VanEck To Launch Bitcoin ETF Exposure For French Pension Plans

As a seasoned researcher with a background in financial markets and digital assets, I find the recent collaboration between VanEck and Inter Invest to introduce Bitcoin exposure within French retirement savings plans an intriguing development. My professional experience has shown me that innovation in finance often comes with volatility, but can lead to significant growth opportunities over the long term.


VanEck, a Bitcoin ETF provider, and Inter Invest, an asset management firm, have joined forces to introduce the initial Bitcoin investment option in French pension schemes.

VanEck’s newly launched Bitcoin ETF, VBTC, serves as the catalyst for this undertaking on Australia’s premier exchange. Boasting a market value of $407 million, the VBTC ETF is designed to enable French Pension Savings Plan (PER) investors to incorporate digital assets into their retirement investments.

Bitcoin ETF Integration In Retirement Plans

VBTC is engineered to mirror the MarketVector Bitcoin VWAP Closing Index exactly, maintaining full collateralization through direct investment in Bitcoins. In simpler terms, VBTC follows the Bitcoin VWAP Closing Index closely and keeps an equal value in Bitcoins as collateral.

As a crypto investor, I’d describe it this way: The VBTC ETF comes with a management fee of 1%, offering me a regulated investment vehicle to access the biggest cryptocurrency. This is reminiscent of the newly introduced US ETFs that debuted in January following SEC approval.

Martijn Rozemuller, the CEO of VanEck Europe, emphasized that VanEck views Bitcoin as an innovative asset with potential for the long term. However, he pointed out that Bitcoin’s recent price fluctuations, which have been quite significant over the past month, are characteristic of emerging assets during their value-seeking phases.

In early July, Bitcoin experienced a significant drop in value, reaching a six-month low of $53,500. This decline followed an unsuccessful attempt to surpass its previous all-time high of $73,500, which occurred between May and June. Consequently, the price of Bitcoin fell by approximately 25%.

As a researcher studying the cryptocurrency market, I’ve noticed that Bitcoin has successfully rebounded from its recent dip and is now making an effort to stabilize above the $63,700 mark, according to the information displayed on the daily BTC/USD chart.

VanEck To Launch Bitcoin ETF Exposure For French Pension Plans

Jean-Baptiste de Pascal, Inter Invest’s Deputy CEO, emphasized the company’s dedication to making advanced financial assets more accessible to the general public.

As a crypto-savvy investor, I’d express it this way: De Pascal proposed that the company includes digital currencies in its retirement savings schemes to cater to the escalating market trend of blending pension funds with cryptocurrency diversification.

US BTC ETFs Surpass $16 Billion Milestone

In simple terms, the addition of Bitcoin ETFs to French pension schemes comes after the first cryptocurrency ETFs were given the green light for listing on the London Stock Exchange in the second quarter. This allows experienced investors to invest in this asset class.

Despite the growing presence of digital assets, there remains a degree of doubt and criticism. The European Central Bank (ECB) has expressed skepticism towards the SEC’s approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs, comparing it to the “naked emperor’s new clothes” in a metaphorical sense. This implies that the approval may appear impressive or legitimate to some, but lacks substance or true value according to the ECB’s perspective.

In spite of previous setbacks, new data indicates that the recently authorized market is thriving, as evidenced by seven straight days of net inflows into US Bitcoin ETFs, totaling $301 on Monday.

Significantly, the IBIT and ETFs from BlackRock’s iShares and Ark Invest, as well as 21Shares’ ARKB ETF, experienced significant inflows totaling $117 million. According to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas, Bitcoin ETFs have reached a noteworthy mark of over $16 billion in assets under management this year.

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2024-07-17 10:12