Ethereum futures ETFs launch with modest first day of trading Ethereum futures ETFs launch with modest first day of trading
Valkyrie, VanEck, and ProShares topped the charts on a day of lukewarm trading, with total volumes just touching $2 million.
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Updated: Oct. 2, 2023 at 10:51 pm UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
Nine Ethereum futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs) became available for trading on Oct. 2.
The nine funds in that category are offered by six different asset managers: Valkyrie, VanEck, ProShares, Bitwise, Kelly, and VolShares. Each fund is currently trading on the Cboe exchange. Four of the ETFs invest in a combination of Bitcoin futures and Ethereum futures, while five others invest solely in Ethereum futures.
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas posted a roundup of trading volumes as follows on X:
| Ticker | Issuer | Strategy | Value traded as 11:15am [USD] |
| BTF US | Valkyrie | Ether + Bitcoin | 787,376 |
| EFUT US | VanEck | Ether | 305,410 |
| EETH US | ProShares | Ether | 284,112 |
| BETE US | ProShares | Ether + Bitcoin | 245,825 |
| BTOP US | Bitwise | Ether + Bitcoin | 46,332 |
| AETH US | Bitwise | Ether | 27,494 |
| BETH US | ProShares | Ether + Bitcoin | 4,737 |
| EXUS | Kelly | Ether | 0 |
| ETHU US | VolShares | Ether | 0 |
| TOTAL | 1,701,286 |
Valkyrie’s ETF reported the highest volume. The fund saw $787,376 in volume and accounted for 46% of the combined volume of all nine ETFs. Valkyrie announced that it added Ethereum futures to its fund in a press release; it called the newly-converted fund the “first-of-its-kind dual cryptocurrency futures” as it also includes Bitcoin futures.
VanEck, meanwhile, offers an ETF that solely invests in Ethereum futures. It reported the second-highest volume of $305,410, accounting for 18% of the combined total. VanEck acknowledged the launch of its fund publicly and said that it offers the “only ETF providing focused exposure to ETH futures that is structured as a C-Corp.”
ProShares also has a notable presence with three separate ETFs that account for 31% of the overall volume. Bitwise accounted for 4% of all volume with just two funds. The two remaining funds, from Kelly and VolShares, had no measured volume.
Crypto ETFs are milestones despite low volume
Balchunas observed that the collective volume across all ETFs amounted to less than $2 million during the first few hours of trading. He called this “about normal for a new ETF” but observed that the volume is considerably lower than that of the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO), which launched in late 2021. Balchunas said that this fund saw $200 million in volume during the first 15 minutes of trading.
Despite the seemingly modest appeal of the above ETFs, their approval is notable. Though certain asset managers took an interest in Ethereum futures ETFs this summer, VanEck and ProShares have sought permission for their respective Ethereum futures ETFs from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) since at least September 2021. This means that the latest approvals are two years in the making.
As such, these new funds may pave the way for the approval of spot Ethereum and spot Bitcoin ETFs — the latter of which are expected to have the greatest appeal.
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Author 
Mike Dalton
Before transitioning to crypto writing in 2018, Mike studied library and information sciences. Currently, he resides on Canada's West Coast.
Editor Editor 
Jacob Oliver
Jacob Oliver is a recovering academic and English teacher turned crypto journalist and web3 writer. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
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Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that enables the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps).
Valkyrie
Valkyrie Investments is a specialized alternative asset management firm at the intersection of traditional finance and the emerging digital asset sector which is headquartered in Nashville.
VanEck
VanEck is a global investment manager with offices around the world, including New York, Australia, China, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Bitwise
Bitwise Asset Management pioneered the first cryptocurrency index fund and is the leading provider of rules-based exposure to the cryptoasset space..