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

article-image

Blockworks Exclusive Art by Axel Rangel

share

key takeaways

  • 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.

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:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
Tags

recent research

Research Report Templates (4).png

Research

Even as the most performant, widely used blockchain today, Solana is still far from perfect, prompting some teams to iterate upon some design choices while maintaining compatibility at the SVM execution layer. This report analyzes three emergent SVM chains (Eclipse, Atlas, and Fogo) to understand the motivations behind the technical architectures, as well as the current state and future outlook.

article-image

Fundamental investors are turning to token buybacks

article-image

A Glassnode report found that the accumulation range for bitcoin is ‘weak,’ indicating a decline in demand

article-image

CEO Bam Azizi said he’ll only be seeking stablecoin-exclusive funding rounds from now on

article-image

Sponsored

WalletConnect is set to deepen its role by integrating with emerging standards and expanding its utility across different onchain sectors

article-image

Zeta Markets has shipped testnet for Bullet, a low-latency “network extension,” the team told Lightspeed exclusively

article-image

Having passed Congress, the resolution will now head to Trump’s desk