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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 


FORM 10-Q


 

(Mark One)

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2024

 

OR

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM ____________________ TO ____________________

 

Commission File Number 001-41909

 


Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

 

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

 


 

 

Delaware 86-6430837

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

   

320 Seven Springs Way, Suite 250

Brentwood, Tennessee

37027
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (218) 255-9743

 


 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class  

Trading

Symbol(s)

  Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest
of
Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund
  BRRR   The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ NO ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ NO ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
        Emerging growth company  

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided in Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES ☐ NO

 

As of April 26, 2024, the Registrant had 26,860,000 Shares outstanding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

    Page
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION  
Item 1. Financial Statements 1
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 11
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 31
Item 4. Controls and Procedures 31
     
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION  
Item 1. Legal Proceedings 32
Item 1A. Risk Factors 32
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds 32
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities 32
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure 32
Item 5. Other Information 32
Item 6. Exhibits 33

 

ii 

 

 

PART I.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Financial Statements.

 

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Financial Condition at March 31, 2024 (unaudited) and December 31, 2023

Schedule of Investment at March 31, 2024 (unaudited)

Unaudited Statement of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024

Unaudited Statement of Changes in Net Assets for the three months ended March 31, 2024

Notes to Financial Statements

 

1 

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

Statements of Financial Condition

 

   March 31, 2024
(Unaudited)
   December 31, 2023 
Assets          
Investment in bitcoin, at fair value (cost $452,528,788 and $0 at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively)  $543,202,627   $0 
Receivables:          
Trust shares sold   6,018,633    0 
Total assets   549,221,260   $0 
           
Liabilities          
Bitcoin purchased payable  $6,023,272   $0 
Total liabilities  $6,023,272   $0 
           
Net assets  $543,197,988   $0 
           
Shares issued and outstanding, no par value, Unlimited shares authorized   27,075,000    0 
           
Net asset value per Share  $20.06   $0 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

2 

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

Schedule of Investment

 

 

March 31, 2024(a)  Bitcoin   Cost   Fair Value   % of Net Assets 
(Unaudited)                
Investment in bitcoin   7,676   $452,528,788   $543,202,627    100.0%
Total investment       $452,528,788   $543,202,627    100.0%
Other assets and liabilities, net             (4,639)   0.0%(b)
Net Assets            $543,197,988    100.0%

 

 

(a)No comparative schedules of investment have been provided as the Trust did not hold bitcoin as of December 31, 2023.
(b)Represents less than 0.05% of net assets.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

3 

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

Statement of Operations

 

  

For the Three
Months Ended

March 31, 2024(a)

(Unadited)

 
Expenses     
Sponsor’s fee (Note 4)  $114,185 
Less: Sponsor fee waiver   (114,185)
Total expenses   0 
Net investment income (loss)   0 
      
Net realized and change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment     
Net realized gain (loss) from investment   0 
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment   90,673,839 
Net realized and change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment   90,673,839 
      
Net income (loss)  $90,673,839 
      
Net income (loss) per share  $7.40 
      
Weighted average number of shares outstanding   12,253,642 


 

(a)No comparative statements of operations have been provided as the Trust had not to commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

4 

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

Statement of Changes in Net Assets

For the three months ended March 31, 2024

 

  

For the Three
Months Ended
March 31, 2024(a)

(Unaudited)

 
Net Assets – Beginning of Period  $0 
Creations   452,597,587 
Redemptions   (73,438)
Net investment income (loss)   0 
Net realized gain (loss) from investment   0 
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment   90,673,839 
Net Assets – End of Period  $543,197,988 

 

(a)No comparative statements of changes in net assets have been provided as the Trust had not commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

5 

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

Notes to the Unaudited Financial Statements

March 31, 2024

 

1.Organization

 

The Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund (the “Trust”) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on January 20, 2021. The fiscal year for the Trust is December 31st. The trustee is Delaware Trust Company (the “Trustee”). The Trust’s sponsor is Valkyrie Digital Assets LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust. The Trust is governed by the provisions of the Trust agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by the Sponsor and the Trustee. The Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund is an exchange-traded fund that issues common shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) representing units of fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. There are an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the value of a bitcoin as represented by the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate - New York Variant (the “Index”), less the Trust’s liabilities and expenses. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust holds bitcoin and values its Shares daily based on the value of bitcoin as reflected by the Index, which is an independently calculated value based on an aggregation of executed trade flow of major bitcoin spot exchanges.

 

The offering of the Trust’s Shares is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933.

 

2.Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

The Trust qualifies as an investment company solely for accounting purposes and not for any other purpose and follows the accounting and reporting guidance under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies, but is not registered, and is not required to be registered, as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

The Trust is an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). The Trust will cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest of (i) it having $1.235 billion or more in annual revenues, (ii) at least $700 million in market value of Shares being held by non-affiliates, (iii) it issuing more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period or (iv) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of its initial public offering.

 

For as long as the Trust is an emerging growth company, unlike other public companies, it will not be required to provide an auditor’s attestation report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; or comply with any new audit rules adopted by the PCAOB after April 5, 2012, unless the SEC determines otherwise.

 

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Trust in the preparation of financial statements. The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

 

(a) Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

(b) Investment in Bitcoin

 

The Trust purchases bitcoin upon the net creation of Shares and sells bitcoin upon the net redemption of Shares. Transactions are recorded on a trade-date basis. Realized gains (losses) and changes in unrealized gains (losses) on open positions are determined on a specific identification basis and are recognized in the statement of operations in the period in which the sale occurred or the changes in unrealized occurred.

 

The Trust utilizes an exchange traded price from the principal market for bitcoin as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the Trust’s financial statement measurement date to value the bitcoin held by the Trust. The Sponsor determines in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Trust’s financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Trust engages a third party vendor to obtain a price from a principal market for bitcoin, which is determined and designated by such third party vendor daily based on its consideration of several exchange characteristics, including the volume and frequency of trades.

 

6 

 

 

(c) Indemnifications

 

The Sponsor and its affiliates (“Covered Person”) will be indemnified by the Trust and held harmless against any loss, judgment, liability, expense incurred or amount paid in settlement of any claim sustained by it in connection with the Covered Person’s activities for the Trust, without fraud, gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or a material breach of the Trust Agreement on the part of such indemnified party arising out of or in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement and under each other agreement entered into by the Sponsor in furtherance of the administration of the Trust (including, without limiting the scope of the foregoing, any Participant Agreement) or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement.

 

The Trustee and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee shall be indemnified by the Trust as primary obligor and held harmless against any loss, damage, liability, claim, action, suit, cost, expense, disbursement (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), tax or penalty of any kind and nature whatsoever, arising out of, imposed upon or asserted at any time against such indemnified person in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated therein; provided, however, that neither the Trust nor the Sponsor shall be required to indemnify any such indemnified person for any such expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of such indemnified person.

 

The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Trust, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

(d) Federal Income Taxes

 

The Sponsor intends to take the position that the Trust will be treated as a grantor trust under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If so qualified, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent it distributes substantially all of its investment income and capital gains to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. Rather, a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.

 

3.Investment Valuation and Calculation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”)

 

GAAP defines fair value as the price the Trust would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Trust’s policy is to value investments held at fair value.

 

Fair Valuation Measurement: FASB established a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with GAAP. Under FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, various inputs are used in determining the value of investments. The inputs or methodology used for valuing investments are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those investments. The three levels of inputs of the fair value hierarchy are defined as follows:

 

Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates and similar data.

 

Level 3 — Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, to the extent relevant observable inputs are not available; representing the Trust’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability and would be based on the best information available.

 

The following table presents information about the Trust’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value as of March 31, 2024:

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
                 
Bitcoin  $543,202,627           $543,202,627 
Total Investments  $543,202,627           $543,202,627 

 


There were no transfers between Level 1 and other Levels for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The Trust held no bitcoin as of December 31, 2023

 

A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3.

 

7 

 

 

The Trust fair values investments for financial statement purposes, categorizing those investments using the hierarchy as described above.

 

The fair value of bitcoin held by the Trust is determined based on a GAAP-consistent pricing source. The Trust’s NAV is calculated by subtracting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities from the fair value of its bitcoin and other assets. The Trust’s NAV per share is calculated by taking the Trust’s NAV divided by the total amount of Shares outstanding.

 

4.Trust Expenses

 

The Trust pays to the Sponsor a Sponsor’s fee in accordance with the Trust agreement. The Sponsor’s fee accrues daily by applying an annual rate of 0.25% to the Trust’s bitcoin holdings. The Sponsor’s fee will be payable in bitcoins at such times as determined in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. The Trust is not responsible for paying any fees or costs associated with the transfer of bitcoin to the Sponsor or the sale of bitcoin for costs not included in the Sponsor fee.

 

The Sponsor is obligated to assume and pay the following fees and expenses of the Trust: the Marketing fee, the Administrator fee, the Custodian fee, the Cash Custodian fee, the Transfer Agent fee, the Trustee fee, applicable license fees, including the licensing fees related to the Index License Agreement, fees and expenses related to trading of Shares on Nasdaq (including marketing, legal and audit fees and expenses), legal expenses, audit fees, regulatory fees, including any fees relating to the registration of the Shares with the SEC, printing and mailing costs and costs of maintaining the Trust’s website.

 

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), an indirect subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, serves as the Trust’s fund accountant, fund administrator and the transfer agent of the Trust, pursuant to certain fund accounting servicing, fund administration servicing and transfer agent servicing agreements. U.S. Bank N.A., a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp and parent company of Fund Services, serves as the Trust’s cash custodian pursuant to a custody agreement.

 

Paralel Distributors LLC serves as the Trust’s marketing agent pursuant to a marketing agent agreement.

 

Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC and BitGo Trust Company, Inc. (the “Custodians”) are custodians and Coinbase, Inc., an affiliate of the Custodian, is the prime broker of the Trust.

 

5.Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

 

The Trust issues Shares on an ongoing basis, but only in one or more blocks of 5,000 Shares (a “Basket”). The Trust issues Baskets of Shares to certain authorized participants on an ongoing basis and redeems Shares in Baskets on an ongoing basis from Authorized Participants.

 

Authorized participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Authorized participants must be (1) registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks or other financial institutions, that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions as described below, and (2) Depository Trust Company participants.

 

Authorized participants pay the transfer agent a fee for each order they place to create or redeem one or more Baskets. In addition, an authorized participant is required to reimburse the Trust or the Sponsor, as applicable, for any operational processing and brokerage costs, transfers fees, network fees, stamp taxes and part or all of the spread between the expected bid and offer side of the market related to the bitcoin being purchased or sold in connection with such order (the “Execution Charges”, and collectively with the Transfer Agent Fee, the “Transaction Fees”). The Transaction Fees may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor.

 


Activity in the number and value of Shares created and redeemed for the three months ended March 31, 2024 are as follows:

 

   Number of Shares   Value of Shares 
         
Creations   27,080,000   $452,597,587 
Redemptions   (5,000)  $(73,438)
Net change in Shares created and redeemed   27,075,000   $452,524,149 

 

8 

 

 

6.Investment Transactions

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of bitcoin by the Trust, were as follows:

 

Purchases   Sales 
$452,528,788   $0 
        

 

7.Related Party Transactions

 

Certain officers of the Trust are affiliated with the Sponsor and are not paid any fees by the Trust for serving in such capacities.

 

The Sponsor agreed to waive Sponsor fees for the initial three months of the Trust’s operations, through April 10, 2024. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Trust incurred $114,185 in Sponsor fees, of which, $114,185 was waived by the Sponsor.

 

On January 10, 2024, Valkyrie Funds LLC, an affiliate of the Sponsor, purchased 40,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $13.00. Delivery of these Shares was made on January 11, 2024. Total proceeds to the Trust from the sale of these Shares was $520,000.

 

On March 15, 2024, the Trust entered into an agreement with CoinShares Co., a Delaware corporation, to act as Co-Sponsor of the Trust in an advisory capacity. In connection with adding CoinShares Co. as Co-Sponsor of the Trust, the Trust Agreement was amended. CoinShares Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CoinShares International Limited, a Jersey company.

 

Effective June 14, 2024 (the “Effective Date”), Valkyrie Digital Assets LLC shall withdraw as Sponsor to the Trust. Pursuant to Section 6.9 of the Trust Agreement, on the Effective Date of the Sponsor’s withdrawal as Sponsor to the Trust, CoinShares Co. shall automatically and without further action by the Sponsor, Trustee or the Shareholders (as defined in the Trust Agreement) become the successor Sponsor and shall have all the powers, rights, duties and obligations of the Sponsor under the Trust Agreement.

 

8.Commitments and Contingencies

 

In the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts that contain a variety of general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust which have not yet occurred and cannot be predicted with any certainty. However, the Sponsor believes the risk of loss under these arrangements to be remote.

 

9. Financial Highlights

 

The Trust is presenting the following financial highlights related to investment performance and operations of a Share outstanding for the period from January 10, 2024 (the initial share purchase date) through March 31, 2024. The total return at NAV is based on the change in NAV of a Share during the period and the total return at market value is based on the change in market value of a Share on the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC during the period. An individual investor’s return and ratios may vary based on the timing of capital transactions.

 

Fiancial Highlights (Unaudited)

 

For the period January 10, 2024 through March 31, 2024

 

   Period Ended
March 31, 2024
 
Net Asset Value    
Net Asset Value per Share, beginning of period  $13.00 
Net investment income (loss)   0 
Net realized and change in unrealized Gain (loss)   7.06 
Net income (loss)   7.06 
Net asset value per Share, end of period  $20.06 
Market Value per Share, beginning of period  $13.00 
Market Value per Share, end of period  $20.13 
Ratio to average net assets     
Net investment income (loss) (1)   0.00%
Gross expenses (1)   0.25%
Net expenses (1) (3)   0.00%
Total return, at net asset value (2)   54.31%
Total return, at market value (2)   54.85%
(1)Annualized
(2)Not annualized
(3)Includes voluntary reimbursement of sponsor fees of 0.25%

 

9

 

 

10.Subsequent Events

 

The Sponsor has evaluated all subsequent events through the issuance of the financial statements and has noted no events other than those described in Note 7 requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

10

 

 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”).

