Alternative Investments
The global alternative investment space now sits at more than $9 trillion in global assets, and we’re just getting started. Roughly 40% of RIAs are using alternative investments. With the RIA space expanding and alternative investment demand rising among investors – a surge in data, news, and opinion will continue. This channel cuts through the noise to give you the most important actionable insight.
Top Story
Bitcoin has been getting a lot of flak recently for the impact that its mining has on the environment. As verification computations get more complex, bitcoin mining rigs consume more and more energy for generating mining rewards. This process becomes a vicious circle when bitcoin prices are on a rally because it becomes more profitable to mine and sell the cryptocurrency. ETFs and other funds holding bitcoin are becoming increasingly concerned about the carbon footprint inherent in their holdings.
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More Stories on Alternative Investments
Alternative Investments/Digital: Mark Yusko Sees Bitcoin At $250K In Five Years
Mark Yusko’s Morgan Creek Capital Management has assets under management of about $2 billion. Assuming his usually bullish stance on bitcoin in an interview on Friday, Yusko said the leading crypto could scale a price of $100,000 in 2021 or 2022. He went further and said it could go up to $250,000 in five years.
Alternative Investments/Digital: VanEck Lists Digital Assets UCITS ETF In Europe
The VanEck Vectors Digital Assets Equity UCITS ETF (DAPP) is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse. It will offer exposure to blockchain-focused companies involved in various digital businesses. It is claimed to be the first ETF on the continent to target companies engaged specifically in digital asset projects.
Alternative Investments/Digital: eToro Launches Bitcoin-Themed Portfolio
Last week, eToro flagged off its BitcoinWorldWide product, a thematic portfolio. The platform described it as “a new innovative CopyPortfolio,” covering the value chain created from activities related to bitcoin.
Alternative Investments/ESG: In A World First, Evolve Offers Investments In Major Indices Sans Carbon Footprints
Evolve Funds Group has filed the final prospectus for its launch of the world’s first ETFs that bring carbon neutrality to traditional indices. The Evolve CleanBeta series of ETFs will flag off with the Evolve S&P/TSX 60 CleanBeta Fund (SIXT) and the Evolve S&P 500 CleanBeta Fund (FIVE).
Alternative Investments/AI: A New ‘Fund Of Thematic Funds’ From LGIM
The Legal & General Global Thematic Fund, a new launch from Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), addresses UK investors and their demand for access to multiple themes. The innovation-focused fund is a bouquet of eight themes in the areas of technology, energy and resources, and changing demographics.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Canada’s Purpose Investments Unveils Growth-Oriented Climate ETF
Purpose Investments Inc announced Tuesday the launch of the Purpose Global Climate Opportunities Fund, a growth-focused, actively-managed climate ETF that will invest in companies benefiting from the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon neutrality.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Amundi’s Climate Paris Aligned ETF Range Gets Fixed Income Fund
French asset manager Amundi has expanded the range of its Paris-aligned climate ETFs. The Amundi iCPR Euro Corp Climate Paris Aligned PAB – Ucits ETF DR will invest in investment-grade euro corporate bonds.
Alternative Investments/ESG: The First “Green Building” ETF From Invesco Will List Today
Invesco has launched a first-of-its-kind ETF focused on companies that have a “green” slant to their operations in the buildings sector – which accounts for a whopping 38% of global carbon emissions according to the UN Environment Program.
Alternative Investments: Disruptor-Focused, Hyper-Concentrated ETFs From Volt Equity
Volt Equity, the boutique investment firm based in Silicon Valley, has joined with Simplify Asset Management to launch a new class of ETFs that are highly concentrated in their exposure and come with an inbuilt options strategy. These ETFs allow investors to “bet big” on companies that are disruptors in their field, or are creating new industries, yet also offer a cushion against downsides. The target audience for these ETFs is Robinhood-era bull investors.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Its Raining Crypto ETF Approvals In Canada, But Fee Wars Erupt In Ether
Canadian regulators cleared three Ethereum ETFs last week. These were funds from Purpose Investments, CI Global Asset Management, and Evolve ETFs that are expected to commence trading today. Meanwhile, the fourth bitcoin ETF to be approved by Canada, the 3iQ CoinShares Bitcoin ETF, commenced trading on the TSX effective Monday. Unsurprisingly, the (surfeit?) of new ETFs has resulted in a chase for investors’ dollars, and fee cuts have been announced.
Alternative Investments/Digital: New Ethereum ETFs Launch In Canada
CI Global Asset Management announced Friday that its CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF had been cleared by the Canadian Securities regulators and that the ETF is likely to start trading on the TSX on April 20. On the same day, Purpose Investments Inc said it had received the regulator’s go-ahead for the Purpose Ether ETF which will invest in physical Ether tokens.
