Bitwise to launch world's first Aptos Staking ETP on SIX Swiss Exchange

• First of its Kind: The Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP is the world's first Aptos ETP, demonstrating Bitwise's continued leadership in providing access to new opportunities in the emerging crypto asset class.
• Aptos - high performance Layer 1 Blockchain: Aptos is often described as a “production ready” blockchain due to its incredible speed and cost efficiency. Recently, large financial institutions and consumer brands have chosen to build on that blockchain.
• Staking: The ETP will seek to stake the Aptos held by the product, which is expected to generate additional returns of approximately 4.7% net of fees, while providing investors with daily liquidity on the stock exchange.
  
  

November 12, 2024. Zurich, Switzerland: Bitwise Asset Management is announcing today that a new Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP (Ticker APTB; ISIN DE000A4AJWU3) is scheduled to list on the SIX Swiss Exchange on November 19, 2024. The product will be the first Aptos Staking ETP in the world.

Bitwise designed APTB to be accessible to both institutional and retail investors via regulated markets utilizing a best-in-class custodian, auditor, administrator, and staking infrastructure. APTB is physically backed, and will stake the underlying Aptos to generate returns of approximately 4.7% net of fees, which will be accumulated directly within the ETP.

A high performance layer 1 blockchain, Aptos launched in 2022, two and a half years after Solana, and seven years after Ethereum. Aptos has been lauded for breakthrough performance that enables enterprise-scale applications, and has rapidly grown to over 8 million monthly active users. Aptos Labs, which is a core contributor to the blockchain, is led by a senior team that previously worked on Meta's blockchain initiative, and is backed by leading institutional investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Apollo Global Management, PayPal Ventures, and Franklin Templeton Investments.

The Aptos Staking ETP is the second to be launched as part of Bitwise's European Total Return product suite, following ET32 (ISIN DE000A3G90G9), which recently surpassed $ 50 million in assets under management.

Hunter Horsley, CEO and Co-Founder at Bitwise: “Forseven years, Bitwise has been a dedicated partner to investors working to understand and access the opportunities in the new crypto asset class. With the launch of Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETPs in the US, a huge cross section of investors have begun researching and adding digital assets to their portfolios this year. We're thrilled to now be able to launch the Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP to expand access to one of the most exciting next generation blockchains in the space.”

“Accessibility is core to the Aptos ecosystem. Every day, users from all corners of the world and all levels of experience build, transact, and create on Aptos,” said Bashar Lazaar, Head of Grants and Ecosystem at Aptos Foundation. “This ETP makes joining the Aptos ecosystem more accessible and opens the door for new voices, developers, and audiences to get involved in a secure and transparent way.”

“As a leading industry asset manager, Bitwise is in a position to expand financial inclusivity on a global scale,” Mo Shaikh, CEO and co-founder of Aptos Labs and a key contributor to the Aptos ecosystem. “The Aptos staking ETP marks a significant leap forward for the future of institutional adoption and validates the reliability, scalability, speed of the Aptos blockchain. I can't wait to see what new potential it will unlock in the near future.”

Bradley Duke, Head of Europe at Bitwise, added: “We have seen investors in Europe increasingly engaging with the digital asset class this year. The Aptos Staking ETP is designed for forward-thinking institutional investors and crypto-savvy individuals looking for a high quality way to get exposure to this promising blockchain through a regulated wrapper. We're thrilled to be introducing APTB via a primary listing on SIX Swiss Exchange.”

APTB is the 10th ETP for Bitwise in Europe, joining a suite including the largest and most liquid physically-backed bitcoin ETP (BTCE) and the fast growing Ethereum Staking ETP (ET32) launched earlier this year. APTB is the first product launched since Bitwise's acquisition of ETC Group in August, and following the launch at the SIX Swiss Exchange, Bitwise is planning to list the ETP for trading on other leading European stock exchanges.

Staking is a way to generate income for crypto asset owners. When token-holders stake their tokens to validate transactions on a Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchain network such as Aptos, they contribute to the security of the blockchain and receive additional tokens as rewards. In many ways staking is similar to receiving dividends in equities. More information can be found in thedigital assets staking guide recently released on the website of the company.

Key Product Details

*Represents the rewards expected to be received and accumulated in the ETP, expressed in annualised % terms. This number is subject to change based on market rates for rewards in APT staking and will be periodically adjusted.

About Bitwise

Bitwise is one of the world's leading crypto specialist asset managers. Thousands of financial advisors, family offices, and institutional investors across the globe have partnered with us to understand and access the opportunities in crypto. Since 2017, Bitwise has established a track record of excellence managing a broad suite of index and active solutions across ETPs, separately managed accounts, private funds, and hedge fund strategies – spanning both the U.S. and Europe.

In Europe, for the past four years Bitwise (formerly ETC Group) has developed an extensive and innovative suite of crypto ETPs, including Europe's largest and most liquid bitcoin ETP, or the first diversified Crypto Basket ETP replicating an MSCI digital assets index.

This family of crypto ETPs is domiciled in Germany and approved by BaFin. We exclusively partner with reputable entities from the traditional financial industry, ensuring that 100% of the assets are securely stored offline (cold storage) through regulated custodians.

Our European products comprise a collection of carefully designed financial instruments that seamlessly integrate into any professional portfolio, providing comprehensive exposure to crypto as an asset class. Access is straightforward via major European stock exchanges, with primary listings on Xetra, the most liquid exchange for ETF trading in Europe. Retail investors benefit from easy access through numerous DIY/online brokers, coupled with our robust and secure physical ETP structure, which includes a redemption feature. For more information, visit www.bitwiseinvestments.com/eu

Media contacts:

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John McLeod
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Important information
This article does not constitute investment advice, nor does it constitute an offer or solicitation to buy financial products. This article is issued by Bitwise Europe GmbH (“BEU”), a limited company domiciled in Germany, for information only and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. BEU gives no explicit or implicit assurance or guarantee regarding the fairness, accuracy, completeness, or correctness of this article or the opinions contained therein. It is advised not to rely on the fairness, accuracy, completeness, or correctness of this article or the opinions contained therein. Please note that this article is neither investment advice nor an offer or solicitation to acquire financial products or cryptocurrencies.

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