 

This Quarterly Report contains “forward-looking statements” with respect to the Trust’s financial conditions, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. Statements preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify some of the forward-looking statements. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this Quarterly Report that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as changes in market prices and conditions (for bitcoin and the Shares), the Trust’s operations, the Sponsor’s plans and references to the Trust’s future success and other similar matters are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including:

 

the special considerations discussed in this Quarterly Report;

 

general economic, market and business conditions;

 

the use of technology by us and our vendors, including the Custodians, in conducting our business, including disruptions in our computer systems and data centers and our transition to, and quality of, new technology platforms;

 

changes in laws or regulations, including those concerning taxes, made by governmental authorities or regulatory bodies;

 

the costs and effects of any litigation or regulatory investigations;

 

our ability to maintain a positive reputation; and

 

other world economic and political developments.

 

Consequently, all the forward-looking statements made in this Quarterly Report are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments the Sponsor anticipates will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the expected consequences to, or have the expected effects on, the Trust’s operations or the value of the Shares. Should one or more of these risks discussed in the Quarterly Report or other uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on the Sponsor’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty or undertakes an obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, other than as required by applicable laws. Moreover, neither the Trust, the Sponsor, nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Investors are therefore cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

 

Overview of the Trust

 

The Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund (the “Trust”) is a Delaware statutory trust formed on January 20, 2021. The Trust issues common units of beneficial interest (“Shares”), which represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust. The Shares of the Trust are listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq” or the “Exchange”). Valkyrie Digital Assets LLC is the sponsor of the Trust (the “Sponsor”), Delaware Trust Company is the trustee of the Trust (the “Trustee”), U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC is the transfer agent of the Trust (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) and the administrator of the Trust (in such capacity, the “Administrator”), Paralel Distributors LLC is the marketing agent of the Trust (the “Marketing Agent”), Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC and BitGo Trust Company are the custodians of the Trust’s bitcoin (each a “Custodian” and collectively, the “Custodians”), Coinbase, Inc., an affiliate of the Custodian, is the prime broker of the Trust (the “Coinbase Prime Broker”), and U.S. Bank, N.A., an affiliate of the Transfer Agent and Administrator, is the cash custodian of the Trust (the “Cash Custodian”). The operations of the Trust are governed by the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of the Trust, dated December 28, 2023, among the Trustee, the Sponsor, and the shareholders from time to time thereunder (the “Shareholders”), as may be amended from time to time (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust is an exchange-traded product. When the Trust sells or redeems its Shares, it does so in blocks of 5,000 Shares (a “Basket”) based on the quantity of bitcoin attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid expenses and liabilities).

 

11

 

 

The Trust’s inception of operation was January 11, 2024. The Trust has not had any operations prior to January 11, 2024, other than matters relating to its organization and the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”).

 

On March 15, 2024, CoinShares Co. was appointed as the co-sponsor of the Trust (the “Co-Sponsor”). The Co-Sponsor serves in an advisory capacity to the Trust and the Sponsor. The Trust does not compensate the Co-Sponsor for its services. On April 15, 2024, the Sponsor provided notice that it will withdraw as sponsor to the Trust effective June 14, 2024. Upon the Sponsor’s withdrawal, the Co-Sponsor will automatically and without further action by the Sponsor, the Trustee or the Shareholders become the successor Sponsor and shall have all the powers, rights and obligations of the Sponsor under the Trust Agreement.

 

The Sponsor maintains a website www.valkyrieinvest.com/BRRR, through which the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), can be accessed free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically file with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Additional information regarding the Trust may also be found on the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

 

Investment Objectives and Principal Investment Strategies

 

Investment Objectives

 

The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the value of a bitcoin as represented by the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate – New York Variant (the “Index”), less the Trust’s liabilities and expenses.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust holds bitcoin and values its Shares daily based on the value of bitcoin as reflected by the Index, which is an independently calculated value based on an aggregation of executed trade flow of major bitcoin spot exchanges. The Index currently uses substantially the same methodology as the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate (“BRR”), including utilizing the same six bitcoin exchanges, which is the underlying rate to determine settlement of CME bitcoin futures contracts, except that the Index is calculated as of 4:00 p.m. ET, whereas the BRR is calculated as of 4:00 p.m. London time. There can be no assurance that the Trust will achieve its investment objective. The Sponsor is authorized under the Trust Agreement to substitute an alternative index, reference rate, or other methodology for valuing bitcoin for the Index for purposes of the Trust’s investment objective and valuation policies at its sole discretion and without Shareholder approval. The Shares are designed to provide investors with a cost-effective and convenient way to invest in bitcoin.

 

Information About Bitcoin, Bitcoin Markets and Regulation of Bitcoin

 

This section of the Quarterly Report provides a more detailed description of bitcoin, including information about the historical development of bitcoin, how a person holds bitcoin, how to use bitcoin in transactions, how to trade bitcoin, the “exchange” market where bitcoin can be bought, held and sold, the bitcoin OTC market and bitcoin mining.

 

Bitcoin

 

Bitcoin is the digital asset that is native to, and created and transmitted through the operations of, the peer-to-peer Bitcoin Network, a decentralized network of computers that operates on cryptographic protocols. No single entity owns or operates the Bitcoin Network, the infrastructure of which is collectively maintained by a decentralized user base. The Bitcoin Network allows people to exchange tokens of value, called bitcoin, which are recorded on a public transaction ledger known as the Blockchain. Bitcoin can be used to pay for goods and services, or it can be converted to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, at rates determined on bitcoin trading platforms or in individual end-user-to-end-user transactions under a barter system. Although nascent in use, bitcoin may be used as a medium of exchange, unit of account or store of value.

 

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The Bitcoin Network is decentralized and does not require governmental authorities or financial institution intermediaries to create, transmit or determine the value of bitcoin. In addition, no party may easily censor transactions on the Bitcoin Network. As a result, the Bitcoin Network is often referred to as decentralized and censorship resistant.

 

The value of bitcoin is determined by the supply of and demand for bitcoin. New bitcoins are created and rewarded to the parties providing the Bitcoin Network’s infrastructure (“miners”) in exchange for their having expended computational power to verifying transactions and adding them to the Blockchain. The Blockchain is effectively a decentralized database that includes all blocks that have been solved by miners and it is updated to include new blocks as they are solved. Each bitcoin transaction is broadcast to the Bitcoin Network and, when included in a block, recorded in the Blockchain. As each new block records outstanding bitcoin transactions, and outstanding transactions are settled and validated through such recording, the Blockchain represents a complete, transparent and unbroken history of all transactions of the Bitcoin Network.

 

Bitcoin Network

 

Bitcoin was first described in a white paper released in 2008 and published under the pseudonym “Satoshi Nakamoto.” The protocol underlying Bitcoin was subsequently released in 2009 as open-source software and currently operates on a worldwide network of computers.

 

The first step in directly using the Bitcoin Network for transactions is to download specialized software referred to as a “bitcoin wallet.” A user’s bitcoin wallet can run on a computer or smartphone and can be used both to send and to receive bitcoin. Within a bitcoin wallet, a user can generate one or more unique “bitcoin addresses,” which are conceptually similar to bank account numbers. After establishing a bitcoin address, a user can send or receive bitcoin from his or her bitcoin address to another user’s address. Sending bitcoin from one bitcoin address to another is similar in concept to sending a bank wire from one person’s bank account to another person’s bank account; provided, however, that such transactions are not managed by an intermediary and erroneous transactions generally may not be reversed or remedied once sent.

 

The amount of bitcoin associated with each bitcoin address, as well as each bitcoin transaction to or from such address, is transparently reflected in the Blockchain and can be viewed by websites that operate as “Blockchain explorers.” Copies of the Blockchain exist on thousands of computers on the Bitcoin Network. A user’s bitcoin wallet will either contain a copy of the Blockchain or be able to connect with another computer that holds a copy of the Blockchain. The innovative design of the Bitcoin Network protocol allows each Bitcoin user to trust that their copy of the Blockchain will generally be updated consistent with each other user’s copy.

 

When a Bitcoin user wishes to transfer bitcoin to another user, the sender must first have the recipient’s Bitcoin address. The sender then uses his or her Bitcoin wallet software to create a proposed transaction to be added to the Blockchain. The proposal would reduce the amount of bitcoin allocated to the sender’s address and increase the amount allocated recipient’s address, in each case by the amount of bitcoin desired to be transferred. The proposal is completely digital in nature, similar to a file on a computer, and it can be sent to other computers participating in the Bitcoin Network; however, the use of “unspent transaction outputs” that are verified cryptographically prevents the ability to duplicate or counterfeit bitcoin.

 

Bitcoin Protocol

 

The Bitcoin protocol is open-source software, meaning any developer can review the underlying code and suggest changes. There is no official company or group that is responsible for making modifications to Bitcoin. There are, however, a number of individual developers that regularly contribute to a specific distribution of Bitcoin software known as the “Bitcoin Core,” which is maintained in an open-source repository on the website Github. There are many other compatible versions of Bitcoin software, but Bitcoin Core provides the de-facto standard for the Bitcoin protocol, also known as the “reference software.” The core developers for Bitcoin Core operate on a volunteer basis and without strict hierarchical administration.

 

Significant changes to the Bitcoin protocol are typically accomplished through a so-called “Bitcoin Improvement Proposal” or BIP. Such proposals are generally posted on websites, and the proposals explain technical requirements for the protocol change as well as reasons why the change should be accepted. Upon its inclusion in the most recent version of Bitcoin Core, a new BIP becomes part of the reference software’s Bitcoin protocol. Several BIPs have been implemented since 2011 and have provided various new features and scaling improvements.

 

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Because Bitcoin has no central authority, updating the reference software’s Bitcoin protocol will not immediately change the Bitcoin Network’s operations. Instead, the implementation of a change is achieved by users and miners downloading and running updated versions of Bitcoin Core or other Bitcoin software that abides by the new Bitcoin protocol. Users and miners must accept any changes made to the Bitcoin source code by downloading a version of their Bitcoin software that incorporates the proposed modification of the Bitcoin Network’s source code. A modification of the Bitcoin Network’s source code is only effective with respect to the Bitcoin users and miners that download it. If an incompatible modification is accepted only by a percentage of users and miners, a division in the Bitcoin Network will occur such that one network will run the pre-modification source code and the other network will run the modified source code. Such a division is known as a “fork” in the Bitcoin Network.

 

Such a fork in the Bitcoin Network occurred on August 1, 2017, when a group of developers and miners accepted certain changes to the Bitcoin Network software intended to increase transaction capacity. Blocks mined on this network now diverge from blocks mined on the Bitcoin Network, which has resulted in the creation of a new Blockchain whose digital asset is referred to as “bitcoin cash.” Bitcoin and bitcoin cash now operate as separate, independent networks, and have distinct related assets (bitcoin and bitcoin cash). Additional forks have followed the Bitcoin Cash fork, including those for Bitcoin Gold and Bitcoin SegWit2X, in the months after the creation of Bitcoin Cash. It is possible that additional “forks” will occur in the future.

 

Bitcoin Transactions

 

A bitcoin transaction contains the sender’s bitcoin address, the recipient’s bitcoin address, the amount of bitcoin to be sent, a transaction fee and the sender’s digital signature. Bitcoin transactions are secured by cryptography known as public-private key cryptography, represented by the bitcoin addresses and digital signature in a transaction’s data file. Each Bitcoin Network address, or wallet, is associated with a unique “public key” and “private key” pair, both of which are lengthy alphanumeric codes, derived together and possessing a unique relationship.

 

The public key is visible to the public and analogous to the Bitcoin Network address. The private key is a secret and may be used to digitally sign a transaction in a way that proves the transaction has been signed by the holder of the public-private key pair, without having to reveal the private key. A user’s private key must be kept in accordance with appropriate controls and procedures to ensure it is used only for legitimate and intended transactions. If an unauthorized third person learns of a user’s private key, that third person could forge the user’s digital signature and send the user’s bitcoin to any arbitrary bitcoin address, thereby stealing the user’s bitcoin. Similarly, if a user loses his private key and cannot restore such access (e.g., through a backup), the user may permanently lose access to the bitcoin contained in the associated address.

 

The Bitcoin Network incorporates a system to prevent double-spending of a single bitcoin. To prevent the possibility of double-spending a single bitcoin, each validated transaction is recorded, time stamped and publicly displayed in a “block” in the Blockchain, which is publicly available. Thus, the Bitcoin Network provides confirmation against double-spending by memorializing every transaction in the Blockchain, which is publicly accessible and downloaded in part or in whole by all users of the Bitcoin Network software program. Any user may validate, through their Bitcoin wallet or a Blockchain explorer, that each transaction in the Bitcoin Network was authorized by the holder of the applicable private key, and Bitcoin Network mining software consistent with reference software requirements typically validates each such transaction before including it in the Blockchain. This cryptographic security ensures that bitcoin transactions may not generally be counterfeited, although it does not protect against the “real world” theft or coercion of use of a Bitcoin user’s private key, including the hacking of a Bitcoin user’s computer or a service provider’s systems.

