497K 1 ea0209716-02_497k.htm 497K

 

 

 

Exchange Traded Concepts Trust

 

Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF

 

Summary Prospectus | July 29, 2024

 

Principal Listing Exchange for the Fund: NYSE Arca, Inc. | (Ticker Symbol: BITQ)

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and other information about the Fund online at https://bitqetf.com/materials. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 833-365-2487, by sending an e-mail request to BITQETF@seic.com or by asking any financial intermediary that offers shares of the Fund. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, each dated July 29, 2024, as each may be amended or supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus and may be obtained, free of charge, at the website, phone number or email address noted above.

 

 

 

 

Investment Objective

 

The Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. 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 Fee 0.85%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.85%

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell 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 cost would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$87 $271 $471 $1,049

 

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 shares of the Fund are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example above, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 61% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

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Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests in securities comprising the Index and in depositary receipts representing securities of the Index. The Index was designed by Bitwise Index Services, LLC (the “Index Sponsor”) to measure the performance of companies involved in servicing the cryptocurrency markets, including crypto mining firms, crypto mining equipment suppliers, crypto financial services companies, or other financial institutions servicing primarily crypto-related clientele (i.e., the crypto ecosystem). Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of Crypto Innovators, as defined below.

 

In constructing the Index, the Index Sponsor identifies a two-tiered universe of companies as follows:

 

1)Tier 1 Companies (“Crypto Innovators”). Companies that: (a) derive more than 75% of their revenue directly from the crypto ecosystem; or (b) have more than 75% of their net assets accounted for by direct holdings of bitcoin, ether, or another liquid crypto asset and, in either case, are not involved in bankruptcy proceedings. Crypto Innovators will make up 85% of the Index at the time of each rebalance.

 

2)Tier 2 Companies. Companies that are not classified as Crypto Innovators, have a market capitalization of at least $10 billion, and either: (a) have a significant dedicated business initiative explicitly focused on the crypto ecosystem that is reported in at least one of the company’s official quarterly or annual filings from the past 12 months, including initiatives involving the purchase, sale, development, custody, mining, trading, transacting in, processing transactions with, or holding of crypto assets or derivative instruments that track the value of crypto assets; or (b) hold at least $100 million of bitcoin, ether, or another liquid crypto asset as a balance sheet asset. Tier 2 Companies will make up 15% of the Index at the time of each rebalance.

 

Companies identified as part of the universe described above are then subject to certain eligibility criteria, including that the company’s shares be listed on an eligible stock exchange, as determined by the Index Sponsor. Companies are also screened for size (companies must have a minimum market capitalization of at least $100 million at the time of initial inclusion), liquidity (shares must have a 3-month average daily traded value of at least $1 million), and free float (shares must have a free float, which refers to the portion of shares publicly available for purchase on the secondary market, of at least 10%). Shares of common stock, units, tracking stocks, American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are eligible for inclusion in the Index. Where securities of eligible companies have multiple share classes listed on major exchanges, the most liquid share class is included as determined by the average daily traded value for the sixth month period preceding the date companies are screened for inclusion. The Index may include securities of non-U.S. issuers (including emerging market issuers), China A-shares (which are shares of mainland China-based companies that trade on the Chinese stock exchanges), and securities issued in an initial public offering (“IPO”). The Index may include companies that only have indirect involvement in the crypto ecosystem.

 

After applying the above screening criteria, the Index comprises the top 20 Crypto Innovators and the top 10 Tier 2 Companies, in each case selected by market capitalization. Crypto Innovators are weighted according to free float-adjusted market capitalization and Tier 2 Companies are equally weighted. For all companies included in the Index, the exposure to the securities of any single issuer is limited to 10%. The Index is reconstituted and rebalanced on a quarterly basis. If, in between quarterly rebalances, the cumulative weight of Crypto Innovators falls below 80% of the Index, the Index Sponsor will implement a special rebalance to restore the cumulative weight of Crypto Innovators to be 85% of the Index. As of July 1, 2024, the Index comprised 29 component securities with an average market capitalization of $55.974 billion.

