As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2023
Registration No. 333-254652
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 3
to
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
FIDELITY® WISE ORIGIN® BITCOIN FUND
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 86-6606379 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
c/o FD Funds Management LLC
Rachel Nelson
245 Summer Street V13E
Boston, MA 02210
(800) 343-3548
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrants principal executive offices)
Copy to:
Morrison C. Warren, Esq.,
Chapman and Cutler LLP
320 South Canal Street
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 845-3484
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box: ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | |||
Emerging growth company | ☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this Preliminary 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 Preliminary Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion Dated December 29, 2023
PROSPECTUS
Shares
Fidelity® Wise Origin® Bitcoin Fund
The Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Trust) is an exchange-traded product that issues shares of beneficial interest (the Shares) that trade on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the Exchange). The Trusts investment objective is to seek to track the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the performance of the Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate (the Index), adjusted for the Trusts expenses and other liabilities. The Index is constructed using bitcoin price feeds from eligible bitcoin spot markets and a volume-weighted median price (VWMP) methodology, calculated every 15 seconds based on VWMP spot market data over rolling sixty-minute increments. The Index is designed to reflect the performance of bitcoin in U.S. dollars. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin and will value its Shares daily based on the same methodology used to calculate the Index. FD Funds Management LLC (the Sponsor) is the sponsor of the Trust, Delaware Trust Company (the Trustee) is the trustee of the Trust, State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street or the Transfer Agent) is the Trusts transfer agent (in such capacity, the Transfer Agent) and cash custodian (in such capacity, the Cash Custodian), and Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC (FDAS or the Custodian) is the custodian for the Trust, and will hold all of the Trusts bitcoin on the Trusts behalf. Jane Street Capital, LLC is the Trusts initial Authorized Participant.
The Trust is an exchange-traded product. When the Trust sells or redeems its Shares, it will do so in blocks of 25,000 Shares (a Basket) based on the quantity of bitcoin attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid expenses and liabilities). For a subscription for Shares, the subscription shall be in the amount of cash needed to purchase the amount of bitcoin represented by the Basket being created, as calculated by the Administrator (as defined below). For a redemption of Shares, the Sponsor shall arrange for the bitcoin represented by the Basket to be sold and the cash proceeds distributed. Financial firms that are authorized to purchase or redeem Shares with the Trust (known as Authorized Participants) will deliver, or facilitate the delivery of, cash to the Trusts account with the Cash Custodian in exchange for Shares when they purchase Shares, and the Trust will deliver cash to such Authorized Participants when they redeem Shares with the Trust. Shares initially comprising the same Basket but offered by the Authorized Participants to the public at different times may have different offering prices, which depend on various factors, including the supply and demand for Shares, the value of the Trusts assets, and market conditions at the time of a transaction. The initial price per Share is $40 and was selected as an appropriate and convenient price that would facilitate secondary market trading of Shares. Owners of the beneficial interests of Shares (Shareholders) who buy or sell Shares during the day from their broker on the secondary market may do so at a premium or discount relative to the per Share net asset value of the Trust.
Shareholders who decide to buy or sell Shares of the Trust will place their trade orders through their brokers and will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the Shares. The Shares are expected to be listed for trading, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange under the ticker symbol FBTC.
The offering of an indeterminate amount of the Trusts Shares is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act). The offering is intended to be a continuous offering and is not expected to terminate until three years from the date of the original offering unless extended as permitted by applicable rules under the 1933 Act. The Trust is not a fund registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), and is not subject to regulation under the 1940 Act. Investors in the Trust will not, therefore, receive the regulatory protections afforded by funds registered under the 1940 Act. The Sponsor is not an Investment Adviser (as defined in Section 202(a)(11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Advisers Act)), and therefore the Sponsors provision of services to the Trust will not be governed by the Advisers Act and is not subject to a fiduciary standard of care. The Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the CEA), and the Sponsor is not subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC) as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor. Shareholders in the Trust will not benefit from the protections afforded to investors in bitcoin futures contracts on regulated futures markets. The Trusts Shares are neither interests in nor obligations of the Sponsor or the Trustee.