 

A Bitcoin transaction between two parties is settled when recorded in a block added to the Blockchain. Validation of a block is achieved by confirming the cryptographic hash value included in the block’s solution and by the block’s addition to the longest confirmed Blockchain on the Bitcoin Network. For a transaction, inclusion in a block on the Blockchain constitutes a “confirmation” of a Bitcoin transaction. As each block contains a reference to the immediately preceding block, additional blocks appended to and incorporated into the Blockchain constitute additional confirmations of the transactions in such prior blocks, and a transaction included in a block for the first time is confirmed once against double-spending. The layered confirmation process makes changing historical blocks (and reversing transactions) exponentially more difficult the further back one goes in the Blockchain.

 

To undo past transactions in a block recorded on the Blockchain, a malicious actor would have to exert tremendous computer power in re-solving each block in the Blockchain starting with and after the target block and broadcasting all such blocks to the Bitcoin Network. The Bitcoin Network is generally programmed to consider the longest Blockchain containing solved and valid blocks to be the most accurate Blockchain. In order to undo multiple layers of confirmation and alter the Blockchain, a malicious actor must re-solve all of the old blocks sought to be regenerated and be able to continuously add new blocks to the Blockchain at a speed that would have to outpace that of all of the other miners on the Bitcoin Network, who would be continuously solving for and adding new blocks to the Blockchain.

 

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Bitcoin Mining – Creation of New Bitcoins

 

Mining Process

 

The process by which bitcoins are created and bitcoin transactions are verified is called mining. To begin mining, a user, or “miner,” can download and run a mining client, which, like regular Bitcoin Network software, turns the user’s computer into a “node” on the Bitcoin Network that validates blocks. Each time transactions are validated and bundled into new blocks added to the Blockchain, the Bitcoin Network awards the miner solving such blocks with newly issued bitcoin and any transaction fees paid by bitcoin transaction senders. This reward system is the method by which new bitcoins enter into circulation to the public. Over time, the size of the fixed reward of new bitcoin decreases, and miners increasingly rely on transaction fees to compensate them for exerting computational power in solving blocks.

 

Each block contains the details of some or all of the most recent transactions that are not memorialized in prior blocks, as well as a record of the award of bitcoins to the miner who solved the new block. In order to add blocks to the Blockchain, a miner must map an input data set (i.e., the Blockchain, plus a block of the most recent Bitcoin Network transactions and an arbitrary number called a “nonce”) to a desired output data set of a predetermined length (the “hash value”) using the SHA-256 cryptographic hash algorithm. Each unique block can only be solved and added to the Blockchain by one miner; therefore, all individual miners and mining pools on the Bitcoin Network are engaged in a competitive process of constantly increasing their computing power to improve their likelihood of solving for new blocks. As more miners join the Bitcoin Network and its processing power increases, the Bitcoin Network adjusts the complexity of the block-solving equation to maintain a predetermined pace of adding a new block to the Blockchain approximately every ten minutes.

 

Mathematically Controlled Supply

 

The method for creating new bitcoin is mathematically controlled in a manner so that the supply of bitcoin grows at a limited rate pursuant to a pre-set schedule. The number of bitcoin awarded for solving a new block is automatically halved every 210,000 blocks. Thus, the current fixed reward for solving a new block is 3.125 bitcoin per block; the reward decreased from twenty-five (25) bitcoin in July 2016, 12.5 in May 2020 and 6.25 in April 2024. It is estimated to halve again in 2028. This deliberately controlled rate of bitcoin creation means that the number of bitcoin in existence will never exceed twenty-one (21) million and that bitcoin cannot be devalued through excessive production unless the Bitcoin Network’s source code (and the underlying protocol for bitcoin issuance) is altered. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 19.67 million bitcoin have been mined.

 

Forms of Attack Against the Bitcoin Network

 

All networked systems are vulnerable to various kinds of attacks. As with any computer network, the Bitcoin Network contains certain flaws. For example, the Bitcoin Network is currently vulnerable to a “51% attack” where, if a mining pool were to gain control of more than 50% of the hash rate for a digital asset, a malicious actor would be able to gain full control of the network and the ability to manipulate the Blockchain.

 

In addition, many digital asset networks have been subjected to a number of denial of service attacks, which has led to temporary delays in block creation and in the transfer of bitcoin. Any similar attacks on the Bitcoin Network that impact the ability to transfer bitcoin could have a material adverse effect on the price of bitcoin and the value of the Shares.

 

Bitcoin Market and Bitcoin Trading Platforms

 

In addition to using bitcoin to engage in transactions, investors may purchase and sell bitcoin to speculate as to the value of bitcoin in the bitcoin market, or as a long-term investment to diversify their portfolio. The value of bitcoin within the market is determined, in part, by the supply of and demand for bitcoin in the bitcoin market, market expectations for the adoption of bitcoin by individuals, the number of merchants that accept bitcoin as a form of payment and the volume of private end-user-to-end-user transactions.

 

The most common means of determining a reference value is by surveying trading platforms where secondary markets for bitcoin exist. The most prominent bitcoin trading platforms are often referred to as “exchanges,” although they are not regulated and do not report trade information in the same way as a national securities exchange. As such, there is some difference in the form, transparency and reliability of trading data from bitcoin trading platforms. Generally speaking, bitcoin data is available from these trading platforms with publicly disclosed valuations for each executed trade, measured by one or more fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or Euro or another digital asset such as ether or tether. OTC dealers or market makers do not typically disclose their trade data.

 

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Currently, there are several digital asset trading platforms operating worldwide and trading platforms represent a substantial percentage of bitcoin buying and selling activity and provide the most data with respect to prevailing valuations of bitcoin. A bitcoin trading platform provides investors with a way to purchase and sell bitcoin, similar to stock exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq, which provide ways for investors to buy stocks and bonds in the so-called “secondary market.” Unlike stock exchanges regulated to monitor securities trading activity, bitcoin trading platforms are largely regulated as money services businesses (or a foreign regulatory equivalent) that monitor against money laundering and other illicit financing. Bitcoin trading platforms operate websites designed to permit investors to open accounts with the trading platform and then purchase and sell bitcoin.

 

Although bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, since 2009, the number of digital assets, market participants and companies in the space has increased dramatically. In addition to bitcoin, other well-known digital assets include ether, XRP, bitcoin cash, and litecoin. The digital asset marketplace is still being defined and evolving, including the practices of exchanges, behavior of investors, and the protocols and prominence of particular digital assets. Prior to 2017, bitcoin accounted for approximately 85% or more of the total market capitalization of all digital assets. By April 2021, this figure had dropped to around 50% as other digital assets launched and/or grew faster than bitcoin.

 

Authorized Participants have the option of purchasing and selling bitcoin used in Basket transactions with the Trust either on bitcoin trading platforms, in the OTC markets or in direct bilateral transactions. OTC trading and direct transactions of bitcoin are generally accomplished via bilateral agreements on a principal-to-principal basis. All risks and issues related to creditworthiness are between the parties directly involved in the transaction.

 

Market Participants

 

Miners

 

Miners range from Bitcoin enthusiasts to professional mining operations that design and build dedicated machines and data centers, including mining pools, which are groups of miners that act cohesively and combine their processing to solve blocks. When a pool solves a new block, the pool operator receives the bitcoin and, after taking a nominal fee, splits the resulting reward among the pool participants based on the processing power each of them contributed to solve for such block. Mining pools provide participants with access to smaller, but steadier and more frequent, bitcoin payouts.

 

Investment and Speculative Sector

 

This sector includes the investment and trading activities of both private and professional investors and speculators. Historically, larger financial services institutions are publicly reported to have limited involvement in investment and trading in digital assets, although the participation landscape is beginning to change and large corporations, financial institutions and investment firms are taking positions providing exposure to bitcoin and other digital assets.

 

Retail Sector

 

The retail sector includes users transacting in direct peer-to-peer Bitcoin transactions through the direct sending of bitcoin over the Bitcoin Network. The retail sector also includes transactions in which consumers pay for goods or services from commercial or service businesses through direct transactions or third-party service providers.

 

Service Sector

 

This sector includes companies that provide a variety of services including the buying, selling, payment processing and storing of Bitcoin. Coinbase, Bitstamp, Gemini, Kraken, LMAX Digital and itBit are some of the largest trading platforms by volume traded. Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC and BitGo Trust Company, Inc. the Custodians for the Trust, are digital asset custodians that provide custodial accounts that store bitcoin for users. As the Bitcoin Network continues to grow in acceptance, it is anticipated that service providers will expand the currently available range of services and that additional parties will enter the service sector for the Bitcoin Network.

 

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Competition

 

More than 5,000 other digital assets have been developed since the inception of Bitcoin, currently the most developed digital asset because of the length of time it has been in existence, the investment in the infrastructure that supports it, and the network of individuals and entities that are using Bitcoin. Some industry groups are also creating private, permissioned Blockchains that may or may not feature cryptocurrencies or other digital assets. In addition, private enterprises and governments are exploring the use of stablecoins including central bank-backed digital currencies.

 

Regulation of Bitcoin

 

Bitcoin and other digital assets have increasingly attracted attention from U.S. and foreign regulators. Such regulatory attention has included enforcement actions for violations of securities and commodities laws, as well as the release of regulatory guidance explaining how existing regulatory regimes apply to digital assets, and orders approving certain digital asset-related products. In more limited cases, new legislation or regulations have been proposed or adopted to govern the use of digital assets and their networks.

 

U.S. federal and state agencies have been examining the operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and digital asset trading platforms, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets can be used to launder the proceeds of illegal activities or fund criminal or terrorist enterprises and the safety and soundness of trading platforms or other service-providers that hold digital assets for users. Many of these state and federal agencies have issued consumer advisories regarding the risks posed by digital assets to investors. In addition, federal and state agencies, and other countries have issued rules or guidance about the treatment of digital asset transactions or requirements for businesses engaged in digital asset activity.

 

In addition, the SEC, U.S. state securities regulators and several foreign governments have issued warnings that digital assets sold in initial coin offerings (“ICOs”) may be classified as securities and that both those digital assets and ICOs may be subject to securities regulations. Generally speaking, ICOs are offered and conducted on the Ethereum network or similar “smart contract” platforms, rather than the Bitcoin Network; however, bitcoin has been used for consideration in ICOs on multiple networks and ICOs may be conducted using the Bitcoin Network.

 

On-going and future regulatory actions may alter, perhaps to a materially adverse extent, the nature of an investment in the Shares or the ability of the Trust to continue to operate. Additionally, U.S. state and federal, and foreign regulators and legislatures have taken action against digital asset businesses or enacted restrictive regimes in response to adverse publicity arising from hacks, consumer harm, or criminal activity stemming from digital asset activity.

 

Various U.S. federal and state and foreign jurisdictions have adopted, and may continue in the near future to adopt, laws, regulations or directives that affect the Bitcoin Network, the bitcoin markets, and their users, particularly digital asset trading platforms and service providers that fall within such jurisdictions’ regulatory scope. There remains significant uncertainty regarding the U.S. and foreign government and quasi-governmental regulatory actions with respect to digital assets and digital asset exchanges. Foreign laws, regulations or directives may conflict with those of the U.S. and may negatively impact the acceptance of bitcoin by users, merchants and service providers and may therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the Bitcoin economy in the European Union, China, South Korea, India and the U.S. and globally, or otherwise negatively affect the value of bitcoin.

 

The effect of any future regulatory change on the Trust or Bitcoin is impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to the Trust and the value of the Shares.

 

Bitcoin Value

 

The value of bitcoin is determined by the value that various market participants place on Bitcoin through their transactions. The most common means of determining the value of a bitcoin is by surveying one or more bitcoin exchanges where bitcoin is traded publicly and transparently (e.g., Coinbase, Bitstamp, Kraken, itBit, LMAX Digital and Gemini).

 

On exchanges, bitcoin is traded with publicly disclosed valuations for each executed trade, measured by one or more fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or Euro. OTC dealers or market makers do not typically disclose their trade data.

 

Currently, there are many exchanges operating worldwide, representing a substantial percentage of bitcoin buying and selling activity, and providing the most data with respect to prevailing valuations of bitcoins. Historically, a large percentage of the global Bitcoin trading volume occurred on self-reported, unregulated bitcoin exchanges located in China. Throughout 2017, however, the Chinese government took several steps to tighten controls on bitcoin exchanges, culminating in a ban on domestic cryptocurrency exchanges in November 2017, which forced such exchanges to cease their operations or relocate. As a result, reported Bitcoin trading volume on Chinese exchanges is now substantially lower, representing a de minimis share of the global trade volume.

 

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From time to time, there may be intra-day price fluctuations across bitcoin exchanges. However, they are generally relatively immaterial. For example, the variance of prices on bitcoin exchanges with the highest transaction volumes on average is lower than 2%. These variances usually stem from small changes in the fee structures on different bitcoin exchanges or differences in administrative procedures required to deposit and withdraw fiat currency in exchange for Bitcoins and vice versa. The greatest variances are found at (i) smaller exchanges with relatively low transaction volumes where even small trades can be large relative to an exchange’s transaction volume and as a result impact the trading price on those exchanges and (ii) exchanges that are inaccessible to the Trust because they do not meet the Trust’s regulatory requirements, and as a result are accessed and used by a captured market or by parties that do not have regulatory or compliance requirements.

 

Custody of the Trust’s Assets

 

Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “Coinbase Custodian”) and BitGo Trust Company, Inc. (“BitGo” and collectively with Coinbase Custody, the “Custodians”) custodies of all of the Trust’s bitcoin, other than that which may be maintained in a trading account (the “Trading Account”) with Coinbase, Inc. (the “Coinbase Prime Broker,” which is an affiliate of the Coinbase Custodian), in accounts that are required to be segregated from the assets held by the Custodians as principal and the assets of its other customers (the “Vault Accounts”). The Custodians keep all of the private keys associated with the Trust’s bitcoin held by the Custodians in the Vault Accounts in “cold storage,” which refers to a safeguarding method by which the private keys corresponding to the Trust’s bitcoins are generated and stored in an offline manner using computers or devices that are not connected to the Internet, which is intended to make them more resistant to hacking.

