders with respect to, for example, fees charged, and the quality of service provided by Coinbase as Prime Broker. Similarly, investors could have concerns that the Sponsor or affiliates of the Sponsor could influence market data provided by Coinbase in a way that benefits the Sponsor, for example by artificially inflating the values of bitcoin in order to increase the Sponsor’s fees. This could make the Trust’s Shares less attractive to investors than the shares of similar vehicles that do not present these concerns, adversely affect investor sentiment about the Trust and negatively affect Share trading prices.
Coinbase Global is also the parent company of the Bitcoin Custodian. The Bitcoin Custodian serves as a fiduciary and custodian on the Trust’s behalf, and is responsible for safeguarding digital assets held by the Trust, and holding the private keys that provide access to the Trust’s digital wallets and vaults. The positions of investment vehicles managed by affiliates of the Sponsor in the parent company of the Bitcoin Custodian may present risks to Shareholders to the extent affiliates of the Sponsor cause the Sponsor to favor the Bitcoin Custodian’s interests over the interests of the Trust or its Shareholders with respect to, for example, fees charged, and the quality of service provided by the Bitcoin Custodian. Similarly, it is possible that investors could have concerns that the interests owned by investment vehicles managed by affiliates of the Sponsor in Coinbase could cause it to refrain from taking actions that are in the best interests of the Trust but that could harm the Bitcoin Custodian. This could make the Trust’s Shares less attractive to investors than the shares of similar vehicles that do not present these concerns, adversely affect investor sentiment about the Trust and negatively affect Share trading prices.
There is no guarantee that every employee, officer, director or similar person associated with the Sponsor, the Execution Agent or their affiliates will comply with the policies, duties and training and refrain from engaging in insider trading in violation of their duties to the Trust, the Sponsor or the Execution Agent.
While the Sponsor has adopted and implemented policies and will adopt standard operating practices requiring that certain applicable personnel pre-clear personal trading activity in which bitcoin is the referenced asset, there is no way to guarantee that every employee, officer, director, or similar person associated the Sponsor, the Execution Agent or their affiliates will comply at all times with such policies, duties and training and refrain from engaging in insider trading in violation of their duties to the Trust, the Sponsor or the Execution Agent. This risk is present in traditional financial markets and is not unique to bitcoin. If such employees or others affiliated with the Trust, Sponsor, Execution Agent, or affiliates respectively do engage in illegal conduct or conduct which fails to meet applicable regulatory standards, the Trust, Sponsor, Execution Agent, or relevant
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affiliate respectively could be the target of civil or criminal fines, penalties, punishments, or other regulatory or other sanctions or lawsuits or could be the target of an investigation, whether directly or indirectly, such as on a failure to diligently supervise theory. Any of these outcomes could cause the Trust and Shareholders to suffer harm.
The Sponsor, the Execution Agent and their affiliates may also participate in transactions related to bitcoin, either for their own account (subject to certain internal employee trading operating practices) or for the account of other clients, and such transactions may occur prior to, during, or after the commencement of this offering. Such transactions may not serve to benefit the Shareholders of the Trust and may have a positive or negative effect on the value of the bitcoin held by the Trust and, consequently, on the market value of bitcoin.
Risks Related to the Benchmark
The Benchmark has a limited history.
The Benchmark has a limited history. A longer history of actual performance through various economic and market conditions would provide greater and more reliable information for an investor to assess the Benchmark’s performance. The Benchmark Provider has substantial discretion at any time to change the methodology used to calculate the Benchmark, including the spot markets that contribute prices to the Trust’s NAV. The Benchmark Provider does not have any obligation to take the needs of the Trust, the Trust’s Shareholders, or anyone else into consideration in connection with such changes. There is no guarantee that the methodology currently used in calculating the Benchmark will appropriately track the price of bitcoin in the future, and the Benchmark could be calculated now or in the future in a way that adversely affects an investment in the Trust.
The Benchmark Pricing Sources used by the Benchmark are digital asset spot markets that facilitate the buying and selling of bitcoin and other digital assets. Although many Benchmark Pricing Sources refer to themselves as “exchanges,” they are not registered with, or supervised by, the SEC or CFTC and do not meet the regulatory standards of a national securities exchange or designated contract market. For these reasons, among others, purchases and sales of bitcoin may be subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions due to various factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets and government regulation and intervention. These circumstances could affect the price of bitcoin used in Benchmark calculations and, therefore, could affect the bitcoin price as reflected by the Benchmark.
The Benchmark is based on various inputs which include price data from various third-party bitcoin spot markets. The Benchmark Provider does not guarantee the validity of any of these inputs, which may be subject to technological error, manipulative activity, or fraudulent reporting from their initial source.
Right to change the Benchmark.
The Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may cause the Trust to track (or price its portfolio based upon) an index or standard other than the Benchmark at any time, with at least 60 days’ prior notice to the Shareholders (where possible), if investment conditions change or the Sponsor believes that another index or benchmark better aligns with the Trust’s investment objective and strategy. The Sponsor, however, is under no obligation whatsoever to make such changes in any circumstance. In the event that the Sponsor intends to establish the Trust’s NAV by reference to an index, benchmark or standard other than the Benchmark, it will provide Shareholders with notice in a prospectus supplement and/or through a current report on Form 8-K or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
The trading platforms that may be designated as a principal market under the Benchmark Provider’s methodology face a number of risks.
Unlike traditional stock and commodity exchanges, cryptocurrency trading platforms face a number of risks, including but not limited to, distributed denial-of-service (“dDoS”), interruption of trading, hacking of user
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accounts, lack of standards and naming convention for symbols, and an unstable technological and legal environment (causing changes in fee structure, blocking of funds withdrawal, etc.). Suspension or disruption of market trading in bitcoin on one or more Benchmark Pricing Sources may adversely affect the value of the Benchmark.
The Benchmark is subject to the limitations of its methodology and the bitcoin market.
Though the Benchmark is designed to be representative of the bitcoin market or otherwise align with its stated objective, it may not be representative in every case or achieve its stated objective in all instances. The Benchmark is designed and calculated strictly to follow the rules of its methodology, and any Benchmark price or other output is limited in its usefulness to such design and calculation. In addition, the Benchmark will necessarily be composed of a limited number of potential principal markets, and thus the Benchmark may not reflect the value of bitcoin on crypto trading platforms not considered in the Benchmark. Furthermore, the Benchmark Provider publicizes its methodology as a whitepaper available for download on the Benchmark Provider’s website.
The bitcoin market can be volatile, including those market interests which the Benchmark intends to measure or upon which the Benchmark is dependent in order to achieve its stated objective. For example, illiquidity can have an impact on the quality or amount of data available to the Benchmark Provider for calculation, and may cause the Benchmark to produce unpredictable or unanticipated results. In addition, market trends and changes to market structure may render the objective of the Benchmark unachievable or cause the Benchmark to become impractical to replicate.
The Benchmark Provider could experience system failures or errors.
If the computers or other facilities of the Benchmark Provider, Benchmark Pricing Sources, data providers and/or relevant stock exchange malfunction for any reason, calculation and dissemination of the Benchmark may be delayed. Errors in Benchmark data, the Benchmark computations and/or construction may occur from time to time and may not be identified and/or corrected for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Trust and the Shareholders. Any of the foregoing may lead to the errors in the Benchmark, which may lead to a different investment outcome for the Trust and its Shareholders than would have been the case had such events not occurred. The Benchmark is the reference price for calculating the Trust’s NAV. Consequently, losses or costs associated with the Benchmark’s errors or other risks described above will generally be borne by the Trust and the Shareholders and neither the Sponsor nor its affiliates or agents make any representations or warranties regarding the foregoing.
If the Benchmark is not available, the Trust’s holdings may be fair valued in accordance with the policy approved by the Sponsor. See “Calculation of NAV—General.” To the extent the valuation determined in accordance with the policy approved by the Sponsor differs materially from the actual market price of bitcoin, the price of the Shares may no longer track, whether temporarily or over time, the global market price of bitcoin, which could adversely affect an investment in the Trust by reducing investors’ confidence in the Shares’ ability to track the global market price of bitcoin. To the extent such prices differ materially from the market price for bitcoin, investors may lose confidence in the Shares’ ability to track the market price of bitcoin, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares. The Sponsor does not anticipate that the need to “fair value” bitcoin will be a common occurrence.
Risks related to pricing.
As set forth under “Calculation of NAV” below, the Trust’s portfolio will be priced, including for purposes of determining the NAV, based upon the estimated fair market value (“FMV”) for bitcoin determined by the Benchmark Provider. The price of bitcoin in U.S. Dollars or in other currencies available from other data sources may not be equal to the prices used to calculate the NAV. The Benchmark Provider has substantial discretion at
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any time to change the methodology used to determine the FMV of bitcoin, including the spot markets underlying its methodology. The Benchmark Provider does not have any obligation to take the needs of the Trust, the Trust’s Shareholders, or anyone else into consideration in connection with such changes.
The Benchmark Pricing Sources used by the Benchmark Provider are digital asset spot markets that facilitate the buying and selling of bitcoin and other digital assets. Although many Benchmark Pricing Sources refer to themselves as “exchanges,” they are not registered with, or supervised by, the SEC or CFTC and do not meet the regulatory standards of a national securities exchange or designated contract market. For these reasons, among others, purchases and sales of bitcoin may be subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions due to various factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets and government regulation and intervention. These circumstances could affect the price of bitcoin determined by the Benchmark Provider.
The NAV of the Trust will change as fluctuations occur in the market price of the Trust’s bitcoin holdings. Shareholders should be aware that the public trading price per Share may be different from the NAV for a number of reasons, including price volatility, trading activity, the closing of bitcoin trading platforms due to fraud, failure, security breaches or otherwise, and the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares are related, but not identical, to the supply and demand forces influencing the market price of bitcoin.
An Authorized Participant may be able to create or redeem a Creation Basket at a discount or a premium to the public trading price per Share. To the extent creations or redemptions take place in-kind in the future, the Trust will therefore maintain its intended fractional exposure to a specific amount of bitcoin per Share.
Shareholders also should note that the size of the Trust in terms of total bitcoin held may change substantially over time and as Creation Baskets are created and redeemed.
In the event that the value of the Trust’s bitcoin holdings or bitcoin holdings per Share is incorrectly calculated, neither the Sponsor nor the Administrator will be liable for any error and such misreporting of valuation data could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
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BITCOIN AND THE BITCOIN MARKET
This section of the Prospectus provides a more detailed description of bitcoin, including information about the historical development of bitcoin, how a person holds bitcoin, how to use bitcoin in transactions, how to trade bitcoin, the markets where bitcoin can be bought, held and sold, the bitcoin over-the-counter (“OTC”) market and government oversight of bitcoin.
Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Network
Bitcoin is a digital asset the ownership and behavior of which are determined by participants in an online, peer-to-peer network that connects computers that run publicly accessible, or “open source,” software that follows the rules and procedures governing the Bitcoin network, commonly referred to as the Bitcoin protocol. The value of bitcoin, like the value of other digital assets, is not backed by any government, corporation or other identified body. Ownership and the ability to transfer or take other actions with respect to bitcoin is protected through public-key cryptography. The supply of bitcoin is constrained or formulated by its protocol instead of being explicitly delegated to an identified body (e.g., a central bank or corporate treasury) to control. Units of bitcoin are treated as fungible. Bitcoin and certain other types of digital assets are sometimes referred to as digital currencies or cryptocurrencies. No single entity owns or operates the Bitcoin network, the infrastructure of which is collectively maintained by (1) a decentralized group of participants who run computer software that results in the recording and validation of transactions (commonly referred to as “miners”), (2) developers who propose improvements to the Bitcoin protocol and the software that enforces the protocol and (3) users who choose what Bitcoin software to run. Bitcoin was released in 2009 and, as a result, there is little data on its long-term investment potential. Bitcoin is not backed by a government-issued legal tender.
Bitcoin is “stored” or reflected on a digital transaction ledger commonly known as a “blockchain.” A blockchain is a type of shared and continually reconciled database, stored in a decentralized manner on the computers of certain users of the digital asset. A blockchain is a canonical record of every digital asset: the blockchain records every “coin” or “token,” balances of digital assets, every transaction and every address associated with a quantity of a particular digital asset. Bitcoin utilizes the blockchain to record transactions into and out of different addresses, facilitating a determination of how much bitcoin is in each address.
Bitcoin is created by “mining.” Mining involves miners using a sophisticated computer program to repeatedly solve complex mathematical problems on specialized computer hardware. Miners range from bitcoin enthusiasts to professional mining operations that design and build dedicated machines and data centers. The mathematical problem involves a computation involving all or some bitcoin transactions that have been proposed by the Bitcoin network’s participants. When this problem is solved, the computer creates a “block” consisting of these transactions. As each newly solved block refers back to and “connects” with the immediately prior solved block, the addition of a new block adds to the blockchain in a manner similar to a new link being added to a chain. A miner’s proposed block is added to the blockchain once a majority of the nodes on the network confirm the miner’s work. A miner that is successful in adding a block to the blockchain is automatically awarded a fixed amount of bitcoin for its efforts plus any transaction fees paid by transferors whose transactions are recorded in the block. This reward system is the means by which new bitcoin enter circulation. This reward system, called proof of work, also ensures that the local copies of the Bitcoin blockchain maintained by participants in the Bitcoin network are kept in consensus with one another. Given the limited number of blocks produced per day and the statistically uncertain nature of finding blocks, a miner acting alone would experience very high variance in block rewards. Because of these facts, most miners join mining pools wherein multiple miners act cohesively and share any rewards.
The process by which bitcoin transactions are broadcast to the Bitcoin network and then published in successively created blocks by miners typically takes 10 minutes on average. While there is no universal definition of transaction settlement, most service providers consider a transaction confirmed when it has been published six blocks deep. Although previously there were minimal or no transaction costs in direct peer-to-peer
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transactions on the Bitcoin network, more recently the Bitcoin network has faced a scaling challenge that has led to significantly increased fees. The Bitcoin network has in the past been at or near capacity. For example, during the period from January 1, 2017 to January 31, 2021, average bitcoin transaction fees increased from $0.39 per transaction to $11.56 per transaction, with a high of $54.83 per transaction on December 12, 2017. In May 2023, events related to the adoption of ordinals, which are a means of inscribing digital content on the bitcoin blockchain, caused transaction fees to temporarily spike above $30 per transaction. As of October 1, 2023, bitcoin transaction fees were averaging $2.22 per transaction.
Bitcoin can be used to pay for goods and services or can be converted to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, at rates determined on bitcoin trading venues or in individual end-user-to-end-user transactions under a barter system. One or more private keys control the transfer or “spending” of bitcoin from an associated public address. To use bitcoin, a user or a service provider must have access to keys that identify it for its transactions (similar to an ATM card and its related PIN). Bitcoin users keep their keys in electronic “wallets” that can be maintained on their computers, mobile phones, specialized hardware wallets, or wallets provided by online custodians. As of September 30, 2023, there are approximately 19.5 million bitcoin that have been created, a number that is not permitted grow to more than 21 million, which is estimated to occur by the year 2140. The value of bitcoin is determined by the supply of and demand for bitcoin on bitcoin trading venues (and in private end-user-to-end-user transactions), as well as the number of merchants that accept them. Additionally, several companies and platforms facilitate transactions on OTC markets, which facilitate trading via a dealer network as opposed to on a centralized exchange.
Many bitcoin transactions happen “on-chain,” with the transaction broadcast to the Bitcoin network and recorded in the blockchain. It is possible, however, for bitcoin transactions to occur “off-chain” as well. For example, consider a custodian that holds customers’ bitcoin in an omnibus wallet and allows instantaneous transfers between customers based on changes solely in the custodians’ records indicating how much each customer owns in the wallet. Such transactions are off-chain and data regarding such off-chain transactions is generally not publicly available. In contrast, on-chain digital asset transactions are publicly recorded on the blockchain. Such off-chain transactions are subject to risks because any such transfer of bitcoin ownership is neither protected by the protocol behind the Bitcoin network nor recorded in and validated through the blockchain mechanism. Other types of off-chain transactions may be safer if, for example, they are validated through consensus mechanisms.
The Bitcoin network was initially contemplated in a white paper purportedly authored by an individual named Satoshi Nakamoto; however, no individual with that name has been reliably identified as bitcoin’s creator, and the general consensus is that the name is a pseudonym for the actual inventor or inventors. The first bitcoin was created in 2009 after Nakamoto released the Bitcoin network source code and mined the first block. Since its introduction, bitcoin has been under active development by a group of engineers known as core developers, who work on the reference implementation of Bitcoin Core. As an open source project, bitcoin is not represented by an official organization or authority, although groups including MIT’s Media Lab work to organize the bitcoin community and to develop and protect the Bitcoin network’s code.
Development of the Bitcoin source code has increasingly focused on modifications of the Bitcoin protocol to enhance speed and scalability. For example, in August 2017, a technical upgrade to the Bitcoin network known as “segregated witness” was adopted that, among other things, enables so-called second layer solutions, such as the Lightning Network, or payment channels that could potentially allow greater speed and number of transactions that the Bitcoin network can process in a given time interval (i.e., transaction throughput). The Lightning Network is an open-source decentralized network that enables the instant off-blockchain transfer of bitcoin without requiring a trusted third party. The Lightning Network uses bidirectional payment channels, which work as follows: An on-blockchain transaction is required to open a channel, which can later be closed through another on-blockchain transaction. Once a channel is open, value can be transferred instantly between counterparties engaging in bitcoin transactions without such transactions being broadcasted to the Bitcoin network. This enables increased transaction throughput and reduces the computational burden on the Bitcoin network. The Lightning Network is currently a subject of ongoing research and development and does not yet have material adoption as of August 2023.
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Other uses of segregated witness include smart contracts (which are programs that automatically execute on a blockchain) and distributed registers built into, built atop or pegged alongside the blockchain. For example, one white paper published by the blockchain technology company Blockstream calls for the use of “pegged sidechains” to develop programming environments built within blockchain ledgers that can interact with and rely on the security of the Bitcoin network and blockchain while remaining independent thereof. Applications of this concept include open source projects such as RSK, which seeks to create novel open-source smart contract platforms built on the Bitcoin blockchain to allow automated, condition-based payments with increased speed and scalability.
Such research and development projects may utilize bitcoin as tokens for the facilitation of their non-financial uses, thereby potentially increasing demand for bitcoin and the utility of the Bitcoin network as a whole. Conversely, to the extent that such projects operate on the Bitcoin blockchain, they may increase the data flow on the Bitcoin network and could either “bloat” the size of the blockchain or result in slower confirmation times. At this time, such projects remain in early stages and have not been materially integrated into the blockchain or Bitcoin network.
The Bitcoin Market
Bitcoin is the oldest, best known and largest digital asset available today. Since the advent of bitcoin, numerous other digital assets have been created. The website CoinMarketCap.com tracks the U.S. dollar price and total market capitalization for each of more than 4,000 traded digital assets. As of September 30, 2023, bitcoin had a total market capitalization of approximately $527 billion and represented approximately 50% of the entire digital asset market.
The first trading venues for bitcoin were informal exchange services marketed primarily in public online forums. Transactions on these services were effected via anonymous email, and the fiat currency portions of these transactions were effected through payment services such as PayPal. These services required their operators to manually match buyers and sellers in order to process transactions.
Later, automated trading platforms that matched buyers and sellers began to form. Many such trading platforms have been created in the U.S. and abroad. In the U.S., a number of trading platforms now operate under licensing from the NYSDFS.
Beginning in 2016, more institutional investors entered the bitcoin market. As a result, an increasing number of transactions have occurred in OTC markets instead of trading platforms. This type of trading allows for bespoke trading arrangements that may ease of the burden of trade operations or reduce different types of risks (e.g., counterparty risk).
As a result, there is not a single source for pricing bitcoin. The Trust believes that prices on the bitcoin trading venues are generally formed by the levels of demand on either side of the trading platform’s order book, and arbitrage between trading platforms typically prevents larger and/or more persistent differences in prices between bitcoin trading venues. Factors that the Trust believes may influence the relative balance of buyers and sellers on the bitcoin trading venues include trading activity in the OTC markets, global or regional economic conditions, expected levels of inflation, growth or reversal in the adoption and use of bitcoin, developments in the regulation of bitcoin, changes in the preference of market participants between bitcoin and other digital assets, maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the Bitcoin network, and negative consumer or public perception of bitcoin specifically or digital assets generally. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Bitcoin.”
Bitcoin spot trading occurs on venues in the U.S. that are licensed to conduct that business by the NYSDFS, other venues in the U.S. and non-U.S. venues. In addition, bitcoin futures and options trading occurs on exchanges in the U.S. regulated by the CFTC. The market for NYSDFS-licensed and CFTC-regulated trading of
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bitcoin and bitcoin derivatives has developed substantially. Bitcoin market conditions in the three months ending on September 30, 2023 are briefly summarized as follows:
| • | Bitcoin: There are over 20 NYSDFS-licensed entities operate trading venues with order books for spot trading of bitcoin. Among the top NYSDFS-licensed trading venues, year-to-date as-of September 30th, 2023, the average daily trading volume is approximately $460 million. Across these venues, the average daily deviation of prices was less than 0.06%. The largest NYSDFS-licensed trading venue by volume had an average bid-ask spread during the period of less than 0.004%. |
| • | Futures: There are currently three CFTC-regulated exchanges, two of which are open and facilitate trading of bitcoin futures, with a total average daily trading volume of approximately $1.46 billion. |
| • | Options: One CFTC-regulated exchange facilitates trading of options on bitcoin futures, with average monthly trading volume of approximately $1.08 billion. |
NYSDFS-licensed venues are required to implement the following regulatory compliance, surveillance, and enforcement mechanisms:
| • | Requirements that licensees have anti-money laundering and sanctions programs, including requirements, among other things, to identify and verify the identity of customers and to monitor for suspicious activities; |
| • | Requirements that licensees have a written policy that identifies and assesses fraud risks, including market manipulation, provides effective procedures and controls to protect against those risks, allocates responsibility for monitoring those risks, and provides for periodic evaluation and revision of the procedures, controls and monitoring mechanisms in order to ensure continuing effectiveness, including continuing compliance with all applicable laws and regulations; |
| • | Requirements that licensees’ procedures and controls provide for the effective investigation of fraud and other wrongdoing, whether suspected or actual, including, market manipulation; and |
| • | Requirements that the licensee immediately notify the NYSDFS of any discovered wrong-doing in relation to fraud, along with further updates to the NYSDFS relating to material developments, including (i) a statement of the actions taken or proposed to be taken with respect to such developments, and (ii) a statement of changes, if any, in the licensee’s operations that have been put in place or are planned in order to avoid repetition of similar events. |
The following table illustrates trading volumes for bitcoin on a selection of major trading venues based on volume as of December 31, 2022. The data shown are for trading volumes of bitcoin against U.S. dollars and exclude trading transactions of bitcoin against other digital assets (e.g., Tether) or other fiat currencies (e.g., Euros). There can be no assurance as to the future liquidity of bitcoin.
| Bitcoin vs U.S. dollars—Trading Volume ($000’s) |
||||||||||||||||
| Year |
Bitstamp | Coinbase | Gemini | Kraken | ||||||||||||
| 2018 |
38,619,288.80 | 48,340,739.13 | 13,688,017.00 | * | 45,616,053.62 | |||||||||||
| 2019 |
26,743,547.56 | 46,887,460.40 | 4,703,612.82 | 32,028,085.29 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 |
52,737,999.85 | 112,225,405.27 | 10,758,422.88 | 65,043,078.03 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 |
107,984,495.12 | 461,765,829.93 | 43,603,636.12 | 189,148,224.00 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 |
52,737,999.85 | 263,048,274.77 | 15,798,427.20 | 65,195,047.36 | ||||||||||||
Source: The Block.
Volatility of Bitcoin
Bitcoin has historically generally exhibited high price volatility relative to more traditional asset classes. The following table illustrates historical price volatility of bitcoin during 2022. There can be no assurance as to the
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future performance of bitcoin; past performance and volatility of bitcoin should not be taken as an indication of future performance or volatility. The table below provides information regarding the price and volatility of bitcoin.
| Asset |
Start Price |
Low Price |
High Price |
End Price |
Maximum Price Range2 |
Daily Return Volatility3 |
||||||||||||||||||
| Bitcoin(1) |
$ | 47,731 | $ | 15,497 | $ | 48,195 | $ | 16,613 | 19.69 | % | 64 | % | ||||||||||||
| Sources: | (1) Reflects daily prices for the period from 4 p.m. on January 1, 2022 through 4 p.m. ET on December 31, 2022. |
(2) Maximum Price Range was computed by first calculating the Price Range for each day as a percent of the day’s midpoint price, and then selecting the highest such Price Range.
(3) Daily Return Volatility is the annualized price-return variance computed by taking the standard deviation of daily (4 p.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET) price returns for each asset and annualizing them using a 365-day factor.
Forks and Airdrops
A “hard fork” of the Bitcoin network (or any other a digital asset network) occurs when there is a disagreement among users and miners over modifications to the network, which are typically made through software upgrades and subsequently accepted or rejected through downloads or lack thereof of the relevant software upgrade by users. If less than a substantial majority of users and miners consent to a proposed modification, and the modification is not compatible with the software prior to its modification, a fork in the blockchain results, with one prong running the pre-modified software and the other running the modified software. The effect of such a fork is the existence of two versions of the network running in parallel, yet lacking interchangeability. After a fork, holders of the original digital asset typically end up holding equal amounts of the original digital asset and the new digital asset.
For example, in August 2017, bitcoin “forked” into bitcoin and a new digital asset, bitcoin cash, as a result of a several-year dispute over how to increase transaction throughput.
The solution favored by the majority of users and miners was to make software changes that would allow “off-chain” scaling solutions, such as the Lightning Network, which works by allowing secure transactions to occur in a separate network of bilateral payment channels that only periodically settle through a transaction on the main Bitcoin network. A minority group favored a less complex approach of simply increasing the number of transactions that can be validated at the same time. A sizable minority of miners adopted software that implemented the latter approach, which effectively created a new network, the Bitcoin Cash network, with a transaction history identical to that of the Bitcoin Network. The identical transaction history meant that each holder of bitcoin at the time of the new network’s formation continued to hold bitcoin for use on the Bitcoin Cash network, but also received an equal amount of Bitcoin Cash for use on the new network.
Forks may also occur after a significant security breach. For example, in June 2016, a smart contract developed and deployed on the Ethereum network was hacked and approximately $60 million worth of ether was stolen, which resulted in most participants in the Ethereum ecosystem electing to adopt a hard fork that effectively reversed the hack. However, a minority of users continued to develop the old blockchain, now referred to as “Ethereum Classic” with the digital asset on that blockchain also named ether, or ETC. Ether Classic’s ether remains traded on several digital asset trading venues.
Additionally, a fork could be introduced by an unintentional, unanticipated software flaw in the multiple versions of otherwise compatible software users run for any given digital asset. Such a fork could adversely affect bitcoin’s viability. It is possible, however, that a substantial number of users and miners could adopt an incompatible version of the network while resisting community-led efforts to merge the two chains, resulting in a permanent fork.
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A hard fork can introduce new security risks. Another possible result of a hard fork is an inherent decrease in the level of security. After a hard fork, it may become easier for an individual miner or mining pool’s hashing power to exceed 50% of the processing power of the Bitcoin network, thereby making the network more susceptible to attack. A fork in the Bitcoin network could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
In addition to forks, bitcoin (or any other digital asset) may become subject to a similar occurrence known as an “airdrop.” In an airdrop, the promoters of a new digital asset announce to holders of another digital asset that they will be entitled to claim a certain amount of the new digital asset for free simply by virtue of having held the original digital asset at a certain point in time leading up to the airdrop. For example, in March 2017, the promoters of Stellar Lumens announced that anyone that owned bitcoin as of June 26, 2017 could claim, until August 27, 2017, a certain amount of Stellar Lumens. Airdrops could create operational security, legal or regulatory, or other risks for the Trust, the Sponsor, Authorized Participants, or other entities.
From time to time, the Trust may be entitled to Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency by virtue of its ownership of bitcoins, generally through a fork in the Bitcoin blockchain, an airdrop offered to holders of bitcoins or other similar event.
In the event the Trust becomes entitled to Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency by virtue of its ownership of bitcoins, the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency so created. Bitcoin is the only digital asset that will be held by the Trust. In the event the Trust seeks to change its treatment of Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, an application would need to be filed with the SEC by the Exchange seeking approval to amend its listing rules.
In the event of a fork, the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, determine which network it believes is generally accepted as the Bitcoin network and should therefore be considered the appropriate network, and the associated asset as bitcoin, for the Trust’s purposes.
If the Trust modifies its policy on forks and airdrops, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
Forms of Attack
Exploitation of Flaws in the Bitcoin Source Code
In the past, flaws in the source code for bitcoin have been discovered, including those that exposed users’ personal information and/or resulted in the loss of users’ bitcoin. Several errors and defects have been publicly found and corrected, including those that disabled some functionality for users and exposed users’ personal information. Discovery of flaws in or exploitations of the source code that allow malicious actors to take or create money in contravention of known network rules has occurred. For example, in 2010 hackers exploited a flaw in the Bitcoin network source code that allowed them to generate 184 billion bitcoin. However, the bitcoin community and developers identified and reversed these transactions within approximately three hours, and the flaw was corrected with an updated version of the Bitcoin protocol.
In addition, other digital asset networks, such as the Ethereum network, have been subjected to a number of denial-of-service attacks, which in the case of the Ethereum network led to temporary delays in block creation and in the transfer of ether.
Greater than 50% of Network Computational Power
In the past, mining pools have gained control of significant amounts of the processing power or “hash rate” of the Bitcoin network. If a mining pool obtains control of more than 50% of the hash rate of the Bitcoin network, a malicious actor would be able to gain full control of the network and the ability to alter the blockchain. For example, during May and June 2014, mining pool gHash.IO’s processing power approached and during a twenty-four to forty-eight hour period, may have exceeded 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin network.
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Although no malicious activity or abnormal transaction recording was observed at the time, the incident focused attention on the influence of mining pools. Likewise, in May 2019, the Bitcoin Cash network experienced a 51% attack when two large mining pools reversed a series of transactions in order to stop an unknown miner from taking advantage of a flaw in a recent Bitcoin Cash protocol upgrade. Although this particular attack was arguably benevolent, the fact that such coordinated activity was able to occur may negatively impact perceptions of the Bitcoin Cash network.
This form of attack is an issue for proof of work-based systems like the Bitcoin network but not as much for proof of stake-based systems. If a malicious actor acquired sufficient computational power necessary to control the Bitcoin network, among other things, it would be able to reverse transactions and engage in double-spending, or prevent some or all transactions from being confirmed and prevent some or all other miners from mining any valid new blocks.
Moreover, certain hardware providers may create hardware that collectively has majority power and the manufacturer could potentially exert control itself. For example, it was discovered that the mining machines produced by Bitmain contained backdoor code that would allow Bitmain to remotely shut down the mining machines. This vulnerability is colloquially referred to as the “Antbleed backdoor.” At worst, the Antbleed backdoor could have allowed Bitmain to shut off up to an estimated 70% of the global hash rate. Bitmain released an official response to the controversy claiming that the Antbleed backdoor had no malicious intent, and on April 28, 2017, the day following the discovery of the Antbleed backdoor, Bitmain released new source code and firmware upgrades for its mining hardware to remove the backdoor.
Cancer Nodes
Cancer nodes are computers that appear to be participating in the Bitcoin network but that are not in fact connected to the network, which a malicious actor sets up to place users onto a separate network or disconnect them from the Bitcoin network. By using cancer nodes, a malicious actor can disconnect the target user from the bitcoin economy entirely by refusing to relay any blocks or transactions. Software programs have attempted to make these attacks more difficult by limiting the number of outbound connections through which users are able to connect to the Bitcoin network.
Double-Spending Risks
A malicious actor may attempt to double spend (i.e., spend the same units in more than one transaction) bitcoin by altering the formation of the blockchain. In this type of attack, a miner creates a valid new block containing a double-spend transaction and schedules the release of such attack block so that it is added to the blockchain before a target user’s legitimate transaction can be included in a block. For example, in August 2020, the Ethereum Classic Network was the target of two double-spend attacks by an unknown actor or actors that gained more than 50% of the processing power of the Ethereum Classic network. The attacks resulted in reorganizations of the Ethereum Classic blockchain that allowed the attacker or attackers to reverse previously recorded transactions in excess of $5.0 million and $1.0 million. Any similar attacks on the Bitcoin network could negatively impact the value of bitcoin and the value of the Shares. All double-spend attacks require that the miner sequence and execute the steps of its attack with sufficient speed and accuracy. Double-spend attacks require extensive coordination and are very expensive. Typically, transactions that allow for a zero-confirmation acceptance tend to be prone to these types of attacks. Accordingly, traders and merchants may execute instantaneous/zero-confirmation transactions only if they are of sufficiently low-value. Users and merchants can take additional precautions by adjusting their network software programs to connect only to other well-connected participants in the Bitcoin network and to disable incoming connections.
Government Oversight
Regulatory guidance and the possibility of government action has been significant in shaping the evolution of the bitcoin market. A number of U.S. federal and state agencies and foreign governments and agencies have finalized or proposed rules or guidance, conducted investigations and issued subpoenas, engaged in successful prosecutions, and issued consumer advisories related to bitcoin and other digital assets. For example, FinCEN
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and certain state financial regulatory agencies require that companies that provide certain services in digital assets obtain licenses or registrations, and have anti-money laundering and sanctions programs, among other requirements, which licenses or registrations can be difficult or costly to obtain or maintain. Continued government and agency actions are likely to continue to be significant to the development of the market and the price of bitcoin, as described in more detail under “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Bitcoin—Regulatory Risk” above.
Overview of the Trust
The Trust is an exchange-traded fund that issues Shares that trade on the Exchange under a ticker symbol to be announced prior to commencement of trading. The Trust’s investment objective is to reflect the performance of the spot price of bitcoin as measured using the Benchmark, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities.
In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin. The Trust will value its Shares daily based on the value of the Benchmark as of 4:00 p.m. ET. The value of bitcoin held by the Trust is determined based on the fair market value (“FMV”) price for bitcoin, reflecting the execution price of bitcoin on its principal market as determined by the Benchmark Provider. Invesco Capital Management LLC is the sponsor of the Trust, Delaware Trust Company is the trustee of the Trust, and the Bitcoin Custodian will hold all of the Trust’s bitcoin on the Trust’s behalf.
The Trust will process all creations and redemptions of Shares in transactions with financial firms that are authorized to do so (known as “Authorized Participants”). When the Trust issues or redeems its Shares, it will do so only in blocks of 5,000 Shares (a “Creation Basket”) based on the quantity of bitcoin attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor fees and any accrued but unpaid expenses or liabilities).
Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe in the future receiving the In-Kind Regulatory Approval, these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin. The timing of the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the related in-kind creation model is unknown and there is no guarantee that the Cboe will receive such approval. If Cboe receives the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the Sponsor chooses to allow in-kind creations and redemptions, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The
Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to
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purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will create Shares by receiving bitcoin from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem shares by delivering bitcoin to a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to receive the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
Subject to specific instructions from the Sponsor, the Execution Agent in its discretion is responsible for selecting the method of transacting, the price, the Bitcoin Counterparty or Counterparties and the trading platform or venue (if any) for the execution of each purchase and sale of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust. The Execution Agent has established policies and procedures for identifying, monitoring and performing due diligence on potential Bitcoin Counterparties and trading platforms or venues, with entities being added or removed from consideration on an ongoing basis. In addition, the Execution Agent evaluates Bitcoin Counterparties and trading platforms or venues on a per-transaction basis. At the time it selects a Bitcoin Counterparty for any specific transaction, the Execution Agent may consider a number of factors in an effort to seek to achieve “best execution,” including price, transaction costs, speed, and likelihood of execution and settlement, taking into account the size of the transaction and the experience and capabilities of the Bitcoin Counterparty. Relying on its history of transacting in bitcoin, the Execution Agent assesses Bitcoin Counterparties in seeking to achieve the best overall outcome for the Trust. Although the Trust is new, and therefore does not have a history of trading bitcoin, the Execution Agent (and its asset management affiliates) have extensive experience, having traded over $3.5 Billion in digital assets in 2023 across twelve counterparties for other accounts.
As of January 9, 2024, JSCT, LLC, Flow Traders B.V. and Cumberland DRW LLC have been identified by the Execution Agent as Bitcoin Counterparties and have consented to be named in this Prospectus. Each of these Bitcoin Counterparties are, and any other Bitcoin Counterparty the Execution Agent, on behalf of the Trust, places orders with in the future will be, subject to U.S. federal and/or state licensing requirements or similar laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions, and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC regulations or similar laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions. The Execution Agent, on behalf of the Trust, may engage additional Bitcoin Counterparties at any time. The Trust will include a list of Bitcoin Counterparties in the Trust’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K.
The Trust expects to purchase or sell bitcoin in connection with cash creation or redemption transactions, and may direct the Execution Agent to sell bitcoin on behalf of the Trust to pay certain expenses, including the Sponsor Fee. Each creating or redeeming Authorized Participant will be charged a transaction fee in connection with each creation or redemption transaction.
To support the ability of Authorized Participants to provide liquidity at prices that reflect the value of the Trust’s assets and to facilitate orderly transactions in the Shares, the Trust will ordinarily process redemptions of Creation Baskets on the next Business Day following receipt of a redemption request by an Authorized Participant.
Creation Baskets are expected to be created when there is sufficient demand for Shares, including when the market price per Share is at a premium to the NAV. Authorized Participants are expected to sell such Shares to the public at prices that reflect, among other factors, the value of the Trust’s assets, supply of and demand for Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction. Similarly, Creation Baskets are expected to be redeemed when the market price per Share is at a discount to the NAV. Investors seeking to purchase or sell Shares on any day are expected to transact in the secondary market, on the Exchange or other national securities exchanges, at the market price per Share, rather than through the creation or redemption of Creation Baskets.
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The Sponsor believes that the design of the Trust will enable Investors to effectively and efficiently implement strategic and tactical asset allocation strategies that use bitcoin by investing in the Shares rather than directly in bitcoin.
Description of the Lukka Prime Bitcoin Reference Rate
The Benchmark is designed to provide an estimated fair market value for bitcoin, in a manner that aligns with U.S. GAAP and IFRS accounting guidelines regarding fair market value measurements. In this regard, the Benchmark Provider seeks to identify a “principal market” for bitcoin each day, by evaluating eligible bitcoin trading platforms across a variety of different criteria, including the trading platforms’ oversight and governance frameworks, microstructure efficiency, trading volume, data transparency and data integrity. As of December 2023, the following trading platforms are considered to be eligible trading platforms by the Benchmark Provider: Binance, Bitfinex, Bitflyer, Bitstamp, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Gemini, HitBTC, Huobi, Kraken, KuCoin, OKEx, Poloniex (collectively, “Benchmark Pricing Sources”). The Benchmark Provider reviews trading platforms eligible for inclusion in the Benchmark quarterly. In determining which trading platforms to include, the Benchmark Provider evaluates each trading platform using proprietary ratings criteria. The Benchmark Provider periodically reassesses the trading platforms eligible to be considered Benchmark Pricing Sources, and makes adjustments as needed.
In pursuit of its commitment to provide the highest quality, institutional grade product offerings, the Benchmark Provider adheres to strict oversight practices. As part of this oversight, the Benchmark Provider maintains formal governance boards to oversee its data products. The Benchmark Provider’s Price Integrity Oversight Board (“PIOB”) seeks to ensure the integrity and validity of the Benchmark Provider’s pricing and valuation products and to also ensure that products remain fit for purpose. One of the PIOB’s responsibilities, among others, is to determine the market data that is utilized in the Benchmark Provider’s pricing and valuation processes. This includes any approval of new sources of market data and the suspension or discontinuation of existing sources of market data. Additionally, the Benchmark Provider’s PIOB regularly reviews eligible trading platforms, including any new sources of pricing information. As it pertains to the impact on the NAV of the Trust, the continuous monitoring of pricing data helps ensure that pricing accurately reflects the economic reality that the benchmark is intended to measure. A change in the Benchmark Pricing Sources may result in a change in the Trust’s NAV.
The Benchmark Provider launched the Benchmark in January 2020, and the Benchmark has been back-populated to January 2014. The below graph compares the historical Benchmark returns to the prices on each of the Benchmark Pricing Sources with U.S. Dollar-bitcoin trading pairs on October 31, 2023.
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As is evident from the foregoing graph and as expected given arbitrage activity across trading platforms, the historic Benchmark returns have aligned closely to the prices of bitcoin on each of the Benchmark Pricing Sources with U.S. Dollar-bitcoin trading pairs.
The below table contains the market share and volume information for each Benchmark Pricing Source with U.S. Dollar-bitcoin trading pairs. Note that the Benchmark Provider will prioritize U.S. Dollar trading pairs before using trading platforms where other pairs, such as stablecoins, are used:
| 2023 XBT- USD Lukka Prime Bitcoin Volumes (January 1, 2023 - October 1, 2023) | ||
| Trading Platform |
Volume (%) | |
| Bitflyer |
0.23% | |
| Bitfinex |
7.58% | |
| Bittrex1 |
0.17% | |
| Bitstamp |
9.15% | |
| Coinbase |
66.01% | |
| Gemini |
1.96% | |
| Kraken |
14.90% | |
| 1 | Bittrex was removed as a Benchmark Pricing Source on November 21, 2023. |
The Benchmark Pricing Sources are described below.
Trading platforms with U.S. Dollar trading pairs:
Bitfinex: A British Virgin Islands-based trading platform registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Bitfinex is also licensed as a Digital Asset Service Provider from the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador.
Bitflyer: A Japan-based trading platform registered as a Virtual Currency Exchange from the Japan Financial Services Agency. Bitflyer is also licensed as a virtual currency business under the NYSDFS BitLicense.
Bittrex: A Liechtenstein-based trading platform registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Bittrex is also licensed in Bermuda and Liechtenstein. On November 20, 2023, Bittrex announced its intention to wind down its operations and disable trading activity effective December 4, 2023. On November 21, 2023, Bittrex was removed as a Benchmark Pricing Source as a result of its announcement.
Bitstamp: A U.K.-based trading platform registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Bitstamp is also licensed as a virtual currency business under the NYSDFS BitLicense.
Coinbase: A U.S.-based trading platform registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Coinbase is also licensed as a virtual currency business under the NYSDFS BitLicense.
Gemini: A U.S.-based trading platform registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Gemini is also licensed as a virtual currency business under the NYSDFS BitLicense.
Kraken: A U.S.-based trading platform registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Kraken is also registered as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.
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Trading platforms without U.S. Dollar trading pairs.
