Digital asset trusts present direct entry to the spot costs of the two largest cryptocurrencies. The selection between iShares Ethereum Belief ETF (ETHA 2.91%) and Fidelity Smart Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC 2.50%)
depends upon whether or not an investor seeks publicity to Ether or Bitcoin at the similar worth.
Whereas ETHA tracks Ether, FBTC tracks Bitcoin. Each funds arrived in 2024, providing a solution to maintain these risky property inside normal brokerage accounts with out utilizing a cryptocurrency trade.
Snapshot (value & measurement)
| Metric | ETHA | FBTC |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | iShares | Fidelity |
| Expense ratio | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| 1-yr return (as of June 17, 2026) | (31.71%) | (38.86%) |
| Dividend yield | None | None |
| Beta | 2.47 | 2.02 |
| AUM | $5.9B | $13.4B |
Beta measures worth volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year month-to-month returns. The 1-yr return represents complete return over the trailing 12 months.
Each funds are competitively priced with an expense ratio of 0.25%, making them institutional-grade choices for spot crypto publicity. As a result of Bitcoin and Ether are digital commodities that don’t generate money circulate, neither fund pays a dividend to its shareholders.
Efficiency & danger comparability
| Metric | ETHA | FBTC |
|---|---|---|
| Max drawdown (1 yr) | (67.60%) | (52.10%) |
| Progress of $1,000 over 1 12 months (complete return) | $616 | $594 |
The Fidelity fund is designed to trace the worth of Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Its largest — and solely — place is Bitcoin at 100% of property. Launched in 2024, the fund doesn’t pay dividends and is supposed for people with a excessive danger tolerance.
The iShares fund tracks the market worth fluctuations of Ether. Its largest place is Ether at a rounded 100%, with a small quantity of U.S. {dollars}. Additionally launched in 2024, it too pays no dividend. Each autos supply regulated publicity to property which can be exempt from the Funding Firm Act of 1940’s normal regulatory necessities.
Which is the better fund?
Clearly, investing in cryptocurrencies is a extremely risky and dangerous proposition, judging by the massive swings in returns over quick durations.
For instance, as of Dec. 31 2025, the iShares Ethereum Belief ETF had a complete 1-year return of -11.57%. But as of the finish of March, it boasted constructive 1-year complete returns of 13.92%. Quick ahead to Could 31, and the fund had swung once more to a loss, with a complete return of -22.13%. Yr-to-date, it is additionally down, at-39.19%, nearly the complete loss the fund has skilled since its 2024 inception.
The Fidelity Smart Origin Bitcoin Fund is additionally down year-to-date, however not as badly, at -16.03% as of the finish of Could. Over the earlier 52 weeks, FBTC is additionally down, -30.08%. Over its lifetime, beginning in January 2024, the fund has a constructive return of 19.19% web asset worth (NAV).
For buyers in search of publicity to cryptocurrencies, each funds are good decisions for doing so with out the complexity of shopping for Bitcoin or Ether straight. Which one you purchase depends upon whether or not you might have particular opinions about which of the two largest digital currencies, Bitcoin or Ether, in that order.
In case you merely need publicity to a digital foreign money in your portfolio, then the Fidelity fund is the alternative, given it represents Bitcoin, which constitutes roughly two-thirds of the market cap of digital currencies. The constructive lifetime return for FBTC is a plus, although it is extra about the timing of its inception. ETHA began 5 months after FBTC in 2025, lacking the start-of-the-year rally in cryptocurrencies.
For extra steerage on ETF investing, try the full information at this link.