AN INVESTMENT IN THE TRUST INVOLVES SIGNIFICANT RISKS AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SHAREHOLDERS WHO ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO ACCEPT MORE RISK THAN MAY BE INVOLVED WITH EXCHANGE-TRADED PRODUCTS THAT DO NOT HOLD BITCOIN. THE SHARES ARE SPECULATIVE SECURITIES. THEIR PURCHASE INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND YOU COULD LOSE YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT. YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ALL RISK FACTORS BEFORE INVESTING IN THE TRUST. PLEASE REFER TO RISK FACTORS BEGINNING ON PAGE 11.
THE SHARES OF THE TRUST ARE NEITHER INTERESTS IN NOR OBLIGATIONS OF THE SPONSOR, THE TRUSTEE, THE ADMINISTRATOR, THE TRANSFER AGENT, THE DISTRIBUTOR, THE CUSTODIAN OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES. THE SHARES ARE NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.
NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE SECURITIES OFFERED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
THE TRUST IS AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY AS THAT TERM IS USED IN THE JUMPSTART OUR BUSINESS STARTUPS ACT AND, AS SUCH, MAY ELECT TO COMPLY WITH CERTAIN REDUCED REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
The date of this Prospectus is , 2024
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This Prospectus contains information you should consider when making an investment decision about the Shares of the Trust. You may rely on the information contained in this Prospectus. The Trust and the Sponsor have not authorized any person to provide you with different information and, if anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell the Shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the Shares is not permitted.
The Shares of the Trust are not registered for public sale in any jurisdiction other than the United States.
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STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Prospectus includes forward-looking statements that generally relate to future events or future performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as may, will, should, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this Prospectus that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as movements in the digital asset markets and indexes that track such movements, the Trusts operations, the Sponsors plans and references to the Trusts future success and other similar matters, are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor has made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances.
Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsors expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the special considerations discussed in this Prospectus, general economic, market and business conditions, changes in laws or regulations, including those concerning taxes, made by governmental authorities or regulatory bodies, and other world economic and political developments. Consequently, all the forward-looking statements made in this Prospectus are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that actual results or developments the Sponsor anticipates will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the expected consequences to, or have the expected effects on, the Trusts operations or the value of its Shares.
Should one or more of these risks discussed in Risk Factors or other uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those described in forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on the Sponsors beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty or undertakes an obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, other than as required by applicable laws. Moreover, neither the Trust, the Sponsor, nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Investors are therefore cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
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This is only a summary of the Prospectus and, while it contains material information about the Trust and its Shares, it does not contain or summarize all of the information about the Trust and the Shares contained in this Prospectus that is material and/or which may be important to you. You should read this entire Prospectus before making an investment decision about the Shares.
As used below, Bitcoin with an uppercase B is used to describe the system as a whole that is involved in maintaining the ledger of bitcoin ownership and facilitating the transfer of bitcoin among parties. When referring to the digital asset within the Bitcoin network, bitcoin is written with a lower case b.
Overview of the Trust
The Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Trust) is an exchange-traded product that issues shares of beneficial interest (the Shares) that seeks to list and trade on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the Exchange). The Trusts investment objective is to seek to track the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the performance of the Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate (the Index), adjusted for the Trusts expenses and other liabilities. The Index is constructed using bitcoin price feeds from eligible bitcoin spot markets and a volume-weighted median price (VWMP) methodology, calculated every 15 seconds based on VWMP spot market data over rolling sixty-minute increments. The Index is designed to reflect the performance of bitcoin in U.S. dollars. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin. The Trust is sponsored by FD Funds Management LLC (the Sponsor), a wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC.
The Trust provides exposure to the value of bitcoin, and the Shares of the Trust are valued on a daily basis using the same methodology used to calculate the Index. The Trust provides investors with the opportunity to access the market for bitcoin through a traditional brokerage account without the potential barriers to entry or risks involved with holding or transferring bitcoin directly, acquiring it from a bitcoin spot market, or mining it. The Trust is passively managed and does not pursue active management investment strategies. The Trust will custody its bitcoin at an affiliate of the Sponsor, Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC (FDAS or the Custodian), a New York state limited purpose trust company that provides custody and trade execution services for digital assets. The Trust will not invest in derivatives. The Sponsor believes that the Shares are designed to provide investors with a cost-effective and convenient way to invest in bitcoin without purchasing, holding and trading bitcoin directly.
The Shareholders of the Trust take no part in the management or control, and have no voice in, the Trusts operations or business. Except in limited circumstances, Shareholders will have no voting rights under the Trust Agreement (as defined below).