Binance: A Cayman Islands-based trading platform with a Digital Asset Service Provider registration from the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, MVP Preparatory License from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and a variety of other licenses across the European and Asia-Pacific regions.
Crypto.com: A Singapore-based trading platform with a Digital Token License from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Crypto.com is also registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
HitBTC: A British Virgin Islands-based trading platform that currently does not hold any licenses from any licensing authorities.
Huobi: A Gibraltar-based trading platform with a Distributed Ledger Technology Provider License from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. Huobi is also registered as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.
KuCoin: A Seychelles-based trading platform that currently does not hold any licenses from any licensing authorities.
OKX (fka OKEx): A Seychelles-based trading platform with a MVP Preparatory License from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.
Poloniex: A Seychelles-based trading platform registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
FTX and FTX US were removed as a Benchmark Pricing Source by the Benchmark Provider on November 10, 2022 and November 11, 2022, respectively, as a result of the collapse and subsequent bankruptcy filings of those firms. On November 21, 2023, Bittrex was removed as a Benchmark Pricing Source as a result of its announcement that it intends to wind down its operations and disable trading activity effective December 4, 2023. There have been no other changes to the Benchmark Pricing Sources since the fourth quarter of 2022. A list of the Benchmark Pricing Sources is maintained on the Benchmark Provider’s website.
The Trust confirms that the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, change either the Benchmark or Benchmark Provider without Shareholder approval.
In the event that the Benchmark Provider changes the methodology of the Benchmark, the Benchmark Provider will inform the Sponsor of the nature of the change and the timeline for implementation. The Sponsor will notify investors of material changes to the Benchmark, or the Sponsor’s decision to change the Benchmark or the Benchmark Provider, by providing notice to investors and market participants as promptly as practicable through some combination of press release, website disclosure, 8-K filing or registration statement supplement, in addition to any notice to the listing exchange required under applicable listing rules.
In determining the value of bitcoin, the Benchmark Provider applies a five-step weighting process for identifying the principal trading platform for bitcoin and the last price on that trading platform. A Base Exchange Score (“BES”) that takes into account the criteria above is assigned to each Benchmark Pricing Source in order to select the most appropriate primary trading platform and then an executed trading platform price is determined at 4:00 p.m. ET. The characteristics of each trading platform are weighted as follows for their BES:
| • | Oversight (35%): This score reflects the rules in place to protect and to give access to investors and is a function of a variety of factors. The score assigned for trading platform oversight will depend on parameters such as jurisdiction, regulation, “Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance” (KYC/AML), etc. Benchmark Participants will receive a higher score if they are subject to more stringent regulation, including comprehensive KYC/AML screening, and the level of currency oversight and regulation in their home jurisdiction. |
| • | Microstructure Efficiency (30%): The second trading platform characteristic is microstructure efficiency. The Benchmark takes the effective bid-ask spread as a proxy for efficiency. For each |
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| trading platform and currency pair, the Benchmark takes an estimate of the “effective spread,” which is a common approach to measuring trade execution costs. |
| • | Data Integrity (25%): Data Integrity provides a metric of how consistent a trading platform’s trading activity is with its underlying market microstructure. This is done by aligning a trading platform’s trade data for a given product with quotes data pertaining to the same market. Trading platforms whose traded prices deviate outside the spreads indicated by the quotes data are penalized. This would potentially expose nefarious actions such as wash trading or other potential manipulation of data. The metric is computed by joining a sample of trades with quotes by trading platform, product and time. With this, the Benchmark Provider computes the maximum observed ask price and the minimum observed bid price over a rolling window in time. This serves to define a range of possible trade prices that would be expected based on the quotes data. The Benchmark Provider then aggregates this dataset by trading platform, computing the fraction of transactions where the trade price was within the expected range as computed in the prior step. This fraction is multiplied by 100 to give the data integrity score. |
| • | Data Transparency (10%): Transparency is the term used for a quality score that is determined by the level of detail of the data offered by a trading platform. Similar to the jurisdiction hierarchy, Level 1, the highest level in the transparency hierarchy, is assigned 100 points and is reduced by 20 points for each subsequent lower level. The most transparent (Level 1) trading platforms offer order-level data, followed by order book (Level 2), trade-level (Level 3), candles (Level 4), and then no data (Level 5). |
For financial reporting purposes, the Trust will determine the principal market for bitcoin in accordance with ASC Topic 820-10, and such determination is considered from the Trust’s perspective. The Benchmark follows a methodology designed to identify the principal market for bitcoin at a given time. Procedures will be implemented by the Sponsor to review and confirm the prices utilized to value bitcoin reflect fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 820 and will be reviewed by the Sponsor’s Valuation Committee on a periodic basis.
With respect to the Trust’s Authorized Participants or their affiliates, the Trust notes that it has no authority over which trading platforms the Authorized Participants or their affiliates might transact on, although the Trust expects that most Authorized Participants or their affiliates may transact on several of the trading platforms that are Benchmark Pricing Sources for the Benchmark Provider. The Trust notes that for transactions in which it is selling bitcoin, it may do so in principal to principal transactions arranged by the Execution Agent, although the Trust is eligible to execute trades on all of the trading platforms used by the Benchmark Provider. While the principal to principal market is the market in which the Execution Agent, on the Trust’s behalf, would normally transact for sales of bitcoin, in considering all information reasonably available in accordance with the guidance in ASC 820-10-35-5A, the Trust notes that the identification of a principal market is completed by the Benchmark Provider based on a variety of different criteria including but not limited to trading platforms’ oversight and governance frameworks, microstructure efficiency, trading volume, data transparency and data integrity. The Trust views this evidence to the contrary as appropriate basis to determine a primary market that is not the principal to principal market, in accordance with the guidance in ASC 820-10-35-5A. The Sponsor performed extensive back testing of the Benchmark, comparing the Benchmark Provider’s historical designation of the primary trading platform and the daily pricing from said trading platform, relative to where the Trust is expected to transact. The Sponsor concluded that the methodology consistently resulted in a principal market that aligns with the Trust’s expected transaction activities. Procedures will be implemented to review and confirm the above on at least a quarterly basis, adjusting the frequency of that review if determined necessary by the Sponsor’s Valuation Committee.
The Trust and the Sponsor are not responsible for the calculations performed by the Benchmark Provider or for the development or implementation of the Benchmark Provider’s methodologies.
WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, NONE OF LUKKA INC., THE SPONSOR, OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS,
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OMISSIONS, DELAYS OR INTERRUPTIONS IN THE BENCHMARK PRICING PROCESS NONE OF LUKKA INC., THE SPONSOR, OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE PRICING SERVICES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL LUKKA INC., THE SPONSOR, OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. THERE ARE NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN LUKKA INC. AND THE SPONSOR OTHER THAN THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES.
The Trust’s Expenses
The Trust will pay the Sponsor a unified fee of 0.39% per annum (the “Sponsor Fee”) as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement (as defined herein). The Trust’s only ordinary, recurring expense is the Sponsor Fee. For a 6-month period commencing on the day the Trust’s Shares are initially listed on the Exchange, the Sponsor intends to waive the entire Sponsor Fee on the first $5 billion of Trust assets.
Except for during periods during which all or a portion of the Sponsor Fee is being waived, the Sponsor Fee will be accrued daily and paid monthly in arrears in U.S. dollars, and will be calculated by the Administrator. The Administrator will calculate the Sponsor Fee on a daily basis by applying the 0.39% annualized rate to the Trust’s total net assets. To cover the Sponsor’s Fee, and extraordinary expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, the Sponsor or its delegate will cause the Trust (or its delegate) to instruct the Execution Agent to convert bitcoin held by the Trust into U.S. dollars. The NAV of the Trust and the number of bitcoins represented by a Share will decline each time the Trust accrues the Sponsor’s Fee or any Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. The Trust is not responsible for paying any costs associated with the transfer of bitcoin to or from the Trust in connection with paying the Sponsor’s Fee or in connection with creation and redemption transactions.
Except as noted below, the Sponsor has agreed to pay all of the Trust’s ordinary expenses out of the Sponsor Fee, including, but not limited to, the Trustee’s fees, the fees of the Administrator and the Transfer Agent, the fees of the Bitcoin Custodian, the fees of the Execution Agent, Exchange listing fees, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, legal costs and audit fees. The Sponsor also paid the costs of the Trust’s organization.
The Trust may incur certain extraordinary expenses that are not assumed by the Sponsor. These include, but are not limited to, taxes and governmental charges, any applicable brokerage commissions, financing fees, Bitcoin network fees and similar transaction fees, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders (including, for example, in connection with any fork of the Bitcoin blockchain), any indemnification of the Sponsor, Cash Custodian, Bitcoin Custodian, Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters.
The Trust from time to time will be required to sell bitcoin in such quantities as is necessary to permit payment of the Sponsor Fee and any Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor. The Trust has authorized the Execution Agent to sell bitcoin on its behalf in such quantity as is necessary to permit payment of such expenses in such circumstances. At the direction of the Trust, the Execution Agent will seek to sell bitcoin at approximately the price at which it is valued by the Trust and in the smallest amounts required to permit such payments as they become due, with the intention of minimizing the Trust’s holdings of assets other than bitcoin. Accordingly, the amount of bitcoin to be sold may vary from time to time depending on the level of the Trust’s expenses and liabilities and the market price of bitcoin. Each sale of bitcoin by the Trust to pay the Sponsor Fee or other Trust expenses will give rise to taxable gain or loss to Shareholders. See “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Taxation of U.S. Shareholders.”
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General
The Shares are valued each Business Day as of 4:00 p.m. ET. The value of bitcoin held by the Trust is determined based on the fair market value price for bitcoin determined by the Benchmark Provider. In this regard, the Benchmark Provider seeks to identify a “principal market” for bitcoin each day, by evaluating eligible bitcoin trading platforms across a variety of different criteria, including the trading platforms’ oversight and governance frameworks, microstructure efficiency, trading volume, data transparency and data integrity. The Sponsor believes that use of the Benchmark mitigates against idiosyncratic exchange risk, as the failure of any individual Benchmark Pricing Source will not materially impact pricing for the Trust. It also allows the Administrator to calculate the NAV in a manner that significantly deters manipulation.
As discussed, the fact that the NAV is based on data from multiple trading platforms makes manipulation more difficult in a well-arbitraged and fractured market, as a malicious actor would need to manipulate multiple trading platforms simultaneously to impact the NAV.
The Trust’s NAV is an amount denominated in U.S. dollars and is not utilized in determining the number of Shares that an Authorized Participant will receive in creating Shares, or the value of bitcoin that an Authorized Participant will receive in redeeming Shares, as those transactions are based on the Trust’s bitcoin holdings per Share. See “Creation and Redemption of Shares.”
The Trust’s NAV is calculated by:
| • | taking the current market value of its bitcoin (calculated by the Benchmark Provider) and any other assets; |
| • | subtracting any liabilities (including accrued but unpaid expenses); and |
| • | dividing that total by the total number of outstanding Shares. |
The Administrator calculates the NAV of the Trust once each Business Day. The end-of-day bitcoin price is calculated using the execution price of bitcoin on the principal market selected by the Benchmark Provider as of 4:00 p.m. ET. However, NAVs are not officially struck until later in the day (often by 5:30 p.m. ET and almost always by 8:00 p.m. ET). The daily valuation process will be overseen by the Sponsor’s Valuation Team. The pause between 4:00 p.m. ET and 5:30 p.m. ET (or later) provides the Sponsor’s Valuation Team an opportunity to algorithmically detect, flag, investigate, and address unusual pricing should it occur.
Consistent with the daily pricing of all assets held in the Sponsor’s funds that are registered under the 1940 Act, daily valuation oversight resides with the Sponsor’s Valuation Team. The Sponsor’s Valuation Team is an independent control function within the Sponsor with the responsibility for oversight of asset pricing. Standardized controls (such as exception-based reports) are in place and run daily prior to NAV dissemination to detect “unusual pricing.” This includes, but is not limited to, missing price reports, unchanged price reports, and large daily price variance reports. Specifically with respect to the Trust, the Sponsor’s Valuation Team will monitor the pricing of the Benchmark to ensure that the Trust’s NAV is determined based on consistent, accurate pricing that the Sponsor believes is reflective of the value of the Trust’s bitcoin, and also a transparent methodology and process. In addition, the Sponsor’s Valuation Team may seek information and recommendations from the Execution Agent, the Benchmark Provider, the Bitcoin Custodian, the Prime Broker or others regarding bitcoin valuation issues and potential bitcoin market events.
All price updates are communicated to the Administrator only by the Sponsor’s pricing team. No members of the Sponsor’s investment or other business-related teams are authorized to provide pricing instructions to the Administrator. Price updates are communicated to the Administrator prior to NAV finalization and therefore would be incorporated in that day’s NAV.
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The Sponsor’s Valuation Team will monitor for significant events related to digital assets that may impact the value of the Trust’s bitcoin, and will determine in good faith whether to fair value the Trust’s bitcoin on a given day based on whether certain pre-determined criteria have been met. For example, if the Benchmark deviates by more than a pre-determined amount from an alternate benchmark available to the Sponsor, then the Sponsor’s Valuation Team may determine to utilize the alternate benchmark. The Sponsor’s Valuation Team may also fair value the Trust’s bitcoin using observed market transactions from various trading platforms, including some or all of the trading platforms included in the Benchmark.
In the event the Benchmark becomes unavailable or if the Sponsor or Administrator determines that the Benchmark does not reflect an accurate bitcoin price, an independent assessment to designate the Trust’s principal market is performed by looking at pricing and transaction volume information from eligible trading platforms in which the Trust transacts only incorporating those. Typically, this will involve a multi-step process conducted by the Sponsor’s Valuation Team to identify the principal market for bitcoin on a given day:
| • | First, a list of eligible bitcoin trading platforms in which the Trust transacts is compiled and ranked in descending order based on the prior twelve months of volume of bitcoin traded on each trading platform. |
| • | Second, any trading platforms that do not comply with licensing requirements which are applicable to the Trust and the Authorized Participants are excluded. |
| • | Third, reviews of intra-day pricing are completed to identify any material variances which may impact the price information provided by a particular trading platform. A bitcoin trading platform is then selected as the Trust’s principal market and pricing consumed from that trading platform. |
Even if the Benchmark is deemed to be available and reliable, the aforementioned process is completed periodically as deemed necessary by the Sponsor’s Valuation Team in order to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the process.
The bitcoin markets are generally open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of the bitcoin owned by the Trust could change on days when Shares cannot be bought or sold.
The website for the Trust, www.invesco.com/BTCO, which will be publicly accessible at no charge, will contain the following information: (a) the prior Business Day’s NAV; (b) the prior Business Day’s official closing price; (c) calculation of the premium or discount of such Cboe official closing price against such NAV; (d) data in chart form displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the Cboe official closing price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges for each of the four previous calendar quarters (or for the life of the Trust, if shorter); (e) the Prospectus; and (f) other applicable quantitative information. The Administrator will also disseminate the Trust’s bitcoin holdings on a daily basis on the Trust’s website. The NAV for the Trust will be calculated by the Administrator once a day and will be disseminated daily to all market participants at the same time. Quotation and last sale information regarding the Shares will be disseminated through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association (“CTA”).
The Trust’s periodic financial statements may not utilize the net asset value of the Trust determined by reference to the Benchmarks to the extent the methodology used to calculate the Benchmark is deemed not to be consistent with GAAP. The Trust’s periodic financial statements will be prepared in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC Topic 820”) and utilize an exchange-traded price from the Trust’s principal market for bitcoin on the Trust’s financial statement measurement date. The Sponsor will determine in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Trust’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP. The Trust intends to engage a third-party vendor to obtain a price from a principal market for bitcoin, which will be determined and designated by such third-party vendor daily based on its consideration of several trading platform characteristics, including oversight, and the volume and frequency of trades. Under GAAP, such a price is expected to be deemed a Level 1 input in accordance with the ASC Topic 820 because it is expected to be a quoted price in an active market for identical assets or liabilities.
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To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of determining fair value in preparing the Trust’s financial statements, the Trust follows ASC 820-10, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for bitcoin in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that bitcoin is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact. The Trust may transact through Bitcoin Counterparties, in multiple markets, and its application of ASC 820-10 reflects this fact. The Trust anticipates that, while multiple venues and types of markets will be available to the Bitcoin Trading Counterparties from whom the Sponsor acquires or disposes of the Trust’s bitcoin, the principal market in each scenario is determined by looking at the market-based level of volume and bitcoin trading activity. Bitcoin Counterparties, may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets, each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary. Based on information reasonably available to the Trust, Exchange Markets have the greatest volume and level of activity for the asset. The Trust therefore looks to accessible Exchange Markets as opposed to the Brokered Market, Dealer Market and Principal-to-Principal Markets to determine its principal market. As a result of the aforementioned analysis, an Exchange Market has been selected as the Trust’s principal market. The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) on a quarterly basis to determine which market is its Principal Market for the purpose of calculating fair value for the creation of quarterly and annual financial statements.
The process that the Sponsor has developed for identifying a principal market, as prescribed in ASC 820-10, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. The process begins by identifying publicly available, well established and reputable bitcoin trading venues (Exchange Markets, as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary), which are selected by the Sponsor and its affiliates in their sole discretion. Those markets include Binance, Bitfinex, Bitflyer, Bitstamp, Coinbase Pro, Crypto.com, Gemini, HitBTC, Huobi, Kraken, KuCoin, OKEx, Poloniex. The Sponsor then, through a service provider, calculates on each valuation period, the highest volume venue during the 60-minute period prior to 4:00 ET for bitcoin. The Sponsor then identifies that market as the principal market for bitcoin during that period, and uses the price for bitcoin from that venue at 4:00 ET as the principal market price.
Intraday Indicative Value
In order to provide updated information relating to the Trust for use by Shareholders and market professionals, the Benchmark Provider will calculate and disseminate during each day the NYSE is open for regular trading an updated intraday indicative value (“IIV”). The IIV will be calculated by using the prior day’s closing NAV as a base and updating that value throughout the trading day to reflect changes in the most recently reported price of bitcoin as reported by the Benchmark Provider or another reporting service.
The IIV disseminated during each day the NYSE is open for regular trading should not be viewed as an actual real time update of the NAV, because NAV is calculated only once at the end of each trading day based upon the relevant end of day value of the Trust’s bitcoin. The IIV will be calculated every second from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET and disseminated on a per Share basis every 15 seconds during each day the NYSE is open for regular trading. Lukka Inc. will disseminate the IIV value through the facilities of CTA/CQ High Speed Lines. In addition, the IIV will be published on the Exchange’s website and will be available through on-line information services such as Bloomberg and Reuters. The IIV as of the time that the NAV is calculated on a given day may differ from the NAV for such day due to the differences in the time window of trades used to calculate each price (the NAV uses a 15-minute window, whereas the IIV draws prices from the last trade on each trading platform in an effort to produce a relevant, real-time price).
There are many instances in the market today where the IIV as of the time that the NAV is calculated on a given day and the NAV of an ETF for such day are subtly different, whether due to the calculation methodology,
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market hours overlap or other factors. The Sponsor has seen limited or no negative impact on trading, liquidity or other factors for exchange-traded funds in this situation. The Sponsor believes that the IIV will closely track the globally integrated bitcoin price as reflected on the Benchmark Pricing Sources.
Dissemination of the IIV provides additional information that is not otherwise available to the public and is useful to Shareholders and market professionals in connection with the trading of the Shares on the Exchange. Shareholders and market professionals will be able throughout the trading day to compare the market price of the Shares and the IIV. If the market price of the Shares diverges significantly from the IIV, market professionals will have an incentive to execute arbitrage trades. For example, if the Trust appears to be trading at a discount compared to the IIV, a market professional could buy Shares on the Exchange and sell short futures contracts. Such arbitrage trades can tighten the tracking between the market price of the Shares and the IIV, and thus can be beneficial to all market participants.
Stock Splits
The Sponsor reserves the right to adjust the Share price of the Trust in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for Shareholders in the secondary market. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits. Such splits would decrease (in the case of a split) or increase (in the case of a reverse split) the proportionate NAV, but would have no effect on the net assets of the Trust or the proportionate voting rights of Shareholders or the value of any Shareholder’s investment.
Other Assets
The fair values of any liquid assets held by the Trust primarily in the form of cash and certificates of deposits are included in the determination of NAV.
Liabilities
The fair value of the Trust’s liabilities is included in the determination of NAV. These liabilities are expected generally to consist only of the Sponsor Fee, although liabilities may also include extraordinary expenses from time to time. See “The Trust—The Trust’s Fees and Expenses.”
Impact of Trust Expenses on the Trust’s NAV
The amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will be reduced during the life of the Trust each time the Trust accrues the Sponsor’s Fee, and to pay for any extraordinary expenses. This dynamic will occur irrespective of whether the value of the Trust’s assets, or the trading price of the Shares, rises or falls.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
The Trust
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust, formed on April 5, 2021, pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“DSTA”). The Trust continuously issues common shares representing fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust that may be purchased and sold on the Exchange. The Trust operates pursuant to its Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, dated as of January 5, 2024 (the “Trust Agreement”). Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, is the Delaware trustee of the Trust. The Trust is managed and controlled by the Sponsor.
The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act and is not required to register under such act. The Trust will not hold or trade in commodity futures contracts regulated by the CEA, as administered
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by the CFTC. The Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA and neither the Sponsor, nor the Trustee is subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading adviser in connection with the Shares.
The Trust is passively managed and the Sponsor does not actively manage the bitcoin held by the Trust. This means that the Sponsor does not sell bitcoin at times when its price is high or acquire bitcoin at low prices in the expectation of future price increases. It also means that the Sponsor does not make use of any of the hedging techniques available to professional bitcoin investors to attempt to reduce the risks of losses resulting from price changes. The Trust, the Sponsor and the service providers will not loan or pledge the Trust’s assets, nor will the Trust’s assets serve as collateral for any loan or similar arrangement. The Trust will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar arrangements in seeking to meet its investment objective.
The number of outstanding Shares is expected to increase and decrease from time to time as a result of the creation and redemption of Creation Baskets. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Creation Baskets. Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe in the future receiving the In-Kind Regulatory Approval, these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin. The timing of the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the related in-kind creation model is unknown and there is no guarantee that the Cboe will receive such approval. If Cboe receives the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the Sponsor chooses to allow in-kind creations and redemptions, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will create Shares by receiving bitcoin from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem shares by delivering bitcoin to a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to receive the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
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The Sponsor recognizes that the size of the Creation Baskets may impact the effectiveness of the arbitrage mechanism of the Trust’s creation and redemption process, and accordingly may adjust the size of the Creation Baskets to enhance the activities of the Authorized Participants in the secondary market for the Trust’s shares.
The Trust has no fixed termination date.
Dissolution of the Trust
The Trust will dissolve at the direction of the Sponsor, and the Sponsor will promptly notify Shareholders of such dissolution, if any of the following dissolution events occur:
| • | Shares are delisted from the Exchange and are not approved for listing on another national securities exchange within five Business Days of their delisting; |
| • | 180 days have elapsed since the Trustee notified the Sponsor of the Trustee’s election to resign or since the Sponsor removed the Trustee, and a successor trustee has not been appointed and accepted its appointment; |
| • | the SEC determines that the Trust is an investment company under the 1940 Act, and the Sponsor has made the determination that dissolution of the Trust is advisable; |
| • | the CFTC determines that the Trust is a commodity pool under the CEA, and the Sponsor has made the determination that dissolution of the Trust is advisable; |
| • | the Trust is determined to be a “money service business” under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the BSA and is required to comply with certain FinCEN regulations thereunder or is determined to be a “money transmitter” (or equivalent designation) under the laws of any state in which the Trust operates and is required to seek licensing or otherwise comply with state licensing requirements, and the Sponsor has made the determination that dissolution of the Trust is advisable; |
| • | a U.S. regulator requires the Trust to shut down or forces the Trust to liquidate its bitcoin; |
| • | any ongoing event exists that either prevents the Trust from making or makes impractical the Trust’s reasonable efforts to make a fair determination of the price of bitcoin for purposes of determining the NAV of the Trust; |
| • | the Sponsor determines that the aggregate net assets of the Trust in relation to the operating expenses of the Trust make it unreasonable or imprudent to continue the business of the Trust; |
| • | the Trust fails to qualify for treatment, or ceases to be treated, as a “grantor trust” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) or any comparable provision of the laws of any State or other jurisdiction where that treatment is sought, and the Sponsor determines that, because of that tax treatment or change in tax treatment, dissolution of the Trust is advisable; |
| • | 60 days have elapsed since DTC or another depository has ceased to act as depository with respect to the Shares, and the Sponsor has not identified another depository that is willing to act in such capacity; |
| • | the Trustee elects to dissolve the Trust after the Sponsor is conclusively deemed to have resigned effective immediately as a result of the Sponsor being adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver of the Sponsor or of its property being appointed, or a trustee or liquidator or any public officer taking charge or control of the Sponsor or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation and a successor sponsor has not been appointed; or |
| • | the Sponsor elects to dissolve the Trust after the Trustee, Execution Agent, Administrator or the Bitcoin Custodian (or any successor trustee, administrator or custodian) resigns or otherwise ceases to be the trustee, administrator or custodian of the Trust, as applicable, and no replacement trustee, administrator and/or custodian acceptable to the Sponsor is engaged. |
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In addition, the Trust may be dissolved at any time for any reason by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. In respect of dissolution events that rely on Sponsor determinations to dissolve the Trust (e.g., if the SEC determines that the Trust is an investment company under the 1940 Act; the CFTC determines that the Trust is a commodity pool under the CEA; the Trust is determined to be a money transmitter under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN; the Trust fails to qualify for treatment, or ceases to be treated, as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or, following a resignation by a trustee or custodian, the Sponsor determines that no replacement is acceptable to it), the Sponsor may consider, without limitation, the profitability to the Sponsor and other service providers of the operation of the Trust, any obstacles or costs relating to the operation or regulatory compliance of the Trust and the ability to market the Trust to investors. To the extent that the Sponsor determines to continue operation of the Trust following a determination’s triggering event, the Trust will be required to alter its operations to comply with the triggering event. In the instance of a determination that the Trust is an investment company, the Trust and the Sponsor would have to comply with the regulations and disclosure and reporting requirements applicable to investment companies and investment advisers. In the instance of a determination that the Trust is a commodity pool, the Trust and the Sponsor would have to comply with regulations and disclosure and reporting requirements applicable to commodity pools and commodity pool operators or commodity trading advisers. In the event of a determination that the Trust is a money transmitter, the Trust and the Sponsor will have to comply with applicable federal and state registration and regulatory requirements for money transmitters and/or money service businesses. In the event that the Trust ceases to qualify for treatment as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Trust will be required to alter its disclosure and tax reporting procedures and may no longer be able to operate or to rely on pass-through tax treatment. In each such case and in the case of the Sponsor’s determination as to whether a potential successor trustee or custodian is acceptable to it, the Sponsor will not be liable to anyone for its determination of whether to continue or to dissolve the Trust.
If the Trust is required to terminate and liquidate, or the Sponsor determines in accordance with the Delaware Act that it is appropriate to terminate and liquidate the Trust, the Sponsor will instruct the Execution Agent to sell the Trust’s bitcoin and will distribute to the Shareholders any amounts of the cash proceeds of the liquidation remaining after the satisfaction of all outstanding liabilities of the Trust and the establishment of reserves for applicable taxes, other governmental charges and contingent or future liabilities as the Sponsor will determine. Shareholders of record on the record date fixed by the Transfer Agent for a distribution will be entitled to receive their pro rata portions of any distribution. Following the liquidation of the Trust’s bitcoin, any remaining outstanding Shares will be redeemed for cash and distributed to Shareholders in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement.
Upon dissolution of the Trust, following completion of winding up of its business by the Sponsor, the Trustee, upon written directions of the Sponsor, will cause a certificate of cancellation of the Trust’s Certificate of Trust to be filed in accordance with applicable Delaware law. Upon completion of the winding up of the business of the Trust, the Sponsor will be discharged from all obligations under the Trust Agreement except for its certain obligations that survive dissolution of the Trust Agreement.
Amendments
The Trust Agreement provides that it may be amended by the Sponsor in its sole discretion and without the Shareholders’ consent. Any such amendment to the Trust Agreement will be effective on such date as designated by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, except that any amendment that imposes or increases any fees or charges or prejudices a substantial existing right of the Shareholders will not become effective until thirty (30) days after notice of such amendment is given to the Shareholders. However, any amendment to the Trust Agreement that affects the rights or duties of the Trustee will require the Trustee’s prior written consent. Every Shareholder, at the time any amendment so becomes effective, will be deemed, by continuing to hold any Shares or an interest therein, to consent and agree to such amendment and to be bound by the Trust Agreement as amended thereby. The Sponsor does not expect to make any amendment that would impair the right of Authorized Participants to surrender Creation Baskets and receive therefore the amount of Trust assets represented thereby (less fees in connection with the surrender of Shares and any applicable taxes or other governmental charges), except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law.
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The Sponsor
The Sponsor arranged for the creation of the Trust and is responsible for the ongoing registration of the Shares for their public offering and the listing of Shares on the Exchange. The Sponsor will not exercise day-to-day oversight over the Trustee or the Bitcoin Custodian. Except as noted in “The Trust—The Trust’s Expenses” above, the Sponsor has agreed to pay all of the Trust’s ordinary expenses out of the Sponsor Fee, including, but not limited to, the Trustee’s fees, the Administrator’s fee, the Transfer Agent’s fee, the Bitcoin Custodian’s fee, the Execution Agent’s fees, Exchange listing fees, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, legal costs and audit fees. The Sponsor also paid the costs of the Trust’s organization. The Sponsor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. Invesco Ltd. and its subsidiaries, including the Sponsor, are an independent global investment management group.
The Sponsor has significant experience overseeing exchange-traded products, including both 1940 Act-registered exchange-traded products and non-1940 Act-registered exchange-traded products. The Sponsor currently oversees over 200 exchange-traded products with assets totaling $551 billion as of June 30, 2023. The Sponsor launched its Invesco Physical Bitcoin ETP in the Europe, Middle East and Africa markets in January 2022. By managing its own products and through its relationships with the Execution Agent and the Bitcoin Custodian, the Sponsor has amassed significant knowledge regarding bitcoin and the digital asset markets.
The Trustee
Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company located at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808, acts as the trustee of the Trust as required to create a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the Trust Agreement and the DSTA. The Trustee is appointed to serve as the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware for the sole purpose of satisfying the requirement of Section 3807(a) of the DSTA that the Trust have at least one trustee with a principal place of business in the State of Delaware.
General Duty of Care of Trustee
The Trust Agreement provides that, to the extent that, at law or at equity, the Trustee has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust or the Sponsor, such duties and liabilities are eliminated and replaced by the duties and liabilities of the Trustee expressly set forth in the Trust Agreement. Under the Trust Agreement, the duties of the Trustee shall be limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Trust in the State of Delaware and (ii) at the direction of the Sponsor, the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware which the Trustee is required to execute under Section 3811 of the Delaware Act.
Resignation, Discharge or Removal of Trustee; Successor Trustees
The Trustee may resign at any time by giving at least 60 days advance written notice to the Sponsor. The Sponsor may remove the Trustee at any time by giving at least 60 days advance written notice to the Trustee. Upon effective resignation or removal, the Trustee will be discharged of its duties and obligations.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed, the Sponsor, acting on behalf of the Shareholders, is required to use reasonable efforts to appoint a successor trustee. Any successor Trustee must satisfy the requirements of Section 3807 of the DSTA. Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee cannot become effective until a written acceptance of appointment is delivered by the successor Trustee to the outgoing Trustee and the Sponsor and any fees and other expenses due to the outgoing Trustee are paid or waived by the outgoing Trustee. Following compliance with the preceding sentence, the successor will become fully vested with the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the outgoing Trustee under the Trust Agreement, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee, and the outgoing Trustee shall be discharged of its duties and
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obligations herein. If no successor Trustee shall have been appointed and shall have accepted such appointment within forty-five (45) days after the giving of such notice of resignation or removal, the Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
If the Trustee resigns and no successor trustee is appointed within 180 days after the date the Trustee issues its notice of resignation, the Sponsor will dissolve and liquidate the Trust and distribute its remaining assets in cash, although in certain circumstances a Shareholder may request an in-kind liquidating distribution.
The Administrator
Under the trust administration and accounting agreement, the Administrator provides necessary administrative, tax and accounting services and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust, including calculating the NAV of the Trust and determining the net assets of the Trust, and calculating the size of the Creation Baskets.
The Transfer Agent
The Transfer Agent is responsible for (1) issuing and redeeming Shares in connection with creation and redemption transactions, (2) responding to correspondence by Shareholders and others relating to its duties, (3) maintaining Shareholder accounts and (4) making periodic reports to the Trust.
The Bitcoin Custodian
Under the Bitcoin Custody Agreement, the Bitcoin Custodian is responsible for (1) safekeeping all of the bitcoin owned by the Trust, (2) opening one or more accounts that hold the Trust’s bitcoin and (3) facilitating the transfer of bitcoin required for the operation of the Trust as directed by the Sponsor. The Bitcoin Custodian is chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the NYSDFS and is authorized by the NYSDFS to provide digital asset custody services. The Bitcoin Custodian is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinbase Global, Inc.
The Cash Custodian
Under the Cash Custody Agreement, the Cash Custodian is responsible for holding the Trust’s cash in connection with creation and redemption transactions effected in cash. The Cash Custodian is a New York state-chartered bank and a member of the Federal Reserve System.
The Marketing Agent
The Marketing Agent is responsible for: (1) working with the Transfer Agent to review and approve, or reject, purchase and redemption orders of Creation Baskets placed by Authorized Participants with the Transfer Agent; and (2) reviewing and approving the marketing materials prepared by the Trust for compliance with applicable SEC and FINRA advertising laws, rules, and regulations.
The Execution Agent
The Sponsor has entered into an agreement with Galaxy Digital Funds LLC, a subsidiary of Galaxy Digital LP (“Galaxy” or the “Execution Agent”) to serve as Execution Agent. At the direction of the Sponsor, the Execution Agent is responsible for selling bitcoin on behalf of the Trust to the extent necessary to permit the payment of the Trust’s expenses. The Trust also will utilize the services of the Execution Agent to purchase or sell bitcoin in connection with cash creations and redemptions. When acquiring or disposing of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust in connection with a creation or redemption transaction, the Sponsor will provide instructions to the Execution Agent, who will identify a Bitcoin Counterparty. In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf.
Pursuant to the Execution Agent Agreement, and subject to specific instructions from the Sponsor, the Execution Agent in its discretion is responsible for selecting the method of transacting, the price, the Bitcoin Counterparty or Counterparties and the trading platform or venue (if any) for the execution of each purchase and sale of bitcoin
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on behalf of the Trust. The Execution Agent has established policies and procedures for identifying, monitoring and performing due diligence on potential Bitcoin Counterparties and trading platforms or venues, with entities being added or removed from consideration on an ongoing basis. In addition, the Execution Agent evaluates Bitcoin Counterparties and trading platforms or venues on a per-transaction basis. At the time it selects a Bitcoin Counterparty for any specific transaction, the Execution Agent may consider a number of factors in an effort to seek to achieve “best execution,” including price, transaction costs, speed, and likelihood of execution and settlement, taking into account the size of the transaction and the experience and capabilities of the Bitcoin Counterparty. Relying on its history of transacting in bitcoin, the Execution Agent assesses Bitcoin Counterparties in seeking to achieve the best overall outcome for the Trust. Although the Trust is new, and therefore does not have a history of trading bitcoin, the Execution Agent (and its asset management affiliates) have extensive experience, having traded over $3.5 Billion in digital assets in 2023 across twelve counterparties for other accounts.
As of January 9, 2024, JSCT, LLC, Flow Traders B.V. and Cumberland DRW LLC have been identified by the Execution Agent as Bitcoin Counterparties and have consented to be named in this Prospectus. Each of these Bitcoin Counterparties are, and any other Bitcoin Counterparty the Execution Agent, on behalf of the Trust, places orders with in the future will be, subject to U.S. federal and/or state licensing requirements or similar laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions, and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC regulations or similar laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions. The Execution Agent, on behalf of the Trust, may engage additional Bitcoin Counterparties at any time. The Trust will include a list of Bitcoin Counterparties in the Trust’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K.
In addition, as part of this agreement, the Execution Agent has agreed to co-brand and co-market the Trust, and the Sponsor has licensed the use of certain Execution Agent trademarks, service marks and trade names in connection with the Trust. The Execution Agent is a leader in digital asset investing and trading and has extensive knowledge of and experience with digital asset investing and related services and markets.
The Execution Agent offers passive private funds in both the Bitcoin and Ethereum markets, including funds in Brazil and Canada which track the prices of bitcoin and ether. Galaxy also offers active strategies such as its Flagship Liquid Alpha Fund, which seeks to provide access to the current and next generation of essential digital assets. Galaxy also has experience in the bitcoin and digital asset markets through its affiliates, including Galaxy Digital Capital Management LP, which has been appointed as a fiduciary in the bankruptcy liquidation of FTX Trading Ltd. and acts as a fiduciary managing outside capital.
Galaxy is a subsidiary of Galaxy Digital Holdings LP (“Galaxy Holdings”). Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd., which holds a limited partner interest in Galaxy Holdings, is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “GLXY.”
Authorized Participants
The Trust will process all creations and redemptions of Shares in transactions with financial firms that are authorized to do so (known as “Authorized Participants”). Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe receiving the In-Kind Regulatory Approval, these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the
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Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will create Shares by receiving bitcoin from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem shares by delivering bitcoin to a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to receive the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
Authorized Participants are expected to sell Shares to the public at prices that reflect, among other factors, the value of the Trust’s assets, supply of and demand for Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction.
As of the date of the Prospectus, the Trust has entered into Authorized Participant Agreements with JP Morgan Securities LLC, Virtu Americas LLC, Jane Street Capital, LLC and Marex Capital Markets Inc.
CUSTODY OF THE TRUST’S BITCOIN
The Bitcoin Custodian will keep the private keys associated with the Trust’s bitcoin in a “cold storage” environment where the private keys are generated and secured (the “Prime Custody Vault”). From time to time, such as when the Trust’s bitcoin is being processed in connection with certain creation or redemption transactions or it is being sold, the Trust’s bitcoin may be maintained in a trading account (the “Trading Balance”) with Coinbase, Inc. (“Coinbase” or the “Prime Broker”), an affiliate of the Bitcoin Custodian. The Trust’s bitcoin will be maintained by the Bitcoin Custodian and Coinbase in accounts that are required to be segregated from the assets held by the Bitcoin Custodian or Coinbase as principal and, when held in the Prime Custody Vault, the assets of their other customers. “Cold storage” refers to a safeguarding method by which the private keys corresponding to the Trust’s bitcoins are generated and stored in an offline manner using computers or devices that are not directly connected to the internet, which is intended to make them more resistant to hacking, or similarly secure technology. All of the Trust’s bitcoin will be held in the Prime Custody Vault unless it is maintained in the Trading Balance in connection with certain creation or redemption transactions or it is being sold to pay the Sponsor’s Fee or Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. To the extent the Trust maintains a Trading Balance with Coinbase, such short-term holdings represent an omnibus claim on Coinbase’s bitcoin held on behalf of clients; these holdings exist across a combination of omnibus hot wallets, omnibus cold wallets or in accounts in Coinbase’s name on a trading venue (including third-party venues and Coinbase’s own execution venue) where Coinbase executes orders to buy and sell bitcoin on behalf of clients.
Custody of bitcoin typically involves the generation, storage and utilization of private keys. These private keys are used to effect transfer transactions (i.e., transfers of bitcoin from an address associated with the private key to another address). Cold storage is a safeguarding method with multiple layers of protections and protocols, by which the private key(s) corresponding to the Trust’s bitcoin is (are) generated and stored in an offline manner.
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Private keys are generated in offline computers that are not connected to the internet so that they are resistant to being hacked. Cold storage of private keys involves keeping key material on storage devices not directly connected to the internet. In accordance with the Trust’s instructions, the Bitcoin Custodian will keep the Trust’s bitcoin in cold storage on an ongoing basis; however, from time to time, portions of the Trust’s bitcoin will be held in the Trading Balance outside of cold storage temporarily as part of trade facilitation in connection with creations and redemptions of Creation Baskets or to sell bitcoin to pay Trust expenses. Please see “Cybersecurity Risk Related to Bitcoin,” “Risks Related to the Markets and Service Ecosystem for Bitcoin,” and “Risks Related to the Trust and the Shares” for a discussion of custody risks.
Bitcoin Custodian Access to Private Keys and Whitelisting
The Bitcoin Custodian uses two distinct wallet architectures to support the Trust’s operations. There is the Prime Custody Vault environment that provides the storage where assets will be secured when not involved in creation or redemption transactions. Additionally, there is the Trading Balance environment where assets move through the Coinbase trading wallets for matching, settlement, and trade execution.
Prime Custody Vault
The following groups of personnel are involved in the Prime Custody Vault wallet digital signing process. Bitcoin Custodian personnel that participate in wallet private key use activities each have access to material that is necessary to complete a transaction, but the material they have access to is not by itself sufficient to use a wallet private key and sign a transaction unilaterally (e.g., there is segregation of duties enforced between those that can initiate a private key use request, and those that can participate in wallet private key use).
| • | The Trust: The Sponsor, acting on behalf of the Trust is responsible for creating and approving the transaction (including specifying transaction details) within the Prime Custody Vault. Clients have the ability to manage address whitelist, where funds are permitted to be sent outside the boundaries of Bitcoin Custodian’s environment. Modifications to the address book require client consensus and client-owned hardware two-factor authentication (2FA). |
| • | Facilitation: The Bitcoin Custodian has a back-office operations team that supports validation of transaction intent, facilitates optional client video authorization calls, and collaborates with the operators to track transaction processing. |
| • | Key Management & Physical Access: Private keys are encrypted and secured with cryptographically enforced consensus policies and stored in offline vaults. A secure system is responsible for uploading encrypted key share materials from a secure storage facility based on authorization from human operators. Access to a Bitcoin Custodian secure storage facility and materials therein is physically and logically restricted from a different operator group required for wallet private key use. |
| • | Key Use: A group of human operators is responsible for providing the necessary cryptographic material to allow access to the private key. Cryptographic consensus must be achieved across this group of human operators before a wallet private key can be used, and transactions signed to be broadcast on-chain. |
Upon cryptographic consensus being achieved the transaction is processed. The Bitcoin Custodian securely signs the transaction and broadcasts to the blockchain. All system-to-system authentication and authorization is enforced to ensure that unauthorized services are blocked from accessing resources supporting wallet operations.
Trading Balance
For the ETF trading and settlement environment, clients have configurable security controls that mirror those of the Vault wallet.
