The legacy asset management and mutual fund company T. Rowe Price is jumping into the crypto landscape with the launch of the first actively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF) focused on digital assets.
Whereas most existing crypto ETFs invest in a single asset—typically bitcoin—the T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF will hold a diversified basket of five to fifteen cryptocurrencies, including ether, Solana, XRP, and Cardano, among others. To maintain liquidity, the fund will also allocate a portion of its assets to cash, stablecoins, or U.S. Treasury bills.
Firms like Grayscale have applied to the SEC for approval of crypto index ETFs that hold multiple cryptocurrencies. However, the T. Rowe Price fund would go a step further by moving in and out of positions based on market conditions, requiring constant analysis and management. Other established asset managers, including BlackRock and Fidelity, have already entered the crypto ETF space, but with passive funds that track a single asset or index.
The Challenge of Active Management
T. Rowe Price is fairly new to ETFs, having marketed its first such fund in 2020, though active management has been its bread and butter for decades.
“The highly successful launch of several spot bitcoin exchange‑traded funds (ETFs) in early 2024 has shown that traditional investor interest in [digital assets] is substantial,” T. Rowe Price noted in a paper published earlier this year. “For us, the key question is whether the investment returns potentially available to passive DA holders merit their inclusion in diversified portfolios.”
The T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF answers that question by asserting that the best way to hold crypto within a diversified portfolio is through an actively changeable basket of cryptocurrencies. The question now is whether a legacy mutual fund firm has the analytical chops to make consistently profitable trades in and out of digital assets.
The Road to the Market
The product could reach the market fairly quickly. The SEC recently approved new listing standards that effectively shorten the timeline for crypto ETFs to begin trading. At that time, nearly 100 crypto ETF applications were awaiting regulatory approval.
However, the processing of these applications is currently on hold while the U.S. government remains shut down. The SEC is unlikely to review or approve any new crypto ETF filings until the government reopens.
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