21Shares is a Swiss-headquartered crypto-native ETF issuer with one of the broadest product lineups in the industry. Founded in 2018 in Zürich, the firm pioneered crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) in Europe and partners with ARK Invest in the United States to issue the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB).
ARKB launched on Cboe BZX in January 2024 as the joint product of ARK Invest and 21Shares. It carries a 0.21% expense ratio — one of the lowest in the US spot Bitcoin ETF cohort — and uses Coinbase Custody. ARKB benefited from ARK Invest distribution and Cathie Wood retail visibility, and has remained a top-five spot Bitcoin ETF by AUM.
SOLX is part of 21Shares' multi-asset crypto lineup, focused on spot Solana exposure. Beyond the US, 21Shares operates an extensive European ETP business covering BTC, ETH, SOL, AVAX, DOT and many other digital assets.
21Shares' competitive edge is breadth: while BlackRock and Fidelity focus on the largest assets, 21Shares offers regulated exposure to a wider basket of blue-chip and altcoin tokens, especially via its European ETP suite. The ARKB fee of 0.21% is also among the lowest, attractive for cost-conscious institutional buyers.
21Shares is the issuer; ARK 21Shares is the joint US brand the firm uses with ARK Invest. ARKB (the spot Bitcoin ETF) is structured as an ARK 21Shares product. In Europe, 21Shares operates standalone under its own brand.
ARKB's expense ratio is 0.21%, one of the lowest among US spot Bitcoin ETFs.
ARKB uses Coinbase Custody Trust Company in the United States. 21Shares European ETPs use a mix of qualified custodians depending on jurisdiction and product.
Yes. In Europe 21Shares operates one of the largest crypto ETP rosters, covering Solana, Avalanche, Polkadot and many other digital assets, in addition to multi-asset baskets.
21Shares' US crypto AUM is materially smaller than BlackRock's iShares franchise, but its global crypto AUM is meaningful when European ETPs are included. In terms of US spot Bitcoin ETF AUM, ARKB sits in the top five.