Specifically, the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, has the ability to manage their address allowlist where funds are permitted to be sent outside the boundaries of the Bitcoin Custodian’s environment. Modifications to the address book require client consensus and client- owned hardware two-factor authentication (2FA).
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The wallet private keys are secured in an online, isolated, high security system that leverages hardware security modules (HSMs). Transaction signing occurs automatically within this secure environment.
In the Trading Balance, any human access to the environment is exceptional, requiring additional secure authentication protocols, and is actively monitored and logged. The private keys are encrypted at rest, and stored in a non-exportable format.. All system-to-system authentication and authorization is enforced to ensure that unauthorized services are blocked from accessing resources supporting wallet operations.
Verifying Existence of Bitcoins
The Bitcoin Custodian issues Systems and Organizational Control (“SOC”) reports for the Prime Custody Vault, to verify the existence of digital assets among other objectives. It ensures controls are designed and operating effectively, providing reasonable assurance that customer digital asset positions held in the Bitcoin Custodian and Prime Broker are authorized, executed, and accurately and completely recorded.
Moving Assets from Cold Storage
To summarize, any movement of funds initiated by the Bitcoin Custodian on behalf of its customers adhere to the cold storage principles described above, which are inclusive of cryptographic consensus enforcement and segregation of duties between personnel among other security features.
Moving Assets into Cold Storage
The Bitcoin Custodian supports transfer of funds between a client’s Trading Balance and Prime Custody Vault. This process requires a user to comply with the account’s configured Transfer Policy which governs the approval requirements to be met before a transfer can be processed. The transfer is considered processed when it receives the appropriate blockchain confirmations.
Specifically, the transaction would be broadcasted from the Trading Balance wallet environment and received by a specific Prime Custody Vault wallet. Moving assets from the Trading Balance to Prime Custody Vault can be initiated by the client via the Bitcoin Custodian’s platform UI/API and must comply with client configured Transfer Policies.
Insurance of the Bitcoin Custodian
The Bitcoin Custodian purchases commercial crime and cyber coverage with comprehensive coverage terms and conditions. This insurance program, which has continuously run since 2013, provides the Bitcoin Custodian and its clients with some of the broadest and deepest insurance coverage in the digital asset industry.
The Commercial Crime insurance program covers both cold and hot storage assets held by Coinbase Global, Inc. (“Coinbase Global”) and all its subsidiaries, including Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (“Coinbase Custody”) and Coinbase, Inc. (collectively, “Coinbase”). Assets held within Coinbase Custody are secured within Coinbase’s cold storage environment.
Bitcoin which is custodied by the Bitcoin Custodian is held in segregated wallets and is not commingled with assets of Bitcoin Custodian or its affiliates or with assets of other customers of the Bitcoin Custodian. Neither the Trust, the Sponsor, nor any other entity is permitted to lend, pledge, hypothecate or rehypothecate any of the Trust’s bitcoin. The Bitcoin Custodian has also agreed in the Bitcoin Custody Agreement that it will not, directly or indirectly, lend, pledge, hypothecate or rehypothecate any of the Trust’s bitcoin, and that the Trust’s bitcoin assets are not treated as general assets of the Bitcoin Custodian but are instead considered custodial assets that remain the Trust’s property. Additionally, the Bitcoin Custodian has agreed to provide the Trust or its authorized independent public accountant with confirmation of or access to information sufficient to confirm the bitcoin
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held by the Bitcoin Custodian for the Trust and that the Trust’s bitcoin is held in a separate, segregated account under the Trust’s name. Under the Bitcoin Custody Agreement, the Bitcoin Custodian is required to obtain and maintain, at its sole expense, commercially reasonable insurance coverage for the custody services it provides to the Trust. The Bitcoin Custody Agreement does not require that private key information with respect to the Trust’s bitcoin be kept in a particular physical location. The Sponsor will continuously evaluate the Bitcoin Custodian’s performance and operations by engaging in regular communications and scheduled meetings to ensure that the Bitcoin Custodian operates consistent with the standards set forth in the Bitcoin Custody Agreement and the Bitcoin Custodian’s policies and procedures.
The Bitcoin Custodian may receive deposits of bitcoin but may not send bitcoin without use of the corresponding private keys. In order to send bitcoin kept in cold storage, private keys must be accessed from offline cold storage and used to sign transactions. At that point, the Bitcoin Custodian can upload the fully signed transaction to an online network and transfer the bitcoin. Because the Bitcoin Custodian may need to access private keys from offline storage prior to initiating transactions, the initiation or crediting of withdrawals or other transactions may be delayed.
The Bitcoin Custodian carefully considers the design of the physical, operational and cryptographic systems for secure storage of the Trust’s private keys in an effort to lower the risk of loss or theft. No such system is perfectly secure and loss or theft due to operational or other failure is always possible. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Bitcoin—Cybersecurity Risk Related to Bitcoin.”
The Trust may engage third-party custodians or vendors besides the Bitcoin Custodian and the Cash Custodian to provide custody and security services for all or a portion of its bitcoin and/or cash, and the Sponsor will pay the custody fees and any other expenses associated with any such third-party custodian or vendor. The Sponsor is responsible for overseeing the Bitcoin Custodian and the Trust’s other service providers. The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, add or terminate bitcoin custodians at any time. The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, change the custodian for the Trust’s bitcoin holdings, but it will have no obligation whatsoever to do so or to seek any particular terms for the Trust from other such custodians. However, the Sponsor will only enter into bitcoin custody arrangements with custodians that meet the Sponsor’s criteria, including an agreement to maintain Trust assets in a segregated account, to maintain insurance and to store the Trust’s private keys in cold storage or in such other manner as the Sponsor determines provides reasonable protection for the Trust’s assets from loss or theft.
Under the Bitcoin Custody Agreement, the Bitcoin Custodian’s liability is subject to the following limitations, among others: (i) other than with respect to claims and losses arising from fraud or willful misconduct, the Bitcoin Custodian’s aggregate liability under the Bitcoin Custody Agreement shall not exceed the greater of (A) the aggregate fees paid by the Trust to the Bitcoin Custodian in the 12 months prior to the event giving rise to the Bitcoin Custodian’s liability, and (B) the value of the affected bitcoin giving rise to the Bitcoin Custodian’s liability; (ii) the Bitcoin Custodian’s aggregate liability in respect of each cold storage address shall not exceed $100 million; and (iii) in respect of any incidental, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or similar losses, the Bitcoin Custodian is not liable, even if the Bitcoin Custodian has been advised of or knew or should have known of the possibility thereof. The Bitcoin Custodian is not liable for delays, suspension of operations, failure in performance, or interruption of service to the extent it is directly due to a cause or condition beyond the reasonable control of the Bitcoin Custodian. While the Bitcoin Custodian does not limit the size of each wallet to $100 million in bitcoin, and there is no guarantee that the amount of bitcoin in each Trust wallet will remain below this threshold, the Sponsor intends to monitor each Trust wallet and adjust the amount of bitcoin (valued in USD) in any given Trust wallet (including moving bitcoin into additional wallets) in an effort to maintain the amount of bitcoin in each Trust wallet below $100 million.
The Trust Is not a banking institution and is not a member of the FDIC or Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) and, therefore, investments in the Trust are not subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors with FDIC or SIPC member institutions. Likewise, the Bitcoin Custodian is not a depository institution and is not a member of the FDIC or SIPC and, therefore, the Trust’s assets held with the Bitcoin
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Custodian are not subject to FDIC or SIPC insurance coverage. In addition, neither the Trust nor the Sponsor insure the Trust’s bitcoin.
Also pursuant to the Bitcoin Custody Agreement, Coinbase, an affiliate of the Bitcoin Custodian, may provide prime broker services, including bitcoin trade execution, from time to time as requested by the Sponsor. The Trust may engage in purchases or sales of bitcoin by placing orders with Coinbase. Coinbase will route orders placed by the Sponsor through Coinbase’s execution platform to a Connected Trading Venue where the order will be executed. Each order placed with Coinbase by the Sponsor will be sent, processed and settled at each Connected Trading Venue to which it is routed. Subject to the foregoing, and to certain policies and procedures that the Bitcoin Custody Agreement requires Coinbase to have in place to mitigate conflicts of interest when executing the Trust’s orders, the Bitcoin Custody Agreement provides that Coinbase shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for the selection or performance of any Connected Trading Venue, and that other Connected Trading Venues and/or trading venues not used by Coinbase may offer better prices and/or lower costs than the Connected Trading Venue used to execute the Trust’s orders.
Orders to sell bitcoin on behalf of the Trust may be executed by the Coinbase at venues that have been approved in accordance with the Coinbase’s due diligence and risk assessment process. Due diligence includes reviews conducted by the legal, compliance, security, privacy and finance/credit-risk teams for every trading venue that Coinbase’s multi-venue execution capability connects to, helping ensure that the Coinbase only partners with secure and compliant liquidity partners. Coinbase also adheres to a maximum amount of assets that can ever be held on a venue, which is unique for each venue based on Coinbase’s venue diligence and continually refreshed.
As of the date of this Prospectus, Coinbase’s multi-venue execution capability connects with eight (8) venues in total: Coinbase Exchange, Bitstamp, LMAX, Kraken, and four non-bank market makers that it is unable to name due to confidentiality restrictions.
Coinbase may execute orders as an agent on behalf of the Trust. Coinbase does not operate a dealer and does not trade against its clients–all orders are routed to the venues listed above based on a variety of routing criteria, including pricing, liquidity and depth of order book.
Custody of the Trust’s Cash
The Trust generally does not intend to hold cash or cash equivalents. However, the Trust may hold cash and cash equivalents on a temporary basis to pay expenses or in connection with cash creation and redemption transactions. The Trust has entered into the Cash Custody Agreement with BNYM under which BNYM acts as custodian of the Trust’s cash and cash equivalents, if any.
Registered Form
Shares are issued in registered form in accordance with the Trust Agreement. The Transfer Agent has been appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of transferring Shares in certificated form. The Transfer Agent keeps a record of all Shareholders and holders of the Shares in certified form in the registry. The Sponsor recognizes transfers of Shares in certificated form only if done in accordance with the Trust Agreement. The beneficial interests in such Shares are held in book-entry form through participants and/or accountholders in DTC.
Book Entry
Individual certificates are not issued for the Shares. Instead, Shares are represented by one or more global certificates, which are deposited by the Transfer Agent on behalf of the Trust with DTC and registered in the
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name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the Shares outstanding at any time. Shareholders are limited to (1) participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies (“DTC Participants”), (2) those who maintain, either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant (“Indirect Participants”) and (3) those who hold interests in the Shares through DTC Participants or Indirect Participants, in each case who satisfy the requirements for transfers of Shares. DTC Participants acting on behalf of Shareholders holding Shares through such participants’ accounts in DTC will follow the delivery practice applicable to securities eligible for DTC’s Same-Day Funds Settlement System. Shares are credited to DTC Participants’ securities accounts following confirmation of receipt of payment.
DTC
The Trust understands that DTC is a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York and is a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC holds securities for DTC Participants and facilitates the clearance and settlement of transactions between DTC Participants through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of DTC Participants.
The Shares are only transferable through the book-entry system of DTC. Shareholders who are not DTC Participants may transfer their Shares through DTC by instructing the DTC Participant holding their Shares (or by instructing the Indirect Participant or other entity through which their Shares are held) to transfer the Shares. Transfers are made in accordance with standard securities industry practice.
Transfers of interests in Shares with DTC are made in accordance with the usual rules and operating procedures of DTC and the nature of the transfer. DTC has established procedures to facilitate transfers among the participants and/or accountholders of DTC. Because DTC can only act on behalf of DTC Participants, who in turn act on behalf of Indirect Participants, the ability of a person or entity having an interest in a global certificate to pledge such interest to persons or entities that do not participate in DTC, or otherwise take actions in respect of such interest, may be affected by the lack of a certificate or other definitive document representing such interest.
The Trust understands that DTC will take any action permitted to be taken by a Shareholder (including, without limitation, the presentation of a global certificate for exchange) only at the direction of one or more DTC Participants in whose account with DTC interests in global certificates are credited and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate principal amount of the global certificate as to which such DTC Participant or Participants has or have given such direction.
Buying and Selling Shares
Most investors buy and sell Shares of the Trust in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares trade on the Exchange under the ticker symbol BTCO. Shares are bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, most investors incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, as well as any bid-ask spread. Shareholders are encouraged to review the terms of their brokerage account for details on applicable charges.
Authorized Participants
The offering of Shares is a best efforts offering. The Trust continuously offers Creation Baskets consisting of 5,000 Shares to Authorized Participants. Authorized Participants may pay a transaction fee for each order they place to create or redeem Creation Baskets.
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The offering of Shares is being made in compliance with Rule 2310 of the FINRA Rules. Accordingly, Authorized Participants will not make any sales to any account over which they have discretionary authority without the prior written approval of a purchaser of Shares. An Authorized Participant is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of Shares.
By executing an Authorized Participant Agreement, an Authorized Participant becomes part of the group of parties eligible to purchase Creation Baskets from, and have Creation Baskets redeemed by, the Trust. An Authorized Participant is under no obligation to create or redeem Creation Baskets or to offer to the public any Shares it does create.
Because new Shares can be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the Trust, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, will be occurring. Authorized Participants, other broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some of their activities may result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that would render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. Any purchaser who purchases Shares with a view towards distribution of such Shares may be deemed to be a statutory underwriter. In addition, an Authorized Participant, other broker-dealer firm or its client will be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases a Creation Basket from the Trust, breaks the Creation Basket down into the constituent Shares and sells the Shares to its customers; or if it chooses to couple its purchases of Shares from the Trust with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for the Shares. In contrast, Authorized Participants may engage in secondary market or other transactions in Shares that would not be deemed “underwriting.” For example, an Authorized Participant may act in the capacity of a broker or dealer with respect to Shares that were previously distributed by other Authorized Participants. A determination of whether a particular market participant is an underwriter must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that would lead to designation as an underwriter and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
Dealers who are neither Authorized Participants nor “underwriters” but are nonetheless participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
While the Authorized Participants may be indemnified by the Sponsor, they will not be entitled to receive a discount or commission from the Trust or the Sponsor for their purchases of Creation Baskets.
Seed Capital Investor; Selling Shareholders
In connection with the Trust’s launch, the Trust was seeded with $100,000 on December 20, 2023 through the sale of 4,000 Shares (“Initial Seed Shares”) by the Trust to the Sponsor.
On January 2, 2024, the Sponsor (in such role, the “Seed Capital Investor”) purchased an additional 200,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $25.00 (“Seed Creation Baskets”). Total proceeds to the Trust from the sale of the Initial Seed Shares and the Seed Creation Baskets were $5,100,000. On January 4, 2024, the Sponsor redeemed the Initial Seed Shares and the Seed Creation Baskets for cash at a per-Share price of $25.00 for a total redemption value of $5,100,000 and immediately created 110,000 Shares (22 Creation Baskets) at a price of $44.16305 per Share based on the Benchmark price as of 4:00 p.m. ET on January 4, 2024. The Execution Agent acquired 110 bitcoin on behalf of the Trust. Accordingly, as of the market close on January 4, 2024, the Trust had total assets of $4,857,935.50, solely represented by bitcoin held in custody by the Seed Capital Investor, and had 110,000 Shares outstanding, entirely held by the Sponsor. The Seed Capital Investor acted as a statutory underwriter in connection with these purchases. The price of the Shares acquired by the Seed Capital Investor was determined as described in this Prospectus, and such Shares could be sold at different prices if sold by the Seed Capital Investor at different times.
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It is anticipated that the Seed Capital Investor will redeem its Shares or sell its Shares to a third party in the weeks following the initial listing of Shares on the Exchange, if the third-party investment in the Trust exceeds the value of the Seed Capital Investor’s entire investment. The Trust will not receive any of the proceeds of the redemption of any Seed Creation Baskets by the Seed Capital Investor.
Selling shareholders (each, a “Selling Shareholder”) may sell Shares owned by them directly or through broker-dealers, in accordance with applicable law, on any national securities exchange on which the Shares may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, through trading systems, in the OTC market or in transactions other than on these exchanges or systems at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected through brokerage transactions, privately negotiated trades, block sales, entry into options or other derivatives transactions or through any other means authorized by applicable law. Selling Shareholders may redeem Shares held in Creation Basket size through an Authorized Participant. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Trust and Shares—The Sponsor and its affiliates are subject to conflicts of interest that could adversely affect your investment in the Trust.”
CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES
The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Creation Baskets. The value of Creation Baskets are based on the quantity of bitcoin attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor fees and any accrued but unpaid expenses or liabilities) being created or redeemed determined as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the Business Day the order to create or redeem Creation Baskets is properly received. Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe in the future receiving the In-Kind Regulatory Approval, these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin. The timing of the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the related in-kind creation model is unknown and there is no guarantee that the Cboe will receive such approval. If Cboe receives the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the Sponsor chooses to allow in-kind creations and redemptions, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
In connection with both creation and redemption transactions, the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will create Shares by receiving bitcoin from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant
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with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem shares by delivering bitcoin to a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to receive the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
The Sponsor recognizes that the size of the Creation Baskets may impact the effectiveness of the arbitrage mechanism of the Trust’s creation and redemption process, and accordingly may adjust the size of the Creation Baskets to enhance the activities of the Authorized Participants in the secondary market for the Trust’s shares.
Authorized Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Creation Baskets. Authorized Participants must be (1) registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks or other financial institutions, that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions as described below, and (2) DTC Participants. To become an Authorized Participant, a person must enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement. The Authorized Participant Agreement provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Shares. The delivery of bitcoin to or from the Trust in connection with creation and redemption transactions, may settle on the Bitcoin Network and is thus subject to the risks associated with Bitcoin Network transactions, including the irreversibility of transactions made in error. The Authorized Participant Agreement and the related procedures attached thereto may be amended by the Trust and the Sponsor, without the consent of any Shareholder or Authorized Participant. Authorized Participants will pay a transaction fee for each order they place to create or redeem Shares. The transaction fee may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Trust and the Sponsor. Authorized Participants receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Trust or the Sponsor, and no such person will have any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Certain Authorized Participants or their affiliates may be capable of participating directly in the spot markets. Some Authorized Participants or their affiliates may from time to time buy or sell bitcoin and may profit in these instances. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Trust and Shares—The Sponsor and its affiliates are subject to conflicts of interest that could adversely affect your investment in the Trust.” To the extent that the activities of Authorized Participants or their affiliates have a meaningful effect on the bitcoin market, it could affect the price of bitcoin and impact the ability of the Authorized Participants or their affiliates to effectively arbitrage the difference between the price at which the shares trade and the NAV of the Trust’s Shares. While the Sponsor currently expects that Authorized Participants’ or their affiliates direct activities in the bitcoin or the secondary market in connection with the creation and redemption activities of the Trust will not significantly affect the price of bitcoin or the Shares, the impact of the activities of the Trust and its Authorized Participants on bitcoin or secondary market is unknown and beyond the control of the Sponsor.
Each Authorized Participant will be required to be registered as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act and a member in good standing with FINRA, or exempt from being or otherwise not required to be licensed as a broker-dealer or a member of FINRA, and will be qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where the nature of its business so requires. Certain Authorized Participants may also be regulated under federal and state banking laws and regulations. Each Authorized Participant has its own set of rules and procedures, internal controls and information barriers as it determines is appropriate in light of its own regulatory regime.
The following description of the procedures for the creation and redemption of Creation Baskets is only a summary and a Shareholder should refer to the relevant provisions of the form of Authorized Participant Agreement for more detail. The form of Authorized Participant Agreement is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this Prospectus is a part.
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Creations and redemptions may be “off-chain” transactions that are represented in the books and records of the Prime Broker or on “on-chain” transactions reflected in the Trust’s Prime Custody Vault Account. The creating or redeeming Authorized Participant will be responsible for any on-chain transaction fees, as well as any transaction fees imposed by the Trust and any transaction charges imposed by the Execution Agent in connection with acquiring or disposing of bitcoin in connection with creation or redemption transactions.
Authorized Participants will place orders through the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent will coordinate with the Trust’s Bitcoin Custodian in order to facilitate settlement of the Shares and cash and/or bitcoin as described in more detail in the “—Creation Procedures” and “—Redemption Procedures” sections below.
Creation Procedures
On any Business Day, an Authorized Participant may place an order through the Transfer Agent’s electronic order delivery system to create one or more Creation Baskets. The Transfer Agent will acknowledge the purchase order unless the Trustee or the Sponsor decides to refuse the deposit as described below under “Rejection of Purchase Orders.” Orders to purchase Shares (“Purchase Orders”) must be placed by 2:30 p.m. ET or the close of regular trading on the Exchange, whichever is earlier. The day on which a valid order is received by the Transfer Agent is considered the “Purchase Order Date.”
The Sponsor may in its sole discretion limit the number of Shares created pursuant to Purchase Orders on any specified day without providing notice to the Authorized Participants and may direct the Transfer Agent to reject any Purchase Orders in excess of such capped amount. The Sponsor may choose to limit the number of Shares created pursuant to Purchase Orders when it deems so doing to be in the best interest of Shareholders. The Sponsor may choose to do so when it believes the market is too volatile to execute a bitcoin transaction, when it believes the price of bitcoin is being inconsistently, irregularly, or discontinuously published from bitcoin trading venues and other data sources, or when it believes other similar circumstances may create a scenario in which accepting Purchase Orders would not be in the best interests of the Shareholders. The Sponsor does not believe that the Trust’s ability to arrive at such a determination will have a significant impact on the Shares in the secondary market because it believes that the ability to create Shares would be reinstated shortly after such determination is made, and any entity desiring to create Shares would be able to do so once the ability to create Shares is reinstated. However, it is possible that such a determination would cause the Shares to trade at premiums or discounts relative to the Trust’s NAV on the secondary market if arbitrageurs believe that there is risk that the creation and redemption process is not available, as this process is a component of keeping the price of the Shares on the secondary market closely aligned to the Trust’s NAV.
If the Trustee accepts the Purchase Order, the Transfer Agent will transmit to the Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message or other electronic communication, no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on the date such Purchase Order is received, or deemed received, a copy of the Purchase Order endorsed “Accepted” by the Transfer Agent and indicating the Creation Basket Deposit that the Authorized Participant must deliver to the Bitcoin Custodian or Prime Broker in exchange for each Creation Basket. In the case of Purchase Orders submitted via the Transfer Agent’s electronic order entry system, the Authorized Participant will receive an automated email indicating the acceptance of the Purchase Order and the Purchase Order will be marked “Accepted” in the Transfer Agent’s electronic order entry system. Prior to the Transfer Agent’s acceptance as specified above, a Purchase Order will only represent the Authorized Participant’s unilateral offer to deposit the requisite amount of cash in exchange for Creation Baskets and will have no binding effect upon the Trust, the Sponsor, the Trust Administrator, the Transfer Agent, the Bitcoin Custodian or any other party.
If required by the Sponsor and the Trust, prior to the delivery of Creation Baskets for a Purchase Order, the Authorized Participant must have wired to the Transfer Agent the nonrefundable transaction fee due for the Purchase Order. Authorized Participants may not withdraw a Purchase Order.
The manner by which Creation Baskets are made is dictated by the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement. By placing a Purchase Order, an Authorized Participant agrees to facilitate the deposit of the requisite amount of cash with
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the Trust’s Cash Custodian. If an Authorized Participant fails to consummate the foregoing, the Purchase Order will be cancelled. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust.
The total cash deposit required to create each Creation Basket is an amount of cash equivalent to the amount of bitcoin described below in the subsection entitled “Determination of Required Deposits,” plus any amount above the Benchmark on each Purchase Order Date that the Trust agrees to pay in order to acquire the required amount of bitcoin as described in the subsection entitled “Determination of Required Deposits.” The Sponsor causes to be published each night the amount of bitcoin that will be acquired in exchange for each Purchase Order, from which can be computed the estimated amount of cash required to create each cash Creation Basket, prior to accounting for any additional cash required to acquire the requisite amount of bitcoin if the price paid by the Trust is in excess of the Benchmark on each Purchase Order Date.
Creation and redemption transactions initially will take place in cash. Subject to Cboe in the future receiving the In-Kind Regulatory Approval, these transactions may also take place in exchange for bitcoin. The timing of the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the related in-kind creation model is unknown and there is no guarantee that the Cboe will receive such approval. If Cboe receives the In-Kind Regulatory Approval and the Sponsor chooses to allow in-kind creations and redemptions, notice to Shareholders will be provided on the Trust’s website, in a prospectus supplement, through a current report on Form 8-K and/or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Transfer Agent will issue Creation Baskets of Shares to the creating Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the creation order.
In connection with creation transactions (and, as noted below, redemption transactions), the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will create Shares by receiving bitcoin from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust.
The Sponsor and Transfer Agent shall reject any purchase order or redemption order that is not in proper form. Upon receipt of the bitcoin deposit amount in the Trust’s Bitcoin Account, the Bitcoin Custodian will notify the Transfer Agent, the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor that the bitcoin has been deposited. The Transfer Agent will then direct DTC to credit the number of Shares created to the Authorized Participant’s DTC account.
As between the Trust and the Authorized Participant, the expense and risk of the difference between the value of bitcoin calculated by the Administrator for daily valuation using the Benchmark and the price at which the Trust acquires the bitcoin will be borne solely by the Authorized Participant to the extent that the Trust pays more for bitcoin than the price used by the Trust for daily valuation. Any such additional cash amount will be included in the amount of cash calculated by the Administrator on the Purchase Order Date (identified as a variable transaction fee), communicated to the Authorized Participant on the Purchase Order Date, and wired by the Authorized Participant to the Cash Custodian on the day following the Purchase Order Date. If the Bitcoin Counterparty fails to deliver the bitcoin to the Bitcoin Custodian, no cash is sent from the Cash Custodian to the Bitcoin Counterparty, no Shares are transferred to the Authorized Participant’s DTC account, the cash is returned to the Authorized Participant, and the Cash Purchase Order is cancelled.
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Bitcoin transactions that occur on the blockchain are susceptible to delays due to bitcoin network outage, congestion, spikes in transaction fees demanded by miners, or other problems or disruptions. To the extent that bitcoin transfers from the Trust’s Trading Balance to the Trust’s Prime Custody Vault are delayed due to congestion or other issues with the Bitcoin network, such bitcoin will not be held in cold storage in the Prime Custody Vault until such transfers can occur.
Determination of Required Deposits
The quantity of bitcoin required to create each Creation Basket (“Creation Basket Deposit”) changes from day to day. On each day that the Exchange is open for regular trading, the Sponsor will publish the Creation Basket after market close, which is composed of an amount of bitcoin that will be used to determine the amount of cash required to purchase a Creation Basket the following day. After the Trust’s NAV is struck on a Business Day, the Administrator adjusts the quantity of bitcoin constituting the Creation Basket Deposit for the next Business Day as appropriate to reflect accrued expenses. The computation is made by the Administrator as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. ET. The Administrator calculates the Creation Basket Deposit for a given day by multiplying the NAV by the number of Shares in a Creation Basket (5,000) divided by the price of bitcoin at 4:00 p.m. ET as determined consistent with the Benchmark to determine the cash amount required for a Creation Basket. Fractions of a bitcoin smaller than .00000001 (known as a “satoshi”) are disregarded for purposes of the computation of the Creation Basket Deposit. Although the Administrator applies the bitcoin price to the calculate of the Creation Basket value, the Administrator plays no role in the determination of the bitcoin price used by the Trust; rather the bitcoin price used in calculating the cash value of a Creation Basket is identical to the bitcoin price used in determining the Trust’s NAV.
Each Business Day, the Sponsor will communicate the final Creation Basket Deposit for that same Business Day and an estimated Creation Basket Deposit for the next Business Day. The Creation Basket Deposit so determined is communicated daily via electronic mail message to all Authorized Participants. Authorized Participants may use the value of the bitcoin in the Creation Basket to estimate the amount of cash needed for a Purchase Order.
The date the Transfer Agent receives a valid Purchase Order will determine the Creation Basket Deposit the Authorized Participant needs to deposit. However, Purchase Orders received by the Transfer Agent after 2:30 p.m. ET (or the close of regular trading on the Exchange, whichever is earlier) will be rejected and should be resubmitted on the following Business Day.
To the extent there is a difference between the price actually paid by the Trust to acquire a Creation Basket worth of bitcoin in the creation process compared to the cash value of the Creation Basket (i.e., if there is a difference between the amount paid by the Execution Agent on behalf of the Trust to purchase the requisite amount of bitcoin and the valuation of bitcoin as part of the Trust’s NAV calculation), that difference will also be charged to the creating Authorized Participant in the form of a variable fee.
Delivery of Required Deposits
An Authorized Participant who places a Purchase Order must follow the procedures outlined in the “—Creation Procedures” section above. When purchasing Creation Baskets, Authorized Participants will deliver cash to the Cash Custodian. The Execution Agent will be responsible for acquiring the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Cash Custodian will transfer cash to the Bitcoin Counterparty in payment for the requisite amount of bitcoin. The bitcoin acquired from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be transferred to the Bitcoin Custodian. After receipt of the bitcoin by the Bitcoin Custodian, the Bitcoin Custodian will notify the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent that the bitcoin has been received, and the Transfer Agent will direct DTC to credit the number of Creation Baskets ordered to an Authorized Participant’s DTC account on the next Business Day following the Purchase Order Date. The expense and risk of delivery and ownership of bitcoin until bitcoin has been received by the Bitcoin Custodian on behalf of the Trust, including transaction fees from the Bitcoin network’s blockchain, will be borne solely by the Authorized Participant. If bitcoin is to be delivered to the Trust other than as described above, the Sponsor is
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authorized to establish such procedures and to appoint such custodians and establish such custody accounts as the Sponsor determines to be desirable, or to reject such Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit.
Rejection of Purchase Orders
The Sponsor or its designee has the absolute right, but does not have any obligation, to reject any Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit if the Sponsor determines that:
| • | the Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit is not in proper form as described in the Authorized Participant Agreement; |
| • | the acceptance of the Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit would not be in the best interest of the Trust; |
| • | the acceptance of the Purchase Order or the Creation Basket Deposit would have adverse tax consequences to the Trust or its Shareholders; |
| • | the acceptance of the Creation Basket Deposit presents a security or regulatory risk to the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent or the Bitcoin Custodian; |
| • | the acceptance or receipt of the Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful; or |
| • | circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Sponsor or the Bitcoin Custodian or Cash Custodian make it impractical or not feasible to process Creations Baskets. |
None of the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent or the Bitcoin Custodian will be liable for the rejection of any Purchase Order or Creation Basket Deposit.
Redemption Procedures
An order to redeem Creation Baskets is a “Redemption Order.” When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the Redemption Order. The Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf.
In connection with redemption transactions (and, as noted above, creation transactions), the Execution Agent, pursuant to the oversight of the Sponsor, will decide how and with which Bitcoin Counterparty to transact on the Trust’s behalf. The Authorized Participants will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. The Trust will redeem shares by delivering bitcoin to a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust (through the Execution Agent, on an agency basis)—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to receive the bitcoin. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
When redeeming Creation Baskets, the Execution Agent will be responsible for selling the requisite amount of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust on an agency basis. Once the Execution Agent selects a Bitcoin Counterparty, the Bitcoin Custodian will transfer bitcoin to the Bitcoin Counterparty in return for the requisite cash payment. The
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cash received from the Bitcoin Counterparty will be delivered to the Cash Custodian. After receipt of the cash payment, the Transfer Agent will redeem the Shares and the Cash Custodian will distribute the resulting cash to the redeeming Authorized Participant in satisfaction of the redemption order.
When a Redemption Order is received, the Trust will instruct the Bitcoin Custodian to move the corresponding amount of bitcoin from the Trust’s Prime Custody Vault Balance to the Trading Balance by a specified time on the settlement date. Transfers of bitcoin from the Trust’s Prime Custody Vault Balance to the Trust’s Trading Balance are “on-chain” transaction represented on the bitcoin blockchain.
Bitcoin transactions that occur on the blockchain are susceptible to delays due to bitcoin network outages, congestion, spikes in transaction fees demanded by miners, or other problems or disruptions. To the extent that bitcoin transfers from the Trust’s Prime Custody Vault to the Trust’s Trading Balance are delayed due to congestion or other issues with the bitcoin network, redemptions in the Trust could be delayed.
Disruption of services at the Bitcoin Custodian would have the potential to delay settlement of the bitcoin related to Redemption Orders.
Determination of Redemption Distribution
The redemption distribution from the Trust will consist of a transfer to the redeeming Authorized Participant of an amount of cash that is determined in the same manner as the determination of Creation Basket Deposits discussed above.
Delivery of Redemption Distribution
The redemption distribution due from the Trust will be delivered to the Authorized Participant on the first Business Day following the Redemption Order date if, by 9:00 a.m. ET on such Business Day, the Transfer Agent’s DTC account has been credited with the Creation Baskets to be redeemed. If the Transfer Agent’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the Creation Baskets to be redeemed by such time, the redemption distribution will also be delayed. The expense and risk of delivery and ownership of bitcoin in redemption distributions, including transaction fees from the Bitcoin network’s blockchain, will be borne solely by the Authorized Participant.
Suspension or Rejection of Redemption Orders
The Sponsor may, in its discretion, suspend the right of redemption, or postpone the redemption settlement date, (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings, or trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted, (2) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of bitcoin is not reasonably practicable, (3) for such other period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the protection of the Trust or its Shareholders (for example, where acceptance of the total deposit required to create each Creation Basket would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Trust or its Shareholders), or (4) as agreed upon between the Sponsor and Authorized Participant. For example, the Sponsor may determine that it is necessary to suspend redemptions to allow for the orderly liquidation of the Trust’s assets. An emergency could include situations where the Trust is unable to transact in bitcoin or where the Trust is unable to value its bitcoin holdings. Such a situation may arise when trading of bitcoin is suspended on one or more of the digital asset trading platforms that are included in the Benchmark (for example, as a result of a significant technical failure, power outage or network error) or the Trust is unable to access the bitcoin in the Trust’s bitcoin custody account at the Bitcoin Custodian due to technical or operating issues at the Trust or the Bitcoin Custodian. Because the Trust’s bitcoin transactions are expected to be effected by the Execution Agent over-the-counter, it is unlikely that the Trust’s bitcoin transactions would be directly impacted by a trading halt on one or more digital asset trading platforms. However, such disruptions may have an effect on overall bitcoin liquidity or cause price spreads of bitcoin to widen. None of the Sponsor, the
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person authorized to take Redemption Orders in the manner provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement, or the Bitcoin Custodian will be liable to any person or in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such suspension or postponement.
Redemption Orders must be made in whole Creation Baskets. The Sponsor or its designee has the absolute right, but does not have any obligation, to reject any Redemption Order if the Sponsor determines that:
| • | the Redemption Order is not in proper form as described in the Authorized Participant Agreement; |
| • | the acceptance of the Redemption Order would not be in the best interest of the Trust; |
| • | the acceptance of the Redemption Order would have adverse tax consequences to the Trust or its Shareholders; |
| • | the acceptance of the Redemption Order presents a security risk to the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent or the Bitcoin Custodian; |
| • | the acceptance of the Redemption Order would, in the opinion of counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful; or |
| • | circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Sponsor, or the Bitcoin Custodian make it impractical or not feasible for the Shares to be delivered under the Redemption Order. |
The Sponsor may also reject a Redemption Order if the number of Shares being redeemed would reduce the remaining outstanding Shares to 100,000 Shares (i.e., 20 Creation Baskets) or less.
In the event that the Sponsor intends to suspend or postpone redemptions, it will provide Shareholders with notice in a prospectus supplement and/or through a current report on Form 8-K or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
Creation and Redemption Transaction Fee
To compensate the Transfer Agent for expenses incurred in connection with the creation and redemption of Creation Baskets, an Authorized Participant may be required to pay a transaction fee to the Transfer Agent to create or redeem Creation Baskets, which is not expected to vary in accordance with the number of Creation Baskets in such order, except to the extent that the fee in connection with a cash transaction is higher than the fee in connection with an in-kind transaction. The transaction fee may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor and the Trust. The Sponsor will notify Authorized Participants of any change in the transaction fee and will not implement any increase in the fee for the redemption of Shares until thirty (30) days after the date of notice. Additionally, for any creation or redemption transaction, to the extent there is a difference (i) in the case of a creation, between the price actually paid by the Trust to acquire a Creation Basket worth of bitcoin in the creation process compared to the cash value of the Creation Basket (i.e., if there is a difference between the amount paid by the Execution Agent on behalf of the Trust to purchase the requisite amount of bitcoin and the valuation of bitcoin as part of the Trust’s NAV calculation); or (ii) in the case of a redemption, between the cash proceeds of selling a Creation Basket worth of bitcoin in the redemption value compared to the cash value of the Creation Basket (i.e., if there is a difference between the amount received by the Trust from a Bitcoin Counterparty in selling the requisite amount of bitcoin and the valuation of bitcoin as part of the Trust’s NAV calculation), that difference will also be charged to the creating Authorized Participant in the form of a variable fee.
Tax Responsibility
Authorized Participants are responsible for any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax, value added tax or similar tax or governmental charge applicable to the creation or redemption of Creation Baskets, regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly on the Authorized Participant, and agree to indemnify the Sponsor and the Trust if they are required by law to pay any such tax, together with any applicable penalties, additions to tax and interest thereon.
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Secondary Market Transactions
As noted, the Trust will create and redeem Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Creation Baskets. The creation and redemption of Shares are made in exchange for delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of bitcoin or cash determined as described above.
As discussed above, Authorized Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Creation Baskets. Authorized Participants must be registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions. An Authorized Participant is under no obligation to create or redeem Creation Baskets, and an Authorized Participant is under no obligation to offer to the public any Shares it does create.
Authorized Participants that do offer to the public Shares from the Creation Baskets they create will do so at per-Share offering prices that reflect, among other factors, the value of the Trust’s assets, supply of and demand for Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction. Creation Baskets are generally redeemed when the market price per Share is at a discount to the NAV. Shares initially constituting the same Creation Basket but offered by Authorized Participants to the public at different times may have different offering prices. An order for one or more Creation Baskets may be placed by an Authorized Participant on behalf of multiple clients. Authorized Participants who make deposits with the Trust in exchange for Creation Baskets receive no fees, commissions or other forms of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Trust or the Sponsor, and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor to effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Shares are expected to trade in the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares may trade in the secondary market at prices that are lower or higher relative to their NAV. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV may be influenced by various factors, including the value of the Trust’s assets, supply and demand for the Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction.
Proceeds received by the Trust from the issuance of Creation Baskets will initially consist of cash deposits. Such cash deposits are held by the Cash Custodian on behalf of the Trust until (i) transferred in connection with the purchase of bitcoin, (ii) delivered to Authorized Participants in connection with a redemption of Creation Baskets or (iii) transferred to pay the Sponsor Fee or for extraordinary expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor.
The Trust’s bitcoin is held by the Bitcoin Custodian (or held temporarily in the Trading Balance with Coinbase) on behalf of the Trust until sold by the Execution Agent to pay the Sponsor Fee or to pay for extraordinary expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor.
OWNERSHIP OR BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN THE TRUST
The beneficial interest in the Trust is divided into Shares. Each Share of the Trust represents an equal beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust, and each holder of Shares is entitled to receive such holder’s pro rata share of distributions of income and capital gains, if any.
All Shares are fully paid and non-assessable. No Share will have any priority or preference over any other Share of the Trust. All distributions, if any, will be made ratably among all Shareholders from the assets of the Trust according to the number of Shares held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any distribution or on the date of termination of the Trust, as the case may be. Except as otherwise provided by the Sponsor, Shareholders will have no preemptive or other right to subscribe to any additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust.
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The Sponsor will have full power and authority, in its sole discretion, without seeking the approval of the Trustee or the Shareholders (a) to establish and designate and to change in any manner and to fix such preferences, voting powers, rights, duties and privileges of the Trust as the Sponsor may from time to time determine, (b) to divide the beneficial interest in the Trust into an unlimited amount of Shares, with or without par value, as the Sponsor will determine, (c) to issue Shares without limitation as to number (including fractional Shares), to such persons and for such amount of consideration, subject to any restriction set forth in the By-Laws, if any, at such time or times and on such terms as the Sponsor may deem appropriate, (d) to divide or combine the Shares into a greater or lesser number without thereby materially changing the proportionate beneficial interest of the Shares in the assets held, and (e) to take such other action with respect to the Shares as the Sponsor may deem desirable. The ownership of Shares will be recorded on the books of the Trust or the Transfer Agent for the Trust. No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares will be issued except as the Sponsor may otherwise determine from time to time. The Sponsor may make such rules as it considers appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, transfer of Shares and similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust, or the Transfer Agent, as the case may be, will be conclusive as to the identity of the Shareholders and as to the number of Shares held from time to time by each.
There are present and potential future conflicts of interest in the Trust’s structure and operation you should consider before you purchase Shares. The Sponsor will use this notice of conflicts as a defense against any claim or other proceeding made. If the Sponsor is not able to resolve these conflicts of interest adequately, it may impact the Trust’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
The officers, directors and employees of the Sponsor do not devote their time exclusively to the Trust. These persons are directors, officers or employees of other entities which may compete with the Trust for their services. They could have a conflict between their responsibilities to the Trust and to those other entities.
The Sponsor has the authority to manage the investments and operations of the Trust, and this may allow it to act in a way that furthers its own interests which may create a conflict with your best interests. Shareholders have very limited voting rights, which will limit their ability to influence matters such as amendment of the Trust Agreement, change in the Trust’s basic investment policy, dissolution of the Trust, or the sale or distribution of the Trust’s assets.
The Sponsor serves as the sponsor to the Trust. The Sponsor may have a conflict to the extent that its trading decisions for the Trust may be influenced by the effect they would have on other funds its affiliates may manage. In addition, the Sponsor may be required to indemnify its officers, directors and key employees with respect to their activities on behalf of other funds, if the need for indemnification arises. This potential indemnification could cause the Sponsor’s assets to decrease. If the Sponsor’s other sources of income are not sufficient to compensate for the indemnification, it could cease operations, which could in turn result in Trust losses and/or termination of the Trust.
If the Sponsor acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or arrangement that may be an opportunity for the Trust, it will have no duty to offer such opportunity to the Trust. The Sponsor will not be liable to the Trust or the Shareholders for breach of any fiduciary or other duty if Sponsor pursues such opportunity or directs it to another person or does not communicate such opportunity to the Trust. Neither the Trust nor any Shareholder has any rights or obligations by virtue of the Trust Agreement, the trust relationship created thereby, or this Prospectus in such business ventures or the income or profits derived from such business ventures. The pursuit of such business ventures, even if competitive with the activities of the Trust, will not be deemed wrongful or improper.