 

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The Fund will not invest in crypto assets directly or through the use of derivatives. The Fund also will not invest in initial coin offerings. The Fund may, however, have indirect exposure to crypto assets by virtue of its investments in companies that use one or more crypto assets as part of their business activities or that hold crypto assets as proprietary investments. Because the Fund will not invest directly in any cryptocurrency, it will not track price movements of any cryptocurrency.

 

The Fund employs a “passive management” investment strategy designed to track the performance of the Index. Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) generally will use a replication methodology, meaning it will invest in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to their respective weightings in the Index. However, the Adviser may utilize a sampling methodology under various circumstances, including when it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities in the Index. The Adviser expects that over time, if the Fund has sufficient assets, the correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the Index will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in investments that are not included in the Index, but that the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the performance of the Index.

 

The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. As of July 1, 2024, the Index was concentrated in the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Industry. In addition, in replicating the Index, the Fund may from time to time invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies in one or more sectors. As of July 1, 2024, a significant portion of the Index consisted of companies in the Information Technology Sector.

 

The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer than a diversified fund.

 

Principal Risks

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below.

 

Bitcoin Risk. Although the Fund does not hold bitcoin directly, it invests in companies whose value is directly related to the value of bitcoin. Accordingly, a significant drop in the value of bitcoin will negatively impact the value of shares of the Fund. Bitcoin is a relatively new innovation and the market for bitcoin is subject to rapid price swings, changes and uncertainty. The further development of the Bitcoin network and the acceptance and use of bitcoin are subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. The slowing, stopping or reversing of the development of the Bitcoin network or the acceptance of bitcoin may adversely affect the price of bitcoin. Bitcoin is subject to the risk of fraud, theft, manipulation or security failures, operational or other problems that impact the digital asset trading venues on which bitcoin trades. The Bitcoin blockchain may contain flaws that can be exploited by hackers. A significant portion of bitcoin is held by a small number of holders sometimes referred to as “whales.” Transactions of these holders may influence the price of bitcoin.

 

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The Bitcoin blockchain and its native crypto asset, bitcoin, face numerous challenges to gaining widespread adoption as an alternative payments system, including the slowness of transaction processing and finality, variability in transaction fees and volatility in bitcoin’s price. It is not clear that the Bitcoin blockchain or bitcoin can overcome these and other impediments, which could harm the long-term adoption of the Bitcoin blockchain and bitcoin as an alternative payment system, and thereby negatively impact the price of bitcoin. In addition, alternative public blockchains have been developed and may in the future develop that compete with the Bitcoin blockchain and may have significant advantages as alternative payment systems, including higher throughput, lower fees, faster settlement and finalization, and the ability to facilitate untraceable and/or privacy-shielded transactions through the use of zero-knowledge cryptography or other means. It is possible that these alternative public blockchains and their native crypto assets may be more successful than the Bitcoin blockchain and bitcoin in gaining adoption as an alternative payments system, which could limit the long-term adoption of the Bitcoin blockchain and bitcoin, thereby negatively impact the price of bitcoin. Furthermore, traditional payment systems may improve their own technical capabilities and offer faster settlement times, faster finalization and lower fees. This could make it more difficult for the Bitcoin blockchain and bitcoin to gain traction as an alternative payments system, which could limit the long-term adoption of the Bitcoin blockchain and bitcoin, and thereby negatively impact the price of bitcoin.

