485APOS 1 d268575d485apos.htm 485APOS 485APOS
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 2, 2023
1933 Act File No. 333-150525
1940 Act File No. 811-22201
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
[ X ]
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
___
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Post-Effective Amendment No.
397
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and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
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Amendment No.
399
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(Check appropriate box or boxes.)
DIREXION SHARES ETF TRUST
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor
New York, New York 10019
(Address of Principal Executive Office) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (646) 572-3390
Angela Brickl
1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor
New York, New York 10019
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copy to:
Stacy L. Fuller
K&L Gates LLP
1601 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
[  ]
immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
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on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
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60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
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on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
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75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
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on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
If appropriate, check the following box:
[ ]
This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed
post-effective amendment.

DIREXION SHARES ETF TRUST
CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT
This registration document is comprised of the following:
Cover Sheet;
Contents of Registration Statement:
Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information for the Direxion Bitcoin Ether Strategy ETF;
Part C of Form N-1A; and
Signature Page.


The information in this Prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated August 2, 2023
Direxion Shares ETF Trust
Prospectus
1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor
New York, New York 10019
(866) 476-7523
www.direxion.com
Direxion Bitcoin Ether Strategy ETF
[ ], 2023
The shares offered in this prospectus (the "Fund"), upon commencement of operations, will be listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc.
The Fund is intended only for investors who intend to actively monitor and manage their investments.
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund could lose money. No single Fund is a complete investment program.
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), nor have the SEC or CFTC passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Summary Section
Direxion Bitcoin Ether Strategy ETF
Investment Objective
The Direxion Bitcoin Ether Strategy ETF (the “Fund”) seeks capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees
[ ]%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
[ ]%
Other Expenses of the Fund(1)
[ ]%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)
[ ]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
[ ]%
Expense Cap/Reimbursement(2)
[ ]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense
Cap/Reimbursement
[ ]%
(1)
Estimated for the Fund's current fiscal year.
(2)
Rafferty Asset Management, LLC (“Rafferty” or the “Adviser”) has entered into an Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with the Fund. Under the Operating Expense Limitation Agreement, Rafferty has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse the Fund for Other Expenses through September 1, 2024, to the extent that the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed [ ]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets (excluding, as applicable, among other expenses, taxes, swap financing and related costs, acquired fund fees and expenses, dividends or interest on short positions, other interest expenses, brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses).
Any expense waiver or reimbursement is subject to recoupment by the Adviser within the three years after the expense was waived/reimbursed only if Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses fall below the lesser of this percentage limitation and any percentage limitation in place at the time the expense was waived/reimbursed. This agreement may be terminated or revised at any time with the consent of the Board of Trustees.
Example - This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year
3 Years
$[ ]
$[ ]
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.
Principal Investment Strategy
The Fund pursues its investment objective through managed exposure to a combination of bitcoin futures contracts (“Bitcoin Futures”) and ether futures contracts (“Ether Futures”) traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”) (together, “Bitcoin and Ether Futures”). The Fund’s investment in Bitcoin Futures and Ether Futures will be market capitalization-weighted and will be rebalanced on a monthly basis. The Fund seeks to primarily invest in cash settled, front-month futures contracts. Front-month futures contracts are those contracts with the shortest time to maturity. The Fund may also invest in back-month, cash-settled futures contracts. In addition, the Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds that invest in or have exposure to Bitcoin Futures and/or Ether Futures, swaps on such exchange-traded funds or swaps or swaps on Bitcoin Futures and/or Ether Futures. On a day-to-day basis, the Fund is expected to hold money market funds, deposit accounts with institutions with high quality credit ratings, and/or short-term debt instruments that have terms-to-maturity of less than 397 days and exhibit high quality credit profiles, including U.S. government securities and repurchase agreements. The Fund does not invest in bitcoin or ether directly.
Bitcoin and ether are each digital assets, sometimes referred to as digital currencies or “cryptocurrencies.” Bitcoin Futures and Ether Futures are each standardized contracts traded on, or subject to the rules of, the CME to buy or sell a specified quantity of bitcoin or ether, as applicable, at a designated price. The contract unit (i.e., the total amount of bitcoin or ether, as applicable, referenced in each contract) and calendar term of the Bitcoin Futures or Ether Futures are identical and are not subject to any negotiation, other than with respect to price and the number of contracts traded between the buyer and seller. Bitcoin Futures and Ether Futures expire on a designated expiration date and are cash-settled in U.S. dollars, based on the final settlement value of the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate and CME CF Ether Reference Rate, respectively.
The Fund does not take temporary defensive positions. The Fund will generally hold Bitcoin and Ether Futures during periods in which the value of bitcoin, ether, Bitcoin Futures or Ether Futures are flat or declining as well as during periods in which the value of ether or bitcoin, ether, Bitcoin Futures or Ether Futures are rising. In order to maintain its exposure to Bitcoin and Ether Futures, the Fund must sell its futures contracts as they near expiration and replace them with
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new futures contracts with a later expiration date. This is often referred to as “rolling” a futures contract. Futures contracts with a longer term to expiration may be priced higher than futures contracts with a shorter term to expiration, a relationship called “contango.” When rolling futures contracts that are in contango, the Fund will sell the expiring contract at a relatively lower price and buy a longer-dated contract at a relatively higher price. Conversely, futures contracts with a longer term to expiration may be priced lower than futures contracts with a shorter term to expiration, a relationship called “backwardation.” When rolling futures contracts that are in backwardation, the Fund will sell the expiring contract at a relatively higher price and buy a longer-dated contract at a relatively lower price.
The Fund will invest up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly owned and controlled subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”). The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to Bitcoin and Ether Futures within the limits of the federal tax laws, which limit the ability of investment companies such as the Fund to invest directly in such instruments. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in Bitcoin and Ether Futures and will invest principally in Bitcoin and Ether Futures, as well as certain short-term fixed-income investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivatives positions. The Adviser will use its discretion to determine how much of the Fund’s total assets to invest in the Subsidiary; however, the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets at the end of each quarter of its taxable year. As a result, in order to comply with these requirements, the Fund may reduce its exposure to Bitcoin and Ether Futures contracts at the end of each fiscal quarter end, during which times the Fund may have significantly less exposure to Bitcoin and Ether Futures, which will impact its performance and lead to the Fund incurring increased expenses. The Subsidiary is a limited partnership operating under Cayman Islands law and is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund and is advised by the Adviser. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and will follow the same general investment policies and restrictions. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund’s investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary.
The Fund is “non-diversified,” meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities or financial instruments. Additionally, the Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) has adopted certain requirements that subject registered investment companies and their advisors to regulation by the CFTC if a registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its net assets in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps, or if a registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Due to the Fund’s use of CFTC-regulated futures and swaps above the prescribed levels, it is considered a “commodity pool” under the Commodity Exchange Act.
The Fund does not invest in, or seek exposure to, the current “spot” or cash price of bitcoin and ether. Investors seeking exposure to the price of bitcoin and ether should consider an investment other than the Fund.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund entails risk. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and there is a risk that you could lose all of your money invested in the Fund. The Fund is not a complete investment program. In addition, the Fund presents risks not traditionally associated with other mutual funds and ETFs. It is important that investors closely review all of the risks listed below and understand them before making an investment in the Fund.
Bitcoin and Ether and bitcoin and ether futures are relatively new investments. They are subject to unique and substantial risks, including significant price volatility. The value of an investment in the Fund could decline significantly and without warning, including to zero. You should be prepared to lose your entire investment.The performance of bitcoin and ether futures contracts and therefore the performance of the Fund may differ significantly from the performance of bitcoin and ether.
Investment Strategy Risk The Fund invests in bitcoin and ether futures contracts that provide exposure to bitcoin and ether futures. The Fund does not invest directly in or hold bitcoin and ether. The price of bitcoin and ether futures contracts should be expected to differ from the current cash price of bitcoin and ether, which is sometimes referred to as the “spot” price of bitcoin and ether. Consequently, the performance of the Fund should be expected to perform differently from the spot price of bitcoin and ether. These differences could be significant.
Bitcoin and Ether Market and Volatility Risk The price of bitcoin and ether is highly volatile, which may impact the Bitcoin and Ether Futures markets. The value of the Fund’s investments in Bitcoin and Ether Futures could decrease significantly and therefore the value of an investment in the Fund could decline significantly and without warning, including to zero, due to its investment strategy. If you are not prepared to accept significant and unexpected changes in the value of the Fund and the possibility that you could lose your entire investment in the Fund, you should not invest in the Fund.
Bitcoin and Ether Futures Liquidity Risk The market for bitcoin and ether futures contracts is still developing and may be subject to periods of illiquidity. During such times it may be difficult or impossible to buy or sell a position at the desired price. Market disruptions or volatility can also make it difficult to find a counterparty willing to transact at a reasonable price and sufficient size. Illiquid markets may cause losses, which could be significant. The large size of the positions which the Fund may acquire increases the risk of illiquidity, may make its positions more difficult to liquidate, and may increase the losses incurred while trying to do so. Such large positions also may impact the price of bitcoin and ether futures, which could decrease the correlation between the performance of bitcoin and ether futures and the “spot” price of bitcoin and ether.
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Futures Strategy Risk The use of futures contracts is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities or financial instruments from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, which may lead to the Fund selling securities or financial instruments at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
The Fund does not intend to hold futures contracts through their expiration dates; therefore, as a futures contract approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell futures contracts and replace the position with a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as “rolling” a futures contract. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may endure a cost to “roll” the contracts. In the event of a commodity futures market where near month contracts set to expire trade at a higher price than the next expiring month contract, a situation referred to as “backwardation,” then absent the impact of the overall movement in commodity prices, the Fund may benefit because it would be selling more expensive contracts and buying less expense contracts when it “rolls” the futures contracts. Conversely, in the event of a commodity futures market where near month contracts trade at a lower price than next expiring month contract, a situation referred to as “contango,” then absent the impact of the overall movement in commodity prices, the Fund may experience an adverse impact because it would be selling less expensive contracts and buying more expense contracts. The impact of backwardation and contango may cause the total return of the Fund to vary significantly from the total return of other price references(such as the spot price). In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling commodity prices, there could be a significant negative impact on the Fund when it “rolls” its futures contract positions.
Bitcoin and Ether Futures Risk The market for bitcoin and ether futures is less developed, and potentially less liquid and more volatile, than more established futures markets. While the bitcoin and ether futures market has grown substantially since bitcoin and ether futures commenced trading, there can be no assurance that this growth will continue. The price for bitcoin and ether futures contracts is based on a number of factors, including the supply of and the demand for them. Market conditions and expectations, position limits, collateral requirements, and other factors each can impact the supply of and demand for bitcoin and ether futures contracts. The level of demand
for bitcoin and ether futures may cause them to trade at a significant premium or discount to the “spot” price of bitcoin and ether. Market conditions and expectations, position limits, collateral requirements, and other factors may also limit the Fund’s ability to achieve its desired exposure to bitcoin and ether futures contracts. If the Fund is unable to achieve such exposure it may not be able to meet its investment objective and the Fund’s returns may be different or lower than expected. Additionally, collateral requirements may require the Fund to liquidate its position, potentially incurring losses and expenses, when it otherwise would not do so. Margin levels for bitcoin and ether futures contracts are substantially higher than the margin requirements for more established futures contracts. Additionally, the Futures Commission Merchants (“FCMs”) utilized by the Fund may impose margin requirements in addition to those imposed by the exchanges. Margin requirements are subject to change, and may be raised in the future by the exchanges and the FCMs. High margin requirements could prevent the Fund from obtaining sufficient exposure to bitcoin and ether futures and may adversely affect its ability to achieve its investment objective. Further, FCMs utilized by the Funds may impose limits on the amount of exposure to futures contracts the Fund can obtain through such FCMs. If the Fund cannot obtain sufficient exposure through its FCMs, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective. Investing in derivatives like bitcoin and ether futures may be considered aggressive and may expose the Fund to significant risks. These risks include counterparty risk and liquidity risk. The performance of bitcoin and ether futures contracts and bitcoin and ether may differ and may not be correlated with each other, over short or long periods of time.
Bitcoin and Ether Futures Capacity Risk If the Fund’s ability to obtain exposure to bitcoin and ether futures contracts consistent with its investment objective is disrupted for any reason including, for example, limited liquidity in the bitcoin and ether futures market, a disruption to the bitcoin and ether futures market, or as a result of margin requirements, position limits, accountability levels, or other limitations imposed by the Fund’s FCMs, the CME, or the CFTC, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective and may experience significant losses.
In such circumstances, the Adviser may take such action as it deems appropriate and in the best interest of the Fund; however, it will not suspend creations. If the Fund is unable to obtain the desired exposure to bitcoin and ether futures contracts because it is approaching or has exceeded position limits or because of liquidity or other constraints, the Fund may invest in equity securities of “bitcoin and ether-related companies.” For these purposes, bitcoin and ether-related companies are companies listed on a U.S. stock exchange that the Advisor believes provide returns that generally correspond, or are closely related, to the performance of bitcoin and ether or bitcoin and ether futures. Any disruption in the Fund’s ability to obtain exposure to bitcoin and ether futures contracts will cause the Fund’s performance to deviate from the performance of bitcoin and ether futures. Additionally, the ability of the Fund to obtain exposure to bitcoin and ether futures contracts is limited by certain tax rules that limit the amount the Fund can invest in its
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Direxion Shares ETF Trust Prospectus