The Sponsor, the Prime Broker, the Execution Agent and their respective affiliates and/or employees may hold or participate in transactions related to bitcoin, either for their own account or for the account of others, such as
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clients. Such transactions may occur prior to, during, or after the commencement of this offering. Such transactions may not serve to benefit the Shareholders of the Trust and may have a positive or negative effect on the value of the bitcoin held by the Trust and, consequently, on the market value of bitcoin. Because these parties may trade bitcoin for their own accounts at the same time as the Trust, prospective Shareholders should be aware that such persons may take positions in bitcoin which are opposite, or ahead of, the positions taken for the Trust. There can be no assurance that any of the foregoing will not have an adverse effect on the performance of the Trust.
The Prime Broker and the Execution Agent may be subject to certain conflicts of interest, including: (i) the Trust’s orders may be routed to the Prime Broker’s own execution venue or to the Execution Agent’s principal market, where the Trust’s orders may be executed against other customers of the Prime Broker or Execution Agent, or with the Prime Broker acting as principal, (ii) the beneficial identity of the counterparty purchaser or seller with respect to the Trust’s orders may be unknown and therefore may inadvertently be another client of the Prime Broker or the Execution Agent, (iii) neither the Prime Broker nor the Execution Agent engages in front-running, but each is aware of the Trust’s orders or imminent orders and may execute a trade for its own inventory (or the account of an affiliate) while in possession of that knowledge, and (iv) the Prime Broker or Execution Agent may act in a principal capacity with respect to certain orders. As a result of these and other conflicts, when acting as principal, the Prime Broker or the Execution Agent may have an incentive to favor its own interests and the interests of its affiliates over the Trust’s interests. While the Prime Broker and the Execution Agent each have in place procedures to mitigate conflicts of interest when executing the Trust’s orders, trading platforms or counterparties not used by the Prime Broker or Execution Agent may offer better prices and/or lower costs than the platforms or counterparties used to execute the Trust’s orders.
The Execution Agent has adopted and implemented policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure compliance with applicable law, including among others a Personal Trading Accounts Policy, a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, and a Global Policy on the Use of Confidential Information and the Prohibition of Insider Trading, which address certain conflicts of interest (together, the “Policies”). Consistent with the requirements of the Policies, the Execution Agent will implement standard operating protocols under which personnel who have access to information about creation and redemption activity in Shares of the Trust (“Bitcoin Access Persons”) report and disclose personal trading activity and holdings in bitcoin. All of the Execution Agent’s employees will be required to preclear personal transactions in the Shares of the Trust. In addition, the Sponsor will adopt a Code of Ethics that requires Bitcoin Access Persons to report and pre-clear certain transactions in bitcoin, Shares of the Trust, and certain other digital assets. Finally, trading on behalf of clients in the shares of the Trust will be subject to controls embedded in the Sponsor’s and the Execution Agent’s respective compliance programs and systems.
Resolution of Conflicts Procedures
The Trust Agreement provides that whenever a conflict of interest exists between the Sponsor or any of its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust or any Shareholders or any other person, on the other hand, the Sponsor will resolve such conflict of interest considering the relative interest of each party (including its own interest) and the benefits and burdens relating to such interests, any customary or accepted industry practices, and any applicable accepted accounting practices or principles.
The general fiduciary duties that would otherwise be imposed on the Sponsor (which would make its operation of the Trust as described herein impracticable due to the strict prohibition imposed by such duties on, for example, conflicts of interest on behalf of a fiduciary in its dealings with its beneficiaries), will be replaced entirely by the terms of the Trust Agreement (to which terms all Shareholders, by subscribing to the Shares, are deemed to consent). The Trust Agreement provides that the duty and authority to manage the affairs of the Trust is vested in the Sponsor, which duty and authority the Sponsor may further delegate.
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Additionally, under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor will have the power and authority as a sponsor of the Trust to cause the Trust, among other things:
| • | To own bitcoin, cash or any asset received as a result of a hard fork or airdrop in respect of bitcoin (an “IR Virtual Currency”), to store bitcoin, cash or IR Virtual Currencies with a Custodian, and to transfer bitcoin, cash or IR Virtual Currencies; |
| • | To compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the Trust or any matter in controversy, including claims for taxes; |
| • | To operate as a trust with the purpose for which the Trust was established as described in the Trust Agreement, and exercise all the powers necessary or appropriate to the conduct of such operations; |
| • | To issue, sell, repurchase, redeem, cancel, retire, acquire, hold, resell, reissue, transfer, dispose of and otherwise deal in Shares pursuant to applicable federal law; to establish terms and conditions including any fees or expenses regarding the issuance, sale, repurchase, redemption, cancellation, retirement, acquisition, holding, resale, reissuance, disposition of or dealing in Shares; and to apply to any such repurchase, redemption, retirement, cancellation or acquisition of Shares any funds or Trust property; |
| • | To cause the Bitcoin Custodian, in consultation with the Sponsor, to either (i) disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency so created, (ii) sell the IR Virtual Currency as soon as reasonably practicable and thereafter distribute the cash proceeds to the Shareholders of record as of the date of the hard fork or airdrop that resulted in the Trust’s acquisition of the IR Virtual Currency, or (iii) distribute the IR Virtual Currency in-kind as soon as reasonably practicable to the Shareholders of record as of the date of the hard fork or airdrop that resulted in the Trust’s acquisition of the IR Virtual Currency or to an agent acting on behalf of such Shareholders; |
| • | To make such filings applications, statements, certificates, agreements and other instruments with the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or a national securities exchange as may be required by the federal securities laws or other applicable regulations or as deemed necessary or desirable in the sole judgment of the Sponsor; |
| • | To execute and deliver letters or documents to, or instruments for filing with, a depository relating to the Shares to be issued by the Trust and also any filing required to be made as determined by the Sponsor and any other filing or application necessary or desirable as determined by the Sponsor in connection with the registration and/or offering of Shares by the Trust; |
| • | To negotiate the terms of, and execute on behalf of the Trust, any agreement, including, but not limited to, any underwriting agreement or purchase agreement relating to the Shares to be issued by the Trust as determined by the Sponsor; |
| • | To do all other acts which, in the Sponsor’s judgment, are reasonably necessary or desirable for the registration and/or offering of Shares by the Trust; and |
| • | To enter into contracts and carry on any other activities in connection with or incidental to any of the foregoing powers or with the furtherance of the Trust’s purpose. |
The Sponsor will perform its duties in its subjective good faith belief as to what is in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust, but only consistent with the terms of the Trust Agreement.
Trustee
The Trustee shall not be liable for any action reasonably taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by the Trust
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Agreement. The Trustee shall not have any obligation or duty to supervise or monitor the performance of any other person, including the Trust or the Sponsor, and shall have no liability for the failure of any other person to perform its obligations or duties under the agreements to which the Trust or the Trustee is a party or otherwise. The Trustee will not be personally liable under any circumstances, except for its own willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence. In particular, but not by way of limitation:
| (a) | the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of the Trust Agreement; |
| (b) | the Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in the Trust Agreement; |
| (c) | no implied covenants, duties (including fiduciary duties and duties existing at law or in equity) or obligations shall be read into the Trust Agreement against the Trustee; |
| (d) | in the absence of willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of the Trust Agreement; |
| (e) | the Trustee shall not be liable for an error of judgment made in good faith by an officer or employee of the Trustee; |
| (f) | the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Sponsor or any other person with the right to direct the Trustee; |
| (g) | no provision of the Trust Agreement shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its personal funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its rights or duties hereunder, if the Trustee shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured or provided to it; |
| (h) | under no circumstance shall the Trustee be personally liable for any representation, warranty, covenant, agreement or indebtedness of the Trust; |
| (i) | the Trustee shall not be personally responsible for or in respect of the genuineness, form or value of the Trust Property, the validity or sufficiency of the Trust Agreement or for the due execution hereof by the Sponsor; and |
| (j) | in the event that the Trustee is unsure of the course of action to be taken by it hereunder, the Trustee may request instructions from the Sponsor and to the extent the Trustee follows such instructions in good faith it shall not be liable to any person. In the event that no instructions are provided within the time requested by the Trustee, it shall have no duty or liability for its failure to take any action or for any action it takes in good faith. |
The Trustee will incur no liability to anyone in acting upon any document believed by it to be genuine and believed by it to be signed by the proper party or parties. The Trustee may accept a certified copy of a resolution of any governing body of any corporate party as conclusive evidence that such resolution has been duly adopted by such body and that the same is in full force and effect. As to any fact or matter the manner of ascertainment of which is not specifically prescribed herein, the Trustee may for all purposes hereof rely on a certificate, signed by an authorized officer of the Sponsor, as to such fact or matter, and such certificate will constitute full protection to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in reliance thereon.
The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers vested in it by the Trust Agreement or perform any of its duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents, nominees, or attorney-in-fact appointed with due care and shall not be responsible for any willful misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent, custodian, nominee or attorney-in-fact so appointed, provided that the appointment of any agent, custodian, nominee or attorney-in-fact shall not relieve the Trustee of any of its obligations or liabilities under the Trust Agreement.
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Except as expressly provided in Section 2.2 of the Trust Agreement, in accepting the trust created by the Trust Agreement, the Trustee acts solely as a trustee under the Trust Agreement and not in its individual capacity, and all persons having any claim against the Trustee by reason of the transactions contemplated by the Trust Agreement will look only to the Trust’s property for payment or satisfaction thereof.
The Trustee will not be liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action. In no event shall the Trustee hereto be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement or any related documents because of circumstances beyond its control.
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trust has agreed to be primary obligor and to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustee, in its individual capacity and in its capacity as Trustee and any of the officers, directors, employees, affiliates and agents of the Trustee (the “Indemnified Persons”) from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including reasonable legal fees and expenses in connection with enforcement of its rights to indemnity hereunder and including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), taxes and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, “Expenses”), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Persons with respect to the performance of the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Trust shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person.
As security for any amounts owing to the Trustee under the indemnification provisions of the Trust Agreement described above, the Trustee shall have a lien against the Trust’s property, which lien shall be prior to the rights of the Sponsor or any other Shareholder of the Trust. The obligations of the Sponsor and the Trust to indemnify the Indemnified Persons will survive the termination of the Trust Agreement.
Sponsor
The Trust Agreement provides that the Trust will indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor, in its capacity as Sponsor, and any of the officers, directors, employees, affiliates and agents of the Sponsor (the “Sponsor Indemnified Persons”) from and against any and all Expenses, to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Sponsor Indemnified Persons with respect to the performance of the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated by the Trust Agreement; provided, however, that the Trust shall not be required to indemnify any Sponsor Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of a Sponsor Indemnified Person. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Expenses to be incurred by a Sponsor Indemnified Person shall, from time to time, be advanced by, or on behalf of, the Trust prior to the final disposition of any matter upon receipt by the Trust of an undertaking by, or on behalf of, such Sponsor Indemnified Person to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Sponsor Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified under the Trust Agreement. The obligations of the Trust to indemnify the Sponsor Indemnified Parties will survive the termination of the Trust Agreement.
The Trust Agreement provides that (i) whenever a conflict of interest exists or arises between the Sponsor, on the one hand, and the Trust, on the other hand; or (ii) whenever the Trust Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein or therein provides that the Sponsor will act in a manner that is, or provides terms that are, fair and reasonable to the Trust, the Sponsor will resolve such conflict of interest, take such action or provide such terms, considering in each case the relative interest of each party (including its own interest) to such conflict, agreement, transaction or situation and the benefits and burdens relating to such interests, and any applicable generally accepted accounting practices or principles. In the absence of bad faith by the Sponsor, the resolution, action or terms so made, taken or provided by the Sponsor will not constitute a breach of the Trust
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Agreement or any other agreement contemplated therein or of any duty or obligation of the Sponsor at law or in equity or otherwise.
VOTING BY SHAREHOLDERS; MANAGEMENT
The Shareholders of the Trust take no part in the management or control of, and have no voice in, the Trust’s operations or business. Except in limited circumstances, Shareholders will have no voting rights under the Trust Agreement.
The Sponsor will generally have the right to amend the Trust Agreement as it applies to the Trust provided that
any amendment that imposes or increases any fees or charges or prejudices a substantial existing right of the Shareholders will not become effective until thirty (30) days after notice of such amendment is given to the Shareholders. No amendment affecting the Trustee will be binding upon or effective against the Trustee unless consented to by the Trustee.
Liquidation and Voting Rights. The Sponsor will act to terminate the Trust upon the agreement of Shareholders owning at least seventy-five (75) percent of the outstanding Shares. Consistent with the Trust Agreement, upon dissolution of the Trust, the Trustee will wind up the business and affairs of the Trust and direct the Execution Agent to sell all the bitcoin remaining in the Trust in an orderly manner. Following the liquidation of the Trust’s bitcoin, any remaining outstanding Shares will be redeemed for cash and distributed to Shareholders in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement.
The Trust does not have any directors, officers or employees. The creation and operation of the Trust has been arranged by the Sponsor. Under the Trust Agreement, all management functions of the Trust will be delegated to and will be conducted by the Sponsor, its agents and its affiliates, including the Bitcoin Custodian. The following persons, in their respective capacities as officers of the Sponsor perform certain functions with respect to the Trust that, if the Trust had officers, would typically be performed by them.
| Name |
Capacity | |
| Brian Hartigan* |
Chief Executive Officer, Board of Managers | |
| Peter Hubbard |
Vice President and Director of Portfolio Management | |
| Jordan Krugman* |
Board of Managers | |
| Terry Gibson Vacheron |
Chief Financial Officer | |
| Kelli Gallegos* |
Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, Investment Pools | |
| Melanie Zimdars |
Chief Compliance Officer | |
| John Zerr* |
Board of Managers |
| * | Executive officer of the Trust, within the meaning of Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act. |
The Sponsor is managed by a Board of Managers. The Board of Managers is composed of Messrs. Hartigan, Krugman and Zerr.
Brian Hartigan (45) has been Chief Executive Officer of the Managing Owner since November 2023. In this role, he has general oversight responsibilities for all of the Managing Owner’s business. Mr. Hartigan has been a Member of the Board of Managers of the Managing Owner since November 2023. Previously, Mr. Hartigan was Global Head of ETF Investments and Indexed Strategies at Invesco Ltd., a global investment management company and affiliate of the Managing Owner, since 2015. In that role, he was responsible for oversight of all portfolio management activities of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as providing support to the US ETF Board, serving as a global ETF expert/resource and providing day-to-day support. In addition, he was a team leader for Invesco’s unit investment trusts. Mr. Hartigan earned a BA degree from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and an MBA in finance from DePaul University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) charterholder and a member of the CFA Society of Chicago.
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Peter Hubbard (42) joined the Sponsor in May 2005 as a portfolio manager and has been Vice President, Director of Portfolio Management since September 2012. In his role, Mr. Hubbard manages a team of eight portfolio managers. His responsibilities include facilitating all portfolio management processes associated with more than 200 equity and fixed income Invesco Funds listed in the United States, Canada and Europe. He is a graduate of Wheaton College with a B.A. degree in Business & Economics.
Jordan Krugman (45) is Chief Financial Officer of the Americas for Invesco Ltd., a global investment management company affiliated with the Sponsor. He was appointed to this position in October 2020. In this capacity, Mr. Krugman is responsible for general management support, in addition to executing on various strategic initiatives and overseeing the financial framework for the business units operating within the Americas division of Invesco Ltd. He has also served as a Member of the Board of Managers of the Sponsor since October 2020. From March 2019 to October 2020, Mr. Krugman served as the Global Head of Financial Planning and Analysis at Invesco Ltd. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing Invesco’s forecasting, budgeting strategic planning and financial target setting processes, including analytics and decision support for Invesco Ltd.’s executive team. From March 2017 to March 2019, Mr. Krugman served as Invesco Ltd.’s Head of Finance & Corporate Strategy, North America. In this role, Mr. Krugman was responsible for strategic and financial planning for Invesco Ltd.’s global investments organization including global real estate, private equity and global fixed income. Prior to that, Mr. Krugman was Invesco Ltd.’s Treasurer and Head of Investor Relations from May 2011 to March 2017. In this role, he was responsible for management of Invesco Ltd.’s liquidity and capital management programs. Additionally, Mr. Krugman managed the communication with Invesco Ltd.’s external stakeholders including equity shareholders, debt investors, rating agencies, and research analysts. Mr. Krugman earned a BA degree in American civilizations, with a U.S. history concentration, from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1999, and earned an MBA from Santa Clara University in California in 2007. He is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP).
Terry Vacheron CPA (58) is the Chief Accounting Officer (since April 2022) and Head of Global Tax (since November 2020) at Invesco Ltd. In this role, she leads the company’s financial reporting, accounting, corporate tax, payroll, and SOX functions. Ms. Vacheron also serves as the Chief Financial Officer (since June 2022) of the Managing Owner and Invesco Advisers Inc. where she is responsible for overseeing all aspect of the companies’ financial operations, including financial reporting and accounting. Ms. Vacheron joined Invesco in November 2020 following a brief break while between roles in October 2020. Prior to joining the firm, she was with SunTrust Bank (and later Truist Bank, which was formed in 2019 following the merger of BB&T and SunTrust) from October 2009 until September 2020, where she served as the Chief Tax Officer. Ms. Vacheron directed the full spectrum of corporate tax matters and led the tax merger integration effort for the BBT and SunTrust merger. In an overlapping role as the Corporate Functions Risk Officer at SunTrust Bank from March 2013 to December 2019, she built and led multiple corporate risk programs to identify and manage risk while maintaining her Chief Tax Officer responsibilities. During her tenure, she oversaw the implementation of stronger guidelines and accountability for risk programs, including SOX, third-party risk management, and operational risk oversight. Ms. Vacheron earned a BS degree in accounting from the University of Tennessee. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Ms. Vacheron served on the board of the United Way of Greater Atlanta from 2013 to 2020. She served as a member of the United Way’s Community Engagement Council and is currently on the United Way’s Finance Committee.
Kelli Gallegos (51) has been Principal Financial and Accounting Officer—Investment Pools for the Sponsor since September 2018. Additionally, since September 2018, Ms. Gallegos has been Principal Financial and Accounting Officer – Investment Pools of Invesco Specialized Products, LLC (sponsor to a suite of currency exchange-traded funds, “ISP”), Head of North America Fund Reporting of Invesco, Ltd. (“Invesco”, a global investment management company), and Vice President and Treasurer of Invesco Exchange Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust, and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trusts (each a registered investment company offering series of exchange-traded funds, the “Invesco ETFs”). She also serves as Vice President (since March 2016), Principal Financial Officer (since March 2016) and Assistant Treasurer (since December 2008) for a suite of mutual funds advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc., a registered investment adviser (the “Invesco Funds”). In her roles with the Sponsor,
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ISP, Invesco, the Invesco ETFs, and the Invesco Funds, Ms. Gallegos has financial and administrative oversight responsibilities for, and serves as Principal Financial Officer of the Invesco ETFs, the Trust and the exchange-traded funds for which ISP serves as sponsor (the “CurrencyShares Trusts”). Previously, she was Director of Fund Financial Services from December 2008 to September 2018, Assistant Treasurer for the Sponsor from January 2013 to September 2018, Assistant Treasurer of ISP from April 2018 to September 2018, Assistant Treasurer for the Invesco ETFs from September 2014 to September 2018 and Assistant Vice President for the Invesco Funds from December 2008 to March 2016. In such roles, Ms. Gallegos managed the group of personnel responsible for the preparation of fund financial statements and other information necessary for shareholder reports, fund prospectuses, regulatory filings, and for the coordination and oversight of third-party service providers of the Trust, the Invesco ETFs, the Invesco Funds, and the CurrencyShares Trusts. Ms. Gallegos earned a BBA in accounting from Harding University in Searcy, AR.
Melanie H. Zimdars (46) has been Chief Compliance Officer of the Sponsor since November 2017. In this role she is responsible for all aspects of regulatory compliance for the Sponsor. Ms. Zimdars has also served as Chief Compliance Officer of Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust and Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust since November 2017. From September 2009 to October 2017, she served as Vice President and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer at ALPS Holdings, Inc. where she was Chief Compliance Officer for six different mutual fund complexes, including active and passive ETFs and open-end and closed-end funds. Through its subsidiary companies, ALPS Holdings, Inc. is a provider of investment products and customized servicing solutions to the financial services industry. Ms. Zimdars received a BS degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
John Zerr (60) has been a Member of the Board of Managers of the Sponsor since September 2006. Mr. Zerr has also served as Chief Operating Officer of the Americas for Invesco Ltd. since February 2018. Prior to his current position, Mr. Zerr served as Managing Director and General Counsel – U.S. Retail of Invesco Management Group, Inc., a registered investment adviser affiliated with the Sponsor, from March 2006 until February 2018, where he was responsible for overseeing the U.S. Retail Legal Department for Invesco Ltd. and its affiliated companies. Mr. Zerr has also been a Senior Vice President and Secretary of IDI since March 2006 and June 2006, respectively. He also served as a Director of that entity until February 2010. Mr. Zerr has served as Senior Vice President of Invesco Advisers, Inc., a registered investment adviser affiliated with the Sponsor, since December 2009. Mr. Zerr serves as a Director, Vice President and Secretary of Invesco Investment Services, Inc., a registered transfer agency since May 2007. Mr. Zerr has served as Director, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of a number of other Invesco Ltd. wholly-owned subsidiaries which service or serviced portions of Invesco Ltd.’s U.S. Retail business since May 2007 and since June 2010 with respect to certain Van Kampen entities engaged in the asset management business that were acquired by Invesco Ltd. from Morgan Stanley. In each of the foregoing positions Mr. Zerr is responsible for overseeing legal operations. In such capacity, Mr. Zerr also is responsible for overseeing the legal activities of the Invesco Funds. Mr. Zerr earned a BA degree in economics from Ursinus College. He graduated cum laude with a J.D. from Temple University School of Law.
The Trust keeps its books of record and account at the office of the Sponsor or at the offices of the Administrator, or such office, including of an administrative agent, as it may subsequently designate upon notice. The books and records are open to inspection by any person who establishes to the Trust’s satisfaction that such person is a Shareholder upon reasonable advance notice at all reasonable times during usual business hours of the Trust.
The Trust will keep a copy of the Trust Agreement on file in the Sponsor’s office, which will be available for inspection by any Shareholder at all times during its usual business hours upon reasonable advance notice
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STATEMENTS, FILINGS, AND REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
After the end of each fiscal year, the Sponsor will cause to be prepared an annual report for the Trust containing audited financial statements. The annual report will be in such form and contain such information as will be required by applicable laws, rules and regulations and may contain such additional information that the Sponsor determines shall be included. The annual report will be filed with the SEC and the Exchange and will be distributed to such persons and in such manner, as is required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
The Sponsor is responsible for the registration and qualification of the Shares under the federal securities laws. The Sponsor will also prepare, or cause to be prepared, and file any periodic reports or updates required under the Exchange Act. The Administrator will assist and support the Sponsor in the preparation of such reports.
The Administrator will make such elections, file such tax returns, and prepare, disseminate and file such tax reports, as it is advised to by its counsel or accountants or as required from time to time by any applicable statute, rule or regulation.
The fiscal year of the Trust is the period ending December 31 of each year. The Sponsor may select an alternate fiscal year.
GOVERNING LAW; CONSENT TO DELAWARE JURISDICTION
The rights of the Sponsor, the Trust, DTC (as registered owner of the Trust’s global certificate for Shares) and the Shareholders are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. The Sponsor, the Trust, and, by accepting Shares, each DTC Participant and each Shareholder, consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other courts located in Delaware for any claims, suits, actions or proceedings, provided that (i) the forum selection provisions do not apply to suits brough to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction and (ii) the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under any federal securities law. By purchasing Shares in the Trust, Shareholders waive certain claims that the courts of the State of Delaware and any other courts located in Delaware is an inconvenient venue or is otherwise inappropriate.
Litigation and Claims
Within the past five years of the date of this Prospectus, there have been no material administrative, civil or criminal actions against the Sponsor, the Trust or any principal or affiliate of any of them. This includes any actions pending, on appeal, concluded, threatened, or otherwise known to them.
Legal Opinions
Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP has advised the Sponsor in connection with the Shares being offered. Ropes & Gray LLP advises the Sponsor with respect to its responsibilities as sponsor of, and with respect to matters relating to, the Trust. Certain opinions of counsel will be filed with the SEC as exhibits to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus is a part.
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The financial statement as of December 20, 2023 included in this Prospectus has been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
Amended and Restated Trust Agreement
The following is a description of the material terms of the Trust Agreement.
Appointment and Duties of Trustee
The Trust Agreement provides that the Trustee is appointed to serve as the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware for the sole purpose of satisfying the requirement of Section 3807(a) of the Delaware Act that the Trust have at least one trustee with a principal place of business in Delaware. The Sponsor shall have the exclusive authority to manage the affairs of the Trust as an agent of the Trust pursuant to Section 3806(b)(7) of the Delaware Act.
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee has no obligation to supervise or monitor the Trust’s service providers or otherwise manage the Trust. The duties of the Trustee shall be limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Trust in the State of Delaware and (ii) at the direction of the Sponsor, the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware which the Trustee is required to execute under Section 3811 of the Delaware Act.
The Trust Agreement provides that the Trustee shall serve for the duration of the Trust and until the effective date of the Trustee’s resignation. The Trustee may resign upon sixty (60) days’ prior notice to the Sponsor, which shall promptly appoint a successor. If no successor has been appointed by the Sponsor within such sixty (60) day period, the Trustee may, at the expense of the Trust, petition a court to appoint a successor trustee.
Jurisdiction and Waiver of Jury Trial
The Trust Agreement provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other courts located in Delaware will be the exclusive jurisdiction for any claims, suits, actions or proceedings, provided that the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under any federal securities law. By purchasing Shares in the Trust, Shareholders waive certain claims that the courts of the State of Delaware and any other courts located in Delaware is an inconvenient venue or is otherwise inappropriate. As such, Shareholder could be required to litigate a matter relating to the Trust in a Delaware court, even if that court may otherwise be inconvenient for the Shareholder.
Matters Pertaining to Shares and Shareholders of the Trust
The Trust Agreement authorizes the Trust to issue an unlimited number of shares unless otherwise determined and subject to any conditions set forth by the Sponsor. The Trust will issue and redeem the Shares in Creation Baskets only to certain Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis, or to such other purchaser or purchasers, including the Seed Capital Investor, as otherwise determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, and only in exchange for bitcoin and/or cash. The creation and redemption mechanics are further described above under “Creation and Redemption of Shares.”
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Trust Agreement provides that all of the Shares are of the same class with equal rights and privileges. Each of the Shares is transferable, is fully paid and nonassessable and entitles the holder to vote on the limited matters upon which Shareholders may vote under the Trust Agreement. The Shares do not entitle their holders to any conversion or pre-emptive rights or, except as provided below, any redemption rights or rights to distributions. Shareholders have no voting rights except in limited circumstances. Shareholder voting rights are further described above under “Voting by Shareholders; Management—Liquidation and Voting Rights.”
Powers and Duties of the Sponsor
The Trust Agreement provides that the duty and authority to manage the affairs of the Trust is vested in the Sponsor, which duty and authority the Sponsor may further delegate, all pursuant to Section 3806(b)(7) of the Delaware Act. The duties of the Sponsor under the Trust Agreement are further described above under “Duties of the Sponsor.”
Indemnification
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee and the Sponsor will have a right to be indemnified by the Trust for certain liabilities or expenses that each incurs without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part.
Amendments
The Trust Agreement provides that it may be amended by the Sponsor in its sole discretion and without the Shareholders’ consent. Any such amendment to the Trust Agreement will be effective on such date as designated by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, except that any amendment that imposes or increases any fees or charges or prejudices a substantial existing right of the Shareholders will not become effective until thirty (30) days after notice of such amendment is given to the Shareholders. However, any amendment to the Trust Agreement that affects the rights or duties of the Trustee will require the Trustee’s prior written consent. Every Shareholder, at the time any amendment so becomes effective, will be deemed, by continuing to hold any Shares or an interest therein, to consent and agree to such amendment and to be bound by the Trust Agreement as amended thereby.
Tax Matters
The Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor intends that the Trust shall be treated, for federal, state and local income tax purposes, as a grantor trust, and that, notwithstanding anything contained in the Trust Agreement to the contrary, neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee, nor any other person acting for or on behalf of the Trust, shall take any action that is inconsistent with such treatment.
Governing Law
The validity and construction of the Trust Agreement and all amendments thereto shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, and the rights of all parties hereto and the effect of every provision thereof shall be subject to and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the conflicts of law provisions thereof.
Derivative Actions
Under the Trust Agreement, no person who is not a Shareholder shall be entitled to bring any derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Trust. The Trust Agreement provides that no Shareholder may maintain a derivative action on behalf of the Trust unless holders of at least ten percent (10%) of the outstanding Shares join in the bringing of such action. In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the Delaware Act, a Shareholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust only if it meets additional conditions described in the Trust Agreement.
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Merger and Consolidation
Under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor may cause (i) the Trust to be merged into or consolidated with, converted to or to sell all or substantially all of its assets to, another trust or entity; (ii) the Shares of the Trust to be converted into beneficial interests in another statutory trust (or series thereof); or (iii) the Shares of the Trust to be exchanged for units in another trust or company under or pursuant to any U.S. state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law. Under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor, with written notice to the Shareholders, may approve and effect any such transactions without any vote or other action of the Shareholders, but will not do so if doing so would cause the Trust, its successor or other trust or company in which the Shareholders hold beneficial interests as a result of such transaction to fail or cease to qualify as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any purported approval or effecting of such a transaction shall be null and void ab initio and without legal effect.
Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement
Pursuant to the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement, the Administrator is generally responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust. The responsibilities of the Administrator include (i) establishing appropriate expense accruals and compute expense ratios, maintaining expense files and coordinating the payment of Trust approved invoices; (ii) calculating Trust approved income and per Share amounts required for periodic distributions to be made by the Trust; (iii) calculating total return information; (iv) coordinating the Trust’s annual audit; (v) supplying various normal and customary portfolio and Trust statistical data as requested on an ongoing basis; and (vi) preparing financial statements for the Trust.
The responsibilities of the Administrator also include providing various valuation and computation accounting services for the Trust, including (i) maintaining certain financial books and records for the Trust, including creation and redemptions books and records, and Trust accounting records; (ii) computing the Trust’s NAV; (iii) obtaining quotes from pricing services as directed and approved by the Sponsor, or if such quotes are unavailable, then obtaining such prices from the Sponsor, and in either case, calculating the market value of the Trust’s assets in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies or guidelines; and (iv) transmitting or making available a copy of the daily portfolio valuation to the Sponsor.
The Trust will indemnify the Administrator and any affiliate of the Administrator (“Indemnitees”), and the Indemnitees will incur no liability for its reliance upon (i) any law, act, regulation or interpretation of the same even though the same may thereafter have been altered, changed, amended or repealed, (ii) the Trust’s offering materials or documents (excluding information provided by the Administrator), (iii) any instructions or (iv) any written opinion of legal counsel for the Trust or the Administrator, or arising out of transactions or other activities of the Trust which occurred prior to the commencement of the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement; provided however, that the Trust shall not indemnify any Indemnitee for any losses arising out of the Indemnitees’ own bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement.
Transfer Agency and Services Agreement
Pursuant to the Transfer Agency and Services Agreement, the Transfer Agent is generally responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust. The responsibilities of the Transfer Agent include: (i) performing and facilitating the performance of purchases and redemption of Baskets in connection with creation and redemption transactions; (ii) preparing and transmitting by means of DTC’s book entry system payments for dividends and distributions on or with respect to the Shares, if any, declared by the Trust; (iii) maintaining the record of the name and address of the Shareholder and the number of Shares issued by the Trust and held by the Shareholder; and (iv) recording the issuance of Shares of the Trust and maintain a record of the total number of Shares of the Trust which are outstanding and authorized, based upon data provided to it by the Trust.
The Transfer Agency and Services Agreement will have a three-year initial term and will automatically be renewed for successive one-year periods, unless terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement.
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Bitcoin Custody Agreement
Pursuant to the Bitcoin Custody Agreement, the Bitcoin Custodian is responsible for providing the Trust with segregated cold wallet digital asset custody. The Trust’s assets with the Bitcoin Custodian are held in segregated wallets and are therefore not commingled with corporate or other customer assets. The Bitcoin Custodian also segregates each of the accounts (comprising multiple wallets in some cases) that a client (such as the Trust) may hold with the Bitcoin Custodian, and each such account’s balance represents the account’s on-chain balance, which can be independently verified by the client or third-party auditors as needed. This approach applies to each asset supported by the Bitcoin Custodian.
Private key materials are generated and subsequently stored in a form whereby no private key is stored in a decrypted format. The private key materials are stored within the Bitcoin Custodian’s secure storage facilities within the U.S. and Europe. For security reasons, these exact locations are never disclosed.
Personnel supporting key operations are very limited and the Bitcoin Custodian requires a background check prior to onboarding, and where required, annually thereafter. No single individual associated with the Bitcoin Custodian has access to full private keys. Private key use and subsequent transaction signing instead require access to multiple systems and human operators in order to access a key and perform an on-chain transaction. For security purposes, the Bitcoin Custodian does not disclose specifics around the roles and numbers of individuals involved in these processes.
The Bitcoin Custodian maintains an annually renewed insurance policy with comprehensive coverage terms and conditions. This insurance policy covers the loss of client assets held in cold storage at the Bitcoin Custodian. This insurance program, which has continuously run since 2013, provides the Bitcoin Custodian and its clients with some of the broadest and deepest insurance coverage in the digital asset industry, with coverage designed to be comprehensive, including losses from employee collusion or fraud, physical loss (including theft), or damage of key material, security breach or hack, and fraudulent transfer. Furthermore, Coinbase also maintains a Cyber insurance program covering security failures.
The Bitcoin Custodian maintains an Internal Audit team that performs periodic internal audits over custody operations. SOC attestations are also performed on the Bitcoin Custodian’s services. The SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 reports produced cover private key management controls as well as ensure controls are designed and operating effectively, providing reasonable assurance that customer digital asset positions held in custody and prime brokerage accounts are authorized, executed and accurately and completely recorded. A SOC 1 Type 2 report addresses the controls at a service organization that are likely to be relevant to user entities’ internal control over financial reporting. A SOC 2 Type 2 report addresses controls at a service organization relevant to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, or privacy in order to support users’ evaluations of their own systems of internal control.
The Bitcoin Custodian will not be liable for any amount greater than the greater of (i) the aggregate amount of custodial fees paid in a 12-month period from the Trust to the Bitcoin Custodian or (ii) the value of the supported digital assets on deposit in the Trust’s custodial account(s) at the time of the event giving rise to the liability, subject further to the maximum liability limit of $100 million for each cold storage address. Additionally, in respect of any incidental, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or similar losses, the Bitcoin Custodian is not liable, even if the Bitcoin Custodian has been advised of or knew or should have known of the possibility thereof. The Bitcoin Custodian is not liable for delays, suspension of operations, failure in performance, or interruption of service to the extent it is directly due to a cause or condition beyond the reasonable control of the Bitcoin Custodian.
Cash Custody Agreement
The Sponsor has entered into a Cash Custody Agreement with the Cash Custodian (the “Cash Custody Agreement”). Under the Cash Custody Agreement, the Cash Custodian will keep safely all cash and other
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non-bitcoin assets of the Trust delivered to the Cash Custodian and, on behalf of the Trust, the Cash Custodian shall, from time to time, accept delivery of cash and other non-bitcoin assets for safekeeping.
In performing its duties under the Cash Custody Agreement, the Cash Custodian will exercise the standard of care and diligence that a professional custodian would observe in these affairs taking into account the prevailing rules, practices, procedures and circumstances in the relevant market and shall perform its duties without negligence, fraud, bad faith or willful misconduct. The Cash Custodian’s liability arising out of or relating to the Cash Custody Agreement will be limited solely to those direct damages that are caused by the Cash Custodian’s failure to perform its obligations under the Cash Custody Agreement in accordance with this standard of care.
Marketing Agent Agreement
Pursuant to the Marketing Agent Agreement, the Marketing Agent is generally responsible for certain aspects of the day-to-day administration of the Trust. The responsibilities of the Marketing Agent include (i) at the request of the Trust, assisting the Trust with facilitating Authorized Participant Agreements between and among Authorized Participants, the Trust, and the applicable Transfer Agent, for the creation and redemption of Creation Baskets of the Trust; (ii) maintaining copies of confirmations of Creation Basket creation and redemption order acceptances and producing such copies upon reasonable request from the Trust or Sponsor; (iii) making available copies of the Prospectus to Authorized Participants who have purchased Baskets in accordance with the Authorized Participant Agreements; (iv) maintaining telephonic, facsimile and/or access to direct computer communications links with the Transfer Agent; (v) reviewing and approving, prior to use, certain Trust marketing materials submitted by the Trust for review (“Marketing Materials”) for compliance with applicable SEC and FINRA advertising rules, and filing all such Marketing Materials required to be filed with FINRA; (vi) ensuring that all direct requests by Authorized Participants for Prospectuses are fulfilled; and (vii) working with the Transfer Agent to review and approve orders placed by Authorized Participants and transmitted to the Transfer Agent.
The Trust shall indemnify, defend and hold the Marketing Agent, its affiliates and each of their respective members, managers, directors, officers, employees, representatives and any person who controls or previously controlled the Marketing Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (collectively, the “Marketing Agent Indemnitees”), free and harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages and expenses (including the costs of investigating or defending any alleged losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages or expenses and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) (collectively, “Losses”) that any Marketing Agent Indemnitee may incur arising out of or relating to (i) the Trust’s breach of any of its obligations, representations, warranties or covenants contained in the Marketing Agent Agreement; (ii) the Trust’s failure to comply in all material respects with any applicable laws, rules or regulations; or (iii) any claim that the Prospectus, sales literature and advertising materials or other information filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) includes or included an untrue statement of a material fact or omits or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading provided, however, that the Trust’s obligation to indemnify any of the Marketing Agent Indemnitees shall not be deemed to cover any Losses arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Prospectus or any such advertising materials or sales literature or other information filed or made public by the Trust in reliance upon and in conformity with information provided by the Marketing Agent to the Trust, in writing, for use in such Prospectus or any such advertising materials or sales literature.
Execution Agent Agreement
The Sponsor and the Execution Agent have entered into an agreement pursuant to which the Execution Agent will provide certain execution services on behalf of the Trust. Pursuant to the Execution Agent Agreement, and subject to specific instructions from the Sponsor, the Execution Agent in its discretion is responsible for selecting the method of transacting, the price, the Bitcoin Counterparty or Counterparties and the trading platform or venue
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(if any) for the execution of each purchase and sale of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust. The Execution Agent has established policies and procedures for identifying, monitoring and performing due diligence on potential Bitcoin Counterparties and trading platforms or venues, with entities being added or removed from consideration on an ongoing basis. In addition, the Execution Agent evaluates Bitcoin Counterparties and trading platforms or venues on a per-transaction basis. At the time it selects a Bitcoin Counterparty for any specific transaction, the Execution Agent may consider a number of factors in an effort to seek to achieve “best execution,” including price, transaction costs, speed, and likelihood of execution and settlement, taking into account the size of the transaction and the experience and capabilities of the Bitcoin Counterparty or any other consideration relevant to the execution of the relevant transaction, giving priority to transacting at a price that is the same or similar to the Benchmark Price.
The Execution Agent shall designate, validate and maintain the Trust’s digital asset wallets in accordance with instructions received from the Sponsor. The Execution Agent shall cooperate with the Trust’s administrator and custodian(s) as necessary and in accordance with agreed upon procedures.
In addition to the duty of care provisions contained in the Agreement, the Execution Agent is expressly prohibited from using any information that it has gained about the Trust’s trading activities in bitcoin pursuant to instructions to inform (in whole or in part) any decision to purchase or sell bitcoin that it makes either for its own account or on behalf of any other person. The Execution Agent shall not aggregate any purchases or sales of bitcoin it makes on behalf of the Trust with any purchases or sales of bitcoin it makes either for its own account or on behalf of any other person unless it does so in a manner that is not reasonably expected to operate to the disadvantage of the Trust.
Master Services Agreement
The Sponsor has entered into a Master Services Agreement with the Benchmark Provider (the “Master Services Agreement”). Under the Master Services Agreement, the Benchmark Provider grants to Fund a license to access and use the Benchmark in addition to other services of the Benchmark Provider. The Master Services Agreement limits the Benchmark Provider’s liability to exclude, among others, (i) loss of profits and any indirect damages arising out of the Master Services Agreement and (ii) any breach of the Benchmark Provider’s servers or systems, including any hacking or unauthorized access to customer data. The Master Services Agreement also includes master terms that apply to other agreements between the Trust and the Benchmark Provider, including the Benchmark Provider Agreement, discussed below.
Calculation Services Subscription Agreement
The Sponsor has entered into a Calculation Services Subscription Agreement with the Benchmark Provider (the “Benchmark Provider Agreement”). Under the Benchmark Provider Agreement, the Benchmark Provider agrees to provide and update the Sponsor and other identified parties with the value of bitcoin as calculated according to the methodology described in the “Description of Lukka Prime” section above, at agreed upon time frames, in exchanged for a fixed annual fee payable by the Sponsor.
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following is a discussion of certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences that generally will apply to the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares by Shareholders. The discussion below is based on the Code, Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and judicial and administrative interpretations of the Code, all as in effect on the date of this Prospectus and all of which are subject to change either prospectively or retroactively. The tax treatment of Shareholders may vary depending upon their own particular circumstances. Certain Shareholders (including but not limited to banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, tax-exempt organizations, tax-exempt or tax-advantaged retirement plans or accounts, brokers or dealers,
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traders, partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, persons holding Shares as a position in a “hedging,” “straddle,” “conversion,” “constructive sale” or other integrated transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes, persons whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, persons required for U.S. federal income tax purposes to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to the Shares as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement, or other investors with special circumstances) may be subject to special rules not discussed below. In addition, the following discussion applies only to investors who will hold Shares as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment). Moreover, the discussion below does not address the effect of any state, local or foreign tax law consequences that may apply to an investment in Shares. Purchasers of Shares are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax law considerations potentially applicable to their investment in Shares.
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Shareholder” is a Shareholder that is:
| • | an individual who is treated as a citizen or resident of the U.S. for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
| • | a corporation (or entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the U.S., any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| • | an estate, the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or |
| • | a trust, if a court within the U.S. is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust. |
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder” is a U.S. Shareholder that is exempt from tax under Section 501(a) of the Code.
For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Shareholder” is a Shareholder that is (or is treated as), for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| • | a nonresident alien individual; |
| • | a foreign corporation; or |
| • | an estate or trust whose income is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis. |
If a partnership or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Shares, the tax treatment of a partner generally depends upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding Shares, the discussion below may not be applicable, and the Trust urges you to consult your own tax adviser for the U.S. federal income tax implications of the purchase, ownership and disposition of such Shares.
