| Risks and Uncertainties | 4. Risks and Uncertainties Crypto Assets Crypto Assets are loosely regulated and there is no central marketplace for currency exchange. Supply is determined by a computer code, not by a central bank, and prices have been extremely volatile. Crypto Asset exchanges have been closed due to fraud, failure, or security breaches. Any of the Trust’s assets that reside on an exchange that closes may be lost. At June 30, 2024, Crypto Assets of approximately $ 155,100 and cash of approximately $ 319,600 resided on exchanges. At December 31, 2023, the Trust had a $ 2,770,000 receivable from Crypto Assets sold and Crypto Assets of approximately $ 1,270,260 resided on exchanges. Several factors may affect the price of Crypto Assets, including, but not limited to: supply and demand, investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation, interest rates, currency exchange rates, or future regulatory measures (if any) that restrict the trading of Crypto Assets or the use of Crypto Assets as a form of payment. There is no assurance that Crypto Assets will maintain their long-term value in terms of purchasing power in the future, or that acceptance of Crypto Asset payments by mainstream retail merchants and commercial businesses will continue to grow. Crypto Asset Regulation As Crypto Assets have grown in popularity and market size, various countries and jurisdictions have begun to develop regulations governing the Crypto Assets industry. To the extent that future regulatory actions or policies limit the ability to exchange Crypto Assets or utilize them for payments, the demand for Crypto Assets will be reduced. Furthermore, regulatory actions may limit the ability of end-users to convert Crypto Assets into fiat currency (e.g., U.S. dollars) or use Crypto Assets to pay for goods and services. Such regulatory actions or policies could result in a reduction of demand, and in turn, a decline in the underlying Crypto Asset unit prices. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Trust or Crypto Assets in general is impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to the Trust and the value of the Trust’s investments in Crypto Assets. Custody of Crypto Assets Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “ Custodian ”) serves as the Trust’s Custodian for Crypto Assets for which qualified custody is available. The Custodian is subject to change in the sole discretion of the Sponsor. At June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, Crypto Assets of approximately $ 950,419,100 and $ 698,528,691 were held by the Custodian, respectively. Crypto Asset Trading is Volatile and Speculative Crypto Assets represent a speculative investment and involve a high degree of risk. Prices of Crypto Assets have fluctuated widely for a variety of reasons including uncertainties in government regulation and may continue to experience significant price fluctuations. If Crypto Asset markets continue to be subject to sharp fluctuations, Shareholders may experience losses as the value of the Trust’s investments decline. Even if Shareholders are able to hold their Shares in the Trust for the long-term, their Shares may never generate a profit, since Crypto Asset markets have historically experienced extended periods of flat or declining prices in addition to sharp fluctuations. Over-the-Counter Transactions Some of the markets in which the Trust may execute its transactions are “over-the-counter” or “interdealer” markets. The participants in such markets are typically not subject to credit evaluation and regulatory oversight as are members of “exchange-based” markets. This exposes the Trust to the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Trust to suffer a loss. Such “counterparty risk” is accentuated for Crypto Assets where the Trust has concentrated its transactions with a single or small group of counterparties. The Trust is not restricted from dealing with any particular counterparty or from concentrating any or all of its transactions with one counterparty. Moreover, the Trust has no internal credit function that evaluates the creditworthiness of its counterparties. The ability of the Trust to transact business with any one or number of counterparties, the lack of any meaningful and independent evaluation of such counterparty’s financial capabilities and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement may increase the potential for losses by the Trust. No FDIC or SIPC Protection The Trust is not a banking institution or otherwise a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“ FDIC ”) or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“ SIPC ”). Accordingly, deposits or assets held by the Trust are not subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors with FDIC or SIPC member institutions. The Trust’s Crypto Asset custodians do however carry bespoke insurance policies related to the Crypto Assets over which they provide custody. The Trust must adapt to technological change in order to secure and safeguard client accounts. While management believes they have developed an appropriate proprietary security system reasonably designed to safeguard the Trust’s Crypto Assets from theft, loss, destruction, or other issues relating to hackers and technological attack, such assessment is based upon known technology and threats. To the extent that the Trust is unable to identify and mitigate or stop new security threats, the Trust’s Crypto Assets may be subject to theft, loss, destruction, or other attack, which could have a negative impact on the performance of the Trust or result in loss of the Trust’s Crypto Assets. Risks Associated With a Crypto Asset Majority Control Since Crypto Assets are virtual and transactions in such currencies reside on distributed networks, governance of the underlying distributed network could be adversely altered should any individual or group obtain 51 % control of the distributed network. Such control could have a significant adverse effect on either the ownership or value of the Crypto Asset. Transaction Authentication As of the date of these financial statements, the transfer of Crypto Assets from one party to another typically relies on an authentication process by an outside party known as a miner or validator. In exchange for compensation, the miner or validator will authenticate the transfer of the currency through the solving of a complex algorithm known as a proof of work, or will vouch for the transfer through other means, such as a proof of stake. Effective transfers of and therefore realization of Crypto Assets, and tokens are dependent on interactions from these miners or validators. In the event that there were a shortage of miners to perform this function, that shortage could have an adverse effect on either the fair value or realization of the Crypto Assets. Other Risks Management continues to evaluate the impact of current or anticipated military conflict, including between Russia and Ukraine, terrorism, sanctions; and other geopolitical events; as well as adverse developments in the economy, the capital markets and the Blockchain markets, including rising energy costs, inflation and interest rates, in the United States and globally; and catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and global health epidemics. Management has concluded that while it is reasonably possible that these events could have a negative effect on the financial performance and operations of the Trust, the specific impact is not readily determinable as of the date of the financial statements. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. |
