While the COVID-19 pandemic’s long-term socioeconomic effects are yet to be known, most economies are still dealing with the effects of the global fin
While the COVID-19 pandemic’s long-term socioeconomic effects are yet to be known, most economies are still dealing with the effects of the global financial crisis. Moreover, millions of households are under or unbanked, and there are additional obstacles faced by people, including slow wage growth, skyrocketing property costs and government debt as more and more individuals are living hand to mouth.
After the global financial crisis of 2008, financial advancements like blockchain-based assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and more cryptocurrencies emerged. However, they have been through roller coaster rides due to extreme volatility and mismanagement of businesses.
In light of this, tokenized securities backed by real-world assets such as real estate, commodities or company shares came into existence. Tokenized securities use blockchain for the issuance, representation and trading of an underlying asset, whereas cryptocurrencies like BTC are digital assets that are not backed by any physical assets and whose value is determined by market demand. On the other hand, tokenized securities derive their value from collateral.
Related: ICOs vs. STOs vs. IPOs in crypto: Key differences explained
This article will discuss cryptocurrency index funds, including how they work, their pros and cons, how to invest in decentralized crypto index tokens, and how they are different from crypto mutual funds and cryptocurrencies.
What is a crypto index fund?
In general, an index fund is a type of investment fund that aims to track the performance of a specific market index. In this context, a crypto index fund is a type of investment vehicle that aims to track the performance of a specific index of cryptocurrencies, such as the top 10 or 20 coins by market capitalization.
Crypto index funds are similar to traditional index funds, which track the performance of a specific stock market index, such as the S&P 500. The S&P 500 tracks the performance of 500 large, publicly traded companies in the United States.
Nonetheless, these funds are different from crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are similar to traditional ETFs in that they track a basket of assets (in this case, cryptocurrencies) and can be traded on a stock exchange. However, while traditional ETFs hold the underlying assets they track, crypto ETFs hold derivatives, such as futures contracts, that track the price of the underlying assets.
Examples of crypto index funds include Grayscale’s Digital Large Cap Fund, which tracks the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, and Bitwise’s 10 Crypto Index Fund, which tracks the top 10 coins by market capitalization, weighting them by liquidity.
The main benefit of investing in a crypto index fund is that it provides investors with diversification. By investing in a basket of cryptocurrencies, rather than just one coin, investors are able to spread their risk across multiple assets. This can help to mitigate the volatility that is commonly associated with individual cryptocurrencies.
Another advantage of crypto index funds like Grayscale’s Digital Large Cap Fund is that they are managed by professional fund managers, who are responsible for selecting the coins that make up the index and rebalancing the cryptocurrency portfolio as needed. This can help to reduce the time and effort required for individual investors to research and select individual coins to invest in.
However, since crypto index funds are still a relatively new and rapidly evolving asset class, and the regulatory environment surrounding them is still uncertain in many countries, it is important for investors to thoroughly research their chosen crypto index fund before investing.
How does a crypto index fund work?
A crypto index fund provides investors with a diversified portfolio of cryptocurrencies, which can help mitigate risk because if one cryptocurrency performs poorly, the other cryptocurrencies in the fund may perform well, helping to balance out the overall performance of the fund.
As mentioned, a crypto index fund is typically managed by a professional investment manager who selects a diverse portfolio of cryptocurrencies that aligns with the index or basket being tracked. The fund’s performance is then closely tied to the performance of the underlying index or basket.
Investors can purchase shares in the fund, which gives them exposure to the underlying cryptocurrencies without having to purchase them directly. This can be ideal for investors who are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable purchasing individual cryptocurrencies. Additionally, index funds are generally considered to be a more passive investment strategy, as the fund manager is typically not actively buying and selling the underlying assets.
The fund typically charges a management fee for professional management, and some funds may also have an expense ratio. The management fee is the fee charged by the fund manager to cover the costs of managing the fund, while the…
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