Alternative Investments/Digital: The First Inverse Bitcoin Fund From Horizons ETF Canada
Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc announced the launch of the BetaPro Inverse Bitcoin ETF (TSE: BITI) on the Toronto Stock Exchange effective Thursday. The ETF will allow investors to make bearish bets against bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency. It will provide up to 100% of the inverse daily performance of an index, the Horizons Bitcoin Front Month Rolling Futures Index.
Alternative Investments/Digital: CoinShares Launches XRP ETP On SIX Swiss Exchange
CoinShares, the largest digital asset manager in Europe, announced the launch of CoinShares Physical XRP (XRPL), its latest exchange-traded product (ETP). XRPL provides investors exposure to the XRP cryptocurrency and the native token unit of the Ripple network. Each unit of XRPL is physically backed at launch by 40.0 XRP.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Global X Launches AQWA – A Clean Water ETF
Global X has launched the Global X Clean Water ETF (NASDAQ: AQWA). The new ETF adds to Global X’s Thematic Growth family of 27 ETFs with AUM of more than $16 billion. Thematic Growth ETFs target companies across the globe driving long-term, paradigm-shifting themes.
Venture Capital: SoftBank Vision 2 Leads $676M Round In SambaNova Systems
SambaNova Systems, a startup that builds AI hardware and chips and offers a systems platform to run AI applications, announced today its Series D raise of $676 million in a round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The round valued SambaNova at more than $5 billion and the company’s aggregate funding to more than $1 billion.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Yet Another Bitcoin ETF Application; Galaxy Digital Is The Latest Hopeful
Galaxy Digital, the cryptocurrency investment firm led by Mike Novogratz, has filed an application with the SEC to launch a bitcoin ETF that will trade on the NYSE Arca. The preliminary prospectus states that “the trust provides direct exposure to bitcoin. The shares are valued on a daily basis based on data from bitcoin pricing sources.”
Alternative Investments/ESG: BlackRock’s New ESG ETF Rakes In A Record $1.25B On Launch
The BlackRock US Carbon Transition Readiness ETF (LCTU), which began trading on Thursday, won the crown for being the largest ETF launch ever, drawing investments of $1.25 billion from institutional investors. BlackRock also launched the BlackRock World ex U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF (LCTD) alongside the US ETF. This ETF attracted $475 million in investments.
Alternative Investments/Digital: SEBA Bank Launches Four Crypto ETPs On SIX Swiss Exchange
SEBA Bank, a FINMA-licenced Swiss Bank, and GHCO, a liquidity provider and market maker specializing in exchange-traded funds, have partnered to launch a suite of crypto ETPs on the SIX Swiss Exchange from April 9, 2021.
Alternative Investments/Digital: CoinShares And 3iQ Join Hands For BTC ETF
Asset manager Coinshares is partnering with 3iQ for the launch of the 3iQ Coinshares Bitcoin ETF. The move follows a strategic investment by CoinShares in 3iQ. The ETF is expected to trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange from early April under the symbols “BTCQ.U” (in US dollars) and “BTCQ” (in Canadian dollars). 3iQ will act as the investment and portfolio manager of the ETF.
Alternative Investments/Digital: North America’s First Bitcoin Mutual Fund From CI Global
CI Global Asset Management announced Monday the launch of the first mutual fund to offer exposure to bitcoin. The CI Bitcoin Fund requires a minimum investment of only $500 and charges a management fee of 0.40% – claimed to be an industry-low. With the launch of this product, CI Global earns the distinction of being the only firm across the globe to offer a bitcoin mutual fund as well as a bitcoin ETF.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Grayscale Trains Its Sights On Morphing GBTC Into An ETF
In a blog post today, Grayscale cleared the air on its intentions regarding a bitcoin ETF, given the increasing number of applications piling up with the SEC for permission to launch such a vehicle for the leading cryptocurrency.
Alternative Investments/ESG: New Hydrogen ETF From Direxion
As investors accord increasing importance to ESG and clean energy in their portfolios, hydrogen is now making its way onto the center-stage of fuels that are renewable, zero-emission, and a store of energy. The Direxion Hydrogen ETF (HJEN) will give investors exposure to companies powering the clean hydrogen economy.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management To Offer Cryptos
Mary Rich, the new incumbent leading digital assets for Goldman Sachs’ private wealth management division, said the investment bank will begin offering investments in bitcoin and other digital assets as early as the second quarter of this year.
Alternative Investments/ESG: BlackRock Adds Two ESG Fixed Income ETFs
BlackRock has launched two new ETFs as an extension of its sustainability-focused fixed income ETFs range. The iShares € Green Bond Ucits ETF offers exposure to investment-grade green bonds, while the iShares Global Govt Bond Climate Ucits ETF offers investors exposure to government bonds while incorporating climate risk.