 

A portion of the Trust’s bitcoin holdings and cash holdings may be held with the Coinbase Prime Broker in the Trading Account to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and in connection with the purchase and sale of bitcoin related to creations and redemptions of Baskets and Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. Within the Trust’s Trading Account, the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Trust does not have an identifiable claim to any particular bitcoin (and cash). Instead, the Trust’s Trading Account represents an entitlement to a pro rata share of the bitcoin (and cash) the Coinbase Prime Broker holds on behalf of customers who hold similar entitlements against the Coinbase Prime Broker. In this way, the Trust’s Trading Account represents an omnibus claim on the Coinbase Prime Broker’s bitcoins (and cash) held on behalf of the Coinbase Prime Broker’s customers. The Coinbase Prime Broker holds the bitcoin associated with customer entitlements across a combination of omnibus cold wallets, omnibus “hot wallets” (meaning wallets whose private keys are generated and stored online, in Internet-connected computers or devices) or in omnibus accounts in the Coinbase Prime Broker’s name on a trading venue (including third-party venues and the Coinbase Prime Broker’s own execution venue) where the Coinbase Prime Broker executes orders to buy and sell bitcoin on behalf of its clients. Within such omnibus hot and cold wallets and accounts, the Coinbase Prime Broker has represented to the Sponsor that it keeps the majority of assets in cold wallets, to promote security, while the balance of assets is kept in hot wallets to facilitate rapid withdrawals. However, the Sponsor has no control over, and for security reasons the Coinbase Prime Broker does not disclose to the Sponsor, the percentage of bitcoin that the Coinbase Prime Broker holds for customers holding similar entitlements as the Trust which are kept in omnibus cold wallets, as compared to omnibus hot wallets or omnibus accounts in the Coinbase Prime Broker’s name on a trading venue. The Coinbase Prime Broker has represented to the Sponsor that the percentage of assets maintained in cold versus hot storage is determined by ongoing risk analysis and market dynamics, in which the Coinbase Prime Broker attempts to balance anticipated liquidity needs for its customers as a class against the anticipated greater security of cold storage.

 

Other than the bitcoin held with the Coinbase Prime Broker in the Trading Account, the Sponsor allocates the Trust’s bitcoin between Vault Accounts at the Coinbase Custodian and BitGo. In determining the amount and percentage of the Trust’s bitcoin to allocate to each Vault Account, the Sponsor considers (i) the concentration of the Trust’s bitcoin at each Custodian, (ii) the Sponsor’s assessment of the safety and security policies and procedures of each Custodian, (iii) the insurance policies of each Custodian, (iv) the fees and expenses associated with the storage of the Trust’s bitcoin at each Custodian, (v) the fees and expenses associated with the transfer to or from the Vault Account at each Custodian, (vi) any other factor the Sponsor deems relevant in making the allocation determination. The Sponsor does not intend to disclose the amount or percentage of the Trust’s bitcoin held at either The Coinbase Custodian or BitGo, and the Sponsor may change the allocation between the Custodians at any time and without notice to Shareholders. The fees and expenses associated with the transfer of bitcoin between the Vault Accounts at each Custodian are borne by the Sponsor, not the Trust or the Shareholders. Any transfer of bitcoin between the Vault Accounts at each Custodian occurs “on-chain” over the Bitcoin Network. On-chain transactions are subject to all of the risks of the Bitcoin Network, including the risk that transactions will be made erroneously and are generally irreversible.

 

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Use of the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate – New York Variant

 

The Trust determines the Bitcoin Index Price and value its Shares daily based on the value of bitcoin as reflected by the Index. The Index is calculated daily and aggregates the notional value of bitcoin trading activity across major bitcoin spot exchanges. The Index currently uses substantially the same methodology as the BRR, including utilizing the same constituent bitcoin exchanges, which is the underlying rate to determine the settlement of CME bitcoin futures contracts, except that the Index is calculated as of 4:00 p.m. ET, whereas the BRR is calculated as of 4:00 p.m. London time. The Index is designed based on the IOSCO Principals for Financial Benchmarks. The administrator of the Index is CF Benchmarks Ltd. (the “Benchmark Administrator”). The Trust also uses the Bitcoin Index Price to calculate its “Bitcoin Holdings,” which is the aggregate U.S. dollar value of bitcoins in the Trust, based on the Bitcoin Index Price, less its liabilities and expenses. “Bitcoin Holdings per Share” is calculated by dividing Bitcoin Holdings by the number of Shares currently outstanding. Bitcoin Holdings and Bitcoin Holdings per Share are not measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Bitcoin Holdings is not intended to be a substitute for the Trust’s NAV calculated in accordance with GAAP, and Bitcoin Holdings per Share is not intended to be a substitute for the Trust’s NAV per Share calculated in accordance with GAAP.

 

The Index was created to facilitate financial products based on bitcoin. It serves as a once-a-day benchmark rate of the U.S. dollar price of bitcoin (BTC-USD), calculated as of 4 p.m. ET. The Index, which has been calculated and published since February 28, 2022, aggregates the trade flow of several bitcoin exchanges, during an observation window between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET into the U.S. dollar price of one bitcoin at 4:00 p.m. ET. Specifically, the Index is calculated based on the “Relevant Transactions” .

 

Calculation of NAV

 

General

 

The Shares are valued on a daily basis as of 4:00 p.m. ET. The value of bitcoin held by the Trust is determined based on the fair market value price for bitcoin determined by the Benchmark Administrator.

 

The Trust’s NAV is calculated by:

 

taking the current market value of its bitcoin (determined as set forth below) and any other; and assets;

 

subtracting any liabilities (including accrued by unpaid expenses). 

 

The Trust’s NAV per Share is calculated by taking the Trust’s NAV and dividing it by the total amount of Shares outstanding.

 

The Trust uses the Index to calculate a per-bitcoin value in U.S. dollars (the “Bitcoin Index Price”). The bitcoin held by the Trust is typically valued based on the Bitcoin Index Price. The Administrator calculates the NAV of the Trust once each business day. The end-of-day bitcoin price is calculated using the Bitcoin Index Price as of 4:00 p.m. ET. However, NAVs are not officially struck until later in the day (often by 5:30 p.m. ET and almost always by 8:00 p.m. ET). The pause after 4:00 p.m. ET provides an opportunity for the Sponsor to detect, flag, investigate, and correct unusual pricing should it occur. If the Sponsor determines in good faith that the Index does not reflect an accurate bitcoin price, then the Sponsor will instruct the Benchmark Administrator to employ an alternative method to determine the fair value of the Trust’s assets. The CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate - New York Variant shall constitute the Index, but if the Index is not available or the Sponsor at its sole discretion determines the Index is unreliable (together a “Fair Value Event”), the Trust’s holdings may be fair valued in accordance with the fair value policies approved by the Sponsor.

 

A Fair Value Event value determination will be based on all available factors that the Sponsor deems relevant at the time of the determination, and may be based on analytical values determined by the Sponsor using third-party valuation models.

 

Fair value policies approved by the Sponsor seek to determine the fair value price that the Trust might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction on the date on which the asset or liability is being valued. In the instance of a Fair Value Event, the Trust and the Sponsor have licensed of use of the Lukka Prime Reference Rate as the initial secondary index (the “Secondary Index”). If the Secondary Index is not available or the Sponsor at its sole discretion determines the Secondary Index is unreliable, the price set by the Trust’s principal market as of 4:00 p.m. ET, on the valuation date would be utilized. In the event the principal market price is not available or the Sponsor at its sole discretion determines the principal market valuation is unreliable the Sponsor will use its best judgement to determine a good faith estimate of fair value.

 

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The bitcoin markets are generally open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of the bitcoin owned by the Trust could change on days when Shares cannot be bought or sold.

 

The Secondary Index

 

The Secondary Index is designed to provide an estimated fair market value for bitcoin, in a manner that aligns with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) accounting guidelines regarding fair market value measurements. In this regard, the index provider for the Secondary Index seeks to identify a “principal market” for bitcoin, by evaluating eligible bitcoin exchanges across a variety of different criteria, including the exchanges’ oversight and governance frameworks, microstructure efficiency, trading volume, data transparency and data integrity. The index provider for the Secondary Index reviews trading platforms eligible for inclusion in the index quarterly. In determining which trading platforms to include, the index provider for the Secondary Index evaluates each trading platform using proprietary ratings criteria. The index provider for the Secondary Index periodically reassesses the eligible trading platforms used by the Secondary Index, and makes adjustments as needed. The Secondary Index was launched in January 2020, and the Secondary Index has been back-populated to January 2014.

 

Expenses

 

Expenses to Be Paid by the Sponsor

 

The Sponsor has agreed to assume the following fees and expenses incurred by the Trust (in each case as defined in the Trust Agreement): the Marketing Fee, the Administrator Fee, the Custodian Fee, the Cash Custodian Fee, the Prime Broker Fee, the Transfer Agent Fee, the Trustee’s fee, applicable license fees, including the licensing fees related to the Index License Agreement, fees and expenses related to public trading of the Shares on Nasdaq (including marketing, legal and audit fees and expenses), ordinary legal expenses, audit fees, regulatory fees, including any fees relating to the registration of the Shares with the SEC, printing and mailing costs and costs of maintaining the Trust’s website (the “Sponsor-paid Expenses”). There is no cap on the amount of Sponsor-paid Expenses. At the Sponsor’s sole discretion, all or any portion of a Sponsor-paid Expense may be redesignated as an Additional Trust Expense. The Sponsor will provide Shareholders with notice of any such redesignation in a prospectus supplement and/or through a current report on Form 8-K or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.

 

Extraordinary and Other Expenses

 

In certain extraordinary circumstances, the Trust may pay expenses in addition to the Sponsor’s Fee, including, but not limited to, any expenses of the Trust that are not assumed by the Sponsor, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other Service Provider) on behalf of the Trust, indemnification expenses of the Custodians, Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust and extraordinary legal fees and expenses (collectively, “Additional Trust Expenses”). If the Trust incurs any Additional Trust Expenses, the Sponsor or its delegate will cause the Trust (or its delegate) to convert bitcoin into U.S. dollars at the price available through the Coinbase Prime Broker’s Coinbase Prime service (less applicable trading fees) through the Trading Platform which the Sponsor is able to obtain using commercially reasonable efforts. The number of bitcoins represented by a Share will decline each time the Trust pays Additional Trust Expenses by transferring or selling bitcoins. Although the Sponsor cannot definitively state the frequency or magnitude of the Additional Trust Expenses, the Sponsor expects that they may occur infrequently, if at all.

 

Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares

 

The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. Baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of cash represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed (the “Basket Deposit”). The amount of cash required in a Basket Deposit (the “Basket Cash Deposit”) is based on the quantity or value of the quantity, as applicable, of bitcoin and cash attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fees and any accrued but unpaid Extraordinary Expenses) being created or redeemed determined as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received.

 

Baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of cash represented by the Shares being created or redeemed, the amount of which is based on the value of the bitcoin attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fees and any accrued but unpaid expenses or liabilities) being created or redeemed determined as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received. The Trust engages in bitcoin transactions for converting cash into bitcoin (in association with purchase orders) and bitcoin into cash (in association with redemption orders). The Trust conducts its bitcoin purchase and sale transactions as described above under the heading “Activities of the Trust – Purchases and Sales of Bitcoin.”

 

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Authorized Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Authorized Participants must be (1) registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks or other financial institutions, that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions as described below, and (2) DTC Participants. To become an Authorized Participant, a person must enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement. The Authorized Participant Agreement provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Shares and for the delivery of the cash required for such creation and redemptions. The Authorized Participant Agreement and the related procedures attached thereto may be amended by the Trust and the Sponsor, without the consent of any Shareholder or Authorized Participant. Authorized Participants pay the Transfer Agent a fee for each order they place to create or redeem one or more Baskets (the “Transfer Agent Fee”). In addition, an Authorized Participant is responsible for any operational processing and brokerage costs, transfer fees, financing fees, network fees and stamp taxes incurred in connection with the satisfaction of any creation or redemption orders (the “Execution Charges,” and collectively with the Transfer Agent Fee, the “Transaction Fees”). The Transaction Fees may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor. Authorized Participants (or their designees) who make deposits of cash with the Trust in exchange for Shares receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Trust or the Sponsor, and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares. The Authorized Participants deliver only cash to create Shares and receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process.

 

Certain Authorized Participants are expected to be capable of participating directly in the spot bitcoin markets. Some Authorized Participants or their affiliates may from time to time buy or sell bitcoin and may profit in these instances. To the extent that the activities of Authorized Participants have a meaningful effect on the bitcoin market, it could affect the price of bitcoin and impact the ability of the Authorized Participants to effectively arbitrage the difference between the price at which the shares trade and the net asset value of the Trust. While the Sponsor currently expects that Authorized Participants’ direct activities in the bitcoin or securities markets in connection with the creation and redemption activities of the Trust will not significantly affect the price of bitcoin or the Shares, the impact of the activities of the Trust and its Authorized Participants on bitcoin or securities markets is unknown and beyond the control of the Sponsor.

 

Each Authorized Participant is required to be registered as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act and a member in good standing with FINRA or exempt from being or otherwise not required to be licensed as a broker-dealer or a member of FINRA, and is qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where the nature of its business so requires. Certain Authorized Participants may also be regulated under federal and state banking laws and regulations. Each Authorized Participant has its own set of rules and procedures, internal controls and information barriers as it determines is appropriate in light of its own regulatory regime.

