Not long after VanEck filed Form-8A for its spot Ethereum ETF on Tuesday, June 25, the company announced in another filing that it would fully forgo ETF costs for an indefinite period until 2025 or until the assets reach $1.5 billion, whichever comes first. Analysts anticipate that the Ethereum ETFs will go live on July 2; nevertheless, issuers like VanEck are already stepping up the battle.
VanEck Sees Spot Ethereum ETF Leadership
The CEO of VanEck’s digital assets, Matthew Sigel, recently sent an email to ETF.com outlining the company’s strategy for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds. Even if it means we initially lose money, VanEck “aims to be a leader on crypto ETF fees,” he stated.
“To make it up on volume; in this case, decentralized finance volume,” he continued. Sigel predicted that increased network activity and Ethereum pricing will result from the Ether ETFs’ ability to pique investors’ interest in Ethereum once more.
Sigel further mentioned that VanEck is considering investing in Ethereum-based DeFi companies like Curve and Aave, demonstrating the company’s increased interest in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.
VanEck Starts A War On Fees
As of now, only VanEck and Franklin Templeton have disclosed their fees for the Ether ETFs. Franklin had previously said that its spot Ethereum ETF would have a 0.19% cost.
According to Eric Balchunas, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence ETFs, issuers typically withhold their fee schedule until the end of the launch period. Furthermore, he stated that companies wait to act until they hear from BlackRock.
“Aside from the precise launch date, what BlackRock will charge is probably the most important missing variable. The sun, which the others must orbit, is their price. Nice, must be,” he remarked.
One of the most critical factors in determining the ETF costs would be eliminating the Ethereum staking feature from the spot Ethereum ETFs. By staking their ETH, investors can increase their yield on direct Ethereum investments by 3%. Therefore, ETF issuers will need to go above and beyond to entice investors to purchase Ethereum ETFs.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler announced in a significant update that the development of spot Ethereum ETFs is doing poorly right now.