Monochrome Bitcoin ETF gets filed to Australian securities exchange

Australian-based crypto investment firm Monochrome Asset Management has updated its application to offer a spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) through its partner Vasco Trustees.

The ETF — Monochrome Bitcoin ETF — will be able to offer retail Australian investors direct exposure to Bitcoin, according to the firm’s July 14 announcement.

Australia joins the #Bitcoin race.#spot #bitcoinetf @MonochromeAsset https://t.co/hqXb9RY5HL pic.twitter.com/KEEXHQ9Eo6— Jeff (@jeffyew_) July 13, 2023

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Monochrome CEO Jeff Yew explained that by obtaining a license, Australian retail investors would be exposed to Bitcoin within a formidable regulatory landscape:

“Through a Bitcoin ETF, it makes it possible for them to buy and use the asset class in however they see fit with the investment choices [and] in a regulated manner, and also operating within the regular regulatory perimeter.”

“So that is the benefit, I guess, compared to, say, unregulated exchanges where there’s no investor protection,” he added.

Yew believes that if a Bitcoin ETF goes live on ASX, it will send a “clear signal” to traditional investors that the “unregulated Wild West is coming to an end” because their investments will be backed by a “familiar,” “structured” and “protected environment.”

Vasco, its “Responsible Entity Partner,” is authorized under an Australian Financial Services Licence to offer retail investors regulated exposure to the cryptocurrency market, the firm stated.

Related: Bitcoin ETF is the needed ‘seal of approval’ for BTC — Mike Novogratz

Spot Bitcoin ETF applications have been a focus point for the industry lately, particularly in the United States. In recent weeks, the industry has seen spot Bitcoin ETF filings from major financial firms, including Fidelity, Invesco, Wisdom Tree, Valkyrie and the $10 trillion asset management firm BlackRock.

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Update (July 14 at 15:00 UTC): This article has been updated to reflect that Monochrome's Bitcoin ETF provides exposure only to Bitcoin and not Ether.