 

The following description of the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets is only a summary and a Shareholder should refer to the relevant provisions of the Trust Agreement and the form of Authorized Participant Agreement for more detail. The Trust Agreement and the form of Authorized Participant Agreement are filed as exhibits to this Quarterly Report.

 

Authorized Participants place orders through the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent coordinates with the Trust’s Cash Custodian in order to facilitate settlement of the Shares and cash as described in more detail in the “—Creation Procedures” and “—Redemption Procedures” sections below.

 

Creation Procedures

 

On any business day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Transfer Agent to create one or more Baskets. Purchase orders must be placed by 1:00 p.m. ET or the close of regular trading on the Exchange, whichever is earlier. The day on which a valid order is received by the Transfer Agent is considered the “Purchase Order Date.”

 

The manner by which creations are made is dictated by the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement. Creation orders may be denominated and settled in cash (“Cash Creation Order”). By placing a Cash Creation Order, an Authorized Participant agrees to facilitate the deposit of cash with the Cash Custodian. In either case, if an Authorized Participant fails to consummate the foregoing, the order will be cancelled or delayed until the full cash deposit has been received. An Authorized Participant may not withdraw a creation order without the prior consent of the Sponsor at its discretion.

 

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To the extent not held to facilitate redemption orders or pay the Trust’s expenses, the Sponsor uses cash proceeds received in connection with Cash Creation Orders to purchase bitcoin and deposit it in the Vault Accounts with the Custodians. Bitcoin held in the Vault Accounts is the property of the Trust and is only transferred outside the Vault Accounts or sold in connection with creation and redemption transactions or to pay the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Trust’s bitcoin is not leased, loaned or used as collateral for any loan, margin, rehypothecation or similar activities. Expenses related to the acquisition of bitcoin in connection with a creation order and transfer of acquired bitcoin to the Vault Accounts are not the responsibility of the Trust.

 

Determination of Required Deposits

 

The quantity of cash required to create each Basket Deposit changes from day to day. On each day that the Exchange is open for regular trading, the Administrator adjusts the quantity of cash constituting the Basket Deposit as appropriate to reflect the value of the Trust’s bitcoin and cash less accrued expenses. The computation is made by the Administrator as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. ET or at a later time set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement or otherwise provided to all Authorized Participants on the date such order is placed in order for the creation of Baskets to be effected based on the NAV of Shares as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form.

 

To the extent there is a difference between the price actually paid by the Trust to acquire a Basket worth of bitcoin in the creation process compared to the cash value of the Basket (i.e., if there is a difference between the amount paid by the Trust to purchase the requisite amount of bitcoin and the valuation of bitcoin as part of the Trust’s NAV calculation), that difference is also charged to the creating Authorized Participant.

 

The Basket Cash Deposit is an amount of cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Trust, net of accrued expenses and other liabilities, on the Purchase Order Date, as the number of Shares constituting a Basket is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the Purchase Order Date, plus the amount of any Transaction Fees. The Authorized Participant is responsible for all expenses related to the acquisition of bitcoin in connection with a creation order. For a discussion of how the Trust determines the value of bitcoin, see “Calculation of NAV” above. The Basket Cash Deposit so determined is communicated via electronic mail message to all Authorized Participants.

 

Delivery of Required Deposits

 

An Authorized Participant who places a purchase order must follow the procedures outlined in the “Creation Procedures” section of the Trust’s prospectus. Upon receipt of the deposit amount by the Cash Custodian, as applicable, the Transfer Agent will direct DTC to credit the number of Shares ordered to the Authorized Participant’s DTC account on the following business day or such later time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, following the Purchase Order Date. In circumstances where purchase orders are due before 4:00 p.m. ET, Authorized Participants will not know the total Basket Deposit at the time they submit a purchase order for the Basket. The Trust’s NAV and the price of a Basket Deposit could rise or fall substantially between the time a purchase order is submitted and the time the amount of the purchase price in respect thereof is determined, and the risk of such price movements will be borne solely by the Authorized Participant.

 

Rejection of Purchase Orders

 

The Sponsor or its designee has the absolute right, but does not have any obligation, to reject any purchase order or Basket Deposit if the Sponsor determines that:

 

the purchase order or Basket Deposit is not in proper form as described in the Authorized Participant Agreement;

 

the acceptance of the purchase order or Basket Deposit would not be in the best interest of the Trust;

 

the acceptance of the purchase order or the Basket Deposit would have adverse tax consequences for the Trust or its Shareholders;

 

the acceptance of the Basket Deposit presents a security or regulatory risk to the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent, the Coinbase Prime Broker, the Custodians or the Cash Custodian;

 

the acceptance or receipt of the purchase order or Basket Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful; or

 

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circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Sponsor, the Coinbase Prime Broker, the Custodians or the Cash Custodian make it impractical or not feasible to process Baskets.

 

None of the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent, the Coinbase Prime Broker, the Custodians or the Cash Custodian will be liable for the rejection of any purchase order or Basket Deposit.

 

Redemption Procedures

 

The procedures by which an Authorized Participant can redeem one or more Baskets mirror the procedures for the creation of Baskets. On any business day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Transfer Agent to redeem one or more Baskets. Redemption orders must be placed by the close of Regular Trading Hours on the Exchange or an earlier time as determined and communicated by the Sponsor and its agent. A redemption order is effective on the date it is received by the Transfer Agent (“Redemption Order Date”).

 

In the case of a redemption order for cash (“Cash Redemption Order”), the redemption distribution from the Trust consists of a transfer to the Authorized Participant of an amount of cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Trust, net of accrued expenses and other liabilities, on the Redemption Order Date, as the number of Shares to be redeemed under the purchase order is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the Redemption Order Date. With respect to either a Bitcoin Redemption Order or Cash Redemption Order, the redemption distribution due from the Trust will be delivered once the Transfer Agent notifies the Cash Custodian, the Marketing Agent and the Sponsor that the Authorized Participant has delivered the Shares represented by the Baskets to be redeemed to the Transfer Agent’s DTC account. If the Transfer Agent’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the Shares of the Baskets to be redeemed, the redemption distribution will be cancelled or delayed until such time as the Transfer Agent confirms receipt of all such Shares.

 

By placing a redemption order, an Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the Baskets to be redeemed through DTC’s book-entry system to the Trust by the end of the following business day or such later time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor following the Redemption Order Date. An Authorized Participant may not withdraw a redemption order without the prior consent of the Sponsor at its discretion.

 

To the extent there is a difference between the price actually received by the Trust to sell a Basket worth of bitcoin in the redemption process compared to the cash value of the Basket (i.e., if there is a difference between the amount received by the Trust to sell the requisite amount of bitcoin and the Trust’s NAV calculation), that difference is also the responsibility of the redeeming Authorized Participant. Expenses related to the sale of bitcoin in connection with a redemption order and transfer of bitcoin from the Vault Accounts are not be the responsibility of the Trust.

 

Determination of Redemption Distribution

 

The redemption distribution from the Trust consists of a transfer to the redeeming Authorized Participant or its designee of an amount of cash that is determined in the same manner as the determination of Basket Deposits discussed above. The Authorized Participant is responsible for all expenses related to the sale of bitcoin in connection with a redemption order.

 

Delivery of Redemption Distribution

 

Once the Transfer Agent notifies the Custodians, the Cash Custodian, the Marketing Agent and the Sponsor that the Shares have been received in the Transfer Agent’s DTC account, the Administrator instructs the Cash Custodian to transfer the cash amount from the Cash Account to the designee of the Authorized Participant. For a Cash Redemption Order, the redemption distribution due from the Trust is sent by the Cash Custodian to the Authorized Participant or its designee on the following business day or such later time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, following the Redemption Order Date if, by 4:00 p.m. ET, on such business day, the Transfer Agent’s DTC account has been credited with the Baskets to be redeemed. If the Transfer Agent’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the Baskets to be redeemed by such time, the redemption distribution will be cancelled or delayed until such time as the Transfer Agent confirms receipt of all such Shares.

 

Suspension of Creation and Redemption Orders

 

The Sponsor may, in its discretion, suspend the right of creation or redemption, or postpone the creation or redemption settlement date, (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings, or trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted, (2) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of bitcoin is not reasonably practicable (for example, as a result of a significant technical failure, power outage, or network error), or (3) for such other period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the protection of the Trust or its Shareholders. For example, the Sponsor may determine that it is necessary to suspend redemptions to allow for the orderly liquidation of the Trust’s assets. None of the Sponsor, the person authorized to take redemption orders in the manner provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement, or the Custodians will be liable to any person or in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such suspension or postponement. If the Sponsor has difficulty liquidating the Trust’s positions, e.g., because of a market disruption event or an unanticipated delay in the liquidation of a position in an over-the-counter contract, it may be appropriate to suspend redemptions until such time as such circumstances are rectified. The Sponsor will provide notice to Shareholders of any such suspensions in a prospectus supplement and/or through a current report on Form 8-K.

 

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Rejection of Redemption Orders

 

Redemption orders must be made in whole Baskets. The Sponsor or its designee has the absolute right, but does not have any obligation, to reject any redemption order if the Sponsor determines that:

 

the redemption order is not in proper form as described in the Authorized Participant Agreement;

 

the acceptance of the redemption order would not be in the best interest of the Trust;

 

the acceptance of the redemption order would have adverse tax consequences to the Trust or its Shareholders;

 

the acceptance of the redemption order presents a security risk to the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent or the Cash Custodian;

 

the acceptance of the redemption order would, in the opinion of counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful; or

 

circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Sponsor, or the Cash Custodian make it impractical or not feasible for the Shares to be delivered under the redemption order.

 

Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees

 

To compensate the Transfer Agent for expenses incurred in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets, an Authorized Participant is required to pay the Transfer Agent Fee to the Transfer Agent to create or redeem Baskets, which does not vary in accordance with the number of Baskets in such order. In addition, an Authorized Participant is required to pay the Execution Charges to the Trust or the Sponsor, as applicable, to reimburse the operational processing and brokerage costs, transfer fees, network fees and stamp taxes. The Transaction Fees may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor.

 

Transfers of bitcoin into the Trust’s Trading Account are off-chain transactions and transfers from the Trust’s Trading Account to the Trust’s Vault Accounts are “on-chain” transactions represented on the bitcoin blockchain. Any costs related to transfers from the Trust’s Trading Account to the Trust’s Vault Accounts are borne by the Sponsor (and not the Trust or its Shareholders).

 

Tax Responsibility

 

Authorized Participants are responsible for any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax, value added tax or similar tax or governmental charge applicable to the creation or redemption of Baskets, regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly on the Authorized Participant, and agree to indemnify the Sponsor and the Trust if they are required by law to pay any such tax, together with any applicable penalties, additions to tax and interest thereon.

 

Secondary Market Transactions

 

As noted, the Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. The creation and redemption of Shares are only made in exchange for delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of cash determined as described above.

 

As discussed above, Authorized Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Authorized Participants must be registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions. An Authorized Participant is under no obligation to create or redeem Baskets, and an Authorized Participant is under no obligation to offer to the public any Shares it does create.

 

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Authorized Participants that do offer to the public Shares from the Baskets they create will do so at per-Share offering prices that reflect, among other factors, the value of the Trust’s assets, supply of and demand for Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction. Baskets are generally redeemed when the market price per Share is at a discount to the NAV. Shares initially constituting the same Basket but offered by Authorized Participants to the public at different times may have different offering prices. An order for one or more Baskets may be placed by an Authorized Participant on behalf of multiple clients. Authorized Participants who make deposits with the Trust in exchange for Baskets receive no fees, commissions or other forms of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Trust or the Sponsor, and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor to effect any sale or resale of Shares. Shares trade in the secondary market on the Exchange.

 

Shares are expected to trade in the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares may trade in the secondary market at prices that are lower or higher relative to their NAV. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV may be influenced by various factors, including the value of the Trust’s assets, supply and demand for the Shares and market conditions at the time of a transaction.

 

Employees

 

The Trust has no employees.

 

U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

 

This discussion summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership of Shares. This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to a beneficial owner of Shares in light of the beneficial owner’s particular circumstances, including tax consequences applicable to beneficial owners subject to special rules, such as:

 

financial institutions;

 

dealers in securities;

 

traders in securities or commodities that have elected to apply a mark-to-market method of tax accounting in respect thereof;

 

persons holding Shares as part of a hedge, “straddle,” integrated transaction or similar transaction;

 

persons holding Shares acquired by them as part of a Basket or redeeming Shares in exchange for the underlying bitcoins represented by the redeemed Shares;

 

U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

entities or arrangements classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

real estate investment trusts;

 

regulated investment companies; and

 

tax-exempt entities, including individual retirement accounts.

 

This discussion applies only to Shares that are held as capital assets and does not address alternative minimum tax consequences or consequences of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income.

 

If an entity or arrangement that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Shares, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships holding Shares and partners in those partnerships are urged to consult their tax advisers about the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning Shares.

 

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This discussion is based on the Code, administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations as of the date hereof, changes to any of which subsequent to the date hereof may affect the tax consequences described herein. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisers about the application of the U.S. federal income tax laws to their particular situations, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.

 

Tax Treatment of the Trust

 

The Sponsor intends to take the position that the Trust will be treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.

 

If the IRS were successful in asserting that the Trust is not properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, although due to the uncertain treatment of bitcoins for U.S. federal income tax purposes (discussed below), there can be no assurance in this regard. If the Trust were classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax consequences of owning Shares generally would not be materially different from the tax consequences described herein, although there might be certain differences, including with respect to timing. In addition, tax information reports provided to Shareholders would be made in a different form. If the Trust were not classified as either a grantor trust or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be classified as a corporation for such purposes. In that event, the Trust would be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (currently at a maximum rate of 21%) on its net taxable income and certain distributions made by the Trust to Shareholders would be taxable as dividends to the extent of the Trust’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (which, in the case of Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below), generally would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a 30% rate (or a lower rate provided by an applicable income tax treaty)).