The Trust, the Sponsor and the Trusts service providers will not loan or pledge the Trusts assets, nor will the Trusts assets serve as collateral for any loan or similar arrangement, except as it might relate to facilitating the settlement of transactions.
The Trust will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar arrangements in seeking to meet its investment objective.
Bitcoin and the Bitcoin network
The Bitcoin network is a decentralized, open source protocol of a peer-to-peer network. No single entity owns or operates the Bitcoin network. Bitcoin is not issued by any government or by banks or similar organizations. The infrastructure of the Bitcoin network is collectively maintained by a decentralized user base. The Bitcoin network is accessed through software, and software governs the creation, movement, and ownership
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of bitcoin, the unit of account on the Bitcoin network ledger. The value of bitcoin is determined, in part, by the supply of, and demand for, bitcoin in the global markets for trading bitcoin, market expectations for the adoption of bitcoin as a decentralized store of value and medium of exchange, the number of merchants and/or institutions that accept bitcoin as a form of payment and the volume of private end-user-to-end-user transactions.
Bitcoin transaction and ownership records are reflected on the Bitcoin Blockchain, which is a digital public record or ledger. Copies of this ledger are stored in a decentralized manner on the computers of each Bitcoin network node (a node is a computer that runs the software of the Bitcoin network, allowing it to store and validate transactions on the network). Transaction data is permanently recorded in files called blocks, which reflect transactions that have been recorded and authenticated by Bitcoin network participants. The Bitcoin network software source code includes protocols that govern the creation of new bitcoin and the cryptographic system that secures and verifies bitcoin transactions.
Bitcoin has generally exhibited high price volatility relative to more traditional asset classes. One volatility measure, standard deviation, is based on the variability of historical price returns. A higher standard deviation indicates a wider dispersion of past price returns and thus greater historical volatility. The table below provides information regarding the price return of bitcoin and its volatility from December 31, 2021 to October 31, 2023. Standard deviation is annualized.
Asset |
Mean (Absolute) (2) |
Minimum | Maximum | Mean (3) | Standard Deviation (4) |
|||||||||||||||
Bitcoin (1) |
2.00 | % | -15.78 | % | 14.49 | % | 0.00 | % | 56.10 | % |
(1) | Reflects daily price returns determined under the Sponsors valuation policy for the period from 4:00 p.m. EST on December 31, 2021 through 4:00 p.m. EST on October 31, 2023. |
(2) | Mean (Absolute) is the average absolute price return computed by taking the average of daily (4:00 p.m. EST to 4:00 p.m. EST) absolute price returns of an asset. |
(3) | Mean is the average price return computed by taking the average of daily (4:00 p.m. EST to 4:00 p.m. EST) price returns of an asset. |
(4) | Standard Deviation is the annualized price return volatility computed by taking the standard deviation of daily (4:00 p.m. EST to 4:00 p.m. EST) price returns for an asset and annualizing it using a 365-day factor. |
There can be no assurance as to the future performance of bitcoin; the past performance and volatility of bitcoin should not be taken as an indication of future performance or volatility.
For more information on bitcoin and the Bitcoin network, see Bitcoin, Bitcoin Markets and Regulation of Bitcoin below.
The Trusts Investment Objective
The Trusts investment objective is to seek to track the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the Index, adjusted for the Trusts expenses and other liabilities. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin and will value its Shares daily as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (EST) using the same methodology used to calculate the Index. All of the Trusts bitcoin will be held by the Custodian.
The Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate
The Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate is designed to reflect the performance of bitcoin in U.S. dollars. The Index is constructed using bitcoin price feeds from eligible bitcoin spot markets and the VWMP methodology, calculated every 15 seconds based on VWMP spot market data over rolling sixty-minute increments to develop a
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bitcoin price composite. The Index methodology was developed by Fidelity Product Services LLC (the Index Provider) and is monitored by the Fidelity Index Committee (the Committee) with the assistance of the Fidelity Digital Asset Indices Advisory Committee. Coin Metrics, Inc. is the third-party calculation agent (Calculation Agent) for the Index.
The Trust is entitled to use the Index pursuant to a licensing arrangement with the Index Provider. As the Index is calculated as a price return, it does not track forks or air drops involving bitcoin. Accordingly, the Trust will not normally hold forked or air dropped assets, as further described below in Risk factors The inability to recognize the economic benefit of a fork or an air drop could adversely impact an investment in the Trust.