 

Unlike the exchanges for more traditional assets, such as equity securities, bitcoin and the digital asset trading venues on which it trades are largely unregulated and highly fragmented. 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 in a way that artificially increases the price of bitcoin). Investors may be more exposed to the risk of theft, fraud and market manipulation than when investing in more traditional asset classes. Over the past several years, a number of digital asset trading venues have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches. Investors in bitcoin 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 network or restrict the use of bitcoin. The Fund may also be negatively impacted by regulatory enforcement actions against the digital asset trading venues upon which bitcoin trades. Such actions could significantly reduce the number of venues upon which bitcoin trades. In addition, digital asset trading venues, bitcoin miners, and other participants may have significant exposure to other digital assets. Instability in the price, availability or legal or regulatory status of those instruments may adversely impact the operation of the digital asset trading venues and the Bitcoin network. The realization of any of these risks could result in a decline in the acceptance of bitcoin and consequently a reduction in the value of bitcoin and Shares of the Fund. Such occurrences could also impair the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective pursuant to its investment strategy.

 

The Bitcoin network is maintained and secured by a group of validators who “mine” bitcoin, which involves contributing computer power to the network to validate transactions, maintain security and finalize settlement. The Bitcoin blockchain relies on a consensus mechanism whereby miners agree on the accurate state of the database. If a malicious actor (or group of actors) were to gain control of more than 50% the mining (or “hash”) power in the network, even temporarily, they would have the ability to block new transactions from being confirmed and could, over time, reverse or reorder prior transactions. Although it may be challenging for a malicious actor (or group of actors) to gain control of 50% of the mining (or “hash”) power in the Bitcoin blockchain, such an attack would significantly impact the value of bitcoin.

 

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Ether Risk. Although the Fund does not hold ether directly, it invests in companies whose value is directly related to the value of ether. Accordingly, a significant drop in the value of ether will negatively impact the value of shares of the Fund. Ether is a relatively new innovation and the market for ether is subject to rapid price swings, changes and uncertainty. The further development of the Ethereum network and the acceptance and use of ether are subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. The slowing, stopping or reversing of the development of the Ethereum network or the acceptance of ether may adversely affect the price of ether. Ether is subject to the risk of fraud, theft, manipulation or security failures, operational or other problems that impact the digital asset trading venues on which ether trades. The Ethereum blockchain, including the smart contracts running on the Ethereum blockchain, may contain flaws that can be exploited by hackers. A significant portion of ether is held by a small number of holders sometimes referred to as “whales.” Transactions of these holders may influence the price of ether.

 

Unlike the exchanges for more traditional assets, such as equity securities, ether and the digital asset trading venues on which it trades 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 ether in a way that artificially increases the price of ether). Investors may be more exposed to the risk of theft, fraud and market manipulation than when investing in more traditional asset classes. Over the past several years, a number of digital asset trading venues have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches. Investors in 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 Ethereum network or restrict the use of ether. The Fund may also be negatively impacted by regulatory enforcement actions against the digital asset trading venues upon which ether trades. Such actions could significantly reduce the number of venues upon which ether trades. In addition, digital asset trading venues, ether validators and other participants may have significant exposure to other digital assets. Instability in the price, availability or legal or regulatory status of those instruments may adversely impact the operation of the digital asset trading venues and the Ethereum network. The realization of any of these risks could result in a decline in the acceptance of ether and consequently a reduction in the value of ether and Shares of the Fund. Such occurrences could also impair the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective pursuant to its investment strategy.

 

The Ethereum network is maintained and secured by a group of validators who post (or “stake”) ether to the network, and then work to validate transactions and finalize settlement on the blockchain. The staked ether works like collateral to ensure that the validators act honestly and provide a high quality of service; if they fail, the network can seize (or “slash”) the staked ether. The decentralized nature of the Ethereum blockchain makes it vulnerable to certain types of attacks if there is a significant concentration in the ownership or control of the total amount of staked ether. Although the blockchain has certain protections in place that may allow it to restore the ability to finalize transactions over time, any failure to finalize transactions – whether temporary or ongoing – could significantly impact the value of ether. Additionally, if a malicious actor (or group of actors) were to gain control of more than 50% of all staked ether, even temporarily, that actor (or group of actors) would be able to censor transactions, double-spend ether in certain situations, and re-order recently added blocks to extract value from arbitrage. Although it may be challenging for a malicious actor (or group of actors) to gain control of 50% of all staked ether, such an attack would significantly impact the value of ether. Finally, if a malicious actor (or group of actors) were to gain control of more than 66% of all staked ether, even temporarily, they would have additional and significant powers, including the ability to do long-range reorganizations of the blockchain’s history, double-spend ether in many situations, and censor transactions, as the Ethereum blockchain’s protocol grants a supermajority (i.e. 66% or more) of staked ether the ability to reverse finality on the blockchain without having their staked ether slashed. Although it may be challenging for a malicious actor (or group of actors) to gain control of 66% of all staked ether, such an attack would significantly impact the value of ether.

