ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF Chooses Anchorage as New Custodian

Key Points:

• 21Shares selected Anchorage Digital, the first U.S. federally chartered crypto bank, to custody ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF.
• Anchorage joins Coinbase and BitGo as custodians for U.S. crypto ETFs to avoid risks associated with relying on a single custodian.

Anchorage Digital has been tapped by 21Shares to custody its spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds in a deal between two of the most well-known crypto investment powerhouse firms.

Read more: 21Shares Launches 21BTC to Disrupt the WBTC Market on Ethereum 

21Shares Taps Anchorage Digital for ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF Custody

Anchorage Digital, the first and only U.S.-federally chartered crypto bank, will custody of the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) and 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF (CETH), according to a Thursday statement from both firms.

The ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF is the third-best market inflow behind BlackRock and Fidelity, having amassed $3 billion in assets since its January 2024 launch. The new ETF, a partnership with Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest, offers investors a simple way to get exposure to Bitcoin, the world’s biggest digital asset by market capitalization. In contrast, the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF, launched in July 2024, follows the second-biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, Ether.

New Custodial Options: Anchorage, Coinbase, and BitGo

This expands the custody setup for U.S. cryptocurrency ETFs-which have largely relied on Coinbase, with the most recent exceptions being self-custody by Fidelity and Gemini being employed by VanEck. Anchorage Digital, alongside BitGo, further advances and secures the operations of 21Shares in the U.S. with even higher standards of security and compliance.

In addition, 21Shares has integrated Chainlink Proof of Reserve to add more value in terms of making Bitcoin and Ethereum reserves backing ARKB and CETH more transparent. It further supports the firm’s commitment to secure, regulated investment options for crypto traders.

By establishing these new partnerships, 21Shares wants to deliver more accessible and safe crypto ETFs for the fast-growing number of investors desiring exposure to digital assets through regulated financial instruments.