Glossary
Spot Bitcoin ETF
A spot Bitcoin ETF is an exchange-traded fund that holds actual bitcoin and tracks its price.
A spot Bitcoin ETF is a fund whose shares trade on a stock exchange. The fund holds actual bitcoin through a custodian. The share price tracks the value of the bitcoin held, after fees. An investor can get exposure to Bitcoin through an ordinary brokerage account.
The fund differs from a futures ETF, which holds futures contracts instead of coins. Authorized participants create and redeem shares to keep the share price near the value of the holdings. Funds report their holdings, assets under management and daily flows. Each issuer publishes its own figures.
ETF flow data shows net money moving into or out of these funds. It is one view of demand for regulated Bitcoin exposure. Flows do not cover all buyers of Bitcoin, and the daily figure can arrive late. Rules, fees and availability differ by country. This is not investment advice.
Example
An investor buys 100 shares of the fund on a stock exchange. The fund keeps the matching bitcoin with its custodian. The investor does not hold a private key.