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in the Trust involves risks described in the section below entitled Risk Factors and elsewhere in this Prospectus. Some of these risks are summarized below.
Risks associated with bitcoin and the Bitcoin network.
The Bitcoin network has a limited history relative to traditional commodities and currencies. There is no assurance that use or acceptance of bitcoin will continue to grow. A contraction in use or adoption of bitcoin may result in increased volatility or a reduction in the price of bitcoin, which would likely have an adverse impact on the value of the Shares. Sales of newly created or mined bitcoin may cause the price of bitcoin to decline, which could negatively affect an investment in the Shares. Bitcoin trading prices experience high levels of volatility, and in some cases such volatility has been sudden and extreme. Because of such volatility, owners of beneficial interests of Shares (Shareholders) could lose all or substantially all of their investment in the Trust in a very short time, even in the course of one day. Shareholders who invest in the Trust should actively manage and monitor their investments.
The Bitcoin network could cease to be a focal point for developer activity, and there is no assurance that the most active developers who participate in monitoring and upgrading the software protocols on which the Bitcoin network is based will continue to do so in the future, which could damage the network or reduce bitcoins competitiveness with competing digital assets or blockchain protocols.
Spot markets on which bitcoin trades are relatively new and largely unregulated, and, therefore, may be more exposed to fraud and security breaches than established, regulated exchanges for other financial assets or instruments, which could have a negative impact on the performance of the Trust. Disruptions at bitcoin spot markets, futures markets and in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets could adversely affect the availability of bitcoin and the ability of Authorized Participants (as defined below) to purchase or sell bitcoin or bitcoin derivatives (or provide cash in relation thereto) and therefore their ability to create and redeem Shares of the Trust. The loss or destruction of certain private keys, including by the Custodian, could prevent the Trust from accessing its bitcoin. Loss of these private keys may be irreversible and could result in the loss of all or substantially all of an investment in the Trust. Loss of private keys may also impede the Trusts ability to operate, including by limiting the Trusts ability to transfer bitcoin in the face of a redemption request and forcing the Trust to consider liquidation.
Risks Associated with the Index
The failure of the Index methodology to measure the actual value of bitcoin could have an adverse effect on the Trust and on the value of an investment in the Trust. In addition, the value of bitcoin as calculated by the Index methodology may differ from the value of bitcoin calculated by other methodologies and the price of bitcoin on any single spot market.
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Risks Associated with Investing in the Trust
Shareholders may choose to use the Trust as a means of investing indirectly in bitcoin. As noted, there are significant risks and hazards inherent in the bitcoin market that may cause the price of bitcoin to fluctuate widely. Shareholders considering a purchase of Shares of the Trust should carefully consider what percentage of their total assets should be exposed to the bitcoin market, and should fully understand, be willing to assume, and have the financial resources necessary to withstand, the risks involved in the Trusts investment strategy, and be in a position to bear the potential loss of their entire investment in the Trust. Because the value of bitcoin, and thus the value of the Shares, may be extremely volatile, Shareholders will need to monitor their investment frequently.
There is no assurance that the Trust will generate a profit for investors. In addition, an actual or perceived breach of the Trusts account with the Custodian could harm the Trusts operations, result in partial or total loss of the Trusts assets, damage the Trusts reputation and negatively affect the market perception of the effectiveness of the Trust, all of which could in turn reduce demand for the Shares, resulting in a reduction in the price of the Shares. The Trust may also cease operations, the occurrence of which could similarly result in a reduction in the price of the Shares. Any investment made in the Trust may result in a total loss of the investment.
The Trusts return will not match the performance of the Index because the Trust incurs operating expenses. Moreover, the net asset value (NAV) of the Trust may deviate from the market price of its Shares for a number of reasons, including price volatility, trading activity, normal trading hours for the Trust, the calculation methodology of the NAV, and/or the closing of bitcoin trading platforms due to fraud, failure, security breaches or otherwise.
The amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will continue to be reduced during the life of the Trust due to the transfer of the Trusts bitcoin to pay for the Sponsor Fee and other liabilities.
Pricing Information Available on the Exchange and Other Sources
The current market price per Share (symbol: FBTC) will be published continuously as trades occur throughout each trading day on the consolidated tape by market data vendors.