 

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A blockchain is a public database that is updated, shared and maintained across many computers in a network. The software that powers a blockchain is known as its protocol. Like all software, these protocols may update or change from time-to-time. In the case of the Ethereum protocol, updates are made based on proposals submitted by developers, but only if a majority of the users and validators adopt the new proposals and update their individual copies of the protocol. Certain upgrade proposals to a blockchain may not be accepted by all the participants in an ecosystem. If one significant group adopts a proposed upgrade and another does not – or if groups adopt different upgrades – this can result in a “fork” of the blockchain, wherein two distinct sets of users and validators or users and miners run two different versions of a protocol. If the versions are sufficiently different such that the two versions of the protocol cannot simultaneously maintain and update a shared record of the blockchain database, it is called a “hard fork.” A hard fork can result in the creation of two competing blockchains, each with its own native crypto assets. A large-scale fork could introduce risk, uncertainty, or confusion into the Ethereum blockchains, or could fraction the value of the main blockchain and its native crypto asset, which could significantly impact the value of ether.

 

While the Ethereum blockchain has, to date, been one of the most successful blockchains as measured by market capitalization, daily active users, or hosted applications, there is no guarantee that it will maintain this leadership position in the future. Over the years, developers have created multiple competing public blockchains that, similar to the Ethereum blockchain, are designed to support the development, deployment and operation of smart contracts. Many of these competing blockchains have certain technical advantages as compared to the Ethereum blockchain, including faster processing and settlement times, higher throughput and lower fees. The Ethereum blockchain has, during multiple moments in its history, become “congested,” meaning that the blockchain could not rapidly process all of the transactions that had been proposed by users. This has led to slow processing times, delayed settlement, and significant spikes in the fees paid to have transactions processed. It is possible that existing and/or new blockchains may be able to take users, investment and future growth away from the Ethereum blockchain by offering greater throughput or other advantageous features. If these blockchains are successful, it could harm the price of ether. In addition, one way that the Ethereum ecosystem has attempted to address the issue of throughput (also called “scalability”) is by the development of “Layer 2” scaling solutions. Layer 2 scaling solutions are separate blockchains built on top of “Layer 1” blockchains like Ethereum for the purpose of augmenting the throughput of the Layer 1 blockchain, and often, providing lower fees for transaction processing and/or faster settlement times. Layer 2 solutions are commonly considered the primary way that the Ethereum network is expected to scale in the future. Layer 2 blockchains introduce certain risks into the Ethereum ecosystem that should be considered. For instance, Layer 2 blockchains are a relatively new and still developing technology. Technological issues – including hacks, bugs, or failures – could introduce risk or harm confidence in the Ethereum ecosystem, which could negatively impact the price of ether. In addition, users may choose to settle an increasing share of transactions on Layer 2 blockchains, which could negatively impact the transaction activity on, and the amount of fee revenue generated by, the Ethereum blockchain itself, which could negatively impact the price of ether. Any developments with Layer 2 blockchains that negatively impact the price of ether will negatively impact the value of the Fund.

 

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China A-Shares Investment Risk. The liquidity of the A-shares market and trading prices of A-shares could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of other markets because the Chinese government restricts the flow of capital into and out of the A-shares market. The Fund may experience losses due to illiquidity of the Chinese securities markets or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades. The Fund’s investments in A-shares may become subject to frequent and widespread trading halts.