Taxation of the Trust
The Sponsor and the Trustee will treat the Trust as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP, although not free from doubt due to the lack of directly governing authority, the Trust should be classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and the following discussion assumes such classification). As a result, the Trust itself should not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, the Trust’s income and expenses should “flow through” to the Shareholders, and the Trustee intends to report the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions to the IRS on that basis. The opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP is not binding on the IRS or any court. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with the conclusions of counsel’s opinion and it is possible that the IRS or another tax authority could assert a position contrary to one or all of those conclusions and that a court could sustain that contrary position.
As discussed below in “Taxation of U.S. Shareholders,” if a hard fork, airdrop or similar event occurs in the Bitcoin blockchain, the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual
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Currency so created. Although the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency so created, it is possible that Shareholders may incur a federal income tax liability if, for example, the IRS does not recognize such a disclaimer. The occurrence of a hard fork, airdrop or the Trust’s or Sponsor’s actions with respect thereto or with respect to any alternative digital asset the Trust receives may affect the Trust’s ability to qualify as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee will request a ruling from the IRS with respect to the classification of the Trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes or with respect to any other matter. If the IRS were to assert successfully that the Trust is not classified as a “grantor trust,” the Trust would likely be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which may affect the timing and other tax consequences to the Shareholders, and might be classified as a publicly traded partnership that would be taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in which case the Trust would be taxed in the same manner as a corporation on its taxable income and distributions to Shareholders out of the earnings and profits of the Trust would be taxed to Shareholders as ordinary dividend income (which may be eligible for preferential rates, in the case of non-corporate taxpayers, or a dividends received deduction, in the case of corporate taxpayers). However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be no assurance in this regard. Except as otherwise indicated, the remainder of this discussion assumes that the Trust is classified as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
Shareholders will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as if they directly owned a pro rata share of the underlying assets held in the Trust. Shareholders also will be treated as if they directly received their respective pro rata shares of the Trust’s income, if any, and as if they directly incurred their respective pro rata shares of the Trust’s expenses. For purposes of this discussion, and unless stated otherwise, it is assumed that all of a Shareholder’s Shares are acquired on the same date and at the same price per Share. Shareholders that hold multiple lots of Shares, or that are contemplating acquiring multiple lots of Shares, should consult their own tax advisers as to the determination of the tax basis and holding period for the underlying bitcoin related to such Shares.
Current IRS guidance on the treatment of convertible virtual currencies classifies bitcoin as “property” that is not currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes and clarifies that bitcoin could be held as a capital asset, but it does not address several other aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoin. Because bitcoin is a new technological innovation, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoin or transactions relating to investments in bitcoin may evolve and change from those discussed below, possibly with retroactive effect. In this regard, the IRS indicated that it has made it a priority to issue additional guidance related to the taxation of virtual currency transactions, such as transactions involving bitcoin. While it has started to issue such additional guidance, whether any future guidance will adversely affect the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in bitcoin or in transactions relating to investments in bitcoin is unknown. Moreover, future developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This discussion assumes that any bitcoin the Trust may hold is properly treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as property that may be held as a capital asset and is not currency for purposes of the provisions of the Code relating to foreign currency gain and loss.
The Trust may use bitcoin to pay the Sponsor Fee, which under current IRS guidance would be treated as a sale of such bitcoin. Although the Trust generally does not intend to sell bitcoin for other purposes, it may do so in connection with cash redemption transactions, or if necessary to pay certain expenses that must be paid in cash. As and when the Trust sells bitcoin (for example to pay any such expenses) or is treated as selling bitcoin (for example, by using bitcoin to pay the Sponsor Fee), a Shareholder will generally recognize a gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the Shareholder’s pro rata share of the amount realized by the Trust upon the sale and (b) the Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the bitcoin that was sold. A Shareholder’s tax basis for its share of any bitcoin sold by the Trust should generally be determined by multiplying the Shareholder’s total basis for its share of all of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale, by a fraction the numerator of which is the amount of bitcoin sold, and the denominator of which is the
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total amount of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale. After any such sale, a Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the bitcoin remaining in the Trust should be equal to its tax basis for its share of the total amount of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale, less the portion of such basis allocable to its share of the bitcoin that was sold or treated as sold.
Upon a Shareholder’s sale of some or all of its Shares (other than a redemption), the Shareholder will be treated as having sold the portion or all, respectively, of its pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust at the time of the sale that is attributable to the Shares sold. Accordingly, the Shareholder generally will recognize a gain or loss on the sale in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the amount realized pursuant to the sale of the Shares, and (b) the Shareholder’s tax basis for the portion of its pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust at the time of sale that is attributable to the Shares sold, as determined in the manner described in the preceding paragraph. Based on current IRS guidance, such gain or loss (as well as any gain or loss realized by a Shareholder on account of the Trust selling bitcoin) will generally be long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending upon whether the Shareholder has a holding period of greater than one year in its pro rata share of the bitcoin that was sold.
Gains or losses from the sale of bitcoin to fund cash redemptions are expected to be treated as incurred by the Shareholder that is being redeemed, and the amount of such gain or loss will generally equal the difference between (a) the amount realized pursuant to the sale of the bitcoin, and (b) the Shareholder’s tax basis for the portion of its pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust that is sold to fund the redemption, as determined in the manner described in the paragraph that is two paragraphs above this one. A redemption of some or all of a Shareholder’s Shares in exchange for the cash received from such sale is not expected to be treated as a separate taxable event to the Shareholder.
Following the In-Kind Regulatory Approval, an in-kind redemption of some or all of a Shareholder’s Shares in exchange for the underlying bitcoin represented by the Shares redeemed generally will not be a taxable event to the Shareholder. The Shareholder’s tax basis for the bitcoin received in the in-kind redemption generally will be the same as the Shareholder’s tax basis for the portion of its pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the in-kind redemption that is attributable to the Shares redeemed. The Shareholder’s holding period with respect to the bitcoin received generally should include the period during which the Shareholder held the Shares redeemed in-kind. A subsequent sale of the bitcoin received by the Shareholder generally will be a taxable event, unless a nonrecognition provision of the Code or Treasury Regulations applies to such sale.
After any sale or redemption of less than all of a Shareholder’s Shares, the Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately after such sale or redemption generally will be equal to its tax basis for its share of the total amount of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale or redemption, less the portion of such basis that is taken into account in determining the amount of gain or loss recognized by the Shareholder upon such sale or redemption for cash or, in the case of an in-kind redemption, that is treated as the basis of the bitcoin received by the Shareholder in the in-kind redemption.
If a hard fork, airdrop or similar event occurs in the Bitcoin blockchain, the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency, as discussed above. Although the Sponsor will instruct the Trust to immediately and irrevocably disclaim all rights to the IR Virtual Currency so created, it is possible that Shareholders may still incur a federal income tax liability as a result of a hard fork, airdrop or similar event if, for example, the IRS does not recognize such a disclaimer. Under current guidance, the IRS has held that a hard fork resulting in the receipt of new units of a digital asset is a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income. While the IRS has not addressed all situations in which airdrops occur, it is clear from the reasoning of the IRS’s current guidance that it generally would treat an airdrop as a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income, and it is anticipated that any gain or loss from disposition of any assets received in the airdrop would generally be treated as giving rise to capital gain or loss that generally would be short-term capital gain or loss, unless the holding period of those assets were treated as being greater than one year as of the time they are sold.
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3.8% Tax on Net Investment Income
The Code generally imposes an additional 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on the net investment income of certain individuals, trusts, and estates to the extent their income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this additional tax on their investment in the Shares.
Brokerage Fees and Trust Expenses
Any brokerage or other transaction fee incurred by a Shareholder in purchasing Shares will be treated as part of the Shareholder’s tax basis in the underlying assets of the Trust. Similarly, any brokerage fee incurred by a Shareholder in selling Shares will reduce the amount realized by the Shareholder with respect to the sale.
Shareholders will be required to recognize the full amount of gain or loss upon a sale or deemed sale of bitcoin by the Trust (as discussed above), even though some or all of the proceeds of such sale are used by the Trustee to pay Trust expenses. Shareholders may deduct their respective pro rata shares of each expense incurred by the Trust to the same extent as if they directly incurred the expense. Shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts, however, may be required to treat some or all of the expenses of the Trust as miscellaneous itemized deductions. An individual may not deduct miscellaneous itemized deductions for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, individuals may deduct certain miscellaneous itemized deductions only to the extent they exceed in the aggregate 2% of the individual’s adjusted gross income. Similar rules apply to certain miscellaneous itemized deductions of estates and trusts. In addition, such deductions may be subject to phase outs and other limitations under applicable provisions of the Code.
Investment by Certain Retirement Plans
Individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) and participant-directed accounts under tax-qualified retirement plans are limited in the types of investments they may make under the Code. Potential purchasers of Shares that are IRAs or participant-directed accounts under a Code section 401(a) plan should consult with their own tax advisors as to the potential tax consequences of a purchase of Shares.
U.S. Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
The Trustee will file certain information returns with the IRS, and provide certain tax-related information to Shareholders, in connection with the Trust. To the extent required by applicable regulations, each Shareholder will be provided with information regarding its allocable portion of the Trust’s annual income, expenses, gains and losses (if any). A U.S. Shareholder may be subject to U.S. backup withholding tax in certain circumstances unless it provides its taxpayer identification number and complies with certain certification procedures. Non-U.S. Shareholders may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that they are not a U.S. person, and some Non-U.S. Shareholders may be required to meet certain information reporting or certification requirements imposed by the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, in order to avoid certain information reporting and withholding tax requirements.
The amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against a Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle the Shareholder to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.
U.S. Federal Income Taxation of U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholders
The Trust’s investments and activities relating thereto may cause a U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder to realize UBTI. In the absence of any guidance on the matter, a U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder’s share of income from a
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hard fork, airdrop, or similar event with respect to digital currencies may be treated as UBTI. If the Trust were to incur liabilities, and thus, be treated as holding property constituting debt-financed property (generally, assets purchased with borrowed funds), income attributable to such property generally would constitute UBTI.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders should consult their tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Shares.
U.S. Federal Income Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders
The Trust generally does not expect to generate taxable income except for gain (if any) upon the sale or transfer of bitcoin. A Non-U.S. Shareholder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to gain recognized upon the sale or other disposition of the Shares, or upon the sale or transfer of bitcoin by the Trust, unless (i) the Non-U.S. Shareholder is an individual and is present in the U.S. for one hundred and eighty-three (183) days or more during the taxable year of the sale, transfer or other disposition, and the gain is treated as being from U.S. sources; or (ii) the gain is (or is treated as) effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Shareholder of a trade or business in the United States (“ECI”).
A Non-U.S. Shareholder’s allocable share of U.S. source dividend, interest, rental and other FDAP income that is not ECI generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (unless reduced or eliminated by an applicable income tax treaty or statutory exemption). There is currently no guidance as to whether income recognized by the Trust as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar event would constitute U.S. source FDAP.
Non-U.S. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Shares.
Taxation in Jurisdictions Other Than the U.S.
Prospective purchasers of Shares that are based in or acting out of a jurisdiction other than the U.S. are advised to consult their own tax advisers as to the tax consequences under the laws of such jurisdiction (or any other jurisdiction to which they are subject) of their purchase, holding, sale and redemption of or any other dealing in Shares and, in particular, as to whether any value added tax, other consumption tax or transfer tax is payable in relation to such purchase, holding, sale, redemption or other dealing.
PROSPECTIVE SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISERS BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO INVEST IN THE SHARES OF THE TRUST.
PURCHASES BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and/or Section 4975 of the Code impose certain requirements on: (i) employee benefit plans and certain other plans and arrangements, including individual retirement accounts and annuities, Keogh plans and certain collective investment funds or insurance company general or separate accounts in which such plans or arrangements are invested, that are subject to Title I of ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the Code (collectively, “Plans”); and (ii) persons who are fiduciaries with respect to the investment of assets treated as “plan assets” within the meaning of U.S. Department of Labor regulation 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA (the “Plan Assets Regulation”), of a Plan. Investments by Plans are subject to the fiduciary requirements and the applicability of prohibited transaction restrictions under ERISA and the Code.
“Governmental plans” within the meaning of Section 3(32) of ERISA, certain “church plans” within the meaning of Section 3(33) of ERISA and “non-U.S. plans” described in Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA, while not subject to the
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fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, may be subject to federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other law or regulation that are substantially similar to the foregoing provisions of ERISA and the Code. Fiduciaries of any such plans are advised to consult with their counsel prior to an investment in the Shares.
In considering an investment of a portion of Plan assets in the Shares, the Plan fiduciary responsible for making such investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the Plan, the “Risk Factors” discussed above and whether such investment is consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities. The Plan fiduciary should consider, among other issues, whether: (1) the fiduciary has the authority to make the investment under the appropriate governing plan instrument; (2) the investment could constitute a direct or indirect non-exempt prohibited transaction with a “party in interest” or “disqualified person” within the meaning of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code respectively; (3) the investment is in accordance with the Plan’s funding objectives; and (4) such investment is appropriate for the Plan under the fiduciary standards under ERISA including investment prudence and diversification, taking into account the overall investment policy of the Plan, the composition of the Plan’s investment portfolio and the Plan’s need for sufficient liquidity to pay benefits when due.
By investing, each Plan shall be deemed to acknowledge and agree that: (a) none of the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Bitcoin Custodian or any of their respective affiliates (the “Transaction Parties”) has, through this report and related materials, provided any investment advice within the meaning of Section 3(21) of ERISA to the Plan in connection with the decision to purchase, acquire, hold or dispose of such Shares; and (b) no Transaction Party is intended to be treated as fiduciary to the Plan with respect to any decision by the Plan to purchase, acquire, hold or dispose of the Shares.
This Prospectus contains information you should consider when making an investment decision about the Shares. You should rely only on the information contained in this Prospectus. None of the Trust or the Sponsor has authorized any person to provide you with different information and, if anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell the Shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the Shares is not permitted.
The information contained in this Prospectus was obtained from the Trust, the Sponsor, the Bitcoin Custodian, the Execution Agent and other sources the Trust believes to be reliable.
You should disregard anything the Trust or the Sponsor said in an earlier document that is inconsistent with what is included in this Prospectus.
You should not assume that the information in this Prospectus is current as of any date other than the date on the front page of this Prospectus.
We include cross references in this Prospectus to captions in these materials where you can find further related discussions. The table of contents tells you where to find these captions.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
The Trust has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the SEC under the Securities Act. This Prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement (including the exhibits to the registration statement), parts of which have been omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information about the Trust or the Shares, please refer to the registration statement, which is available online at www.sec.gov.
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Information about the Trust and the Shares can also be obtained from the Trust’s website, which is www.invesco.com/BTCO. The Trust’s website address is only provided here as a convenience to you and the information contained on or connected to the website is not part of this Prospectus or the registration statement of which this Prospectus is part. The Trust is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and will file certain reports and other information with the SEC under the Exchange Act.
The reports and other information are available online at www.sec.gov.
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INVESCO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC PRIVACY NOTICE
|
|
Rev. March 5, 2020 |
| FACTS
|
WHAT DOES INVESCO DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?*
| |||
| Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
| |||
| What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:
• Social Security number and income
• Transaction history and investment experience
• Investment experience and assets
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share information about you according to our policies. | |||
| How? | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Invesco chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. | |||
| Reasons we can share your personal information | Does Invesco share? | Can you limit this sharing? | ||
| For our everyday business purposes— such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus |
Yes | No | ||
| For our marketing purposes— to offer our products and services to you |
No | We do not share | ||
| For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We do not share | ||
| For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes— information about your transactions and experiences |
No | We do not share | ||
| For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes— information about your credit worthiness |
No | We do not share | ||
| For our affiliates to market to you | No | We do not share | ||
| For non-affiliates to market to you | No | We do not share |
| Questions?
|
Call 1-800-959-4246 (toll free). |
| * | This privacy notice applies to individuals who obtain or have obtained a financial product or service from the Invesco family of companies. For a complete list of Invesco entities, please see the section titled “Who is providing this notice” on page 2. |
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| Page 2 |
| Who we are | ||
| Who is providing this notice? | Invesco Advisers, Inc., Invesco Private Capital, Inc., Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc., WL Ross & Co. LLC, Invesco Distributors, Inc., Invesco Managed Accounts, LLC, and the Invesco family of mutual funds. | |
| What we do | ||
| How does Invesco protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings. | |
| How does Invesco collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you
• Open an account or give us your contact information
• Make deposits or withdrawals from your account or give us your income information
• Make a wire transfer
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates or other companies. | |
| Why can’t I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only
• Sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes—information about your creditworthiness
• Affiliates from using your information to market to you
• Sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you | |
| Definitions | ||
| Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.
Invesco does not share with our affiliates so that they can market to you. | |
| Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.
Invesco does not share with non-affiliates so that they can market to you. | |
| Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.
Invesco doesn’t jointly market. | |
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Managers of Invesco Capital Management LLC (as Sponsor of Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF) and Shareholder of Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF
Opinion on the Financial Statement
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (the “Trust”) as of December 20, 2023, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statement”). In our opinion, the financial statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Trust as of December 20, 2023 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
This financial statement is the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Trust’s financial statement based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit of this financial statement in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statement, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statement. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chicago, Illinois
December 29, 2023
We have served as the Trust’s auditor since 2023.
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Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
December 20, 2023
| Assets |
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| Cash held by custodian |
$ | 100,000 | ||
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| Total assets |
$ | 100,000 | ||
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| Liabilities |
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| Total liabilities |
$ | — | ||
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|||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 5) |
— | |||
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|
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| Net Assets |
$ | 100,000 | ||
|
|
|
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| Shares outstanding |
4,000 | |||
| Net asset value per share |
$ | 25.00 |
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statement which are an integral part of the financial statement.
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Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF
Notes to Financial Statement
December 20, 2023
Note 1 – Organization
Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (the “Trust”) is a Delaware statutory trust, formed on April 5, 2021 pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“DSTA”). The Trust continuously issues common shares representing fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust. The Trust operates pursuant to its Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, dated as of December 13, 2023 (the “Trust Agreement”). Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, is the Delaware trustee of the Trust (the “Trustee”). The Trust is managed and controlled by Invesco Capital Management LLC (the “Sponsor”).
On December 18, 2023, Invesco Ltd., the Seed Capital Investor, subject to certain conditions, purchased 4,000 Shares in exchange for $100,000, which comprise the initial purchase of the Trust’s Shares. Delivery of the Shares was made on December 20, 2023. Through December 20, 2023, the Trust had no operations other than those related to its organization and registration and the sale of Shares to the Seed Capital Investor. As of December 20, 2023, the Seed Capital Investor owns one hundred percent of the outstanding Shares. The Trust has an unlimited number of shares authorized for issuance.
The Trust’s investment objective is to reflect the performance of the spot price of bitcoin less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities.
In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin. The Trust will value its Shares daily based on the value of the bitcoin and any other assets as of 4:00 p.m. ET. Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “Bitcoin Custodian”) will hold all of the Trust’s bitcoin on the Trust’s behalf as bitcoin custodian.
Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
A. Basis of Presentation
The financial statements of the Trust have been prepared using accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Trust is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP for financial statement purposes and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies in the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services— Investment Companies, but is not registered, and is not required to be registered, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
B. Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statement. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In addition, the Trust monitors for material events or transactions that may occur or become known after the period-end date and before the date the financial statements are issued.
C. Trust Expenses
The Sponsor is responsible for all routine operational, administrative and other ordinary expenses of the Trust, including, but not limited to, the Trustee’s fees, the fees of the Bank of New York Mellon (the “Administrator” and the “Transfer Agent”), the fees of the Bitcoin Custodian), the fees of Galaxy Digital Funds LLC (the “Execution Agent”), Exchange listing fees, Securities and Exchange Commission registration fees, printing and mailing costs, legal costs and audit fees.
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The Trust will pay the Sponsor a unified fee (the “Sponsor Fee”) as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement (as defined herein). The Trust’s only ordinary recurring expense is the Sponsor Fee.
The Sponsor Fee will be accrued daily and paid monthly in arrears on the first Business Day of the month in U.S. dollars, and will be calculated by the Administrator. The Sponsor also paid the costs of the Trust’s organization.
In certain cases, the Trust will pay for some expenses in addition to the Sponsor’s fee. These exceptions include expenses not assumed by the Sponsor (i.e., expenses other than those identified in the first paragraph of Section C of this Note 2), litigation and indemnification expenses, judgments, transactional expenses, taxes and other expenses not expected to be incurred in the ordinary course of the Trust’s business.
D. Federal Income Taxes
The Trust is treated as a “grantor trust” for federal income tax purposes and, therefore, no provision for federal income taxes is required. Income, expenses, gains and losses are passed through to the Shareholders.
Shareholders generally will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as if they directly owned a pro-rata share of the assets held in the Trust. Shareholders also will be treated as if they directly received their respective pro-rata portion of the Trust’s income, if any, and as if they directly incurred their respective pro-rata portion of the Trust’s expenses. The acquisition of Shares by a U.S. Shareholder as part of a creation of a Basket will not be a taxable event to the Shareholder.
Note 3 – Service Providers and Related Party Agreements
The Sponsor
Invesco Capital Management LLC is the Sponsor of the Trust. The Sponsor arranged for the creation of the Trust and is responsible for the ongoing registration of the Shares for their public offering, the listing of Shares on Cboe BZX (the “Exchange”) and valuing the bitcoin held by the Trust. The Sponsor is a limited liability company formed in the state of Delaware on February 7, 2003, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. Invesco Ltd. and its subsidiaries, including the Sponsor, are an independent global investment management group.
The Trustee
Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, acts as the Trustee of the Trust as required to create a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the Trust Agreement and the DSTA.
The Administrator
The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) serves as the Trust’s Administrator. Under the trust administration and accounting agreement, the Administrator provides necessary administrative, tax and accounting services and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust, including calculating the NAV of the Trust and the net assets of the Trust.
The Transfer Agent
BNYM also serves as the Transfer Agent for the Trust. The Transfer Agent is responsible for (1) issuing and redeeming Shares, (2) responding to correspondence by holders of the Shares (“Shareholders”) and others relating to its duties, (3) maintaining Shareholder accounts and (4) making periodic reports to the Trust.
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The Bitcoin Custodian
Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC serves as the Trust’s Bitcoin Custodian. Under the custodial agreement, the Bitcoin Custodian is responsible for (1) safekeeping all of the bitcoin owned by the Trust, (2) opening an account that holds the Trust’s bitcoin and (3) facilitating the transfer of bitcoin required for the operation of the Trust, as directed by the Sponsor. The Bitcoin Custodian is chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) and is authorized by the NYDFS to provide digital asset custody services. The Bitcoin Custodian is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinbase Global, Inc.
The Cash Custodian
Under the Cash Custody Agreement, BNYM, the Cash Custodian, is responsible for holding the Trust’s cash in connection with creation and redemption transactions effected in cash. The Cash Custodian is a New York state-chartered bank and a member of the Federal Reserve System.
The Marketing Agent
Invesco Distributors, Inc. (the “Marketing Agent”) is responsible for: (1) working with the Transfer Agent to review and approve, or reject, purchase and redemption orders of Creation Baskets placed by Authorized Participants with the Transfer Agent; and (2) reviewing and approving the marketing materials prepared by the Trust for compliance with applicable SEC and FINRA advertising laws, rules, and regulations.
The Execution Agent
The Sponsor has entered into an agreement with Galaxy Digital Funds LLC, a subsidiary of Galaxy Digital LP (“Galaxy”), to serve as Execution Agent. At the direction of the Sponsor, the Execution Agent is responsible for selling bitcoin on behalf of the Trust to the extent necessary to permit the payment of the Trust’s expenses. The Trust also may utilize the services of the Execution Agent to purchase or sell bitcoin in connection with cash creations and redemptions. In addition, as part of this agreement, the Execution Agent has agreed to co-brand and co-market the Trust, and the Sponsor has licensed the use of certain Galaxy trademarks, service marks and trade names in connection with the Trust.
Galaxy is a subsidiary of Galaxy Digital Holdings LP (“Galaxy Holdings”). Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd., which holds a limited partner interest in Galaxy Holdings, is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “GLXY.”
Note 4 – Organization and Offering Costs
The Sponsor has agreed to pay the organizational and initial offering costs of the Trust and the Trust will not be obligated to reimburse the Sponsor. The organizational and initial offering costs include preparation and filing of incorporation documents, bylaws, declarations of trust, registration statements, board materials, state and federal registration of shares and audit fees. As a result, the Trust’s financial statements will not reflect these organizational and offering costs.
Note 5 – Commitments and Contingencies
The Trust’s organizational documents provide for the Trust to indemnify the Sponsor and any affiliate of the Sponsor that provides services to the Trust to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions for disqualifying conduct by the Sponsor or such an affiliate. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.
Note 6 – Subsequent Events
The Trust has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events through December 29, 2023, the date the financial statement was available for issuance and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statement.
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GLOSSARY OF DEFINED TERMS
In this Prospectus, each of the following terms have the meanings set forth after such term:
“1940 Act”: Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
“Administrator”: The Bank of New York Mellon.
“ASC Topic 820”: the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”.
“AUL”: Authorized User List.
“Authorized Participant”: One that purchases or redeems Creation Baskets from or to the Trust.
“Authorized Participant Agreement”: The authorized participant agreement by and among the Trust, the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant(s).
“Benchmark”: Lukka Prime Bitcoin Reference Rate.
“Benchmark Pricing Source”: A bitcoin pricing source included in the Benchmark.
“Benchmark Provider”: Lukka, Inc.
“Benchmark Provider Agreement”: Calculation Services Subscription Agreement between the Sponsor and the Benchmark Provider.
“BES”: Base Exchange Score.
“BGP”: Border gateway protocol.
“Bitcoin”: Bitcoin with an uppercase “B” is used to describe the system as a whole that is involved in maintaining the ledger of bitcoin ownership and facilitating the transfer of bitcoin among parties. Bitcoin with a lowercase “b” is used when referring to the digital asset within the Bitcoin network.
“Bitcoin Access Persons”: Execution Agent personnel who have access to information about creation and redemption activity in Shares of the Trust.
“Bitcoin Counterparty”: Digital asset trading platforms or counterparties with whom the Execution Agent transacts in acquiring or disposing of bitcoin on behalf of the Trust.
“Bitcoin Custodian”: Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC.
“Bitcoin Custody Agreement”: Prime brokerage and custody agreement between the Trust and Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC.
“BNYM”: The Bank of New York Mellon.
“BSA”: U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, as amended.
“Business Day”: Any day other than a day when the Exchange is closed for regular trading.
“Cash Custodian”: The Bank of New York Mellon.
“Cash Custody Agreement”: Custody agreement by and between the Cash Custodian and the Trust.
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“Cash Purchase Order”: An order to purchase one or more Creation Baskets with the Transfer Agent in exchange for cash.
“CBDCs”: Central bank digital currencies.
“Cboe”: Cboe BZX.
“CEA”: Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended.
“CFIX”: Bloomberg Crypto Price Fixings.
“CFTC”: Commodity Futures Trading Commission, an independent agency with the mandate to regulate commodity futures and options in the U.S.
“Code”: Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Coinbase Custody”: Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC.
“Coinbase Global”: Coinbase Global, Inc.
“Coinbase”: Coinbase, Inc.
“Connected Trading Venue”: Third-party trading platform or other trading venue where the Prime Broker routes orders to buy and sell bitcoin on behalf of the Trust if the Execution Agent opts to utilize the Prime Broker to execute such orders.
“Creation Basket”: A block of 5,000 Shares used by the Trust to issue or redeem Shares.
“Creation Basket Deposit”: The total deposit required to create each Creation Basket.
“CTA”: Consolidated Tape Association
“CurrencyShares Trusts”: Exchange-traded funds for which ISP serves as sponsor.
“DSTA”: Delaware Statutory Trust Act.
“DTC”: Depository Trust Company. DTC will act as the securities depository for the Shares.
“DTC Participant”: An entity that has an account with DTC.
“ECI”: Effectively Connected Income.
“ERISA”: The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
“ETHW”: EthereumPoW network.
“ETP”: Exchange-traded product.
“Examinations”: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations.
“Exchange”: Cboe BZX.
“Exchange Act”: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
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“Execution Agent”: Galaxy Digital Funds LLC
“Expenses”: losses, damages, liabilities, claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), taxes and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever.
“FASB”: Financial Accounting Standards Board.
“FDAP”: Fixed or determinable annual or periodical gains, profits and income.
“FDIC”: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
“FinCEN”: The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
“FINRA”: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers.
“FMV”: Fair market value.
“FTX”: FTX Trading Ltd.
“Galaxy”: Galaxy Digital LP.
“Galaxy Holdings”: Galaxy Digital Holdings LP.
“GBTC”: Grayscale Bitcoin Trust.
“Genesis”: Genesis Global Capital, LLC.
“ICO”: Initial coin offering.
“IFRS”: International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation
“IIV”: Intraday indicative value.
“Incidental Rights”: Rights to acquire, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Trust’s ownership of bitcoins and arise without any action of the Trust or of the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust.
“Indemnified Person”: The Trustee as well as any officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee.
“Indirect Participants”: Banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly.
“Initial Seed Shares”: 4,000 shares of the Trust sold to Invesco Ltd. in connection with the Trust’s launch.
“In-Kind Regulatory Approval”: Regulatory approval that may be received by Cboe to permit the Trust to create and redeem Creation Baskets in-kind for Bitcoin.
“Invesco ETFs”: Invesco Exchange Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II, Invesco India Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Invesco Actively Managed Exchange-Traded Commodity Fund Trust, and Invesco Exchange-Traded Self-Indexed Fund Trusts.
“Invesco Funds”: Mutual funds advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc., a registered investment adviser.
“Invesco”: Invesco Capital Management LLC.
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“IR Virtual Currency”: Virtual currency tokens, or other asset or right, acquired by the Trust through the exercise (subject to the applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement) of any Incidental Right.
“IRAs”: Individual retirement accounts.
“IRS”: U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
“ISP”: Invesco Specialized Products, LLC.
“JOBS Act”: Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act.
“KYT”: Know-Your-Transaction.
“Losses”: Losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages and expenses (including the costs of investigating or defending any alleged losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages or expenses and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith).
“Marketing Agent”: Invesco Distributors, Inc.
“Marketing Agent Indemnitees”: The Marketing Agent, its affiliates and each of their respective members, managers, directors, officers, employees, representatives and any person who controls or previously controlled the Marketing Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act.
“Marketing Materials”: Certain Trust marketing materials submitted by the Trust for review.
“Master Services Agreement”: Master Services Agreement between the Sponsor and the Benchmark Provider.
“NAV”: Net asset value per share of the Trust.
“NFA”: National Futures Association.
“NYSDFS”: The New York State Department of Financial Services.
“NYSDTF”: The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
“OFAC”: The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury.
“OTC”: Over-the-counter markets.
“PCAOB”: Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
“PIOB”: Benchmark Provider’s Price Integrity Oversight Board.
“Plans”: Employee benefit plans and certain other plans and arrangements, including individual retirement accounts and annuities, Keogh plans and certain collective investment funds or insurance company general or separate accounts in which such plans or arrangements are invested, that are subject to Title I of ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the Code.
“PoS”: Proof-of-Stake.
“PoW”: Proof-of-Work.
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“Prime Broker”: Coinbase, Inc.
“Prime Custody Vault”: “Cold storage” environment where the private keys associated with the Trust’s bitcoin are generated and secured.
“Redemption Order Date”: The date a redemption order is received in satisfactory form and approved by the Transfer Agent.
“Relevant Coinbase Entities”: Coinbase and Coinbase Global Inc.
“SEC”: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities Act”: Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Seed Capital Investor”: Invesco Ltd. or a subsidiary thereof.
“Seed Creation Baskets”: Creation Baskets comprising $5 million worth of Shares purchased by the Seed Capital Investor.
“Selling Shareholder”: Each initial seed investor, and each affiliate of the Trust and the Sponsor who may hold Shares from time to time, that sells some or all of the Shares held by them pursuant to the registration statement for the Trust.
“Shareholders”: Holders of Shares.
“Shares”: Common shares representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in the Trust.
“SIPC”: Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
“SOC”: Systems and Organizational Control.
“Sponsor”: Invesco Capital Management LLC.
“Sponsor Bitcoin Account”: The Sponsor’s account, if any, at the Bitcoin Custodian.
“Sponsor Fee”: The unified fee of 0.39% per annum paid by the Trust to the Sponsor.
“Trading Balance”: Trading account used to maintain the Trust’s bitcoin when it is being processed in connection with certain creation or redemption transactions or it is being sold.
“Transaction Parties”: The Sponsor, the Trustee, the Bitcoin Custodian or any of their respective affiliates.
“Transfer Agent”: The Bank of New York Mellon.
“Trust”: Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF.
“Trust Agreement”: Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of January 5, 2024.
“Trust Bitcoin Account”: Each Trust account at the Bitcoin Custodian.
“Trustee”: Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company.
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“U.S. GAAP”: U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
“U.S. Treasury Department”: United States Department of the Treasury.
“U.S.”: United States of America.
“UBTI”: Unrelated Business Taxable Income.
“USDC”: U.S. Dollar Coin.
“WHO”: World Health Organization.
“You”: The current and prospective owner or holder of Shares.
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INVESCO GALAXY BITCOIN ETF
COMMON SHARES
PROSPECTUS
January 9, 2024
Until February 5, 2023 (25 calendar days after the date of this Prospectus) all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
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INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.*
The Trust shall not bear any expenses incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered. These expenses shall be paid by Invesco Capital Management LLC, the sponsor of the Trust. Except for the Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee and Exchange Listing Fee, all such expenses are estimated:
| Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee |
$ | 109.10 | ** | |
| Exchange Listing Fee |
$ | 12,000.00 | ||
| Printing and engraving expenses |
$ | 150,000.00 | ||
| Legal fees and expenses |
$ | 558,000.00 | ||
| Accounting fees and expenses |
$ | 45,000.00 | ||
| Total |
$ | 765,109.10 |
| * | Subject to revision upon completion of the offering. |
| ** | A registration fee of $109.10 was previously paid in connection with the registrant’s initial filing on Form S-1 on April 12, 2021. An indeterminate number of the securities is being registered as may from time to time be sold at indeterminate prices. In accordance with Rules 456(d) and 457(u), the Trust is deferring payment of the registration fee and will pay the registration fee subsequently on an annual basis. |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trust has agreed to be primary obligor and to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustee, in its individual capacity and in its capacity as Trustee and any of the officers, directors, employees, affiliates and agents of the Trustee (the “Indemnified Persons”) from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including reasonable legal fees and expenses in connection with enforcement of its rights to indemnity hereunder and including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), taxes and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, “Expenses”), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Persons with respect to the performance of the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Trust shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person. As security for any amounts owing to the Trustee under the indemnification provisions of the Trust Agreement described above, the Trustee shall have a lien against the Trust’s property, which lien shall be prior to the rights of the Sponsor or any other Shareholder of the Trust. The obligations of the Sponsor and the Trust to indemnify the Indemnified Persons will survive the termination of the Trust Agreement.
The Trust Agreement provides that the Trust shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor, in its capacity as Sponsor, and any of the officers, directors, employees, affiliates and agents of the Sponsor (the “Sponsor Indemnified Persons”) from and against any and all Expenses, to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Sponsor Indemnified Persons with respect to the performance of the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated by the Trust Agreement; provided, however, that the Trust shall not be required to indemnify any Sponsor Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of a Sponsor Indemnified Person. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Expenses to be incurred by a Sponsor Indemnified Person shall, from time to time, be advanced by, or on behalf of, the Trust prior to the final disposition of any matter upon receipt by the Trust of an undertaking by, or on behalf of, such Sponsor Indemnified Person to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Sponsor Indemnified Person is not
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entitled to be indemnified under the Trust Agreement. The obligations of the Trust to indemnify the Sponsor Indemnified Parties will survive the termination of the Trust Agreement.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
In connection with the Trust’s launch, the Trust was seeded with $100,000 on December 20, 2023 through the sale of 4,000 Shares (“Initial Seed Shares”) by the Trust to the Sponsor.
On January 2, 2024, the Sponsor (in such role, the “Seed Capital Investor”) purchased an additional 200,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $25.00 (“Seed Creation Baskets”). Total proceeds to the Trust from the sale of the Initial Seed Shares and the Seed Creation Baskets were $5,100,000. On January 4, 2024, the Sponsor redeemed the Initial Seed Shares and the Seed Creation Baskets for cash at a per-Share price of $25.00 for a total redemption value of $5,100,000 and immediately created 110,000 Shares (22 Creation Baskets) at a price of $44.16305 per Share based on the Benchmark price as of 4:00 p.m. ET on January 4, 2024. The Execution Agent acquired 110 bitcoin on behalf of the Trust. Accordingly, as of the market close on January 4, 2024, the Trust had total assets of $4,857,935.50, solely represented by bitcoin held in custody by the Bitcoin Custodian, and had 110,000 Shares outstanding, entirely held by the Seed Capital Investor. These transactions were effected pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The Seed Capital Investor acted as a statutory underwriter in connection with these transactions.
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
| (a) | Exhibit. |
The exhibits to this registration statement are listed in the Exhibit Index to this registration statement, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| (b) | Financial Statement Schedules. |
Not applicable.