 

The remainder of this discussion is based on the assumption that the Trust will be treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

Uncertainty Regarding the U.S. Federal Income Tax Treatment of Bitcoins

 

As discussed below, each beneficial owner of Shares generally will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the owner of an undivided interest in the bitcoins held in the Trust. Many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoins are uncertain, and the Sponsor does not intend to request a ruling from the IRS on these issues. On March 25, 2014, the IRS released a notice (the “Notice”), which discusses certain aspects of the treatment of virtual currencies, such as bitcoins, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the Notice, the IRS stated that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (i) bitcoins are “property” that is not currency and (ii) bitcoins may be held as capital assets. There can be no assurance, however, that the IRS will not alter its position with respect to bitcoins in the future or that a court would uphold the treatment set forth in the Notice. In addition, legislation has been introduced that would, if enacted, cause bitcoins to be treated as currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If bitcoins were properly treated as currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes, gain recognized on the disposition of bitcoins would constitute ordinary income, and losses recognized on the disposition of bitcoin could be subject to special reporting requirements applicable to “reportable transactions.” The remainder of this discussion assumes that bitcoins are properly treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as property that is not currency. Special tax counsel to the Trust expresses no opinion regarding these aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoins.

 

The Notice does not address other significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoins, including: (i) whether bitcoins are properly treated as “commodities” for U.S. federal income tax purposes; (ii) whether bitcoins are properly treated as “collectibles” for U.S. federal income tax purposes; (iii) the proper method of determining a holder’s holding period and tax basis for bitcoins acquired at different times or at varying prices; and (iv) whether and how a holder of bitcoins acquired at different times or at varying prices may designate, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which of the bitcoins are transferred in a subsequent sale, exchange or other disposition. In 2019, the IRS issued a FAQ that addressed some but not all of these issues, but the IRS has not confirmed the answers provided in the FAQ in a manner upon which taxpayers may rely.

 

Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the substantial uncertainty regarding the tax consequences of an investment in bitcoins.

 

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Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders

 

As used herein, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of a Share for U.S. federal income tax purposes that is:

 

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or of any political subdivision thereof; or

 

an estate or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.

 

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each U.S. Holder will be treated as the owner of an undivided interest in the bitcoins held in the Trust and will be treated as directly realizing its pro rata share of the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions. When a U.S. Holder purchases Shares for cash, the U.S. Holder’s initial tax basis in its pro rata share of the bitcoins held in the Trust will be equal to the amount paid for the Shares. This discussion assumes that each U.S. Holder will acquire all of its Shares for cash on the same date and at the same price per Share. U.S. Holders that acquire, or contemplate acquiring, multiple lots of Shares at different times or prices are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding their tax bases and holding periods in their pro rata shares of the bitcoins held in the Trust.

 

When the Trust transfers bitcoins to the Sponsor as payment of the Sponsor’s Fee, or sells bitcoins to fund payment of any Additional Trust Expenses or a redemption, each U.S. Holder will be treated as having sold its pro rata share of those bitcoins for their fair market value at that time (which, in the case of bitcoins sold by the Trust, generally will be equal to the cash proceeds received by the Trust in respect thereof). As a result, each U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value of the U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of the bitcoins that were transferred and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the bitcoins that were transferred, subject to some specialized allocation rules for widely held fixed investment trusts (“WHFITs”). For some purposes, the WHFIT rules generally allocate Trust items based on distributions. For some purposes, redemptions are treated as distributions and may result in gain recognized by the Trust to generate proceeds for the redemption being disproportionately allocated to the Shareholder making the redemption. The application of the WHFIT rules to a trust holding bitcoin is uncertain. Assuming that bitcoins are not treated as currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes, any such gain or loss will generally be short-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has held its Shares for one year or less and long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has held its Shares for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses may be subject to significant limitations. The Shareholder’s tax basis and holding period for the Shareholder’s pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust will be based on the amount and cash contributed and the time the Trust purchased the bitcoin with the cash. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its pro rata share of any bitcoins transferred by the Trust generally will be determined by multiplying the tax basis of the U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of all of the bitcoins held in the Trust immediately prior to the transfer by a fraction the numerator of which is the amount of bitcoins transferred and the denominator of which is the total amount of bitcoins held in the Trust immediately prior to the transfer. Immediately after the transfer, the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its pro rata share of the bitcoins remaining in the Trust will be equal to the tax basis in its pro rata share of the bitcoins held in the Trust immediately prior to the transfer, less the portion of that tax basis allocable to its pro rata share of the bitcoins transferred.

 

U.S. Holders may deduct their respective pro rata shares of the expenses incurred by the Trust to the same extent as if the expenses were directly incurred by the U.S. Holders. U.S. Holders’ pro rata shares of the expenses incurred by the Trust will be treated as “miscellaneous itemized deductions” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a U.S. Holder is an individual, trust or estate, the U.S. Holder’s share of these expenses will be deductible for regular U.S. federal income tax purposes only to the extent that the U.S. Holder’s share of the expenses, when combined with other “miscellaneous itemized deductions,” exceeds 2% of the U.S. Holder’s adjusted gross income for the particular year, will not be deductible for U.S. federal alternative minimum tax purposes and will be subject to certain other limitations on deductibility.

 

On a sale or other disposition of Shares, a U.S. Holder will be treated as having sold the bitcoins underlying such Shares. Accordingly, the Shareholder generally will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the amount realized on the sale of the Shares and (ii) the portion of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its pro rata share of the bitcoins held in the Trust that is attributable to the Shares disposed of. The Shareholder’s tax basis and holding period for the Shareholder’s pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust will be based on the amount and cash contributed and the time the Trust purchased the bitcoin with the cash. Such tax basis generally will be determined by multiplying the tax basis of the U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of all of the bitcoins held by the Trust immediately prior to such sale or other disposition by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of Shares disposed of and the denominator of which is the total number of Shares held by such U.S. Holder immediately prior to such sale or other disposition. Assuming that bitcoins are not treated as currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes, that gain or loss will generally be short-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has held its Shares for one year or less and long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has held its Shares for more than one year.

 

After any sale (or other disposition) of fewer than all of a U.S. Holder’s Shares, the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its pro rata share of the bitcoins held in the Trust immediately after the sale (or other disposition) generally will equal the tax basis in its pro rata share of the total amount of the bitcoins held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale, less the portion of that tax basis that is taken into account in determining the amount of gain or loss recognized by the U.S. Holder upon the sale (or other disposition) (or, in the case of a redemption, which is treated as the basis of the bitcoins received by the Shareholder in the redemption).

 

27

 

 

Any brokerage or other transaction fee incurred by a U.S. Holder in purchasing Shares will be added to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the underlying assets of the Trust. Similarly, any brokerage fee or other transaction fee incurred by a U.S. Holder in selling Shares will reduce the amount realized by the U.S. Holder with respect to the sale.

 

Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders

 

As used herein, the term “non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of a Share for U.S. federal income tax purposes that is, for such purposes:

 

a nonresident alien individual;

 

a foreign corporation; or

 

a foreign estate or trust.

 

The term “non-U.S. Holder” does not include (i) nonresident alien individuals present in the United States for 183 days or more in a taxable year, (ii) former U.S. citizens and certain expatriated entities or (iii) persons whose Shares are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States. Prospective investors described in the preceding sentence should consult their tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning Shares.

 

The Trust does not expect to generate taxable income other than gain (if any) that will be recognized on the transfer of bitcoins in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee and the sale of bitcoins in connection with the payment of any Additional Trust Expenses. A non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax with respect to any such gain or with respect to any gain the non-U.S. Holder recognizes upon a sale of Shares. However, if the income from the trust is effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business or, in the case of an individual, the individual is in the United States for more than 180 days, the gains may be subject to U.S. tax.

 

U.S. Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

 

The Trust or the appropriate broker will file certain information returns with the IRS and provide holders of Shares with information regarding their shares of the Trust’s annual income (if any) and expenses in accordance with applicable Treasury regulations.

 

A U.S. Holder may be subject to backup withholding in certain circumstances if it fails to provide its taxpayer identification number or to comply with certain certification procedures. In order to avoid the information reporting and backup withholding requirements, a non-U.S. Holder may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that it is not a U.S. person. The amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against the holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle the holder to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS.

 

Results of Operations for the Period Ended March 31, 2024

 

The Trust’s net asset value increased from $0 at December 31, 2023 to $543,197,988 at March 31, 2024. The change in the Trust’s net assets resulted from an increase in outstanding Shares, which grew from 0 at December 31, 2023 to 27,075,000 at March 31, 2024 as a result of 27,080,000 Shares being created (5,416 Baskets) and 5,000 Shares (1 Basket) being redeemed during the quarter, and an increase in the value of bitcoin, which appreciated 54.3% from $45,823 at January 10, 2024, the date of the Trust’s initial bitcoin purchase, to $70,764 at March 31, 2024.

 

The net asset value per Share increased 54.3% from $13.00 at January 10, 2024 to $20.06 at March 31, 2023.

 

The net asset value per Share of $20.73 at March 13, 2024 was the highest during the quarter, compared with a low of $11.12 at January 23, 2024.

 

28

 

 

The increase in net assets from operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 was $90,673,839, resulting from a change in unrealized gain on the Trust’s bitcoin investment.

 

Cash Resources and Liquidity

 

The Trust does not hold a cash balance except in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets or to pay expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. To the extent the Trust does not have available cash to facilitate redemptions or pay expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, the Trust will sell bitcoin. When selling bitcoin on behalf of the Trust, the Sponsor endeavors to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than bitcoin. As a consequence, the Sponsor expects that the Trust will have an immaterial amount of cash flow from its operations and that its cash balance will be insignificant at the end of each reporting period. The Trust’s only sources of cash are proceeds from the sale of Baskets and bitcoin. The Trust will not borrow to meet liquidity needs.

 

In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. The Sponsor contractually waived the Sponsor’s Fee until April 10, 2024, and has and will continue to accrue at an annual rate of 0.25% of the Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings beginning thereafter. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust is expected to be the Sponsor Fee. The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs.

 

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations

 

The Trust has not used, nor does it expect to use in the future, special purpose entities to facilitate off balance sheet financing arrangements and have no loan guarantee arrangements or off balance sheet arrangements of any kind other than agreements entered into in the normal course of business, which may include indemnification provisions related to certain risks service providers undertake in performing services for the Trust. While the Trust’s exposure under such indemnification provisions cannot be estimated, these general business indemnifications are not expected to have a material impact on a Trust’s financial position.

 

Sponsor’s Fee payments made to the Sponsor are calculated as a fixed percentage of the Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings. As such, the Sponsor cannot anticipate the payment amounts that will be required under these arrangements for future periods as the Trust’s net assets are not known until a future date.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

Principal Market and Fair Value Determination

 

The Trust’s periodic financial statements may not utilize the net asset value of the Trust determined by reference to the Index to the extent the methodology used to calculate the Index is deemed not to be consistent with GAAP. The Trust’s periodic financial statements are prepared in accordance with the FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC Topic 820”) and utilize an exchange-traded price from the Trust’s principal market for bitcoin on the Trust’s financial statement measurement date. The Sponsor determines at its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Trust’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

 

To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s financial statements, the Trust follows ASC 820-10, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for bitcoin in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that bitcoin is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact. The Trust may transact through digital asset brokers or dealers, in multiple markets, and its application of ASC 820-10 reflects this fact. The Trust anticipates that, while multiple venues and types of markets will be available to the digital asset brokers or dealers from whom the Sponsor acquires or disposes of the Trust’s bitcoin, the principal market in each scenario is determined by looking at the market-based level of volume and bitcoin trading activity. Digital asset brokers or dealers may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets (each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary). Based on information reasonably available to the Trust, Exchange Markets have the greatest volume and level of activity for the asset. The Trust therefore looks to accessible Exchange Markets as opposed to the Brokered Market, Dealer Market and Principal-to-Principal Markets to determine its principal market. As a result of the aforementioned analysis, an Exchange Market has been selected as the Trust’s principal market. The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) on a quarterly basis to determine which market is its Principal Market for the purpose of calculating fair value for the creation of quarterly and annual financial statements.  

 

29

 

 

The process that the Sponsor has developed for identifying a principal market, as prescribed in ASC 820-10, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. The process begins by identifying publicly available, well-established and reputable bitcoin trading venues (Exchange Markets, as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary), which are selected by the Sponsor and its affiliates at their sole discretion. Those markets include Binance, Bitstamp, Coinbase, itBit, Kraken, Gemini, and LMAX.  The Sponsor then, through a service provider, calculates on each valuation period, the highest volume venue during the 60-minute period prior to 4:00 ET for bitcoin. The Sponsor then identifies that market as the principal market for bitcoin during that period, and uses the price for bitcoin from that venue at 4:00 ET as the principal market price.

 

Investment Company Considerations

 

The Trust is an investment company for GAAP purposes and follows accounting and reporting guidance in accordance with the FASB ASC Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for Bitcoin in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.

 

30

 

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

 

Not applicable to Smaller Reporting Companies.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures.

 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

The Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its 1934 Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Principal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

Under the supervision and with the participation of the Principal Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor, the Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trusts disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Principal Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

 

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

There were no changes in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

31

 

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

 

Although the Trust may, from time to time, be involved in litigation arising out of their operations in the normal course of business or otherwise, the Trust is currently not a party to any pending legal proceedings.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

 

Not applicable to Smaller Reporting Companies.

 

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.

 

  (a) On January 10, 2024, Valkyrie Funds LLC, an affiliate of the Sponsor, purchased 40,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $13.00 (the “Seed Shares”) in a transaction exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act. Delivery of the Seed Shares was made on January 11, 2024. Total proceeds to the Trust from the sale of the Seed Shares was $520,000. 