The intra-day indicative value per Share will be published by the Exchange once every 15 seconds throughout each trading day on the consolidated tape by market data vendors.
The most recent end-of-day NAV will be published as of the close of business by market data vendors and available on the Sponsors website at www.fidelity.com, or any successor thereto, and will be published on the consolidated tape.
Any adjustments made to the Index will be published on the Sponsors website at i.fidelity.com/indices.
The intra-day levels and closing levels of the Index are published by the Index Provider, and the closing NAV is published by the Administrator (as defined below).
The Shares are not issued, sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Exchange, and the Exchange makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Shares.
The Index Provider makes no warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of the Index for any purpose. Index information and any other data calculated and/or disseminated, in whole or part, by the Index Provider is for informational purposes only, not intended for trading
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purposes, and provided on an as is basis. The Index Provider does not warrant that the Index information will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that defects will be corrected. The Index Provider also does not recommend or make any representation as to possible benefits from any securities or investments, or third-party products or services. Shareholders should undertake their own due diligence regarding securities and investment practices.
For more information on the Index and the Index Provider, see The Trust and Bitcoin Prices below.
The Trusts Legal Structure
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust, formed on March 17, 2021 pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. The Trust continuously issues common shares representing fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust that may be purchased and sold on the Exchange. The Trust will operate pursuant to an Amended and Restated Trust Agreement (the Trust Agreement). Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, is the Delaware trustee of the Trust (the Trustee). The Trust is managed and controlled by the Sponsor. The Sponsor is a limited liability company formed in the state of Delaware on August 23, 2019.
The Trusts Service Providers
The Sponsor
The Sponsor, FD Funds Management LLC, arranged for the creation of the Trust and is responsible for the ongoing registration of the Shares for their public offering in the United States and the listing of Shares on the Exchange. The Sponsors principal address is 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210. The Sponsor will develop a marketing plan for the Trust, will prepare marketing materials regarding the Shares of the Trust, and will exercise the marketing plan of the Trust on an ongoing basis. The Sponsor has agreed to pay all normal operating expenses except for Extraordinary Expenses (defined below) out of the Sponsors unified fee.
The Trustee
The Trustee, Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, acts as the trustee of the Trust as required to create a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the Declaration of Trust and the Delaware Statutory Trust Act.
The Administrator
Fidelity Service Company, Inc. serves as the Trusts administrator (the Administrator). The Administrators principal address is 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210. Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides necessary administrative, tax and accounting services and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust, including valuing the Trusts bitcoin and calculating the NAV per Share of the Trust and the NAV of the Trust and supplying pricing information to the Sponsor for the relevant website. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.
The Transfer Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as the transfer agent for the Trust. The Transfer Agent: (1) facilitates the issuance and redemption of Shares of the Trust; (2) responds to correspondence by Trust Shareholders and others relating to its duties; (3) maintains Shareholder accounts; and (4) makes periodic reports to the Trust. The Trusts Transfer Agent will facilitate the settlement of Shares in response to the placement of creation orders and redemption orders from financial firms that are authorized to purchase or redeem Shares with the Trust (Authorized Participants).
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The Custodian
Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC, an affiliate of the Sponsor, serves as the Trusts bitcoin custodian. The Custodians principal address is 640 Fifth Ave, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian is responsible for safekeeping all of the bitcoin owned by the Trust. The Custodian was selected by the Sponsor. The Sponsor is responsible for opening an account with the Custodian that holds the Trusts bitcoin (the Bitcoin Account), as well as facilitating the transfer or sale of bitcoin required for the operation of the Trust.
The Cash Custodian
State Street Bank and Trust Company also serves as the cash custodian for the Trust. The Cash Custodian is responsible for safekeeping all non-bitcoin assets of the Trust.
The Distributor
Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC or the Distributor) is responsible for reviewing and approving the marketing materials prepared by the Sponsor for compliance with applicable SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) advertising laws, rules, and regulations pursuant to a marketing agreement with the Trust. The principal business address of FDC is 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 1934 Act) and a member of FINRA.
Index Services
Fidelity Product Services LLC, an affiliate of the Sponsor, is responsible for oversight of the Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate. Coin Metrics, Inc. is the third-party, independent calculation agent for the Index.