Item 17. Undertakings.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| (i) | to include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; |
| (ii) | to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and |
| (iii) | to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; |
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| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
| (4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser: |
| (i) | If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B: |
| (A) | each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
| (B) | each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or |
| (ii) | If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: |
The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
| (i) | any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
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| (ii) | any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
| (6) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Downers Grove, and the State of Illinois, on January 9, 2024.
| INVESCO GALAXY BITCOIN ETF
Invesco Capital Management LLC, as Sponsor of the Trust | ||
| By: | /s/ Brian Hartigan | |
| Name: Brian Hartigan Title: Chief Executive Officer and Manager | ||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities* and on the dates indicated.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /S/ Brian Hartigan Name: Brian Hartigan |
Chief Executive Officer and Manager (principal executive officer) |
January 9, 2024 | ||
| /S/ Kelli Gallegos Name: Kelli Gallegos |
Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, Investment Pools (principal financial officer and principal accounting officer) |
January 9, 2024 | ||
| /S/ Jordan Krugman Name: Jordan Krugman |
Manager |
January 9, 2024 | ||
| /S/ John Zerr Name: John Zerr |
Manager |
January 9, 2024 | ||
| * | The registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of Invesco Capital Management LLC, the Sponsor of the registrant. |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
| * | Filed herewith. |
| 1 | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed April 12, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference. |
| 2 | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed December 13, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference. |
| 3 | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed December 29, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference. |
| 4 | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed January 8, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference. |
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Exhibit 10.4
COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT
General Terms and Conditions
Exhibit A: Coinbase Custody Custodial Services Agreement
Exhibit B: Coinbase Master Trading Agreement
Appendix 1: Prohibited Use, Prohibited Business, and Conditional Use
Appendix 2: E-sign Disclosure and Consent
Appendix 3: Coinbase Prime Fee Schedule
General Terms and Conditions
| 1. | Introduction |
This Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement (as defined below), dated as of September 29, 2023, is entered into by and between Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (“Client”) and Coinbase, Inc. (“Coinbase”), on behalf of itself and as agent for the Coinbase Entities (as defined below), for purposes of establishing a Coinbase prime broker account for Client (the “Prime Broker Account”). This Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions on which the Coinbase Entities will open and maintain Client accounts for services relating to custody, trade execution and other services for certain digital assets (“Digital Assets”) and to otherwise transact business with Client (the “Prime Broker Services”). Certain Prime Broker Services are not available to all clients, including clients residing outside the United States. Capitalized terms not defined in these General Terms and Conditions (“General Terms”) shall have the meanings assigned to them in the respective exhibit, appendix, addendum or supplement hereto.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Coinbase, on behalf of itself and as agent for the Coinbase Entities, and Client acknowledge and agree that this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement shall not become effective until such date as Client’s registration statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-255175), originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 4, 2021, as amended, shall have been declared effective by the SEC by the filing of a Notice of Effectiveness on the SEC’s EDGAR system (the “Effective Date”). Accordingly, no rights, remedies, duties, obligations or liabilities shall arise hereunder until on and after the Effective Date.
| 2. | Prime Broker Services & the Coinbase Entities |
Each of Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (“Coinbase Custody”), Coinbase, and, as applicable based on Client’s election of additional services from time to time, Coinbase Credit, Inc. (“Coinbase Credit,” and collectively with Coinbase and Coinbase Custody, the “Coinbase Entities”) shall administer specified Prime Broker Services. Client and each Coinbase Entity may also be referred to individually as a “Party”; and Client and the Coinbase Entities (collectively or specific entities together, as applicable) may collectively be referred to as the “Parties”. The Prime Broker Services made available to Client are subject to and made on these General Terms and each applicable legal agreement that Client enters into with each relevant Coinbase Entity (including each legal agreement as contemplated in Section 3 of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement). In particular, execution of these General Terms by Client and by Coinbase on behalf of itself and Coinbase Custody constitutes the relevant Parties’ respective agreement to be bound by the Coinbase Custody Custodial Services Agreement between Client and Coinbase Custody attached as Exhibit A (“Custody Agreement”) and the Coinbase Master Trading Agreement between Client and Coinbase attached as Exhibit B (the “MTA”), in each case with the same force and effect as though fully set forth herein. These General Terms, together with all agreements, exhibits, appendices, addenda, policies referenced herein, and supplements attached hereto or referenced herein, shall constitute a single, integrated agreement (the “Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement”) and shall be interpreted to the extent reasonably necessary to be consistent with each other. The documents that together create the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement shall not be deemed in conflict based on the fact that a document is silent on a topic that is affirmatively addressed in another document. In the event of an irreconcilable conflict between these General Terms and any documents that together create the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, or between any such documents, then the document governing the specific relevant Prime Broker Service shall control in respect of such Prime Broker Service. Consult each enclosed or referenced legal agreement for additional information and terms.
| 3. | Optional Services |
In addition to the General Terms, the Custody Agreement, and the MTA, the Coinbase Entities and Client may agree to execute agreement(s) for additional Prime Broker Service(s), including certain over the counter trading, lending, post-trade credit, and other services. In each such case, the additional Prime Broker Service(s) and the agreement(s) related thereto (together with all agreements, exhibits, appendices, addenda, policies referenced therein, and supplements attached thereto or referenced therein) will form part of the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and be subject to these General Terms. To the extent any additional Prime Broker Service is provided by a Coinbase affiliate that is not a Coinbase Entity, such affiliate shall execute such agreement with Client and shall be deemed a “Coinbase Entity” and a “Party” as defined in these General Terms.
| 4. | Information Sharing |
| 4.1 | By executing this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, including any selected optional agreements, Client is establishing a Prime Broker Account, which is a master relationship consisting of accounts with each of (a) Coinbase; (b) Coinbase Custody; and (c) at Client’s election, Coinbase Credit. By executing this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, Client acknowledges that Coinbase (as agent for Coinbase Custody and Coinbase Credit, as applicable) may share Client’s information with Coinbase Custody and Coinbase Credit, as applicable, in accordance with the Confidentiality provision of these General Terms and as otherwise provided in the Coinbase Privacy Policy, as amended and updated from time to time at https://www.coinbase.com/legal/privacy or a successor website (the “Coinbase Privacy Policy”), including to facilitate opening and maintaining of Client accounts. |
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| 4.2 | Client agrees that its use of data made available to it through the Trading Platform’s application programming interface(s), which may include the prices and quantities of orders and transactions executed on the Trading Platform (collectively “Market Data”), is subject to the Market Data Terms of Use, as amended and updated from time to time at https://www.coinbase.com/legal/market_data or a successor website. |
| 5. | Anti-Money Laundering Notice |
Client understands and acknowledges that the Coinbase Entities are, or may in the future become, subject to money laundering statutes, regulations and conventions of the United States or other international jurisdictions (“AML Laws”), and Client agrees to provide the Coinbase Entities with information for the purpose of conducting due diligence as may be required under such AML Laws. Client agrees that it will provide the Coinbase Entities with any information required to comply with applicable AML Laws. Client understands, acknowledges and agrees that to the extent required by applicable AML Laws, the Coinbase Entities may provide information, including Confidential Information, to United States or international government agencies in connection with a request for information relating to such AML Laws.
| 6. | Bank Secrecy Act Warning |
| 6.1 | IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW COINBASE PRIME BROKER ACCOUNT: |
In accordance with government regulations, financial institutions are required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each legal entity or natural person that opens a Prime Broker Account. What this means for Client: When Client opens a Prime Broker Account, Coinbase, on behalf of all the Coinbase Entities, will ask for Client’s name, address, government issued identification number, and other information that will allow the Coinbase Entities to form a reasonable belief as to the identity of Client and its representatives. Coinbase may also require that Client provide copies of such documentation.
| 6.2 | Client agrees to provide true, correct, and complete information in opening its Prime Broker Account and, if any such information becomes inaccurate, incorrect, or obsolete, to promptly notify Coinbase following Client becoming aware that such information is inaccurate, incorrect, or obsolete and provide updated information. The Coinbase Entities shall not have any liability, obligation, or responsibility for, and Client shall be solely responsible and liable for, any and all Claims and Losses arising out of or relating to Client’s failure to comply with this Section 6.2. |
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| 7. | Role of Coinbase Entities |
By executing this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, Client will form legal relationships with each of Coinbase, Coinbase Custody, and Coinbase Credit, as applicable. In the course of Client’s use of Prime Broker Services offered by Coinbase Custody and Coinbase Credit, Coinbase may act as agent on behalf of Coinbase Entities and Client.
| 8. | Conflicts of Interest |
| 8.1 | Client acknowledges that the Coinbase Entities may have actual or potential conflicts of interest in connection with providing the Prime Broker Services. As a result of these conflicts, the Coinbase Entities may have an incentive to favor their own interests and the interests of their affiliates over Client’s interests. The Coinbase Entities have certain policies and procedures in place that are designed to mitigate conflicts, although there is no guarantee that they will be successful in identifying or fully mitigating those conflicts as they arise, and such conflicts may change over time. A non-exhaustive list of the potential conflicts of interest that may arise between the Coinbase Entities and Client are set forth in this Section 8. |
| 8.2 | Potential Conflicts |
| (a) | Orders (as such term is defined in the MTA) may be routed to Coinbase’s exchange platform (i.e., the cryptocurrency exchange operated by Coinbase, Inc.). Orders are typically executed on the Coinbase exchange against other Coinbase customers, but may in certain instances be executed with Coinbase acting as principal. |
| (b) | Coinbase may also execute client trades on trading venues where the identity of the beneficial purchaser or seller is unknown and therefore may inadvertently be a Coinbase client. |
| (c) | Coinbase does not engage in front-running, but is aware of Orders or imminent Orders and may execute a trade for its own inventory (or the account of an affiliate) while in possession of that knowledge. |
| (d) | Coinbase generally acts in an agency capacity for purposes of Orders, but may also act in a principal capacity with respect to certain Orders (e.g., to fill residual Order size when a portion of an Order may be below the minimum size accepted by the Connected Trading Venues (as defined in the MTA)). |
| 8.3 | Variation in Compensation. The Coinbase Entities may charge different clients different prices for the Prime Broker Services, which may cause the Coinbase Entities to favor certain clients over others. |
| 9. | Client |
| 9.1 | Client is the legal owner of the Custodial Account and the Trading Account, Trading Balance and Vault Balance (as each such term is defined in the MTA). The singular of Client where appropriate shall include the plural and may also refer to any such person or legal entity that owns a legal or beneficial interest in the Custodial Account, Trading Account, Trading Balance and Vault Balance. |
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| 9.2 | Client may be (a) a legal entity or (b) a natural person over 18 years of age who has the full legal capacity to enter into this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and will use the Prime Broker Services solely for commercial, business purposes and not for personal, family, or household purposes. |
| 9.3 | To the extent Client is a natural person, if Coinbase receives legal documentation confirming Client’s death or other information leading Coinbase to believe Client is deceased, Coinbase will freeze Client’s Prime Broker Account (“Freeze Period”). During the Freeze Period, no transactions may be completed until: (i) Client’s designated fiduciary has opened a new Prime Broker Account, as further described below, and the entirety of Client’s Prime Broker Account has been transferred to such new Prime Broker Account, or (ii) Client has received proof in a form satisfactory to Coinbase that Client is not deceased. If Coinbase has reason to believe Client is deceased but Coinbase does not have proof of Client’s death in a form satisfactory to Coinbase, Client authorizes Coinbase to make inquiries, whether directly or through third parties, that Coinbase considers necessary to ascertain whether Client is deceased. Upon receipt by Coinbase of proof satisfactory to Coinbase that Client is deceased, the fiduciary Client designated in a valid will or similar testamentary document will be required to open a new Prime Broker Account. If Client has not designated a fiduciary, then Coinbase reserves the right to (i) treat as Client’s fiduciary any person entitled to inherit Client’s Prime Broker Account, as determined by Coinbase upon receipt and review of the documentation Coinbase, in its sole and absolute discretion, deems necessary or appropriate, including (but not limited to) a will, a living trust or a Small Estate Affidavit, or (ii) require an order designating a fiduciary from a court having competent jurisdiction over Client’s estate. In the event Coinbase determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, that there is uncertainty regarding the validity of the fiduciary designation, Coinbase reserves the right to require an order resolving such issue from a court of competent jurisdiction before taking any action relating to Client’s Prime Broker Account. Pursuant to the above, the opening of a new Prime Broker Account by a designated fiduciary is mandatory following the death of Client, and Client hereby agrees that its fiduciary shall be required to open a new Prime Broker Account and provide required account opening information to gain access to the contents of Client’s Prime Broker Account. |
| 10. | Account Statements |
Client acknowledges that although it will have multiple and separate underlying accounts with the Coinbase Entities, Client may receive a number of Prime Broker Services through a single account interface and receive combined statements reflecting Client activity with respect to multiple Coinbase Entities. Client authorizes Coinbase to combine information regarding the separate activities into a single statement. Coinbase will provide Client with an electronic account statement every quarter, at a minimum. Each account statement will identify the amount of cash and each Digital Asset in Client’s Prime Broker Account at the end of the period and set forth all Prime Broker Account activity during that period.
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| 11. | Trading Account and Portfolio |
| 11.1 | Although only Client shall be associated with the Prime Broker Account, Coinbase shall permit Client to create and maintain multiple portfolios under the Prime Broker Account (each a “Portfolio”), each of which shall be associated with the Prime Broker Account and belong to Client. Client is permitted to transfer Client Assets (as such term is defined in the MTA) between Portfolios. Each Portfolio will be opened, maintained and operated under the terms and provisions of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement. The creation of separate Portfolios within the Prime Broker Account is for Client’s recordkeeping convenience only. In all other respects, all Portfolios are treated as a single account unless specifically provided herein or in another exhibit, addendum or supplement to this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement. |
| 12. | Authorized Representatives |
Client shall provide, in writing, the names of the persons and entities with full right, power, authority, and capacity to act on behalf of Client with respect to the Prime Broker Account, including each Portfolio, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable operational documentation and procedures (each an “Authorized Representative”). Each Authorized Representative will continue in such capacity until such time as Coinbase receives Instructions from Client that its Authorized Representatives have changed.
| 13. | Client Instructions |
| 13.1 | The Coinbase Entities may act upon written instructions received from Client (if Client is a natural person) or Client’s Authorized Representatives (“Instructions”). When taking action upon Instructions, the applicable Coinbase Entity shall act in a reasonable manner, and in conformance with the following: (a) Instructions shall continue in full force and effect until cancelled or superseded by subsequent Instructions (except in respect of Instructions executed by a Coinbase Entity, which can no longer be cancelled); (b) if any Instructions are ambiguous, the applicable Coinbase Entity shall refuse to execute such Instructions, promptly provide notice to Client of such refusal, and shall not execute such Instructions until any such ambiguity has been resolved to the Coinbase Entity’s reasonable satisfaction; (c) the Coinbase Entities may refuse to execute Instructions if in the applicable Coinbase Entity’s reasonable opinion such Instructions are outside the scope of its obligations under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement or are contrary to any applicable laws, rules and regulations (whether arising from any governmental authority or self-regulatory organization); and (d) each Coinbase Entity may rely, in the performance of its duties under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and without any liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever on its part, upon any Instructions given by Client’s Authorized Representatives (or otherwise to have been given on Client’s behalf) and upon any notice, request, consent, certificate or other instrument signed or furnished by Client or any of Client’s Authorized Representatives. Client is responsible for losses resulting from inaccurate Instructions. The applicable Coinbase Entity is responsible for losses resulting from its errors in executing a Client Instruction. |
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| 13.2 | Coinbase will comply with Client’s Instructions to stake, stack or vote Client’s Digital Assets to the extent Coinbase or the applicable Coinbase Entity supports proof of stake validation, proof of transfer validation, or voting for such Digital Assets. The Coinbase Entities may, in their sole discretion, decide whether or not to support (or cease supporting) staking services or stacking or voting for a Digital Asset. For further information about any specific terms and fees applicable to staking or stacking services or voting, please consult the applicable agreements provided to you by Coinbase. |
| 14. | Representations, Warranties, and Additional Covenants |
In addition to the obligations arising under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and as a condition of and in consideration of Client accessing and using the Prime Broker Services, Client represents, warrants, and covenants that:
| 14.1 | Client operates in compliance in all material respects with (A) all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, including applicable U.S. securities laws and regulations and any applicable state and federal laws, in each jurisdiction in which Client operates, the non-compliance with which would adversely effect Client’s use of the Prime Broker Account or Prime Broker Services or Client’s performance of its obligations under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and (B) applicable AML Laws, USA PATRIOT Act and Bank Secrecy Act requirements, applicable governmental sanctions and other applicable anti-terrorism statutes, regulations, and conventions of the United States or other international jurisdictions, including but not limited to those implemented by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Client further understands and agrees that any fines or penalties imposed on the Coinbase Entities as a direct result of a violation by Client of any applicable securities regulation or law may, at the relevant Coinbase Entity’s reasonable discretion, be passed on to Client and Client acknowledges and represents that Client will be fully liable and responsible for payment to the Coinbase Entity of such fines or penalties, provided that Client shall be given prior notice of any such fines or penalties and will, to the extent permitted by law and Coinbase’s policies and procedures, be permitted to intercede at its own expense; |
| 14.2 | To the extent applicable to Client’s business and activities, Client is currently registered with or a member in good standing of all relevant governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory and supervisory agencies, departments and bodies in all relevant jurisdictions in which Client does business, including, to the extent applicable, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, the National Futures Association, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Client will promptly notify Coinbase if Client ceases to be registered with or a member in good standing of any such authority; |
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| 14.3 | Client will promptly provide information as the Coinbase Entities may reasonably request from time to time regarding any transaction relating to the use of the Prime Broker Services, to the extent necessary to comply with any applicable laws, rules, and regulations, or the guidance or direction of, or request from, any regulatory authority or financial institution; provided that Client may redact such information or remove Confidential Information not relevant to the requirements of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement; |
| 14.4 | Client’s use of the Prime Broker Services is limited to business activities disclosed in the due diligence information submitted to Coinbase, and will not include any personal, family or household purposes. Client will promptly notify Coinbase in writing in the event it intends to use the Prime Broker Services in connection with any business activities not previously disclosed to Coinbase. Coinbase may, in its sole discretion, prohibit Client from using the Prime Broker Services in connection with any new business activities not previously disclosed; |
| 14.5 | Client has the full right, power, authority, and capacity to transact with all Digital Assets involved in the provision of Prime Broker Services to Client; and |
| 14.6 | Client’s Authorized Representatives have the (a) full right, power, authority, and capacity, to access and use the Prime Broker Services, and (b) appropriate training, sophistication, expertise, and knowledge necessary to understand the nature and risks, and make informed decisions, in respect of Digital Assets and the Prime Broker Services. |
Coinbase, on behalf of itself and each other Coinbase Entity, represents, warrants, and covenants that:
| 14.7 | It possesses and will maintain, all licenses, registrations, authorizations and approvals required by any government agency, regulatory authority, or other party for it to operate its business and provide or use, as applicable, the Prime Broker Services; |
| 14.8 | Its performance under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement will not breach (a) any agreement between it and a third party; (b) any obligation of confidentiality regarding the proprietary information of a third party; or (c) any applicable law, rule or regulation applicable to such Coinbase Entity in any material respect; |
| 14.9 | It has the full right, power, authority, and capacity to enter into and be bound by this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, and the person executing or otherwise accepting this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement on its behalf has full legal right, power, authority, and capacity to do so; |
| 14.10 | This Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement is its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms; and |
| 14.11 | It will not make any public statement, including any press release, media release, or blog post which mentions or refers to Client or a partnership between it and Client, without the prior written consent of Client. |
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| 15. | No Investment Advice or Brokerage |
| 15.1 | Client assumes full responsibility for the investment decision making for each and every transaction Client directs in or for its Prime Broker Account. Client understands and agrees that the Coinbase Entities (as defined herein) are not an SEC/FINRA registered broker-dealer, or an investment adviser to Client in any respect, and the Coinbase Entities have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for Client investment decision making relating to the Prime Broker Services. Client should consult its legal, tax, and accounting professionals regarding Client’s specific situation. |
| 15.2 | While the Coinbase Entities may make certain general information available to Client, the Coinbase Entities do not provide Client with any investment, legal, tax or accounting advice. Client further acknowledges that Client is solely responsible for making all investment decision making relating to the Prime Broker Services and that Client shall not rely on the Coinbase Entities in making an investment or any other decision, including with regard to the suitability or value of any Digital Assets or the tax consequences of any such decision, and that the Coinbase Entities shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever regarding any transaction with respect to a Digital Asset through the Prime Broker Services, other than with respect to their respective duties and obligations hereunder. The Coinbase Entities do not make investment decisions for, nor do they exercise any investment discretion over, the Prime Broker Account. All investment decisions relating to the Prime Broker Account are based on Client’s Instructions and Client is solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, or transaction involving Digital Assets is appropriate for Client based on Client’s investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. |
| 16. | Opt-In to Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code |
| 16.1 | Coinbase and Coinbase Custody are each a “securities intermediary” as that term is defined in Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”) as enacted in the State of New York (“Article 8”) because in the ordinary course of its business it maintains securities accounts for others. Coinbase is acting as a securities intermediary when it creates Client’s Trading Balance and holds Client Assets in Client’s Trading Balance. Coinbase Custody is acting as securities intermediary when it creates Client’s Vault Balance and holds Client Assets in Client’s Vault Balance. Although they hold only Client Assets and not securities, the Trading Balance and Vault Balance are each a “securities account” under Article 8, and Client is the “entitlement holder” of the securities account under Article 8. Client agrees with Coinbase and Coinbase Custody that Client Assets in the Trading Balance and Vault Balance will be treated as “financial assets” under Article 8. Coinbase and Coinbase Custody are obligated by Article 8 to maintain sufficient cash and Digital Assets to satisfy all entitlements of clients of Coinbase and Coinbase Custody, as applicable, to such cash and Digital Assets. Coinbase and Coinbase Custody may not grant a security interest in the Client Assets in Client’s Trading Balance or Vault Balance to any third party except, to the extent expressly permitted under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement or any other executed agreement between the Parties, to any Coinbase Entity or any affiliate thereof. Client Assets in the Trading Balance and Vault Balance are custodial assets. Under Article |
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| 8, the Client Assets in the Trading Balance and Vault Balance are not general assets of Coinbase or Coinbase Custody, as applicable, and are not available to satisfy claims of creditors of Coinbase and Coinbase Custody, as applicable. The treatment of Client Assets in the Trading Balance and Vault Balance as financial assets under Article 8 does not determine the characterization or treatment of the cash and Digital Assets under any other law or rule. |
| 16.2 | All property credited to Client’s Trading Balance and Vault Balance will be treated as a financial asset within the meaning of Article 8 of the UCC. Coinbase and Coinbase Custody will credit Client with any payments or distributions on any Client Assets it holds for Client’s Trading Balance and Vault Balance. Coinbase and Coinbase Custody, as applicable, will comply with Client’s directions with respect to any Client Assets credited to Client’s Trading Balance or Vault Balance, as applicable. Coinbase and Coinbase Custody will comply with Client’s Instructions to transfer Client Assets in Client’s Trading Balance and Vault Balance subject to the terms of the MTA or Custody Agreement, as applicable, including the Coinbase Trading Rules (as such term is defined in the MTA), and other Coinbase rules. New York will be the securities intermediary’s jurisdiction with respect to Coinbase and Coinbase Custody, and New York law will govern all issues addressed in Article 2(1) of the Hague Securities Convention. |
| 16.3 | This Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement describes the entire agreement among the Parties hereto with respect to Article 8 of the applicable Uniform Commercial Code and sets forth the way in which the Coinbase Entities will satisfy their Article 8 duties. |
| 17. | General Use; Prohibited Use |
| 17.1 | Prime Broker Site and Content. During the term of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, Coinbase, on behalf of the Coinbase Entities, hereby grants Client a limited, nonexclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable, and royalty-free license, subject to the terms of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, to access and use the Coinbase Prime Broker Site accessible at prime.coinbase.com (“Coinbase Prime Broker Site”) and related content, materials, and information (collectively, the “Content”) solely for Client’s internal business use and other purposes as permitted by Coinbase in writing from time to time. Any other use of the Coinbase Prime Broker Site or Content is expressly prohibited. All other right, title, and interest (including all copyright, trademark, patent, trade secrets, and all other intellectual property rights) in the Coinbase Prime Broker Site, Content, and Prime Broker Services is and will remain the exclusive property of the Coinbase Entities and their licensors. Client shall not copy, transmit, distribute, sell, license, reverse engineer, modify, publish, or participate in the transfer or sale of, create derivative works from, or in any other way exploit any of the Prime Broker Services or Content, in whole or in part. “Coinbase,” “Coinbase Prime,” “prime.coinbase.com,” and all logos related to the Prime Broker Services or displayed on the Coinbase Prime Broker Site are either trademarks or registered marks of the Coinbase Entities or their licensors. Client may not copy, imitate or use them without Coinbase’s prior written consent. The license granted under this Section 17.1 will automatically terminate upon termination of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, or the suspension or termination of Client’s access to the Coinbase Prime Broker Site or Prime Broker Services. |
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| 17.2 | Website Accuracy. Although the Coinbase Entities intend to provide accurate and timely information on the Coinbase Prime Broker Site, the Coinbase Prime Broker Site (including the Content) may not always be entirely accurate, complete, or current and may also include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. In an effort to continue to provide Client with as complete and accurate information as possible, information may be changed or updated from time to time without notice, including information regarding Prime Broker Services policies, products and services. Accordingly, Client should verify all information before relying on it, and all decisions based on information contained on the Coinbase Prime Broker Site are Client’s sole responsibility, and the Coinbase Entities shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for such decisions. Links to third party materials (including websites) may be provided as a convenience but are not controlled by the Coinbase Entities. The Coinbase Entities are not responsible for any aspect of the information, content, or services contained in any third party materials or on any third party sites accessible from or linked to the Coinbase Prime Broker Site. |
| 17.3 | Unauthorized Users. Client shall not permit any person or entity that is not an Authorized Representative (each, an “Unauthorized User”) to access, connect to, and/or use Client’s Prime Broker Account in any way, including through the Coinbase Prime Broker Site or through any third party product or service. Except to the extent caused by a Coinbase Entity’s negligence, bad faith, fraud or willful misconduct, the Coinbase Entities shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for, and Client shall be solely responsible and liable for, any and all Claims and Losses arising out of or relating to the acts and omissions of any Unauthorized User in respect of the Prime Broker Services, Prime Broker Account, and/or the Prime Broker Site. Client must notify the relevant Coinbase Entity immediately if Client believes or becomes aware that an Unauthorized User has accessed, connected to, or used Client’s Prime Broker Account. |
| 17.4 | Prohibited Use. Client represents and warrants that Client will not use the Prime Broker Services or Prime Broker Account for any illegal activity, including illegal gambling, money laundering, fraud, blackmail, extortion, ransoming data, the financing of terrorism, other violent activities or any prohibited market practices, including activities and business set forth in Appendix 1. |
| 17.5 | Password Security; Contact Information. Client is solely responsible for maintaining adequate security and control of any and all IDs, passwords, hints, personal identification numbers (PINs), API keys, YubiKeys, other security or confirmation information or hardware, and any other codes that Client uses to access the Prime Broker Account and Prime Broker Services. Any loss or compromise of the foregoing information and/or Client’s personal information may result in unauthorized access to Client’s Prime Broker Account by third parties and the loss (including theft) of any of Client’s Digital Assets. Client agrees to keep Client’s email address and telephone number up to date in Client’s Prime Broker Account in order to receive any notices or alerts that the Coinbase Entities may send to Client. Client shall be solely responsible for any Losses that Client may sustain |
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| due to compromise of Prime Broker Account login credentials that are caused by or attributable to Client’s failure to maintain the security and control of such credentials. In the event Client believes Client’s Prime Broker Account information has been compromised, Client must contact Coinbase immediately. |
| 18. | Taxes |
| 18.1 | Taxes. It is Client’s sole responsibility to determine whether, and to what extent, any present and future tariffs, duties, or taxes (including federal, state and local income taxes, use taxes, value added taxes, withholding taxes, transfer taxes, stamp taxes, documentary taxes, personal property taxes and all similar costs) imposed or levied by any government or governmental agency (collectively, “Taxes”) apply to any transactions, deposits or withdrawals Client conducts through the Prime Broker Services. Except as otherwise expressly stated herein, Client acknowledges that the Coinbase Entities shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for the accounting or reporting of income or other Taxes with respect to the execution, delivery, or performance of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, each related agreement, and each transaction in respect of any account hereunder or thereunder (for the sake of clarity, including with respect to any related margin lending agreement, post-trade settlement agreement and each related transaction), including unrelated business taxable income under Section 514 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code) or effectively connected income of a U.S. trade or business under Section 864(b) of the Code. Client shall be solely responsible for the payment of any and all Taxes and related penalties, interests and costs arising from or relating to such transactions in any such account and Client shall file all tax returns, reports, and disclosures required by applicable law. Client represents and warrants that Client has in place policies and procedures necessary to ensure proper accounting and reporting of any and all taxation of Client, and any and all payment of Taxes by Client, in connection with the transactions. |
| 18.2 | Withholding Tax. Except as required by applicable law, each payment under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement or collateral deliverable by Client to any Coinbase Entities shall be made, and the value of any collateral or margin shall be calculated, without withholding or deducting any Taxes. If any Taxes are required to be withheld or deducted, Client (a) authorizes the Coinbase Entities to effect such withholding or deduction and remit such Taxes to the relevant taxing authorities and (b) shall pay such additional amounts or deliver such further collateral as necessary to ensure that the actual net amount received by the Coinbase Entities is equal to the amount that the Coinbase Entities would have received had no such withholding or deduction been required. |
| 18.3 | Account Tax Documentation. Client will provide the Coinbase Entities with any tax forms or documentation reasonably requested by the Coinbase Entities (“Account Tax Documentation”), including a duly completed IRS Form W-9 or applicable IRS Form W- 8 (both available at www.irs.gov). Client represents and warrants that such Account Tax Documentation is true, correct and complete. If any such Account Tax Documentation becomes inaccurate, incorrect or obsolete, Client will promptly notify the Coinbase Entities and promptly provide updated Account Tax Documentation. Client understands that the Coinbase Entities may disclose any information with respect to Client Assets, the Prime Broker Account, Custodial Accounts, Trading Accounts, and transactions required by any applicable taxing authority or other governmental entity. |
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| 18.4 | The Coinbase Entities shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for, and Client shall be solely responsible and liable for, any and all Claims and Losses arising out of or relating to Taxes imposed on Client’s assets, cash, other property, or any income or gain derived therefrom. |
| 19. | Prime Broker Services Fees |
| 19.1 | Client agrees to pay all commissions and fees in connection with the Orders and Prime Broker Services on a timely basis as set forth in the Fee Schedule attached as Appendix 3 and any associated pass-through fees (collectively, “Fees”). Client authorizes the Coinbase Entities to satisfy such Fees by deducting the amount thereof from the Vault Balance or Trading Balance, as applicable. |
| 19.2 | Subject to the Fee Schedule, Client acknowledges that Coinbase’s fees may include but are not limited to: (a) bank wire fees to deposit and/or withdraw Client Cash; (b) fees in connection with internal transfers from its Vault Balance to its Trading Balance; and (c) fees in connection with external withdrawals of Client Assets. Client further acknowledges that Coinbase Custody will charge fees for any balance of Digital Assets that Client keeps in the Vault Balance. Client acknowledges that certain clients may have a different pricing structure. |
| 19.3 | Client acknowledges that it is solely responsible for ensuring knowledge of applicable fees prior to use of the Prime Broker Services. |
| 20. | Confidentiality |
| 20.1 | Client and Coinbase on behalf of itself and the Coinbase Entities each agree that the recipient of any non-public, confidential or proprietary information of the other Party including the existence and terms of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and information relating to the other party’s business operations or business relationships or pursuant to this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, including the Coinbase Entities’ fees (collectively “Confidential Information”) (a) will not disclose such Confidential Information except to such party’s affiliates and its and their officers, directors, agents, employees, consultants, contractors and professional advisors who need to know the Confidential Information for the purpose of using, carrying out, or receiving the Prime Broker Services or assisting in the performance of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and who are informed of the confidentiality obligations set forth in this Section 20 and are bound by such obligations of confidentiality or reasonably similar obligations of confidentiality (“Representatives”); and (b) will protect such Confidential Information from unauthorized use and disclosure. Each Party and its Representatives shall use any Confidential Information that it receives pursuant to or in connection with this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement solely for purposes of (i) providing or using the Prime Broker |
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| Services; (ii) exercising a Party’s rights and performing a Party’s obligations under the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement; and (iii) complying with any applicable laws, rules and regulations; provided that, in addition, the Coinbase Entities may use Confidential Information of Client for (1) risk management; (2) to develop and enhance their products and services; and (3) as set forth in Section 4 of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement. Confidential Information shall not include any: (w) information that is or becomes generally publicly available through no fault of the recipient or its Representatives; (x) information that the recipient or its Representatives obtains from a third party (other than in connection with this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement) that, to the recipient’s best knowledge, is not bound by a duty or obligation of confidentiality prohibiting such disclosure; (y) information that is independently developed by the recipient or its Representatives without the use of Confidential Information provided by the disclosing party; or (z) information disclosed with the prior written consent of the disclosing party. |
| 20.2 | Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Party may disclose Confidential Information of the other Party to the extent required by a court of competent jurisdiction or governmental authority or otherwise as required by law; provided, however, the Party making such required disclosure shall first notify the other Party (to the extent legally permissible) and shall afford the other Party a reasonable opportunity to seek confidential treatment if it wishes to do so and will consider in good faith reasonable and timely requests for redaction. All documents and other tangible objects containing or representing Confidential Information and all copies or extracts thereof or notes derived therefrom that are in the possession or control of the receiving party or its Representatives shall be and remain the property of the disclosing party and shall be promptly returned to the disclosing party or destroyed, each upon the disclosing party’s request; provided, however, notwithstanding the foregoing, the receiving party (a) may retain one (1) copy of Confidential Information if required by law or regulation; or (b) may retain Confidential Information pursuant to an established document retention policy; provided, further, that in either case, any Confidential Information so retained shall remain subject to the confidentiality obligations of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement. |
| 21. | Recording of Conversations |
For compliance and monitoring purposes, Client is aware that each Coinbase Entity may record conversations at its sole discretion between such Coinbase Entity and Client or its Authorized Representatives relating to this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, the Prime Broker Account and the Prime Broker Services. Client and its Authorized Representatives have no objection and hereby agree to such recording. Client acknowledges that such recordings will not be made available to it at any time, except to the extent required by law or legal process.
| 22. | Security |
The Coinbase Entities have implemented and will maintain a reasonable information security program that includes policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to safeguard the Coinbase Entities’ electronic systems and Client’s Confidential Information from, among other things, unauthorized access or misuse. In the event of a Data Security Incident (defined below),
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the applicable Coinbase Entity shall promptly notify Client and such notice shall include the following information: (a) the timing and nature of the Data Security Incident; (b) the information related to Client that was compromised, including the names of any individual acting on Client’s behalf in his or her corporate capacity whose personal information was compromised; (c) when the Data Security Incident was discovered; and (d) remedial actions that have been taken and that the applicable Coinbase Entity plans to take. “Data Security Incident” is defined as an incident whereby (i) an unauthorized person (whether within a Coinbase Entity or a third party) acquired or accessed Client’s Confidential Information; or (ii) Client’s Confidential Information is otherwise lost, stolen, or compromised, each case, while in the possession or control of the Coinbase Entities.
| 23. | Acknowledgement of Risks |
Coinbase hereby notifies Client, and Client hereby acknowledges, that:
| 23.1 | Digital Assets are not legal tender, are not backed by the government, and are not subject to protections afforded by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or Securities Investor Protection Corporation protections; |
| 23.2 | Legislative and regulatory changes or actions at the state, federal, or international level may adversely affect the use, transfer, exchange, and/or value of Digital Assets; |
| 23.3 | Transactions in Digital Assets may be irreversible, and, accordingly, Digital Assets lost due to fraudulent or accidental transactions may not be recoverable; |
| 23.4 | Some Digital Assets transactions shall be deemed to be made when recorded on a public blockchain ledger, which is not necessarily the date or time that Client initiates the transaction; |
| 23.5 | The value of Digital Assets may be derived from the continued willingness of market participants to exchange any government issued currency (“Fiat Currency”) for Digital Assets, which may result in the potential for permanent and total loss of value of a particular Digital Asset should the market for that Digital Asset disappear; |
| 23.6 | There is no assurance that a person who accepts a Digital Asset as payment today will continue to do so in the future; |
| 23.7 | The volatility and unpredictability of the price of Digital Assets relative to Fiat Currency may result in significant loss over a short period of time; |
| 23.8 | The nature of Digital Assets may lead to an increased risk of fraud or cyber-attack; |
| 23.9 | The nature of Digital Assets means that any technological difficulties experienced by a Coinbase Entity may prevent the access or use of Client’s Digital Assets; and |
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| 23.10 | Any bond or trust account maintained by Coinbase Entities for the benefit of its customers may not be sufficient to cover all losses (including Losses) incurred by customers. |
| 24. | ERISA |
| 24.1 | Client represents and warrants that at all times the assets used to consummate the transactions hereunder (hereinafter referred to as “ERISA Transactions for purposes of this Section 24 and Section 25) do not, and shall not, constitute the assets of (i) an “employee benefit plan” that is subject to Part 4, Subtitle B, Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”); (ii) a “plan” within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), that is subject to Section 4975 of the Code; or (iii) a person or entity the underlying assets of which are deemed to include plan assets as determined under Section 3(42) of ERISA and the regulations thereunder, and Client will notify Coinbase (1) if Client is aware in advance that it will breach the foregoing representation and warranty (the “Representation”), reasonably in advance of it breaching the Representation; or (2) promptly upon becoming aware that it is in breach of the Representation. If Client provides such notice or if Coinbase is aware that Client is in breach or will be in breach of the Representation, upon a Coinbase Entity’s written request, Client will terminate any or all transactions under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement (x) if Client gave advance notice that it would breach the Representation, prior to breaching the Representation (unless Client avoids the occurrence of such breach); (y) if Client gave no notice but Coinbase is aware that Client will be in breach of the Representation, prior to breaching the Representation (unless Client avoids the occurrence of such breach); or (z) if Client is in breach of the Representation, immediately. |
| 24.2 | Client acknowledges that Coinbase is entering into this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and each ERISA Transaction based on the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and specifically this Section 24. |
| 24.3 | Without prejudice to or any limitation on the rights and obligations set forth in this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, the Coinbase Entities shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for, and Client, to the extent permitted by law, is solely responsible and liable for, any and all Claims and Losses arising out of or relating to any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements in this Section 24, being or becoming untrue. |
| 25. | Other Plans |
The assets used to consummate the ERISA Transactions provided hereunder do not, and shall not, constitute the assets of a governmental plan that is subject to any federal, state or local law that is substantially similar to the provisions of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
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| 26. | Operation of Digital Asset Protocols |
| 26.1 | The Coinbase Entities do not own or control the underlying software protocols which govern the operation of Digital Assets involved in connection with the Prime Broker Services. In general, the underlying protocols are open source and anyone can use, copy, modify, and distribute them. By using the Prime Broker Services, Client acknowledges and agrees (i) that the Coinbase Entities make no guarantee of the functionality, security, or availability of underlying protocols; (ii) that some underlying protocols are subject to consensus-based proof of stake validation methods which may allow, by virtue of their governance systems, changes to the associated blockchain or digital ledger (“Governance Modifiable Blockchains”), and that any transactions made by or on behalf of Client validated on such Governance Modifiable Blockchains may be affected accordingly; and |
(iii) that the underlying protocols are subject to sudden changes in operating rules (a/k/a “forks”), and that such forks may materially affect the value, function, and/or even the name of the Digital Assets involved in the provision of Prime Broker Services to Client. In the event of a fork, Client agrees that the Coinbase Entities may temporarily suspend Prime Broker Services (and shall notify Client of such suspension where possible) and that the Coinbase Entities may, in their sole but reasonable, good faith discretion, decide whether or not to support (or cease supporting) either branch of the forked protocol entirely. Client acknowledges and agrees that the Coinbase Entities shall have no liability, obligation or responsibility whatsoever arising out of or relating to the operation of underlying software protocols, transactions affected by Governance Modifiable Blockchains, or an unsupported branch of a forked protocol that the Coinbase Entities decide reasonably and in good faith not to support, except as the result of a Coinbase Entity’s negligence, bad faith, fraud or willful misconduct, and, accordingly, Client acknowledges and assumes the risk of the same (other than the risk of a Coinbase Entity’s negligence, bad faith, fraud or willful misconduct).
| 26.2 | Unless specifically communicated by the Coinbase Entities through an official public statement on the Coinbase website, the Coinbase Entities do not support airdrops, metacoins, colored coins, side chains, or other derivative, enhanced, or forked protocols, tokens, or coins which supplement or interact with a Digital Asset (collectively, “Advanced Protocols”) in connection with the Prime Broker Services. Client shall not use Client’s Prime Broker Account to attempt to receive, request, send, store, or engage in any other type of transaction involving an Advanced Protocol. The Prime Broker Services are not configured to detect, process, and/or secure Advanced Protocol transactions and neither Client nor the Coinbase Entities will be able to retrieve any unsupported Advanced Protocol. Coinbase shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever in respect to Advanced Protocols. |
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| 27. | Set-off |
If any of the following events or conditions occur with respect to Client: (i) Client (x) fails to make, when due, any payment or delivery required under the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement (including any payment or delivery of collateral or margin but excluding any Fees) and fails to remedy such failure within twenty-four (24) hours following written notice of such failure from Coinbase or (y) fails to make, when due, any payment of Fees and fails to remedy such failure within two (2) Business Days following written notice of such failure from Coinbase (unless the relevant Coinbase Entity satisfies such Fees by deducting the amount thereof from the Vault Balance or Trading Balance, as applicable); (ii) any representation or warranty made by Client in connection with the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement or the Prime Broker Services is breached or is not or ceases to be accurate and complete, in each case in any material respect; (iii) either (A) a case in bankruptcy is commenced or a proceeding under any insolvency or other law for the protection of creditors or for the appointment of a receiver, trustee or similar officer is filed against Client and such case or proceeding is not stayed or dismissed within fifteen (15) days or (B) Client is insolvent or a case in bankruptcy is commenced or a proceeding under any insolvency or other law for the protection of creditors or for the appointment of a receiver, trustee or similar officer is filed by Client, or Client makes or proposes to make any arrangement for the benefit of its creditors, or Client or any of its property is subject to any agreement, order or judgment providing for Client’s dissolution, liquidation or reorganization, or for the appointment of a receiver, trustee or similar officer of Client or such property; (iv) Client is dissolved or in any other way terminated; (v) Client breaches any other obligation or covenant to a Coinbase Entity under the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and, to the extent capable of remedy, such breach is not cured within five (5) Business Days following written notice of such breach from Coinbase to Client; (vi) this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement is terminated for Cause (as defined below) and Client’s obligations to each Coinbase Entity have not been fully satisfied; (vii) Client fails to timely settle an executed OTC Order in accordance with its settlement terms and fails to remedy such failure within twenty-four (24) hours following written notice of such failure from Coinbase; or (viii) a default, event of default, termination event or other similar condition or event occurs in respect of Client under any agreement with a Coinbase Entity or any affiliate of a Coinbase entity (other than the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement), after giving effect to any applicable notice requirement or grace period that may apply under such agreement, resulting in the liquidation of, acceleration of obligations under or early termination of all transactions governed under such agreement (each, a “Default”), then each Coinbase Entity may, in its sole discretion, set off and otherwise apply any and all of the obligations of any and all Coinbase Entities then due to Client against any and all obligations of Client then due to any Coinbase Entities (whether matured or unmatured, fixed or contingent, or liquidated or unliquidated). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, upon the occurrence and continuation of a Default (unless, with respect to a non-continuing Default, any Coinbase Entity has already commenced exercising its rights under this Section 27 or has otherwise notified Client that it will promptly due so) each Coinbase Entity shall have the right to net the amounts due (including any payments, unpaid trade credits (as applicable), or any other obligations) from it to Client and from Client to it, so that a single settlement payment (the “Net Payment”) shall be payable by one Party to the other, which Net Payment shall be immediately due and payable (subject to the other provisions hereof and of any other agreement with a Coinbase Entity); provided that if any amounts may not be netted against all other amounts, such excluded amounts shall be netted among themselves to the fullest extent permitted under any applicable law, rule or regulation. Upon the occurrence and continuation of a Default (unless, with respect to a non-continuing Default, any Coinbase Entity has already commenced exercising its rights under this Section 27 or has otherwise notified Client that it will promptly due so), each Coinbase Entity may also (a) liquidate, apply and set off any or all Client Assets (as such term is defined in the MTA) or the proceeds thereof against any Net Payment owed to it or any Net Payment owed to another Coinbase Entity by Client; and (b) set off and net any Net Payment owed by it or any other
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Coinbase Entity to Client against (i) any or all collateral or margin (or the U.S. dollar value thereof, which shall be determined by Coinbase on the basis of a recent price at which the relevant Digital Asset was sold to customers on the Trading Platform) posted by it or any other Coinbase Entity to Client; and (ii) any Net Payment owed by Client to any Coinbase Entity or any other obligation owing by Client to a Coinbase Entity (whether mature or unmatured, fixed or contingent, or liquidated or unliquidated). With respect to Digital Assets, Client agrees that the Digital Assets held in its Prime Broker Account are of a kind or type customarily sold on recognized markets, subject to standard price quotations and may threaten to decline speedily in value. Client agrees that if any of the Coinbase Entities exercises its setoff rights or secured party remedies against Client’s Digital Assets, that the Coinbase Entity may value the Digital Assets using the same valuation method and same process that is otherwise used when a Coinbase customer sells an asset on the Trading Platform (as such term is defined in the MTA) or any other commercially reasonable valuation method. “Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on which commercial banks in New York, New York are open for general business.
| 28. | Disclaimer of Warranties |
EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED HEREIN, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE PRIME BROKER SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, AND THE COINBASE ENTITIES HEREBY SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND/OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED HEREIN, THE COINBASE ENTITIES DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PRIME BROKER SERVICES, INCLUDING ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE COINBASE WEBSITES (INCLUDING THE COINBASE PRIME BROKER SITE AND THE COINBASE CUSTODY SITE), OR ANY OF THE CONTENT CONTAINED THEREIN, WILL BE CONTINUOUS, UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, COMPATIBLE OR ABLE TO WORK WITH ANY SOFTWARE, SYSTEM OR OTHER SERVICES, SECURE, COMPLETE, FREE OF HARMFUL CODE, OR ERROR-FREE.
| 29. | Indemnification |
| 29.1 | Client shall defend and indemnify and hold harmless each Coinbase Entity, its affiliates and licensors, and each of its and their respective officers, directors and employees from and against: any and all Claims and Losses arising out of or relating to Client’s violation of any law, rule or regulation, or rights of any third party; and any and all Losses arising out of or relating to third party Claims that arise out of or relate to Client’s breach of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement or Client’s gross negligence, fraud, or willful misconduct, in each case except to the extent such Claim or Loss arises out of or relates to a Coinbase Entity’s negligence, bad faith, fraud or willful misconduct. This obligation will survive any termination of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement. |
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| 29.2 | Each Coinbase Entity shall defend and indemnify and hold harmless Client, its affiliates and each of its and their respective officers, directors and employees from and against any and all Losses arising out of or relating to third party Claims that Client’s access or use of the Prime Broker Services, as provided by such Coinbase Entity, in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, violates, misappropriates, or infringes upon any United States patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property right of a third party, except to the extent such Claims or Losses arise out of or relate to Client’s negligence, bad faith, fraud, willful misconduct, or material breach of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement. This obligation will survive any termination of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, no Coinbase Entity shall be obligated to defend or indemnify or hold harmless Client, its affiliates or its and their respective officers, directors and employees for any such Claims or Losses: (a) based upon any information, specification, instruction, software, service, data, or material not furnished directly to Client by the Coinbase Entities; (b) based upon the combination of the Prime Broker Services with any information, specification, instruction, software, service, data, or material not provided directly to Client by the Coinbase Entities; or (c) based upon access or use of any of the Prime Broker Services other than in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement or any applicable third party terms and conditions previously furnished to Client or known to Client or any other indemnified person with respect to Client at the relevant time the Prime Broker Services are accessed or used. |
| 29.3 | Each Party’s (the “indemnifying Party‘s”) indemnification obligation under this Section 29 shall apply in respect of a Claim or any Losses arising out of or relating to a Claim only if the other Party seeking indemnification (the “indemnified Party”) does the following: (a) notifies the indemnifying Party promptly in writing after the indemnified Party receives notice of the Claim (or sooner if required by applicable law); (b) gives the indemnifying Party the right to assume the defense and any settlement negotiations (subject to Section 29.4 below), which defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the indemnifying Party and reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified Party; and in the event that the indemnifying Party elects to assume the defense of any such Claim and retain such counsel, the indemnified Party will bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel thereafter retained by it; and (c) if the indemnifying Party assumes the defense of such Claim, gives the indemnifying Party the information, authority, and assistance the indemnifying Party reasonably needs to defend against or settle the Claim. If the indemnifying Party fails to notify the indemnified Party that it will assume the defense of such Claim within a reasonable time after its receipt of written notice of such Claim, the indemnified Party shall have the right to undertake the defense of such Claim on behalf of, and for the account and at the risk of, the indemnifying Party. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in no event shall the indemnifying Party be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one external counsel (in addition to local counsel of record) for all the indemnified Parties in any jurisdiction in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. |
| 29.4 | No Party providing indemnification pursuant to this Section 29 shall accept any settlement of any Claims or Losses if such settlement imposes any financial or non-financial liabilities, obligations, or restrictions on, or requires an admission of guilt or wrong-doing from, any party indemnified pursuant to this Section 29, without such party’s prior written consent. |
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| 29.5 | For the purposes of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement: |
| (a) | “Claim” means any action, suit, litigation, demand, charge, arbitration, proceeding (including any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or appellate proceeding), hearing, inquiry, audit, examination or investigation commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before, or otherwise involving, any court or other governmental, regulatory, or administrative body or any arbitrator or arbitration panel; and |
| (b) | “Losses” means any liabilities, damages, payments, obligations, losses, interest, costs and expenses, security or other remediation costs (including any regulatory investigation or third party subpoena costs, reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and other expenses relating to investigating or defending any Claim); fines, taxes, fees, restitution, or penalties imposed by any governmental, regulatory, or administrative body, interest on and additions to tax with respect to, or resulting from, Taxes imposed on Client’s assets, cash, other property, or any income or gains derived therefrom; and judgments (at law or in equity) or awards of any nature. |
| 30. | Computer Viruses |
The Coinbase Entities shall not have any liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever, for any damage or interruptions caused by any computer viruses, spyware, scareware, Trojan horses, worms or other malware that may affect Client’s computer or other equipment, or any phishing, spoofing or other attack, unless such damage or interruption directly resulted from a Coinbase Entity’s negligence, bad faith, fraud, or willful misconduct. The Coinbase Entities advise the regular use of a reputable and readily available virus screening and prevention software. Client should also be aware that SMS and email services are vulnerable to spoofing and phishing attacks and should use care in reviewing messages purporting to originate from the Coinbase Entities. Client should always access and use its Prime Broker Account through the Coinbase Prime Broker Site to review any Orders, deposits or withdrawals or required actions if Client has any uncertainty regarding the authenticity of any communication or notice.
| 31. | Business Continuity Plan |
The Coinbase Entities have established a business continuity plan(s) that will support their ability to conduct business in the event of a significant business disruption (“SBD”). This plan(s) is reviewed and updated annually, and can be updated more frequently, if deemed necessary by the Coinbase Entities in their sole discretion. Should any Coinbase Entity be impacted by an SBD, it aims to minimize business interruption as quickly and efficiently as possible. To receive more information about the Coinbase Entities’ business continuity plan, please send a written request to security@coinbase.com.
