The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) marked a milestone on Thursday with the launch of the country's first Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) on its main stock market. The VanEck Bitcoin ETF (VBTC) debuted with approximately AUD990,000 ($660,429) in assets, signaling a growing appetite among investors for cryptocurrency-related products.

Australia's Main Stock Exchange Welcomes First Bitcoin ETF

The launch comes after more than three years of discussions between fund managers and the ASX, as the exchange operator sought to ensure proper safeguards were in place. While the VanEck Bitcoin ETF will not directly own Bitcoin, it will invest in the US-listed VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL), which made its debut in January.

The launch of the VanEck Bitcoin ETF follows a wave of similar products hitting the market in other countries. In the United States, investors have poured billions of dollars into cryptocurrency ETFs since several products received regulatory approval in early 2024. Hong Kong also joined the trend in April, introducing six cryptocurrency funds, although investor interest there has been relatively subdued compared to the US.

“The demand for access to Bitcoin via a listed vehicle traded on ASX has been increasing, and many of our clients have told us that their clients are already positioned to have an allocation ready to invest,” said Arian Neiron, CEO and Managing Director at VanEck Asia Pacific.

While the VanEck Bitcoin ETF is the first fund of its kind to be listed on the ASX, it is not the only cryptocurrency-related product available to Australian investors. The local subsidiary of CBOE Global Markets (CBOE) operates a competitor exchange that already hosts several bitcoin ETFs.

Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has experienced a significant resurgence in 2023, with its price nearly tripling since the start of the year. However, the digital asset's value has plateaued in recent months after reaching a peak in March.

As the VanEck Bitcoin ETF begins trading alongside some of Australia's most well-known corporations, such as BHP (BHP) and Commonwealth Bank (CBA), it remains to be seen how investors will respond to this new investment vehicle and whether it will pave the way for more cryptocurrency-related products on the ASX in the future.

The market for cryptocurrency ETFs is now eagerly awaiting the introduction of the first-ever physically-backed funds for Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest digital asset by market capitalization. Although the US SEC accepted preliminary applications from issuers a month ago, the final approval has not yet occurred.