 

In addition, Stock Connect, which is a securities trading and clearing link between the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, only operates on days when the Chinese and Hong Kong stock markets are each open for trading and when banks in each market are open on the corresponding settlement days. The Fund may purchase and sell A-shares through Stock Connect only on days when Stock Connect and U.S. markets are open for trading. Therefore, if it is a normal trading day for the Chinese market but Hong Kong and/or U.S. markets are closed, the Fund will not be able to trade any A-shares. The Fund may be subject to the risk of price fluctuations in A-shares on such days. The Fund is also subject to the risk that it will not be able to buy or sell A-shares in a timely manner on days when the U.S. markets are open but Stock Connect is not.

 

China Risk. The Fund’s investments in instruments that provide exposure to Chinese companies subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. China is an emerging market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability.

 

Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Internal social unrest or confrontations with neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation.

 

China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund’s investments. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Fund’s investments may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies.

 

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Chinese companies are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies.

 

Common Stock Risk. Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company and, therefore, takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. The value of the common stock held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or facts relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

 

Crypto Asset Risk. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to the risks associated with investing in crypto assets, including cryptocurrencies and crypto tokens. Such companies may be subject to the risk that the technology that facilitates the transfer of a cryptocurrency could fail or be affected by connectivity disruptions, fraud, or cyber attacks; that because crypto assets are a new technological innovation with a limited history, they are highly speculative assets; that future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use a crypto asset; that the price of a crypto asset may be impacted by the transactions of a small number of holders of such crypto asset; and that a crypto asset will decline in popularity, acceptance or use, thereby impairing its price.

 

Currency Exchange Rate Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies, changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your shares. Because the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund’s NAV could decline if the currency of the non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the value of the Fund’s holdings, measured in the foreign currency, increases. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. Such events may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity and could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the securities issuers or the Fund’s third-party service providers can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed.

 

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Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary receipts such as ADRs and GDRs are subject to the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. In addition, investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

 

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 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, and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

 

Emerging Markets Securities Risk. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the Adviser’s ability to evaluate local companies and impact the Fund’s performance. Investments in securities of issuers in emerging markets may also be exposed to risks related to a lack of liquidity, greater potential for market manipulation, issuers’ limited reliable access to capital, and foreign investment structures. Additionally, the Fund may have limited rights and remedies available to it to pursue claims against issuers in emerging markets.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to expropriation, nationalization or adverse political or economic developments. Foreign securities may have relatively low market liquidity and decreased publicly available information about issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to inconsistent and potentially less stringent accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, where all or a portion of the Fund’s portfolio holdings trade in markets that are closed when the Fund’s market is open, there may be valuation differences that could lead to differences between the Fund’s market price and the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings.

 

Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.

 

Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests may have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments.

 

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Index Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. To the extent the Fund utilizes a sampling approach, it may experience tracking error to a greater extent than if the Fund sought to replicate the Index.

 

Industry Concentration Risk.  Because the Fund’s assets will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries. The list below is not a comprehensive list of the industries to which the Fund may have exposure over time and should not be relied on as such. As of July 1, 2024, the Index was concentrated in the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Industry.

 