 

  (b) The original registration statement on Form S-1 registering an indeterminate amount of common shares of beneficial interest, or “Shares,” of the Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund (File No. 333-252344) was declared effective on January 10, 2024. From January 10, 2024 (the commencement of the offering) through March 31, 2024, 27,080,000 Shares of the Trust were sold at an aggregate offering price of $ 452,597,587. The offering proceeds were invested in bitcoin in accordance with the Trust’s investment objective stated in the prospectus.

 

  (c) In connection with redemptions of baskets held by an Authorized Participant, BRRR redeemed 1 basket (comprising 5,000 Shares) during the three months ended March 31, 2024 at a price per Share of $14.69. The following table provides information about BRRR’s redemptions by Authorized Participants during the three months ended March 31, 2024:

 

Calendar Month  Number
of Shares
Redeemed
   Average
Price
Paid per
Share
 
January 2024   0   $0.00 
February 2024   1    14.69 
March 2024   0    0.00 
Total   1   $14.69 

 

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.

 

None.

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 5. Other Information.

 

(a) All information required to be reported in a report on Form 8-K during the period covered by this Form 10-Q has been reported.

 

(b) Not Applicable.

 

(c) None of the Sponsor’s officers have adopted, modified or terminated plans under either a Rule 10b5-1 or non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement (as such terms are defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act of 1933) for the Trust or the Trust for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

 

32

 

 

Item 6. Exhibits.

 

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Quarterly Report as required under Item 601 of Regulation S-K:

 

31.1   Certification by the Principal Executive Officer of the Registrant pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 of the Exchange Act. (1)
     
31.2   Certification by the Principal Financial Officer of the Registrant pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 of the Exchange Act. (1)
     
32.1   Certification by the Principal Executive Officer of the Registrant pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (1)
     
32.2   Certification by the Principal Financial Officer of the Registrant pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (1)
     
101.INS   Inline XBRL Instance Document.
     
101.SCH   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
     
101.CAL   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
     
101.DEF   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
     
101.LAB   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
     
101.PRE   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
     
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).

 

(1) Filed Herewith.

33

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Quarterly Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned*, thereunto duly authorized.

 

    VALKYRIE BITCOIN FUND
       
Date: May 14, 2024   By: /s/ Leah Wald
    Name: Leah Wald
    Title: President (Principal Executive Officer)
     
    VALKYRIE BITCOIN FUND
       
Date: May 14, 2024   By: /s/ Steven McClurg
    Name: Steven McClurg
    Title: Chief Investment Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

* The Registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of Valkyrie Digital Assets LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.

 

34

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund 10-Q

 

Exhibit 31.1

 

Certification of Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

I, Leah Wald, certify that:

 

1.I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund;

 

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

(a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

 

 

 

(b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: May 14, 2024 By: /s/ Leah Wald
  Name: Leah Wald
  Title: Principal Executive Officer
    Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund 10-Q

 

Exhibit 31.2

 

Certification of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer

Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

I, Steven McClurg, certify that:

 

1.I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund;

 

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

(a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

 

 

 

(b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: May 14, 2024 By: /s/ Steven McClurg
  Name: Steven McClurg
  Title: Principal Financial and Accounting Officer
    Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund 10-Q

 

Exhibit 32.1

 

Certification of Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

In connection with this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 (the “Report”) of Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund (the “Registrant”) and each of its series, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Leah Wald, the Principal Executive Officer of the Registrant, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that:

 

1.The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

 

2.The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.

 

Date: May 14, 2024 By: /s/ Leah Wald
  Name: Leah Wald
  Title: Principal Executive Officer
    Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund 10-Q

 

Exhibit 32.2

 

Certification of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer

Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

In connection with this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 (the “Report”) of Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund (the “Registrant”) and each of its series, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Steven McClurg, the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Registrant, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that:

 

1.The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

 

2.The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.

 

Date: May 14, 2024 By: /s/ Steven McClurg
  Name: Steven McClurg
  Title: Principal Financial and Accounting Officer
    Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund

 

 

 

v3.24.1.1.u2
Cover - shares
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Apr. 26, 2024
Cover [Abstract]    
Document Type 10-Q  
Amendment Flag false  
Document Quarterly Report true  
Document Transition Report false  
Document Period End Date Mar. 31, 2024  
Document Fiscal Period Focus Q1  
Document Fiscal Year Focus 2024  
Current Fiscal Year End Date --12-31  
Entity File Number 001-41909  
Entity Registrant Name Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund  
Entity Central Index Key 0001841175  
Entity Tax Identification Number 86-6430837  
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code DE  
Entity Address, Address Line One 320 Seven Springs Way, Suite 250  
Entity Address, City or Town Brentwood  
Entity Address, State or Province TN  
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 37027  
City Area Code (218)  
Local Phone Number 255-9743  
Title of 12(b) Security Common Shares of Beneficial Interest  
Trading Symbol BRRR  
Security Exchange Name NASDAQ  
Entity Current Reporting Status Yes  
Entity Interactive Data Current Yes  
Entity Filer Category Non-accelerated Filer  
Entity Small Business true  
Entity Emerging Growth Company true  
Elected Not To Use the Extended Transition Period false  
Entity Shell Company false  
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding   26,860,000
v3.24.1.1.u2
Statements of Financial Condition - USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Assets    
Investment in bitcoin, at fair value (cost $452,528,788 and $0 at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively) $ 543,202,627 $ 0
Receivables:    
Trust shares sold 6,018,633 0
Total assets 549,221,260 0
Liabilities    
Bitcoin purchased payable 6,023,272 0
Total liabilities 6,023,272 0
Net assets $ 543,197,988 [1] $ 0
Shares issued and outstanding, no par value, Unlimited shares authorized 27,075,000 0
Net asset value per Share $ 20.06 $ 0
[1] No comparative schedules of investment have been provided as the Trust did not hold bitcoin as of December 31, 2023.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Statements of Financial Condition (Parenthetical) - USD ($)
3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Mar. 31, 2024
Schedule of Investments [Abstract]    
Investment in bitcoin, cost $ 0 $ 452,528,788 [1]
Par value $ 0 $ 0
Shares authorized Unlimited Unlimited
[1] No comparative schedules of investment have been provided as the Trust did not hold bitcoin as of December 31, 2023.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Schedule of Investment (Unaudited)
Mar. 31, 2024
USD ($)
Unit
Crypto Asset, Holding [Line Items]  
Total investment % of Net Assets 100.00% [1]
Total investment, cost $ 452,528,788 [1]
Total investment, fair value 543,202,627 [1]
Other assets and liabilities, net, Fair Value $ (4,639) [1]
Other assets and liabilities, net % of Net Assets 0.00% [1],[2]
Net assets $ 543,197,988 [1]
Percentage of Net Assets 100.00% [1]
Maximum [Member]  
Crypto Asset, Holding [Line Items]  
Other assets and liabilities, net % of Net Assets 0.05%
Bitcoin [Member]  
Crypto Asset, Holding [Line Items]  
Bitcoin | Unit 7,676 [1]
Investment in bitcoin, cost $ 452,528,788 [1]
Investment in bitcoin, fair value $ 543,202,627 [1]
Total investment % of Net Assets 100.00% [1]
[1] No comparative schedules of investment have been provided as the Trust did not hold bitcoin as of December 31, 2023.
[2] Represents less than 0.05% of net assets.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Statement of Operations (Unaudited)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
USD ($)
$ / shares
shares
[1]
Expenses  
Sponsor’s fee (Note 4) $ 114,185
Less: Sponsor fee waiver (114,185)
Total expenses 0
Net investment income (loss) 0 [2]
Net realized and change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment  
Net realized gain (loss) from investment 0 [2]
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment 90,673,839 [2]
Net realized and change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment 90,673,839
Net income (loss) $ 90,673,839
Net income (loss) per share | $ / shares $ 7.40
Weighted average number of shares outstanding | shares 12,253,642
[1] No comparative statements of operations have been provided as the Trust had not to commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.
[2] No comparative statements of changes in net assets have been provided as the Trust had not commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Statement of Changes in Net Assets (Unaudited)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
USD ($)
[1]
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]  
Net Assets – Beginning of Period $ 0
Creations 452,597,587
Redemptions (73,438)
Net investment income (loss) 0 [2]
Net realized gain (loss) from investment 0 [2]
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment 90,673,839 [2]
Net Assets – End of Period $ 543,197,988
[1] No comparative statements of changes in net assets have been provided as the Trust had not commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.
[2] No comparative statements of operations have been provided as the Trust had not to commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Pay vs Performance Disclosure
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
USD ($)
Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table]  
Net Income (Loss) $ 90,673,839 [1]
[1] No comparative statements of operations have been provided as the Trust had not to commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Insider Trading Arrangements
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Trading Arrangements, by Individual [Table]  
Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Adopted false
Non-Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Adopted false
Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Terminated false
Non-Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Terminated false
v3.24.1.1.u2
Organization
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization

1.Organization

 

The Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund (the “Trust”) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on January 20, 2021. The fiscal year for the Trust is December 31st. The trustee is Delaware Trust Company (the “Trustee”). The Trust’s sponsor is Valkyrie Digital Assets LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust. The Trust is governed by the provisions of the Trust agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by the Sponsor and the Trustee. The Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund is an exchange-traded fund that issues common shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) representing units of fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. There are an unlimited number of authorized shares.

 

The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the value of a bitcoin as represented by the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate - New York Variant (the “Index”), less the Trust’s liabilities and expenses. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust holds bitcoin and values its Shares daily based on the value of bitcoin as reflected by the Index, which is an independently calculated value based on an aggregation of executed trade flow of major bitcoin spot exchanges.

 

The offering of the Trust’s Shares is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933.

v3.24.1.1.u2
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2.Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

The Trust qualifies as an investment company solely for accounting purposes and not for any other purpose and follows the accounting and reporting guidance under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies, but is not registered, and is not required to be registered, as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

The Trust is an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). The Trust will cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest of (i) it having $1.235 billion or more in annual revenues, (ii) at least $700 million in market value of Shares being held by non-affiliates, (iii) it issuing more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period or (iv) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of its initial public offering.

 

For as long as the Trust is an emerging growth company, unlike other public companies, it will not be required to provide an auditor’s attestation report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; or comply with any new audit rules adopted by the PCAOB after April 5, 2012, unless the SEC determines otherwise.

 

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Trust in the preparation of financial statements. The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

 

(a) Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

(b) Investment in Bitcoin

 

The Trust purchases bitcoin upon the net creation of Shares and sells bitcoin upon the net redemption of Shares. Transactions are recorded on a trade-date basis. Realized gains (losses) and changes in unrealized gains (losses) on open positions are determined on a specific identification basis and are recognized in the statement of operations in the period in which the sale occurred or the changes in unrealized occurred.

 

The Trust utilizes an exchange traded price from the principal market for bitcoin as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the Trust’s financial statement measurement date to value the bitcoin held by the Trust. The Sponsor determines in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Trust’s financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Trust engages a third party vendor to obtain a price from a principal market for bitcoin, which is determined and designated by such third party vendor daily based on its consideration of several exchange characteristics, including the volume and frequency of trades.

 

(c) Indemnifications

 

The Sponsor and its affiliates (“Covered Person”) will be indemnified by the Trust and held harmless against any loss, judgment, liability, expense incurred or amount paid in settlement of any claim sustained by it in connection with the Covered Person’s activities for the Trust, without fraud, gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or a material breach of the Trust Agreement on the part of such indemnified party arising out of or in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement and under each other agreement entered into by the Sponsor in furtherance of the administration of the Trust (including, without limiting the scope of the foregoing, any Participant Agreement) or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement.

 

The Trustee and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee shall be indemnified by the Trust as primary obligor and held harmless against any loss, damage, liability, claim, action, suit, cost, expense, disbursement (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), tax or penalty of any kind and nature whatsoever, arising out of, imposed upon or asserted at any time against such indemnified person in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated therein; provided, however, that neither the Trust nor the Sponsor shall be required to indemnify any such indemnified person for any such expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of such indemnified person.

 

The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Trust, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

(d) Federal Income Taxes

 

The Sponsor intends to take the position that the Trust will be treated as a grantor trust under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If so qualified, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent it distributes substantially all of its investment income and capital gains to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. Rather, a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.

v3.24.1.1.u2
Investment Valuation and Calculation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Investment Valuation and Calculation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”)

3.Investment Valuation and Calculation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”)

 

GAAP defines fair value as the price the Trust would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Trust’s policy is to value investments held at fair value.

 

Fair Valuation Measurement: FASB established a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with GAAP. Under FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, various inputs are used in determining the value of investments. The inputs or methodology used for valuing investments are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those investments. The three levels of inputs of the fair value hierarchy are defined as follows:

 

Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates and similar data.

 

Level 3 — Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, to the extent relevant observable inputs are not available; representing the Trust’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability and would be based on the best information available.

 

The following table presents information about the Trust’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value as of March 31, 2024:

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
                 
Bitcoin  $543,202,627           $543,202,627 
Total Investments  $543,202,627           $543,202,627 

 


There were no transfers between Level 1 and other Levels for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The Trust held no bitcoin as of December 31, 2023

 

A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3.

 

The Trust fair values investments for financial statement purposes, categorizing those investments using the hierarchy as described above.

