Samsung’s Investment Arm To Pursue Asia’s First Blockchain ETF

Samsung Asset Management is reportedly seeking to list its blockchain ETF on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange

April 29, 2022 04:53 pm

Blockworks Exclusive Art by Axel Rangel

The investment arm of Samsung wants to list a blockchain ETF that closely resembles Amplify’s BLOK ETF
The fund is expected to track a basket of major crypto and blockchain tech companies including Coinbase and Galaxy Digital

Samsung Group’s investment arm is reportedly pursuing Asia’s first blockchain ETF in a bid to capitalize on growing demand.

South Korea’s Samsung Asset Management will attempt to launch the fund sometime within the first half of 2022 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, The Korea Economic Daily reported Thursday.

It’s the first time an Asia-based ETF of its kind – that includes crypto – will be listed in the region. The vehicle is expected to track a basket of major blockchain tech companies.

Newsletter

Subscribe to The Breakdown

The move follows the asset manager’s acquisition of US ETF provider Amplify Holding Company in late March, in which it took a 20% stake via a special purpose vehicle. The investment arm is Amplify’s exclusive ETF partner in Asia, according to a press release.

Samsung’s ETF is expected to closely resemble Amplify’s BLOK ETF – albeit under its own brand – which invests 80% of its net assets into equity securities of blockchain-based companies. The BLOK ETF’s top holdings include Coinbase, Microstrategy, Nvidia, SBI Holdings and Galaxy Digital.

Blockchain-based ETFs continue to gather pace following regulatory approval of several funds from major asset managers in recent months, hoping to capture the upside of crypto’s speculative fervor.

In addition to tracking crypto firms, BLOK also covers crypto-based ETFs, including Purpose Investments’ bitcoin ETF and 3IQ Coinshares bitcoin ETF.

Canada-based Purpose Investments’ ETF launched the world’s first bitcoin ETF backed by physically settled bitcoin in February 2021.

The move sparked a renewal of ETF applications across the world, including the US, which has yet to approve its first spot bitcoin fund, as a result of the SEC’s wary stance.

Samsung Asset Management is a wholly-owned subsidiary under the umbrella of the Samsung Group.

Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

The Breakdown: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.
0xResearch: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst.

Tags

Newsletter

The Breakdown

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

Upcoming Events

Digital Asset Summit 2026

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.

buy tickets learn more

recent research

Research

Kinetiq Protocol: From LST Infrastructure to HIP-3 Deployer

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.

by Shaunda Devens