wholly-owned subsidiary as of the end of each tax quarter. Exceeding this amount may have tax consequences. Additionally, compliance with these tax rules may result in the Fund being under-exposed to Bitcoin and Ether Futures and may result in the Fund not achieving its investment objective and/or increasing the expenses of the Fund.
Bitcoin and Ether Risk Bitcoin and Ether are relatively new innovations and the market for bitcoin and ether is subject to rapid price swings, changes and uncertainty and is a largely unregulated marketplace. The further development of the Bitcoin and Ether Network and the acceptance and use of bitcoin and ether are subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. The slowing, stopping or reversing of the development of the Bitcoin and Ether Network or the acceptance of bitcoin and ether may adversely affect the price of bitcoin and ether. Bitcoin and Ether are subject to the risk of fraud, theft, manipulation or security failures, operational or other problems that impact bitcoin and ether trading venues. The Fund does not invest in, or seek short exposure to, the current spot or cash price of bitcoin and ether. However, because Bitcoin and Ether Futures are contracts to buy or sell a specified quantity of bitcoin and ether, the value of Bitcoin and Ether Futures are impacted by the bitcoin and ether market.
Unlike the exchanges for more traditional assets, such as equity securities and futures contracts, bitcoin and ether and bitcoin and ether trading venues are largely unregulated. As a result of the lack of regulation, individuals or groups may engage in fraud or market manipulation (including using social media to promote bitcoin or ether in a way that artificially increases or decreases the price of bitcoin or ether). Investors may be more exposed to the risk of theft, fraud and market manipulation than when investing in more traditional asset classes. If one or a coordinated group of individuals were to gain control of 51% of the Bitcoin and Ether Network, they would have the ability to manipulate transactions, halt payments and fraudulently obtain bitcoin and ether. A significant portion of bitcoin and ether is held by a small number of holders sometimes referred to as “whales.” These holders have the ability to manipulate the price of bitcoin and ether. Over the past several years, a number of bitcoin and ether trading venues have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches. Investors in bitcoin and ether may have little or no recourse should such theft, fraud or manipulation occur and could suffer significant losses. Legal or regulatory changes may negatively impact the operation of the Bitcoin and Ether Network or restrict the use of bitcoin and ether. There is no central registry showing which individuals or entities own bitcoin and ether or the quantity of bitcoin and ether that is owned by any particular person or entity. There are no regulations in place that would prevent a large holder of bitcoin and ether or a group of holders from selling their bitcoin and ether, which could depress the price of bitcoin and ether, or otherwise attempting to manipulate the price of bitcoin and ether or the Bitcoin and Ether Network. Events that reduce user confidence in bitcoin and ether, the Bitcoin and Ether Network and the fairness of bitcoin and ether trading venues could have a negative impact on the price of bitcoin and ether. The realization of any of these risks could result in a decline
in the acceptance of bitcoin and ether and consequently a reduction in the value of bitcoin and ether and bitcoin and ether futures. From time to time, the developers suggest changes to the bitcoin and ether software. If a sufficient number of miners or validators elect not to adopt the changes, a new digital asset, operating on the earlier version of the software, may be created. This is often referred to as a “fork.” The price of the bitcoin and ether futures contracts in which the Fund invests may reflect the impact of these forks. Finally, the creation of a “fork” or a substantial giveaway of bitcoin and ether (sometimes referred to as an “air drop”) may result in significant and unexpected declines in the value of bitcoin and ether and bitcoin and ether futures.
Cost of Futures Investments Risk As discussed above, when a futures contract is nearing expiration, the Fund will “roll” the futures contract, which means it will generally sell such contract and use the proceeds to buy a futures contract with a later expiration date. When rolling futures contracts that are in contango, the Fund would sell a lower priced, expiring contract and purchase a higher priced, longer-dated contract. The price difference between the expiring contract and longer-dated contract associated with rolling futures is typically substantially higher than the price difference associated with rolling other futures contracts. Bitcoin and Ether futures have historically experienced extended periods of contango. Contango in the bitcoin and ether futures market may have a significant adverse impact on the performance of the Fund and may cause bitcoin and ether futures to underperform spot bitcoin and ether. Both contango and backwardation may limit or prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
Derivatives Risk Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as digital assets, stocks, bonds, funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. Investing in derivatives may be considered aggressive and may expose the Fund to greater risks, and may result in larger losses or smaller gains, than investing directly in the reference assets underlying those derivatives, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. Futures contracts and swaps are the type of derivatives traded by the Fund.
The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in or shorting securities, digital assets or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, leverage, imperfect correlations with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or smaller gains than directly investing in or shorting securities or digital assets. When the Fund uses derivatives, there may be imperfect correlation between the value of the reference assets and the derivative, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. Because derivatives often require only a limited initial investment, the use of derivatives may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts initially invested.
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Counterparty Risk A counterparty, such as a FCM, may be unwilling or unable to make timely payments to meet its contractual obligations or may fail to return holdings that are subject to the agreement with the counterparty. If the counterparty or its affiliate becomes insolvent, bankrupt or defaults on its payment obligations to the Fund, the value of an investment held by the Fund may decline. Additionally, if any collateral posted by the counterparty for the benefit of the Fund is insufficient or there are delays in the Fund’s ability to access such collateral, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
In addition, the Fund may enter into Bitcoin and Ether Futures with a limited number of counterparties, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective or may decide to change its investment objective.
Other Investment Companies (including ETFs) Risk
The Fund may invest in, or obtain exposure to, another investment company, including an ETF or a money market fund (each, an “underlying fund”), to pursue its investment objective or manage cash. When investing in an underlying fund, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that underlying fund and as a result, Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the underlying fund, in addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund’s own operations. If the underlying fund fails to achieve its investment objective, the Fund’s performance will likely be adversely affected. To the extent that the Fund obtains exposure to an underlying fund, by entering into a derivative contract whose reference asset is the underlying fund, the Fund will not be a shareholder of the underlying fund but will still be exposed to the risk that it may fail to achieve its investment objective and adversely impact the Fund. In addition, to the extent that the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is an ETF, it will be exposed to all of the risks associated with the ETF structure, including any risks associated with representative sampling (see “Special Risks of Exchange-Traded Funds”). For example, shares of ETFs may trade at a discount or a premium to an ETF’s net asset value which may result in an ETF’s market price being more or less than the value of the index that the ETF tracks especially during periods of market volatility or disruption. There may also be additional trading costs due to an ETF’s bid-ask spread, and/or the underlying fund may suspend sales of its shares due to market conditions that make it impracticable to conduct such transactions, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Borrowing and Leverage Risk The Fund is subject to leverage risk associated with the use of Bitcoin and Ether Futures and the use of borrowings. Leverage can have the effect of magnifying the Fund’s exposure to changes in the value of its assets and may also result in increased volatility in the Fund’s NAV. This means the Fund will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than if the Fund owned its assets on an unleveraged basis.
Liquidity Risk Holdings of the Fund, including derivatives, may be difficult to buy or sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value, especially in changing or volatile markets. If the Fund is forced to buy or sell an illiquid security or derivative instrument at an unfavorable time or price, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain market conditions or restrictions, such as market rules related to short sales, may prevent the Fund from limiting losses or realizing gains. There is no assurance that a security or derivative instrument that is deemed liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid. Market illiquidity may cause losses for the Fund. To the extent that the value of Bitcoin and Ether Futures increases or decreases significantly, the Fund may be one of many market participants that are attempting to transact in the Bitcoin and Ether Futures. Under such circumstances, the market for Bitcoin and Ether Futures may lack sufficient liquidity for all market participants' trades. Therefore, the Fund may have more difficulty transacting in Bitcoin and Ether Futures and the Fund's transactions could exacerbate the price changes of the Bitcoin and Ether Futures and may impact the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
In certain cases, the market for certain securities and/or the Fund may lack sufficient liquidity for all market participants' trades. Therefore, the Fund may have difficulty transacting in such markets and/or in correlated investments. Further, the Fund's transactions could exacerbate illiquidity and volatility in the price of the securities and correlated derivative instruments.
Cash Transaction Risk - Unlike most ETFs, the Fund currently intends to effect creations and redemptions principally for cash, rather than principally for in-kind securities, because of the nature of the financial instruments held by the Fund. As a result, the Fund is not expected to be tax efficient and will incur brokerage costs related to buying and selling securities to achieve its investment objective thus incurring additional expenses than other funds that primarily effect creations and redemptions in kind. To the extent that such costs are not offset by transaction fees paid by an authorized participant, the Fund may bear such costs, which will decrease the Fund’s net asset value.
Money Market Instrument Risk The Fund may use a variety of money market instruments for cash management purposes, including money market funds, depositary accounts and repurchase agreements. Money market funds may be subject to credit risk with respect to the debt instruments in which they invest. Depository accounts may be subject to credit risk with respect to the financial institution in which the depository account is held. Repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk related to the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. Money market instruments may lose money.
Market Risk The Fund’s investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes
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in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, general market liquidity, exchange trading suspensions and closures, and public health risks. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt markets and adversely affect global economies, markets, and exchanges. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, conflicts and social unrest or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund, its investments, and the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Tax Risk To qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”), the Fund must meet certain requirements concerning the source of its income. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is intended to provide exposure to commodities in a manner that is consistent with the “qualifying income” requirement applicable to RICs. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has ceased issuing private letter rulings regarding whether the use of subsidiaries by investment companies to invest in commodity-linked instruments constitutes qualifying income. If the IRS determines that this source of income is not “qualifying income,” the Fund may cease to qualify as a RIC because the Fund has not received a private letter ruling and is not able to rely on private letter rulings issued to other taxpayers. Failure to qualify as a RIC could subject the Fund to adverse tax consequences, including a federal income tax on its net income at regular corporate rates, as well as a tax to shareholders on such income when distributed as an ordinary dividend.
Based on the principles underlying private letter rulings previously issued to other taxpayers, the Fund intends to treat its income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income without any such ruling from the IRS. The tax treatment of the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect whether income derived from such investments is “qualifying income” under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund.
Subsidiary Investment Risk By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. Since the Subsidiary is organized under the law of the Cayman Islands and is not registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.
Early Close/Trading Halt Risk An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain portfolio securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price
its investments, may incur substantial losses and may limit or stop purchases of the Fund. If there is a significant intra-day market event and/or the value of the Bitcoin and Ether Futures significantly increases or decreases, the Fund may not meet its investment objective. Additionally, the Fund may close to purchases and sales of Shares prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. and incur significant losses.
Active Management Risk The Fund is actively managed and its performance reflects the investment Allocation determinations of the Subadviser’s Model as well as the Adviser’s management of the Fund’s leveraged exposure. If the investments selected and strategies employed by the Fund fail to produce the intended results, the Fund could underperform other market segments and funds with a similar investment objective and/or strategies.
New Fund Risk The Fund recently commenced operations, has a limited operating history, and started operations with a small asset base. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful or grow to or maintain a viable size, that an active trading market for the Fund’s shares will develop or be maintained, or that the Fund’s shares’ listing will continue unchanged.
Concentration Risk The Fund’s investments will be concentrated (i.e., more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets) in investments that provide exposure to bitcoin and ether and/or Bitcoin and Ether Futures. As a result, the Fund may be more volatile than a Fund with a more diversified portfolio.
Non-Diversification Risk The Fund is non-diversified, which means it invests a high percentage of its assets in a limited number of securities or financial instruments. This may result in the Fund experiencing increased volatility and its net asset value and total return may fluctuate more or fall greater in times of weaker markets than a diversified fund.
Special Risks of Exchange-Traded Funds
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk. The Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders, Shares may trade at larger bid-ask spreads and/or premiums or discounts to net asset value. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for a fund that invests in non-U.S. securities or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.
Absence of Active Market Risk. Although Shares are listed for trading on a stock exchange, there is no assurance that an active trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In the absence of an active trading market for Shares, they will likely trade with a wider bid/ask spread and at a greater premium or discount to net asset value.
Market Price Variance Risk. Fund Shares can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices, which may be higher or lower than the net asset value of the Fund. When Shares trade at a price greater than net asset value, they are said to trade at a “premium.” When they trade at a price less than net asset value, they are said to trade at a “discount.” The market price of Shares fluctuates based
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on changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings and on the supply and demand for Shares. The market price of Shares may vary significantly from the Fund’s net asset value especially during times of market volatility. Further, to the extent that exchange specialists, market makers, Authorized Participants, or other market participants are unavailable or unable to trade the Fund’s Shares and/or create or redeem Creation Units premiums or discounts may increase.
Trading Cost Risk. When buying or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market, you will likely incur brokerage commission or other charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the “spread” also known as the bid-ask spread, which is the difference between what investors are willing to pay for Fund shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Fund shares (the “ask” price). The bid-ask spread varies over time based on, among other things, trading volume, market liquidity and market volatility. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results and an investment in Fund shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments due to the associated trading costs.
Exchange Trading Risk. Trading in Shares on their listing exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. Also, there is no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the exchange and Shares may be delisted. Like other listed securities, Shares of the Fund may be sold short, and short positions in Shares may place downward pressure on their market price.
Fund Performance
No prior investment performance is provided for the Fund because it had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Upon commencement of operations, updated performance will be available on the Fund’s website at www.direxion.com/etfs?producttab=performance or by calling the Fund toll-free at (866) 476-7523.
Management
Investment Adviser. Rafferty Asset Management, LLC is the Fund’s investment adviser.
Portfolio Managers. The following members of Rafferty’s investment team are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund:
Portfolio Managers
Years of Service
with the Fund
Primary Title
Paul Brigandi
Since Inception
Portfolio Manager
Tony Ng
Since Inception
Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund’s individual shares may only be purchased or sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediaries at market price rather than at net asset value. The market price of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings and supply and demand for the Shares, which may result in shareholders purchasing or selling the Shares on the secondary market at a market price that is greater than net asset value (a premium) or less than net asset value (a discount). Additionally, a shareholder may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for the Fund’s Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for the Fund’s Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares on the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”) in addition to brokerage commissions. The bid-ask spread may vary over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity. Recent information regarding the Fund Shares such as net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, bid-ask spreads, and related other information is available on the Fund’s website, www.direxion.com/etfs?producttab=performance.
The Fund’s shares are not individually redeemable by submitting Shares to the Fund. The Fund will issue and redeem Shares for cash only to Authorized Participants in large blocks, known as creation units, each of which is comprised of [50,000] Shares.
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or long-term capital gains. Those distributions will be subject to federal income tax and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Distributions or investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal. Distributions by the Fund may be significantly higher than those of most other ETFs.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial adviser), the Fund and/or its Adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Overview of the Fund
The Direxion Shares ETF Trust (the “Trust”) is a registered investment company offering a number of separate exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). This Prospectus describes the Direxion Bitcoin Ether Strategy ETF (the “Fund”). Rafferty Asset Management, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund ("Rafferty" or the "Adviser").
The Fund seeks capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective through managed exposure to bitcoin and ether futures contracts traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”) (the “Bitcoin and Ether Futures”).
Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a digital asset which serves as the unit of account on an open-source, decentralized, peer-to-peer computer network. Bitcoin may be used to pay for goods and services, stored for future use, or converted to a government-issued currency. As of the date of this Prospectus, the adoption of bitcoin for these purposes has been limited. The value of bitcoin is not backed by any government, corporation, or other identified body.
The value of bitcoin is determined in part by the supply of (which is limited), and demand for, bitcoin in the markets for exchange that have been organized to facilitate the trading of bitcoin. By design, the supply of bitcoin is limited to 21 million bitcoins. As of the date of this Prospectus, there are approximately 19 million bitcoins in circulation.
Bitcoin is maintained on the decentralized, open source, peer-to-peer computer network (the “Bitcoin Network”). No single entity owns or operates the Bitcoin Network. The Bitcoin Network is accessed through software and governs bitcoin’s creation and movement. The source code for the Bitcoin Network, often referred to as the Bitcoin Protocol, is open-source, and anyone can contribute to its development.
The Bitcoin Network
The infrastructure of the Bitcoin Network is collectively maintained by participants in the Bitcoin Network, which include miners, developers, and users. Miners validate transactions and are currently compensated for that service in bitcoin. Developers maintain and contribute updates to the Bitcoin Network’s source code often referred to as the Bitcoin Protocol. Users access the Bitcoin Network using open-source software. Anyone can be a user, developer, or miner.
Bitcoin is maintained on a digital transaction ledger commonly known as a “blockchain.” A blockchain is a type of shared and continually reconciled database, stored in a decentralized manner on the computers of certain users of the digital asset and is protected by cryptography. The Bitcoin Blockchain contains a record and history for each bitcoin transaction.
New bitcoin is created by “mining.” Miners use specialized computer software and hardware to solve a highly complex mathematical problem presented by the Bitcoin Protocol. The first miner to successfully solve the problem is permitted to add a block of transactions to the Bitcoin Blockchain. The new block is then confirmed through acceptance by a majority of users who maintain versions of the blockchain on their individual computers. Miners that successfully add a block to the Bitcoin Blockchain are automatically rewarded with a fixed amount of bitcoin for their effort plus any transaction fees paid by transferors whose transactions are recorded in the block. This reward system is the means by which new bitcoin enter circulation and is the mechanism by which versions of the blockchain held by users on a decentralized network are kept in consensus.
The Bitcoin Protocol
The Bitcoin Protocol is an open source project with no official company or group in control. Anyone can review the underlying code and suggest changes. There are, however, a number of individual developers that regularly contribute to a specific distribution of bitcoin software known as the “Bitcoin Core.” Developers of the Bitcoin Core loosely oversee the development of the source code. There are many other compatible versions of the bitcoin software, but Bitcoin Core is the most widely adopted and currently provides the de facto standard for the Bitcoin Protocol. The core developers are able to access, and can alter, the Bitcoin Network source code and, as a result, they are responsible for quasi-official releases of updates and other changes to the Bitcoin Network’s source code.
However, because bitcoin has no central authority, the release of updates to the Bitcoin Network’s source code by the core developers does not guarantee that the updates will be automatically adopted by the other participants. Users and miners must accept any changes made to the source code by downloading the proposed modification and that modification is effective only with respect to those bitcoin users and miners who choose to download it. As a practical matter, a modification to the source code becomes part of the Bitcoin Network only if it is accepted by participants that collectively have a majority of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network.
If a modification is accepted by only a percentage of users and miners, a division will occur such that one network will run the pre-modification source code and the other network will run the modified source code. Such a division is known as a “fork.”
Bitcoin Futures
A futures contract is a standardized contract traded on, or subject to the rules of, an exchange to buy or sell a specified type and quantity of a particular underlying asset at a designated price. Futures contracts are traded on a wide variety of
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underlying assets, including bitcoin, bonds, interest rates, agricultural products, stock indexes, currencies, digital assets, energy, metals, economic indicators and statistical measures. The contract unit (i.e., the total amount of the underlying asset referenced in each futures contract) and calendar term of futures contracts on a particular underlying asset are identical and are not subject to any negotiation, other than with respect to price and the number of contracts traded between the buyer and seller. Futures contracts expire on a designated date, referred to as the “expiration date.”
The Fund generally deposits cash (also known as “margin”) with an FCM for its open positions in futures contracts. The margin requirements or position limits may be based on the notional exposure (i.e., the total dollar value of exposure the Fund has to the asset that underlies the futures contract) of the futures contracts or the number of futures contracts purchased. The FCM, in turn, generally transfers such deposits to the clearing house to protect the clearing house against non-payment by the Fund. “Variation Margin” is the amount of cash that each party agrees to pay to or receive from the other to reflect the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. The clearing house becomes substituted for each counterparty to a futures contract and, in effect, guarantees performance. In addition, the FCM may require the Fund to deposit additional collateral in excess of the clearing house’s requirements for the FCM’s own protection. Margin requirements for CME Bitcoin Futures are substantially higher than margin requirements for many other types of futures contracts.
CME Bitcoin Futures commenced trading on the CME Globex electronic trading platform on December 17, 2017 under the ticker symbol “BTC”. CME Micro Bitcoin Futures commenced trading on the CME Globex electronic trading platform on May 3, 2021 under the ticker symbol “MBT“. CME Bitcoin Futures and CME Micro Bitcoin Futures are cash-settled in U.S. dollars, based on the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate (“BRR”). The BRR is a volume-weighted composite of U.S. dollar-bitcoin trading activity on the Constituent Exchanges. The Constituent Exchanges are selected by CF Benchmarks based on the Constituent Exchange Criteria. The Constituent Exchange Criteria requires each Constituent Exchange to implement policies and procedures designed to ensure fair and transparent market conditions and to identify and impede illegal, unfair or manipulative trading practices. Additionally, each Constituent Exchange must comply with, among other things, capital market regulations, money transmission regulations, client money custody regulations, know-your-client regulations and anti-money laundering regulations.
Each Constituent Exchange is reviewed annually by an oversight committee established by CF Benchmarks to confirm that the Constituent Exchange continues to meet all criteria. CF Benchmarks and the BRR are subject to United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority Regulation.
Ether and the Ethereum Network
Ethereum, or ether, is a digital asset that is created and transmitted through the operations of the peer-to-peer Ethereum Network, a decentralized network of computers that operates on cryptographic protocols. No single entity owns or operates the Ethereum Network, the infrastructure of which is collectively maintained by a decentralized user base. The Ethereum Network allows people to exchange tokens of value, called ether, which are recorded on a public transaction ledger known as a blockchain. Ether can be used to pay for goods and services, including computational power on the Ethereum network, or it can be converted to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, at rates determined on digital asset exchanges or in individual end-user-to-end-user transactions under a barter system. Furthermore, the Ethereum Network also allows users to write and implement smart contractsthat is, general-purpose code that executes on every computer in the network and can instruct the transmission of information and value based on a sophisticated set of logical conditions. Using smart contracts, users can create markets, store registries of debts or promises, represent the ownership of property, move funds in accordance with conditional instructions and create digital assets other than ether on the Ethereum Network. Smart contract operations are executed on the Ethereum Blockchain in exchange for payment of ether. The Ethereum Network is one of a number of projects intended to expand blockchain use beyond just a peer-to-peer money system.
The Ethereum Network was originally described in a 2013 white paper by Vitalik Buterin, a programmer involved with Bitcoin, with the goal of creating a global platform for decentralized applications powered by smart contracts. The formal development of the Ethereum Network began through a Swiss firm called Ethereum Switzerland GmbH in conjunction with several other entities. Subsequently, the Ethereum Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization, was set up to oversee the protocol’s development. The Ethereum Network went live on July 30, 2015. Unlike other digital assets, such as Bitcoin, which are solely created through a progressive mining process, 72.0 million ether were created in connection with the launch of the Ethereum Network. Coinciding with the network launch, it was decided that EthSuisse would be dissolved, designating the Ethereum Foundation as the sole organization dedicated to protocol development.
The Ethereum Network is decentralized in that it does not require governmental authorities or financial institution intermediaries to create, transmit or determine the value of ether. Rather, following the initial distribution of ether, ether is created, burned and allocated by the Ethereum Network protocol through a process that is currently subject to an issuance and burn rate as further described under “Limits on Ether Supply” below. The value of ether is determined by the supply of and demand for ether on the digital asset exchanges or in private end-user-to-end-user transactions.
New ether are created and rewarded to the validators of a block in the Ethereum Blockchain for verifying transactions. The Ethereum Blockchain is effectively a decentralized database that includes all blocks that have been validated and it is updated to include new blocks as they are validated. Each Ether transaction is broadcast to the Ethereum Network and, when included in a block, recorded in the Ethereum Blockchain. As each new block records outstanding ether transactions,
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and outstanding transactions are settled and validated through such recording, the Ethereum Blockchain represents a complete, transparent and unbroken history of all transactions of the Ethereum Network. For further details, see “Creation of New Ether.”
Among other things, ether is used to pay for transaction fees and computational services (i.e., smart contracts) on the Ethereum Network; users of the Ethereum Network pay for the computational power of the machines executing the requested operations with ether. Requiring payment in ether on the Ethereum Network incentivizes developers to write quality applications and increases the efficiency of the Ethereum Network because wasteful code costs more. It also ensures that the Ethereum Network remains economically viable by compensating people for their contributed computational resources.
Smart Contracts and Development on the Ethereum Network
Smart contracts are programs that run on a blockchain that can execute automatically when certain conditions are met. Smart contracts facilitate the exchange of anything representative of value, such as money, information, property, or voting rights. Using smart contracts, users can send or receive digital assets, create markets, store registries of debts or promises, represent ownership of property or a company, move funds in accordance with conditional instructions and create new digital assets.
Development on the Ethereum Network involves building more complex tools on top of smart contracts, such as decentralized apps (DApps); organizations that are autonomous, known as decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs); and entirely new decentralized networks. For example, a company that distributes charitable donations on behalf of users could hold donated funds in smart contracts that are paid to charities only if the charity satisfies certain pre-defined conditions.
Moreover, the Ethereum Network has also been used as a platform for creating new digital assets and conducting their associated initial coin offerings. As of June 30, 2023, a majority of digital assets were built on the Ethereum Network, with such assets representing a significant amount of the total market value of all digital assets.
More recently, the Ethereum Network has been used for decentralized finance (DeFi) or open finance platforms, which seek to democratize access to financial services, such as borrowing, lending, custody, trading, derivatives and insurance, by removing third-party intermediaries. DeFi can allow users to lend and earn interest on their digital assets, exchange one digital asset for another and create derivative digital assets such as stablecoins, which are digital assets pegged to a reserve asset such as fiat currency. Over the course of 2022, between $20 billion and $98 billion worth of digital assets were locked up as collateral on DeFi platforms on the Ethereum Network.
In addition, the Ethereum Network and other smart contract platforms have been used for creating non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. Unlike digital assets native to smart contract platforms which are fungible and enable the payment of fees for smart contract execution. Instead, NFTs allow for digital ownership of assets that convey certain rights to other digital or real world assets. This new paradigm allows users to own rights to other assets through NFTs, which enable users to trade them with others on the Ethereum Network. For example, an NFT may convey rights to a digital asset that exists in an online game or a DApp, and users can trade their NFT in the DApp or game, and carry them to other digital experiences, creating an entirely new free-market internet-native economy that can be monetized in the physical world.
Creation of New Ether
Initial Creation of Ether
Unlike other digital assets such as bitcoin, which are solely created through a progressive mining process, 72.0 million ether were created in connection with the launch of the Ethereum Network. The initial 72.0 million ether were distributed as follows:
Initial Distribution: 60.0 million ether, or 83.33% of the supply, was sold to the public in a crowd sale conducted between July and August 2014 that raised approximately $18 million.
Ethereum Foundation: 6.0 million ether, or 8.33% of the supply, was distributed to the Ethereum Foundation for operational costs.
Ethereum Developers: 3.0 million ether, or 4.17% of the supply, was distributed to developers who contributed to the Ethereum Network.
Developer Purchase Program: 3.0 million ether, or 4.17% of the supply, was distributed to members of the Ethereum Foundation to purchase at the initial crowd sale price.
Following the launch of the Ethereum Network, ether supply initially increased through a progressive mining process. Following the introduction of EIP-1559, described below, ether supply and issuance rate varies based on factors such as recent use of the network.
Proof-of-Stake Process
In the second half of 2020, the Ethereum Network began the first of several stages of an upgrade that was initially known as “Ethereum 2.0.” and eventually became known as the “Merge” to transition the Ethereum Network from a proof-of-work consensus mechanism to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. The Merge was completed on September 15, 2022 and the Ethereum Network has operated on a proof-of-stake model since such time.
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Unlike proof-of-work, in which miners expend computational resources to compete to validate transactions and are rewarded coins in proportion to the amount of computational resources expended, in proof-of-stake, miners (sometimes called validators) risk or “stake” coins to compete to be randomly selected to validate transactions and are rewarded coins in proportion to the amount of coins staked. Any malicious activity, such as validating multiple blocks, disagreeing with the eventual consensus or otherwise violating protocol rules, results in the forfeiture or “slashing” of a portion of the staked coins. Proof-of-stake is viewed as more energy efficient and scalable than proof-of-work and is sometimes referred to as “virtual mining”. Every 12 seconds, approximately, a new block is added to the Ethereum Blockchain with the latest transactions processed by the network, and the validator that generated this block is awarded ether.
Limits on Ether Supply
The rate at which new ether are issued and put into circulation is expected to vary. In September 2022 the Ethereum Network converted from proof-of-work to a new proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. Following the Merge, approximately 1,700 ether are issued per day, though the issuance rate varies based on the number of validators on the network. In addition, the issuance of new ether could be partially or completely offset by the burn mechanism introduced by the EIP-1559 modification, under which ether are removed from supply at a rate that varies with network usage. See “Modifications to the Ether Protocol.” On occasion, the ether supply has been deflationary over a 24 hour period as a result of the burn mechanism. The attributes of the new consensus algorithm are subject to change, but in sum, the new consensus algorithm and related modifications reduced total new ether issuances and could turn the ether supply deflationary over the long term.
As of June 30, 2023, approximately 120 million ether were outstanding.
Ether Futures
A futures contract is a standardized contract traded on, or subject to the rules of, an exchange to buy or sell a specified type and quantity of a particular underlying asset at a designated price. Futures contracts are traded on a wide variety of underlying assets, including ether, bonds, interest rates, agricultural products, stock indexes, currencies, digital assets, energy, metals, economic indicators and statistical measures. The notional size and calendar term of futures contracts on a particular underlying asset are identical and are not subject to any negotiation, other than with respect to price and the number of contracts traded between the buyer and seller. Futures contracts expire on a designated date, referred to as the “expiration date.”
The Fund generally deposits cash (also known as “margin”) with an FCM for its open positions in futures contracts. The margin requirements or position limits may be based on the notional exposure of the futures contracts or the number of futures contracts purchased. The FCM, in turn, generally transfers such deposits to the clearing house to protect the clearing house against non-payment by the Fund. “Variation Margin” is the amount of cash that each party agrees to pay to or receive from the other to reflect the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. The clearing house becomes substituted for each counterparty to a futures contract and, in effect, guarantees performance. In addition, the FCM may require the Fund to deposit additional margin collateral in excess of the clearing house’s requirements for the FCM’s own protection. Margin requirements for CME Ether Futures are substantially higher than margin requirements for many other types of futures contracts.
CME Ether Futures commenced trading on the CME Globex electronic trading platform on February 8, 2021 under the ticker symbol “ETH”. CME Ether Futures are cash-settled in U.S. dollars, based on the CME CF Ether Reference Rate. The CME CF Ether Reference Rate is a volume-weighted composite of U.S. dollar-ether trading activity on the Constituent Exchanges. The Constituent Exchanges are selected by CF Benchmarks based on the Constituent Exchange Criteria. The Constituent Exchange Criteria requires each Constituent Exchange to implement policies and procedures to ensure fair and transparent market conditions and to identify and impede illegal, unfair or manipulative trading practices. Additionally, each Constituent Exchange must comply with, among other things, capital market regulations, money transmission regulations, client money custody regulations, know-you-client regulations and anti-money laundering regulations.
Each Constituent Exchange is reviewed annually by an oversight committee established by CF Benchmarks to confirm that the Constituent Exchange continues to meet all criteria. CF Benchmarks and the CME CF Ether Reference Rate are subject to United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority Regulation.
Rolling of the Bitcoin and Ether Futures
Futures contracts expire on a designated date, referred to as the “expiration date.” The Fund generally seeks to provide exposure to “front month” CME bitcoin and ether futures contracts. “Front month” contracts are the monthly contracts with the nearest expiration date. CME Bitcoin and Ether Futures are cash settled on their expiration date unless they are “rolled” prior to expiration. The Fund intends to “roll” its CME Bitcoin and Ether Futures prior to expiration. Typically, the Fund will roll to the next “nearby” CME Bitcoin and Ether Futures. The “nearby” contracts are those contracts with the next closest expiration date.
Investment in the Cayman Subsidiary
The Fund expects to gain exposure to bitcoin and ether futures contracts by investing a portion of its assets in a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the [Direxion BIT ETH Fund, Ltd] (the “Portfolio”). The Portfolio will be managed and advised by the Adviser.
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Equity Securities of Bitcoin and Ether-Related Companies
If the Fund is unable to obtain the desired exposure to bitcoin and ether futures contracts because it is approaching or has exceeded position limits or because of liquidity or other constraints, the Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities of “bitcoin and ether-related companies.” For these purposes, bitcoin and ether-related companies are companies listed on a U.S. stock exchange that the Advisor believes provide returns that generally correspond, or are closely related, to the performance of bitcoin and ether or bitcoin and ether futures. For example, the Fund may obtain exposure to U.S. listed companies engaged in digital asset mining or offering digital asset trading platforms.
Shares of the Fund (“Shares”), upon commencement of operations, will be listed and traded on NYSE Arca (the “Exchange”), where the market prices for the Shares may be different from the intra-day value of the Shares disseminated by the Exchange and from their net asset value (“NAV”). Unlike conventional mutual funds, Shares are not individually redeemable directly with the Fund. Rather, the Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis at NAV only in large blocks of Shares called “Creation Units.” A Creation Unit consists of [50,000] Shares. Creation Units of the Fund are issued and redeemed for cash. As a result, retail investors generally will not be able to purchase or redeem Shares directly from, or with, the Fund. Most retail investors will purchase or sell Shares in the secondary market through a broker.
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund could lose money. No single Fund is a complete investment program.
Changes in Investment Objective. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund's Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
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Additional Information Regarding Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund entails risks. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and may decline in value. In addition, the Fund presents risks not traditionally associated with other mutual funds and ETFs. It is important that investors closely review and understand all of the Fund’s risks before making an investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program. Risks of investing in the Fund are described below.
Bitcoin and Ether and bitcoin and ether futures are relatively new investments. They are subject to unique and substantial risks, including significant price volatility. The value of an investment in the Fund could decline significantly and without warning, including to zero. You should be prepared to lose your entire investment. The performance of bitcoin and ether futures contracts and therefore the performance of the Fund may differ significantly from the performance of bitcoin and ether.
Bitcoin Investing Risk
Investments linked to bitcoin can be highly volatile compared to investments in traditional securities and the Fund may experience sudden and large losses. The markets for bitcoin and bitcoin futures may become illiquid. These markets may fluctuate widely based on a variety of factors including changes in overall market movements, political and economic events, wars, acts of terrorism, natural disasters (including disease, epidemics and pandemics) and changes in interest rates or inflation rates. An investor should be prepared to lose the full principal value of their investment suddenly and without warning.
A number of factors affecting the price and market for bitcoin.
Supply and demand for bitcoin It is believed that speculators and investors who seek to profit from trading and holding bitcoin currently account for a significant portion of bitcoin demand. Such speculation regarding the potential future appreciation in the price of bitcoin may artificially inflate or deflate the price of bitcoin. Market fraud and/or manipulation and other fraudulent trading practices such as the intentional dissemination of false or misleading information (e.g., false rumors) can, among other things, lead to a disruption of the orderly functioning of markets, significant market volatility, and cause the value of bitcoin futures to fluctuate quickly and without warning.
Supply and demand for bitcoin futures contracts The price for bitcoin futures contracts is based on a number of factors, including the supply of and the demand for bitcoin futures contracts. Market conditions and expectations, position limits, collateral requirements, and other factors each can impact the supply of and demand for bitcoin futures contracts. Recently, increased demand paired with supply constraints and other factors have caused bitcoin futures to trade at a significant premium to the “spot” price of bitcoin. Additional demand, including demand resulting from the purchase, or anticipated purchase, of futures contracts by the Fund or other entities may increase that premium, perhaps significantly. It is not possible to predict whether or how long such conditions will continue.
Adoption and use of bitcoin The continued adoption of bitcoin will require growth in its usage as a means of payment.
Even if growth in bitcoin adoption continues in the near or medium-term, there is no assurance that bitcoin usage will continue to grow over the long-term. A contraction in the use of bitcoin may result in a lack of liquidity, increased volatility in and a reduction to the price of bitcoin.
The regulatory environment relating to bitcoin and bitcoin futures The regulation of bitcoin, digital assets and related products and services continues to evolve. The inconsistent and sometimes conflicting regulatory landscape may make it more difficult for bitcoin businesses to provide services, which may impede the growth of the bitcoin economy and have an adverse effect on consumer adoption of bitcoin. There is a possibility of future regulatory change altering, perhaps to a material extent, the ability to buy and sell bitcoin and bitcoin futures. Similarly, future regulatory changes could impact the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective or alter the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to operate as planned.
Margin requirements and position limits applicable to bitcoin futures contracts Margin levels for bitcoin futures contracts are substantially higher than the margin requirements for more established futures contracts. Additionally, the FCMs utilized by the Fund may impose margin requirements in addition to those imposed by the exchanges. Margin requirements are subject to change, and may be raised in the future by the exchanges and the FCMs. High margin requirements could prevent the Fund from obtaining sufficient exposure to bitcoin futures and may adversely affect its ability to achieve its investment objective. Further, FCMs utilized by the Funds may impose limits on the amount of exposure to futures contracts the Fund can obtain through such FCMs. If the Fund cannot obtain sufficient exposure through its FCMs, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
Largely unregulated marketplace Bitcoin, the Bitcoin Network and the bitcoin trading venues are relatively new and, in most cases, largely unregulated. As a result of this lack of regulation, individuals, or groups may engage in insider trading, fraud or market manipulation with respect to bitcoin. Such manipulation could cause investors in bitcoin to lose money, possibly the entire value of their investments. Over the past several years, a number of bitcoin trading venues have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches. The nature of the assets held at bitcoin trading venues make them appealing targets for hackers and a number of bitcoin trading venues have been victims of cybercrimes and other fraudulent activity. These activities have caused significant, in some cases total, losses for bitcoin investors. Investors in bitcoin may have little or no recourse should such theft, fraud or manipulation occur. There is no
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central registry showing which individuals or entities own bitcoin or the quantity of bitcoin that is owned by any particular person or entity. There are no regulations in place that would prevent a large holder of bitcoin or a group of holders from selling their bitcoins, which could depress the price of bitcoin, or otherwise attempting to manipulate the price of bitcoin or the Bitcoin Network. Events that reduce user confidence in bitcoin, the Bitcoin Network and the fairness of bitcoin trading venues could have a negative impact on the price of bitcoin and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Cybersecurity As a digital asset, bitcoin is subject to the risk that malicious actors will exploit flaws in its code or structure that will allow them to, among other things, steal bitcoin held by others, control the blockchain, steal personally identifying information, or issue significant amounts of bitcoin in contravention of the Bitcoin Protocols. The occurrence of any of these events is likely to have a significant adverse impact on the price and liquidity of bitcoin and bitcoin futures contracts and therefore the value of an investment in the Fund. Additionally, the Bitcoin Network’s functionality relies on the Internet. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of the Bitcoin Network. Any technical disruptions or regulatory limitations that affect Internet access may have an adverse effect on the Bitcoin Network, the price of bitcoin and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Declining mining compensation Transactions in bitcoin are processed by miners which are primarily compensated in bitcoin based on a declining payment schedule and, in some instances, by voluntary fees paid by participants. If this compensation is not sufficient to incentivize miners to process transactions, the confirmation process for transactions may slow and the Bitcoin Network may become more vulnerable to malicious actors. These and similar events may have a significant adverse effect on the price and liquidity of bitcoin and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Forks The open source nature of the Bitcoin Protocol permits any developer to review the underlying code and suggest changes. If some users and miners adopt a change while others do not and that change is not compatible with the existing software, a fork occurs. Several forks have already occurred in the Bitcoin Network resulting in the creation of new, separate digital assets. Which fork will be considered to be bitcoin for purposes of the BRR is determined by CF Benchmarks. Forks and similar events could adversely effect the price and liquidity of bitcoin and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Costs of rolling futures contracts Futures contracts with a longer term to expiration may be priced higher than futures contracts with a shorter term to expiration, a relationship called “contango.” Conversely, futures contracts with a longer term to expiration may be priced lower than futures contracts with a shorter term to expiration, a relationship called “backwardation.” When rolling futures contracts that are in contango, the Fund may sell the expiring bitcoin futures at a lower price and buy a longer-dated bitcoin futures at
a higher price. When rolling futures contracts that are in backwardation, the Fund may sell the expiring bitcoin futures at a higher price and buy the longer-dated bitcoin futures at a lower price. The price difference between the expiring contract and longer-dated contract associated with rolling bitcoin futures is typically substantially higher than the price difference associated with rolling other futures contracts. Bitcoin futures have historically experienced extended periods of contango. Contango in the bitcoin futures market may have a significant adverse impact on the performance of the Fund and may cause bitcoin futures to underperform spot bitcoin. Both contango and backwardation may limit or prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. Additionally because of the frequency with which the Fund may roll futures contracts, the impact of contango or backwardation on Fund performance may be greater than it would have been if the Fund rolled futures contracts less frequently.
Liquidity risk The market for bitcoin futures contracts is still developing and may be subject to periods of illiquidity. During such times it may be difficult or impossible to buy or sell a position at the desired price. Market disruptions or volatility can also make it difficult to find a counterparty willing to transact at a reasonable price and sufficient size. Illiquid markets may cause losses, which could be significant. The large size of the positions which the Fund may acquire increases the risk of illiquidity, may make its positions more difficult to liquidate, and may increase the losses incurred while trying to do so. It is also possible that, if the Fund’s assets become significant relative to the overall market, the large size of its positions potentially could impact futures contracts prices and contribute to illiquidity. Limits imposed by counterparties, exchanges or other regulatory organizations, such as accountability levels, position limits and daily price fluctuation limits, may contribute to a lack of liquidity and have a negative impact on Fund performance. During periods of market illiquidity, including periods of market disruption and volatility, it may be difficult or impossible for a Fund to buy or sell futures at desired prices or at all.
Environmental risk Bitcoin mining currently requires computing hardware that consumes large amounts of electricity. By way of electrical power generation, many bitcoin miners rely on fossil fuels to power their operations. Public perception of the impact of bitcoin mining on climate change may reduce demand for bitcoin and increase the likelihood of regulation that limits bitcoin mining or restricts energy usage by bitcoin miners. Such events could have a negative impact on the price of bitcoin, bitcoin futures, and the performance of the Fund.
Ether and Ether Futures Risk
Investments linked to ether can be highly volatile compared to investments in traditional securities and the Fund may experience sudden and large losses. These markets may fluctuate widely based on a variety of factors including changes in overall market movements, political and economic events, wars, acts of terrorism, natural disasters (including disease, epidemics and pandemics) and changes in interest
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rates or inflation rates. An investor should be prepared to lose the full principal value of their investment within a single day.
A number of factors affecting the price and market for ether.
Supply and demand for ether It is believed that speculators and investors who seek to profit from trading and holding ether currently account for a significant portion of ether demand. Such speculation regarding the potential future appreciation in the price of ether may artificially inflate or deflate the price of ether. Market fraud and/or manipulation and other fraudulent trading practices such as the intentional dissemination of false or misleading information (e.g., false rumors) can, among other things, lead to a disruption of the orderly functioning of markets, significant market volatility, and cause the value of ether futures to fluctuate quickly and without warning.
Adoption and use of ether The continued adoption of ether will require growth in its usage as a means of payment. Even if growth in ether adoption continues in the near or medium-term, there is no assurance that ether usage will continue to grow over the long-term. A contraction in the use of ether may result in a lack of liquidity, increased volatility in and a reduction to the price of ether.
The regulatory environment relating to ether and ether futures The regulation of ether, digital assets and related products and services continues to evolve. The inconsistent and sometimes conflicting regulatory landscape may make it more difficult for ether businesses to provide services, which may impede the growth of the ether economy and have an adverse effect on consumer adoption of ether. There is a possibility of future regulatory change altering, perhaps to a material extent, the ability to buy and sell ether and ether futures. Similarly, future regulatory changes could impact the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective, alter, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to operate, as planned.
Margin requirements and position limits applicable to ether futures contracts Margin levels for ether futures contracts are substantially higher than the margin requirements for more established futures contracts. Additionally, the FCMs utilized by the Fund may impose margin requirements in addition to those imposed by the exchanges. Margin requirements are subject to change, and may be raised in the future by the exchanges and the FCMs. High margin requirements could prevent the Fund from obtaining sufficient exposure to ether futures and may adversely affect its ability to achieve its investment objective. Further, FCMs utilized by the Funds may impose limits on the amount of exposure to futures contracts the Fund can obtain through such FCMs. If the Fund cannot obtain sufficient exposure through its FCMs, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
Largely unregulated marketplace Ether, the Ethereum network and the ether trading venues are relatively new and, in most cases, largely unregulated. As a result of this lack of regulation, individuals, or groups may engage in insider trading, fraud or market manipulation with respect to ether. Such manipulation could cause investors in ether to lose money, possibly the entire value of their investments.
Over the past several years, a number of ether trading venues have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches. The nature of the assets held at ether trading venues make them appealing targets for hackers and a number of ether trading venues have been victims of cybercrimes and other fraudulent activity. These activities have caused significant, in some cases total, losses for ether investors. Investors in ether may have little or no recourse should such theft, fraud or manipulation occur. There is no central registry showing which individuals or entities own ether or the quantity of ether that is owned by any particular person or entity. There are no regulations in place that would prevent a large holder of ether or a group of holders from selling their ethers, which could depress the price of ether, or otherwise attempting to manipulate the price of ether or the Ethereum network. Events that reduce user confidence in ether, the Ethereum network and the fairness of ether trading venues could have a negative impact on the price of ether and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Cybersecurity As a digital asset ether is subject to the risk that malicious actors will exploit flaws in its code or structure that will allow them to, among other things, steal ether held by others, control the blockchain, steal personally identifying information, or issue significant amounts of ether in contravention of the Ethereum protocols. The occurrence of any of these events is likely to have a significant adverse impact on the price and liquidity of ether and ether futures contracts and therefore the value of an investment in the Fund. Additionally, the Ethereum network’s functionality relies on the Internet. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of the Ethereum network. Any technical disruptions or regulatory limitations that affect Internet access may have an adverse effect on the Ethereum network, the price of ether and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Forks The open source nature of the Ethereum protocol permits any developer to review the underlying code and suggest changes. If some users adopt a change while others do not and that change is not compatible with the existing software, a fork occurs. Several forks have already occurred in the Ethereum network resulting in the creation of new, separate digital assets. Which fork will be considered to be ether for purposes of the BRR is determined by CF Benchmarks. Forks and similar events could adversely effect the price and liquidity of ether and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Costs of Rolling Futures Contracts Futures contracts with a longer term to expiration may be priced higher than futures contracts with a shorter term to expiration, a relationship called “contango.” Conversely, futures contracts with a longer term to expiration may be priced lower than futures contracts with a shorter term to expiration, a relationship called “backwardation.” When rolling futures contracts that are in contango, the Fund may sell the expiring ether futures at a lower price and buy a longer-dated ether futures at a higher price, resulting in a negative roll yield (i.e., a loss to the Fund). When rolling futures contracts that are in backwardation, the Fund may sell the expiring ether futures at a higher price and buy the longer-dated ether futures
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at a lower price, resulting in a positive roll yield (i.e., a gain to the Fund). Extended period of contango or backwardation may cause significant and sustained losses. Additionally because of the frequency with which the Fund may roll futures contracts, the impact of contango or backwardation on Fund performance may be greater than it would have been if the Fund rolled futures contracts less frequently.
Liquidity Risk The market for ether futures contracts is still developing and may be subject to periods of illiquidity. During such times it may be difficult or impossible to buy or sell a position at the desired price. Market disruptions or volatility can also make it difficult to find a counterparty willing to transact at a reasonable price and sufficient size. Illiquid markets may cause losses, which could be significant. The large size of the positions which the Fund may acquire increases the risk of illiquidity, may make its positions more difficult to liquidate, and increase the losses incurred while trying to do so. It is also possible that, if the Fund’s assets become significant relative to the overall market, the large size of its positions potentially could impact futures contracts prices and contribute to illiquidity. Any type of disruption or illiquidity will potentially be exacerbated due to the fact that the Fund typically invests in ether futures contracts. Limits imposed by counterparties, exchanges or other regulatory organizations, such as accountability levels, position limits and daily price fluctuation limits, may contribute to a lack of liquidity and have a negative impact on Fund performance. During periods of market illiquidity, including periods of market disruption and volatility, it may be difficult or impossible for a Fund to buy or sell futures at desired prices or at all.
Derivatives Risk
The Fund uses investment techniques, including investments in futures contracts, that may be considered aggressive. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or smaller gains than investing in the underlying financial instruments. Investments in these derivatives may generally be subject to market risks that cause their prices to fluctuate more than an investment directly in a security and may increase the volatility of the Fund. The use of derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks such as counterparty risk, liquidity risk and increased correlation risk. When the Fund uses derivatives, there may be imperfect correlation between the value of the underlying reference assets and the derivative, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
Counterparty Risk
Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty, such as a futures commission merchant, is unwilling or unable to make timely payments to meet its contractual obligations with respect to the amount the Fund expects to receive from a counterparty to a financial instrument entered into by the Fund. The Fund may be negatively impacted if a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under such a contract, or if any collateral posted by the counterparty for the benefit of the Fund is insufficient or there are delays in the Fund’s ability to access such collateral. If the counterparty becomes bankrupt or defaults on its payment obligations to the Fund, it may experience significant
delays in obtaining any recovery, may obtain only a limited recovery or obtain no recovery and the value of an investment held by the Fund may decline. The Fund may also not be able to exercise remedies, such as the termination of transactions, netting of obligations and realization on collateral, if such remedies are stayed or eliminated under special resolutions adopted in the United States, the European Union and various other jurisdictions. European Union rules and regulations intervene when a financial institution is experiencing financial difficulties and could reduce, eliminate, or convert to equity a counterparty’s obligations to the Fund (sometimes referred to as a “bail in”).
The Fund typically enters into transactions with counterparties that present minimal risks based on the Adviser’s assessment of the counterparty’s creditworthiness, or its capacity to meet its financial obligations during the term of the derivative agreement or contract. The Adviser considers factors such as counterparty credit rating among other factors when determining whether a counterparty is creditworthy. The Adviser regularly monitors the creditworthiness of each counterparty with which the Fund transacts. The Fund generally enters into financial instruments with major, global financial institutions and seeks to mitigate risks by generally requiring that the counterparties for the Fund to post collateral, marked to market daily, in an amount approximately equal to what the counterparty owes the Fund, subject to certain minimum thresholds. To the extent any such collateral is insufficient or there are delays in accessing the collateral, the Fund will be exposed to the risks described above. If a counterparty’s credit ratings decline, the Fund may be subject to a bail-in, as described above.
In addition, the Fund may enter into Bitcoin and Ether Futures with a limited number of counterparties, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk. The Fund does not specifically limit its counterparty risk with respect to any single counterparty. There is a risk that no suitable counterparties are willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective or may decide to change its leveraged investment objective. Additionally, although a counterparty to an exchange-traded futures contract is often backed by a FCM or a clearing organization that is further backed by a group of financial institutions, there may be instances in which a FCM or a clearing organization would fail to perform its obligations, causing significant losses to the Fund.
Other Investment Companies (including ETFs) Risk
The Fund may invest in, or obtain exposure to, another investment company, including an ETF (each, an “underlying fund”), to pursue its investment objective or manage cash. When investing in an underlying fund, including an ETF, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that underlying fund and as a result, Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the underlying fund, in addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund’s own operations. The Fund must rely on the underlying fund to achieve its investment objective. Accordingly, if the underlying fund fails to achieve its investment objective, the Fund’s performance will likely be
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adversely affected. To the extent the Fund obtains exposure to an underlying fund, including an ETF, by entering into a derivatives contract whose reference asset is the underlying fund, the Fund will not be a shareholder of the underlying fund but will still be exposed to the risk that it may fail to achieve its investment objective and adversely impact the Fund. In addition, to the extent that the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is an ETF, it will be exposed to all of the risks associated with the ETF structure, including any risks associated with representative sampling (see “Special Risks of Exchange-Traded Funds”). For example, shares of ETFs may trade at a discount or a premium to an ETF’s net asset value, which may result in an ETF’s market price being more or less than the value of the index that the ETF tracks especially during periods of market volatility or disruption. There may also be additional trading costs due to an ETF’s bid-ask spread, and/or the underlying fund may suspend sales or redemptions of its shares due to market circumstances that make it impracticable to conduct such transactions, any of which may adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
Borrowing and Leverage Risk
The Fund is subject to leverage risk associated with the use of Bitcoin and Ether Futures and the use of borrowings. Leverage can have the effect of magnifying the Fund’s exposure to changes in the value of its assets and may also result in increased volatility in the Fund’s NAV. This means the Fund will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than if the Fund owned its assets on an unleveraged basis.
Cash Transaction Risk
Unlike most ETFs, the Fund effects creation and redemptions principally for cash, rather than principally for in-kind securities, because of the nature of the financial instruments held by the Fund. As such, investment in the Fund is not expected to be tax efficient and will incur brokerage costs related to buying and selling securities to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. To the extent that such costs are not offset by fees payable by an authorized participant, the Fund may bear such costs, which will decrease the Fund’s net asset value. ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gains on the distributed portfolio securities at the fund level. Because the Fund effects redemptions principally for cash, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. The Fund may recognize a capital gain on these sales that might not have been incurred if such Fund had made a redemption in-kind and this may decrease the tax efficiency of the Fund compared to ETFs that utilize an in-kind redemption process. Additionally, because the the Fund is conducting the portfolio transactions rather than receiving securities in-kind the Fund will incur brokerage commissions and other related expenses thus the Fund’s expenses will be higher than funds that utilize in-kind creations and redemptions.
Market Risk
The Fund’s investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change
substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, inflation rates and/or investor expectations concerning such rates, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, general market liquidity, exchange trading suspensions and closures, and public health risks. Securities markets also may experience long periods of decline in value. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously and changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market the markets broadly. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt markets and adversely affect global economies, markets, and exchanges. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, conflicts and social unrest or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund, its investments and the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
If a market disruption or similar event occurs, making it not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine its net asset value, the Fund could seek to limit or suspend purchases of creation units. Under such circumstances, the Fund’s shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to their net asset value or wide bid-ask spreads and the Fund could experience substantial redemptions, which may cause the Fund to sell portfolio holdings, experience increased transaction costs and make greater taxable distributions. The Fund may seek to change its investment objective or the Fund may close. The Fund could liquidate all, or a portion of, its assets, which may be at unfavorable prices.
Markets and market participants are increasingly reliant on information data systems. Inaccurate data, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies, unauthorized use or access and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems and may have an adverse impact upon a single issuer, a group of issuers, or securities markets more broadly.
Subsidiary Investment Risk
Investment in the Subsidiary generally will not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary’s value). This limitation is pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is measured at each taxable year quarter-end. The Subsidiary, which is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. The Subsidiary will invest principally in commodity and financial futures, options, as well as certain fixed-income investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivatives positions. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivatives, though the Subsidiary will comply with the same 1940 Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-linked derivatives that apply to the Fund’s transactions in these instruments. To the extent applicable, the Subsidiary otherwise is subject
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to the same fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions as the Fund, and, in particular, to the same requirements relating to portfolio leverage, liquidity, and the timing and method of valuation of portfolio investments and Fund shares, described elsewhere in this Prospectus and in the SAI. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s commodity-linked derivatives investments.
The Subsidiary is not registered with the SEC as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and is not subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. As an investor in the Subsidiary, the Fund does not have the same protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies.
The Fund and the Subsidiary may not be able to operate as described in this Prospectus in the event of changes to the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands. If the laws of the Cayman Islands required the Subsidiary to pay taxes to a governmental authority, the Fund would be likely to suffer decreased returns.
Tax Risk
To qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”), the Fund must meet certain requirements concerning the source of its income. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is intended to provide exposure to commodities in a manner that is consistent with the “qualifying income” requirement applicable to RICs. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has ceased issuing private letter rulings regarding whether the use of subsidiaries by investment companies to invest in commodity-linked instruments constitutes qualifying income. If the IRS determines that this source of income is not “qualifying income,” the Fund may cease to qualify as a RIC because the Fund has not received a private letter ruling and is not able to rely on private letter rulings issued to other taxpayers. Failure to qualify as a RIC could subject the Fund to adverse tax consequences, including a federal income tax on its net income at regular corporate rates, as well as a tax to shareholders on such income when distributed as an ordinary dividend.
Based on the principles underlying private letter rulings previously issued to other taxpayers, the Fund intends to treat its income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income without any such ruling from the IRS. The tax treatment of the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect whether income derived from such investments is “qualifying income” under Subchapter M of the Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund.
Early Close/Trading Halt Risk
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities or financial instruments, including shares of the Fund. Under such circumstances, the ability to buy or sell certain portfolio securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell investments for its portfolio, may disrupt the Fund’s creation/redemption process and may temporarily
prevent investors from buying and selling shares of the Fund. In addition, the Fund may be unable to accurately price its investments, may fail to achieve performance that is correlated with the Bitcoin and Ether Futures and may incur substantial losses.
Liquidity Risk
Some securities held by the Fund may be difficult to buy or sell or illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value, especially in changing or volatile markets. If the Fund is forced to buy or sell an illiquid security or derivative instrument at an unfavorable time or price, the Fund may incur a loss. Certain market conditions may prevent the Fund from limiting losses, realizing gains or achieving a high correlation with the Bitcoin and Ether Futures. There is no assurance that a security or derivative instrument that is deemed liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid. Market illiquidity may cause losses for the Fund. To the extent that value of the Bitcoin and Ether Futures moves adversely, the Fund may be one of many market participants that are attempting to transact in the Bitcoin and Ether Futures or correlated instruments. Under such circumstances, the market for Bitcoin and Ether Futures may lack sufficient liquidity for all market participants' trades. Therefore, the Fund may have more difficulty transacting in Bitcoin and Ether Futures or correlated investments such as financial instruments and the Fund's transactions could exacerbate the price change of the Bitcoin and Ether Futures.
In certain cases, the market for certain securities in the Bitcoin and Ether Futures and/or Fund may lack sufficient liquidity for all market participants' trades. Therefore, the Fund may have difficulty transacting in it and/or in correlated investments. Further, the Fund's transactions could exacerbate illiquidity and volatility in the price of the securities and correlated derivative instruments.
Valuation Risk
In certain circumstances, such as when market quotations for securities or other assets are unavailable or unreliable or when a trading halt ends trading in a security or closes an exchange or market early, a holding may be fair valued for the day or for a longer period of time. The fair valuation of the holding may be different from other value determinations of the same holding. Holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” holdings, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their value form one day to the next than would be the case if market quotations were used. In addition, the price the Fund could receive upon the sale of a holding may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the holding or from the value used by Bitcoin and Ether Futures, particularly for holdings that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology as a result of trade suspensions or halts or for any other reason.
Active Management Risk
The Fund is actively managed and its performance reflects the investment Allocation determinations of the Subadviser’s Model as well as the Adviser’s management of the Fund’s leveraged exposure. If the investments selected and strategies employed by the Fund fail to produce the intended results,
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the Fund could underperform other market segments and funds with a similar investment objective and/or strategies.
New Fund Risk
The Fund recently commenced operations, has a limited operating history, and started operations with a small asset base. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful or grow to or maintain a viable size, that an active trading market for the Fund’s shares will develop or be maintained, or that the Fund’s shares’ listing will continue unchanged.
Concentration Risk
The Fund’s investments will be concentrated (i.e., more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets) in investments that provide exposure to bitcoin and ether and/or Bitcoin and Ether Futures. As a result, the Fund may be more volatile than a Fund with a more diversified portfolio.
Non-Diversification Risk
The Fund invests a high percentage of its assets in a limited number of securities or financial instruments. The Fund’s NAV and total return may fluctuate more, or fall greater, in times of weaker markets than a diversified mutual fund because the Fund may invest its assets in a smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger proportion of its assets in a single issuer. As a result, the gains or losses on a single investment may have a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make the Fund more volatile than more diversified funds.
Special Risks of Exchange-Traded Funds
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk. The Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders, Shares may trade at larger bid-ask spreads and/or premiums or discounts to NAV. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for a fund that invests in non-U.S. securities or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.
Absence of Active Market Risk. Although Shares are listed for trading on a stock exchange, there is no assurance that an active trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In the absence of an active trading market for Shares, they will likely trade with a wider bid/ask spread and at a greater premium or discount to NAV.
Market Price Variance Risk. Shares of the Fund can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices rather than at NAV. When Shares trade at a price greater than NAV, they are said to trade at a “premium.” When they trade at a price less than NAV, they are said to trade at a “discount.” The market price of Shares fluctuates based on changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings and on the supply and demand for Shares. Because Shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units at NAV, the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of Shares should not be sustained over the long term. Nevertheless, the market price of Shares may vary significantly
from NAV during periods of market volatility. Further, to the extent that exchange specialists, market makers and/or Authorized Participants are unavailable or unable to trade the Fund’s Shares and/or create and redeem Creation Units, bid/ask spreads and premiums or discounts may widen. The exact exposure of an investment in the Fund intraday in the secondary market is a function of the difference between the value of Bitcoin and Ether Futures at the market close on the first trading day and the value of Bitcoin and Ether Futures at the time of purchase.
Trading Cost Risk. Buying or selling Fund shares on an exchange involves two types of costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker, you will likely incur a brokerage commission and other charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the “spread”; that is, the difference between what investors are willing to pay for Fund shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Fund shares (the “ask” price). The spread, which varies over time for shares of the Fund based on trading volume and market liquidity, is generally narrower if the Fund has more trading volume and market liquidity and wider if the Fund has less trading volume and market liquidity. In addition, increased market volatility may cause wider spreads. There may also be regulatory and other charges that are incurred as a result of trading activity. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results and an investment in Fund shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments through a brokerage account.
Exchange Trading Risk. Trading in Shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of that exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility or other reasons. Extraordinary market volatility can lead to trading halts pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules of the exchange or market. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the exchange on which they trade, and the listing requirements may be amended from time to time.
Other Risks of the Fund
Investment Strategy Implementation Risk
The Adviser utilizes a quantitative methodology to select investments for the Fund. Although this methodology is designed to correlate the Fund's exposure to Bitcoin and Ether Futures, there is no assurance that the implementation of such methodology will be successful and will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Aggressive Investment Technique Risk
Using investment techniques that may be considered aggressive, such as futures contracts, forward contracts, options and swap agreements, includes the risk of potentially dramatic changes (losses) in the value of the instruments,
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Direxion Shares ETF Trust Prospectus