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Industry Risk. The technology relating to the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry ecosystem is new and developing and the risks associated with crypto assets may not fully emerge until the technology is widely used. Technologies utilizing cryptography are used by companies to optimize their business practices, whether by using the technology within their business or operating business lines involved in the operation of the technology. Cryptography refers to a set of techniques designed to allow for secure communication in the presence of adversarial behavior. Blockchain is a well-known example of a technology that relies on cryptography. A blockchain is comprised of unchangeable, digitally recorded data in packages called “blocks.” These digitally recorded blocks of data are stored in a linear “chain.” Each block in the chain contains data (e.g., a transaction), that is cryptographically connected to the previous-block in the chain, ensuring all data in the overall “blockchain” has not been tampered with and remains unchanged. The cryptographic keys necessary to transact a crypto asset may be subject to theft, loss, or destruction, which could adversely affect a company’s business or operations if it were dependent on such an asset. Competing platforms and technologies may be developed such that consumers or investors use an alternative to crypto assets. There may be risks posed by the lack of regulation for crypto assets and any future regulatory developments could affect the viability and expansion of the use of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies. Recently, U.S. securities regulators have brought actions against companies operating in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry ecosystem for violations of U.S. securities laws. To the extent such an action is brought against a company held by the Fund, the value of such a holding could decrease significantly. Because companies operating in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry ecosystem may operate across many national boundaries and regulatory jurisdictions, it is possible that such companies may be subject to widespread and inconsistent regulation. Blockchain and cryptocurrency industry companies that rely on third party products may be subject to technical defects or vulnerabilities beyond a company’s control. Because many crypto assets do not have a standardized exchange, like a stock market, there is less liquidity for such assets and greater possibility of volatility, fraud or manipulation. The values of certain companies included in the Fund’s portfolio may not entirely be a reflection of their connection to the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry ecosystem, but may be based on other business operations. In addition, these companies may engage in other lines of business unrelated to the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry ecosystem and these lines of business could adversely affect their operating results. Such companies may be engaged in activities traditionally comprising the information technology sector and financial sectors. These companies also may not be able to develop crypto technology applications or may not be able to capitalize on those applications. Technologies also may never be fully implemented, which could adversely affect an investment in such companies. Companies that use crypto technologies may be subject to cybersecurity risk. In addition, certain features of blockchain and cryptocurrency industry technologies, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of crypto technologies and adversely affect companies included in the Fund’s portfolio. Blockchain and cryptocurrency industry companies may be subject to the risks posed by conflicting intellectual property claims, which may reduce confidence in the viability of a crypto asset.

 

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Certain of the Fund’s investments, including investments in companies with direct holdings of crypto assets may be subject to the risks associated with investing in such assets. Such companies may be subject to the risk that: the technology that facilitates the transfer of the crypto asset could fail; the decentralized, open source protocol of the blockchain network utilized by a company held by the Fund could be affected by Internet connectivity disruptions, fraud, consensus failures or cybersecurity attacks; such network may not be adequately maintained by its participants; because crypto assets are a new technological innovation with a limited history, they are highly speculative assets and may experience extreme price volatility; future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use a crypto asset; the price of a crypto asset may be impacted by the transactions of a small number of holders of such asset; and that a crypto asset will decline in popularity, acceptance or use, thereby impairing its price.

 

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Industry Regulatory Risk. Digital asset markets in the U.S. exist in a state of regulatory uncertainty, and adverse legislative or regulatory developments could significantly harm the value of the Fund’s Shares, such as by banning, restricting or imposing onerous conditions or prohibitions on the use of ether, bitcoin, validating or mining activity, digital wallets, the provision of services related to trading and custodying digital assets, the operation of the Ethereum network or Bitcoin network, or the digital asset markets generally. Such occurrences could also impair the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective pursuant to its investment strategy.

 

IPO Risk. Shares issued by companies that have recently conducted an IPO are often subject to extreme price volatility and speculative trading due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer’s business model, quality of management, earnings growth potential and other criteria used to evaluate its investment prospects. Such stocks may have exhibited price appreciation in connection with the IPO that is not sustained, and it is not uncommon for stocks to decline in value in the period following the IPO. In addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to obtain allocable portions of IPO shares. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Investors in IPO shares can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.

 

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Issuer-Specific Risk. Fund performance depends on the performance of the issuers to which the Fund has exposure. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

 

Large-Capitalization Risk. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may also be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.

