Grayscale Investments, a leading asset manager in the digital currency space, is on the cusp of launching a spot Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF). However, market analytics firm Kaiko’s data suggests that the ETF could encounter outflows averaging $110 million daily—a concern drawing the attention of investors and analysts alike.
Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust, known as ETHE, with its substantial assets under management (AUM) of $11 billion, already trades on over-the-counter markets and allows investors to gain exposure to Ethereum without directly owning the cryptocurrency. Its performance has been closely monitored, especially given significant price deviations from its net asset value (NAV)—the total market value of the securities in the portfolio divided by the number of shares outstanding. In the past three months, ETHE has traded at a discount as high as 26% to its NAV.
This discount, driven by factors such as market volatility and regulatory uncertainty, offers a potential advantage to new investors but raises concerns about underlying investor sentiment. When Grayscale previously announced it was seeking to convert its popular Bitcoin Trust into an ETF, it led to investor expectations of increased liquidity and potentially narrowing discounts. However, Kaiko’s projection of substantial outflows aligns with what was observed from the similar product structure of Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust. If the ETHE transition follows suit, the resulting scenario could mirror the average daily outflows anticipated.
Moreover, the current pattern witnessed in the pricing of Grayscale’s Ether Trust highlights the discount fluctuation that accompanies market speculation. On May 1, the discount had ballooned beyond 25%. By May 24, it had shrunk markedly to 1.28%. Speculation around the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s possible approval of spot Ether ETFs seems to be influencing the investment community’s perception of ETHE’s value, leading to these dramatic price shifts.
This situation with ETHE is set within the broader context of a growing influx of crypto investment products. Following the earlier approval of Bitcoin ETFs, the market witnessed the introduction of similar products for Ethereum, exemplifying the maturing cryptocurrency investment landscape. Industry experts have posited that these developments were foreseeable after the SEC approved crypto futures ETFs and interpret them as a reinforcement of Ether’s standing as a non-security.
Investor sentiment towards ETHE and its upcoming ETF version underscores the evolving complexities of cryptocurrency investments. As Grayscale navigates the transition of ETHE to an ETF, the predicted outflows suggest that, while an ETF structure may offer certain benefits, substantial challenges remain. Potential investors will be watching closely to see how the discount to NAV evolves and whether the ETF launch can attract new inflows to offset the projected average daily outflows.