imperfect correlations between the price of the instrument and the underlying asset, security or index, and volatility of the Fund.
Commodity Pool Registration Risk
The Fund is considered a commodity pool, and therefore is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. Compliance with such additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund.
Cybersecurity Risk
The increased use of technologies, such as the internet, to conduct business increases the operational, information security and related “cyber” risks both directly to the Fund and through its service providers. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities or financial instruments in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers. Unlike many other types of risks faced by the Fund, these risks typically are not covered by insurance. Cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber incidents may include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, causing physical damage to computer or network systems, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users).
Failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the Fund’s adviser, distributor, other service providers, counterparties, securities trading venues, or the issuers of securities or financial instruments in which the Fund invests have the ability to cause disruptions and negatively impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders. Cyber attacks may also interfere with the Fund’s calculation of its NAV, result in the submission of erroneous trades or erroneous creation or redemption orders, and could lead to violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs and/or additional compliance costs. While the Fund has established business continuity plans, there are inherent limitations in such plans, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified and that prevention and remediation efforts will not be successful. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems of the Fund’s service providers or issuers of securities or financial instruments in which the Fund invests.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your Shares, they could be worth less than what you paid for them.
Money Market Instrument Risk
Money market instruments, including money market funds, depositary accounts and repurchase agreements may be used for cash management purposes. Money market funds may be subject to credit risk with respect to the short-term debt instruments in which they invest. Depository accounts may be subject to credit risk with respect to the financial institution in which the depository account is held. Repurchase agreements are contracts in which a seller of securities agrees to buy the securities back at a specified time and price. Repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk related to the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. Money market instruments may also be subject to credit risks associated with the instruments in which they invest. There is no guarantee that money market instruments will maintain a stable value, and they may lose money.
Regulatory Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of the Fund’s operations and/or change the competitive landscape. Additional legislative or regulatory changes could occur that may materially and adversely affect the Fund.
A Precautionary Note to Retail Investors. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), a limited trust company and securities depositary that serves as a national clearinghouse for the settlement of trades for its participating banks and broker-dealers, or its nominee, will be the registered owner of all outstanding Shares of each Fund of the Trust. Your ownership of Shares will be shown on the records of DTC and the DTC Participant broker through whom you hold the Shares. THE TRUST WILL NOT HAVE ANY RECORD OF YOUR OWNERSHIP. Your account information will be maintained by your broker, who will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of Shares, and tax information. Your broker also will be responsible for ensuring that you receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund whose Shares you own. Typically, you will receive other services (e.g., average basis information) only if your broker offers these services.
A Precautionary Note to Purchasers of Creation Units. Because new Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. As a dealer, certain activities on your part could, depending on the circumstances, result in your being deemed a participant in the distribution, in a manner that could render you a statutory underwriter and subject you to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”). For example, you could be deemed a statutory underwriter if you purchase Creation Units from an issuing Fund, break them down into the constituent Shares and sell those Shares directly to customers, or if you choose to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the
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examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter. Dealers who are not “underwriters,” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act.
A Precautionary Note to Investment Companies. For purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), the Fund is a registered investment company, and the acquisition of its Shares by other investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) thereof. Rule
12d1-4 provides an exemption from these restrictions for registered investment companies seeking to invest in the Fund, subject to certain terms and conditions, including that such registered investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust. Any investment company considering purchasing Shares of the Fund in amounts that may cause it to exceed the restrictions in Section 12(d)(1) should contact the Trust.
A Precautionary Note Regarding Unusual Circumstances. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may postpone payment of redemption proceeds. For information on such potential postponements, see the “Purchases and Redemptions - Suspension or Postponement of Right of Redemption” section of the SAI.
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Direxion Shares ETF Trust Prospectus

About Your Investment
Share Price of the Fund
A fund’s share price is known as its NAV. The Fund’s share price is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (“Valuation Time”), each day the NYSE is open for business (“Business Day”). The NYSE is open for business Monday through Friday, except in observation of the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NYSE may close early on the business day before each of these holidays and on the day after Thanksgiving Day. NYSE holiday schedules are subject to change without notice. Because the Fund is exchange traded, the price an individual shareholder will buy or sell Fund shares at will be based on the market price determined by the secondary market, which may be higher or lower than the NAV of the Fund.
If the exchange or market on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded closes early, the NAV may be calculated prior to its normal calculation time. Creation/redemption transaction order time cutoffs would also be accelerated.
The value of the Fund’s assets that trade in markets outside the United States or in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar may fluctuate when foreign markets are open but the Fund is not open for business.
Share price is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its shares outstanding. Portfolio securities and other assets are valued chiefly by market prices from the primary market in which they are traded. Under Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, a market quotation is readily available when that “quotation is a quoted price (unadjusted) in active markets for identical investments that the fund can access at the measurement date, provided that a quotation will not be readily available if it is not reliable.” The Fund uses the following methods to price securities or assets held in its portfolio with readily available market quotations:
Equity securities listed and traded principally on any domestic or foreign national securities exchange are valued at the last sales price. Exchange-traded funds are valued at the last sales price prior to Valuation Time. Securities primarily traded in the NASDAQ Global Market® are valued using the NASDAQ® Official Closing Price. Over-the counter securities are valued at the last sales price in the over-the-counter market;
Futures contracts are valued at (1) the settlement prices established each day on the exchange on which they are traded if the settlement price reflects trading prior to the Valuation Time, (2) at the last sales price prior to the Valuation Time if the settlement prices established by the exchange reflects trading after Valuation Time, or (3) at the last sales price of the exchange prior to the Valuation Time; and
Options are valued at the composite price, using National Best Bid and Offer quotes.
Securities and other assets for which market quotations are unavailable or unreliable are valued at fair value estimates as determined by the Adviser pursuant to its fair valuation policies.
Fair Value Pricing. When a market quotation is not readily available or is unreliable, the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) is responsible for determining in good faith the fair value of the portfolio security or other asset. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, the Board designated the responsibility for fair valuation to the Adviser as its valuation designee (“Valuation Designee”). Fair value determinations are made in good faith in accordance with procedures adopted by the Adviser, which set forth the methodologies by which a portfolio security or other asset will be fair valued. The Adviser may utilize fair valuation services of a pricing service to obtain a fair value for certain portfolio securities or other assets as well.
An investment that relies on Level 2 or Level 3 inputs according to ASC 820, such as swap agreements, is required to be fair valued as such investments do not have readily available market quotations by definition. Swap agreements are valued based on the closing value of the underlying reference instrument. Additionally, the Adviser will fair value a portfolio security or other asset if there is not a readily available market quotation, which may occur in the following situations: (1) to the extent that a Fund holds foreign securities, when foreign markets close before the NYSE opens or may not be open for business on the same calendar days as the Fund; (2) if there has been a significant event in the markets that makes the price of a portfolio security or asset unreliable; (3) if there is a lack of an active market, such as the market for certain preferred securities or for corporate bonds; and (4) if trading in a security is limited during the trading day and a limited number of quotes are available or If trading in a security is halted during a trading day and does not resume prior to the closing of the exchange or other market.
Fair valuation determinations of portfolio securities or other assets introduce an element of subjectivity to pricing of such portfolio securities or other assets. As a result, the price of a security or other asset determined through fair valuation techniques may differ from the price quoted or published by other sources and may not accurately reflect the market value of the security when trading resumes. If a reliable market quotation becomes available for a security formerly valued through fair valuation techniques, the Adviser compares the market quotation to the fair value price to evaluate the effectiveness of the Adviser’s fair valuation procedures.
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Rule 12b-1 Fees
The Board of Trustees of the Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, the Fund may pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.
No 12b-1 fees are currently authorized to be paid by the Fund, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions. Rafferty expects a significant portion of the Fund's assets to come from professional money managers and investors who use the Fund as part of “asset allocation” and “market timing” investment strategies. These strategies often call for frequent trading to take advantage of anticipated changes in market conditions. Investors such as market makers, large investors and institutions who wish to deal in Creation Units directly with the Fund must have entered into an authorized participant agreement (“Authorized Participant Agreement”) with the principal underwriter and the transfer agent, or purchase through a broker-dealer that has entered into such an agreement. The Trust’s Board of Trustees has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares because the Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of an Authorized Participant Agreement between the Authorized Participant and the Distributor, and such direct trading between the Fund and Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund’s shares trade at or close to NAV. Further, the vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market, which does not involve the Fund directly and therefore does not cause the Fund to experience many of the harmful effects of market timing, such as dilution and disruption of portfolio management. In addition, the Fund imposes a Transaction Fee on Creation Unit transactions, which is designed to offset transfer and other transaction costs incurred by the Fund in connection with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units and may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. Although the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase orders, the Fund does not currently impose any trading restrictions on frequent trading or actively monitor for trading abuses. Transaction fees are imposed as set forth in the table in the SAI.
How to Buy and Sell Shares
The Fund directly issues and redeems Shares only in large blocks (called “Creation Units”) of [50,000] and only in transactions with Authorized Participants.
Individual Shares, once listed for trading on the Exchange, can be bought and sold throughout the trading day in the secondary market like other listed securities. Most investors will buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. The Fund does not require any minimum investment in secondary market transactions.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, investors may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and may pay some or all of the “spread” that is, any difference between the bid price (the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for a share of a fund) and the ask price (the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for a share of a fund). In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, which typically vary from NAV, investors may pay more than NAV when buying Shares, and receive less than NAV when selling Shares.
Book Entry. Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. DTC or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares of the Fund and is recognized as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. Beneficial owners of Shares must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights as owners of Shares. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other stocks that held in book entry or “street name” through a brokerage account.
Management of the Fund
Rafferty provides investment management services to the Fund. Rafferty has been managing investment companies since 1997. Rafferty is located at 1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor, New York, New York 10019. As of [ ], 2023, the Adviser had approximately $[ ] billion in assets under management.
Under an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and Rafferty, the Fund pays Rafferty a fee at an annualized rate based on a percentage of its average daily net assets of [ ]%.
A discussion regarding the basis on which the Board of Trustees approved the investment advisory agreement for the Fund will be included in the Fund's Annual Report for the period ended October 31, 2023.
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Direxion Shares ETF Trust Prospectus

Rafferty has entered into an Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with the Fund. Under this Operating Expense Limitation Agreement, Rafferty has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse the Fund for Other Expenses through September 1, 2024, to the extent that the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed [ ]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets (excluding, as applicable, among other expenses, taxes, swap financing and related costs, acquired fund fees and expenses, dividends or interest on short positions, other interest expenses, brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses).
Any expense waiver or reimbursement is subject to recoupment by the Adviser within three years after the expense was waived/reimbursed only if Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses fall below the lesser of this percentage limitation and any percentage limitation in place at the time the expense was waived/reimbursed. Rafferty may pay, reimburse or otherwise assume one or more of the excluded expenses, in which case such expense will be subject to the Operating Expense Limitation Agreement and recoupment by Rafferty in accordance with the Agreement. This Agreement may be terminated or revised at any time with the consent of the Board of Trustees.
Paul Brigandi and Tony Ng are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund (the “Portfolio Managers”). An investment trading team of Rafferty employees assists the Portfolio Managers in the day-to-day management of the Fund subject to their primary responsibility and oversight. The Portfolio Managers work with the investment trading team to decide the target allocation of the Fund’s investments and on a day-to-day basis, an individual portfolio trader executes transactions for the Fund consistent with the target allocation. The members of the investment trading team rotate periodically among the various series of the Trust, including the Fund, so that no single individual is assigned to a specific Fund for extended periods of time.
Mr. Brigandi has been a Portfolio Manager at Rafferty since June 2004. Mr. Brigandi was previously involved in the equity trading training program for Fleet Boston Financial Corporation from August 2002 to April 2004. Mr. Brigandi is a 2002 graduate of Fordham University.
Mr. Ng has been a Portfolio Manager at Rafferty since April 2006. Mr. Ng was previously a Team Leader in the Trading Assistant Group with Goldman Sachs from 2004 to 2006. He was employed with Deutsche Asset Management from 1998 to 2004. Mr. Ng graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo in 1998.
The Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") provides additional information about the investment team members’ compensation, other accounts they manage and their ownership of securities in the Fund.
Portfolio Holdings
The Fund’s portfolio holdings are disclosed on the Fund’s website at www.direxion.com each day the Fund is open for business. A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is available in the Fund's SAI.
other service providers
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Distributor”) serves as the Fund's distributor. U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (“USBFS”) serves as the Fund's administrator. Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) serves as the Fund's transfer agent, fund accountant, custodian and index receipt agent. BNYM also serves as the custodian for the Fund's Subsidiary. The Distributor is not affiliated with Rafferty, USBFS, or BNYM.
Distributions
Fund Distributions. The Fund pays out dividends from its net investment income, and distributes any net capital gains, if any, to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund is authorized to declare and pay capital gain distributions in additional Shares or in cash. The Fund may have extremely high portfolio turnover, which may cause it to generate significant amounts of taxable income. The Fund will generally need to distribute net short-term capital gain to satisfy certain tax requirements. As a result of the Fund's high portfolio turnover, it could need to make larger and/or more frequent distributions than traditional ETFs.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. Brokers may make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service (“Reinvestment Service”) available to their customers who are shareholders of the Fund. If the Reinvestment Service is used with respect to the Fund, its distributions of both net income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional and fractional Shares thereof purchased in the secondary market. Without the Reinvestment Service, investors will receive Fund distributions in cash, except as noted above under “Fund Distributions.” To determine whether the Reinvestment Service is available and
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whether there is a commission or other charge for using the service, consult your broker. Fund shareholders should be aware that brokers may require them to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to use the Reinvestment Service.
Taxes
As with any investment, you should consider the tax consequences of buying, holding, and disposing of Shares. The tax information in this Prospectus is only a general summary of some important federal tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders. No attempt is made to present a complete explanation of the federal tax treatment of the Fund's activities, and this discussion is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Accordingly, potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers for more detailed information and for information regarding any state, local, or foreign taxes applicable to the Fund and to an investment in Shares.
Fund distributions to you and your sale of your Shares will have tax consequences to you unless you hold your Shares through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement arrangement, such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or 401(k) plan.
The Fund intends to qualify each taxable year for taxation as a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If the Fund so qualifies and satisfies certain distribution requirements, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income that is distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of income dividends or capital gain distributions.
Taxes on Distributions. Dividends from the Fund’s investment company taxable income generally, the sum of net investment income, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, if any, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid will be taxable to you as ordinary income to the extent of its earnings and profits, whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. However, dividends the Fund pays to you that are attributable to its “qualified dividend income” (i.e., dividends it receives on stock of most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to which it satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions) generally will be taxed to you, if you are an individual, trust, or estate and satisfy those restrictions with respect to your Shares, for federal income tax purposes, at the rates of 15% or 20% for such shareholders with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds (which will be indexed for inflation annually). A portion of the Fund’s dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal income tax (excluding real estate investment trusts) and excludes dividends from foreign corporations subject to similar restrictions; however, dividends a corporate shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax. The Fund does not expect to earn a significant amount of income that would qualify for those maximum rates or that deduction.
Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (which is the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that it recognizes on sales or exchanges of capital assets (“capital gain distributions”), if any, will be taxable to you as long-term capital gains, at the maximum rates mentioned above if you are an individual, trust, or estate, regardless of your holding period for the Shares on which the distributions are paid and regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. The Fund’s capital gain distributions may vary considerably from one year to the next as a result of its investment activities and cash flows and the performance of the markets in which it invests. The Fund does not expect to earn a significant amount of net capital gain.
Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, first will reduce your adjusted tax basis in your Shares in the Fund and, after that basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain. That capital gain will be long-term capital gain, and thus will be taxed at the maximum rates mentioned above if you are an individual, trust, or estate if the distributions are attributable to Shares you held for more than one year.
Investors should be aware that the price of Shares at any time may reflect the amount of a forthcoming dividend or capital gain distribution, so if they purchase Shares shortly before the record date therefor, they will pay full price for the Shares and receive some part of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution even though it represents a partial return of invested capital.
In general, distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year when they are paid. However, certain distributions paid in January may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year.
Because of the possibility of high portfolio turnover, the Fund may generate significant amounts of taxable income. Accordingly, the Fund may need to make larger and/or more frequent distributions than traditional unleveraged ETFs. A substantial portion of that income typically will be short-term capital gain, which will generally be treated as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders.
Fund distributions to tax-deferred or qualified plans, such as an IRA, retirement plan or pension plan, generally will not be taxable. However, distributions from such plans will be taxable to the individual participant notwithstanding the character of the income earned by the qualified plan. Please consult a tax adviser for a more complete explanation of the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund through such a plan.
Taxes When Shares are Sold. Generally, you will recognize taxable gain or loss if you sell or otherwise dispose of your Shares. Any gain arising from such a disposition generally will be treated as long-term capital gain if you held the Shares for more than one year, taxable at the maximum rates (15% or 20%) mentioned above if you are an individual, trust, or estate; otherwise, the gain will be treated as short-term capital gain. However, any capital loss arising from the disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of capital gain distributions, if
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Direxion Shares ETF Trust Prospectus

any, received with respect to those Shares. In addition, all or a portion of any loss recognized on a sale or exchange of Shares of the Fund will be disallowed to the extent other Shares of the same Fund are purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of the sale or exchange; in that event, the basis in the newly purchased Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Holders of Creation Units. A person who purchases Shares of the Fund by exchanging securities for a Creation Unit generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Unit and the person’s aggregate basis in the exchanged securities, adjusted for any Balancing Amount paid or received. A shareholder who redeems a Creation Unit generally will recognize gain or loss to the same extent and in the same manner as described in the immediately preceding paragraph.
Miscellaneous. Backup Withholding. The Fund must withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury 24% of dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to any individual or certain other non-corporate shareholder who fails to certify that the social security or other taxpayer identification number furnished to the Fund is correct or who furnishes an incorrect number (together with the withholding described in the next sentence, “backup withholding”). Withholding at that rate also is required from the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder who is subject to backup withholding for any other reason. Backup withholding is not an additional tax, and any amounts so withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s federal income tax liability or refunded.
Additional Tax. An individual must pay a 3.8% federal tax on the lesser of (1) the individual’s “net investment income,” which generally includes dividends, interest, and net gains from the disposition of investment property (including dividends and capital gain distributions the Fund pays and net gains realized on the sale or redemption of Shares), or (2) the excess of the individual’s “modified adjusted gross income” over a threshold amount ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly and $200,000 for single taxpayers). This tax is in addition to any other taxes due on that income. A similar tax will apply for those years to estates and trusts. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, this provision may have on their investment in Fund shares.
Basis Determination. A shareholder who wants to use the average basis method for determining basis in Shares he or she acquires after December 31, 2011 (“Covered Shares”), must elect to do so in writing (which may be electronic) with the broker through which he or she purchased the Shares. A shareholder who wishes to use a different IRS-acceptable method for basis determination (e.g., a specific identification method) may elect to do so. Fund shareholders are urged to consult with their brokers regarding the application of the basis determination rules to them.
You may also be subject to state and local taxes on Fund distributions and dispositions of Shares.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. A “non-U.S. shareholder” is an investor that, for federal tax purposes, is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign corporation or a foreign estate or trust. Except where discussed otherwise, the following disclosure assumes that a non-U.S. shareholder’s ownership of Shares is not effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by such non-U.S. shareholder in the United States and does not address non-U.S. shareholders who are present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year. The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
Withholding. Dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. shareholders will be subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty to the extent derived from investment income (other than “qualified interest income” or “qualified short-term capital gains,” as described below). In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN (or substitute form) certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a non-U.S. shareholder who provides an IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. shareholder were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation’s earnings and profits attributable to such dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate).
A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate. See the discussion of backup withholding under “Miscellaneous” above.
Exemptions from Withholding. In general, federal income tax will not apply to gain realized on the sale or other disposition of Shares or to any Fund distributions reported as capital gain dividends, short-term capital gain dividends, or interest-related dividends.
“Short-term capital gain dividends” are dividends that are attributable to “qualified short-term gain” the Fund realizes (generally, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain over long-term capital loss for a taxable year, computed with certain adjustments). “Interest-related dividends” are dividends that are attributable to “qualified net interest income” from U.S. sources. Depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. To qualify for the exemption, a non-U.S. shareholder will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or substitute form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund designates the payment as a short-term capital gain dividend or an interest-related dividend. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). Under FATCA, “foreign financial institutions” (“FFIs”) or “non-financial foreign entities” (“NFFEs”) that are Fund shareholders may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on income dividends. As discussed more fully in the Fund's SAI under “Taxes,” the FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain information regarding direct and indirect ownership of financial accounts U.S. persons hold with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it certifies as such and, in certain circumstances, that (i) it has no substantial
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U.S. persons as owners or (ii) it does have such owners and reports information relating to them to the withholding agent. The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGAs”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; entities in those countries may be required to comply with the terms of the IGA instead of Treasury regulations. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation and the impact thereof on their investment in the Fund.
More information about taxes is available in the Fund's SAI.
Additional Information
The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, which may include, among others, the Fund's investment adviser, custodian, and transfer agent, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements and are not intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.
This Prospectus provides information concerning the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund shares. Neither this Prospectus nor the SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Fund and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.
Financial Highlights
No financial information is available for the Fund because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. The Fund’s fiscal year end is October 31st.
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Direxion Shares ETF Trust Prospectus

  
Prospectus
1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor
New York, New York 10019
(866) 476-7523
More Information on the Direxion Shares ETF Trust
Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”):
The Fund's SAI contains more information on the Fund and its investment policies. The SAI is incorporated in this Prospectus by reference (meaning it is legally part of this Prospectus). A current SAI is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders:
The Fund's reports will provide additional information on the Fund's investment holdings, performance data and a letter discussing the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during that period.
To Obtain the SAI or Fund Reports Free of Charge or for Other Information or Shareholder Inquiries:
Write to:
Direxion Shares ETF Trust
 
1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor
New York, New York 10019
Call:
(866) 476-7523
By Internet:
www.direxion.com
Reports and other information about the Fund may be viewed on screen or downloaded from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of these documents may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
SEC File Number: 811-22201


The information in this Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This SAI is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated August 2, 2023
Direxion Shares ETF Trust
Statement of Additional Information
1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor
New York, New York 10019
(866) 476-7523
www.direxion.com
The Direxion Shares ETF Trust (“Trust”) is an investment company that offers shares of exchange-traded funds to the public. The shares of the funds offered in this Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), upon commencement of operations, will be listed and traded on NYSE Arca. This SAI relates to the funds listed below (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”).
Direxion Bitcoin Ether Strategy ETF
The Fund is intended only for investors who intend to actively monitor and manage their investments.
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund could lose money. No single Fund is a complete investment program.
This SAI, dated [ ], 2023, is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Fund's prospectus dated [ ], 2023 (“Prospectus”). This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Prospectus. In other words, it is legally part of the Prospectus. To receive a copy of the Prospectus, without charge, write or call the Trust at the address or telephone number listed above.
[ ], 2023

