Stack, an Asia-based provider of cryptocurrency trackers and index funds, has launched the single-asset index fund in response to investor demand. It expects to capture $750 million in assets under management within 2020, Matthew Dibb, co-founder of Stack told finews.asia.
The firm hopes to surpass $2 billion in assets under management next year by tapping into the unmet demand from traditional investment vehicles in Asia’s digital asset space. Stack’s list of partners includes financial services providers, BitGo, Silvergate Bank, and Coin Metrics for custodian, banking, and index solutions, respectively.
«We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of investors seeking to diversify their portfolios using bitcoin. Fears of a global recession, combined with deteriorating trade relations globally, are accelerating this process considerably. Bitcoin is one of the best-performing assets in history—with 19x returns since 2014—and is uncorrelated with traditional markets, making it an attractive prospective investment for both individuals and institutions,» said Matthew Dibb, co-founder of Stack.
Investors Paid Premium
The launch of Stack comes as the number of long positions being taken within the bitcoin market and demand from institutional investors for access to the digital asset economy increase. In Asia, however, there are virtually no risk-adjusted investment portals for the bitcoin market, leaving investors in Asia with no opportunity to access the potential returns, said Dibb.
Currently, investors purchasing and custodying bitcoin through digital asset management portals or traditionally structured funds pay premiums of 20 to 40 percent over the underlying asset. Wealth management firms have also been capable of charging exorbitant management and performance fees, even for passively-managed single asset portfolios.
Alternative Solution
In contrast, Stack’s flagship Bitcoin Index fund (BTCX100) gives investors in Asia a flexible and cost-effective means of gaining exposure to bitcoin which complies with the financial industry’s standards while mitigating the risks inherent to purchasing, transacting, and storing digital assets. With a minimum investment of S$100,000 at 2.25 percent management fee, Stack provides an institutional-grade alternative to the high premiums and barriers to entry which come with current digital asset hedge funds.
«Those who wish to purchase BTC and other digital assets through other available exchanges and portals are often forced to bear the risks of poor security in custodying these assets. With the launch of Stack’s Bitcoin Index Fund, investors now have an alternative to these channels, and can now enjoy secure custody with insurance coverage, weekly contributions, redemptions, and reporting, mitigating the risks that come with buying and holding digital assets through other means,» said Dibb said.
