CoinShares to acquire Bastion in push for active crypto funds

The deal seeks to boost CoinShares’ US expansion and integrates Bastion’s quantitative strategies into its digital asset platform

by Blockworks /
article-image

sito alfan/Shutterstock and Adobe modified by Blockworks

share

CoinShares International Limited announced Wednesday that it will acquire Bastion Asset Management, a London-based alternative investment manager focused on digital assets.

The transaction, subject to approval by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, will integrate Bastion’s strategies, team, and expertise into CoinShares’ broader asset management platform. 

CoinShares, headquartered in Jersey with roughly $10 billion in assets under management, said the move enhances its actively managed offerings as it continues to position itself as a comprehensive provider of digital asset investment solutions.

The acquisition aligns with CoinShares’ strategy of combining its established passive products, such as exchange-traded products (ETPs), with more sophisticated actively managed strategies aimed at institutional investors. Bastion brings a market-neutral, quantitative alpha approach that has been deployed over the past three years across a growing client base.

Following the acquisition, Bastion co-founders Philip Scott and Fred Desobry will join CoinShares.

CoinShares’ announcement highlighted that the deal supports its US growth strategy. With the firm already holding registered Investment Advisor status under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the integration of Bastion’s expertise will allow the creation of institutional-grade actively managed funds tailored to US investors.

This is a developing story.


This article was generated with the assistance of AI and reviewed by editor Jeffrey Albus before publication.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates (8).png

Research

Kinetiq has established itself as Hyperliquid's dominant liquid staking protocol, holding 82.5% of LST market share with $610M in TVL. The protocol is now expanding beyond its kHYPE staking core into higher take-rate verticals: iHYPE for institutional custody rails, Launch for HIP-3 capital formation, and Markets for builder-deployed perpetuals. We view Markets, launching Jan. 12, as the highest-potential product line given its mechanically scalable, activity-linked unit economics. Near-term revenue remains anchored by kHYPE's KIP-2 fee schedule (~$1.6M annualized), while Markets provides embedded optionality if HIP-3 economics normalize post-Growth Mode. KNTQ's setup is relatively clean: zero insider unlocks until November 2026, 6.2% buyback yield from staking revenue, and cleared airdrop overhang. Risks center on unproven Markets execution, declining kHYPE TVL despite ongoing incentives, and competition from Hyperliquid's native initiatives.

article-image

BTC finished the week up 1.6%, while L2s, RWAs and the treasury trade continued to grind lower

article-image

DTCC moves DTC-custodied Treasuries onchain via Canton, while Lighter’s LIT launches trading at a fees multiple in Hyperliquid territory

article-image

In the 90s, rapt audiences worldwide watched a coffee pot — will that fascination ever turn to crypto?

article-image

Some systems improve by failing — and crypto has no choice

article-image

Yield Basis introduces an IL-free AMM design that already dominates BTC DEX liquidity

article-image

Maybe tokenholders don’t need the rights that corporate shareholders have come to expect

Newsletter

The Breakdown

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Blockworks Research

Unlock crypto's most powerful research platform.

Our research packs a punch and gives you actionable takeaways for each topic.

SubscribeGet in touch

Blockworks Inc.

133 W 19th St., New York, NY 10011

Blockworks Network

NewsPodcastsNewslettersEventsRoundtablesAnalytics