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Direxion Shares ETF Trust
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust organized on April 23, 2008 and is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). The Trust currently consists of [ ] separate series or “Funds.”
The Fund seeks capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective through managed exposure to a combination of bitcoin futures contracts (“Bitcoin Futures”) and ether futures contracts (“Ether Futures”) traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”) (together, “Bitcoin and Ether Futures”).
Shares of the Fund (“Shares”) are issued and redeemed only in large blocks called “Creation Units.” The Shares offered in this SAI, upon commencement of operations, will be listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”). Most investors will buy and sell Shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment. Investors may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and shareholders may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, only in Creation Units of [25,000] Shares, as discussed in the “Purchases and Redemptions” section below.
Classification of the Fund
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. This means it has the ability to invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in the securities of a small number of issuers or in financial instruments with a single counterparty or a few counterparties. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and increase the risk that the Fund’s performance will decline based on the performance of a single issuer or the credit of a single counterparty, and the Fund may be more susceptible to any single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified company.
Exchange Listing and Trading
The Shares, upon commencement of operations, will be listed and traded on the Exchange. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares of the Fund; (ii) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of such Fund.
As is the case with other listed securities, when Shares of the Fund are bought or sold through a broker, an investor may incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker, as well as other charges.
The trading prices of the Fund’s shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV per share and are affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. Rafferty Asset Management, LLC ("Rafferty" or "Adviser") may, from time to time, make payments to certain market makers in the Trust’s shares pursuant to an Exchange authorized program. The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of the Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund or an investor’s equity interest in the Fund.
Investment Policies and Techniques
The Fund seeks capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective through managed exposure to Bitcoin and Ether Futures.
The Fund will invest up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary, the [Direxion BIT ETH Fund, Ltd] (the “Subsidiary”). When viewed on a consolidated basis, the Subsidiary is subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follows the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund. The Fund, directly and/or indirectly through the Subsidiary, may invest in certain futures contracts and fixed-income securities that include U.S. government securities, investment grade short-term fixed-income securities, money market instruments, overnight and fixed-term repurchase agreements, cash, and other cash equivalents that have terms-to-maturity less than 397 days.
The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets, as measured at the end of the quarter of its taxable year. This limitation is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Subsidiary, which is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, is wholly owned and controlled by the Fund. The
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Fund invests in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the Bitcoin and Ether Futures within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. The Subsidiary may invest principally in commodity futures, as well as certain fixed-income investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivatives positions. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in Bitcoin and Ether Futures, though the Subsidiary, on a consolidated basis, will comply with the same 1940 Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in Bitcoin and Ether Futures that apply to the Fund’s transactions in these instruments. To the extent applicable, the Subsidiary is, on a consolidated basis, subject to the same fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions as the Fund and, in particular, to the same requirements relating to portfolio leverage, liquidity, and the timing and method of valuation of portfolio investments and Fund shares described elsewhere in the Prospectus and in this SAI. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary and does not expect shares of the Subsidiary to be offered or sold to other investors. The Fund does not intend to create or acquire primary control of any entity engaging in investment activities, other than the Subsidiary.
The Fund’s investment objective is a non-fundamental policy of the Fund that may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
Subject to the limitations described in the “Investment Restrictions” section, the Fund may engage in the investment strategies discussed below.
Bitcoin Related Investments
Bitcoin is a digital asset which serves as the unit of account on an open source, decentralized, peer-to-peer computer network. Bitcoin may be used to pay for goods and services, stored for future use, or converted to a fiat currency. The value of bitcoin is not backed by any government, corporation, or other identified body.
The value of bitcoin is determined in part by the supply of (which is limited), and demand for, bitcoin in the markets for exchange that have been organized to facilitate the trading of bitcoin.
Bitcoin is maintained on the decentralized, open source, peer-to-peer computer network (the “Bitcoin Network”). No single entity owns or operates the Bitcoin Network. The Bitcoin Network is accessed through software and governs bitcoin’s creation, movement, and ownership. The source code for the Bitcoin Network, often referred to as the Bitcoin Protocol, is open source, and anyone can contribute to its development.
Bitcoin Network. The infrastructure of the Bitcoin Network is collectively maintained by participants in the Bitcoin Network, which include miners, developers, and users. Miners validate transactions and are currently compensated for that service in bitcoin. Developers maintain and contribute updates to the Bitcoin Network’s source code often referred to as the Bitcoin Protocol. Users access the Bitcoin Network using open source software. Anyone can be a user, developer, or miner.
Bitcoin is “stored” on a digital transaction ledger commonly known as a “blockchain.” A blockchain is a type of shared and continually reconciled database, stored in a decentralized manner on the computers of certain users of the digital asset and protected by cryptography. The Bitcoin Blockchain contains a record and transaction history for each bitcoin.
New bitcoin is created by “mining.” Miners use specialized computer software and hardware to solve a highly complex mathematical problem presented by the Bitcoin Protocol. The first miner to successfully solve the problem is permitted to add a block of transactions to the Bitcoin Blockchain. The new block is then confirmed through acceptance by a majority of participants who maintain versions of the blockchain on their individual computers. Miners that successfully add a block to the Bitcoin Blockchain are automatically rewarded with a fixed amount of bitcoin for their effort plus any transaction fees paid by transferors whose transactions are recorded in the block. This reward system is the means by which new bitcoin enter circulation and is the mechanism by which versions of the blockchain held by users on a decentralized network are kept in consensus.
Bitcoin Protocol. The Bitcoin Protocol is an open source project with no official company or group that controls the source. Anyone can review the underlying code and suggest changes. There are, however, a number of individual developers that regularly contribute to a specific distribution of bitcoin software known as the “Bitcoin Core.” Developers of the Bitcoin Core loosely oversee the development of the source code. There are many other compatible versions of the bitcoin software, but the Bitcoin Core is the most widely adopted and currently provides the de facto standard for the Bitcoin Protocol. The core developers are able to access, and can alter, the Bitcoin Network source code and, as a result, they are responsible for quasi-official releases of updates and other changes to the Bitcoin Network’s source code.
However, because bitcoin has no central authority, the release of updates to the Bitcoin Network’s source code by the core developers does not guarantee that the updates will be automatically adopted by the other participants. Users and miners must accept any changes made to the source code by downloading the proposed modification and that modification is effective only with respect to those bitcoin users and miners who choose to download it. As a practical matter, a modification to the source code becomes part of the Bitcoin Network only if it is accepted by participants that collectively have a majority of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network.
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If a modification is accepted by only a percentage of users and miners, a division will occur such that one network will run the pre-modification source code and the other network will run the modified source code. Such a division is known as a “fork.”
Bitcoin Futures. The price of bitcoin futures is based on the expected price of bitcoin on certain exchanges at a future date, specifically, the expiration date of the bitcoin futures contract. Bitcoin futures prices are based on the Bitcoin Reference Rate, which reflects the price of bitcoin on certain exchanges only, and not the bitcoin cash market.
Although the Fund does not invest in bitcoin, events impacting the price of bitcoin across all bitcoin trading venues could impact the price and market for bitcoin futures, and therefore the performance of the Fund.
The liquidity of the market for bitcoin futures depends on, among other things: the supply and demand for bitcoin futures; the supply and demand for bitcoin; the adoption of bitcoin for commercial uses; the anticipated increase of investments in bitcoin-related investment products by retail and institutional investors; speculative interest in bitcoin, bitcoin futures, and bitcoin-related investment products; regulatory or other restrictions on investors’ ability to invest in bitcoin futures; and the potential ability to hedge against the price of bitcoin with bitcoin futures (and vice versa).
The market for bitcoin futures may be illiquid. This means that the Fund may not be able to buy and sell bitcoin futures quickly or at the desired price. For example, it is difficult to execute a trade at a specific price when there is a relatively small volume of buy and sell orders in a market. A materially adverse development in one or more of the factors on which the liquidity of the market for bitcoin futures depends may cause the market to become illiquid, for short or long periods. In such markets, the Fund may not be able to buy and sell bitcoin futures quickly (or at all) or at the desired price. Market illiquidity may cause losses for the Fund. Additionally, the large size of the futures positions which the Fund may acquire increases the risk of illiquidity, as larger positions may be more difficult to fully liquidate, may take longer to liquidate, and, as a result of their size, may expose the Fund to potentially more significant losses while trying to do so. Limits imposed by counterparties, exchanges or other regulatory organizations, such as accountability levels, position limits and daily price fluctuation limits, may contribute to a lack of liquidity with respect to some financial instruments and have a negative impact on Fund performance. During periods of market illiquidity, including periods of market disruption and volatility, it may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to buy or sell futures contracts or other financial instruments.
The contractual obligations of a buyer or seller holding a futures contract to expiration may be satisfied by settling in cash as provided by the terms of such contract. However, the Fund does not intend to hold bitcoin futures through expiration. Instead, the Fund intends to “roll” futures positions. “Rolling” refers to a process whereby futures contracts nearing expiration are closed out and replaced with identical futures contracts with a later expiration date. Accordingly, the Fund is subject to risks related to rolling.
When the market for certain futures contracts is such that the prices are higher in the more distant delivery months than in the nearer delivery months, the sale during the course of the “rolling process” of the more nearby bitcoin futures would take place at a price that is lower than the price of the more distant bitcoin futures. This pattern of higher futures prices for longer expiration bitcoin futures is often referred to as “contango.” Alternatively, when the market for certain bitcoin futures is such that the prices are higher in the nearer months than in the more distant months, the sale during the course of the rolling process of the more nearby bitcoin futures would take place at a price that is higher than the price of the more distant bitcoin futures. This pattern of higher future prices for shorter expiration bitcoin futures is referred to as “backwardation.”
There have been extended periods in which contango or backwardation has existed in certain futures markets in general. Such periods could occur in the future for bitcoin futures and may cause significant and sustained losses. Additionally because of the frequency with which the Fund may roll futures contracts, the impact of contango or backwardation on Fund performance may be greater than it would have been if the Fund rolled futures contracts less frequently.
The CME has established margin requirements for bitcoin futures at levels that may be substantially higher than the margin requirements for more established futures contracts. The futures commission merchants (“FCMs”) utilized by the Fund may impose margin requirements in addition to those imposed by the exchanges. Margin requirements are subject to change, and may be raised in the future by the exchanges and the FCMs. Margin Requirements may be more likely to change during periods of high volatility. High margin requirements could prevent the Fund from obtaining sufficient exposure to bitcoin futures and may adversely affect its ability to achieve its investment objective. An FCM’s failure to return required margin to the Fund on a timely basis may cause such Fund to delay redemption settlement dates and/or restrict, postpone or limit the right of redemption.
The term “margin” refers to the minimum amount the Fund must deposit and maintain with its FCM in order to establish an open position in futures contracts. The minimum amount of margin required in connection with a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which such contract is traded and is subject to change at any time during the term of the contract. FCMs may require customers to post additional amounts above the required minimums. Futures contracts are customarily bought and sold on margins that represent a percentage of the aggregate purchase or sales price of the contract.
In addition, FCMs utilized by the Fund may impose limits on the amount of exposure to futures contracts the Fund can obtain through such FCMs. As a result, the Fund may need to transact through a number of FCMs to achieve its investment
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objective. If enough FCMs are not willing to transact with the Fund, or if exposure limits imposed by such FCMs do not provide sufficient exposure, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
There may be circumstances that could prevent or make it impractical for the Fund to operate in a manner consistent with its investment objective and investment strategies.
The price of bitcoin has experienced periods of extreme volatility. The price of bitcoin may change dramatically and without warning. This volatility is due to a number of factors, including the supply and demand for bitcoin, concerns about potential manipulation of the price of bitcoin and the safety of bitcoin, market perceptions of the value of bitcoin as an investment, continuing development of the regulations applicable to bitcoin, and the changes exhibited by an early-stage technological innovation.
It is believed that speculators and investors who seek to profit from trading and holding bitcoin currently account for a significant portion of bitcoin demand. Such speculation regarding the potential future appreciation in the price of bitcoin may artificially inflate or deflate the price of bitcoin. Conversely, evolving government regulation, the perception of onerous regulatory actions, concerns over the potential for fraud and manipulation of the price of bitcoin and other factors may cause a drop in the price of bitcoin. Developments related to the Bitcoin Network’s operations, also contribute to the volatility in the price of bitcoin. These factors may continue to cause the price of bitcoin to be volatile, which may have a negative impact on the performance of the bitcoin futures and on the performance of the Fund.
The trading of bitcoin is fragmented across numerous trading venues. The fragmentation of the volume of bitcoin transactions across multiple trading venues can lead to a higher volatility than would be expected if volume was concentrated in a single trading venue. Market fragmentation and volatility increases the likelihood of price differences across different trading venues.
Market participants trading bitcoin futures may seek to “hedge” or otherwise manage their exposure to such contracts by taking offsetting positions in bitcoin. Fragmentation may require market participants to analyze multiple prices, which may be inconsistent and quickly changing. Fragmentation also may require market participants to potentially fill their positions through a number of transactions on different exchanges. These factors potentially increase the cost and uncertainty of trading bitcoin and may decrease the effectiveness of using transactions in bitcoin to help manage or offset positions in bitcoin futures. Market participants who are unable to fully or effectively manage or hedge their positions in bitcoin futures typically would be expected to widen the bid-ask spreads on such contracts, which could potentially decrease the trading volume and liquidity of such contracts and have a negative impact on the price of such contracts.
Bitcoin, the Bitcoin Network and bitcoin trading venues are relatively new and not subject to the same regulations as regulated securities or futures exchanges. Bitcoin exchanges that are regulated typically must comply with minimum net worth, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering requirements, but are not typically required to protect customers or their markets to the same extent that regulated securities exchanges or futures exchanges are required to do so. As a result, markets for bitcoin may be subject to manipulation or fraud and may be subject to larger and/or more frequent sudden declines than assets traded on more traditional exchanges. Investors in bitcoin may lose money, possibly the entire value of their investments.
There is no central registry showing which individuals or entities own bitcoin or the quantity of bitcoin that is owned by any particular person or entity. It is possible that a small group of early bitcoin adopters hold a significant proportion of the bitcoin that has been thus far created. There are no regulations in place that would prevent a large holder of bitcoin or a group of holders from selling their bitcoins, which could depress the price of bitcoin, or otherwise attempting to manipulate the price of bitcoin or the Bitcoin Network.
Events could adversely affect the price of bitcoin, reduce user confidence in bitcoin, the Bitcoin Network and the fairness of the venues for trading bitcoin and slow (or even reverse) the further adoption of bitcoin.
Malicious actors could theoretically structure an attack whereby such actors gains control of more than half of the Bitcoin Network’s processing power, or “aggregate hashrate.” If a malicious actor or group of actors acquired a hashrate exceeding the rest of the Bitcoin Network, it would be able to exert unilateral control over the addition of blocks to the Bitcoin Blockchain. This would allow a malicious actor to engage in “double spending” (i.e., use the same bitcoin for two or more transactions), prevent other transactions from being confirmed on the Bitcoin Blockchain, or prevent other miners from mining any valid new blocks. Each of the events described above, among other things, could adversely affect the price of bitcoin; reduce user confidence in bitcoin, the Bitcoin Network and the fairness of bitcoin trading venues; and slow (or even reverse) the further adoption of bitcoin.
The Bitcoin Protocol was built using open source software by a small group of developers known as the “Bitcoin Core” (as defined herein) who help develop and maintain the original version of bitcoin, the underlying asset upon which bitcoin futures are based. The open source nature of the Bitcoin Protocol permits any developer to review the underlying code and suggest changes to it via “Bitcoin Improvement Proposals”, or “BIPs.” If accepted by a sufficient number of miners, BIPs may result in substantial changes to the Bitcoin Network, including changes that result in “forks” (as described herein). The Bitcoin Network has already experienced two major forks after developers attempted to increase transaction capacity. Blocks mined on these new “forked” networks now diverge from blocks mined on the original Bitcoin Network maintained by the Bitcoin Core, resulting in the creation of two new blockchains whose digital assets are referred to as “Bitcoin Cash”
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and “Bitcoin Gold.” Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold now operate as separate, independent networks. Multiple BIPs still exist, many of which are aimed at increasing the transaction capacity of the Bitcoin Network, and it is possible that one or more of these BIPs could result in further network forks. It is possible that the price of the bitcoin futures subsequent to a “fork” may be linked to the price of bitcoin on only one of the resulting Bitcoin Networks, rather than the aggregate price of bitcoin on all resulting Bitcoin Networks.
The CME considers a hard fork of the Bitcoin Blockchain where both forks continue to be actively mined and traded but may not be fungible with each other, as an unusual and extreme circumstance. The CME has determined, in the event of a hard fork or other circumstance in which the split of bitcoin is expected, CME shall decide what action to take to align bitcoin futures exposure with cash market exposures, as the CME deems appropriate.
It is possible that, notwithstanding the protocols implemented to attempt to address the impact of forks on bitcoin futures, forks and similar events could have an adverse effect on the price of bitcoin and the bitcoin futures in which the Fund invests and may adversely affect an investment in the Fund. The price of bitcoin is highly volatile, which could have a negative impact on the price and trading of bitcoin futures and the performance of the Fund.
It is believed that speculators and investors who seek to profit from trading and holding bitcoin currently account for a significant portion of bitcoin demand. Such speculation regarding the potential future appreciation in the price of bitcoin may artificially inflate or deflate the price of bitcoin. Conversely, evolving government regulation, the perception of onerous regulatory actions, concerns over the potential for fraud and manipulation of the price of bitcoin and other factors may cause a drop in the price of bitcoin. Developments related to the Bitcoin Network’s operations, also contribute to the volatility in the price of bitcoin. These factors may continue to cause the price of bitcoin to be volatile, which may have a negative impact on the performance of the bitcoin futures and on the performance of the Fund.
Since the price and trading of bitcoin futures is influenced by the price of bitcoin and events impacting the price of bitcoin, the Bitcoin Network or the bitcoin trading venues, each of the events described above could have a negative impact on the price and market for bitcoin futures. For example, such events could lead to a lack of liquidity in the market for bitcoin futures or have a negative impact on the price of bitcoin futures.
Changes in the Bitcoin Network could have an adverse effect on the operation and price of bitcoin, which could have an adverse effect on the price of bitcoin futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
New bitcoin is created when bitcoin “miners” use computers on the Bitcoin Network to solve bitcoin’s “proof of work” algorithm which records and verifies every bitcoin transaction on the Bitcoin Blockchain. In return for their services, miners are rewarded through receipt of a set amount of bitcoin known as the “block reward.” The current block reward for solving a new block is six and one quarter (6.25) bitcoin per block; a decrease from twelve and one half (12.5) bitcoin in May 2020. Based on current processing power, or “hashrate”, the block reward is estimated to halve again in about four (4) years. Because the block reward slowly declines at a fixed rate over time, a user may incentivize a miner to prioritize the processing of their transaction by including excess bitcoin which is collected by the miner in the form of a “transaction fee.” If transaction fees are not sufficiently high or if transaction fees increase to the point of being prohibitively expensive for users, miners may not have an adequate incentive to continue mining and may cease their mining operations.
If the price of bitcoin or the reward for mining new blocks is not sufficiently high to incentivize miners, miners may cease expending hashrate to solve blocks and, as a result, confirmations of transactions on the Bitcoin Blockchain could be slowed temporarily and inhibit the function of the Bitcoin Network. This could have a negative impact on the value of an investment in the Fund.
Additionally, if the price of bitcoin falls below that which is required for mining operators to turn a profit, some mining operators may temporarily discontinue mining bitcoin by either halting operations or switching their mining operations to mine other cryptocurrencies. If miners reduce or cease their mining operations it would reduce the aggregate hashrate on the Bitcoin Network, which would adversely affect the confirmation process for transactions (i.e., temporarily decreasing the speed at which blocks are added to the blockchain until the next scheduled adjustment in difficulty for block solutions) and make the Bitcoin Network more vulnerable to a malicious actor obtaining control in excess of fifty (50) percent of the aggregate hashrate on the Bitcoin Network. Periodically, the Bitcoin Network is designed to adjust the difficulty for block solutions so that solution speeds remain in the vicinity of the expected ten (10) minute confirmation time currently targeted by the Bitcoin Network protocol, but significant reductions in aggregate hashrate on the Bitcoin Network could result in material delays in transaction confirmation time. Any reduction in confidence in the confirmation process or aggregate hashrate of the Bitcoin Network may adversely affect the utility and price of bitcoin, which may negatively impact the bitcoin futures and an investment in the Fund.
A decline in the adoption of bitcoin could have a negative impact on the price of bitcoin and the bitcoin trading venues and, in turn, a negative impact on the price and market for bitcoin futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Bitcoin is used as a form of payment both directly and, more commonly, through an intermediary service which converts bitcoin payments into local currency. However, the adoption of bitcoin has been limited when compared with the increase in the price of bitcoin as determined by the bitcoin trading venues. This may indicate that the majority of bitcoin’s use
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continues to be for investment and speculative purposes. The continued adoption of bitcoin will require growth in its usage as a means of payment and in the Bitcoin Blockchain for various applications.
A lack of expansion or a reduction in usage of bitcoin and the Bitcoin Blockchain could adversely affect the bitcoin trading venues. This, in turn, may have a negative impact on the market for bitcoin futures and the performance of the Fund. Even if growth in bitcoin adoption continues in the near or medium-term, there is no assurance that bitcoin usage, or the market for bitcoin futures, will continue to grow over the long-term. A contraction in the use of bitcoin may result in a lack of liquidity in the bitcoin trading venues, increased volatility in or a reduction to the price of bitcoin, and other negative consequences. This, in turn, could exacerbate any lack of liquidity in the market for bitcoin futures, cause increased volatility in, or a reduction to the price, of bitcoin futures and other negative consequences. Each of these events could adversely impact the value of an investment in the Fund.
A new competing digital asset may pose a challenge to bitcoin’s current market dominance, resulting in a reduction in demand for bitcoin, which could have a negative impact on the price and market for bitcoin and, in turn, a negative impact on the price and market for bitcoin futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
The Bitcoin Network and bitcoin, as an asset, currently hold a “first-to-market” advantage over other digital assets. This first-to-market advantage has resulted in the Bitcoin Network evolving into the most well-developed network of any digital asset. The Bitcoin Network currently enjoys the largest user base of any digital asset and, more importantly, the largest combined mining power in use to secure the Bitcoin Blockchain. Having a large mining network enhances user confidence regarding the security of the Bitcoin Blockchain and long-term stability of the Bitcoin Network. However, the large mining network also increases the difficulty of solving for bitcoins, which at times may incentivize miners to mine other cryptocurrencies. It is possible that real or perceived shortcomings in the Bitcoin Network, technological, regulatory or other developments could result in a decline in popularity and acceptance of bitcoin and the Bitcoin Network.
It is also possible that other digital currencies and trading systems could become more widely accepted and used than bitcoin. In particular, digital assets “Ethereum”, “Ripple” and “Stellar” have acquired a substantial share of the cryptocurrency market in recent years, which may be in part due to perceived institutional backing and/or potentially advantageous features not incorporated into bitcoin. There are other cryptocurrencies, or alt-coins, gaining momentum as the price of the bitcoin continues to rise and investors see the cheaper cryptocurrencies as attractive alternatives. Additionally, the continued rise of alt-coins could lead to a reduction in demand for bitcoin, which could have a negative impact on the price and market for bitcoin and the bitcoin trading venues and, in turn, a negative impact on the price and market for bitcoin futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Regulatory initiatives by governments and uniform law proposals by academics and participants in the bitcoin economy may impact the use of bitcoin or the operation of the Bitcoin Network in a manner that adversely affects bitcoin futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
As bitcoin and other digital assets have grown in popularity and market size, certain U.S. federal and state governments, foreign governments and self-regulatory agencies have begun to examine the operations of bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, the Bitcoin Network, bitcoin users, and the bitcoin trading venues. Regulation of cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, and initial coin offerings (“ICOs”) in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions could restrict the use of bitcoin or impose other requirements that may adversely impact the liquidity and price of bitcoin, the demand for bitcoin, the operations of the bitcoin trading venues and the performance of the bitcoin futures. If the bitcoin trading venues become subject to onerous regulations, among other things, trading in bitcoin may be concentrated in a smaller number of exchanges, which may materially impact the price, volatility and trading volumes of bitcoin. Additionally, the bitcoin trading venues may be required to comply with tax, anti-money laundering (“AML”), know-your-customer (“KYC”) and other regulatory requirements, compliance and reporting obligations that may make it more costly to transact in or trade bitcoin (which may materially impact price, volatility or trading of bitcoin more generally). Each of these events could have a negative impact on bitcoin futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
The regulation of bitcoin, digital assets and related products and services continues to evolve. The inconsistent and sometimes conflicting regulatory landscape may make it more difficult for bitcoin businesses to provide services, which may impede the growth of the bitcoin economy and have an adverse effect on consumer adoption of bitcoin. There is a possibility of future regulatory change altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to operate.
Additionally, to the extent that bitcoin itself is determined to be a security, commodity future or other regulated asset, or to the extent that a United States or foreign government or quasi-governmental agency exerts regulatory authority over the Bitcoin Network, bitcoin trading or ownership in bitcoin, the bitcoin futures may be adversely affected, which may have an adverse effect on the value of your investment in the Fund. In sum, bitcoin regulation takes many different forms and will, therefore, impact bitcoin and its usage in a variety of manners.
The Bitcoin Network is currently maintained by the Bitcoin Core and no single entity owns the Bitcoin Network. However, with the growing adoption of bitcoin and the significant increase in speculative activity surrounding bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, third parties may be increasingly motivated to assert intellectual property rights claims relating to the operation of the Bitcoin Network or applications built upon the Bitcoin Blockchain. Regardless of the merit of any intellectual property or
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other legal action, any threatened action that reduces confidence in the Bitcoin Network’s or the Bitcoin Blockchain’s long-term viability or the ability of end-users to hold and transfer bitcoin may adversely affect the price of bitcoin and adversely affect the bitcoin futures. Additionally, a meritorious intellectual property rights claim could prevent end-users from accessing the Bitcoin Network or holding or transferring their bitcoin, which could adversely affect the value of the bitcoin futures. As a result, an intellectual property rights claim against Bitcoin Network participants could have a material adverse impact on the Fund.
An interruption in Internet service or a limitation of Internet access could impact the functionality of the Bitcoin Network.
The Bitcoin Network’s functionality relies on the Internet. A broadly accepted and widely adopted decentralized network is necessary for a fully-functional blockchain network, such as the Bitcoin Network. Features of the Bitcoin Network, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, are essential to preserve the stability of the network and decrease the risk of fraud or cyber-attacks. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of the Bitcoin Network. Any technical disruptions or regulatory limitations that affect Internet access may have an adverse effect on the Bitcoin Network, the price of bitcoin and bitcoin futures and therefore adversely affect the value of an investment in the Fund.
Ethereum Related Investments
Ether and the Ethereum Network. Ethereum, or ether, is a digital asset that is created and transmitted through the operations of the peer-to-peer Ethereum Network, a decentralized network of computers that operates on cryptographic protocols. No single entity owns or operates the Ethereum Network, the infrastructure of which is collectively maintained by a decentralized user base. The Ethereum Network allows people to exchange tokens of value, called ether, which are recorded on a public transaction ledger known as a blockchain. Ether can be used to pay for goods and services, including computational power on the Ethereum network, or it can be converted to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, at rates determined on digital asset exchanges or in individual end-user-to-end-user transactions under a barter system. Furthermore, the Ethereum Network also allows users to write and implement smart contractsthat is, general-purpose code that executes on every computer in the network and can instruct the transmission of information and value based on a sophisticated set of logical conditions. Using smart contracts, users can create markets, store registries of debts or promises, represent the ownership of property, move funds in accordance with conditional instructions and create digital assets other than ether on the Ethereum Network. Smart contract operations are executed on the Ethereum Blockchain in exchange for payment of ether. The Ethereum Network is one of a number of projects intended to expand blockchain use beyond just a peer-to-peer money system.
The Ethereum Network was originally described in a 2013 white paper by Vitalik Buterin, a programmer involved with Bitcoin, with the goal of creating a global platform for decentralized applications powered by smart contracts. The formal development of the Ethereum Network began through a Swiss firm called Ethereum Switzerland GmbH in conjunction with several other entities. Subsequently, the Ethereum Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization, was set up to oversee the protocol’s development. The Ethereum Network went live on July 30, 2015. Unlike other digital assets, such as Bitcoin, which are solely created through a progressive mining process, 72.0 million ether were created in connection with the launch of the Ethereum Network. Coinciding with the network launch, it was decided that EthSuisse would be dissolved, designating the Ethereum Foundation as the sole organization dedicated to protocol development.
The Ethereum Network is decentralized in that it does not require governmental authorities or financial institution intermediaries to create, transmit or determine the value of ether. Rather, following the initial distribution of ether, ether is created, burned and allocated by the Ethereum Network protocol through a process that is currently subject to an issuance and burn rate as further described under “Limits on Ether Supply” below. The value of ether is determined by the supply of and demand for ether on the digital asset exchanges or in private end-user-to-end-user transactions.
New ether are created and rewarded to the validators of a block in the Ethereum Blockchain for verifying transactions. The Ethereum Blockchain is effectively a decentralized database that includes all blocks that have been validated and it is updated to include new blocks as they are validated. Each Ether transaction is broadcast to the Ethereum Network and, when included in a block, recorded in the Ethereum Blockchain. As each new block records outstanding ether transactions, and outstanding transactions are settled and validated through such recording, the Ethereum Blockchain represents a complete, transparent and unbroken history of all transactions of the Ethereum Network. For further details, see “Creation of New ether.”
Among other things, ether is used to pay for transaction fees and computational services (i.e., smart contracts) on the Ethereum Network; users of the Ethereum Network pay for the computational power of the machines executing the requested operations with ether. Requiring payment in ether on the Ethereum Network incentivizes developers to write quality applications and increases the efficiency of the Ethereum Network because wasteful code costs more. It also ensures that the Ethereum Network remains economically viable by compensating people for their contributed computational resources.
Smart Contracts and Development on the Ethereum Network
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Smart contracts are programs that run on a blockchain that can execute automatically when certain conditions are met. Smart contracts facilitate the exchange of anything representative of value, such as money, information, property, or voting rights. Using smart contracts, users can send or receive digital assets, create markets, store registries of debts or promises, represent ownership of property or a company, move funds in accordance with conditional instructions and create new digital assets.
Development on the Ethereum Network involves building more complex tools on top of smart contracts, such as decentralized apps (DApps); organizations that are autonomous, known as decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs); and entirely new decentralized networks. For example, a company that distributes charitable donations on behalf of users could hold donated funds in smart contracts that are paid to charities only if the charity satisfies certain pre-defined conditions.
Moreover, the Ethereum Network has also been used as a platform for creating new digital assets and conducting their associated initial coin offerings. As of June 30, 2023, a majority of digital assets were built on the Ethereum Network, with such assets representing a significant amount of the total market value of all digital assets.
More recently, the Ethereum Network has been used for decentralized finance (DeFi) or open finance platforms, which seek to democratize access to financial services, such as borrowing, lending, custody, trading, derivatives and insurance, by removing third-party intermediaries. DeFi can allow users to lend and earn interest on their digital assets, exchange one digital asset for another and create derivative digital assets such as stablecoins, which are digital assets pegged to a reserve asset such as fiat currency. Over the course of 2022, between $20 billion and $98 billion worth of digital assets were locked up as collateral on DeFi platforms on the Ethereum Network.
In addition, the Ethereum Network and other smart contract platforms have been used for creating non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. Unlike digital assets native to smart contract platforms which are fungible and enable the payment of fees for smart contract execution. Instead, NFTs allow for digital ownership of assets that convey certain rights to other digital or real world assets. This new paradigm allows users to own rights to other assets through NFTs, which enable users to trade them with others on the Ethereum Network. For example, an NFT may convey rights to a digital asset that exists in an online game or a DApp, and users can trade their NFT in the DApp or game, and carry them to other digital experiences, creating an entirely new free-market internet-native economy that can be monetized in the physical world.
Creation of New Ether
Initial Creation of Ether
Unlike other digital assets such as bitcoin, which are solely created through a progressive mining process, 72.0 million ether were created in connection with the launch of the Ethereum Network. The initial 72.0 million ether were distributed as follows:
Initial Distribution: 60.0 million ether, or 83.33% of the supply, was sold to the public in a crowd sale conducted between July and August 2014 that raised approximately $18 million.
Ethereum Foundation: 6.0 million ether, or 8.33% of the supply, was distributed to the Ethereum Foundation for operational costs.
Ethereum Developers: 3.0 million ether, or 4.17% of the supply, was distributed to developers who contributed to the Ethereum Network.
Developer Purchase Program: 3.0 million ether, or 4.17% of the supply, was distributed to members of the Ethereum Foundation to purchase at the initial crowd sale price.
Following the launch of the Ethereum Network, ether supply initially increased through a progressive mining process. Following the introduction of EIP-1559, described below, ether supply and issuance rate varies based on factors such as recent use of the network.
Proof-of-Stake Process
In the second half of 2020, the Ethereum Network began the first of several stages of an upgrade that was initially known as “Ethereum 2.0.” and eventually became known as the “Merge” to transition the Ethereum Network from a proof-of-work consensus mechanism to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. The Merge was completed on September 15, 2022 and the Ethereum Network has operated on a proof-of-stake model since such time.
Unlike proof-of-work, in which miners expend computational resources to compete to validate transactions and are rewarded coins in proportion to the amount of computational resources expended, in proof-of-stake, miners (sometimes called validators) risk or “stake” coins to compete to be randomly selected to validate transactions and are rewarded coins in proportion to the amount of coins staked. Any malicious activity, such as validating multiple blocks, disagreeing with the eventual consensus or otherwise violating protocol rules, results in the forfeiture or “slashing” of a portion of the staked coins. Proof-of-stake is viewed as more energy efficient and scalable than proof-of-work and is sometimes referred to as “virtual mining”. Every 12 seconds, approximately, a new block is added to the Ethereum Blockchain with the latest transactions processed by the network, and the validator that generated this block is awarded ether.
Limits on Ether Supply
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The rate at which new ether are issued and put into circulation is expected to vary. In September 2022 the Ethereum Network converted from proof-of-work to a new proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. Following the Merge, approximately 1,700 ether are issued per day, though the issuance rate varies based on the number of validators on the network. In addition, the issuance of new ether could be partially or completely offset by the burn mechanism introduced by the EIP-1559 modification, under which ether are removed from supply at a rate that varies with network usage. See “Modifications to the ether Protocol.” On occasion, the ether supply has been deflationary over a 24 hour period as a result of the burn mechanism. The attributes of the new consensus algorithm are subject to change, but in sum, the new consensus algorithm and related modifications reduced total new ether issuances and could turn the ether supply deflationary over the long term.
As of June 30, 2023, approximately 120 million ether were outstanding.
Ether Futures. A futures contract is a standardized contract traded on, or subject to the rules of, an exchange to buy or sell a specified type and quantity of a particular underlying asset at a designated price. Futures contracts are traded on a wide variety of underlying assets, including ether, bonds, interest rates, agricultural products, stock indexes, currencies, digital assets, energy, metals, economic indicators and statistical measures. The notional size and calendar term of futures contracts on a particular underlying asset are identical and are not subject to any negotiation, other than with respect to price and the number of contracts traded between the buyer and seller. Futures contracts expire on a designated date, referred to as the “expiration date.”
The Fund generally deposits cash (also known as “margin”) with an FCM for its open positions in futures contracts. The margin requirements or position limits may be based on the notional exposure of the futures contracts or the number of futures contracts purchased. The FCM, in turn, generally transfers such deposits to the clearing house to protect the clearing house against non-payment by the Fund. “Variation Margin” is the amount of cash that each party agrees to pay to or receive from the other to reflect the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. The clearing house becomes substituted for each counterparty to a futures contract and, in effect, guarantees performance. In addition, the FCM may require the Fund to deposit additional margin collateral in excess of the clearing house’s requirements for the FCM’s own protection. Margin requirements for CME Ether Futures are substantially higher than margin requirements for many other types of futures contracts.
CME Ether Futures commenced trading on the CME Globex electronic trading platform on February 8, 2021 under the ticker symbol “ETH”. CME Ether Futures are cash-settled in U.S. dollars, based on the CME CF Ether Reference Rate. The CME CF Ether Reference Rate is a volume-weighted composite of U.S. dollar-ether trading activity on the Constituent Exchanges. The Constituent Exchanges are selected by CF Benchmarks based on the Constituent Exchange Criteria. The Constituent Exchange Criteria requires each Constituent Exchange to implement policies and procedures to ensure fair and transparent market conditions and to identify and impede illegal, unfair or manipulative trading practices. Additionally, each Constituent Exchange must comply with, among other things, capital market regulations, money transmission regulations, client money custody regulations, know-you-client regulations and anti-money laundering regulations.
Each Constituent Exchange is reviewed annually by an oversight committee established by CF Benchmarks to confirm that the Constituent Exchange continues to meet all criteria. CF Benchmarks and the CME CF Ether Reference Rate are subject to United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority Regulation
Although the Fund does not invest in ether, events impacting the price of ether across all ether trading venues could impact the price and market for ether futures, and therefore the performance of the Fund.
The liquidity of the market for ether futures depends on, among other things: the supply and demand for ether futures; the supply and demand for ether; the adoption of ether for commercial uses; the anticipated increase of investments in ether-related investment products by retail and institutional investors; speculative interest in ether, ether futures, and ether-related investment products; regulatory or other restrictions on investors’ ability to invest in ether futures; and the potential ability to hedge against the price of ether with ether futures (and vice versa).
The market for ether futures may be illiquid. This means that the Fund may not be able to buy and sell ether futures quickly or at the desired price. For example, it is difficult to execute a trade at a specific price when there is a relatively small volume of buy and sell orders in a market. A materially adverse development in one or more of the factors on which the liquidity of the market for ether futures depends may cause the market to become illiquid, for short or long periods. In such markets, the Fund may not be able to buy and sell ether futures quickly (or at all) or at the desired price. Market illiquidity may cause losses for the Fund. Additionally, the large size of the futures positions which the Fund may acquire increases the risk of illiquidity, as larger positions may be more difficult to fully liquidate, may take longer to liquidate, and, as a result of their size, may expose the Fund to potentially more significant losses while trying to do so. Limits imposed by counterparties, exchanges or other regulatory organizations, such as accountability levels, position limits and daily price fluctuation limits, may contribute to a lack of liquidity with respect to some financial instruments and have a negative impact on Fund performance. During periods of market illiquidity, including periods of market disruption and volatility, it may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to buy or sell futures contracts or other financial instruments.
The contractual obligations of a buyer or seller holding a futures contract to expiration may be satisfied by settling in cash as provided by the terms of such contract. However, the Fund does not intend to hold ether futures through expiration. Instead, the Fund intends to “roll” futures positions. “Rolling” refers to a process whereby futures contracts nearing expiration
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are closed out and replaced with identical futures contracts with a later expiration date. Accordingly, the Fund is subject to risks related to rolling.
When the market for certain futures contracts is such that the prices are higher in the more distant delivery months than in the nearer delivery months, the sale during the course of the “rolling process” of the more nearby ether futures would take place at a price that is lower than the price of the more distant ether futures. This pattern of higher futures prices for longer expiration ether futures is often referred to as “contango.” Alternatively, when the market for certain ether futures is such that the prices are higher in the nearer months than in the more distant months, the sale during the course of the rolling process of the more nearby ether futures would take place at a price that is higher than the price of the more distant ether futures. This pattern of higher future prices for shorter expiration ether futures is referred to as “backwardation.”
There have been extended periods in which contango or backwardation has existed in certain futures markets in general. Such periods could occur in the future for ether futures and may cause significant and sustained losses. Additionally because of the frequency with which the Fund may roll futures contracts, the impact of contango or backwardation on Fund performance may be greater than it would have been if the Fund rolled futures contracts less frequently.
The CME has established margin requirements for ether futures at levels that may be substantially higher than the margin requirements for more established futures contracts. The Futures Commission Merchants (“FCMs”) utilized by the Fund may impose margin requirements in addition to those imposed by the exchanges. Margin requirements are subject to change, and may be raised in the future by the exchanges and the FCMs. Margin Requirements may be more likely to change during periods of high volatility. High margin requirements could prevent the Fund from obtaining sufficient exposure to ether futures and may adversely affect its ability to achieve its investment objective. An FCM’s failure to return required margin to the Fund on a timely basis may cause such Fund to delay redemption settlement dates and/or restrict, postpone or limit the right of redemption.
The term “margin” refers to the minimum amount the Fund must deposit and maintain with its FCM in order to establish an open position in futures contracts. The minimum amount of margin required in connection with a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which such contract is traded and is subject to change at any time during the term of the contract. FCMs may require customers to post additional amounts above the required minimums. Futures contracts are customarily bought and sold on margins that represent a percentage of the aggregate purchase or sales price of the contract.
In addition, FCMs utilized by the Fund may impose limits on the amount of exposure to futures contracts the Fund can obtain through such FCMs. As a result, the Fund may need to transact through a number of FCMs to achieve its investment objective. If enough FCMs are not willing to transact with the Fund, or if exposure limits imposed by such FCMs do not provide sufficient exposure, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
There may be circumstances that could prevent or make it impractical for the Fund to operate in a manner consistent with its investment objective and investment strategies.
The price of ether has experienced periods of extreme volatility. The price of ether may change dramatically and without warning. This volatility is due to a number of factors, including the supply and demand for ether, concerns about potential manipulation of the price of ether and the safety of ether, market perceptions of the value of ether as an investment, continuing development of the regulations applicable to ether, and the changes exhibited by an early-stage technological innovation.
It is believed that speculators and investors who seek to profit from trading and holding ether currently account for a significant portion of ether demand. Such speculation regarding the potential future appreciation in the price of ether may artificially inflate or deflate the price of ether. Conversely, evolving government regulation, the perception of onerous regulatory actions, concerns over the potential for fraud and manipulation of the price of ether and other factors may cause a drop in the price of ether. Developments related to the Ethereum Computer Network’s operations, also contribute to the volatility in the price of ether. These factors may continue to cause the price of ether to be volatile, which may have a negative impact on the performance of the ether futures and on the performance of the Fund.
The trading of ether is fragmented across numerous trading venues. The fragmentation of the volume of ether transactions across multiple trading venues can lead to a higher volatility than would be expected if volume was concentrated in a single trading venue. Market fragmentation and volatility increases the likelihood of price differences across different trading venues.
Market participants trading ether futures may seek to “hedge” or otherwise manage their exposure to such contracts by taking offsetting positions in ether. Fragmentation may require market participants to analyze multiple prices, which may be inconsistent and quickly changing. Fragmentation also may require market participants to potentially fill their positions through a number of transactions on different exchanges. These factors potentially increase the cost and uncertainty of trading ether and may decrease the effectiveness of using transactions in ether to help manage or offset positions in ether futures. Market participants who are unable to fully or effectively manage or hedge their positions in ether futures typically would be expected to widen the bid-ask spreads on such contracts, which could potentially decrease the trading volume and liquidity of such contracts and have a negative impact on the price of such contracts.
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Ether, the Ethereum Computer Network and ether trading venues are relatively new and not subject to the same regulations as regulated securities or futures exchanges. Ether exchanges that are regulated typically must comply with minimum net worth, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering requirements, but are not typically required to protect customers or their markets to the same extent that regulated securities exchanges or futures exchanges are required to do so. As a result, markets for ether may be subject to manipulation or fraud and may be subject to larger and/or more frequent sudden declines than assets traded on more traditional exchanges. Investors in ether may lose money, possibly the entire value of their investments.
There is no central registry showing which individuals or entities own ether or the quantity of ether that is owned by any particular person or entity. It is possible that a small group of early ether adopters hold a significant proportion of the ether that has been thus far created. There are no regulations in place that would prevent a large holder of ether or a group of holders from selling their ether, which could depress the price of ether, or otherwise attempting to manipulate the price of ether or the Ethereum Computer Network.
Events could adversely affect the price of ether, reduce user confidence in ether, the Ethereum Computer Network and the fairness of the venues for trading ether and slow (or even reverse) the further adoption of ether.
The Ethereum Protocol was built using open source software by a small group of developers who help develop and maintain the original version of ether, the underlying asset upon which ether futures are based. The open source nature of the Ethereum Protocol permits any developer to review the underlying code and suggest changes to it. If accepted by a sufficient number of users, these changes may result in substantial changes to the Ethereum Computer Network, including changes that result in “forks” (as described herein). It is possible that the price of the ether futures subsequent to a “fork” may be linked to the price of ether on only one of the resulting Ethereum Computer Networks, rather than the aggregate price of ether on all resulting Ethereum Computer Networks.
The CME considers a hard fork of the Ethereum Blockchain where both forks continue to be actively traded but may not be fungible with each other, as an unusual and extreme circumstance. The CME has determined, in the event of a hard fork or other circumstance in which the split of ether is expected, CME shall decide what action to take to align ether futures exposure with cash market exposures, as the CME deems appropriate.
It is possible that, notwithstanding the protocols implemented to attempt to address the impact of forks on ether futures, forks and similar events could have an adverse effect on the price of ether and the ether futures in which the Fund invests and may adversely affect an investment in the Fund. The price of ether is highly volatile, which could have a negative impact on the price and trading of ether futures, the performance of the Fund.
It is believed that speculators and investors who seek to profit from trading and holding ether currently account for a significant portion of ether demand. Such speculation regarding the potential future appreciation in the price of ether may artificially inflate or deflate the price of ether. Conversely, evolving government regulation, the perception of onerous regulatory actions, concerns over the potential for fraud and manipulation of the price of ether and other factors may cause a drop in the price of ether. Developments related to the Ethereum Computer Network’s operations, also contribute to the volatility in the price of ether. These factors may continue to cause the price of ether to be volatile, which may have a negative impact on the performance of the ether futures and on the performance of the Fund.
Since the price and trading of ether futures is influenced by the price of ether and events impacting the price of ether, the Ethereum Computer Network or the ether trading venues, each of the events described above could have a negative impact on the price and market for ether futures. For example, such events could lead to a lack of liquidity in the market for ether futures or have a negative impact on the price of ether futures.
Changes in the Ethereum Computer Network could have an adverse effect on the operation and price of ether, which could have an adverse effect on the price of ether futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
A decline in the adoption of ether could have a negative impact on the price of ether and the ether trading venues and, in turn, a negative impact on the price and market for ether futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Ether is used as a form of payment both directly and, more commonly, through an intermediary service which converts ether payments into local currency. However, the adoption of ether has been limited when compared with the increase in the price of ether as determined by the ether trading venues. This may indicate that the majority of ether’s use continues to be for investment and speculative purposes. The continued adoption of ether will require growth in its usage as a means of payment and in the Ethereum Blockchain for various applications.
A lack of expansion or a reduction in usage of ether and the Ethereum Blockchain could adversely affect the ether trading venues. This, in turn, may have a negative impact on the market for ether futures and the performance of the Fund. Even if growth in ether adoption continues in the near or medium-term, there is no assurance that ether usage, or the market for ether futures, will continue to grow over the long-term. A contraction in the use of ether may result in a lack of liquidity in the ether trading venues, increased volatility in or a reduction to the price of ether, and other negative consequences. This, in turn, could exacerbate any lack of liquidity in the market for ether futures, cause increased volatility in, or a reduction to the price, of ether futures and other negative consequences. Each of these events could adversely impact the value of an investment in the Fund.
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A new competing digital asset may pose a challenge to ether’s current market dominance, resulting in a reduction in demand for ether, which could have a negative impact on the price and market for ether and, in turn, a negative impact on the price and market for ether futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
Regulatory initiatives by governments and uniform law proposals by academics and participants in the ether economy may impact the use of ether or the operation of the Ethereum Computer Network in a manner that adversely affects ether futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
As ether and other digital assets have grown in popularity and market size, certain U.S. federal and state governments, foreign governments and self-regulatory agencies have begun to examine the operations of ether, cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, the Ethereum Computer Network, ether users, and the ether trading venues. Regulation of cryptocurrencies, like ether, and initial coin offerings (“ICOs”) in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions could restrict the use of ether or impose other requirements that may adversely impact the liquidity and price of ether, the demand for ether, the operations of the ether trading venues and the performance of the ether futures. If the ether trading venues become subject to onerous regulations, among other things, trading in ether may be concentrated in a smaller number of exchanges, which may materially impact the price, volatility and trading volumes of ether. Additionally, the ether trading venues may be required to comply with tax, anti-money laundering (“AML”), know-your-customer (“KYC”) and other regulatory requirements, compliance and reporting obligations that may make it more costly to transact in or trade ether (which may materially impact price, volatility or trading of ether more generally). Each of these events could have a negative impact on ether futures and the value of an investment in the Fund.
The regulation of ether, digital assets and related products and services continues to evolve. The inconsistent and sometimes conflicting regulatory landscape may make it more difficult for ether businesses to provide services, which may impede the growth of the ether economy and have an adverse effect on consumer adoption of ether. There is a possibility of future regulatory change altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to operate.
Additionally, to the extent that ether itself is determined to be a security, commodity future or other regulated asset, or to the extent that a United States or foreign government or quasi-governmental agency exerts regulatory authority over the Ethereum Computer Network, ether trading or ownership in ether, the ether futures may be adversely affected, which may have an adverse effect on the value of your investment in the Fund. In sum, ether regulation takes many different forms and will, therefore, impact ether and its usage in a variety of manners.
No single entity owns the Ethereum Computer Network. However, with the growing adoption of ether and the significant increase in speculative activity surrounding ether and cryptocurrencies, third parties may be increasingly motivated to assert intellectual property rights claims relating to the operation of the Ethereum Computer Network or applications built upon the Ethereum Blockchain. Regardless of the merit of any intellectual property or other legal action, any threatened action that reduces confidence in the Ethereum Computer Network’s or the Ethereum Blockchain’s long-term viability or the ability of end-users to hold and transfer ether may adversely affect the price of ether and adversely affect the ether futures. Additionally, a meritorious intellectual property rights claim could prevent end-users from accessing the Ethereum Computer Network or holding or transferring their ether, which could adversely affect the value of the ether futures. As a result, an intellectual property rights claim against Ethereum Computer Network participants could have a material adverse impact on the Fund.
An interruption in Internet service or a limitation of Internet access could impact the functionality of the Ethereum Computer Network.
The Ethereum Computer Network’s functionality relies on the Internet. A broadly accepted and widely adopted decentralized network is necessary for a fully-functional blockchain network, such as the Ethereum Computer Network. Features of the Ethereum Computer Network, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, are essential to preserve the stability of the network and decrease the risk of fraud or cyber-attacks. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of the Ethereum Computer Network. Any technical disruptions or regulatory limitations that affect Internet access may have an adverse effect on the Ethereum Computer Network, the price of ether and ether futures and therefore adversely affect the value of an investment in the Fund.
Equity Securities
Common Stocks. The Fund may invest in common stocks. Common stocks represent the residual ownership interest in the issuer and are entitled to the income and increase in the value of the assets and business of the entity after all of its obligations and preferred stock are satisfied. Common stocks generally have voting rights. Common stocks fluctuate in price in response to many factors including historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity.
Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities that may be considered high yield securities. Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes and preferred stock that can be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed
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amount of common stock of the same or a different issue within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid on preferred stock until the convertible stock matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. While no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the issuer’s common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. While convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than nonconvertible debt securities of similar quality, they do enable the investor to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. When investing in convertible securities, the Fund may invest in the lowest credit rating category.
Preferred Stock. The Fund may invest in preferred stock. A preferred stock blends the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors if the issuer is dissolved. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. When investing in preferred stocks, the Fund may invest in the lowest credit rating category.
Warrants and Rights. The Fund may purchase warrants and rights, which are instruments that permit the Fund to acquire, by subscription, the capital stock of a corporation at a set price, regardless of the market price for such stock. Warrants may be either perpetual or of limited duration, but they usually do not have voting rights or pay dividends. The market price of warrants is usually significantly less than the current price of the underlying stock. Thus, there is a greater risk that warrants might drop in value at a faster rate than the underlying stock.
Illiquid Investments and Restricted Securities
The Fund may purchase and hold illiquid investments. The term “illiquid investments” for this purpose means any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, as a result, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets. Rafferty, subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees, has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which securities are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation under the Fund’s liquidity risk management program, adopted pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. If, through the appreciation of illiquid securities or the depreciation of liquid securities, the Fund should be in a position where more than 15% of the value of its net assets are invested in illiquid securities, including restricted securities which are not readily marketable, Rafferty will report such occurrence to the Board of Trustees and take such steps as are deemed advisable to protect liquidity in accordance with the Fund’s liquidity risk management program.
The Fund may not be able to sell illiquid investments when Rafferty considers it desirable to do so or may have to sell such investments at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained if the investments were liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid investments may require more time and result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of investments that are not illiquid. Illiquid investments also may be more difficult to value due to the unavailability of reliable market quotations for such investments, and investment in illiquid investments may have an adverse impact on NAV.
Rule 144A establishes a “safe harbor” from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Institutional markets for restricted securities that have developed as a result of Rule 144A provide both readily ascertainable values for certain restricted securities and the ability to liquidate an investment to satisfy share redemption orders. This policy does not include restricted securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), which the Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board” or “Trustees”), or Rafferty, under Board-approved guidelines, has determined are liquid. The Fund currently does not anticipate investing in such restricted securities. However, to the extent that the Fund does invest in such restricted securities, an insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing Rule 144A-eligible securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the marketability of such portfolio securities, and the Fund may be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
Investment in a Subsidiary
The Fund will invest in its wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the registered offices of which are located at Walkers SPV Limited, Walker House, 87 Mary Street, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-9002, Cayman Islands. The Fund will be the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, and does not expect shares of the Subsidiary to be offered or sold to other investors. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets
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(ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary’s value), which limitation is imposed by the Code and is measured at the end of each quarter of its taxable year.
The Fund will invest in its Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to RICs. The Subsidiary will invest principally in commodity and financial futures, options or swap contracts, as well as certain fixed-income investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivatives positions. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivatives, though the Subsidiary will comply with the same 1940 Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-linked derivatives that apply to the Fund’s transactions in those instruments. To the extent applicable, the Subsidiary otherwise is subject to the same fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions as the Fund and, in particular, to the same requirements relating to portfolio leverage, liquidity, and the timing and method of valuation of portfolio investments and Fund shares. (Accordingly, references in this SAI to the Fund may also include the Subsidiary.) By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund may be considered to be investing indirectly in the same investments as the Subsidiary and is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with those investments.
The Subsidiary is not registered with the SEC as an investment company under the 1940 Act and is not subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. As an investor in the Subsidiary, the Fund will not have the same protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies. However, because the Subsidiary is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund and the Fund is managed by Rafferty, it is unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action in any manner contrary to the interest of the Fund or shareholders. Because the Subsidiary has the same investment objective and, to the extent applicable, will comply with the same investment policies as the Fund, Rafferty manages the Subsidiary’s portfolio in a manner similar to that of the Fund.
The Subsidiary has a board of directors that oversees its activities. The Subsidiary has entered into a separate investment advisory agreement with Rafferty and pays Rafferty a fee for its services. The Subsidiary also has entered into agreements with the Fund’s service providers for the provision of administrative, accounting, transfer agency and custody services.
The Fund and the Subsidiary may not be able to operate as described in this SAI in the event of changes to the laws of the United States or the Cayman Islands. If the laws of the Cayman Islands required the Subsidiary to pay taxes to a governmental authority, the Fund would be likely to suffer decreased returns.
Futures Contracts
Generally, derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends on, or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying assets, reference rates, or indices or other market factors (“reference assets”) and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, credit, currencies, commodities, digital assets or related indices. Derivative instruments can provide an efficient means to gain long or short exposure to the value of a reference asset without actually owning or selling the instrument.
The Fund may enter into futures contracts that provide long and short exposure to reference assets. Derivatives may be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices and thus the Fund’s losses may be greater if it invests in derivatives than if it invests in non-derivative instruments. Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations.
The use of derivative instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several exchanges upon which they are traded and the CFTC. In addition, the Fund’s ability to use derivative instruments will be limited by tax considerations. See “Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes.”
Under current CFTC regulations, if the Fund uses futures contracts other than for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the CFTC) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish these positions (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions) may not exceed 5% of the Fund’s NAV, or alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of those positions, as determined at the time the most recent position was established, may not exceed 100% of the fund’s NAV (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). Accordingly, the Fund will register prior to commencement of operations as a commodity pool, and the Adviser has registered as a CPO, with the National Futures Association.
The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of the Fund’s operation and/or change the competitive landscape. In this regard, any further amendment to the Commodity Exchange Act or its related regulations that subject the Fund to additional regulation may have adverse impacts on the Fund’s operations and expenses. In October 2020, the SEC adopted new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies. Rule 18f-4 will impose limits on the amount of derivatives a fund could enter into, eliminate the asset segregation framework currently used by funds to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act, and require funds whose use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure to establish and maintain a derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager. There is a transition period for compliance for the new rule and it is not currently clear what impact, if any, the new rule will have on the availability, liquidity or
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performance of derivatives. When fully implemented, the new rule may require changes in how the Fund will use derivatives, may adversely affect the Fund's performance and may increase costs related to the Fund's use of derivatives.
In addition to the instruments, strategies and risks described below and in the Prospectus, Rafferty may discover additional opportunities in connection with derivative instruments and other similar or related techniques. These new opportunities may become available as Rafferty develops new techniques, as regulatory authorities broaden the range of permitted transactions and as new derivative instruments or other techniques are developed. Rafferty may utilize these opportunities to the extent that they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s investment limitations and applicable regulatory authorities. The Fund’s Prospectus or this SAI will be supplemented to the extent that new products or techniques involve materially different risks than those described below or in the Prospectus.
Special Risks. The use of derivative instruments involves special considerations and risks, certain of which are described below. Risks pertaining to particular derivative instruments are described in the sections that follow.
(1) Futures prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect or no correlation also may result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how futures and securities are traded, and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts.
(2) As described below, the Fund might be required to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in Financial Instruments involving obligations to third parties. If the Fund were unable to close out its positions in such Financial Instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expired or matured. These requirements might impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment when it would otherwise be favorable to do so or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. The Fund’s ability to close out a position in a Financial Instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the other party to the transaction (the “counterparty”) to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Therefore, there is no assurance that any position can be closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund.
(3) Losses may arise due to unanticipated market price movements or lack of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument at a particular time.
Cover. Transactions using derivative instruments expose the Fund to an obligation to another party. The Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it owns either (1) an offsetting (“covered”) position in securities or futures contracts or (2) cash and liquid assets with a value, marked-to-market daily, sufficient to cover its potential obligations to the extent not covered as provided in (1) above. The Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and will, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid assets in an account with its custodian, the Bank of New York Mellon ("BNYM"), in the prescribed amount as determined daily.
Assets used as cover or held in an account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding derivative instrument is open, unless they are replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of the Fund’s assets to cover or accounts could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may use certain futures contracts (sometimes referred to as “futures”) as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying asset, to attempt to hedge or limit the exposure of the Fund’s position, to create a synthetic money market position, for certain tax-related purposes or to effect closing transactions.
Generally, a futures contract is a standard binding agreement to buy or sell a specified quantity of an underlying reference instrument, such as a specific security, currency or commodity, at a specified price at a specified later date. A “sale” of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to deliver the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. A “purchase” of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to acquire the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase or sale of a futures contract will allow the Fund to increase or decrease its exposure to the underlying reference instrument without having to buy the actual instrument.
The underlying reference instruments to which futures contracts may relate include non-U.S. currencies, interest rates, stock and bond indices and debt securities, including U.S. government debt obligations. In most cases the contractual obligation under a futures contract may be offset, or “closed out,” before the settlement date so that the parties do not have to make or take delivery. The closing out of a contractual obligation is usually accomplished by buying or selling, as the case may be, an identical, offsetting futures contract. This transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the underlying instrument or asset. If the original position entered into is a long position (futures contract purchased), there will be a gain (loss) if the offsetting sell transaction is carried out at a higher (lower) price, inclusive of commissions. If the original position entered into is a short position (futures contract sold) there will be a gain (loss) if the offsetting buy transaction is carried out at a lower (higher) price, inclusive of commissions.
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Certain futures contracts are cash-settled, meaning the futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and purchaser to accept) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount multiplied by the difference between the final settlement price of a specific futures contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery of the underlying asset is made.
Whether the Fund realizes a gain/loss from futures activities depends generally upon the movements in the underlying reference asset (generally a commodity, currency, security or index). The extent of the Fund’s loss from an unhedged short position in a futures contract is potentially unlimited, and investors may lose the amount that they invest plus any profits recognized on their investment.
Futures contracts may be bought and sold on U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts in the U.S. have been designed by exchanges that have been designated “contract markets” by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant (“FCM”), which is a brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant contract market. Each exchange guarantees performance of the contracts as between the clearing members of the exchange, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Because all transactions in the futures market are made, offset, or fulfilled by an FCM through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, the Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures contracts. The Fund generally buys and sells futures contracts only on contract markets (including exchanges or boards of trade) where there appears to be an active market for the futures contracts, but there is no assurance that an active market will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. An active market makes it more likely that futures contracts will be liquid and bought and sold at competitive market prices. In addition, many of the futures contracts available may be relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active market will develop or continue to exist.
When the Fund enters into a futures contract, it must deliver to an account controlled by the FCM (that has been selected by the Fund), an amount referred to as “initial margin” that is typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of a contract over a fixed period. Initial margin requirements are determined by the respective exchanges on which the futures contracts are traded and the FCM. Thereafter, a “variation margin” amount may be required to be paid by the Fund or received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the marked-to-market value of the futures contract. The account is marked-to-market daily and the variation margin is monitored by the Fund’s investment manager and custodian on a daily basis. When the futures contract is closed out, if the Fund has a loss equal to, or greater than, the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund. Some futures contracts provide for the delivery of securities that are different than those that are specified in the contract. For a futures contract for delivery of debt securities, on the settlement date of the contract, adjustments to the contract can be made to recognize differences in value arising from the delivery of debt securities with a different interest rate from that of the particular debt securities that were specified in the contract. In some cases, securities called for by a futures contract may not have been issued when the contract was written.
Risks of futures contracts. The Fund’s use of futures contracts is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. The Fund may not be able to properly effect its strategy when a liquid market is unavailable for the futures contract the Fund wishes to close, which may at times occur. If the Fund were unable to liquidate a futures position due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. The Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain cash or liquid assets in an account.
A purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses to the Fund in excess of the amount that the Fund delivered as initial margin. Because of the relatively low margin deposits required, futures trading involves a high degree of leverage; as a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, or gain, to the Fund. In addition, if the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements or close out a futures position, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Adverse market movements could cause the Fund to experience substantial losses on an investment in a futures contract. There is a risk of loss by the Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty.
The difference (called the “spread”) between prices in the cash market for the purchase and sale of the underlying reference instrument and the prices in the futures market is subject to fluctuations and distortions due to differences in the nature of those two markets. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal pricing spread between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of
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the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery of the underlying instrument. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, resulting in pricing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements that apply in the futures market are less onerous than similar margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. When such distortions occur, a correct forecast of general trends in the price of an underlying reference instrument by the investment manager may still not necessarily result in a profitable transaction.
Futures contracts that are traded on non-U.S. exchanges may not be as liquid as those purchased on CFTC-designated contract markets. In addition, non-U.S. futures contracts may be subject to varied regulatory oversight. The price of any non-U.S. futures contract and, therefore, the potential profit and loss thereon, may be affected by any change in the non-U.S. exchange rate between the time a particular order is placed and the time it is liquidated, offset or exercised.
The CFTC and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as “speculative position limits” on the maximum net long or net short position that any person, such as the Fund, may hold or control in a particular futures contract. Trading limits are also imposed on the maximum number of contracts that any person may trade on a particular trading day. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions. The regulation of futures, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law.
Futures exchanges may also limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. This daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and does not limit potential losses because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.
Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System or securities dealers who are members of a national securities exchange or are primary dealers in U.S. government securities. Repurchase agreements generally are for a short period of time, usually less than a week. Under a repurchase agreement, the Fund purchases a U.S. government security and simultaneously agrees to sell the security back to the seller at a mutually agreed-upon future price and date, normally one day or a few days later. The resale price is greater than the purchase price, reflecting an agreed-upon market interest rate during the Fund’s holding period. While the maturities of the underlying securities in repurchase agreement transactions may be more than one year, the term of each repurchase agreement always will be less than one year. Repurchase agreements with a maturity of more than seven days are considered to be illiquid investments. The Fund may not enter into such a repurchase agreement if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of its net assets would then be invested in such repurchase agreements and other illiquid investments. See “Illiquid Investments and Restricted Securities” above.
The Fund will always receive, as collateral, securities whose market value, including accrued interest, at all times will be at least equal to 100% of the dollar amount invested by the Fund in each repurchase agreement. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the seller, the Fund will liquidate those securities (whose market value, including accrued interest, must be at least 100% of the amount invested by the Fund) held under the applicable repurchase agreement, which securities constitute collateral for the seller’s obligation to repurchase the security. If the seller defaults, the Fund might incur a loss if the value of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement declines and might incur disposition costs in connection with liquidating the collateral. In addition, if bankruptcy or similar proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization upon the collateral by the Fund may be delayed or limited.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may borrow by entering into reverse repurchase agreements with the same parties with whom it may enter into repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells securities and agrees to repurchase them at a mutually agreed to price. At the time the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will establish and maintain a segregated account with an approved custodian containing liquid high-grade securities, marked-to-market daily, having a value not less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest). Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of securities retained in lieu of sale by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold but is obliged to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. During that time, the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase
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agreement effectively may be restricted. Reverse repurchase agreements create leverage, a speculative factor, and are considered borrowings for the purpose of the Fund’s limitation on borrowing.
U.S. Government Securities
The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities (“U.S. government securities”) in pursuit of its investment objective, in order to deposit such securities as initial or variation margin, as “cover” for the investment techniques it employs, as part of a cash reserve or for liquidity purposes.
U.S. government securities are high-quality instruments issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the U.S. Treasury Department (“U.S. Treasury”) or by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government. Not all U.S. government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some are backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are backed by discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agencies’ obligations; while others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment.
Yields on short-, intermediate- and long-term U.S. government securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including the general conditions of the money and bond markets, the size of a particular offering and the maturity of the obligation. Debt securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher capital appreciation and depreciation than obligations with shorter maturities and lower yields. The market value of U.S. government securities generally varies inversely with changes in the market interest rates. An increase in interest rates, therefore, generally would reduce the market value of the Fund’s portfolio investments in U.S. government securities, while a decline in interest rates generally would increase the market value of the Fund’s portfolio investments in these securities. U.S. government securities include U.S. Treasury obligations, which includes U.S. Treasury Bills (which mature within one year of the date they are issued), U.S. Treasury Notes (which have maturities of one to ten years) and U.S. Treasury Bonds (which generally have maturities of more than 10 years). All such U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
U.S. government securities also include obligations issued by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities (“GSEs”) that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (such as securities issued or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration, Ginnie Mae®, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the General Services Administration and the Maritime Administration and certain securities issued by the Small Business Administration).
Also, U.S. government securities include securities that are guaranteed by U.S. government-sponsored entities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the Federal Home Loan Banks). These U.S. government-sponsored entities, although chartered and sponsored by the U.S. Congress, are not guaranteed, nor insured, by the U.S. government. They are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality or corporation.
Since 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in conservatorship and have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases, as well as U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage backed securities (“MBS”). The FHFA and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreement to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of their mortgage portfolios. The MBS purchase programs technically ended in 2010 but the U.S. Treasury has continued its support for the entities’ capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth through at least 2012 and other governmental entities have provided significant support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. There is no guarantee, however, that they will continue to do so. An FHFA stress test suggested that in a “severely adverse scenario” additional Treasury support of between $42.1 billion and $77.6 billion (depending on the treatment of deferred tax assets) might be required. Since then Congress has permanently reduced the corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% starting January 1, 2018. This reduction could cause a substantial net loss and net worth deficit for the year in which the legislation is enacted. Should they experience such a net worth deficit, they could be required to draw additional funds from the U.S. Treasury to avoid being placed in receivership. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and MBSs that they issue.
In addition, the problems faced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, resulting in their being placed into federal conservatorship and receiving significant U.S. government support, have sparked serious debate among federal policy makers regarding the continued role of the U.S. government in providing liquidity for mortgage loans. In December 2011, Congress enacted the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act (“TCCA”) of 2011 which, among other provisions, requires that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increase their single-family guaranty fees by at least 10 basis points and remit this increase to Treasury with respect to all loans acquired by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or after April 1, 2012 and before January 1, 2022. Nevertheless, discussions among policymakers have continued as to whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be nationalized, privatized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. In September 2019, the U.S. Treasury released its plan to reform the housing finance system, which includes reforms to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The impact of these reforms are not yet known. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations related to certain accounting, disclosure, or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements)
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may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities. Congress is currently considering several pieces of legislation that would reform GSEs, proposing to address their structure, mission, portfolio limits, and guarantee fees, among other issues.
Swap Agreements
The Fund may enter into swap and other derivatives to obtain short exposure to an underlying asset without actually purchasing such asset. Swap agreements are generally two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on, or increase/decrease, in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a security or “basket” of securities representing a particular index or an ETF representing a particular index or group of securities.
The Fund may enter into swaps to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities. For example, in one common type of total return swap, the Fund’s counterparty will agree to pay the Fund the rate at which the specified asset or indicator (e.g., security, an ETF, or securities comprising a benchmark index, plus the dividends or interest that would have been received on those assets) increased in value multiplied by the relevant notional amount of the swap. The Fund will agree to pay to the counterparty an interest fee (based on the notional amount) and the rate at which, the specified asset or indicator would decreased in value multiplied by the notional amount of the swap, plus, in certain instances, commissions or trading spreads on the notional amount.
As a result, the swap has a similar economic effect as if the Fund were to invest in the assets underlying the swap in an amount equal to the notional amount of the swap. The return to the Fund on such swap should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends or interest on the assets less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount. However, unlike cash investments in the underlying assets, the Fund will not be an owner of the underlying assets and will not have voting or similar rights in respect of such assets.
As a trading technique, Rafferty may substitute physical securities with a swap having investment characteristics substantially similar to the underlying securities. The Fund may also enter into swaps that provide the opposite return of their benchmark or a security. Their operations are similar to that of the swaps discussed above except that the counterparty pays interest to the Fund on the notional amount outstanding and that dividends or interest on the underlying instruments reduce the value of the swap, plus, in certain instances, the Fund will agree to pay to the counterparty commissions or trading spreads on the notional amount. These amounts are often netted with any unrealized gain or loss to determine the value of the swap.
The use of swaps is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks in addition to, and in some cases different from, those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The primary risks associated with the use of swaps are mispricing or improper valuation, imperfect correlation between movements in the notional amount and the price of the underlying investments, and the inability of the counterparties or clearing organization to perform. If a counterparty’s creditworthiness for an over-the-counter swap declines, the value of the swap would likely decline. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the Fund could eliminate its exposure under an outstanding swap by entering into an offsetting swap with the same or another party. In addition, the Fund may use a combination of swaps on an index or indices and/or swaps on an ETF that is designed to track the performance of that index or indices. The performance of an ETF may deviate from the performance of an index due to embedded costs and other factors. Thus, to the extent the Fund invests in swaps that use an ETF as the reference asset, the Fund may be subject to greater correlation risk and may not achieve as high a degree of correlation with an index as it would if the Fund used only swaps on the index. Rafferty, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of the Fund’s transactions in swaps.
Common Types of Swaps
The Fund may enter into any of several types of swaps, including:
Total Return Swaps. Total return swaps may be used either as economically similar substitutes for owning the reference asset specified in the swap, such as the securities that comprise a given market index, particular securities or commodities, or other assets or indicators. They also may be used as a means of obtaining exposure in markets where the reference asset is unavailable or it may otherwise be impossible or impracticable for the Fund to own that asset. “Total return” refers to the payment (or receipt) of the total return on the underlying reference asset, which is then exchanged for the receipt (or payment) of an interest rate. Total return swaps provide the Fund with the additional flexibility of gaining exposure to a market or sector index by using the most cost-effective vehicle available.
Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps, in their most basic form, involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest. For example, the Fund might exchange its right to receive certain floating rate payments in exchange for another party’s right to receive fixed rate payments. Interest rate swaps can take a variety of other forms, such as agreements to pay the net differences between two different interest indexes or rates.
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Despite their differences in form, the function of interest rate swaps is generally the same: to increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to long- or short-term interest rates. For example, the Fund may enter into an interest rate swap to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or a portion of its portfolio or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date.
Other Financial Instruments. Other forms of swaps that the Fund may enter into include: interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap”; interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or “floor,” and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.
Mechanics of Swaps
Payments. Most swaps entered into by the Fund calculate and settle the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis” with a single payment. Consequently, a Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). Other swaps may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of the reference entity. The Fund’s current obligations under most swaps (e.g., total return swaps, equity/index swaps, interest rate swaps) will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund by the counterparty to the swap) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by segregating or earmarking cash or other assets determined to be liquid. However, typically no payments will be made until the settlement date. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to a swap agreement entered into on a net basis will be accrued daily and an amount of cash or liquid asset having an aggregate NAV at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in an account with the Custodian that satisfies the 1940 Act. The Fund also will establish and maintain such accounts with respect to its total obligations under any swaps that are not entered into on a net basis. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities.
Counterparty Credit Risk. The Fund will not enter into any uncleared swap (i.e., not cleared by a central counterparty) unless Rafferty believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The counterparty to an uncleared swap will typically be a major global financial institution. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap counterparty. If such a default occurs, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swaps, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws that could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor. The counterparty risk for cleared swaps is generally lower than for uncleared over-the-counter swaps because, in a cleared swap, a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared swap. The clearing organization takes on the obligations of each side of the swap and the Fund would only be exposed to the clearing organization for performance of financial obligations. However, there can be no assurance that the clearing organization, or its members, will satisfy its obligations to the Fund. Upon entering into a cleared swap, the Fund may be required to deposit with its futures commission merchant an amount of cash or cash equivalents equal to a small percentage of the notional amount (this amount is subject to change by the clearing organization that clears the trade). This amount is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the cleared swap and is returned to the Fund upon termination of the swap, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments to and from the broker will be made daily as the price of the swap fluctuates, making the long and short position in the swap contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” The premium (discount) payments are built into the daily price of the swap and thus are amortized through the subsequent payments. The subsequent payment also includes the daily portion of the periodic payment stream.
Termination and Default Risk. Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, if a swap is entered into on a net basis, if the other party to a swap agreement defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any.
Swap Regulation
In recent years, regulators across the globe, including the CFTC and the U.S. banking regulators, have adopted collateral requirements applicable to uncleared swaps. While the Fund is not directly subject to these requirements, where the Fund’s counterparty is subject to the requirements, uncleared swaps between the Fund and that counterparty are required to be marked-to-market on a daily basis, and collateral is required to be exchanged to account for any changes in the value of such swaps above certain agreed upon thresholds. The rules impose a number of requirements as to these exchanges of collateral, including as to the timing of transfers, the type of collateral (and valuations for such collateral) and other matters that may be different than what the Fund would agree with its counterparty in the absence of such regulation. In all events, where the Fund is required to post collateral to its swap counterparty, such collateral will be posted to an independent bank custodian, where access to the collateral by the swap counterparty will generally not be permitted unless the Fund is in default on its obligations to the swap counterparty.
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In addition to the marked-to-market collateral requirements, regulators have adopted “initial” collateral requirements applicable to uncleared swaps. Where applicable, these rules require parties to an uncleared swap to post, to a custodian that is independent from the parties to the swap, collateral (in addition to any marked-to-market collateral noted above) in an amount that is either (i) specified in a schedule in the rules or (ii) calculated by the regulated party in accordance with a model that has been approved by that party’s regulator(s). The initial collateral rules only apply to the swap trading relationships of Funds with average aggregate notional amounts that exceed $8 billion. If the Fund is subject to an initial margin obligation, these rules may impose significant costs on the Fund’s ability to engage in uncleared swaps and, as such, could adversely affect Rafferty’s ability to manage the Fund, may impair the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and/or may result in reduced returns to the Fund’s investors.
Comprehensive swaps regulation. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments have imposed comprehensive new regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants. The regulatory framework includes: (1) registration and regulation of swap dealers; (2) requiring central clearing and execution of standardized swaps; (3) imposing collateral requirements on swap transactions; (4) regulating and monitoring swap transactions through position limits and large trader reporting requirements; and (5) imposing recordkeeping and centralized and public reporting requirements, on an anonymous basis, for most swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of most swaps. The SEC has jurisdiction over a small segment of the market referred to as “security-based swaps,” which includes swaps on single securities or credits, or narrow-based indices of securities or credits.
Uncleared swaps. In an uncleared swap, the swap counterparty is typically a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. The Fund customarily enters into uncleared swaps based on the standard terms and conditions of an International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”) Master Agreement. ISDA is a voluntary industry association of participants in the OTC derivatives markets that has developed standardized contracts used by such participants that have agreed to be bound by such standardized contracts. In the event that one party to a swap transaction defaults and the transaction is terminated prior to its scheduled termination date, one of the parties may be required to make an early termination payment to the counterparty. An early termination payment may be payable by either the defaulting or non-defaulting party, depending upon which of them is “in-the-money” with respect to the swap at the time of its termination. Early termination payments may be calculated in various ways, but are intended to approximate the amount the “in-the-money” party would have to pay to replace the swap as of the date of its termination. During the term of an uncleared swap, the Fund will be required to pledge to the swap counterparty, from time to time, an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to the total net amount (if any) that would be payable by the Fund to the counterparty if all outstanding swaps between the parties were terminated on the date in question, including any early termination payments. Periodically, changes in the amount pledged are made to recognize changes in value of the contract resulting from, among other things, interest on the notional value of the contract, market value changes in the underlying investment, and/or dividends paid by the issuer of the underlying instrument. Likewise, the counterparty will be required to pledge cash or other assets to cover its obligations to the Fund. However, the amount pledged may not always be equal to or more than the amount due to the other party. Therefore, if a counterparty defaults in its obligations to the Fund, the amount pledged by the counterparty and available to the Fund may not be sufficient to cover all the amounts due to the Fund and the Fund may sustain a loss. Rules requiring initial collateral to be posted by certain market participants for uncleared swaps have been adopted. If the Fund is deemed to have material swaps exposure under applicable swap regulations, it will be required to post initial collateral in addition to marked-to-market collateral.
Cleared swaps. Certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing and exchange-trading. The Dodd-Frank Act and implementing rules will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant, CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing and public trading facilities making such cleared swaps available to trade. To date, the CFTC has designated only certain of the most common types of credit default index swaps and interest rate swaps as subject to mandatory clearing and certain public trading facilities have made certain of those cleared swaps available to trade, additional categories of swaps may in the future be designated as subject to mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements. Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not eliminate these risks and may involve additional costs and risks not involved with uncleared swaps. For more information, see “Risks of cleared swaps” below.
In a cleared swap, the Fund’s ultimate counterparty is a central clearinghouse rather than a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. Cleared swaps are submitted for clearing through each party’s FCM, which must be a member of the clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty. Transactions executed on a swap execution facility may increase market transparency and liquidity but may require the Fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of swaps that it has used in the past. When the Fund enters into a cleared swap, it must deliver to the central counterparty (via the FCM) initial collateral. The initial collateral requirements are determined by the central counterparty, and are typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of the cleared swap over a fixed period, but an FCM may require additional collateral above the amount required by the central counterparty. During the term of the swap agreement, an additional collateral amount may also be required to be paid by the Fund or may be received by the Fund in accordance with collateral controls set for such accounts. If the value of the Fund’s cleared swap declines, the Fund will be required
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to make additional payments to the FCM to settle the change in value. Conversely, if the market value of the Fund’s position increases, the FCM will post additional amounts to the Fund’s account. At the conclusion of the term of the swap agreement, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the collateral amount, the collateral amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the collateral amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the collateral amount, the excess collateral is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full collateral amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund.
Risks of swaps generally. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Whether the Fund will be successful in using swap agreements to achieve its investment goal depends on the ability of the Adviser to correctly predict which types of investments are likely to produce greater returns. If the Adviser, in using swap agreements, is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates, inflation, currency exchange rates or other applicable factors, the investment performance of the Fund will be less than its performance would have been if it had not used the swap agreements. The risk of loss to the Fund for swap transactions that are entered into on a net basis depends on which party is obligated to pay the net amount to the other party. If the counterparty is obligated to pay the net amount to the Fund, the risk of loss to the Fund is loss of the entire amount that the Fund is entitled to receive. If the Fund is obligated to pay the net amount, the Fund’s risk of loss is generally limited to that net amount. If the swap agreement involves the exchange of the entire principal value of a security, the entire principal value of that security is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. In addition, the Fund’s risk of loss also includes any collateral at risk in the event of default by the counterparty (in an uncleared swap) or the central counterparty or FCM (in a cleared swap), plus any transaction costs.
Because bilateral swap agreements are structured as two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, these swaps may be considered to be illiquid and, therefore, subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities. If a swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to establish or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. Participants in the swap markets are not required to make continuous markets in the swap contracts they trade. Participants could refuse to quote prices for swap contracts or quote prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they are prepared to buy and the price at which they are prepared to sell. Some swap agreements entail complex terms and may require a greater degree of subjectivity in their valuation. However, the swap markets have grown substantially in recent years, with a large number of financial institutions acting both as principals and agents, utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap markets have become increasingly liquid. In addition, central clearing and the trading of cleared swaps on public facilities are intended to increase liquidity.
Rafferty, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of the Fund’s swap transactions. Rules adopted under the Dodd-Frank Act require centralized reporting of detailed information about many swaps, whether cleared or uncleared. This information is available to regulators and also, to a more limited extent and on an anonymous basis, to the public. Reporting of swap data is intended to result in greater market transparency. This may be beneficial to funds that use swaps in their trading strategies. However, public reporting imposes additional recordkeeping burdens on these funds, and the safeguards established to protect anonymity are not yet tested and may not provide protection of the Fund’s identity as intended. Certain IRS positions may limit the Fund’s ability to use swap agreements in a desired tax strategy. It is possible that developments in the swap markets and/or the laws relating to swap agreements, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to benefit from using swap agreements, or could have adverse tax consequences. For more information about potentially changing regulation, see “Developing government regulation of derivatives” below.
Risks of uncleared swaps. Uncleared swaps are typically executed bilaterally with a swap dealer rather than traded on exchanges. As a result, swap participants may not be as protected as participants on organized exchanges. Performance of a swap agreement is the responsibility only of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. The Fund risks the loss of the accrued but unpaid amounts under a swap agreement, which could be substantial, in the event of a default, insolvency or bankruptcy by a swap counterparty. In such an event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreements, but bankruptcy and insolvency laws could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor. If the counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would likely decline, potentially resulting in losses. The Adviser will only approve a swap agreement counterparty for the Fund if the Adviser deems the counterparty to be creditworthy. However, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty’s creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited.
Risks of cleared swaps. As noted above, under recent financial reforms, certain types of swaps are, and others eventually are expected to be, required to be cleared through a central counterparty, which may affect counterparty risk and other risks faced by the Fund.
Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to uncleared swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely and may involve additional costs and risks not involved with uncleared swaps. There is also a risk of
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loss by the Fund of the initial and variation collateral deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position, or the central counterparty in a swap contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and collateral segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty. Credit risk of cleared swap participants is concentrated in a few clearinghouses, and the consequences of insolvency of a clearinghouse are not clear.
With cleared swaps, the Fund may not be able to obtain terms as favorable as it would be able to negotiate for a bilateral, uncleared swap. In addition, an FCM may unilaterally amend the terms of its agreement with the Fund, which may include the imposition of position limits or additional collateral requirements with respect to the Fund’s investment in certain types of swaps. Central counterparties and FCMs can require termination of existing cleared swap transactions upon the occurrence of certain events, and can also require increases in collateral above the amount that is required at the initiation of the swap agreement. Currently, depending on a number of factors, the collateral required under the rules of the clearinghouse and FCM may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar uncleared swap.
Finally, the Fund is subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, the Fund may be required to break the trade and make an early termination payment to the executing broker.
Developing government regulation of derivatives. The regulation of cleared and uncleared swaps, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In addition, the SEC, CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher collateral requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading. It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. However, it is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, such as speculative position limits on certain types of derivatives, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent the Fund from using or limit the Fund’s use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment goal(s). The Adviser will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business.
Other Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including open- and closed-end funds and ETFs. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly will bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
The Fund intends to limit its investments in securities issued by other investment companies in accordance with the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act precludes the Fund from acquiring (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding shares of another investment company; (ii) shares of another investment company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) shares of another registered investment company and all other investment companies having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. In addition, the Fund is subject to Section 12(d)(1)(C), which provides that the Fund may not acquire shares of a closed-end fund if, immediately after such acquisition, the Fund and other investment companies having the same adviser as the Fund would hold more than 10% of the closed-end fund’s total outstanding voting stock.
Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act provides that the provisions of paragraph 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) shall not apply to securities of an unaffiliated investment company purchased or otherwise acquired by the Fund if (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding shares of such investment company is owned by the Fund and all affiliated persons of the Fund; and (ii) the Fund has not offered or sold, and is not proposing to offer or sell its shares through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public or offering price that includes a sales load of more than 1 1/2%. If the Fund invests in unaffiliated investment companies pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F), it must comply with the following voting restrictions: when the Fund exercises voting rights, by proxy or otherwise, with respect to unaffiliated investment companies owned by the Fund, the Fund will either seek instruction from the Fund's shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies and vote in accordance with such instructions, or vote the shares held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such security. In addition, an unaffiliated investment company purchased by the Fund pursuant
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to Section 12(d)(1)(F) shall not be required to redeem its shares in an amount exceeding 1% of such investment company’s total outstanding shares in any period of less than thirty days.
To the extent that the Fund invests in open-end or closed-end investment companies that invest primarily in the securities of companies located outside the United States, see the risks related to foreign securities set forth above.
On October 7, 2020, the SEC adopted rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act (“Rule 12d1-4”) to create a regulatory framework that allows funds and ETFs to invest in other funds with various limitation or restrictions. Rule 12d1-4 allows a fund or ETF to acquire the securities of another fund in excess of the limitations imposed by Section 12 of the 1940 Act without obtaining an exemptive order from the SEC subject to certain limitations and conditions. Prior to a fund acquiring securities of another fund that exceed the limits of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, the acquiring fund must enter into a Fund of Funds Agreement with the acquired fund. Rule 12d1-4 outlines the requirements of the Fund of Funds Agreements and specifies the responsibilities of the Board related to “fund of funds” arrangements. Rule 12d1-4 is effective January 19, 2021 and will be required to be implemented by the Funds that intend to purchase other funds in exceedance of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) by January 19, 2022.
Exchange-Traded Products. The Fund may invest in exchange traded products (“ETPs”), which include ETFs, partnerships, commodity pools or trusts that are bought and sold on a securities exchange. ETPs trade like stocks on a securities exchange at market price rather than NAV and, as a result, ETP shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), which are structured debt securities, whereby the issuer of the ETN promises to pay ETN holders the return on an index or market segment over a certain period of time and then return the principal of the investment at maturity. Whereas ETPs’ liabilities are secured by their portfolio securities, ETNs’ liabilities are unsecured general obligations of the issuer. Therefore, ETNs are subject to the credit risk of the issuer of the ETN, which is different than other ETPs. The value of an ETN security should also be expected to fluctuate with the credit rating of the issuer. Most ETPs and ETNs are designed to track a particular market segment or index, although an ETP or ETN may be actively managed. ETPs and ETNs share expenses associated with their operation, typically including advisory fees and other management expenses. When the Fund invests in an ETP or ETN, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear its pro rata portion of the ETP’s or ETN’s expenses. ETPs and ETNs trade like stocks on a securities exchange at market prices rather than NAV and as a result ETP or ETN shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). The risks of owning an ETP or ETN generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETP or ETN is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETP or ETN could result in it being more volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities. In addition, because of ETP or ETN expenses, compared to owning the underlying securities directly, it may be more costly to own an ETP or ETN.
Additionally, the Fund may invest in swap agreements referencing ETFs. If the Fund invests in ETFs or swap agreements referencing ETFs, the underlying ETFs may not necessarily track the same index as the Fund.
Money Market Funds. Money market funds are open-end registered investment companies that historically have traded at a stable $1.00 per share price. However, money market funds that do not meet the definition of a “retail money market fund” or “government money market fund” under the 1940 Act are required to transact at a floating NAV per share (i.e., in a manner similar to how all other non-money market mutual funds transact), instead of at a $1.00 stable share price. Money market funds may also impose liquidity fees and redemption gates for use in times of market stress. If a Fund invests in a money market fund with a floating NAV, the impact on the trading and value of the money market instruments may negatively affect the Fund's return potential.
Other Investment Risks and Practices
Borrowing. The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes, which is a form of leveraging. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk while increasing investment opportunity. Leverage will magnify changes in the Fund’s NAV and on the Fund’s investments. Although the principal of such borrowings will be fixed, the Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Leverage also creates interest expenses for the Fund. To the extent the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest the Fund will have to pay, that Fund’s net income will be greater than it would be if leverage were not used. Conversely, if the income from the assets obtained with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the net income of the Fund will be less than it would be if leverage were not used, and therefore the amount available for shareholders will be reduced.
The Fund may borrow money to facilitate management of the Fund’s portfolio by enabling the Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund promptly.
As required by the 1940 Act, the Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If at any time the value of the required asset coverage declines as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio investments within three days to reduce the amount of its borrowings and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell portfolio instruments at that time.
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Portfolio Turnover. The Trust anticipates that the Fund’s annual portfolio turnover may vary year to year. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by the value of the securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose terms-to-maturity at the time of acquisition were less than 397 days, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this calculation, instruments with remaining terms-to-maturity of less than 397 days are excluded from the portfolio turnover rate. Such instruments generally would include futures contracts and options, since such contracts generally have remaining terms-to-maturity of less than 397 days. In any given period, all of the Fund’s investments may have remaining terms-to-maturity of less than 397 days; in that case, the portfolio turnover rate for that period would be equal to zero. However, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate calculated with all securities whose terms-to-maturity were less than 397 days is anticipated to be unusually high.
High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater expenses to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Such sales also may result in adverse tax consequences to the Fund’s shareholders resulting from its distributions of increased net capital gains, if any, recognized as a result of the sales. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Cybersecurity Risk
The Fund may be susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cybersecurity. A cybersecurity incident may refer to either intentional or unintentional events that allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, investor data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or a service provider to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. A cybersecurity incident could, among other things, result in the loss or theft of investor data or funds, employees being unable to access electronic systems (“denial of services”), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or remediation costs associated with system repairs. Any of these results could have a substantial impact on the Fund. For example, if a cybersecurity incident results in a denial of service, employees could be unable to access electronic systems to perform critical duties for the Fund, such as trading, NAV calculation, shareholder accounting or fulfillment of Fund share purchases and redemptions. Cybersecurity incidents could cause the Fund, the Fund's Adviser or any of its service providers to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures, or financial loss of a significant magnitude. They may also cause the Fund to violate applicable privacy and other laws. The Fund's Adviser and service providers have established risk management program and systems that seek to reduce the risks associated with cybersecurity, as well as business continuity plans in the event there is a cybersecurity breach. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially since the Fund does not directly control the cybersecurity systems of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests or the Fund's third party service providers (including the Fund's transfer agent and custodian).
Investment Restrictions
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted the following investment policies which are fundamental policies that may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. As defined by the 1940 Act, a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund” means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a shareholders’ meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.
For purposes of the following limitations, all percentage limitations apply immediately after a purchase or initial investment. Except with respect to borrowing money, if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of the investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage resulting from any change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such restrictions. If at any time the Fund’s borrowings exceed its limitations due to a decline in net assets, such borrowings will be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), or such longer period as may be permitted by the 1940 Act, to the extent necessary to comply with the one-third limitation.
The Fund may not:
1.
Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
2.
Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
3.
Make loans, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
4.
Purchase or sell real estate, except that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may (a) invest in securities or other instruments directly secured by real estate, and (b) invest in securities or other instruments issued by issuers that invest in real estate.
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5.
Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments issued by persons that purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts; but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing, selling and entering into financial futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), and options on financial futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), warrants, swaps, forward contracts, foreign currency spot and forward contracts and other financial instruments.
6.
Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act in the disposition of restricted securities or other investment company securities.
7.
Concentrate (i.e.,, hold more than 25% of its assets in the stocks of a single industry or group of industries) its investments in issuers of one or more particular industries, except that the Fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in investments that provide exposure to bitcoin and ether and/or bitcoin and ether futures contracts.
Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage
Subject to the general supervision by the Trustees, Rafferty is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities and derivatives for the Fund, the selection of broker-dealers to effect the transactions, and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. Rafferty expects that the Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealers, for a commission, in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder.
When selecting a broker or dealer to execute portfolio transactions, Rafferty considers many factors, including the rate of commission or the size of the broker-dealer’s “spread,” the size and difficulty of the order, the nature of the market for the security, operational capabilities of the broker-dealer and the research, statistical and economic data furnished by the broker-dealer to Rafferty.
In effecting portfolio transactions for the Fund, Rafferty seeks to receive the closing prices of securities that are in line with those of the securities included in a Fund's underlying index and seeks to execute trades of such securities at the commission rates reasonably available. With respect to agency transactions, Rafferty may execute trades at a higher rate of commission if reasonable in relation to brokerage and research services provided to the Fund or Rafferty. Such services may include the following: information as to the availability of securities for purchase or sale; statistical or factual information or opinions pertaining to investment; wire services; and appraisals or evaluations of portfolio securities. During the last fiscal year, no Fund directed its brokerage commissions to a broker because of research provided.
The Fund believes that the requirement to always seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and Rafferty from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, Rafferty relies upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research services received from the broker effecting the transaction. In addition to commission rates, when selecting a broker for a particular transaction, Rafferty considers the following factors, among others: the broker’s availability, willingness to commit capital, reputation and integrity, facilities reliability, access to research, execution capacity and responsiveness.
For purchases and sales of derivatives (i.e., financial instruments whose value is derived from the value of an underlying asset, interest rate or index), Rafferty evaluates counterparties on the following factors: reputation and financial strength; execution prices, commission costs, ability to handle complex orders; ability to provide prompt and full execution; accuracy of reports and confirmation provided; reliability; type and quality of research provided; financing and other associated costs related to the transaction; and whether the total cost or proceeds in each transaction is the most favorable under the circumstances.
Rafferty may use research and services provided to it by brokers in servicing the Fund; however, not all such services may be used by Rafferty in connection with the Fund. While the receipt of such information and services is useful in varying degrees and may reduce the amount of research or services otherwise provided to the Fund by Rafferty, the receipt of such information and these services does not reduce the investment advisory fee paid by the Fund.
Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities normally are transacted through issuers, underwriters or major dealers in U.S. government securities acting as principals. Such transactions are made on a net basis and do not involve payment of brokerage commissions. The cost of securities purchased from an underwriter usually includes a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriters; transactions with dealers normally reflect the spread between bid and asked prices.
No brokerage commissions are provided for the Fund because it had not commenced operations.
26

