Question Today: Can We Rewrite the Investor Landscape?

00:00There's a whole host of challenges and opportunities for investors,

00:02and we're constantly looking at,

00:04are we solving these challenges with our clients?

00:06And oftentimes that leads us to innovation in the ETF space.

00:14So when we think about ETHA,

00:17one of the questions we asked ourselves was,

00:19is buying a Ethereum directly on

00:21crypto exchanges the most efficient and

00:23convenient way for investors to access this asset?

00:26What we have found over the last couple of decades is that many investors really prefer

00:30the ETF vehicle as an efficient way to get

00:32access to a wide range of assets from US stocks,

00:35international stocks, bonds, even option strategies. For the first time,

00:39investors are able to conveniently access Ethereum through an ETF.

00:43ETHA is directly investing in Ether,

00:45the native token of Ethereum,

00:47which is the second largest crypto currency,

00:49and it really provides this convenient access to Ethereum with tight trading spreads,

00:53lots of liquidity, and the ability to buy it in

00:56a brokerage account to sit alongside your stocks and bonds.

00:59We believe ETHA is bringing more people into the financial ecosystem.

01:02What we see is particularly within younger investors, Gen Z, Millennials,

01:06often they own digital currencies,

01:08but they don't have exposure to more traditional investments like stocks and bonds.

01:12Our view is that by bringing ETHA into people's portfolios,

01:15this can be a stepping stone for

01:17more diversified portfolios across different ETF strategies.

01:20BlackRock has a tremendous commitment to innovation in ETF space.

01:24Just this year, we've brought out several strategies across

01:26active ETFs that are allowing people to invest in professionally managed solutions by

01:31leading portfolio managers at BlackRock. We've brought out option strategies in

01:34ETFs that allow people to generate more income or protect against the downside with ETFs.

01:39We've also brought out digital asset ETFs,

01:41like ETHA and IBIT this year to provide efficient access to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

01:45So we're very committed to innovation to help people achieve their financial goals.

01:49I think what Black Rock is rewriting in

01:51the crypto asset space is really about that accessibility to digital assets.

01:55Previously, having to open an account on a digital asset exchange,

01:59trading maybe in a more unfamiliar space,

02:01having to custody that asset on your own and do that in a safe manner.

02:05Created many hurdles for a lot of investors,

02:08but by bringing an ETF,

02:09it really brings a familiar vehicle to digital assets.

02:12It's a big focus of ours when we think about the quality of Eta to make

02:16sure that we have liquid transparent markets and high market quality.

02:19You want people to be able to invest very

02:21efficiently in Ethereum through the ETF structure.

02:23NASDAQ has been a great partner in bringing out that great quality for ETHA.