On October 25, the crypto community was abuzz with rumors that ARK Invest and 21 Shares had listed their joint spot Bitcoin ETF on the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation’s (DTCC) website. However, upon closer inspection, it became clear that these rumors were not accurate.
BREAKING:
CATHIE WOODS’ ARK SPOT BITCOIN ETF IS NOW LISTED ON THE DTCC WEBSITE WITH TICKER AND CUSIP— Mike Alfred (@mikealfred) October 25, 2023
Incorrect Ticker and Information
Multiple screenshots and tweets from notable crypto accounts, including Mike Alfred, Bitcoin News, Simply Bitcoin, and Crypto News Alerts, claimed that the ETF was listed on DTCC. Yet, these images did not display the correct ticker for the spot Bitcoin ETF; instead, they showed tickers associated with futures products.
The current list of ARK ETF products on the DTCC ETF list. Source: DTCC
ARK Invest‘s most recent amended filing for its spot Bitcoin ETF from October 11 indicated that the fund would trade under the ticker “ARKB.” However, a visit to the DTCC website on October 25 revealed no listing under the ARKB ticker.
Clarification on Other Tickers
It’s worth noting that the ticker “ARKA” corresponds to the ARK 21Shares Active Bitcoin Futures ETF, which is a fund pending approval offering exposure to Bitcoin futures contracts. Meanwhile, ARKY and ARKZ refer to proposed products, the ARK 21Shares Active Ethereum Futures ETF and the ARK 21Shares Active Bitcoin Ethereum Strategy ETF, both awaiting approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Earlier, the crypto market saw a surge in anticipation when BlackRock’s iShares spot Bitcoin ETF (IBTC) was believed to have been listed on the DTCC website. However, a DTCC spokesperson clarified that IBTC had actually been listed on the website since August. Such listings are part of the standard procedure as a preparation step for launching a new ETF, and they do not indicate the outcome of regulatory or approval processes.
Effect on Market and ARK’s Filing
Notably, the time when these rumors emerged, Bitcoin experienced a 14% single-day rally, briefly breaking the $35,000 mark for the first time in nearly two years. Additionally, Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas mentioned that ARK Invest had filed a fourth amendment to its spot Bitcoin ETF application, primarily containing cosmetic changes to the filing.
ARK just filed amendment #4 to their 19b-4, looks like it is to incorporate changes made to their S-1 (which again were to address SEC qs). I guess just want to make both docs be in tune (first issuer to do so). I don’t see anything else to read into here but cc @SGJohnsson pic.twitter.com/NE4Gy3spgN
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) October 24, 2023
Despite the initial excitement generated by the DTCC website rumors, no concrete evidence supported the listing of the ARK Invest and 21 Shares spot Bitcoin ETF, highlighting the need for caution and accurate information in the crypto space.