Portfolio Holdings Information
The Fund’s portfolio holdings will be, upon commencement of operations, disclosed on the Fund's website at www.direxion.com each day the Fund is open for business. In addition, disclosure of the Fund’s complete holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter in the Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Fund shareholders and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-PORT. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
The portfolio composition file (“PCF”), which contains portfolio holdings information, is also made available daily, including to the Fund's service providers to facilitate the provision of services to the Fund and to certain other entities as necessary for transactions in Creation Units. Such entities include: (i) National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) members; (ii) subscribers to various fee-based services, including entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of the Fund in the secondary market; (iii) investors that have entered into an “Authorized Participant Agreement” with the Distributor and the transfer agent or purchase Creation Units through a dealer that has entered into such an agreement (“Authorized Participants”); and (iv) certain personnel of service providers that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, or other support to portfolio management including personnel of the Adviser and the Fund's distributor, administrator, custodian and fund accountant who are involved in functions which may require such information to conduct business in the ordinary course.
In addition, the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) may grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of the complete portfolio holdings information to rating agencies and to the parties noted above, provided that (1) the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so; (2) it is in the best interests of shareholders; (3) the recipient is subject to a confidentiality agreement; and (4) the recipient is subject to a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information. In this regard, from time to time, rating and ranking organizations such as Standard & Poor’s® and Morningstar®, Inc. may request such information. The CCO shall report any disclosures made pursuant to this exception to the Board. The Board reviews the policy and procedures for disclosure of portfolio holdings information at least annually.
Management of the Trust
The Board of Trustees
The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). The Board is responsible for and oversees the overall management and operations of the Trust and the Fund, which includes the general oversight and review of the Fund's investment activities, in accordance with federal law and the law of the State of Delaware, as well as the stated policies of the Fund. The Board oversees the Trust’s officers and service providers, including Rafferty, which is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the Fund based on policies and agreements reviewed and approved by the Board. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Board regularly interacts with and receives reports from senior personnel of service providers, including personnel from Rafferty. The Board also is assisted by the Trust’s independent auditor (who reports directly to the Trust’s Audit Committee), independent counsel and other professionals as appropriate.
Risk Oversight
Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and the Fund, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operation of the Trust and the Fund. Rafferty, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Fund, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Fund. The Board, in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment performs its risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees (described below) and through the Board members who are not “interested persons” of the Fund as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”). The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board’s oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Fund.
The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address risks to the Trust and the Fund. In addition, under the general oversight of the Board, Rafferty and other service providers to the Fund have themselves adopted a variety of policies, procedures and controls designed to address particular risks to the Fund. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks.
The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Fund through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. The Trust’s CCO and senior officers of Rafferty regularly report to the Board on a range of matters, including those relating to risk management. The Board also regularly receives reports from Rafferty and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (“USBFS”) with respect to the Fund's investments. In addition to regular reports from these parties, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust, either directly or through Rafferty, USBFS or the CCO, on a periodic or regular basis. At least annually, the Board receives a report from the CCO regarding the effectiveness of the Fund's compliance program. Also, the Board receives regular reports, presentations
27

