21Shares To Launch UK Bitcoin ETP On Aquis Exchange With GHCO


UK launch to follow recent successful debut on Euronext Paris and Amsterdam

London | Zurich - 7 June 2021 - 21Shares, the Swiss pioneering Crypto ETP issuer, today announced that one of the first cryptocurrency exchange traded products (‘ETPs’) will become available to institutional investors in the UK to trade on Aquis Exchange. This arrangement is in partnership with GHCO, a leading market-maker and liquidity provider specialising in ETFs.

The 21Shares Bitcoin ETP (ABTC) will become available on Aquis Exchange, a pan-European MTF business based in London and Paris which offers trading in some of the biggest and most liquid stocks across 15 European markets. The ETP will be centrally cleared (CCP) and is engineered like an ETF. ETPs trade on exchanges in a similar manner to a listed stock and institutional investors in the UK will get exposure to Bitcoin via a regulated framework and structure which they are already accustomed to. 

The ETP has been designed to provide institutional UK investors with secure and cost-effective exposure to Bitcoin without the associated Bitcoin custody and security challenges. One unit of 21Shares Bitcoin ETP represents exposure to roughly 0.00035 Bitcoin entitlement.

GHCO, an Authorised Participant (AP) for the 21Shares product, will act as the liquidity provider for the Bitcoin ETP, meaning that institutional investors will have access to ample liquidity as easily as the underlying asset. GHCO has been actively trading ETFs and recently started quoting crypto ETPs. It has an unrivalled track record in quoting the tightest spreads, a key demand for institutional investors.

21Shares is the largest cryptocurrency ETP issuer in the world, with over $1.5bn in AUM across 14 ETPs available on several European stock exchanges. The UK launch follows over two years of successful testing and launching of cryptocurrency ETPs by 21Shares for institutional investors in Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria and the Netherlands. 

21Shares and Aquis Exchange plan to cooperate on bringing more of 21Shares’ suite of institutional cryptocurrency products to institutional investors in the UK, including ETPs in other prominent cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Ripple, Tezos, Polkadot, Cardano and Stellar.

Hany Rashwan, CEO of 21Shares said: “This is the right time to bring our successful crypto ETP to the institutional UK market. Our strong track record and existing institutional reach across continental Europe means that investors can confidently gain exposure to Bitcoin via a liquid and conventional investment product.”

Dan Izzo, CEO of GHCO, added: “ETPs are a key development for investing in crypto assets as it matures as an asset class. We expect more demand for this reliable, easily-accessible infrastructure with deep pools of liquidity – liquidity that we are happy to facilitate.”

Alasdair Haynes, CEO of Aquis Exchange concluded: “We have been working alongside 21Shares on this project as we are keen to respond to institutional demand in the UK for digital assets.”

21Shares Bitcoin ETP will be available on Aquis Exchange for professional investors only. The forthcoming UK launch is expected to take place this summer and follows recent successful debuts on Euronext Paris and Amsterdam on 1st June.

ISIN : CH0454664001 - ABTC -  21Shares Bitcoin ETP (man. fees 1.49%) in USD & GBP

About 21Shares 

21Shares makes investing in crypto assets as easy as buying shares using your conventional broker or bank. Investors can invest in cryptocurrencies using a conventional ETP structure (or tracker) easily, with total confidence and security and cost-effectively thanks to the 21Shares suite of ETPs now composed of 14 Crypto ETPs : the 21Shares Crypto Basket Index ETP (HODL:SW), 21Shares Bitcoin (ABTC:SW | 21XB:GY), 21Shares Ethereum (AETH:SW), 21Shares XRP (AXRP:SW | 21XX:GR), 21Shares Bitcoin Cash ETP (ABCH:SW), 21Shares Binance ETP (ABNB:SW), 21Shares Tezos ETP (AXTZ:SW), 21shares Bitcoin Suisse ETP (ABBA:SW), 21Shares Bitwise 10 ETP (KEYS:SW), Sygnum Platform Winners Index ETP (MOON:SW), 21Shares Short Bitcoin ETP (SBTC:SW | 21XS:GY), 21Shares Polkadot ETP (ADOT:SW | PDOT:GR), 21Shares Stellar ETP (AXLM SW | XLME GR) and 21Shares Cardano ETP (AADA SW | DADA GR). The entire suite is listed on a regulated framework on the official market of Deutsche Boerse, SIX Swiss Exchange, BX Swiss and some on Börse Stuttgart in CHF, USD, GBP and EUR respectively. Founded in 2018, 21Shares is led by a team of talented serial entrepreneurs and experienced banking professionals from the technology and financial world. Incorporated in Zug, with offices in Zurich and New York, the company has launched several world firsts, including the first listed crypto basket index (HODL) ETP in November 2018. 21Shares has 14 crypto ETPs listed today and has over $1.5 Bn in AuM in total listed products.

