Like gold ETFs, a bitcoin ETF would make it significantly easier for a broader range of investors to gain exposure to bitcoin. It eliminates the need for investors to directly buy and store bitcoin. While this difficulty did not discourage early adopters, it can be a complex and daunting process for many (i.e., imagine walking a grandparent through the cold storage process). Fun fact: Before the first gold ETF was launched, investors could invest in clunkier closed-end funds, gold companies like miners or lug around the actual shiny metal. With an ETF, investor demand for gold increased. A bitcoin spot ETF could do likewise, leading to a surge in buying by retail investors who aren’t currently in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) or one of the bitcoin futures ETFs like the one from ProShares (BITO).