and other information from Rafferty, including in connection with the Board’s consideration of the renewal of each of the Trust’s agreements with Rafferty and the Trust’s distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
The CCO reports regularly to the Board on Fund valuation matters. The Audit Committee receives regular reports from the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm on internal control and financial reporting matters. On at least a quarterly basis, the Independent Trustees meet with the CCO to discuss matters relating to the Fund's compliance program.
Board Structure and Related Matters
Independent Trustees constitute at least two-thirds of the Board. The Trustees discharge their responsibilities collectively as a Board, as well as through Board committees, each of which operates pursuant to a charter approved by the Board that delineates the specific responsibilities of that committee. The Board has established three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. For example, the Audit Committee is responsible for specific matters related to oversight of the Fund's independent auditors, subject to approval of the Audit Committee’s recommendations by the Board. The members and responsibilities of each Board committee are summarized below.
The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition as well as various aspects of its operations. The Chairman of the Board is not an Independent Trustee and the Board has chosen not to have a lead Independent Trustee. However, the Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Trustees and Board committees, is appropriate for the Trust in light of, among other factors, the asset size and nature of the Fund, the number of series overseen by the Board, the arrangements for the conduct of the Fund's operations, the number of Trustees, and the Board’s responsibilities. On an annual basis, the Board conducts a self-evaluation that considers, among other matters, whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively and whether, given the size and composition of the Board and each of its committees, the Trustees are able to oversee effectively the number of series in the complex.
The Trust is part of the Direxion Family of Investment Companies, which is comprised of the [ ] portfolios within the Trust and [ ] portfolios within the Direxion Funds. The same persons who constitute the Board also constitute the Board of Trustees of the Direxion Funds.
The Board holds four regularly scheduled meetings each year and the Independent Trustees hold one additional meeting in connection with the annual contract renewals. The Board may hold special meetings, as needed, to address matters arising between regular meetings. During a portion of each meeting, the Independent Trustees meet outside of management’s presence. The Independent Trustees may hold special meetings, as needed.
The Trustees of the Trust are identified in the tables below, which provide information regarding their age, business address and principal occupation during the past five years including any affiliation with Rafferty, the length of service to the Trust, and the position, if any, that they hold on the board of directors of companies other than the Trust as of the date of this SAI. Each of the Trustees of the Trust also serve on the Board of the Direxion Funds, the other registered investment company in the Direxion complex. Unless otherwise noted, an individual’s business address is 1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor, New York, New York 10019.
Interested Trustees
Name, Address
and Age
Position(s)
Held
with Fund
Term of
Office
and Length
of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
# of
Portfolios
in Direxion
Family of
Investment
Companies
Overseen
by Trustee(3)
Other
Trusteeships/
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past Five
Years
Daniel D. O’Neill(1)
Age: 55
Chairman of the
Board of Trustees
Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation;
Since 2008
Chief Executive
Officer, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, April 2021
September 2022;
Managing
Director, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, January 1999
January 2019.
[ ]
None.
28

Name, Address
and Age
Position(s)
Held
with Fund
Term of
Office
and Length
of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
# of
Portfolios
in Direxion
Family of
Investment
Companies
Overseen
by Trustee(3)
Other
Trusteeships/
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past Five
Years
Angela Brickl(2)
Age: 47
Trustee
Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation; Since
2022
Chief Executive
Officer, Rafferty
Asset
Management, LLC
since September
2022; Chief
Operating Officer,
Rafferty Asset
Management, LLC
May 2021
September 2022;
General Counsel,
Rafferty Asset
Management LLC,
since October
2010; Chief
Compliance
Officer, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, September
2012 March
2023.
[ ]
None.
Independent Trustees
Name, Address
and Age
Position(s)
Held
with Fund
Term of
Office
and Length
of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
# of
Portfolios
in Direxion
Family of
Investment
Companies
Overseen
by Trustee(3)
Other
Trusteeships/
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past Five
Years
David L. Driscoll
Age: 53
Trustee
Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation;
Since 2014
Board Member,
Algorithmic
Research and
Trading, since
2022; Board
Advisor, University
Common Real
Estate, since 2012;
Member, Kendrick
LLC, since 2006;
Partner, King
Associates, LLP,
since 2004;
Principal, Grey
Oaks LLP, since
2003.
[ ]
None.
29

Name, Address
and Age
Position(s)
Held
with Fund
Term of
Office
and Length
of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
# of
Portfolios
in Direxion
Family of
Investment
Companies
Overseen
by Trustee(3)
Other
Trusteeships/
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past Five
Years
Kathleen M. Berkery
Age: 55
Trustee
Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation; Since
2019
Chief Financial
Officer, Metro
Physical Therapy,
LLC, since 2023;
Chief Financial
Officer, Student
Sponsor Partners,
2021 2023;
Senior Manager-
Trusts & Estates,
Rynkar, Vail &
Barrett, LLC, 2018
2021.
[ ]
None.
Carlyle Peake
Age: 51
Trustee
Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation; Since
2022
Head of US &
LATAM Debt
Syndicate, BBVA
Securities, Inc.,
since 2011.
[ ]
None.
Mary Jo Collins
Age: 66
Trustee
Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation; Since
2022
Managing
Director, B. Riley
Financial, March
December
2022; Managing
Director, Imperial
Capital LLC, from
2020-2022;
Director, Royal
Bank of Canada,
20142020.
[ ]
None.
(1)
Mr. O’Neill is affiliated with Rafferty because he owns a beneficial interest in Rafferty.
(2)
Ms. Brickl is affiliated with Rafferty because she serves as an officer of Rafferty.
(3)
The Direxion Family of Investment Companies consists of the Direxion Shares ETF Trust which, as of the date of this SAI, offers for sale to the public [ ] of the [ ] funds registered with the SEC and the Direxion Funds which, as of the date of this SAI, offers for sale to the public 10 funds registered with the SEC.
In addition to the information set forth in the tables above and other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to a particular Trustee, the following provides further information about the qualifications and experience of each Trustee.
Daniel D. O’Neill: Mr. O’Neill has extensive experience in the investment management business. Mr. O’Neill was the Managing Director of Rafferty from 1999 through January 2019 and Chief Executive Officer at Rafferty from April 2021 through September 2022.
Angela Brickl: Ms. Brickl has extensive experience in the investment management business, including serving as Chief Executive Officer of Rafferty since September 2022. Ms. Brickl also serves as Rafferty’s General Counsel and served as Chief Compliance Officer from 2012 through March 1, 2023.
David L. Driscoll: Mr. Driscoll has extensive experience with risk assessment and strategic planning as a partner and manager of various real estate partnerships and companies.
Kathleen M. Berkery: Ms. Berkery has extensive experience with estate planning, estate administration, fiduciary income taxation, financial planning, finance, as well as business sales and development, and marketing.
Carlyle Peake: Mr. Peake has extensive global capital markets experience, as well as experience with client relations and sales of securities by issuers and investors and valuing, structuring, and negotiating complex debt issues for corporate and sovereign entities.
Mary Jo Collins: Ms. Collins has extensive experience evaluating credit risk of investment grade securities, including corporate bonds, preferred stocks, and hybrid securities, as well as managing relationships with retail and institutional investors.
30

