Most of the upcoming ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are temporarily discounting or waiving fees as competition heats up before the launch next week.
Discounts range from 50% fee reductions to full waivers and will be effective for six months to a year. Some discounts lapse once ETFs accumulate a certain volume of assets under management.
7 of 10 Ether ETFs are cutting fees, but why?
Seven of the ten planned ETFs have announced they would reduce or waive fees. The three that haven’t are Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE), Invesco Galaxy, and ProShares. ProShares is not likely to launch next week, as it has lagged behind in the registration process.
Franklin Templeton’s EZET offers the lowest fees—a base rate of 0.19%. Its spot Bitcoin ETF fees were also the lowest, which didn’t help the issuer. BlackRock is the biggest spot Bitcoin ETF, but its fees aren’t the lowest.
The other ETFs’ fees range from 0.20% to 0.25%, with one key exception: ETHE, which is sticking with its 2.5% management fee. Grayscale’s new fund, the Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust, has lower rates.
Brand name and distribution matter more
According to experts, brand name and distribution will matter more to investors than small fee differences. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust will attract more interest than an ETF from an unknown issuer despite being more expensive by a few basis points. A 10-20-point difference could be a deal-breaker, though.
At any rate, the spot bitcoin ETF developments are a good pattern for how competition within spot ether ETFs will pan out.
Other key concerns
The underlying spot markets for ether and cryptocurrencies, in general, are often less regulated and more susceptible to price manipulation compared to traditional financial markets.
Spot markets can have varying levels of liquidity, leading to price discrepancies and volatility. Safeguarding the underlying crypto assets involves significant security risks, including hacking and theft. Spot crypto ETFs might trade at significant premiums or discounts to the net asset value due to market inefficiencies.
