Thursday was a momentous day in crypto as the first SEC-approved spot Bitcoin ETFs finally began trading after more than a decade of waiting, and by almost all accounts, it was a huge success, with more than $625 million in inflows on the first day of trading. 
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan and VanEck head of digital assets research Matthew Sigel joined Unchained to discuss their approaches towards selling their products in the market, the challenges of competing with larger firms like BlackRock and Fidelity, the fee wars and where those are headed, the importance of specialist expertise in the crypto investment space, and how Bitcoin prices might react to all the new supply in the market. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Show highlights:

Why Matt Hougan regards the first week as a massive success for Bitcoin

How Matthew Sigel emphasizes the costs and benefits ETFs offer to retail investors

The strategic marketing approaches of VanEck and Bitwise aligning with Bitcoin community values

The reasons for Bitwise's standout performance in the first days of trading, according to Matt

Whether the introduction of Bitcoin ETFs will reshape the broader ETF landscape

Matt's perspective on why some financial institutions resist Bitcoin, and their eventual openness to crypto

Whether the established players in finance feel threatened by the rise of open source technologies

Whether Gary Gensler’s statement after the approval is “totally crazy”

Why data for the various ETFs in the market should be analyzed on a weekly or monthly basis

The ongoing fee competition and how smaller entities can compete against giants like BlackRock and Fidelity

Grayscale's strategies to remain competitive with higher fees and the possibility of launching a new, low-fee ETF

How investment advisors might adapt to these new crypto products and the potential for mainstream adoption

Matthew’s predictions for when BTC investors, both short-term and long-term, will take profits

Why they are both closely monitoring Ethereum's performance and the prospects for a spot ether ETF in the market

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Guests:


Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management

Previous appearances on Unchained: Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10



Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck.

Links

Previous coverage of Unchained on spot Bitcoin ETFs:

Why Some Brokerage Firms Are Blocking Access to Spot Bitcoin ETFs

Why Spot Bitcoin ETFs Are Likely to Finally Start Trading on Thursday 

Why the SEC May Want Cash Creation of Spot Bitcoin ETFs

Why It Looks Like BlackRock Could Win America’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF

Will a Spot Bitcoin ETF Finally Get Approved?

The 4 Factors That Will Determine Which Spot Bitcoin ETFs Win Market Share

How Much Money Will Flow Into Bitcoin ETFs? Here’s One Projection

Approval:

Unchained: 

Spot Bitcoin ETFs Finally Receive SEC Seal of Approval

What Officials, ETF Issuers, and Others Are Saying About the SEC's Spot Bitcoin ETF Approvals

Laura Shin’s op-ed on Unchained: Why Spot Bitcoin ETFs Are (But Mostly Aren't) a Big Deal for Crypto


David Z. Morris’ op-ed on Unchained: The SEC’s Bumbling Bitcoin ETF Rollout Was Perfectly On-Brand


First days of trading

Unchained: 

Spot Bitcoin ETFs Record $4.6 Billion First Day Trading Volume

Spot Bitcoin ETF Inflows Topped $625 Million on First Day in ‘Phenomenal’ Debut, Led by Bitwise

Vanguard Isn’t Allowing Customers to Buy Spot Bitcoin ETFs


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