Board Committees
The Trust has an Audit Committee, consisting of each Independent Trustee. The primary responsibilities of the Trust’s Audit Committee are set forth in its charter, which include making recommendations to the Board as to the engagement or discharge of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm (including the audit fees charged by the auditors), supervising investigations into matters relating to audit matters, reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm of the results of audits, and addressing any other matters regarding audits. The Audit Committee met three times during the Trust’s most recent fiscal year.
The Trust also has a Nominating and Governance Committee, consisting of each Independent Trustee. The primary responsibilities of the Nominating and Governance Committee are to make recommendations to the Board on issues related to the composition and operation of the Board, and communicate with management on those issues. The Nominating and Governance Committee also evaluates and nominates Board member candidates. In evaluating Board member candidates, the Nominating and Governance Committee considers the extent to which potential candidates possess sufficiently diverse skill sets and diversity characteristics that would contribute to the Board’s overall effectiveness. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Such recommendations should be in writing and addressed to the Fund with attention to the Nominating and Governance Committee Chair. The recommendations must include the following preliminary information regarding the nominee: (1) name; (2) date of birth; (3) education; (4) business professional or other relevant experience and areas of expertise; (5) current business, professional or other relevant experience and areas of expertise; (6) current business and home addresses and contact information; (7) other board positions or prior experience; and (8) any knowledge and experience relating to investment companies and investment company governance. The Nominating and Governance Committee met three times during the Trust’s most recent fiscal year.
The Trust has a Qualified Legal Compliance Committee, consisting of each Independent Trustee. The primary responsibility of the Trust’s Qualified Legal Compliance Committee is to receive, review and take appropriate action with respect to any report made or referred to the Committee by an attorney of evidence of a material violation of applicable U.S. federal or state securities law, material breach of a fiduciary duty under U.S. federal or state law or a similar material violation by the Trust or by any officer, director, employee or agent of the Trust. The Audit Committee serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee did not meet during the Trust’s most recent fiscal year.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. Unless otherwise noted, an individual’s business address is 1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor, New York, New York 10019. As of the date of this SAI, the officers of the Trust, their ages, their business address and their principal occupations during the past five years are as follows:
31

Name, Address
and Age
Position(s)
Held with
Fund
Term of
Office(2) and
Length of
Time Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
# of
Portfolios
in the
Direxion
Family of
Investment
Companies
Overseen
by Trustee(3)
Other
Trusteeships/
Directorships Held
by Trustee During
Past Five Years
Angela Brickl(1)
Age: 46
Chief
Executive Officer
Since 2022
Chief Executive
Officer, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, from
September 2022;
Chief Operating
Officer, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, May 2021
September 2022;
General Counsel,
Rafferty Asset
Management LLC,
since October
2010; Chief
Compliance
Officer, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, September
2012 March
2023.
N/A
N/A
Todd Sherman
Age: 42
Chief Compliance
Officer
Since 2023
Chief Risk Officer,
Rafferty Asset
Management,
LLC, since 2018;
SVP Head of Risk,
20122018.
N/A
N/A
Patrick J. Rudnick
Age: 49
Principal Executive
Officer
Since 2018
Senior Vice
President, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, since March
2013.
N/A
N/A
Corey Noltner
Age: 34
Principal Financial
Officer
Since 2021
Senior Business
Analyst, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, since October
2015.
N/A
N/A
Alyssa Sherman
Age: 34
Secretary
Since 2022
Assistant General
Counsel, Rafferty
Asset
Management,
LLC, since April
2021; Associate,
K&L Gates LLP,
September 2015
March 2021.
N/A
N/A
(1)
Ms. Brickl serves on the Board of Trustees of the Direxion Funds and Direxion Shares ETF Trust.
(2)
Pursuant to the Trust’s By-laws, each officer shall hold office until his or her successor shall have been elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, inability to serve, removal or resignation. Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees and may be removed at any time with or without cause.
(3)
The Direxion Family of Investment Companies consists of the Direxion Shares ETF Trust which, as of the date of this SAI, offers for sale to the public [ ] of the [ ] funds registered with the SEC and the Direxion Funds which, as of the date of this SAI, offers for sale to the public 10 funds registered with the SEC.
32

Because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, no Trustee owned Shares of the Fund as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2022.
The following table shows the amount of equity securities owned in the Direxion Family of Investment Companies by the Trustees as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2022:
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities Owned:
Interested Trustees:
Independent Trustees:
 
Daniel D.
O’Neill
Angela
Brickl
David L.
Driscoll
Kathleen M.
Berkery
Carlyle
Peake
Mary Jo
Collins
Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in the
Direxion Family of
Investment Companies(1)
$1-$10,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
(1)
The Direxion Family of Investment Companies consists of the Direxion Shares ETF Trust which, as of the date of this SAI, offers for sale to the public [ ] of the [ ] funds registered with the SEC, and the Direxion Funds which, as of the date of this SAI, offers for sale to the public 10 funds registered with the SEC.
The Trust’s Trust Instrument provides that the Trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, they are not protected against any liability to which they would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of their office.
No officer, director or employee of Rafferty receives any compensation from the Fund for acting as a Trustee or officer of the Trust. The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee for the Trust’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2022:
Name of Person,
Position
Aggregate
Compensation
From the
Trust(1)
Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued As Part of
the Trust’s
Expenses
Estimated
Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement
Aggregate
Compensation
From the Direxion
Family of
Investment
Companies Paid
to the Trustees(2)
Interested Trustees
Daniel D. O’Neill
$0
$0
$0
$0
Angela Brickl
$0
$0
$0
$0
Independent Trustees
David L. Driscoll
$133,438
$0
$0
$177,917
Kathleen M. Berkery
$133,438
$0
$0
$177,917
Mary Jo Collins
$133,438
$0
$0
$177,917
Carlyle Peake
$133,438
$0
$0
$177,917
(1)
Trustee compensation is allocated across the operational Funds of the Trust based on the proportion of the Fund’s net assets to the total net assets of the operational Funds of the Trust.
(2)
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, Trustees’ fees and expenses in the amount of $1,067,500 were incurred by the Trust, $355,833 of which was incurred for the two Trustees who resigned from the Board effective December 31, 2022.
Principal Shareholders, Control Persons and Management Ownership
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund.
Because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, the Fund did not have control persons or principal shareholders and the Trustees and Officers did not own shares of the Fund.
Investment Adviser
Rafferty, 1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor, New York, New York 10019, provides investment advice to the Fund. Rafferty was organized as a New York limited liability company in June 1997. Michael Rafferty and Kathleen Rafferty Hay control Rafferty through their ownership in Rafferty Holdings, LLC and Daniel D. O’Neill controls Rafferty through his ownership in Minakian Partners, LLC.
33

Under an Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”) between Rafferty and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, dated August 13, 2008, Rafferty provides a continuous investment program for the Fund’s assets in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and limitations, and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Trustees. Rafferty shall not be liable to the Trust or any Fund for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security. Rafferty bears all costs associated with providing these advisory services and the expenses of the Trustees who are affiliated with or interested persons of Rafferty. The Trust bears all other expenses that are not assumed by Rafferty as described in the Prospectus. The Trust also is liable for nonrecurring expenses as may arise, including litigation to which the Fund may be a party. The Trust also may have an obligation to indemnify its Trustees and officers with respect to any such litigation.
The Advisory Agreement was initially approved by the Trustees (including all Independent Trustees) and Rafferty, as sole shareholder of each Fund in compliance with the 1940 Act. After an initial approval period of two years, the Advisory Agreement is renewable with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable upon a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or Rafferty.
Under an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and Rafferty, the Fund pays Rafferty a fee at an annualized rate based on a percentage of its average daily net assets of [ ]%
Although the Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses, Rafferty has entered into an Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with the Fund. Under this Operating Expense Limitation Agreement, Rafferty has contractually agreed to cap all or a portion of its advisory fees and management services and/or reimburse the Fund for Other Expenses (excluding, as applicable, among other expenses, taxes, swap financing and related costs, acquired fund fees and expenses, dividends or interest on short positions, other interest expenses, brokerage commissions and extraordinary expenses) through September 1, 2023 to the extent that the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed [ ]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Any expense waiver or reimbursement is subject to recoupment by the Adviser within the three years after the expense was waived/reimbursed only if Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses fall below the lesser of this percentage limitation and any percentage limitation in place at the time the expense was waived/reimbursed. This agreement may be terminated or revised at any time at the discretion of the Board upon notice to the Adviser and without the approval of Fund shareholders.
No advisory fees had been paid by the Fund because it had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.
Pursuant to the Management Services Agreement, Rafferty performs certain administrative services on behalf of the Fund, such as negotiating, coordinating and implementing the Trust’s contractual obligations with the Fund's service providers; monitoring, overseeing and reviewing the performance of such service providers to ensure adherence to applicable contractual obligations; preparing or coordinating reports and presentations to the Board of Trustees with respect to such service providers as requested or as deemed necessary; and other services that are described in the Management Services Agreement. For these services, the Trust pays to Rafferty a fee at the annual rate of 0.026% on the first $10 billion of the aggregate average daily net assets of the Funds in the Trust and 0.024% on the aggregate net assets above $10 billion. This Management Services Fee may be waived under the Operating Expense Limitation Agreement that Rafferty has entered into with each Fund. This arrangement may be terminated at any time by the Board.
No management services fees have been paid because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.
Pursuant to Section 17(j) of the 1940 Act and Rule 17j-1 thereunder, the Trust, Rafferty and the Fund's distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics. These codes permit portfolio managers and other access persons of the Fund to invest in securities that may be owned by the Fund, subject to certain restrictions.
Portfolio Managers
Paul Brigandi and Tony Ng are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. An investment trading team of Rafferty employees assists Mr. Brigandi and Mr. Ng in the day-to-day management of the Fund subject to their primary responsibility and oversight. The Portfolio Managers work with the investment trading team to decide the target allocation of the Fund’s investments and, on a day-to-day basis, an individual portfolio trader executes transactions for the Fund consistent with the target allocation. The members of the investment trading team rotate periodically among the various series of the Trust, including the Fund, so that no single individual is assigned to a specific Fund for extended periods of time.
In addition to the Fund, Mr. Brigandi and Mr. Ng manage the following other accounts as of [ ], 2023:
34

Accounts
Total Number
of Accounts
Total Assets
(In Billions)
Total Number of
Accounts with
Performance
Based Fees
Total Assets
of Accounts
with Performance
Based Fees
Registered Investment Companies
[ ]
$[ ]
0
$0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
0
$0
0
$0
Other Accounts
0
$0
0
$0
Rafferty manages other registered investment companies with investment objectives similar to those of the Fund, but does not manage any other pooled investment vehicles or other accounts. Two or more funds advised by Rafferty may invest in the same securities but the nature of each investment (long or short) may be opposite and in different proportions. Rafferty ordinarily executes transactions for the Fund “market-on-close,” in which funds purchasing or selling the same security receive the same closing price.
Rafferty has not identified any additional material conflicts between the Fund and other accounts managed by the investment team. However, other actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the day-to-day management of the Fund and other accounts. The management of the Fund and other accounts may result in unequal time and attention being devoted to the Fund and other accounts. Rafferty’s management fees for the services it provides to other accounts varies and may be higher or lower than the advisory fees it receives from the Fund. This could create potential conflicts of interest in which the portfolio manager may appear to favor one investment vehicle over another resulting in an account paying higher fees or one investment vehicle out performing another.
The investment team’s compensation is paid by Rafferty. Their compensation primarily consists of a fixed base salary and a bonus. The investment team’s salary is reviewed annually and increases are determined by factors such as performance and seniority. Bonuses are determined by the individual performance of an employee including factors such as attention to detail, process, and efficiency, and are impacted by the overall performance of the firm. The investment team’s salary and bonus are not based on the Fund’s performance and as a result, no benchmarks are used. Along with all other employees of Rafferty, the investment team may participate in the firm’s 401(k) retirement plan where Rafferty may make matching contributions up to a defined percentage of their salary.
Mr. Brigandi and Mr. Ng did not own any shares of the Fund as of [ ], 2023.
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to voting proxies (the “Proxy Policy”) related to portfolio securities of the Fund. Pursuant to these policies and procedures the Board of the Trust has delegated responsibility for voting such proxies to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight.
The Proxy Policy is intended to protect shareholder interests and comply with applicable state and federal corporate and securities laws. It applies to any voting rights with respect to securities held in accounts of the Fund. To assist the Adviser in its responsibility for voting proxies and administering the overall proxy voting process, the Adviser has retained Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) as an expert in the proxy voting and corporate governance area. ISS is a subsidiary of Vestar Capital Partners VI, L.P.; a leading U.S. middle market private equity firm. The services provided by ISS include in-depth research, global issuer analysis, and voting recommendations as well as vote execution, reporting and record keeping. ISS issues monthly reports which are reviewed by the Adviser to assure proxies are being voted properly. The Adviser and ISS also perform checks on a quarterly basis to match the voting activity with available shareholder meeting information. ISS’ management meets on a regular basis to discuss its approach to new developments and amendments to existing proxy voting guidelines (the “Guidelines”). Information on such developments and amendments are then provided to the Adviser.
The Guidelines are maintained and implemented by ISS and are an extensive list of common proxy voting issues with recommended voting actions based on the overall goal of achieving maximum shareholder value and protection of shareholder interests and rights. Generally, proxies are voted in accordance with the voting recommendations contained in the Guidelines. If necessary, the Adviser will be consulted by ISS on non-routine issues. Proxy issues and factors considered when resolving proxy issues in the Guidelines include, but are not limited to:
Election of Directors considering all factors such as director qualifications, term of office and age limits.
Proxy Contests considering factors such as voting nominees in contested elections and reimbursement of expenses.
Election of Auditors considering factors such as independence and reputation of the auditing firm.
Proxy Contest Defenses considering factors such as board structure and cumulative voting.
Tender Offer Defenses considering factors such as poison pills (stock purchase rights plans) and fair price provisions.
Miscellaneous Governance Issues considering factors such as confidential voting and equal access.
Capital Structure considering factors such as common stock authorization and stock distributions.
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Executive and Director Compensation considering factors such as performance goals and employee stock purchase plans.
State of Incorporation considering factors such as state takeover statutes and voting on reincorporation proposals.
Mergers and Corporate Restructuring considering factors such as spin-offs and asset sales.
Mutual Fund Proxy Voting considering factors such as election of directors and proxy contests.
Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues considering factors such as social, environmental, and labor issues.
A full description of the Guidelines and voting policy is maintain by the Adviser, and a complete copy of the Guidelines is available without charge, upon request by calling the Adviser at (866) 476-7523.
Conflicts of Interest
From time to time, proxy issues may pose a material conflict of interest between the Fund's shareholders and the Adviser, the Distributor or any affiliates thereof. Due to the limited nature of the Adviser’s activities (e.g., no underwriting business, no publicly-traded affiliates, no investment banking activities, and no research recommendations), conflicts of interest are likely to be infrequent. Nevertheless, it is the duty of the Adviser to monitor potential conflicts of interest. In the event a conflict of interest arises, the Adviser will be responsible for voting the proxy, will communicate how the proxy should be voted to ISS, and will confirm ISS voted the proxy consistent with the Adviser’s direction.
Proxy Voting Recordkeeping
The Adviser, with the assistance of ISS, maintains for a period of at least five years, a record of each proxy statement received and materials that were considered when the proxy was voted during the calendar year. Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the 12-month (or shorter) period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling the Adviser at (866) 476-7523 or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Fund Administrator, Fund Accounting Agent, Transfer Agent and Custodian
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Fund's administrator. The Bank of New York Mellon, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as the Fund's fund accounting agent, transfer agent, and custodian. Rafferty also performs certain administrative services for the Fund.
Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between the Trust and USBFS, USBFS provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than those provided by Rafferty). As compensation for these services, the Trust pays USBFS a fee based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets. USBFS also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Fund Accounting Agreement between the Trust and BNYM, BNYM provides the Trust with accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. As compensation for these accounting services, the Trust pays BNYM a fee based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets and a minimum annual per fund fee, subject to certain negotiated fee waivers. BNYM also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses.
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, BNYM serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets. The custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolios. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the custodian receives an annual fee based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets and certain settlement charges. The custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Trust and BNYM, BNYM provides the Trust with transfer agency services, which includes Creation and Redemption Unit order processing.
No administrative and accounting services fees, custodian fees or transfer agent fees are shown for the Fund because it had not commenced operations.
Distributor
Foreside Fund Services, LLC, located at 3 Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, serves as the distributor (“Distributor”) in connection with the continuous offering of the Fund’s shares. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Trust offers Shares of the Fund for sale through the Distributor in Creation Units, as described below. The Distributor will not sell or redeem Shares in quantities less than Creation Units. The Distributor will deliver a Prospectus to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of Creation Unit orders placed and confirmations furnished by it. Pursuant to a written agreement, the Adviser pays the Distributor for distribution-related services.
The Adviser may pay certain broker-dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries, from its own resources, for participating in activities that are designed to make registered representatives and other professionals more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities such as participating in marketing activities and presentations,
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educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems. Payments to a broker-dealer or intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the broker-dealer or intermediary and its clients. These amounts, which may be significant, are paid by the Adviser from its own resources and not from the assets of funds managed by the Adviser. Although a portion of the Adviser’s revenue comes directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the Fund, other ETFs advised by the Adviser or other exchange-traded products, these payments do not increase the price paid by investors for the purchase of shares of, or the cost of owning, the Fund or other funds managed by the Adviser.
Distribution Plan
Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, as amended, (the “Rule”) provides that an investment company may bear expenses of distributing its shares only pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with the Rule. The Trustees have adopted a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan (“Rule 12b-1 Plan”) pursuant to which the Fund may pay certain expenses incurred in the distribution of its shares and the servicing and maintenance of existing shareholder accounts. The Distributor, as the Fund's principal underwriter, and Rafferty may have a direct or indirect financial interest in the Rule 12b-1 Plan or any related agreement. Pursuant to the Rule 12b-1 Plan, the Fund may pay a fee of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. No Rule 12b-1 fee is currently being charged to the Fund.
The Rule 12b-1 Plan was approved by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Fund. In approving the Rule 12b-1 Plan, the Trustees determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Rule 12b-1 Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Trustees will review quarterly and annually a written report provided by the Treasurer of the amounts expended under the Rule 12b-1 Plan and the purpose for which such expenditures were made.
The Rule 12b-1 Plan permits payments to be made by the Fund to the Distributor or other third parties for expenditures incurred in connection with the distribution of Fund shares to investors and the provision of certain shareholder services. The Distributor or other third parties are authorized to engage in advertising, the preparation and distribution of sales literature and other promotional activities on behalf of the Fund. In addition, the Rule 12b-1 Plan authorizes payments by the Fund to the Distributor or other third parties for the cost related to selling or servicing efforts, preparing, printing and distributing Fund prospectuses, statements of additional information, and shareholder reports to investors.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”), 700 Nicollet Mall, Suite 500, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55402, is the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust.
Legal Counsel
The Trust has selected K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006, as its legal counsel.
Determination of Net Asset Value
A fund’s share price is known as its NAV. The Fund’s share price is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (“Valuation Time”), each day the NYSE is open for business (“Business Day”). The NYSE is open for business Monday through Friday, except in observation of the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NYSE may close early on the business day before each of these holidays and on the day after Thanksgiving Day. NYSE holiday schedules are subject to change without notice.
If the exchange or market on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded closes early, the NAV may be calculated prior to its normal calculation time. The value of the Fund’s assets that trade in markets outside the United States or in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar may fluctuate when foreign markets are open but the Fund is not open for business.
Share price is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its shares outstanding. Portfolio securities and other assets are valued chiefly by market prices from the primary market in which they are traded. Under Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, a market quotation is readily available when that “quotation is a quoted price (unadjusted) in active markets for identical investments that the fund can access at the measurement date, provided that a quotation will not be readily available if it is not reliable.” The Fund uses the following methods to price securities or assets held in its portfolio with readily available market quotations.
An equity security listed or traded on an exchange, domestic or foreign, is valued at its last sales price on the principal exchange prior to Valuation Time. Exchange-traded Funds are valued at the last sales price prior to the Valuation Time.
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Securities primarily traded on the NASDAQ Global Market® (“NASDAQ®”) for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ® Official Closing Price (“NOCP”) provided by NASDAQ® each Business Day. The NOCP is the most recently reported price as of 4:00:02 p.m. Eastern Time, unless that price is outside the range of the “inside” bid and asked price in that case, NASDAQ® will adjust the price to equal the inside bid or asked price, whichever is closer. Over-the counter securities are valued at the last sales price in the over-the-counter market.
Futures contracts are valued at (1) the settlement prices established each day on the exchange on which they are traded if the settlement price reflects trading prior to the Valuation Time, (2) at the last sales price prior to the Valuation Time if the settlement prices established by the exchange reflects trading after Valuation Time, or (3) at the last sales price of the exchange prior to the Valuation Time.
Exchange-traded options and options on futures are valued at the composite price using the National Best Bid and Offer quotes (“NBBO”). NBBO consists of the highest bid price and lowest asked price across any of the exchanges on which an option is quoted, thus providing a view across the entire U.S. options marketplace. Specifically, composite pricing looks at the last trades on exchanges where the options are traded. If there are no trades for the option on a given business day, the composite option pricing calculates the mean of the highest bid price and lowest ask price across the exchanges where the option is traded. Non-exchange traded options are valued at the mean between the last bid and asked quotations.
Dividend income and other distributions are recorded on the ex-distribution date.
Securities and other assets for which market quotations are unavailable or unreliable are valued at fair value estimates as determined by the Adviser pursuant to its fair valuation policies as described below.
Additional Information Concerning Shares
Organization and Description of Shares of Beneficial Interest
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and registered investment company. The Trust was organized on April 23, 2008, and has authorized capital of unlimited Shares of beneficial interest of no par value which may be issued in more than one class or series. Currently, the Trust consists of multiple separately managed series. The Board may designate additional series of beneficial interest and classify Shares of a particular series into one or more classes of that series.
All Shares of the Trust are freely transferable. The Shares do not have preemptive rights or cumulative voting rights, and none of the Shares have any preference to conversion, exchange, dividends, retirements, liquidation, redemption, or any other feature. Shares have equal voting rights, except that, in a matter affecting a particular series or class of Shares, only Shares of that series of class may be entitled to vote on the matter. Trust shareholders are entitled to require the Trust to redeem Creation Units of their Shares. The Trust Instrument confers upon the Broad of Trustees the power, by resolution, to alter the number of Shares constituting a Creation Unit or to specify that Shares of the Trust may be individually redeemable. The Trust reserves the right to adjust the stock prices of Shares of the Trust to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any such adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits which would have no effect on the net assets of the applicable Fund.
Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual shareholders meeting if the 1940 Act does not require such a meeting. Generally, there will not be annual meetings of Trust shareholders. Trust shareholders may remove Trustees from office by votes cast at a meeting of Trust shareholders or by written consent. If requested by shareholders of at least 10% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust, the Trust will call a meeting of the Fund’s shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of a Trustee of the Trust and will assist in communications with other Trust shareholders.
The Trust Instrument disclaims liability of the shareholders of the officers of the Trust for acts or obligations of the Trust which are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust. The Trust Instrument provides for indemnification from the Trust’s property for all loss and expense of any Fund shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The risk of a Trust shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund would not be able to meet the Trust’s obligations and this risk, thus, should be considered remote.
If the Fund does not grow to a size to permit it to be economically viable, the Fund may cease operations. In such an event, investors may be required to liquidate or transfer their investments at an inopportune time.
Book Entry Only System
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for the Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by global securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except as provided below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC has advised the Trust as follows: it is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities
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transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE, the AMEX and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”). DTC agrees with and represents to DTC Participants that it will administer its book-entry system in accordance with its rules and by-laws and requirements of law. Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in Shares.
Beneficial owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificates in definitive form and are not considered the registered holder thereof. Accordingly, each Beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC, the DTC Participant and any Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares. The Trust understands that under existing industry practice, in the event the Trust requests any action of holders of Shares, or a Beneficial owner desires to take any action that DTC, as the record owner of all outstanding Shares, is entitled to take, DTC would authorize the DTC Participants to take such action and that the DTC Participants would authorize the Indirect Participants and Beneficial owners acting through such DTC Participants to take such action and would otherwise act upon the instructions of Beneficial owners owning through them. As described above, the Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the owner of all Shares for all purposes. Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of Share holdings of each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Distributions of Shares shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants. The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service available for use by Beneficial owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds but certain brokers may make a dividend reinvestment service available to their clients. Brokers offering such services may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate. Investors interested in such a service should contact their broker for availability and other necessary details.
Purchases and Redemptions
The Trust issues and redeems Shares of the Fund only in aggregations of Creation Units. The number of Shares of the Fund that constitute a Creation Unit is [25,000].
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See “Purchase and Issuance of Shares in Creation Units” and “Redemption of Creation Units” below. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of Shares outstanding of any Fund, and may make a corresponding change in the number of Shares constituting a Creation Unit, in the event that the per Shares price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Adviser or for any other reason.
Purchase and Issuance of Creation Units
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at their NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined above), of an order in proper form.
Creation Units of Shares may be purchased only by or through a DTC participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor. An Authorized Participant will agree pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, as the case may be, to certain conditions, including that such Authorized Participant will make available an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Purchase Amount (defined below) and the Transaction Fee (as described in the section titled “Transaction Fees” below). The Authorized Participant may require the investor to enter into an agreement with such Authorized Participant with respect to certain matters, including payment of the Cash Purchase Amount. Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that therefore orders to purchase Creation Units of Shares may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, purchase orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor.
An Authorized Participant may place an order to purchase (or redeem) Creation Units (i) through the Continuous Net Settlement clearing processes of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) as such processes have been enhanced to effect purchases (and redemptions) of Creation Units, such processes being referred to herein as the “Clearing Process,” or (ii) outside the Clearing Process.
An Authorized Participant may place an order to purchase or redeem Creation Units through the enhanced Continuous Net Settlement clearing processes of NSCC (the “Clearing Process”) or outside of the Clearing Process. For a purchase or redemption order involving a Creation Unit to be effectuated the Fund’s NAV on a particular day, it must be received in good order by the transfer agent by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or earlier if the relevant Exchange or any relevant bond market closes earlier than normal, such as the day before a holiday, whether transmitted by mail, through the transfer agent’s automated system, telephone, facsimile or other means permitted under the Authorized Participant Agreement, in order to receive that day's NAV per Share. All other procedures, which may change from time to time without notice at the discretion of the Trust or Rafferty, set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement must be followed in order for you to receive the NAV determined on that day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability of the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Cash Purchase Amount
Creation Units of the Fund will only be sold for cash in the amount equal to the aggregate NAV of the Shares being purchased, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form plus the transaction fee described below (the “Cash Purchase Amount”).
Purchases through the Clearing Process
To purchase or redeem through the Clearing Process, an Authorized Participant must be a member of NSCC that is eligible to use the Continuous Net Settlement system. For purchase orders placed through the Clearing Process, the Authorized Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor to transmit through the Fund’s transfer agent to the NSCC, on behalf of an Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Authorized Participant’s purchase order. Pursuant to such trade instructions to the NSCC, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the required Cash Purchase Amount, together with the Transaction Fee and such additional information as may be required by the transfer agent or the Distributor.
Purchases Outside the Clearing Process
An Authorized Participant that wishes to place an order to purchase Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must state that it is not using the Clearing Process and that the purchase instead will be effected through a transfer of cash either through the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities) or directly through DTC. Purchases of Creation Units of the Fund settled outside the Clearing Process will be subject to a higher Transaction Fee than those settled through the Clearing Process. Purchase orders effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the Authorized Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities) by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of the Cash Purchase Amount the Fund, together with the applicable Transaction Fee and such additional information as may be required by the transfer agent or the Distributor.
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Rejection of Purchase Orders
The Fund reserves the right to reject or revoke acceptance of a purchase order for any reason, provided that such action does not violate Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act. For example, the Fund may reject or revoke acceptance of a purchase order transmitted to it by the Distributor including, but not limited to, when: (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of any Fund; (c) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified, as described above; (d) the acceptance of the Deposit Securities is not legally required or would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful or have an adverse effect on the Fund or its shareholders (e.g., jeopardize the Fund's tax status); or (e) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, Fund, Distributor and Rafferty make it impractical to process purchase orders. The Trust shall seek to notify a prospective purchaser of its rejection of an order. The Trust and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of purchase orders, nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
Redemption of Creation Units
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Distributor on any Business Day. The Trust will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Units. Beneficial owners also may sell Shares in the secondary market, but must accumulate enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit of Shares. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
Creation Units of Shares are redeemed by or through an Authorized Participant. Such Authorized Participant will agree pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act. The Authorized Participant may require the investor to enter into an agreement with such Authorized Participant with respect to certain matters. Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that therefore orders to redeem Creation Units of Shares may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant. Under such circumstances, an investor may incur additional charges.
In certain instances, Authorized Participants may create and redeem Creation Unit of the same Fund on the same trade date. In this instance, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.
With respect to the Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist only of cash in an amount equal to the aggregate NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, less the redemption transaction fee described below (“Cash Redemption Amount”).
Suspension or Postponement of Right of Redemption
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to any Fund (1) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund’s portfolio securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process
Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Fund through the Clearing Process must be delivered through an Authorized Participant that is a member of NSCC that is eligible to use the Continuous Net Settlement System. A redemption order must be received in good order by the transfer agent by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, whether transmitted by mail, through the transfer agent's automated system, telephone, facsimile or other means permitted under the Authorized Participant Agreement, in order to receive that day’s NAV per Share. All other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement must be followed in order for you to receive the NAV determined on that day. The Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable and at the discretion of Rafferty, will normally be transferred by the second Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received in proper form.
Placement of Redemption Orders Outside the Clearing Process
Orders to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process, including all cash-only redemptions, must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed the Authorized Participant Agreement . A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of Creation Units of the Fund to be effected outside the Clearing Process must be an Authorized Participant, and such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC or the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities). A redemption order must be received in good order by the transfer agent by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, whether transmitted by mail, through the transfer agent's automated system, telephone, facsimile or
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other means permitted under the Authorized Participant Agreement, in order to receive that day’s NAV per Share. The order must be accompanied or preceded by the requisite number of Shares of the Fund specified in such order, which delivery must be made through DTC or the Federal Reserve System to the Trust by the second Business Day following such Transmittal Date and all other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement must be properly followed.
After the transfer agent has deemed an order for redemption of the Fund’s shares outside the Clearing Process received, the transfer agent, the redeeming party will receive the Cash Redemption Amount by the second Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the transfer agent. Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the receipt of the Cash Redemption Amount may take longer than two Business Days following the Transmittal Date. In such cases, the local market settlement procedures will not commence until the end of local holiday periods.
Cancellations
In the event an order is cancelled, the Authorized Participant will be responsible for reimbursing the Fund for all costs associated with cancelling the order, including costs for repositioning the portfolio. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such cancelled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day, with a newly determined Cash Purchase Amount or Cash Redemption Amount to reflect the next calculated NAV.
Continuous Offering
The method by which Creation Units of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of Shares are issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells some or all of the Shares comprising such Creation Units directly to its customers; or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether a person is an underwriter for the purposes of the Securities Act depends upon all the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities. Thus, the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter. Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary market transaction), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by section 4(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus-delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded that under Securities Act Rule 153 a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to a national securities exchange member in connection with a sale on the national securities exchange is satisfied by the fact that the Fund’s prospectus is available at the national securities exchange on which the Shares of such Fund trade upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange and not with respect to “upstairs” transactions.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions
Rafferty expects a significant portion of the Fund's assets to come from professional money managers and investors who use the Fund as part of “asset allocation” and “market timing” investment strategies. These strategies often call for frequent trading to take advantage of anticipated changes in market conditions. The Trust’s Board of Trustees has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares because the Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units with Authorized Participants, and such direct trading between the Fund and Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund’s shares trade in the market at or close to NAV. Further, the vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market, which does not involve the Fund directly and therefore does not cause the Fund to experience many of the harmful effects of market timing, such as dilution and disruption of portfolio management. In addition, the Fund normally imposes a Transaction Fee on Creation Unit transactions, which is designed to offset transfer and other costs incurred by the Fund in connection with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The Fund also may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. Although the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase orders, no Fund currently imposes any trading restrictions on frequent trading or actively monitor for trading abuses.
42

Transaction Fees
Transaction Fees payable to the Trust are normally imposed to compensate the Trust for the transfer and other transaction costs of the Fund associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. There is a fixed and a variable component to the total Transaction Fee. A fixed Transaction Fee is applicable to each creation or redemption transaction, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased or redeemed. In addition, a variable Transaction Fee based upon the value of each Creation Unit may be applied to creations and/or redemptions, depending on whether market conditions are expected to impose additional costs on the Fund. The Transaction Fee applicable to the redemption of Creation Units will not exceed 2% of the value of the redemption proceeds.
Transaction fees are imposed as described below.
Direxion Shares ETF Trust
Fixed Transaction Fee
Maximum
Additional
Charge for
Redemptions*
Maximum
Additional
Charge for
Purchases*
 
