What is ARK Invest:
ARK is an international investment management company that focuses on thematic investments in revolutionary innovation. With a foundation built upon more than four decades of expertise in investing in technologies geared toward achieving significant growth during industry transformations, the firm stands out.
Funder of ARK: Catherine D. Woods CEO CIO
Cathie established ARK with a dual purpose in mind: Firstly, to concentrate exclusively on disruptive innovation, particularly within the realm of public equity markets. Secondly, to embrace a ‘sharing economy’ approach to research, effectively transforming the company into a collaborative asset management entity.
Catherine D. Woods – “We’re all about finding the next big thing. Those hewing to the benchmarks, which are backwards looking, are not about the future. They are about what has worked. We’re all about what is going to work.”
ARK’s ETFS:
ARK invests offer a wide range of ETFs (exchange traded funds) that are all predominantly focused on disruptive and transformative spaces, such as Fintech, 3d printing, space exploration and hopefully soon crypto. below is a list of the ETF currently available through ARK Invests that are publicly traded on the exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange:
ARK’s Move Into Crypto:
Ark Investment Management and 21Shares, have been pursuing approval for an ETF since 2021, resubmitted their initial bitcoin ETF applications earlier this year after their second attempt was declined by the SEC. The SEC had previously rejected spot bitcoin ETF offerings due to concerns about potential market manipulation and insufficient safeguards for investors against harmful activities.
They where one of the first to apply for a Bitcoin Spot ETF along with greyscales request to change from their GBTC product into a Bitcoin Spot ETF. The Winklevoss twins I think where the first on this trend applying for a bitcoin exchange traded product nearly 10 years ago! Recently we have seen the likes of BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity, Invesco and multiple other big players apply for a spot bitcoin ETF to be approved in the United states which the SEC seems to be dragging its feet with have delayed an approval only on the 31st of august following a 2nd of September deadline sighting they need more time to review the requests.
The first Spot Ethereum ETF application:
On the 6th of august 2023 ARK 21shares officially filed for the first Ethereum ETF. This is a huge step for the crypto space as a whole as its likely a trend we will see continue. In the future once we have a bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETF approved its likely more and more altcoins will end up in single ETFs or basket ETFs which is what we saw the likes of Greyscale do with first bitcoin and then altcoin products and coinshares.
This is a huge step for the industry and something we will continue to write on the matter and keep our readers up to date on! To find out why a bitcoin spot ETF is such a big deal and others may be for the assets they represent check out our other article.
