Bitwise Takes Lead as First US Bitcoin ETF

Underlining its unwavering commitment to transparency, Bitwise declared its dedication, expressing pride in “walking the walk with BITB” and highlighting the centrality of “onchain transparency to Bitcoin’s ethos.”

Bitwise Raises the Bar: Groundbreaking Authentication for Onchain Spot Bitcoin ETF

Bitwise, the cryptocurrency asset management firm renowned for introducing the BITB U.S. spot bitcoin ETF, has achieved a significant milestone as the first ETF to authenticate its BTC reserves. This accomplishment closely follows Arkham Intelligence’s revelation of onchain BTC holdings for major players such as Blackrock, Bitwise, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton.

In a notable move, Bitwise announced on the social media platform X, “Today, the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) becomes the pioneering U.S. bitcoin ETF to disclose the bitcoin addresses of its holdings.” The post emphasizes the accessibility for anyone to verify BITB’s holdings and flows directly on the blockchain, reinforcing the core value of onchain transparency in alignment with Bitcoin’s ethos. The statement affirms Bitwise’s pride in “walking the walk with BITB.”

In addition, the company outlined its commitment to heightened public transparency, acknowledging that publishing onchain addresses marks just the initial stride. As the technological infrastructure progresses, Bitwise aspires to expand its transparency initiatives, considering collaborations with entities like [Hoseki App] for real-time cryptographic attestations.

Bitwise aligns itself with the prevailing trend among centralized exchange (cex) platforms, which have bolstered their proof-of-reserve (POR) attestations in the past year. The surge in the adoption of POR systems, traditionally in minimal use, gained momentum after the FTX collapse, prompting exchanges to adopt a more transparent approach in disclosing information about their crypto reserves.

As of 4:40 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on January 24, 2024, Bitwise’s wallet, labeled as “1CKVs,” possesses 11,858.64 BTC, valued at around $470.74 million based on current exchange rates. Since its inception on January 11, 2024, a total of 17 transactions have occurred within this wallet. Ranked 71st among the top 100 wealthiest bitcoin addresses, the Bitwise wallet has not executed any satoshi transfers since its creation. The industry awaits to see whether other spot bitcoin ETFs will follow suit in adopting a comparable approach to address verification.