In-Kind
Cash
NSCC
Outside NSCC
Outside
NSCC
Direxion Bitcoin Ether Strategy ETF
N/A
Up to 300% of NSCC Amount
$250
Up to 2.00%
Up to 5.00%
*
As a percentage of the amount invested.
Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) makes significant changes to the U.S. Federal income tax rules for taxation of individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Many of the changes applicable to individuals are not permanent and only apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. While there are minor changes to the RIC rules, the Tax Act makes changes to the tax rules affecting shareholders and the Fund, including various investments that the Fund may make. Potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors for more detailed information.
Dividends and other Distributions
As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund declares and distributes dividends to its shareholders from its net investment income at least annually; for these purposes, net investment income includes dividends, accrued interest, and accretion of OID and market discount, less amortization of market premium and estimated expenses, and is calculated immediately prior to the determination of the Fund’s NAV per share. The Fund also distributes the excess of its net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss (“short-term gain”), if any, annually but may make more frequent distributions thereof if necessary to avoid federal income or excise taxes. The Fund may realize net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) and thus anticipates making annual distributions thereof. The Trustees may revise this distribution policy, or postpone the payment of distributions, if the Fund has or anticipates any large unexpected expense, loss or fluctuation in net assets that, in the Trustees’ opinion, might have a significant adverse effect on its shareholders.
Investors should be aware that if shares are purchased shortly before the record date for any dividend or capital gain distribution, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and receive some portion of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution (with the tax consequences described in the Prospectus).
Taxes
Regulated Investment Company Status. The Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes and intends to qualify for treatment as a RIC. If the Fund so qualifies and satisfies the Distribution Requirement (defined below) for a taxable year, it will not be subject to federal income tax on the part of its investment company taxable income (generally consisting of net investment income, short-term gain, and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain it distributes to its shareholders for that year.
To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute to its shareholders for each taxable year at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (“Distribution Requirement”) and 90% of its net exempt interest income and must meet several additional requirements. For the Fund, these requirements include the following: (1) the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from the following sources (collectively, “Qualifying Income”): (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or those currencies, and (b) net income from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (“QPTP”) (“Income Requirement”); and (2) at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable
43

year, (a) at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with those other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the issuer’s outstanding voting securities (equity securities of QPTPs being considered voting securities for these purposes), and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets may be invested in (i) securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, (ii) securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers the Fund controls that are determined to be engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (iii) securities of one or more QPTPs (collectively, “Diversification Requirements”). The Internal Revenue Service (“Service”) has ruled that income from a derivative contract on a commodity index generally is not Qualifying Income.
Although the Fund intends to satisfy all the foregoing requirements, there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to do so. The investment by the Fund primarily in options and futures positions entails some risk that it might fail to satisfy one or both of the Diversification Requirements. There is some uncertainty regarding the valuation of such positions for purposes of those requirements; accordingly, it is possible that the method of valuation the Fund uses, pursuant to which each of them would expect to be treated as satisfying the Diversification Requirements, would not be accepted in an audit by the Service, which might apply a different method resulting in disqualification of one or more funds.
If the Fund failed to qualify for treatment as a RIC for any taxable year, (1) its taxable income, including net capital gain, would be taxed at corporate income tax rates (up to 21%), (2) it would not receive a deduction for the distributions it makes to its shareholders, and (3) the shareholders would treat all those distributions, including distributions of net capital gain, as dividends (that is, ordinary income, except for the part of those dividends that is “qualified dividend income” (described in the Prospectus) (“QDI”)) if certain holding period and other requirements are met) to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits; those dividends would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction available to corporations under certain circumstances. In addition, the Fund would be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment. However, the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 (“RIC Mod Act”) provides certain savings provisions that enable a RIC to cure a failure to satisfy any of the Income and Diversification Requirements as long as the failure “is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect” and the RIC pays a deductible tax calculated in accordance with those provisions and meets certain other requirements.
Excise Tax. The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax (“Excise Tax”) to the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary income for that year and capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts.
Bitcoin and Ether Futures Income Tax Treatment. To qualify as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain requirements concerning the source of its income as described above. The Service has ruled that income and gain from commodities is not Qualifying Income for a RIC. Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts are generally treated as commodities from U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as a result, a direct investment by the Fund in Bitcoin and Ether futures would not produce Qualifying Income for the Fund. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is intended to provide exposure to Bitcoin and Ether futures in a manner that is consistent with the Qualifying Income requirement applicable to RICs. The Service has ceased issuing private letter rulings regarding whether the use of subsidiaries by investment companies to invest in commodity-linked instruments constitutes qualifying income. If the Service determines that this source of income is not Qualifying Income, the Fund may cease to qualify as a RIC because the Fund has not received a private letter ruling and is not able to rely on private letter rulings issued to other taxpayers. Failure to qualify as a RIC could subject the Fund to adverse tax consequences, including a federal income tax on its net income at regular corporate rates, as well as a tax to shareholders on such income when distributed as an ordinary dividend. Based on the principles underlying private letter rulings previously issued to other taxpayers, as well as upon provisions of the Code and applicable Treasury regulations, the Fund intends to treat its Bitcoin and Ether futures-based income from the Subsidiary as Qualifying Income without any such ruling from the IRS. The tax treatment of the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury regulations and/or guidance issued by the Service that could affect whether income derived from such investments is Qualifying Income, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund.
Derivatives Strategies. The use of derivatives strategies, such as writing (selling) and purchasing futures contracts, involves complex rules that will determine for income tax purposes the amount, character, and timing of recognition of the gains and losses the Fund realizes in connection therewith. Gains from futures the Fund derives with respect to its business of investing in securities, will be treated as Qualifying Income. The Fund will monitor its transactions, make appropriate tax elections, and make appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any futures contract to mitigate the effect of these rules, seek to prevent its disqualification as a RIC, and minimize the imposition of federal income and excise taxes.
Some futures contractsexcept any “securities futures contract” that is not a “dealer securities futures contract” (both as defined in the Code)in which the Fund invests may be subject to Code section 1256 (collectively “section 1256 contracts”). Section 1256 contracts that the Fund holds at the end of its taxable year must be “marked to market” (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for their fair market value) for federal income tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss recognized on these
44

deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. These rules may operate to increase the amount that the Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement (i.e., with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain), which will be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them, and to increase the net capital gain the Fund recognizes, without in either case increasing the cash available to it. The Fund may elect not to have the foregoing rules apply to any “mixed straddle” (that is, a straddle, which the Fund clearly identifies in accordance with applicable regulations, at least one (but not all) of the positions of which are section 1256 contracts), although doing so may have the effect of increasing the relative proportion of short-term capital gain (taxable as ordinary income) and thus increasing the amount of dividends it must distribute. Section 1256 contracts also may be marked-to-market for purposes of the Excise Tax.
Code section 1092 (dealing with straddles) also may affect the taxation of futures in which the Fund may invest. That section defines a “straddle” as offsetting positions with respect to actively traded personal property; for these purposes, futures are positions in personal property. Under that section, any loss from the disposition of a position in a straddle may be deducted only to the extent the loss exceeds the unrecognized gain on the offsetting position(s) of the straddle. In addition, these rules may postpone the recognition of loss that otherwise would be recognized under the mark-to-market rules discussed above. The regulations under section 1092 also provide certain “wash sale” rules, which apply to transactions where a position is sold at a loss and a new offsetting position is acquired within a prescribed period, and “short sale” rules applicable to straddles. If the Fund makes certain elections, the amount, character, and timing of recognition of gains and losses from the affected straddle positions would be determined under rules that vary according to the elections made. Because only a few of the regulations implementing the straddle rules have been promulgated, the tax consequences to the Fund of straddle transactions are not entirely clear.
If the Fund has an “appreciated financial position” - generally, an interest (including an interest through a futures or short sale) with respect to any stock, debt instrument (other than “straight debt”), or partnership interest the fair market value of which exceeds its adjusted basis - and enters into a “constructive sale” of the position, the Fund will be treated as having made an actual sale thereof, with the result that it will recognize gain at that time. A constructive sale generally consists of a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract, or a futures the Fund or a related person enters into with respect to the same or substantially identical property. In addition, if the appreciated financial position is itself a short sale or such a contract, acquisition of the underlying property or substantially identical property will be deemed a constructive sale. The foregoing will not apply, however, to the Fund’s transaction during any taxable year that otherwise would be treated as a constructive sale if the transaction is closed within 30 days after the end of that year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no time during that 60-day period is the Fund’s risk of loss regarding that position reduced by reason of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such as having an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale, or granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).
Taxation of Shareholders.
Basis Election and Reporting . A shareholder’s basis in Shares of the Fund that he or she acquires after December 31, 2011 (“Covered Shares”), will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s default method, which is average basis, unless the shareholder affirmatively elects in writing (which may be electronic) to use a different acceptable basis determination method, such as a specific identification method. The basis determination method the Fund shareholder elects (or the default method) may not be changed with respect to a redemption of Covered Shares after the settlement date of the redemption.
In addition to the requirement to report the gross proceeds from redemptions of shares, the Fund (or its administrative agent) must report to the Service and furnish to its shareholders the basis information for Covered Shares and indicate whether they had a short-term (one year or less) or long-term (more than one year) holding period. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to decide the best Service-accepted basis determination method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the basis reporting law applies to them.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). As mentioned in the Prospectus, under FATCA “foreign financial institutions” (“FFIs”) or “non-financial foreign entities” (“NFFEs”) that are Fund shareholders may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on income dividends. That withholding tax generally can be avoided, however, as discussed below.
An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a tax compliance agreement with the Service. Under such an agreement, a participating FFI agrees to (1) verify and document whether it has U.S. accountholders, (2) report certain information regarding their accounts to the Service, and (3) meet certain other specified requirements.
The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGAs”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; entities in those countries may be required to comply with the terms of the IGA instead of Treasury regulations. An FFI resident in a country that has entered into a Model I IGA with the United States must report to that country’s government (pursuant to the terms of the applicable IGA and applicable law), which will, in turn, report to the Service. An FFI resident in a Model II IGA country generally must comply with U.S. regulatory requirements, with certain exceptions, including the treatment
45

of recalcitrant accountholders. An FFI resident in one of those countries that complies with whichever of the foregoing applies will be exempt from FATCA withholding.
An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid FATCA withholding generally by certifying its status as such and, in certain circumstances that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or by providing the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each such owner. The NFFE will report to the Fund or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report information to the Service.
Those non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted, or deemed compliant categories established by Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA to avoid FATCA withholding. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above. Foreign investors are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation and the impact thereof on their investment in the Fund.
* * * * *
The foregoing is only a general summary of some of the important federal tax considerations generally affecting the Fund. No attempt is made to present a complete explanation of the federal tax treatment of the Fund's activities, and this discussion is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Accordingly, potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers for more detailed information and for information regarding any state, local, or foreign taxes applicable to the Fund and to distributions therefrom.
Financial Statements
Because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, no financial statements are available for the Fund.
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APPENDIX A
Description of Corporate Bond Ratings
Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings are two prominent independent rating agencies that rate the quality of bonds. Following are expanded explanations of the ratings shown in the Prospectus and this SAI.
Moody’s Investors Service Global Long-Term Ratings
Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term rating scale are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Moody’s defines credit risk as the risk that an entity may not meet its contractual financial obligations as they come due and any estimated financial loss in the event of default or impairment. The contractual financial obligations addressed by Moody’s ratings are those that call for, without regard to enforceability, the payment of an ascertainable amount, which may vary based upon standard sources of variation (e.g., floating interest rates), by an ascertainable date. Moody’s rating addresses the issuer’s ability to obtain cash sufficient to service the obligation, and its willingness to pay. Moody’s ratings do not address non- standard sources of variation in the amount of the principal obligation (e.g., equity indexed), absent an express statement to the contrary in a press release accompanying an initial rating. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. Moody’s issues ratings at the issuer level and instrument level. Typically, ratings are made publicly available although private and unpublished ratings may also be assigned.
Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa: Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A: Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa: Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B: Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa: Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca: Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C: Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.*
* By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
Moody’s Investors Service National Scale Long-Term Ratings
Moody’s long-term National Scale Ratings (NSRs) are opinions of the relative creditworthiness of issuers and financial obligations within a particular country. NSRs are not designed to be compared among countries; rather, they address relative credit risk within a given country. Moody’s assigns national scale ratings in certain local capital markets in which investors have found the global rating scale provides inadequate differentiation among credits or is inconsistent with a rating scale already in common use in the country. In each specific country, the last two characters of the rating indicate the country in which the issuer is located (e.g., Aaa.br for Brazil).
Aaa.n: Issuers or issues rated Aaa.n demonstrate the strongest creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
Aa.n: Issuers or issues rated Aa.n demonstrate very strong creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
A.n: Issuers or issues rated A.n present above-average creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
Baa.n: Issuers or issues rated Baa.n represent average creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
Ba.n: Issuers or issues rated Ba.n demonstrate below-average creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
B.n: Issuers or issues rated B.n demonstrate weak creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
A-1

Caa.n: Issuers or issues rated Caa.n demonstrate very weak creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
Ca.n: Issuers or issues rated Ca.n demonstrate extremely weak creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
C.n: Issuers or issues rated C.n demonstrate the weakest creditworthiness relative to other domestic issuers and issuances.
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. National scale long-term ratings of D.ar and E.ar may also be applied to Argentine obligations.
S&P Global Ratings Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings*
An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings' view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default. Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P Global Ratings' analysis of the following considerations:
The likelihood of payment--the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitments on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
The nature and provisions of the financial obligation, and the promise we impute; and
The protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of a bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.
An issue rating is an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA: An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A: An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: An obligation rated 'BBB' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
BB; B; CCC; CC; and C: Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC', 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. 'BB' indicates the least degree of speculation and 'C' the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligation rated 'BB' is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated 'B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated 'BB', but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CCC: An obligation rated 'CCC' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C: An obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.
A-2

D: An obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
*Ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories. NR indicates that a rating has not been assigned or is no longer assigned.
Moody’s Investors Service Municipal Short Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings
We use the global short-term Prime rating scale for commercial paper issued by US municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuer’s self-liquidity.
For other short-term municipal obligations, we use one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scales discussed below.
We use the MIG scale for US municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, we use the MIG scale for bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years.
MIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
We typically assign the VMIG short-term demand obligation rating if the frequency of the demand feature is less than every three years. If the frequency of the demand feature is less than three years but the purchase price is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the short-term demand obligation rating is “NR”.
VMIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
S&P Global Ratings Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings
An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings analysis will review the following considerations:
Amortization schedule--the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and
Source of payment--the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3: Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
A-3

D: 'D' is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed debt restructuring, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.
Moody’s Investors Service Global Short Term Rating Scale
Ratings assigned on Moody’s global short-term rating scale are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.
P-1: Ratings of Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2: Ratings of Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3: Ratings of Prime-3 reflect an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
S&P Global Ratings Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1: A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2: A short-term obligation rated 'A-2' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3: A short-term obligation rated 'A-3' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
B: A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C: A short-term obligation rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
D: A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example, due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, 'AAA/A-1+' or 'A-1+/A-1'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').
A-4


DIREXION SHARES ETF TRUST
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
(a)
(i)
 
(ii)
(b)
 
(c)
 
Shareholders’ Rights are contained in Articles IV, V, VI, IX, and X of the Trust’s Trust Instrument and
Articles V, VI, VII, VIII and IX of the Trust’s By-Laws.
(d)
(i)(A)
 
(i)(B)
 
(i)(C)
Amended Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and RAM to be
filed by Amendment.
 
(ii)(A)
 
(ii)(B)
(e)
(i)(A)
 
(i)(B)
Amended Appendix A to the Distribution Agreement to be filed by Amendment.
 
(ii)
(f)
 
Bonus, profit sharing contracts None.
(g)
(i)(A)
 
(i)(B)
Amended Schedule II to the Custody Agreement to be filed by Amendment.
 
(ii)
(h)
(i)(A)
 
(i)(B)
Amended Appendix I to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to be filed by Amendment.

 
(ii)
 
(iii)
 
(iv)(A)
 
(iv)(B)
Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Accounting Agreement between the Trust and BONY to be filed
by Amendment.
 
(v)(A)
 
(v)(B)
 
(vi)(A)
 
(vi)(B)
 
(vi)(C)
Amended Appendix A to the Fourth Amended and Restated Operating Expense Limitation
Agreement between the Trust and RAM to be filed by Amendment.
 
(vii)(A)
 
(vii)(B)
 
(vii)(C)
Amended Schedule A to the Management Services Agreement between the Trust and RAM to be
filed by Amendment.
 
(vii)(D)
 
(viii)(A)
 
(viii)(B)
 
(viii)(C)
(i)
 
Opinion and consent of counsel to be filed by Amendment.
(j)
 
(k)
 
Financial Statements omitted from prospectus None.

(l)
 
(m)
(i)(A)
 
(i)(B)
Amended Appendix A to the Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan to be filed by Amendment.
(n)
 
Rule 18f-3 Plan None.
(o)
 
Reserved.
(p)
(i)
 
(ii)
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant
Immediately prior to the public offering of the Registrant’s shares for each series, the following persons may be deemed individually to control the Funds or the Trust:
Rafferty Asset Management, LLC will be the sole shareholder immediately prior to the public offering of the Fund.
Item 30. Indemnification
Article IX of the Trust Instrument of the Registrant provides as follows:
Section 1. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. All persons contracting with, or having any claim against, the Trust or a particular Series shall look only to the assets of the Trust or Assets belonging to such Series, respectively, for payment under such contract or claim; and neither the Trustees nor any of the Trust’s officers or employees, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor. Every written instrument or obligation on behalf of the Trust or any Series may contain a statement to the foregoing effect, but the absence of such statement shall not operate to make any Trustee or officer of the Trust liable thereunder. Provided they have exercised reasonable care and have acted under the reasonable belief that their actions are in the best interest of the Trust, the Trustees and officers of the Trust shall not be responsible or liable for any act or omission or for neglect or wrongdoing of them or any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser, principal underwriter or independent contractor of the Trust, but nothing contained in this Trust Instrument or in the Delaware Act shall protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust against liability to the Trust or to Shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Section 2. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a)
Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in subsection (b) below:
(i)
every person who is, or has been, a Trustee or an officer, employee or agent of the Trust, including persons who act at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (“Covered Person”) shall be indemnified by the Trust or the appropriate Series to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or her in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he or she becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been a Covered Person and against amounts paid or incurred by him or her in the settlement thereof.
(ii)
as used herein, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or other, including appeals), actual or threatened, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include, without limitation, counsel fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
(b)
No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:
(i)
who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought (A) to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or (B) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interest of the Trust; or
(ii)
in the event of a settlement, if there has been a determination that such Covered Person engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office: (A) by the court or other body approving the settlement; (B) by at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor are parties to the matter based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); or (C) by written opinion of independent legal counsel based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry).

(c)
The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of a Covered Person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel other than Covered Persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.
(d)
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, expenses in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding of the character described in subsection (a) of this Section shall be paid by the Trust or applicable Series from time to time prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him or her to the Trust or applicable Series if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification under this Section.
(e)
Any repeal or modification of this Article IX by the Shareholders, or adoption or modification of any other provision of this Trust Instrument or the By-laws inconsistent with this Article, shall be prospective only, to the extent that such, repeal or modification would, if applied retrospectively, adversely affect any limitation on the liability of any Covered Person or indemnification available to any Covered Person with respect to any act or omission which occurred prior to such repeal, modification or adoption.
Section 3. INDEMNIFICATION OF SHAREHOLDERS. If any Shareholder or former Shareholder of any Series is held personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or having been a Shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his or her heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives or, in the case of any entity, its general successor) shall be entitled out of the Assets belonging to the applicable Series to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability. The Trust, on behalf of the affected Series, shall, upon request by such Shareholder or former Shareholder, assume the defense of any claim made against him or her for any act or obligation of the Series and satisfy any judgment thereon from the Assets belonging to the Series.
Article IX, Section 3 of the By-laws of the Registrant provides as follows:
Section 3. Advance Payment of Indemnifiable Expenses. Expenses incurred by an agent in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any proceeding may be paid by the Trust from time to time prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by, or on behalf of, such agent that such amount will be paid over by him or her to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification; provided, however, that (a) such agent shall have provided appropriate security for such undertaking, (b) the Trust is insured against losses arising out of any such advance payments, or (c) either a majority of the Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor parties to the proceeding, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to a trial-type inquiry or full investigation), that there is reason to believe that such agent will be found entitled to indemnification.
Section 7 of the Investment Advisory Agreement provides as follows:
The Adviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust or any Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relate except a loss resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any person, even though also an officer, partner, employee, or agent of the Adviser, who may be or become an officer, trustee, employee or agent of the Trust shall be deemed, when rendering services to the Trust or acting in any business of the Trust, to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the Trust and not as an officer, partner, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction of the Adviser even though paid by it.
Section 6 of the Distribution Agreement provides as follows:
(a)
The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor, its affiliates and each of their directors, officers and employees and agents and any person who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (any of the Distributor, its officers, employees, agents and directors or such control persons, for purposes of this paragraph, a “Distributor Indemnitee”) against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of or based upon (i) any claim that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, Product Description, shareholder reports, sales literature and advertisements specifically approved by the Trust and Investment Adviser or other information filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein (and in the case of the Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information and Product Description, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading under the 1933 Act, or any other statute or the common law, (ii) the breach by the Trust of any obligation, representation or warranty contained in this Agreement or (iii) the Trust's failure to comply in any material respect with applicable securities laws.

The Trust does not agree to indemnify the Distributor or hold it harmless to the extent that the statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor. The Trust will also not indemnify any Distributor Indemnitee with respect to any untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information or Product Description that is subsequently corrected in such document (or an amendment thereof or supplement thereto) if a copy of the Prospectus (or such amendment or supplement) was not sent or given to the person asserting any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense at or before the written confirmation to such person in any case where such delivery is required by the 1933 Act and the Trust had notified the Distributor of the amendment or supplement prior to the sending of the confirmation. In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Trust in favor of any Distributor Indemnitee to be deemed to protect the Distributor Indemnitee against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which the Distributor Indemnitee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement, or (ii) is the Trust to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this Section with respect to any claim made against any Distributor Indemnitee unless the Distributor Indemnitee shall have notified the Trust in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon Distributor Indemnitee (or after Distributor Indemnitee shall have received notice of service on any designated agent).
Failure to notify the Trust of any claim shall not relieve the Trust from any liability that it may have to any Distributor Indemnitee against whom such action is brought unless failure or delay to so notify the Trust prejudices the Trust’s ability to defend against such claim. The Trust shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense, or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims, but if the Trust elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to Distributor Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event the Trust elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, Distributor Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the Trust does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the Distributor Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them. The Trust agrees to notify the Distributor promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or Trustees in connection with the issuance or sale of any of the Creation Units or the Shares.
(b)
The Distributor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust and each of its Trustees and officers and any person who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (for purposes of this paragraph, the Trust and each of its Trustees and officers and its controlling persons are collectively referred to as the “Trust Affiliates”) against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of or based upon (i) the allegation of any wrongful act of the Distributor or any of its directors, officers, employees, (ii) the breach of any obligation, representation or warranty pursuant to this Agreement by the Distributor, (iii) the Distributor's failure to comply in any material respect with applicable securities laws, including applicable FINRA regulations, or (iv) any allegation that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, Product Description, shareholder reports, any information or materials relating to the Funds (as described in section 3(g)) or other information filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading, insofar as such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor, it being understood that the Trust will rely upon certain information provided by the Distributor for use in the preparation of the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, Product Description, shareholder reports or other information relating to the Funds or made public by the Trust.
In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Distributor in favor of any Trust Affiliate to be deemed to protect any Trust Affiliate against any liability to the Trust or its security holders to which such Trust Affiliate would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) is the Distributor to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this Section with respect to any claim made against any Trust Affiliate unless the Trust Affiliate shall have notified the Distributor in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the Trust Affiliate (or after the Trust Affiliate shall have received notice of service on any designated agent).
Failure to notify the Distributor of any claim shall not relieve the Distributor from any liability that it may have to the Trust Affiliate against whom such action is brought unless failure or delay to so notify the Distributor prejudices the Distributor’s ability to defend against such claim. The Distributor shall be entitled to participate at its own

expense in the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce the claim, but if the Distributor elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to the Trust, its officers and Board and to any controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event that Distributor elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the Trust or controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the Distributor does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the Trust, its officers and Trustees or controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them. The Distributor agrees to notify the Trust promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of any of the Creation Units or the Shares.
(c)
No indemnified party shall settle any claim against it for which it intends to seek indemnification from the indemnifying party, under the terms of section 6(a) or 6(b) above, without the prior written notice to and consent from the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. No indemnified or indemnifying party shall settle any claim unless the settlement contains a full release of liability with respect to the other party in respect of such action. This section 6 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Section 13 of the Authorized Participant Agreement provides as follows:
(a)
The Participant hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor, the Funds, the Index Receipt Agent, their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (each an “Indemnified Party”), from and against any loss, liability, cost, or expense (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by such Indemnified Party as a result of (i) any breach by the Participant of any provision of this Agreement; (ii) any failure on the part of the Participant to perform any of its obligations set forth in this Agreement; (iii) any failure by the Participant to comply with applicable laws, including rules and regulations of self-regulatory organizations; (iv) actions of such Indemnified Party in reliance upon any instructions issued in accordance with the Fund Documents, AP Handbook or Annex II (as each may be amended from time to time) reasonably believed by the Distributor and/or the Index Receipt Agent to be genuine and to have been given by the Participant; or (v) the Participant’s failure to complete a Purchase Order or Redemption Order that has been accepted. The Participant understands and agrees that the Funds as third party beneficiaries to this Agreement are entitled to proceed directly against the Participant in the event that the Participant fails to honor any of its obligations under this Agreement that benefit the Fund. The Distributor shall not be liable to the Participant for any damages arising out of mistakes or errors in data provided to the Distributor, or out of interruptions or delays of communications with the Indemnified Parties who are service providers to the Fund, nor is the Distributor liable for any action, representation, or solicitation made by the wholesalers of the Fund.
(b)
The Distributor hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Participant and the Index Receipt Agent, their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (each an “Indemnified Party”), from and against any loss, liability, cost, or expense (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by such Indemnified Party as a result of (i) any breach by the Distributor of any provision of this Agreement; (ii) any failure on the part of the Distributor to perform any of its obligations set forth in this Agreement; (iii) any failure by the Distributor to comply with applicable laws, including rules and regulations of self-regulatory organizations; or (iv) actions of such Indemnified Party in reliance upon any representations made in accordance with the Fund Documents and AP Handbook (as e ach may be amended from time to time) reasonably believed by the Participant to be genuine and to have been given by the Distributor. The Participant shall not be liable to the Distributor for any damages arising out of mistakes or errors in data provided to the Participant, or out of interruptions or delays of communications with the Indemnified Parties who are service providers to the Fund, nor is the Participant liable for any action, representation, or solicitation made by the wholesalers of the Fund.
(c)
The Funds, the Distributor, the Index Receipt Agent, or any person who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, shall not be liable to the Participant for any damages arising from any differences in performance between the Deposit Securities in a Fund Deposit and the Fund’s benchmark index.
The general effect of this Indemnification will be to indemnify the officers, trustees, employees and agents of the Registrant from costs and expenses arising from any action, suit or proceeding to which they may be made a party by reason of their being or having been a trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant, except where such action is determined to have arisen out of the willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the trustee’s, officer's, employee’s or agent’s office.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such

liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
Rafferty Asset Management, LLC (“Rafferty”) provides investment advisory services to certain series of the Trust. Rafferty was organized as a New York limited liability corporation in June 1997.
Rafferty’s offices are located at 1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), 28th Floor, New York, New York 10019. Information as to the directors and officers of Rafferty is included in its current Form ADV filed with the SEC (File No. 801-54679).
Item 32. Principal Underwriter
(a)
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended: AB Active ETFs, Inc., ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund, Absolute Shares Trust, Adaptive Core ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, AdvisorShares Trust, AFA Multi-Manager Credit Fund, AGF Investments Trust, AIM ETF Products Trust, Alexis Practical Tactical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Alpha Intelligent Large Cap Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Alpha Intelligent Large Cap Value ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund, American Century ETF Trust, Amplify ETF Trust, Applied Finance Core Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Applied Finance Explorer Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Applied Finance Select Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, ARK ETF Trust, ASYMmetric ETFs Trust, B.A.D. ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Bitwise Funds Trust, Bluestone Community Development Fund, BondBloxx ETF Trust, Bramshill Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust, Bridgeway Funds, Inc., Brinker Capital Destinations Trust, Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc., Build Funds Trust, Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund, Calamos Convertible Opportunities and Income Fund, Calamos Dynamic Convertible and Income Fund, Calamos Global Dynamic Income Fund, Calamos Global Total Return Fund, Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund, Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund, Cboe Vest Bitcoin Strategy Managed Volatility Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Cboe Vest S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats Target Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Cboe Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Cboe Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Cboe Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Cboe Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund, Changebridge Capital Long/Short ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Changebridge Capital Sustainable Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Clifford Capital Focused Small Cap Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Clifford Capital International Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Clifford Capital Partners Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund, Cliffwater Enhanced Lending Fund, Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund, Inc., Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers, CornerCap Group of Funds, CrossingBridge Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers, Curasset Capital Management Core Bond Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Curasset Capital Management Limited Term Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, Defiance Daily Short Digitizing the Economy ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions, Defiance Digital Revolution ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions, Defiance Hotel, Airline, and Cruise ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions, Defiance Next Gen Connectivity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions, Defiance Next Gen H2 ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions, Defiance Quantum ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions, Direxion Shares ETF Trust, Dividend Performers ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Dodge & Cox Funds, DoubleLine ETF Trust, DoubleLine Opportunistic Credit Fund, DoubleLine Yield Opportunities Fund, Eaton Vance NextShares Trust, Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II, EIP Investment Trust, Ellington Income Opportunities Fund, Esoterica Thematic ETF Trust, ETF Opportunities Trust, Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund, Exchange Listed Funds Trust, Fiera Capital Series Trust, FlexShares Trust, Forum Funds, Forum Funds II, Goose Hollow Tactical Allocation ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Grayscale Future of Finance ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions, Grizzle Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Guinness Atkinson Funds, Harbor ETF Trust, Horizon Kinetics Blockchain Development ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, IDX Funds, Innovator ETFs Trust, Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC, Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC, John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, Kelly Strategic ETF Trust, LDR Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, LifeGoal Conservative Wealth Builder ETF, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II, LifeGoal Home Down Payment ETF, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II, LifeGoal Wealth Builder ETF, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Mairs & Power Balanced Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers, Mairs & Power Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers, Mairs & Power Minnesota Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers, Mairs & Power Small Cap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers, Manor Investment Funds, Merk Stagflation ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Milliman Variable Insurance Trust, Mindful Conservative ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV, Mohr Growth ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Morgan Creek-Exos Active SPAC Arbitrage

ETF, Morningstar Funds Trust, OTG Latin American Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Overlay Shares Foreign Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Overlay Shares Hedged Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Overlay Shares Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Overlay Shares Short Term Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund, Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC, Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers, Perkins Discovery Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Philotimo Focused Growth and Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Plan Investment Fund, Inc., PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers, Point Bridge America First ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions, Preferred-Plus ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Putnam ETF Trust, Quaker Investment Trust, Rareview Dynamic Fixed Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Rareview Inflation/Deflation ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Rareview Systematic Equity ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds, Revere Sector Opportunity ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Reynolds Funds, Inc., RiverNorth Enhanced Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, RiverNorth Patriot ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a RiverNorth Volition America Patriot ETF), RMB Investors Trust, Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust, Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust, Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Roundhill Cannabis ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Roundhill IO Digital Infrastructure ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Roundhill MEME ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Roundhill Video Games ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Rule One Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Salient MF Trust, Securian AM Balanced Stabilization Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust, Securian AM Equity Stabilization Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust, Securian AM Real Asset Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust, SHP ETF Trust, Six Circles Trust, Sound Shore Fund, Inc., Sparrow Funds, Spear Alpha ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, STF Tactical Growth & Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, STF Tactical Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Strategy Shares, Swan Hedged Equity US Large Cap ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, Syntax ETF Trust, Teucrium Agricultural Strategy No K-1 ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, The Community Development Fund, The Finite Solar Finance Fund, The Private Shares Fund (f/k/a SharesPost 100 Fund), The SPAC and New Issue ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust, Third Avenue Trust, Third Avenue Variable Series Trust, Tidal ETF Trust, Tidal Trust II, TIFF Investment Program, Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan, Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan, Timothy Plan International ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan, Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan, Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Core Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan, Timothy Plan US Small Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan, Total Fund Solution, Touchstone ETF Trust, TrueShares ESG Active Opportunities ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Low Volatility Equity Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (April) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (August) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (December) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (February) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (July) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (June) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (March) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (May) ETF, Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (November) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (October) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Structured Outcome (September) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, TrueShares Technology, AI & Deep Learning ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust, U.S. Global Investors Funds, Union Street Partners Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust, Variant Alternative Income Fund, Variant Impact Fund, VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares Emerging Market High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares Emerging Markets Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares International Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares NASDAQ Next 50 ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares Protect America ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares Top Veteran Employers ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US Small Mid Cap Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares US Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares USAA Core Intermediate-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares USAA Core Short-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, VictoryShares

WestEnd US Sector ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II, Walthausen Funds, West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust, WisdomTree Trust, WST Investment Trust, and the XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust.
(b)
The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.
Name
Address
Positions and
Offices
with Underwriter
Position and
Offices
with Registrant
Teresa Cowan
111 E. Kilbourn
Ave, Suite 2200,
Milwaukee, WI
53202
President/Manager
None
Chris Lanza
Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100,
Portland, ME
04101
Vice President
None
Kate Macchia
Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100,
Portland, ME
04101
Vice President
None
Nanette K. Chern
Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100,
Portland, ME
04101
Vice President and
Chief Compliance
Officer
None
Kelly B. Whetstone
Three Canal Plaza,
Suite 100,
Portland, ME
04101
Secretary
None
Susan L. LaFond
111 E. Kilbourn
Ave, Suite 2200,
Milwaukee, WI
53202
Treasurer
None
(c)
Not applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) are maintained in the physical possession of the Direxion Shares ETF Trust’s investment adviser, subadviser, administrator, custodian, subcustodian, or transfer agent.
Item 34. Management Services
Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings
Not applicable.

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) and the 1940 Act, the Registrant certifies that this Post-Effective Amendment No. 397 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York and the State of New York on August 2, 2023.
DIREXION SHARES ETF TRUST
By:
/s/ Patrick J. Rudnick*
 
Patrick J. Rudnick
 
Principal Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 397 to its Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ Daniel D. O’Neill*
Chairman of the Board
August 2, 2023
Daniel D. O’Neill
 
 
/s/ Angela Brickl
Trustee
August 2, 2023
Angela Brickl
 
 
/s/ David L. Driscoll*
Trustee
August 2, 2023
David L. Driscoll
 
 
/s/ Kathleen M. Berkery*
Trustee
August 2, 2023
Kathleen M. Berkery
 
 
/s/ Mary Jo Collins*
Trustee
August 2, 2023
Mary Jo Collins
 
 
/s/ Carlyle Peake*
Trustee
August 2, 2023
Carlyle Peake
 
 
/s/ Patrick J. Rudnick*
Principal Executive Officer
August 2, 2023
Patrick J. Rudnick
 
/s/ Corey Noltner*
Principal Financial Officer
August 2, 2023
Corey Noltner
 
 
*By: /s/ Angela Brickl
 
 
Attorney-In-Fact pursuant to the Power of Attorney filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 387 to the Trust’s Registration Statement filed with the SEC on February 24, 2023.