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| 32. | Limitation of Liability |
| 32.1 | TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW AND NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR SIMILAR LOSSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PRIME BROKER ACCOUNT, THE PRIME BROKER SERVICES, THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, OR THE PARTIES’ RELATIONSHIP, REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY (WHETHER CONTRACT, TORT, STATUTORY, OR OTHER THEORY), EVEN IF SUCH PARTY (OR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE THEREOF) HAD BEEN ADVISED OF OR KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. |
| 32.2 | CLIENT CONSENTS TO THE USE OF AUTOMATED SYSTEMS BY THE COINBASE ENTITIES IN CONJUNCTION WITH CLIENT’S PRIME BROKER ACCOUNT AND THE PRIME BROKER SERVICES, INCLUDING AUTOMATED ORDER ENTRY AND EXECUTION, ROUTING, RECORDKEEPING, REPORTING, AND ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (COLLECTIVELY, “AUTOMATED SYSTEMS”). CLIENT AGREES AND UNDERSTANDS THAT THE USE OF AUTOMATED SYSTEMS ENTAILS RISKS, INCLUDING INTERRUPTION OR DELAYS OF SERVICE, SYSTEM FAILURE, AND ERRORS IN THE DESIGN OR FUNCTIONING OF SUCH AUTOMATED SYSTEMS (COLLECTIVELY, A “SYSTEM FAILURE”) THAT COULD CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL LOSSES TO CLIENT. WITHOUT LIMITING SECTION 32.1, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY COINBASE ENTITY HAVE ANY LIABILITY, OBLIGATION, OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY CLAIMS OR LOSSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO A SYSTEM FAILURE IN RESPECT OF ANY AUTOMATED SYSTEM ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED BY A PARTY THAT IS NOT A COINBASE ENTITY OR AN AFFILIATE OF A COINBASE ENTITY. |
| 32.3 | WITHOUT LIMITING SECTIONS 32.1 OR 32.2, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY COINBASE ENTITY HAVE ANY LIABILITY, OBLIGATION, OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER TO CLIENT OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF, OR ANY LOSSES PAID OR PAYABLE TO CLIENT OR ANY THIRD PARTY BY, ANY OTHER COINBASE ENTITY IN RESPECT OF THE PRIME BROKER ACCOUNT, THE PRIME BROKER SERVICES, THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, OR THE PARTIES’ RELATIONSHIP. FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, NOTHING IN THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT SHALL BE DEEMED TO CREATE ANY JOINT OR JOINT AND SEVERAL LIABILITY AMONG ANY OF THE COINBASE ENTITIES. |
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| 32.4 | WITHOUT LIMITING SECTIONS 32.1, 32.2, OR 32.3, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY COINBASE ENTITY HAVE ANY LIABILITY, OBLIGATION, OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER TO CLIENT OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY CLAIMS OR LOSSES ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO CLIENT ASSETS ALLOCATED TO THE COINBASE CONNECTED TRADING VENUE DIGITAL ASSET BALANCE, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT OF CLIENT’S PRO RATA SHARE OF LOSSES DUE TO THE THEFT OF SUPPORTED DIGITAL ASSETS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE NEGLIGENCE, BAD FAITH, FRAUD, OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF THE RELEVANT CONNECTED TRADING VENUE; PROVIDED THAT COINBASE SHALL BE SUBROGATED TO ANY CLAIM CLIENT MAY HAVE AGAINST SUCH CONNECTED TRADING VENUE, AND CLIENT SHALL COOPERATE IN ANY ATTEMPT BY COINBASE TO RECOVER AGAINST SUCH CONNECTED TRADING VENUE. |
| 32.5 | EXCEPT (i) WITH RESPECT TO THE EXCLUDED LIABILITIES OR (ii) TO THE EXTENT CAUSED BY THE RELEVANT PARTY’S FRAUD OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, WITHOUT LIMITING SECTIONS 32.1, 32.2, 32.3, OR 32.4, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, IN NO EVENT (x) SUBJECT TO CLAUSE (y) IMMEDIATELY BELOW, SHALL ANY COINBASE ENTITY’S OR CLIENT’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PRIME BROKER ACCOUNT, THE PRIME BROKER SERVICES, THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, OR THE PARTIES’ RELATIONSHIP EXCEED AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN THE VALUE OF THE SUPPORTED DIGITAL ASSETS INVOLVED IN THE TRANSACTION(S) GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY; AND (y) SOLELY IN RESPECT OF CUSTODIAL SERVICES PROVIDED PURSUANT TO THE CUSTODY AGREEMENT, SHALL COINBASE CUSTODY’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF FEES PAID BY CLIENT TO COINBASE CUSTODY IN RESPECT OF THE CUSTODIAL SERVICES DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY; AND (B) THE VALUE OF THE SUPPORTED DIGITAL ASSETS ON DEPOSIT IN CLIENT’S CUSTODIAL ACCOUNT(S) GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY (THE VALUE OF WHICH SHALL BE CALCULATED AT THE AVERAGE UNITED STATES DOLLAR ASK PRICE, AT THE TIME OF SUCH EVENT, OF THE THREE (3) LARGEST U.S.-BASED EXCHANGES (BY TRAILING 30-DAY VOLUME) WHICH OFFER THE RELEVANT DIGITAL CURRENCY OR DIGITAL ASSET/USD TRADING PAIR, AS RELEVANT); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IN NO EVENT SHALL COINBASE CUSTODY’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY IN RESPECT OF EACH COLD STORAGE ADDRESS EXCEED ONE HUNDRED MILLION US DOLLARS (US$100,000,000). |
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“EXCLUDED LIABILITIES” MEANS (w) THE OBLIGATION OF CLIENT TO PAY ANY FEES OWED BY IT UNDER THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT; (x) ANY LIABILITY OF CLIENT ARISING FROM ITS BREACH OF SECTION 17.1 OF THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT; (y) ANY LIABILITY OF CLIENT ARISING FROM ITS BREACH OF ITS REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES OR COVENANTS IN SECTION 14.1 OF THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT AND (z) ANY LIABILITY OR OBLIGATION OF A PARTY ARISING UNDER SECTION 20 OF THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT (PROVIDED THAT IN NO EVENT WILL ANY PARTY’S LIABILITY ARISING UNDER SECTION 20 OF THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT EXCEED AN AMOUNT OF FIVE MILLION US DOLLARS (US$5,000,000) IN THE AGGREGATE).
| 32.6 | WITHOUT LIMITING SECTIONS 32.1, 32.2, 32.3, 32.4, OR 32.5, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY COINBASE ENTITY HAVE ANY LIABILITY, OBLIGATION, OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER TO CLIENT OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY CLAIMS OR LOSSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PRIME BROKER ACCOUNT, THE PRIME BROKER SERVICES, THIS COINBASE PRIME BROKER AGREEMENT, OR THE PARTIES’ RELATIONSHIP, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT SUCH LOSSES RESULT FROM SUCH COINBASE ENTITY’S NEGLIGENCE, BAD FAITH, FRAUD, OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT. |
| 32.7 | CLIENT UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES THAT THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS OF LIABILITY SHALL APPLY EQUALLY TO ANY COINBASE ENTITY’S AFFILIATES AND LICENSORS, AND EACH OF ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AND EMPLOYEES. |
| 33. | Privacy |
The Coinbase Entities shall use and disclose Client’s and its Authorized Representatives’ non- public personal information in accordance with the Coinbase Privacy Policy.
| 34. | Arbitration |
[Reserved].
| 35. | Term, Termination and Suspension |
This Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement is effective as of the date written below and shall remain in effect until terminated by Coinbase or Client as follows:
| (a) | Either Party may terminate this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement in its entirety for any reason and without Cause by providing at least ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the other Party. For such purpose, the Coinbase Entities shall be considered a single Party and Client must provide its notice to Coinbase as agent for the Coinbase Entities. |
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| (b) | Regardless of any other provision of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, the Coinbase Entities may, in their sole discretion, terminate this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement in its entirety or suspend, restrict or terminate Client’s Prime Broker Services, including by suspending, restricting or closing Client’s Prime Broker Account and/or any associated Trading Account, Custodial Account or any credit account (as applicable), for Cause, at any time upon written notice to Client. |
“Cause” for purposes of this Section 35 shall include:
| (i) | A Default (other than a Default described in clause (vi) of Section 27 of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement) occurs and is continuing with respect to Client; |
| (ii) | Client materially breaches this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, including any agreement, exhibit, appendix, addendum, policy referenced herein, or supplement attached hereto, and, to the extent capable of remedy, such breach is not cured within five (5) Business Days following written notice from Coinbase to Client of such breach; |
| (iii) | A requirement of a facially valid subpoena, court order, or binding order of a government authority; |
| (iv) | Client’s Prime Broker Account is subject to any pending litigation, investigation, or government proceeding and/or Coinbase reasonably perceives a heightened risk of legal or regulatory non-compliance associated with Client’s use of the Prime Broker Services; or |
| (v) | Coinbase reasonably suspects Client of attempting to circumvent Coinbase’s controls or uses the Prime Broker Services in a manner Coinbase otherwise deems inappropriate or potentially harmful to itself or third parties. |
| (c) | Client acknowledges that the Coinbase Entities’ decision to take certain actions, including suspending, restricting or terminating Client’s Prime Broker Account or Prime Broker Services, may be based on confidential criteria that are essential to Coinbase’s risk management and security practices. Client agrees that the Coinbase Entities are under no obligation to disclose the details of its risk management and security practices to Client. |
| (d) | Notwithstanding the foregoing, each exhibit, addendum and supplement to this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement is separately terminable in accordance with any terms set forth therein explicitly addressing termination thereof; provided, however, that if the MTA or Custody Agreement is terminated, the remainder of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, including each other exhibit, addendum and supplement, shall terminate concurrently. The consequences of termination of each of the Prime Broker Services shall be as set forth in the respective exhibit, addendum or supplement. |
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| 36. | Severability |
If any provision or condition of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
| 37. | Waiver |
Any waivers of rights by a Party under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement must be expressed in writing and signed by such Party (or in the case of a Coinbase Entity, by Coinbase on behalf of itself or another relevant Coinbase Entity). A waiver will apply only to the particular circumstance giving rise to the waiver and will not be considered a continuing waiver in other similar circumstances unless the intention to grant a continuing waiver is expressed in writing. Any Party’s failure to insist on strict compliance with this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement or any other course of conduct by such Party shall not be considered a waiver of its rights under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement (including all agreements, exhibits, appendices, addenda, policies referenced herein, and supplements attached hereto or referenced herein).
| 38. | Survival |
All provisions of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement which by their nature extend beyond the expiration or termination of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, including sections pertaining to suspension or termination, cancellation of Prime Broker Services, debts owed to the Coinbase Entities, general use of the Coinbase websites (including the Coinbase Prime Broker Site and the Coinbase Custody Site), disputes with the Coinbase Entities, the treatment of Confidential Information, and general provisions such as indemnification and limitation of liability, shall survive the termination or expiration of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement.
| 39. | Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction |
This Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, Client’s Prime Broker Account, and the Prime Broker Services, and any Claim or other cause of action based upon, arising out of or related thereto (whether based on law, in equity, in contract, in tort or any other theory), will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, excluding its conflicts of laws principles, except to the extent such state law is preempted by federal law.
Client and each Coinbase Entity agree that any action, suit, or proceeding based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement shall be brought only in the state or federal courts in New York County, New York. In the event of such an action, suit, or proceeding, Client and each Coinbase Entity agree to waive and not raise as an affirmative defense any claim that such courts lack personal jurisdiction or are an improper or inconvenient venue.
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| 40. | Force Majeure |
The Coinbase Entities shall not be liable for delays, suspension of operations, whether temporary or permanent, failure in performance, or interruption of service which result directly or indirectly from any cause or condition beyond the reasonable control of the Coinbase Entities, including any act of God; embargo; natural disaster; act of civil or military authorities; act of terrorists including cyber-related terrorist acts; hacking; government restrictions; any ruling by any Connected Trading Venue, exchange or market (other than Coinbase’s exchange platform); market volatility or disruptions in order trading on any Connected Trading Venue, exchange or market; suspension of trading; civil disturbance; war; strike or other labor dispute; fire; severe weather; interruption in telecommunications, Internet services, or network provider services; failure of equipment and/or software; failure of computer or other electronic or mechanical equipment or communication lines; plague; epidemic; pandemic; outbreaks of infectious disease or any other public health crises, including quarantine or other employee restrictions; failure of third parties to follow instructions; acts or omissions of any Connected Trading Venue; or any other catastrophe or other occurrence which is beyond the reasonable control of the Coinbase Entities, in each case, except to the extent caused by or attributable to the negligence, fraud, bad faith or willful misconduct of a Coinbase Entity.
| 41. | Entire Agreement; Headings |
This Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, together with all agreements, exhibits, appendices, addenda, policies referenced herein, and supplements attached hereto or referenced herein, comprises the entire understanding between Client and the Coinbase Entities as to the Prime Broker Services and supersedes all prior discussions, agreements and understandings, including any previous version of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement and the Custodial Services Agreement between Client and any Coinbase Entity, including all exhibits, appendices, addenda, policies referenced therein, and supplements attached thereto or referenced therein. Section headings in this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement are for convenience only and shall not govern the meaning or interpretation of any provision of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement.
| 42. | Amendments |
Any modification or addition to this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement must be in writing and either (a) signed by a duly authorized representative of each Party, or (b) accepted and agreed to by Client.
| 43. | Assignment |
No Party may assign any rights and/or licenses granted under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement without the written consent of the other Parties. However, Coinbase reserves the right to assign its rights under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement to any of the Coinbase Entities or their affiliates or subsidiaries, or to any successor in interest of any business associated with the Prime Broker Services, provided that Coinbase will notify Client within a reasonable amount of time after such assignment. Any attempted transfer or assignment in violation hereof shall be null and void. Subject to the foregoing, this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement will bind and inure to the benefit of the Parties, their successors and permitted assigns.
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| 44. | Relationship of the Parties |
Nothing in this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement shall be deemed or is intended to be deemed as creating a joint venture, nor shall it cause Client and any Coinbase Entity to be treated as partners, joint venturers, or otherwise as joint associates for profit, nor shall Client or any Coinbase Entity be treated as the agent of the other except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth herein.
| 45. | Notice and Contacts |
| 45.1 | All notices required or permitted to be given hereunder (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any Communications which Client has agreed and consented to receive electronically pursuant to Appendix 2 attached hereto) shall be in writing delivered to the Party at its address specified below via an overnight mailing company of national reputation. Any Party that changes its notice address must notify the other Party promptly of such change. |
If to any Coinbase Entity:
Legal Department
Coinbase, Inc.
248 3rd St #434
Oakland CA, 94607
legal@coinbase.com
If to Client, the address specified in its signature block on the Execution Page.
| 45.2 | In the event of any market operations, connectivity, or erroneous trade issues that require immediate attention including any unauthorized access to Client’s Prime Broker Account, please contact: |
To Coinbase: support@coinbase.com.
To Client: the email address specified in its signature block on the Execution Page.
| 46. | Contact Coinbase; Complaints |
| 46.1 | If Client has any feedback, questions, or complaints, Client may contact Coinbase Customer Support at support@coinbase.com. |
| 46.2 | To see more information about our regulators, licenses, and contact information for feedback, questions or complaints, please visit https://www.coinbase.com/legal/licenses. |
| 47. | Construction |
As used in this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, (a) the words “including”, “includes” and their other derivations are non-exclusive and are in each case deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; and (b) the words “agrees to” and “will” are in each case deemed to mean “shall”.
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| 48. | Counterparts |
This Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by facsimile or email of .pdf signatures or DocuSign (or similar electronic signature software), each of which shall be deemed to be an original document, but all such separate counterparts shall constitute only one and the same Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement.
[Signatures on following page]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, including the Custody Agreement and MTA, to be duly executed and delivered as of the date below.
COINBASE, INC. For itself and as agent for the Coinbase Entities
| By: | /s/ Lauren Abendschein | |
| Name: | Lauren Abendschein | |
| Title: | Senior Director | |
| Date: | September 29, 2023 |
CLIENT: INVESCO GALAXY BITCOIN ETF
| By: Invesco Capital Management LLC, as its Sponsor | ||
| By: | /s/ Rudolf Reitmann | |
| Name: | Rudolf Reitmann | |
| Title: | Global Head of UIT & ETF Services | |
| Date: | September 29, 2023 | |
| c/o Invesco Capital Management LLC, 3500 Lacey Road, Suite 700, Downers Grove, IL 60515, | ||
| Address: | Attention: Legal Department | |
| E-Mail: | adam.henkel@invesco.com | |
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EXHIBIT A
to the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement
COINBASE CUSTODY CUSTODIAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
This Custody Agreement is entered into between Client and Coinbase Custody and governs Client’s use of the Custodial Services (as defined herein) provided by Coinbase Custody. Capitalized terms used in this Custody Agreement that are not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the General Terms.
| 1. | Custodial Services |
Client hereby appoints Coinbase Custody as its provider of Custodial Services in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Custody Agreement. Coinbase Custody shall provide Client with a segregated custody account controlled and secured by Coinbase Custody (“Custodial Account”) to store certain Digital Assets supported by Coinbase Custody, on Client’s behalf (“Custodial Services”). Coinbase Custody represents that it is, and during all times that it maintains a Custodial Account on behalf of, or provides Custodial Services to, Client will be, a fiduciary under § 100 of the New York Banking Law and a qualified custodian for purposes of Rule 206(4)-2(d)(6) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and is licensed to custody Client’s Digital Assets in trust on Client’s behalf. Digital Assets in Client’s Custodial Account are not treated as general assets of Coinbase Custody. Rather, Coinbase Custody serves as a fiduciary and custodian on Client’s behalf, and the Digital Assets in Client’s Custodial Account are considered custodial assets that remain Client’s property.
| 2. | Custodial Account |
| 2.1 | In General. The Custodial Services allow (i) Client to hold its Vault Balance (as that term is defined in the MTA) in its Custodial Account and transfer Digital Assets to and from its Trading Balance (as that term is defined in the MTA), (ii) Client to deposit supported Digital Assets from a public blockchain address controlled by Client into its Custodial Account, (iii) withdraw supported Digital Assets from its Custodial Account to a public blockchain address controlled by Client, and (iv) for certain additional services as may be agreed to between Client and Coinbase Custody from time to time in an addendum or attachment hereto. Each such deposit or withdrawal shall be a “Custody Transaction” and conform to Instructions provided by Client through the Coinbase Prime Broker Site. Client shall withdraw Digital Assets only to public blockchain addresses and accounts owned by Client or to an address for which Client has conducted the necessary Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) due diligence. Digital Assets are stored in Client’s Custodial Account in accordance with the terms of this Custody Agreement and are not commingled with other clients’ Digital Assets. Coinbase Custody reserves the right to refuse to process or to cancel any pending Custody Transaction as required by law or in response to a subpoena, court order, or other binding government order or to enforce transaction, threshold, and condition limits or if Coinbase Custody reasonably believes that the Custody Transaction may violate or facilitate the violation of an applicable law, regulation or applicable rule of a governmental authority or self-regulatory organization. Coinbase Custody cannot reverse a Custody Transaction which has been broadcast to a Digital Asset network. |
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| 2.2 | Digital Asset Deposits and Withdrawals. Coinbase Custody processes supported Digital Asset Custody Transactions according to Instructions received from Client or Client’s Authorized Representatives, and Coinbase Custody does not guarantee the identity of any user, receiver, requestee, or other party. Client should verify all deposit and withdrawal information prior to submitting Instructions to Coinbase Custody regarding a Custody Transaction. Client agrees that it will not withdraw Digital Assets to a blockchain address or account that is not owned by Client or to an address for which Client has not conducted the necessary KYC and AML due diligence. Coinbase Custody reserves the right to charge network fees (including miner fees) to process a Custody Transaction on Client’s behalf. Coinbase Custody will calculate the network fee, if any, in its sole and absolute discretion, although Coinbase Custody will always notify Client of the network fee at or before the time Client authorizes the Custody Transaction. Coinbase Custody reserves the right to delay any Custody Transaction if it perceives a risk of fraud or illegal activity. |
| 2.3 | Digital Asset Storage and Transmission Delays. With respect to Digital Assets held in the Cold Vault Balance (as that term is defined in the MTA), Coinbase Custody requires up to twenty-four (24) hours between any request to withdraw Digital Assets from Client’s Custodial Account and submission of Client’s withdrawal to the applicable Digital Asset network. Since Coinbase Custody securely stores all Digital Asset private keys in offline storage, it may be necessary to retrieve certain information from offline storage in order to facilitate such a withdrawal of Digital Assets held in the Cold Vault Balance in accordance with Client’s Instructions, which may delay the initiation or crediting of such withdrawal. Client acknowledges and agrees that a Custody Transaction may be delayed, and that Digital Assets held in the Cold Vault Balance shall not be withdrawn upon less than twenty- four (24) hours’ notice initiated from Client’s Custodial Account. The time of such request shall be the time such notice is transmitted from Client’s Custodial Account. While Coinbase Custody will make reasonable efforts to process Client initiated deposits in a timely manner, Coinbase Custody makes no representations or warranties regarding the amount of time needed to complete processing as such processing is dependent upon many factors outside of Coinbase Custody’s control. |
| 2.4 | Supported Digital Assets. The Custodial Services are available only in connection with those Digital Assets that Coinbase Custody, in its sole discretion, decides to support. The Digital Assets that Coinbase Custody supports may change from time to time. Prior to initiating a deposit of a Digital Asset to Coinbase Custody, Client must confirm that Coinbase Custody offers Custodial Services for that specific Digital Asset. By initiating a deposit of a Digital Asset to a Custodial Account, Client attests that Client has confirmed that the Digital Asset being transferred is a supported Digital Asset offered by Coinbase Custody. Under no circumstances should Client attempt to use the Custodial Services to deposit or store Digital Assets in any forms that are not supported by Coinbase Custody. Depositing or attempting to deposit Digital Assets that are not supported by Coinbase Custody may result in such Digital Asset being irretrievable by Client and Coinbase Custody. Coinbase Custody shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever |
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| regarding any unsupported Digital Asset sent or attempted to be sent to it, or regarding any attempt to use the Custodial Services for Digital Assets that Coinbase Custody does not support. To confirm which Digital Assets are supported by Coinbase Custody, Client should login at the Coinbase Prime Broker Site and carefully review the list of supported Digital Assets. Coinbase Custody recommends that Client deposit a small amount of supported Digital Asset as a test prior to initiating a deposit of a significant amount of supported Digital Asset. Coinbase Custody may from time to time determine types of Digital Asset that will be supported or cease to be supported by the Custodial Services. Coinbase Custody shall provide Client with thirty (30) days’ written notice before ceasing to support a Digital Asset, unless Coinbase Custody is required to cease such support by court order, statute, law, rule (including a self-regulatory organization rule), regulation, code, or other similar requirement. |
| 2.5 | Monitoring of Use of the Custodial Services. Client acknowledges and agrees that Coinbase Custody may monitor use of the Custodial Account and the Custodial Services and the resulting information may be utilized, reviewed, retained and/or disclosed by Coinbase Custody for its internal purposes or in accordance with the rules of any applicable legal, regulatory or self-regulatory organization or as otherwise may be required to comply with relevant law, sanctions programs, legal process or government request. |
| 2.6 | Independent Verification. Coinbase Custody shall, upon written request, provide Client’s or its investment adviser’s authorized independent public accountant with confirmation of or access to information sufficient to confirm (i) Client’s Digital Assets as of the date of an examination conducted pursuant to Rule 206(4)-2(a)(4), and (ii) Client’s Digital Assets are held in a separate account under Client’s name. |
| 2.7 | Third Party Payments. The Custodial Services are not intended to facilitate third party payments of any kind. As such, Coinbase Custody has no control over, or liability for, the delivery, quality, safety, legality or any other aspect of any goods or services that Client may purchase or sell to or from a third party (including other users of Custodial Services) involving Digital Assets that Client intends to store, or has stored, in Client’s Custodial Account. |
| 2.8 | Termination and Cancellation. If, pursuant to Section 35 of the General Terms, Coinbase Custody closes Client’s Custodial Account or terminates Client’s use of the Custodial Services, Client will be permitted to withdraw Digital Assets associated with Client’s Custodial Account for ninety (90) days after Custodial Account deactivation or cancellation unless such withdrawal is otherwise prohibited (i) under applicable law, including applicable sanctions programs, or (ii) by a facially valid subpoena, court order, or binding order of a government authority. If a shorter time frame than the ninety (90) days prescribed in the preceding sentence is required by an applicable court order, subpoena or regulatory or governmental authority, Client shall use commercially reasonable efforts to withdraw such Digital Assets within such shorter time frame. |
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| 3. | Coinbase Custody Obligations |
| 3.1 | Bookkeeping. Coinbase Custody will keep timely and accurate records as to the deposit, disbursement, investment, and reinvestment of the Digital Assets. Coinbase Custody will maintain accurate records and bookkeeping of the Custodial Services as required by applicable law and in accordance with Coinbase Custody’s internal document retention policies. |
| 3.2 | Insurance. Coinbase Custody will obtain and maintain, at its sole expense, insurance coverage in such types and amounts as are commercially reasonable for the Custodial Services provided hereunder. |
| 3.3 | Statements. Coinbase Custody will provide Client with an account statement on at least a quarterly basis that identifies the amount of each Digital Asset in the Custodial Account at the end of the period and sets forth all transactions in the Custodial Account during that period. Client acknowledges that such information may be provided as part of the account statement provided pursuant to Section 10 of the General Terms. |
| 4. | Coinbase Custody Representations and Warranties |
Coinbase Custody represents and warrants the following:
| (a) | Coinbase Custody will safekeep Client’s Digital Assets and segregate all such Digital Assets from both the (a) property of Coinbase Custody and of any other Coinbase Entities, and (b) assets of other customers of Coinbase Custody; |
| (b) | subject to Section 27 of the General Terms, Coinbase Custody has no right, interest, or title in Client’s Digital Assets; |
| (c) | Coinbase Custody will maintain adequate capital and reserves to the extent required by applicable law; and |
| (d) | Coinbase Custody will not, directly or indirectly, lend, pledge, hypothecate or re-hypothecate any of Client’s Digital Assets. |
| 5. | Additional Matters |
In addition to any additional service providers that may be described in an addendum or attachment hereto, Client acknowledges and agrees that the Custodial Services may be provided from time to time by, through or with the assistance of affiliates of, or vendors to, Coinbase Custody. Client shall receive notice of any material change in the entities that provide the Custodial Services. Unless Client terminates this Custody Agreement as permitted herein, any new agreements or amended terms and conditions associated with such change shall be governed by Sections 41 and 42 of the General Terms.
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EXHIBIT B
to the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement
COINBASE MASTER TRADING AGREEMENT
Client should carefully consider whether trading or holding Digital Assets is suitable for its purpose, including in relation to Client’s knowledge of Digital Assets and Digital Asset markets and Client’s financial condition. All investments involve risk, and the past performance of a financial product does not guarantee future results or returns.
This Master Trading Agreement (“MTA”) provides terms and conditions for clients to trade Digital Assets through the Coinbase prime broker execution platform (“Trading Platform”) and is entered into between Client and Coinbase. Upon executing this MTA and completion of standard account opening procedures, Coinbase will open a Trading Account for Client on the Trading Platform consisting of linked accounts at Coinbase and Coinbase Custody, each accessible via the Trading Platform (“Trading Account”). The Trading Platform shall provide Client with access to trade execution and automated trade routing services and Coinbase Execution Services (as described below) to enable Client to submit orders (“Orders”) to purchase and sell specified Digital Assets in accordance with this MTA and the Coinbase Trading Rules, as amended and updated from time to time at https://www.coinbase.com/legal/trading_rules or a successor website (the “Coinbase Trading Rules”) (such services, the “Trading Services”). Capitalized terms used in this MTA that are not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the General Terms.
| 1. | Order Routing and Connected Trading Venues |
| 1.1 | The Trading Platform operates a trade execution service through which Client may submit Orders to purchase or sell Digital Assets. After Client submits an Order, the Trading Platform will automatically route the Order (or a portion of the Order) to one of the trading venues to which the Trading Platform has established connections (each such venue, a “Connected Trading Venue”). Each Order shall be sent, processed and settled at each Connected Trading Venue to which it is routed. Once an Order to purchase Digital Assets has been placed, the associated Client Assets (as defined below) used to fund the Order will be placed on hold and will generally not be eligible for use or withdrawal. |
| 1.2 | With each Connected Trading Venue, Coinbase shall establish an account in its name, or in its name for the benefit of clients, to trade on behalf of its clients. The establishment of a Trading Account will not cause Client to have a direct legal relationship, or account with, any Connected Trading Venue. The Trading Platform shall not intentionally match the buy and sell orders of its clients against each other and shall not intentionally settle Orders against or otherwise trade with Coinbase’s principal funds. Client acknowledges that Coinbase and its other clients may trade in their own interest on the Connected Trading Venues and could, therefore, be the counterparty to a Client Order on a Connected Trading Venue. |
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| 1.3 | Client acknowledges that Coinbase has sole discretion to determine the Connected Trading Venues to which it establishes connections. Coinbase directs Orders to the Connected Trading Venues on an automated basis and generally does not manually route orders. In designing the algorithms that determine an Order’s routing logic, Coinbase considers a variety of factors relating to the Order and the Connected Trading Venues, including the speed of execution, whether the venue is able to consummate off-chain transactions, the availability of efficient and reliable systems, the level of service provided, and the cost of executing orders. Coinbase may receive cash payments or other financial incentives (such as reciprocal business arrangements) from the Connected Trading Venues. |
| 1.4 | Coinbase makes no representation or warranty of any kind regarding any Connected Trading Venue, including as to its financial condition, data, security or quality of its execution services, and shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for the selection or performance of any Connected Trading Venue, except (i) to the extent set forth in Section 32.4 of the General Terms and (ii) to the extent of Coinbase’s negligence, bad faith, fraud or willful misconduct. Digital Assets may trade at different prices on different trading venues, and other Connected Trading Venues and/or trading venues not used by Coinbase may offer better prices and/or lower costs than the Connected Trading Venue used to execute Client’s Order. |
| 1.5 | Coinbase acts in an agency capacity for purposes of certain Orders, but may also act in a principal capacity for certain Orders, as specified in the Coinbase Trading Rules. In the Request For Quotation (“RFQ”) service, Coinbase acts as principal to fill Orders by providing indicative firm pricing in accordance with a variety of market factors, at its sole discretion. Client should independently evaluate whether such services are appropriate given its investing profile and sophistication, among other considerations. |
| 2. | Client Trading Balance and Vault Balance |
| 2.1 | For purposes of this MTA, Client’s Digital Assets are referenced as “Client Digital Assets,” Client’s cash is referenced as “Client Cash,” and Client Digital Assets and Client Cash are together referenced as “Client Assets.” |
| 2.2 | Within the Trading Platform, Coinbase provides access to two types of accounts with balances relating to Client Assets: (1) the “Trading Balance” (as described below in Section 2.3) and (2) the “Vault Balance” (as described below in Section 2.5). The Trading Account provides a record of both the Trading Balance and the Vault Balance. Client decides how much Client Digital Assets to allocate from time to time between the Trading Balance and the Vault Balance. Client’s Trading Balance is separate from any Digital Assets Client maintains directly with Coinbase Custody. |
| 2.3 | Client Digital Assets credited to the Trading Balance are immediately available to Client for purposes of submitting an Order. Coinbase holds Digital Assets credited to the Trading Balance in one of three ways: (i) in omnibus hot wallets (each, an “Omnibus Hot Wallet”); (ii) in omnibus cold wallets (each, an “Omnibus Cold Wallet”); and (iii) in Coinbase’s accounts with the Connected Trading Venues (“Coinbase Connected Trading Venue Digital Asset Balance”). Client agrees that Coinbase has sole discretion in deciding how to allocate Digital Assets credited to the Trading Balance. Because Digital Assets credited to |
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| the Trading Balance are held on an omnibus basis and because of the nature of certain Digital Assets, Client does not have an identifiable claim to any particular Digital Asset. Instead, Client’s Trading Balance represents an entitlement to a pro rata share of the Digital Assets Coinbase has allocated to the Omnibus Hot Wallets, Omnibus Cold Wallets and Coinbase Connected Trading Venue Digital Asset Balance. Coinbase relies on the Connected Trading Venues for the Coinbase Connected Trading Venue Digital Asset Balance, and Client has no contractual relationship with Coinbase Custody or the Connected Trading Venues with respect to Digital Assets credited to the Trading Balance. |
| 2.4 | Client may maintain Client Cash in the Trading Balance (not the Vault Balance). Coinbase holds Client Cash credited to the Trading Balance in one of three ways: (i) in one or more omnibus accounts in Coinbase’s name for the benefit of customers at one or more U.S. insured depository institutions (each, an “FBO account”); (ii) with respect to USD, in liquid investments, which may include but are not limited to U.S. treasuries and money market funds, in accordance with state money transmitter laws; and (iii) in Coinbase’s omnibus accounts at Connected Trading Venues. Coinbase will title the FBO accounts it maintains with U.S. depository institutions and maintain records of Client’s interest in a manner designed to enable receipt of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) deposit insurance, where applicable and up to the deposit insurance limits applicable under FDIC regulations and guidance, on Client Cash for Client’s benefit on a pass-through basis. Coinbase cannot guarantee that pass-through FDIC deposit insurance will apply, since such insurance is dependent in part on compliance of the depository institutions. Coinbase may also title its accounts at some or all Connected Trading Venues and maintain records of Client interests in those accounts in a manner consistent with FDIC requirements for pass-through deposit insurance, but availability of pass-through deposit insurance, up to the deposit insurance limits applicable under FDIC regulations and guidance, is also dependent on the actions of the Connected Trading Venues and any depository institutions they use, which may not be structured to provide pass-through deposit insurance. FDIC insurance applies to cash deposits at banks and other insured depository institutions in the event of a failure of that institution. It does not apply to any Coinbase Entity or to any Digital Asset held by a Coinbase Entity on Client’s behalf. Client Cash is immediately available to Client for purposes of submitting an Order, unless a restriction applies. |
| 2.5 | At Client’s election, Client Digital Assets may also be allocated to the Vault Balance which is held in a Custodial Account (as defined in the Custody Agreement) in Client’s name at Coinbase Custody pursuant to the Custody Agreement. The custody of Client Digital Assets in the Vault Balance held in Client’s Custodial Account will be divided between segregated hot storage in Client’s name, or if applicable, Portfolio name, (“Hot Vault Balance”) and segregated cold storage in Client’s name, or if applicable, Portfolio name, (“Cold Vault Balance”). Client maintains sole discretion in deciding how to allocate Digital Assets among the Hot Vault Balance and Cold Vault Balance. Digital Assets in the Hot Vault Balance can be transferred immediately to Client’s Trading Balance, unless a restriction applies. Digital Assets in the Cold Vault Balance can be transferred to Client’s Trading Balance subject to Coinbase Custody’s standard cold storage withdrawal procedures. Client appoints Coinbase as Client’s agent for purposes of instructing Coinbase Custody to transfer Client Digital Assets between Client’s Vault Balance and Client’s Trading Balance. Client agrees that an Instruction to Coinbase to settle an Order to or from Client’s Vault Balance constitutes authorization to Coinbase to transfer Client Digital Assets to or from Client’s Vault Balance as necessary or appropriate to consummate such settlement. |
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| 2.6 | In all circumstances and consistent with laws and regulations applicable to Coinbase, Coinbase will keep an internal ledger that indicates the Client Assets credited to Client’s Trading Balance and enables Coinbase and its auditors and regulators to identify Client and the Client Assets. Maintenance of the Vault Balance shall be subject to the terms of the Custody Agreement. |
| 2.7 | Coinbase treats all Client Assets as custodial assets held for the benefit of Client. No Client Assets credited to the Trading Balance shall be considered to be the property of, or loaned to, Coinbase, except as provided in any loan agreement between Client and any Coinbase Entity. Coinbase does not represent or treat Client Digital Assets or Client Cash as Coinbase assets on its balance sheet. Neither Coinbase nor any Coinbase Entity will sell, transfer, loan, rehypothecate or otherwise alienate Client Assets credited to Client’s Trading Balance unless instructed by Client pursuant to an agreement between Client and a Coinbase Entity. |
| 3. | Role of Coinbase Custody |
| 3.1 | To facilitate the Trading Services, Coinbase may maintain the Omnibus Hot Wallet and the Omnibus Cold Wallet in one or more custodial FBO accounts with its affiliate, Coinbase Custody. In such cases, although the Omnibus Hot Wallet and the Omnibus Cold Wallet are held in Coinbase’s FBO accounts with Coinbase Custody, Client’s legal relationship for purposes of Digital Assets held in the Omnibus Hot Wallet and the Omnibus Cold Wallet is not directly or indirectly with Coinbase Custody and the terms, conditions and agreements relating to those wallets are governed by this MTA. |
| 3.2 | Client Digital Assets held in the Hot Vault Balance and Cold Vault Balance are maintained directly between Client and Coinbase Custody in Client’s name and are subject to the terms of Client’s Custody Agreement. |
| 4. | Cash and Digital Asset Deposits and Withdrawals |
| 4.1 | To deposit Client Cash, Client must initiate a transfer from a linked bank account, a wire transfer, a SWIFT transfer, a deposit or other form of electronic payment approved by Coinbase from time to time to Coinbase’s bank account, the instructions for which are available on the Coinbase Prime Broker Site. Coinbase will credit the Trading Balance with Client Cash once the associated cash is delivered to Coinbase. Client Cash is held as described in Section 2.4 of this MTA. As noted in Section 2.4 of this MTA, Coinbase intends for Client to benefit from FDIC deposit insurance on Client Cash in the Trading Balance on a pass-through basis, but does not guarantee or warrant that treatment. |
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| 4.2 | To withdraw Client Cash, Client may also initiate a withdrawal of Client Cash from the Trading Balance at any time using the withdrawal function on the Trading Platform. |
| 4.3 | To deposit Client Digital Assets, Client can transfer Client Digital Assets directly to the Omnibus Hot Wallet or Omnibus Cold Wallet, the instructions for which are available on the Coinbase Prime Broker Site. In addition, Client may transfer Client Digital Assets to and among its Hot Vault Balance or Cold Vault Balance that Client holds with Coinbase Custody. When Client transfers Digital Assets to Coinbase or Coinbase Custody, it delivers custody and control of the Digital Assets to Coinbase, Coinbase Custody or Coinbase’s designee. Client represents and warrants that any Digital Asset transferred to Coinbase or Coinbase Custody is free and clear of all liens, claims and encumbrances. |
| 4.4 | To withdraw Client Digital Assets, Client must provide Coinbase with Instructions via the Coinbase Prime Broker Site (“Withdrawal Transfer”). Once Client has initiated a Withdrawal Transfer, the associated Client Digital Assets will be in a pending state and will not be included in Client’s Trading Balance or Vault Balance. Client acknowledges that Coinbase may not be able to reverse a Withdrawal Transfer once initiated. Client may withdraw Client Digital Assets at any time, subject to delays for Digital Assets held in the Cold Vault Balance, and any applicable account, platform or network delay or restriction. |
| 4.5 | Client must verify all transaction information prior to submitting withdrawal Instructions to Coinbase, as Coinbase cannot and does not guarantee the identity of the wallet owner or bank account to which Client is sending Client Digital Assets or Client Cash, as applicable. Coinbase shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for Client Cash or Client Digital Asset transfers sent to or received from a wrong party in reliance on inaccurate Instructions. |
| 5. | Order Submission, Settlement and Cancellation |
| 5.1 | After Client has submitted an Order, Client cannot cancel, reverse, or change any Order marked as complete, and Coinbase does not guarantee that Client will be able to cancel, reverse or change any other Order once it has been submitted. Coinbase will use reasonable efforts to fulfill bona fide Orders and cancellation requests that comply with the terms of this MTA, including the Coinbase Trading Rules, but Coinbase shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever if Coinbase is unable to do so or is delayed in doing so. Coinbase also will have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for inaccurate Instructions Coinbase receives or for delays in receiving or failure to receive Instructions. Coinbase’s security procedures are designed to control access to the Prime Broker Account, not the accuracy of Client Instructions, and Coinbase may execute any Order on the terms received. |
| 5.2 | Client agrees to make full payment for all Orders in the Trading Account and authorizes Coinbase to debit the Prime Broker Account to settle any Order submitted using the Trading Services. |
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| 6. | Order Confirmations and Order Errors |
| 6.1 | Coinbase will confirm the execution or cancellation of any Order solely by transmitting an electronic confirmation to Client via e-mail or through the Trading Platform. Client agrees to accept electronic trade confirmations in lieu of printed confirmations. Client agrees to monitor each Order until Coinbase has confirmed the Order’s execution or cancellation through the Trading Platform (“Order Confirmations”). |
| 6.2 | Client acknowledges that Order Confirmations may be delayed or erroneous. Client agrees to notify Coinbase promptly in writing through the Trading Platform or through the Coinbase dedicated customer service email address or website form (available at: help.coinbase.com/en/contact-us) if: (i) Client fails to receive an accurate Order Confirmation; (ii) Client receives an Order Confirmation different than Client’s Order; (iii) Client receives an Order Confirmation for an order that Client did not place; or (iv) the Order Confirmation otherwise reflects any inaccuracy regarding Client’s Orders, balances, positions, transaction history, or any other feature of Client’s use of the Trading Services. |
| 6.3 | Client agrees to return to Coinbase any assets erroneously distributed to Client promptly upon Coinbase’s evidence to Client of such distribution error, but in any event within thirty |
(30) days of such evidence being provided. Client further agrees not to withdraw the erroneously distributed assets from its Trading Account, or to return it entirely to Coinbase if Client has already withdrawn the assets.
