BlockFi Launches the BlockFi Bitcoin Trust – PRNewswire – PRNewswire

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --BlockFiInc. ("BlockFi"), a financial services company dedicated to building a bridge between cryptocurrencies and traditional financial and wealth management products, today announced the launch of the BlockFi Bitcoin Trust ("the Trust"), an investment vehicle for investors seeking access to Bitcoin ("BTC"), the leading digital asset. The entry of the Trust into the market will provide investors with an alternative, more cost-effective entry point to the crypto market compared with similar existing products.

Investment trusts are among the most popular methods for major institutions to invest in BTC. The Trust will issue shares via private placements, and the investment objective of the Trust is for the value of the shares to reflect the value of BTC held by the Trust less the Trust's expenses and other liabilities. Trust shares will be available to global institutions and other qualified investors in the near-term, and later this eligibility will be expanded to include accredited individual investors in the U.S.

Initial subscribers to the Trust are expected to include BlockFi and select institutional investors, using BTC to subscribe. Upon the expiration of an initial lockup, shares may become available for secondary investment on a wide range of recognized brokerage platforms.

As sponsor of the Trust, BlockFi Management LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of BlockFi, will charge a sponsor fee of 1.75%. BTC held in the Trust will be custodied by Fidelity Digital Assets Services, LLC ("Fidelity Digital Assets") through an enterprise-grade custody solution purpose-built for institutional investments. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is legal counsel to BlockFi in connection with the Trust, with Coin Metrics Inc. providing index and pricing data and Grant Thornton LLP serving as financial statement auditor.

"Given the level of institutional activity in recent months and demand for new, professional-grade investment vehicles, the timing of BlockFi Bitcoin Trust is ideal," said Zac Prince, Founder & CEO of BlockFi. "As we work to broaden the availability of this vehicle to retail brokerages, we expect this product will facilitate greater investments in digital assets - at the core of BlockFi's mission in bridging crypto with traditional finance."

"We believe a trust structure for this product is beneficial for investors and will play an important role in improving access in this nascent market," added Yevgeniy Feldman, Vice President for Institutional Services at BlockFi. "The BlockFi Bitcoin Trust can more easily meet rapidly growing demands from the public to invest in digital assets, and our decision to custody the Trust's holdings with Fidelity Digital Assets will help give shareholders peace-of-mind in the security of their investments."

"The digital asset ecosystem has grown significantly in recent years, creating an even more robust marketplace for investors and accelerating demand among institutions," said Christine Sandler, Head of Sales and Marketing for Fidelity Digital Assets. "An increasingly wide range of investors seeking access to Bitcoin has emphasized the need for a more diversified set of products offering exposure to the asset. Like BlockFi, we believe pairing innovative products with institutional-grade solutions that provide high caliber security will help enable broader adoption of digital assets."

For additional information, interested investors can visit: https://www.BlockFiTrust.com

Legal Disclaimers:

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives and risks as well as fees and expenses of the Trust before investing. More information can be found in the Trust's Private Placement Memorandum. Read the Private Placement Memorandum carefully before investing.

Nothing contained in this announcement should be construed as a solicitation of an offer to buy or offer, or recommendation, to acquire or dispose of any security, commodity, investment or to engage in any other transaction.The information provided in this announcement is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation. This announcement is not directed to any person in any jurisdiction where the publication or availability of the announcement is prohibited, by reason of that person's nationality, residence or otherwise.

Investments in the Trust involve risk and the value of the Trust's shares could go down.

Neither BlockFi nor any of its affiliates or representatives provide legal, tax or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

Media Contact for BlockFi:

Ryan DicovitskyDukas Linden Public Relations[emailprotected]

About BlockFi

BlockFi is a new breed of financial services company. Founded in 2017 by Zac Prince and Flori Marquez, BlockFi is building a bridge between cryptocurrencies and traditional financial and wealth management products to advance the overall digital asset ecosystem for individual and institutional investors. BlockFi's platform manages more than $8 billion in assets and has generated tens of millions in interest for clients. The company, headquartered in New Jersey with offices around the globe, continues to expand its presence in the United States and internationally.

About Fidelity Digital Assets

Fidelity Digital Assets offers a full-service enterprise-grade platform for securing, trading and supporting digital assets. A business of Fidelity Investments, one of the world's largest and most diversified financial services providers with more than $9.8 trillion in client assets under administration as of December 31, 2020, Fidelity Digital Assets combines the operational and technical capabilities of the broader Fidelity organization with dedicated blockchain expertise to deliver a completely new offering for institutional investors. Learn more at http://fidelitydigitalassets.com.

Fidelity Digital AssetsSM("Fidelity") is an independent company, unaffiliated with BlockFi. Fidelity is a service provider to BlockFi. There is no form of legal partnership agency affiliation, or similar relationship between the BlockFi and Fidelity, nor is such a relationship created or implied by the information herein.

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BlockFi Launches the BlockFi Bitcoin Trust - PRNewswire - PRNewswire