About GHCO

GHCO is one of the fastest-growing liquidity providers specialising in exchange traded funds. It strives to make ETFs accessible in every market worldwide with a focus on intelligent algorithmic trading, tight spreads, reliable presence and the expertise to price a wide range of products.

With offices in the UK and US, GHCO is a market maker on and off all major European exchanges. Throughout a single trading day, GHCO quotes thousands of products and helps asset managers to bring even the most niche and esoteric products to market.
For more information, please visit: www.ghco.co.uk

About Aquis Exchange

Aquis Exchange PLC is an exchange services group, which operates pan-European cash equities trading businesses (Aquis Exchange), growth and regulated primary markets (Aquis Stock Exchange/AQSE) and develops/licenses exchange software to third parties (Aquis Technologies).

Aquis Exchange is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and France's Autorité des Marchés Financiers to operate Multilateral Trading Facility businesses in the UK and in EU27 respectively. Aquis operates a lit order book and does not allow aggressive non-client proprietary trading, which has resulted in lower toxicity and signalling risk on Aquis than other trading venues in Europe. According to independent studies, trades on Aquis are less likely to lead to price movement than on other lit markets. Aquis uses a subscription pricing model which works by charging users according to the message traffic they generate, rather than a percentage of the value of each stock that they trade.

Press Contact
Laurent Kssis +41 44 260 8660 press@21Shares.com
Belinda Keheyan +44 7768 078 110 bkeheyan@aquis.eu
Freddie Barber +44 7825 197 570 fbarber@maitland.co.uk

Disclaimer 
This document and the information contained herein are not for distribution in or into (directly or indirectly) the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the distribution or release would be unlawful. This document does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in or into the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities in the United States. The securities of 21Shares AG to which these materials relate have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There will not be a public offering of securities in the United States.This document is only being distributed to and is only directed at: (i) to investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"); or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"); or (iv) persons who fall within Article 43(2) of the Order, including existing members and creditors of the Company or (v) any other persons to whom this document can be lawfully distributed in circumstances where section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply. The Securities are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. In any EEA Member State (other than the Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden) that has implemented the Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State, the "Prospectus Regulation") this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation. Exclusively for potential investors in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden the 2019 Base Prospectus (EU) is made available on the Issuer’s website under www.21Shares.com. The approval of the 2019 Base Prospectus (EU) should not be understood as an endorsement by the SFSA of the securities offered or admitted to trading on a regulated market. Eligible potential investors should read the 2019 Base Prospectus (EU) and the relevant Final Terms before making an investment decision in order to understand the potential risks associated with the decision to invest in the securities. You are about to purchase a product that is not simple and may be difficult to understand. This document is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for securities of 21Shares AG. Neither this document nor anything contained herein shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction. This document constitutes advertisement within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act and not a prospectus. Copies of the current Base Prospectus dated 13 November 2020 are available free of charge from the website of the Issuer. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Base Prospectus and the final terms of any product mentioned herein can be obtained from 21Shares AG on the website. Copies of this document may not be sent to jurisdictions, or distributed in or sent from jurisdictions, in which this is barred or prohibited by law. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any jurisdiction.