 

Limited Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Risk. Because the Fund is an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”), only a limited number of institutional investors (known as “Authorized Participants”) are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly from the Fund. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occurs, the risk of which is higher during periods of market stress, shares of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV, possibly face delisting, and may experience wider bid-ask spreads: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Market Risk. The market price of an investment could decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of an investment also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries such as labor shortages, increased production costs, and competitive conditions. Local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the market generally and on specific investments. For example, in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic, the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected. As a result, whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to countries experiencing economic and financial difficulties, the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected.

 

Methodology Risk. The Fund seeks to track the performance of stocks of companies selected using a methodology developed by the Index Sponsor. No assurance can be given that companies selected according to the methodology will outperform stocks of other companies. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the methodology will generate or produce the intended results.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified under the 1940 Act, meaning that, as compared to a diversified fund, it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the performance of these issuers can have a substantial impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

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Operational Risk. The Fund and its service providers may experience disruptions that arise from human error, processing and communications errors, counterparty or third-party errors, technology or systems failures, any of which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and, therefore, the Fund would not sell a security due to current or projected underperformance of the security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or selling the security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index.

 

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one or more sectors and thus will be more susceptible to the risks affecting those sectors. While the Fund’s sector exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Index, the Fund anticipates that it may be subject to some or all of the risks described below. The list below is not a comprehensive list of the sectors to which the Fund may have exposure over time and should not be relied on as such. As of July 1, 2024, a significant portion of the Index consisted of companies in the Information Technology Sector.

 

Information Technology Sector Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, the loss of patent, copyright and trademark protections, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies may also be smaller and less experienced companies, with limited product lines, markets or financial resources and fewer experienced management or marketing personnel. Information technology company stocks, especially those which are Internet related, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that are often unrelated to their operating performance.

 

Small- and Mid-Capitalization Risk. The small- and mid-capitalization companies in which the Fund invests may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies, and may underperform other segments of the market or the equity market as a whole. Securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes, are often more vulnerable to market volatility, and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole.

 

Trading Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) above (premium) or below (discount) their NAV. The NAV of shares of the Fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand and may deviate significantly from the value of the Fund’s holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay more or receive less than the underlying value of the Fund shares bought or sold. When buying or selling shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask), which is known as the bid-ask spread. In addition, although the Fund’s shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares of the Fund inadvisable. In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings. In such a circumstance, the Fund’s shares could trade at a premium or discount to their NAV.

 

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Performance Information

 

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods compare with the average annual total returns of the Index and the S&P 500® Index. All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.bitqetf.com or by calling toll-free 833-365-2487.

 

Annual Total Returns as of 12/31*

 

 

*The performance information shown above is based on a calendar year. The Fund’s year-to-date return as of June 30, 2024 was 16.19%.

 

Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)

 

  Return Quarter/Year
Highest Return 76.04% Q4/2023
Lowest Return -67.94% Q2/2022

 

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2023

 

Bitwise Crypto Innovators ETF 1 Year Since Inception
(05-11-2021)
Return Before Taxes 245.36% -23.62%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 243.40% -24.12%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 145.35% -17.05%
Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) 239.46% -24.22%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) 26.29% 7.08%

 

After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of shares of the Fund at the end of the measurement period.

 

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Investment Adviser

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Andrew Serowik, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2021.

 

Todd Alberico, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2021.

 

Gabriel Tan, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2021.

 

Brian Cooper, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2022.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund issues shares to, and redeems shares from, certain institutional investors known as “Authorized Participants” (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions for the Fund are generally conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of securities constituting a substantial replication, or a representation, of the securities included in the Index and a specified amount of cash. Individual shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market through a broker or dealer at a market price. The Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The price of the Fund’s shares is based on a market price and, because exchange-traded fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at www.bitqetf.com.

 

Tax Information

 

Distributions made by the Fund may be taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or long-term capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account (“IRA”). In that case, you may be taxed when you take a distribution from such account, depending on the type of account, the circumstances of your distribution, and other factors.

 

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), the 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 intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

BIT-SM-001-0400

 

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