Short answer: Spot Bitcoin ETFs can be purchased at Robinhood, Coinbase Wallet, Webull, and Interactive Brokers.
Gaining investment exposure to Bitcoin has never been easier with the new Spot Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). Approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in early 2024, this ETF became the most successful ETF launch in history, garnering tremendous attention and pushing Bitcoin to new highs. ETFs make it easier for investors to trade cryptocurrencies, opening up space to a new demographic. Let's take a look at how to buy Spot Bitcoin ETF shares now.
What is Spot Bitcoin ETF?
ETFs are created when a sponsor pools money from many investors and uses it to buy assets. These assets are packaged as stocks and offered to investors. These are useful tools for investors to gain market exposure, diversify their portfolios, and find new trading ideas.
In the case of a Bitcoin ETF, the sponsor, one of the world's largest asset managers, buys Bitcoin and packages it into shares that are sold to the public. This means that each share is correlated with a certain amount of Bitcoin stored on the blockchain and under the ownership of the sponsor.
Where to buy Spot Bitcoin ETF
Spot Bitcoin ETFs can be purchased at most stock brokerages. However, Robinhood, Webull, and Interactive Brokers are some of the best platforms offering spot ETFs.
How to buy Spot Bitcoin ETF in 3 steps
Bitcoin ETFs are purchased using a process similar to buying stocks or other ETFs. Here are three steps to follow to buy Spot ETF stocks:
1. Open an account at a securities company
Most brokerages make it easy to create an account. This can be done by entering your email and password. Next, you will need to enter some personal information to verify your account. This process typically takes 5-10 minutes, and your account can be verified within one business day, depending on the situation.
2. Fund your account
For verified accounts, you will need to deposit funds. This can be done in several ways, including wire transfers and automated clearinghouse (ACH) transfers. Wire transfers are done directly between banks and brokers, so they can be sent quickly, but they often come with higher fees. ACH transfers can be a little slower, but there are often no fees.
Additionally, some sites, such as Robinhood and Webull, give you instant access to purchasing power. This means you can initiate a transaction before the transfer is completed and debited from your bank account.
3. Purchase
Once your account is funded, the next step is to select an ETF and execute a trade. There are currently 11 spot ETFs. While most are similar and closely track the price of Bitcoin, other considerations when choosing an ETF include fees, liquidity, issuer reputation, and market performance.
Once you select an ETF, you can search for the ETF on your broker's website. From there, select the “Trade” button and enter the number of dollars or shares you wish to purchase. You can then execute the trade. You will receive a confirmation email and will be able to check the ETF holdings in your portfolio.
Advantages of investing in Bitcoin ETF
- Convenience: ETFs are products that are very easy for investors to purchase. This allows you to access Bitcoin without the hassle of purchasing Bitcoin directly from a crypto intermediary.
- Liquidity: Bitcoin is very liquid overall, but some exchanges have limited liquidity. ETFs solve this problem by bringing liquidity to a central location such as the Nasdaq Stock Market or his BATS Global Market. This means that ETFs can ensure more consistent liquidity, as opposed to Bitcoin on some smaller crypto exchanges.
- Diversification: Since its inception in 2009, Bitcoin continues to perform very well in 2024. Additionally, many see Bitcoin as a store of value and a hedge against inflation. These characteristics may make it a good investment to add to a diversified portfolio.
- Professional supervision: There are some risks when you own Bitcoin on your own or with a small cryptocurrency intermediary. One is that your tokens can be stolen through phishing scams.
Additionally, some cryptocurrency exchanges have been hacked in the past, resulting in the loss of customer funds. ETFs have professional custodians to ensure your funds are safe and are insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).
Disadvantages of investing in Bitcoin ETFs
- Management fee: Because buying Bitcoin and distributing the associated stocks is costly, ETFs charge a small fee for investing. However, these fees are somewhat small compared to other ETFs. Additionally, some of his ETFs are running special promotions where the first purchaser receives no fees.
- Limited control over Bitcoin: Bitcoin was created to facilitate peer-to-peer transactions. However, for Bitcoin to be used for this purpose, an individual must hold the Bitcoin directly. This is not possible with ETFs. This is because Bitcoin is technically held by sponsors, who simply pass on price movements to investors.
Spot Bitcoin ETF Alternatives
- Invest in Bitcoin directly: Perhaps most obviously, if you want to use Bitcoin, you can buy it directly through a crypto intermediary.
- Futures ETF: Another form of Bitcoin ETF uses futures to more loosely track the price of Bitcoin, rather than buying it directly. However, futures contracts are costly to manage and roll over on an ongoing basis, which often results in higher fees.
- Bitcoin mining stocks: There are several companies that derive most of their operating revenue from Bitcoin mining. The prices of these companies often correlate with the price of Bitcoin, as the two are closely related.
Now is the perfect time to buy Bitcoin easily
For most of Bitcoin's history, it was difficult to obtain Bitcoin. Either you needed a special wallet or you had to bet on a small cryptocurrency exchange. However, as the token became more famous, it became much easier to buy Bitcoin. In 2024, it will be easier than ever to get your hands on it.
Disclosure: ²Sum of estimated savings and median earned rewards per user across multiple Coinbase programs (excluding sweepstakes) in 2021. This amount includes fee waivers from Coinbase One (excluding subscription fees), rewards from Coinbase Card, and staking rewards. 3 Crypto Rewards is an optional offer from Coinbase. When you purchase USDC, you are automatically opted in to the benefits. If you would like to opt-out or learn more about benefits, please click here. Benefit rates are subject to change and may vary by region. Customers will be able to view the latest applicable rates directly within their account.
FAQ
a
Most ETFs are quite similar; VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL) recently waived fees until the ETF reaches $1.5 billion in assets under management (AUM).
a
No, ETFs do not allow Bitcoin to be sent or used in transactions.
a
Many people believe that Bitcoin ETFs are a good idea because more people can invest in them.