 

The fair value of bitcoin held by the Trust is determined based on a GAAP-consistent pricing source. The Trust’s NAV is calculated by subtracting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities from the fair value of its bitcoin and other assets. The Trust’s NAV per share is calculated by taking the Trust’s NAV divided by the total amount of Shares outstanding.

v3.24.1.1.u2
Trust Expenses
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Trust Expenses  
Trust Expenses

4.Trust Expenses

 

The Trust pays to the Sponsor a Sponsor’s fee in accordance with the Trust agreement. The Sponsor’s fee accrues daily by applying an annual rate of 0.25% to the Trust’s bitcoin holdings. The Sponsor’s fee will be payable in bitcoins at such times as determined in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. The Trust is not responsible for paying any fees or costs associated with the transfer of bitcoin to the Sponsor or the sale of bitcoin for costs not included in the Sponsor fee.

 

The Sponsor is obligated to assume and pay the following fees and expenses of the Trust: the Marketing fee, the Administrator fee, the Custodian fee, the Cash Custodian fee, the Transfer Agent fee, the Trustee fee, applicable license fees, including the licensing fees related to the Index License Agreement, fees and expenses related to trading of Shares on Nasdaq (including marketing, legal and audit fees and expenses), legal expenses, audit fees, regulatory fees, including any fees relating to the registration of the Shares with the SEC, printing and mailing costs and costs of maintaining the Trust’s website.

 

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), an indirect subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, serves as the Trust’s fund accountant, fund administrator and the transfer agent of the Trust, pursuant to certain fund accounting servicing, fund administration servicing and transfer agent servicing agreements. U.S. Bank N.A., a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp and parent company of Fund Services, serves as the Trust’s cash custodian pursuant to a custody agreement.

 

Paralel Distributors LLC serves as the Trust’s marketing agent pursuant to a marketing agent agreement.

 

Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC and BitGo Trust Company, Inc. (the “Custodians”) are custodians and Coinbase, Inc., an affiliate of the Custodian, is the prime broker of the Trust.

v3.24.1.1.u2
Creation and Redemption of Creation Units
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Equity [Abstract]  
Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

5.Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

 

The Trust issues Shares on an ongoing basis, but only in one or more blocks of 5,000 Shares (a “Basket”). The Trust issues Baskets of Shares to certain authorized participants on an ongoing basis and redeems Shares in Baskets on an ongoing basis from Authorized Participants.

 

Authorized participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Authorized participants must be (1) registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks or other financial institutions, that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions as described below, and (2) Depository Trust Company participants.

 

Authorized participants pay the transfer agent a fee for each order they place to create or redeem one or more Baskets. In addition, an authorized participant is required to reimburse the Trust or the Sponsor, as applicable, for any operational processing and brokerage costs, transfers fees, network fees, stamp taxes and part or all of the spread between the expected bid and offer side of the market related to the bitcoin being purchased or sold in connection with such order (the “Execution Charges”, and collectively with the Transfer Agent Fee, the “Transaction Fees”). The Transaction Fees may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor.

 


Activity in the number and value of Shares created and redeemed for the three months ended March 31, 2024 are as follows:

 

   Number of Shares   Value of Shares 
         
Creations   27,080,000   $452,597,587 
Redemptions   (5,000)  $(73,438)
Net change in Shares created and redeemed   27,075,000   $452,524,149 
v3.24.1.1.u2
Investment Transactions
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Investments, All Other Investments [Abstract]  
Investment Transactions

6.Investment Transactions

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of bitcoin by the Trust, were as follows:

 

Purchases   Sales 
$452,528,788   $0 
        
v3.24.1.1.u2
Related Party Transactions
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

7.Related Party Transactions

 

Certain officers of the Trust are affiliated with the Sponsor and are not paid any fees by the Trust for serving in such capacities.

 

The Sponsor agreed to waive Sponsor fees for the initial three months of the Trust’s operations, through April 10, 2024. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Trust incurred $114,185 in Sponsor fees, of which, $114,185 was waived by the Sponsor.

 

On January 10, 2024, Valkyrie Funds LLC, an affiliate of the Sponsor, purchased 40,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $13.00. Delivery of these Shares was made on January 11, 2024. Total proceeds to the Trust from the sale of these Shares was $520,000.

 

On March 15, 2024, the Trust entered into an agreement with CoinShares Co., a Delaware corporation, to act as Co-Sponsor of the Trust in an advisory capacity. In connection with adding CoinShares Co. as Co-Sponsor of the Trust, the Trust Agreement was amended. CoinShares Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CoinShares International Limited, a Jersey company.

 

Effective June 14, 2024 (the “Effective Date”), Valkyrie Digital Assets LLC shall withdraw as Sponsor to the Trust. Pursuant to Section 6.9 of the Trust Agreement, on the Effective Date of the Sponsor’s withdrawal as Sponsor to the Trust, CoinShares Co. shall automatically and without further action by the Sponsor, Trustee or the Shareholders (as defined in the Trust Agreement) become the successor Sponsor and shall have all the powers, rights, duties and obligations of the Sponsor under the Trust Agreement.

v3.24.1.1.u2
Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

8.Commitments and Contingencies

 

In the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts that contain a variety of general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust which have not yet occurred and cannot be predicted with any certainty. However, the Sponsor believes the risk of loss under these arrangements to be remote.

v3.24.1.1.u2
Financial Highlights
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Investment Company, Financial Highlights [Abstract]  
Financial Highlights

9. Financial Highlights

 

The Trust is presenting the following financial highlights related to investment performance and operations of a Share outstanding for the period from January 10, 2024 (the initial share purchase date) through March 31, 2024. The total return at NAV is based on the change in NAV of a Share during the period and the total return at market value is based on the change in market value of a Share on the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC during the period. An individual investor’s return and ratios may vary based on the timing of capital transactions.

 

Fiancial Highlights (Unaudited)

 

For the period January 10, 2024 through March 31, 2024

 

   Period Ended
March 31, 2024
 
Net Asset Value    
Net Asset Value per Share, beginning of period  $13.00 
Net investment income (loss)   0 
Net realized and change in unrealized Gain (loss)   7.06 
Net income (loss)   7.06 
Net asset value per Share, end of period  $20.06 
Market Value per Share, beginning of period  $13.00 
Market Value per Share, end of period  $20.13 
Ratio to average net assets     
Net investment income (loss) (1)   0.00%
Gross expenses (1)   0.25%
Net expenses (1) (3)   0.00%
Total return, at net asset value (2)   54.31%
Total return, at market value (2)   54.85%
(1)Annualized
(2)Not annualized
(3)Includes voluntary reimbursement of sponsor fees of 0.25%
v3.24.1.1.u2
Subsequent Events
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Subsequent Events  
Subsequent Events

10.Subsequent Events

 

The Sponsor has evaluated all subsequent events through the issuance of the financial statements and has noted no events other than those described in Note 7 requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

v3.24.1.1.u2
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Use of Estimates

(a) Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Investment in Bitcoin

(b) Investment in Bitcoin

 

The Trust purchases bitcoin upon the net creation of Shares and sells bitcoin upon the net redemption of Shares. Transactions are recorded on a trade-date basis. Realized gains (losses) and changes in unrealized gains (losses) on open positions are determined on a specific identification basis and are recognized in the statement of operations in the period in which the sale occurred or the changes in unrealized occurred.

 

The Trust utilizes an exchange traded price from the principal market for bitcoin as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the Trust’s financial statement measurement date to value the bitcoin held by the Trust. The Sponsor determines in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Trust’s financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Trust engages a third party vendor to obtain a price from a principal market for bitcoin, which is determined and designated by such third party vendor daily based on its consideration of several exchange characteristics, including the volume and frequency of trades.

 

Indemnifications

(c) Indemnifications

 

The Sponsor and its affiliates (“Covered Person”) will be indemnified by the Trust and held harmless against any loss, judgment, liability, expense incurred or amount paid in settlement of any claim sustained by it in connection with the Covered Person’s activities for the Trust, without fraud, gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or a material breach of the Trust Agreement on the part of such indemnified party arising out of or in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement and under each other agreement entered into by the Sponsor in furtherance of the administration of the Trust (including, without limiting the scope of the foregoing, any Participant Agreement) or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement.

 

The Trustee and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee shall be indemnified by the Trust as primary obligor and held harmless against any loss, damage, liability, claim, action, suit, cost, expense, disbursement (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), tax or penalty of any kind and nature whatsoever, arising out of, imposed upon or asserted at any time against such indemnified person in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated therein; provided, however, that neither the Trust nor the Sponsor shall be required to indemnify any such indemnified person for any such expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of such indemnified person.

 

The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Trust, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

Federal Income Taxes

(d) Federal Income Taxes

 

The Sponsor intends to take the position that the Trust will be treated as a grantor trust under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If so qualified, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent it distributes substantially all of its investment income and capital gains to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. Rather, a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.

v3.24.1.1.u2
Investment Valuation and Calculation of Net Asset Value (“NAV”) (Tables)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
The following table presents information about the Trust’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value as of March 31, 2024:

The following table presents information about the Trust’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value as of March 31, 2024:

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
                 
Bitcoin  $543,202,627           $543,202,627 
Total Investments  $543,202,627           $543,202,627 
v3.24.1.1.u2
Creation and Redemption of Creation Units (Tables)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Equity [Abstract]  
Activity in the number and value of Shares created and redeemed for the three months ended March 31, 2024 are as follows:


Activity in the number and value of Shares created and redeemed for the three months ended March 31, 2024 are as follows:

 

   Number of Shares   Value of Shares 
         
Creations   27,080,000   $452,597,587 
Redemptions   (5,000)  $(73,438)
Net change in Shares created and redeemed   27,075,000   $452,524,149 
v3.24.1.1.u2
Investment Transactions (Tables)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Investments, All Other Investments [Abstract]  
For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of bitcoin by the Trust, were as follows:

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of bitcoin by the Trust, were as follows:

 

Purchases   Sales 
$452,528,788   $0 
        
v3.24.1.1.u2
Financial Highlights (Tables)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Investment Company, Financial Highlights [Abstract]  
Fiancial Highlights (Unaudited)

Fiancial Highlights (Unaudited)

 

For the period January 10, 2024 through March 31, 2024

 

   Period Ended
March 31, 2024
 
Net Asset Value    
Net Asset Value per Share, beginning of period  $13.00 
Net investment income (loss)   0 
Net realized and change in unrealized Gain (loss)   7.06 
Net income (loss)   7.06 
Net asset value per Share, end of period  $20.06 
Market Value per Share, beginning of period  $13.00 
Market Value per Share, end of period  $20.13 
Ratio to average net assets     
Net investment income (loss) (1)   0.00%
Gross expenses (1)   0.25%
Net expenses (1) (3)   0.00%
Total return, at net asset value (2)   54.31%
Total return, at market value (2)   54.85%
(1)Annualized
(2)Not annualized
(3)Includes voluntary reimbursement of sponsor fees of 0.25%
v3.24.1.1.u2
Schedule of information about Trust's assets and liabilities measured at fair value (Details)
Mar. 31, 2024
USD ($)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]  
Total Investments $ 543,202,627 [1]
Bitcoin [Member]  
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]  
Bitcoin 543,202,627 [1]
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]  
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]  
Total Investments 543,202,627
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Bitcoin [Member]  
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]  
Bitcoin 543,202,627
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]  
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]  
Total Investments
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Bitcoin [Member]  
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]  
Bitcoin
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]  
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]  
Total Investments
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Bitcoin [Member]  
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]  
Bitcoin
[1] No comparative schedules of investment have been provided as the Trust did not hold bitcoin as of December 31, 2023.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Trust Expenses (Details Narrative)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Mar. 31, 2024
Trust Expenses    
Sponsor's fee annual rate 0.25% 0.25%
v3.24.1.1.u2
Schedule of Activity in number and value of Shares created and redeemed (Details)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
USD ($)
shares
Equity [Abstract]  
Creations Number of Shares | shares 27,080,000
Creations Value of Shares | $ $ 452,597,587 [1]
Redemptions Number of Shares | shares (5,000)
Redemptions Value of Shares | $ $ (73,438) [1]
Net change in Shares created and redeemed Number of Shares | shares 27,075,000
Net change in Shares created and redeemed Value of Shares | $ $ 452,524,149
[1] No comparative statements of changes in net assets have been provided as the Trust had not commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Creation and Redemption of Creation Units (Details Narrative)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
shares
Equity [Abstract]  
Block of shares issued 5,000
v3.24.1.1.u2
Schedule of Cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of bitcoin by the Trust (Details)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
USD ($)
Investments, All Other Investments [Abstract]  
Purchases $ 452,528,788
Sales $ 0
v3.24.1.1.u2
Related Party Transactions (Details Narrative) - USD ($)
3 Months Ended
Jan. 10, 2024
Mar. 31, 2024
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]    
Sponsor Fees [1]   $ 114,185
Sponsor fee waived [1]   $ 114,185
Number of shares issued   27,080,000
Valkyrie Funds LLC [Member]    
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]    
Number of shares issued 40,000  
Share price $ 13.00  
Proceeds from sale of shares $ 520,000  
[1] No comparative statements of operations have been provided as the Trust had not to commenced operations as of December 31, 2023.
v3.24.1.1.u2
Schedule of Financial Highlights (Details) - $ / shares
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Mar. 31, 2024
Net Asset Value    
Net Asset Value per Share, beginning of period $ 13.00 $ 0
Net investment income (loss) 0  
Net realized and change in unrealized Gain (loss) 7.06  
Net income (loss) 7.06  
Net asset value per Share, end of period 20.06 20.06
Market Value per Share, beginning of period 13.00  
Market Value per Share, end of period $ 20.13 $ 20.13
Ratio to average net assets    
Net investment income (loss) [1] 0.00%  
Gross expenses [1] 25.00%  
Net expenses [1],[2] 0.00%  
Total return, at net asset value [3] 54.31%  
Total return, at market value [3] 54.85%  
Sponsor's fee annual rate 0.25% 0.25%
[1] Annualized
[2] Includes voluntary reimbursement of sponsor fees of 0.25%
[3] Not annualized

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