| 6.4 | All Orders are subject to Coinbase Trading Rules, the rules and policies of the Connected Trading Venues, and all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Client agrees that Coinbase may adjust Client’s Trading Balance or Vault Balance to correct any error, in accordance with this MTA and the Coinbase Trading Rules. |
| 6.5 | Coinbase may modify the terms of or cancel any Order executed on the Trading Platform if Coinbase determines in its reasonable discretion that the Order was clearly erroneous according to the Coinbase Trading Rules. |
| 7. | Disruption to Trading Platform; Limits on Client’s Orders |
| 7.1 | Client acknowledges that electronic facilities and systems such as the Trading Platform are vulnerable to disruption, delay or failure and, consequently, such facilities and systems may be unavailable to Client as a result of foreseeable and unforeseeable events. Client understands and agrees that Coinbase does not guarantee uninterrupted access to the Trading Platform or all features of the Trading Services. Client acknowledges that although Coinbase will attempt to provide notice of any scheduled or unscheduled unavailability that would result in Client being unable to access the Trading Platform or the Trading Services, Coinbase cannot guarantee advanced notice to Client. |
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| 7.2 | Coinbase may, in its sole discretion, take the following actions and shall use reasonable efforts to provide Client with as much prior notice as practicable in each case: (i) halt or suspend trading on the Trading Platform, (ii) halt or suspend trading of any Digital Assets or currency, or (iii) to the extent provided in the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, halt or suspend Client’s Trading Services. Further, Coinbase may impose, in its sole discretion, limits on the amount or size of Client’s Orders and Coinbase shall use reasonable efforts to provide Client with as much prior notice as practicable of any such limits. |
| 8. | Coinbase Trading Rules and Order Types |
Client agrees to comply with the Coinbase Trading Rules in effect at the time of any Order or use of the Trading Services. Clients can select from various types of Orders (each an “Order Type”) and the terms of each Order Type may vary. Client agrees to review and become familiar with the terms of all Order Types available through the Trading Service. A detailed description of the terms of all Orders is contained in the Coinbase Trading Rules. Coinbase reserves the right to modify the terms of any Order Type and the Coinbase Trading Rules at any time without prior notice to Client, and Client acknowledges that it is solely responsible for ensuring knowledge of applicable Order Types and the Coinbase Trading Rules prior to placing an Order.
| 9. | Coinbase Supported Digital Assets |
Coinbase determines in its sole discretion to support Digital Assets for use with the Trading Services. For an updated list of supported Digital Assets, please visit the Coinbase Prime Broker Site. Not all Digital Assets supported for Custodial Services are also supported for Trading Services.
| 10. | Coinbase Execution Services; Security Interest in Connection with OTC Orders |
| 10.1 | At Coinbase’s sole discretion, Client may elect to submit Orders to Coinbase Execution Services (“CES”), a Trading Service through which CES personnel will execute Orders on behalf of Client. CES will execute Orders by using automated trade routing services through Client’s Prime Broker Account or by fulfilling Orders on Coinbase’s over-the- counter (“OTC”) trading service (“OTC Services”). Coinbase has sole and absolute discretion to accept or reject any Order submitted to CES. Coinbase and Client may communicate regarding Instructions related to Orders submitted to CES on a mutually agreed communication medium, including instant messaging, email, and telephone. |
| 10.2 | CES brokers Orders on a best efforts basis as Client’s agent and may exercise discretion in executing Orders. Client must pre-fund its Trading Balance and/or establish a credit arrangement with Coinbase Credit prior to submitting such Orders. By electing to use CES, Client agrees that it is authorizing CES personnel to access its Prime Broker Account to initiate and execute Orders. Client acknowledges that CES personnel will retain access to the Client Prime Broker Account until Client’s Authorized Representative(s) provides Coinbase with Instructions to terminate such access. Absent express written agreement between the Parties, Coinbase will accept Orders only from Authorized Representatives that are designated as having trading authority with respect to the Prime Broker Account; Client is solely responsible for updating the identities of the Authorized Representatives that have such trading authority. |
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| 10.3 | For OTC Services, CES personnel will confirm the terms of an Order (which terms shall include asset, quantity, price, settlement timing, and fees) with Client prior to executing the Order. Coinbase has policies and procedures in place that are reasonably designed to prevent the disclosure of the Client’s identity to its OTC counterparty. Coinbase may, in its sole and absolute discretion, accept the following statements (or similar or analogous statements) as Client’s final and binding agreement to the terms of an Order: “done,” “I buy,” “bought,” “I sell,” or “sold.” A completed, executed, and settled Order will be reflected in Client’s Prime Broker Account. |
| 10.4 | For Orders fulfilled via OTC Services (“OTC Orders”), each of Client’s and its OTC counterparty’s confirmations of the terms of the OTC Order deems such OTC Order as binding and final, and thereby executed. Client hereby grants to Coinbase a continuing first priority security interest in, lien on and right of set off against all of Client’s right, title and interest, whether now owned or existing or hereafter acquired or arising, in Client’s Trading Balance and Vault Balance and all Client Assets held in the Trading Balance and the Vault Balance together with proceeds thereof, in order to secure Client’s settlement obligations arising in connection with OTC Orders. |
| 10.5 | [Reserved]. |
| 11. | Determination of Suitability; All Risks Not Disclosed |
Coinbase’s provision of the Trading Services is neither a recommendation that Client enter into a particular Order nor a representation that any product described on the Trading Platform is suitable or appropriate for Client. Many of the Trading Services described on the Trading Platform involve significant risks, and Client should not use the Trading Services unless it has fully understood all such risks and has independently determined that such Orders are appropriate. Any discussion of the risks contained in this MTA or on the Trading Platform should not be considered to be a disclosure of all risks or a complete discussion of the applicable risks.
| 12. | Characterization of Trading Services; Not a Registered Broker-Dealer or Investment Adviser |
Client understands and acknowledges that no transactions executed in connection with Client’s Trading Account or the Trading Services are securities transactions, and Coinbase is not registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer or an investment adviser or licensed under any state securities laws. Coinbase is not acting as a fiduciary in respect of Client (including in connection with its rights under this MTA) and does not have any responsibility under the standards governing the conduct of broker-dealers, fiduciaries, investment advisers or investment managers. Client agrees and acknowledges that any information or advice provided by Coinbase or any other Coinbase Entity does not and will not serve as the basis of any investment decision by Client.
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| 13. | Coinbase Corporate Accounts |
Coinbase and its affiliates may transact through trading accounts on the Trading Platform (“Coinbase Corporate Accounts”) for purposes including inventory management, to facilitate Client Orders, and for other corporate purposes. To the extent that a Coinbase Corporate Account transacts on the Trading Platform, the Coinbase Corporate Account (i) will not have any special priority vis-a-vis Client Orders and will be subject to the Coinbase Trading Rules, (ii) will trade only on Market Data available to all clients, and (iii) will not access any non-public data of any clients. Coinbase’s internal ledger will indicate the amount of each Digital Asset held for each client and each such Coinbase Corporate Account.
| 14. | Term, Termination and Suspension |
| 14.1 | Regardless of any other provision of this MTA, Coinbase may, in its sole discretion, suspend, restrict or terminate Client’s Trading Services, including by suspending, restricting or closing Client’s Trading Account, in accordance with Section 35 of the General Terms. |
| 14.2 | If Client is subject to termination, Client agrees to transfer any Client Assets off the Trading Platform within thirty (30) days of receipt of the termination notice unless such transfer is otherwise prohibited (i) under applicable law, including applicable sanctions programs, or |
(ii) by a facially valid subpoena or court order. Client agrees to promptly provide Coinbase with Instructions as to where its Client Assets should be transferred, and agrees that failure to do so within thirty (30) days of receipt of notice of termination may result in Client Assets being transferred to Client’s linked bank account or Digital Asset wallet on file, in each case subject to off-set for any outstanding obligations to any Coinbase Entity in accordance with the General Terms. Final disbursement of assets may be delayed until any remaining obligations or indebtedness have been satisfied. Client is responsible for all debits, costs, commissions, and losses arising from any actions Coinbase must take to liquidate or close transactions in Client’s Trading Account.
| 15. | Unclaimed Property |
If Coinbase is holding Client Assets in the Trading Balance, has no record of Client’s use of the Trading Services for an extended period, and is otherwise unable to contact Client, Coinbase may be required under applicable laws, rules or regulations to report these assets as unclaimed property and to deliver such unclaimed property to the applicable jurisdiction. Coinbase may deduct a dormancy fee or other administrative charge from such unclaimed funds, as permitted by applicable laws, rules or regulations.
| 16. | Tax Reporting Information |
| 16.1 | At Client’s cost, Coinbase shall use good faith efforts to provide such information, cooperation and assistance as is reasonably requested by Client to enable Client to satisfy any applicable tax reporting requirements directly related to Client’s use of the Prime Broker Services. |
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| 16.2 | Coinbase will provide Client with transaction history for the Trading Account, including purchase dates, purchase price information, sale dates (including conversion and/or transfer dates, if applicable) and sales price (including conversion and/or transfer price, if applicable) for each Digital Asset and the Trading Account. |
| 16.3 | Coinbase will provide Client with an applicable Form 1099 for the Trading Account each calendar year. |
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API Supplement to the MTA
Developer Tools
| 1. | Use of Developer Tools. If Client elects to use developer tools rather than interface through the Trading Platform, this API Supplement shall be incorporated into the MTA by reference and all defined terms in the MTA shall apply to this API Supplement. The terms of the MTA and this API Supplement shall govern Client’s use of any and all development applications provided by Coinbase, including Coinbase’s application programming interface and any accompanying or related documentation, source code, executable applications and other materials (the “Coinbase API”), the Coinbase Sandbox, and any other resources or services available on or through the Coinbase systems (“Coinbase API Services”) (collectively, the “Developer’s Tools”). |
| 2. | License Grant. Subject to the terms and restrictions set forth in the MTA, Coinbase grants Client a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferrable and non-sublicensable license solely to use and integrate the Developer’s Tools and underlying content into Client’s website or application (Client’s “Application”) so that Client’s Application can interface directly with Coinbase devices, applications, or services. |
| 3. | Security. Client shall take steps to adequately secure its APi Keys and OAuth Tokens, including the security measures specified at: https://developers.coinbase.com/docs/wallet/api-key-authentication and https://developers.coinbase.com/docs/wallet/coinbase-connect/security-best-practices. |
| 4. | Limitation on Use. Unless otherwise agreed with Coinbase, Developer Tools may only be used to facilitate Client and its Authorized Representatives’ access to the Coinbase API Services and not to re-sell or otherwise provide parties other than Client and its Authorized Representatives with access to the Coinbase API Services. |
| 5. | Restrictions. Client shall not: |
| (a) | Copy, rent, lease, sell, sublicense, or otherwise transfer Client’s rights in the Developer’s Tools to a third party. |
| (b) | Alter, reproduce, adapt, distribute, display, publish, reverse engineer, translate, disassemble, decompile or otherwise attempt to create any source code that is derived from the Developer’s Tools. |
| (c) | Cache, aggregate, or store data or content accessed via the Developer’s Tools other than for purposes allowed under the MTA. |
| (d) | Use the Developer’s Tools for any Application that constitutes, promotes or is used in connection with spyware, adware, or any other malicious programs or code. |
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| (e) | Use the Developer’s Tools to encourage, promote, or participate in illegal activity, violate third party rights, including intellectual property rights or privacy rights, or engage in any Prohibited Use or Prohibited Business as defined in www.coinbase/legal/prohibited. |
| (f) | Use the Developer’s Tools in a manner that exceeds reasonable request volume, constitutes excessive or abusive usage, or otherwise impacts the stability of Coinbase’s servers or impacts the behavior of other applications using the Developer’s Tools. |
| (g) | Attempt to cloak or conceal Client’s identity or application’s identity when requesting authorization to the Developer’s Tools. |
| 6. | API Calls and Compliance. Coinbase may at its sole discretion set limits on the number of API calls that Client can make, for example in the interest of service stability. If Client exceeds these limits, Coinbase may moderate its activity or cease offering it access to the Coinbase APIs altogether in Coinbase’s reasonable discretion. Client agrees to such limitations and will not attempt to circumvent such limitations. Coinbase may immediately suspend or terminate access to the Developer’s Tools without notice if Coinbase believes, in its reasonable discretion, that Client is in violation of the MTA. |
| 7. | Updates and Support. Coinbase may elect to provide Client with support or modifications for the Developer’s Tools, in its sole discretion, and may terminate such support at any time without notice. Coinbase may change, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Developer’s Tools at any time, including the availability of any Developer’s Tools. |
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Appendix 1
to the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement
PROHIBITED USE, PROHIBITED BUSINESS, AND CONDITIONAL USE
This policy sets forth the limitations concerning Client’s use of Client’s Prime Broker Account. Coinbase, on behalf of the Coinbase Entities, may amend this policy at any time by providing a revised version on the Coinbase Prime Broker Site. The revised version will be effective at the time Coinbase posts it. Coinbase will provide Client with prior notice of any material changes via the Coinbase Prime Broker Site.
| 1. | PROHIBITED USE. Client may not use Client’s Custodial Account to engage in the following categories of activity (“Prohibited Uses”). The Prohibited Uses extend to any third party that gains access to the Prime Broker Services through Client’s account or otherwise, regardless of whether such third party was authorized or unauthorized by Client to use the Prime Broker Services associated with the Prime Broker Account. The specific types of use listed below are representative, but not exhaustive. If Client is uncertain as to whether or not Client’s use of Prime Broker Services involves a Prohibited Use, or has questions about how these requirements apply to Client, please contact Coinbase. By opening a Prime Broker Account, Client confirms that Client will not use Client’s Prime Broker Account to do any of the following: |
| (a) | Unlawful Activity: Activity which would violate, or assist in violation of, any law, statute, ordinance, or regulation, sanctions programs administered in the countries where the Coinbase Entities conduct business, including the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or which would involve proceeds of any unlawful activity; publish, distribute or disseminate any unlawful material or information. |
| (b) | Abusive Activity: Actions which impose an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the Coinbase Entities’ infrastructure, or detrimentally interfere with, intercept, or expropriate any system, data, or information; transmit or upload any material to the Prime Broker Site that contains viruses, Trojan horses, worms, or any other harmful or deleterious programs; attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Prime Broker Site, other Prime Broker Accounts, computer systems or networks connected to the Prime Broker Site, through password mining or any other means; use Prime Broker Account information of another party to access or use the Prime Broker Site; or transfer Client’s Prime Broker Account access or rights to Client’s Prime Broker Account to a third party, unless by operation of law or with the express permission of Coinbase. |
| (c) | Abuse Other Users: Interfere with another Coinbase Prime Broker user’s access to or use of any Prime Broker Services; defame, abuse, extort, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate or infringe the legal rights (including rights of privacy, publicity and intellectual property) of others; incite, threaten, facilitate, promote, or encourage hate, racial intolerance, or violent acts against others; harvest or otherwise collect information from the Prime Broker Site about others, including email addresses, without proper consent. |
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| (d) | Fraud: Activity which operates to defraud the Coinbase Entities, Coinbase Prime Broker users, or any other person; provide any false, inaccurate, or misleading information to the Coinbase Entities. |
| (e) | Gambling: Lotteries; bidding fee auctions; sports forecasting or odds making; fantasy sports leagues with cash prizes; Internet gaming; contests; sweepstakes; games of chance. |
| (d) | Intellectual Property Infringement: Engage in transactions involving items that infringe or violate any copyright, trademark, right of publicity or privacy or any other proprietary right under the law, including sales, distribution, or access to counterfeit music, movies, software, or other licensed materials without the appropriate authorization from the rights holder; use of the Coinbase Entities’ intellectual property, name, or logo, including use of Coinbase Prime Broker trade or service marks, without express consent from the Coinbase Entities or in a manner that otherwise harms the Coinbase Entities, or any Coinbase brand; any action that implies an untrue endorsement by or affiliation with the Coinbase Entities. |
| (e) | Written Policies: Client may not use the Prime Broker Account or the Prime Broker Services in a manner that violates, or is otherwise inconsistent with, any operating instructions promulgated by the Coinbase Entities. |
| 2. | PROHIBITED BUSINESSES. Although Coinbase may offer a Prime Broker Account to any entity that can successfully create an account in accordance with the terms of this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, the following categories of businesses, business practices, and sale items are barred from the Prime Broker Services (“Prohibited Businesses”). The specific types of use listed below are representative, but not exhaustive. If Client is uncertain as to whether or not Client’s use of the Prime Broker Services involves a Prohibited Business, or has questions about how these requirements apply to Client, please contact Coinbase. By opening a Prime Broker Account, Client confirms that Client will not use the Prime Broker Services in connection with any of following businesses, activities, practices, or items: |
| (a) | Restricted Financial Services: Check cashing, bail bonds, collections agencies. |
| (b) | Intellectual Property or Proprietary Rights Infringement: Sales, distribution, or access to counterfeit music, movies, software, or other licensed materials without the appropriate authorization from the rights holder. |
| (c) | Counterfeit or Unauthorized Goods: Unauthorized sale or resale of brand name or designer products or services; sale of goods or services that are illegally imported or exported or which are stolen. |
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| (d) | Regulated Products and Services: Marijuana dispensaries and related businesses; sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and e-liquid; online prescription or pharmaceutical services; age-restricted goods or services; weapons and munitions; gunpowder and other explosives; fireworks and related goods; toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials; products and services with varying legal status on a state-by-state basis. |
| (e) | Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia: Sale of narcotics, controlled substances, and any equipment designed for making or using drugs, such as bongs, vaporizers, and hookahs. |
| (f) | Pseudo-Pharmaceuticals: Pharmaceuticals and other products that make health claims that have not been approved or verified by the applicable local and/or national regulatory body. |
| (g) | Substances designed to mimic illegal drugs: Sale of a legal substance that provides the same effect as an illegal drug (e.g., salvia, kratom). |
| (h) | Adult Content and Services: Pornography and other obscene materials (including literature, imagery and other media); sites offering any sexually-related services such as prostitution, escorts, pay-per view, adult live chat features. |
| (i) | Multi-level Marketing: Pyramid schemes, network marketing, and referral marketing programs. |
| (j) | Unfair, Predatory or Deceptive Practices: Investment opportunities or other services that promise high rewards; sale or resale of a service without added benefit to the buyer; resale of government offerings without authorization or added value; sites that Coinbase determines in our sole discretion to be unfair, deceptive, or predatory towards consumers. |
| (k) | Gambling Services. |
| (l) | Weapons Manufacturers/Vendors. |
| (m) | Money Services: Gift cards; prepaid cards; sale of in-game currency unless the merchant is the operator of the virtual world; act as a payment intermediary or aggregator or otherwise resell any of the Custodial Services. |
| (n) | Crowdfunding |
| (o) | High-risk Businesses: any businesses that Coinbase believes pose elevated financial risk or legal liability. |
| (p) | Hate Groups |
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| 3. | CONDITIONAL USE. Express written consent and approval from Coinbase on behalf of the Coinbase Entities must be obtained prior to using Prime Broker Services for the following categories of business and/or use (“Conditional Uses”). Coinbase may also require Client to agree to additional conditions, make supplemental representations and warranties, complete enhanced on-boarding procedures, and operate subject to restrictions if Client uses the Prime Broker Services in connection with any of following businesses, activities, or practices: |
| (a) | Charities: Acceptance of donations for nonprofit enterprise. |
| (b) | Games of Skill: Games which are not defined as gambling under this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement or by law, but which require an entry fee and award a prize. |
| (c) | Religious/Spiritual Organizations: Operation of a for-profit religious or spiritual organization. |
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Appendix 2
to the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement
E-SIGN DISCLOSURE AND CONSENT
This policy describes how the Coinbase Entities deliver communications to Client electronically. Coinbase, on behalf of the Coinbase Entities, may amend this policy at any time by providing a revised version on the Coinbase Prime Broker Site. The revised version will be effective at the time Coinbase posts it. Coinbase will provide Client with prior notice of any material changes via the Coinbase Prime Broker Site.
| 1. | ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF COMMUNICATIONS. |
Client agrees and consents to receive electronically all communications, agreements, documents, notices and disclosures (collectively, “Communications”) that Coinbase provides in connection with Client’s Prime Broker Account and Client’s use of Prime Broker Services. Communications include:
| (a) | Terms of use and policies Client agrees to (e.g., this Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, including all agreements, exhibits, appendices, addenda, policies referenced herein, and supplements attached hereto), including updates to these agreements or policies; |
| (b) | Prime Broker Account details, history, transaction receipts, confirmations, and any other Prime Broker Account deposit, withdrawal or transaction information; |
| (c) | Legal, regulatory, and tax disclosures or statements the Coinbase Entities may be required to make available to Client; and |
| (d) | Responses to claims or customer support inquiries filed in connection with Client’s Prime Broker Account. |
Coinbase will provide these Communications to Client by posting them on the Prime Broker Site, emailing them to Client at the primary email address on file with Coinbase, communicating to Client via instant chat, and/or through other electronic communication. For the sake of clarity, the Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that Client’s consent herein allows for electronically delivered Communications to be accepted and agreed to by Client through the Prime Broker Services interface. Furthermore, the Coinbase Entities may use electronic signatures and obtain them from Client in connection with Client’s use of the Prime Broker Services. Client consents and agrees that Client’s electronic signature on Communications, including agreements, terms of use, addenda, consents, authorizations or updates relating thereto has the same effect as if Client signed them in ink.
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| 2. | HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS. |
In order to access and retain electronic Communications, Client will need the following computer hardware and software:
| (a) | A device with an Internet connection; |
| (b) | A current web browser that includes 128-bit encryption (e.g. , Internet Explorer version 9.0 and above, Firefox version 3.6 and above, Chrome version 31.0 and above, or Safari 7.0 and above) with cookies enabled; |
| (c) | A valid email address (Client’s primary email address on file with Coinbase); and |
| (d) | Sufficient storage space to save past Communications or an installed printer to print them. |
| 3. | HOW TO WITHDRAW CLIENT’S CONSENT. |
Client may withdraw Client’s consent to receive Communications electronically by contacting Coinbase. If Client fails to provide or if Client withdraws Client’s consent to receive Communications electronically, Coinbase reserves the right to immediately close Client’s Prime Broker Account or charge Client additional fees for paper copies.
| 4. | UPDATING CLIENT’S INFORMATION. |
It is solely Client’s responsibility to provide Coinbase with a true, accurate, and complete e-mail address and Client’s contact information, and to keep such information up to date. Client understands and agrees that if Coinbase sends Client an electronic Communication but Client does not receive it because Client’s primary email address on file is incorrect, out of date, blocked by Client’s service provider, or Client is otherwise unable to receive electronic Communications, Coinbase will be deemed to have provided the Communication to Client. Client may update Client’s information by logging into Client’s Prime Broker Account and visiting settings or by contacting Coinbase.
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Appendix 3
to the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement
COINBASE PRIME FEE SCHEDULE
This Fee Schedule is effective (the “Effective Date”) upon execution of the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement between Coinbase and Client, and sets forth the fees payable to the Coinbase Entities in connection with the Prime Broker Services. All capitalized terms not defined in this Fee Schedule shall have the meaning given to them in the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement.
This Fee Schedule is subject to modification from time to time upon mutual written agreement of Coinbase, on behalf of itself and as agent for the Coinbase Entities, and Client.
Notwithstanding the foregoing:
(1) Coinbase, on behalf of itself and as agent for the Coinbase Entities, shall also have the right to modify the fees set forth in this Fee Schedule at its discretion at any time upon not less than thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to Client;
(2) At any time between the Effective Date and the date that is three (3) months following the Effective Date, Coinbase, on behalf of itself and as agent for the Coinbase Entities, may modify the fees set forth in this Fee Schedule upon written notice to Client (and without providing thirty (30) days’ prior written notice as set forth in the foregoing sentence); provided that Coinbase may exercise this right only once in such period and otherwise the thirty (30) days’ prior written notice requirement will apply.
Client acknowledges that it is solely responsible for ensuring knowledge of applicable fees prior to use of the Prime Broker Services inc Trading Services and Custody Services.
TRADING ACCOUNT FEES (“All-in”)
Fees associated with the Trading Account and associated Trading Services provided by Coinbase, Inc.:
For each executed Order, Client will pay a fixed rate of [ ] basis points, which includes Coinbase’s commission, the provision of Trading Services and the actual variable transaction fees associated with the executed Order that Coinbase incurs from Connected Trading Venues. No fees are charged for canceled portions of Orders. Please see the Coinbase Trading Rules for additional details.
Coinbase Prime-assisted trading is available through Coinbase Execution Services. Orders executed using Coinbase Execution Services will pay an additional [ ] basis points for BTC and ETH Orders and [ ] basis points for all other Orders.
Notes
| • | 1 basis point= 0.01%. |
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| • | Client will be provided a preview of estimated fees prior to Order submission and can view the Order Confirmation for details of the actual fees associated with executed Orders. |
| • | Fees are assessed at the time of Order execution. |
CUSTODIAL ACCOUNT FEES
Fees associated with the Custody Account and associated Custody Services provided by Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC.:
On a monthly basis, Client shall pay a “Storage Fee” associated with its Vault Balance that shall be equal to the Prime Broker Custody Services Fee (as defined below).
The “Prime Broker Custody Services Fee” will be the Monthly Average AUC¹ multiplied by the Custodial Billing Rate. The Prime Broker Custody Services Fee is a tiered, annualized fee. See Notes below for further details.
Notes
| • | “Monthly Average AUC” shall equal the USD denominated sum of Client’s Daily AUC (as defined below) for each calendar day of the billing month, for each Digital Asset on deposit in the Custodial Account, divided by number of calendar days in the billing month. |
| • | The “Custodial Billing Rate” is defined as the proportion of total calendar days in the billing month to total calendar days in the billing year multiplied by the Annualized Prime Broker Custody Services Fee Rate (as defined below). |
| • | With respect to each Digital Asset on deposit in the Custodial Account on any calendar day, the “Client’s Daily AUC” shall equal the daily Digital Asset price for such Digital Asset as listed on Coinbase Pro multiplied by Client’s daily Digital Asset balance for such Digital Asset on deposit in the Custodial Account as of 4PM ET. |
| • | The “Annualized Prime Broker Custody Services Fee Rate” is applied on a marginal basis and shall equal the sum of each Monthly Average AUC tier multiplied by the associated rate tier. For example, if Client had a Monthly Average AUC of $3.5 billion, Client would have an Annualized Prime Broker Custody Services Fee Rate that equals: [($3,000,000,000 x [ ]bps) + ($500,000,000 x [ ]bps]: |
| Monthly Average AUC |
Rate Tier (in basis points) | |
| up to and including $3 billion |
[ ] | |
| More than $3 billion |
[ ] |
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IMPLEMENTATION FEE
Coinbase Custody is pleased to waive the Implementation Fee at this time.
PAYMENT TERMS
Coinbase will invoice Client for the Storage Fee on a monthly basis and Client shall pay all amounts to Coinbase within thirty (30) days of Client’s receipt of an invoice for such fee. Client will pay any amounts owed hereunder in the form and manner selected by Client and approved by Coinbase, and according to any additional terms found on the Coinbase Prime Broker Site or in the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement, including but not limited to transfer of cryptocurrency to an address designated by Coinbase, as a debit from Client’s Prime Broker Account.
The pricing and other terms set forth herein are confidential and shall not be shared with any third parties without the prior written approval of Coinbase.
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Exhibit 10.8
Lukka Calculation Services Subscription Agreement
L2022100100317
v01-9-20-23
This Lukka Calculation Services Subscription Agreement (this “Subscription”) is entered into as of October 1, 2023 (the “Subscription Effective Date”) by and between Lukka Calculation Services, LLC (“Lukka Calculations”) and
Invesco Ltd. (“Customer”).
Capitalized terms used and not specifically defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Master Services Agreement dated as of February 1, 2022 among the parties hereto and Lukka, Inc. (the “MSA”). The terms and conditions of the MSA are hereby incorporated herein by reference and shall in all aspects govern this Subscription. To the extent that any of the provisions of the MSA conflict with, or are inconsistent with, any of the provisions of this Subscription, the provisions of this Subscription will take precedence, unless specifically set forth to the contrary in this Subscription. By its execution of this Subscription, Lukka Calculations is hereby joined as a party to the MSA and shall be bound by, and hereby agrees to, all representations, warranties, covenants, terms, conditions, duties and waivers applicable to “Lukka” under the MSA.
| 1. | Calculation Services Subscription. Lukka Calculations shall provide Customer with (i) the value of a particular calculation as further described in the table immediately below (each, a “Calculation”) at a mutually agreed upon periodicity, (ii) updates to the Calculation at rebalance based on constituent selections and weightings determined by Customer and (iii) dissemination of the values of the Calculation to Customer and those other identified parties (each a “Data Distribution Partner”) as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties (collectively, the “Services”), subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein. Any reports or other deliverables to be prepared and delivered by Lukka Calculations as part of the Services (collectively, the “Deliverables”) will be distributed to Customer and any Data Distribution Partners in a format and within a time frame to be determined by Lukka Calculations and Customer. All such Deliverables will be considered finalized upon receipt by Customer. |
| Group |
Product |
Quantity |
Comments | |||||
| Implementation |
Standard Maintenance |
1 | $[ ] / year | |||||
| Custom Pricing Methodology Build |
— | N/A | ||||||
| Fungible |
Single Asset |
Real Time |
1 | $[ ] /year / product | ||||
| Spot Asset |
Maximum of 5 products allowed | |||||||
| Calculations |
Minutely |
— | ||||||
| Intraday |
— | |||||||
| End of Day (EOD) |
— | |||||||
| Multi-Asset |
Real Time |
— | ||||||
| Minutely |
— | |||||||
| Intraday |
— | |||||||
| End of Day (EOD) |
— | |||||||
| Other Asset |
Single Asset |
Real Time |
— | |||||
| Calculations |
Minutely | — | ||||||
| Intraday |
— | |||||||
| End of Day (EOD) |
— | |||||||
| Multi-Asset |
Real Time |
— | ||||||
| Minutely |
— | |||||||
| Intraday |
— | |||||||
| End of Day (EOD) |
— | |||||||
| Other |
Custom Build |
— | ||||||
| 2. | Customer Acknowledgements. With respect to, and as a condition to, Lukka Calculations’ provision of the Services, Customer hereby acknowledges and agrees, in addition to and not in replacement of, any acknowledgements or representations set forth in the MSA, that: |
| a. | Customer Data. Customer is solely responsible for providing Lukka Calculations with all Customer Data reasonably necessary to allow Lukka Calculations to perform the Services. Lukka Calculations will rely on any and all such Customer Data provided by Customer and will not independently verify the accuracy or completeness of any such Customer Data. Accordingly, Lukka Calculations shall not be responsible for any inaccuracy or omissions in any such Customer Data. Customer agrees to provide Lukka Calculations with the Customer Data in Lukka Calculations’ standard format and mechanisms (when needed). |
| b. | No Guarantee of Coverage. Lukka Calculations is not required to use any information provided to it by any third parties, including Customer, and Lukka Calculations may select the sources of such third party data at its sole discretion. While Lukka Calculations will use commercially reasonable efforts to include the greatest coverage possible within an instrument type, due to the nature and availability of third party data, Lukka Calculations makes no guarantee that any particular instrument or asset will be covered within the Services. |
| c. | NO RELIANCE. NEITHER LUKKA CALCULATIONS NOR ANY OTHER PARTY MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE SERVICES OR THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY CUSTOMER OR ANY OTHER PERSON FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICES. CUSTOMER IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RESULTS, INCLUDING ANY RESULTS REFLECTED IN A REGULATORY OR OTHER FILING, OBTAINED FROM THE SERVICES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE QUALITY, USEFULNESS, COMPLETENESS, SUITABILITY, ACCURACY OR CONTENT OF SUCH RESULTS. ACCORDINGLY, THE SERVICES, INCLUDING ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR RELATING THERETO AND ANY DELIVERABLES DELIVERED THEREWITH, ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF ANY KIND, TO CUSTOMER OR ANY THIRD PARTY, AND LUKKA CALCULATIONS HEREBY DISCLAIMS ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY AS TO (I) THE ACCURACY, FITNESS, UTILITY, COMPLETENESS OR APPLICATION OF THE SERVICES (INCLUDING ANY DELIVERABLES DELIVERED THEREWITH) FOR ANY PURPOSE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PRICING, TRADING, HEDGING, RISK MANAGEMENT OR ACCOUNTING DECISIONS AND (II) THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY CUSTOMER OR ANY THIRD PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THE SERVICES (INCLUDING ANY DELIVERABLES DELIVERED THEREWITH). CUSTOMER UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES THAT ALL DECISIONS CONCERNING PRICING, TRADING, HEDGING, RISK MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTING DECISIONS ARE CUSTOMER’S SOLE RESPONSIBILITY, TO BE MADE USING CUSTOMER’S OWN JUDGMENT. |
| d. | Dissemination and Publication. Customer may distribute the Services, including any Deliverables, to any third party (including any Data Distribution Partner) and any third party (including any Data Distribution Partner) may make use of the Services, including any Deliverables, in connection with any regulatory, investor or other communication or filing by or on behalf of Customer, so long as, in each instance, Customer (i) attributes the Services to Lukka Calculations and (ii) agrees to indemnify any such third party recipient of the Services from and against any losses incurred by such recipient as a result of or in connection with the Services. Customer hereby agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Lukka Calculations and its affiliates and its and their directors, officers, agents, employees, successors and assigns and all providers of third party data, and each of their affiliates, directors, officers, agents, employees, members, partners, successors and assigns (the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses arising as a result of any claims, suits or proceedings brought by any third party against any of the Indemnitees arising from or in connection with such third party’s use of the Services. |
| e. | Public Appearance. Lukka Calculations shall not be required to give testimony as a witness or otherwise appear in any capacity in any legal or administrative hearing or procedure, or to have any continued service responsibility unless compensated in advance by Customer. |
| f. | No Duty to Update. Any calculations provided as part of the Services reflect the prevailing circumstances at the original date of delivery of the Services by Lukka Calculations, and unless otherwise agreed between Customer and Lukka Calculations in writing, Lukka Calculations expressly disclaims any obligation to update, revise or correct any such calculations to reflect the occurrence of future events, even in the event that any or all of the information underlying such calculations is shown to be in error. |
| g. | Services Not Professional Advice. In no event shall the Services be construed as the rendering by Lukka Calculations of professional advice or services. Before making any decision or taking any action regarding its instruments or the tax treatment thereof, Customer shall consult with an appropriate, licensed tax, accounting, or other professional. For the avoidance of doubt, Lukka Calculations’ personnel are not investment advisors or investment professionals. Such expertise is not covered in the Services and the Customer agrees that, if such expertise is required, it shall be provided by others at the direction and discretion of the Customer. |
| h. | No Personal Liability. Lukka Calculations is a limited liability company and therefore any claim made by the Customer arising out of any act or omission of any director, officer, agent, or employee of Lukka Calculations, in the execution or performance of its contractual or professional responsibilities shall be made solely against Lukka Calculations and not against any such director, officer, agent, or employee. |
| 3. | Description of Fees. The Base Fees described below are based on the Services subscribed for by Customer from time to time pursuant to this Subscription (collectively, the “Service Fees”). |
| Description of Base Fees |
Fees | |||
| Implementation Fees |
$ | [ | ] /year | |
| One-Time Implementation Discount |
$ | [ | ] | |
| Calculation Fees |
$ | [ | ] /year | |
| One-Time Early Signing Discount (Applicable if this Subscription is executed by Customer prior to 9/29/23, 5pm EST) |
$ | [ | ] | |
| First Year Minimum Fees |
$ | [ | ] | |
| 4. | Reimbursable Expenses. Any travel or other expenses required in connection with or related to Lukka Calculations’ responsibilities or services under this Subscription will be approved by Customer in advance, and Customer will promptly reimburse Lukka Calculations for any so approved expenses. |
| 5. | Billing. |
| a. | All one-time Service Fees will be billed on the Subscription Effective Date. |
| b. | All recurring Service Fees will be billed annually in advance beginning on the Subscription Effective Date. |
| c. | All Service Fees are non-refundable, no refunds or credits for partial months of this Subscription, downgrades, or refunds for unused Services are permitted. |
| 6. | Subscription Period. One (1) year initial term commencing on the Subscription Effective Date. Thereafter this Subscription will automatically renew for successive Subscription Periods as further described in Section 13.1 of the MSA. |
| 7. | Early Termination Fee. If Lukka Calculations terminates this Subscription for Customer’s nonpayment or if this Subscription is otherwise abandoned or disregarded by Customer before the end of the then current Subscription Period other than for reason of Lukka Calculations’s material breach of the terms hereof or the MSA, Customer shall pay to Lukka Calculations, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in accordance with the billing terms in the MSA, an early termination fee equal to $[ ], which such amount shall compensate Lukka Calculations for the considerable time, effort and expense undertaken by Lukka Calculations to service and prepare for Customer, including, for example, contracting, scoping, and/or onboarding Customer. This early termination fee shall be reduced by the Service Fees (if any) already paid by Customer pursuant to this Subscription and, once received by Lukka Calculations, the early termination fee shall be deemed to be liquidated damages and Lukka Calculations shall not seek to recover any other money damages or obtain any equitable relief from Customer with respect to such termination. |
| 8. | Subscription Additions. |
| a. | Customer may at any time request (via email) to add up to four (4) additional Fungible Spot Asset Indices - Single Asset - Real Time that were not included as of the Subscription Effective Date (each, a “Subscription Addition”), in each case for the applicable increase to the fees set forth in Section 3 above. |
| b. | Any Subscription Additions agreed to and accepted by Lukka (email being sufficient for such purpose) will begin promptly, but no later than the first day of the next calendar month, and billing for any Subscription Additions will begin on the first day of the next calendar month. (By way of example, a Subscription Addition requested by Customer on February 5th may potentially begin in February, but will be billable to Customer as of March 1st). |
| c. | With respect to any Subscription Addition that is renewable, the initial bill for such Subscription Addition will include all fees due by Customer for such Subscription Addition from the start date of such Subscription Addition through Customer’s next regular recurring billing date. Thereafter, such Subscription Additions will be billed as part of Customer’s regular recurring Services until canceled per the MSA. (By way of example, if Customer’s recurring fees are billed annually on January 1st and Customer then adds a recurring Subscription Addition that begins on February 5th, on March 1st, Customer will receive an initial invoice which bills Customer for the initial ten months of the Subscription Addition (March 1 through December 31); and thereafter, the recurring Subscription Addition will be billed annually on January 1st just like Customer’s other recurring fees). |
| d. | For the avoidance of doubt, no Services may be removed or downgraded (whether by e-mail request or otherwise) during a Subscription Period. |
[Signature Page Follows]
In Witness Whereof, the parties authorized representatives have executed this Lukka Calculation Services Subscription as of the Subscription Effective Date set forth above.
| CUSTOMER | INVESCO LTD | LUKKA CALCULATION SERVICES, LLC | ||||||
| By: Lukka, Inc., its Sole Member | ||||||||
| Signature: | /s/ Andy Stokes |
Signature: | /s/ Robert Materazzi | |||||
| By: | Andy Stokes | By: | Robert Materazzi | |||||
| Title: | Strategic Sourcing Manager | Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |||||
| Date: | 29th September 2023 | Date: | 9/29/2023 | |||||
| Address: | Perpetual Park Drive, Henley-on- Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1HH UK | Address: | 800 Laurel Oak Drive, Unit 300 | |||||
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Naples, FL 34108 | |||||||
| Billing Contact: |
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| Billing Email: |
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