The Trusts Fees and Expenses
The Trust will pay the Sponsor a unified fee of 0.39% of the Trusts net assets (the Sponsor Fee). The Sponsor Fee is paid by the Trust to the Sponsor as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement. The Administrator will calculate the Sponsor Fee in respect of each day by reference to the Trusts net asset value. The Sponsor Fee will accrue daily and be payable monthly in bitcoin or cash. The Sponsor may, at its sole discretion and from time to time, waive all or a portion of the Sponsor Fee for stated periods of time. The Sponsor is under no obligation to waive any portion of its fees and any such waiver shall create no obligation to waive any such fees during any period not covered by the waiver.
As partial consideration for its receipt of the Sponsor Fee, the Sponsor is obligated under the Trust Agreement to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the fees of the Trusts third-party service providers, including the Distributor, the Administrator, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, the Index Provider and the Trustee, (ii) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on the Exchange (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses), (iii) ordinary course legal fees and expenses, (iv) audit fees, (v) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, (vi) printing and mailing costs, (vii) costs of maintaining the Trusts website and (viii) applicable license fees (each, a Sponsor-paid Expense and collectively, the Sponsor-paid Expenses), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Extraordinary Expense will be deemed to be an Extraordinary Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense. There is no cap on the amount of Sponsor-paid Expenses. The Sponsor has also assumed all fees and expenses related to the organization and offering of the Trust and the Shares.
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The Trust may incur certain extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, brokerage and transaction costs associated with the sale or transfer of bitcoin, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders, any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively, Extraordinary Expenses). Under the terms of each Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participants will be responsible for any brokerage or transaction costs associated with the sale or transfer of bitcoin incurred in connection with the fulfillment of a creation or redemption order.
To the extent it does not have cash readily available, the Sponsor will cause the transfer or sale of bitcoin in such quantity as may be necessary to permit the payment of Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor or for payment of cash redemption proceeds to Authorized Participants. The Trust will seek to transfer or sell bitcoin at such times and in the smallest amounts required to permit such payments as they become due. With respect to transfers or sales necessary to pay Trust expenses and liabilities that are denominated other than in bitcoin, the amount of bitcoin transferred or sold may vary from time to time depending on the actual sales price of bitcoin relative to the Trusts expenses and liabilities (e.g., if the price of bitcoin falls, the amount of bitcoin needed to be transferred or sold to pay an expense or liability denominated in U.S. dollars will increase). To the extent the Trust must buy or sell bitcoin, the Trust may do so through a third-party digital asset broker or dealer, including affiliates of the Sponsor and the Custodian. The Sponsor will select third party brokers or dealers that it believes have implemented adequate anti-money laundering (AML), know-your-customer (KYC) and other legal compliance policies and procedures.
Custody of the Trusts Assets
The Trusts Custodian will maintain custody of all of the Trusts bitcoin, which will be held in a segregated account in the name of the Trust on the Custodians books and records. The Custodian will maintain the Trusts bitcoin in omnibus wallets along with the assets of other customers of the Custodian, and the Trusts bitcoin will be treated as fungible with the bitcoin of other customers of the Custodian. A portion of the bitcoin is held in hot storage, which requires private keys to be held online on the Custodians intranet, where they are more accessible and can be used for more efficient bitcoin transfers. A majority of the bitcoin held by the Custodian is held in offline (cold) storage, and the Custodian is solely responsible for managing the allocation of bitcoin in hot and cold storage and does not publicly disclose what percentage of bitcoin is held in cold storage. The Trust, as client of the Custodian, performs regular diligence of operational practices of the Custodian, including practices related to the allocation of assets held in cold or hot storage.
Within such omnibus hot and cold wallets, the Custodian has represented to the Sponsor that it keeps a substantial majority of assets in cold wallets (generally targeting greater than 98%), to promote security, while the balance of assets is kept in hot wallets to facilitate timely withdrawals. The Custodian has represented to the Sponsor that the percentage of assets maintained in cold versus hot storage including target percentages may change over time and is determined by ongoing risk analysis and market dynamics, in which the Custodian balances anticipated liquidity needs for its customers as a class against the anticipated greater security of cold storage. The Sponsor has no control over the percentage of bitcoin that the Custodian maintains in omnibus cold wallets versus omnibus hot wallets.
Cold storage is a safeguarding method with multiple layers of protections and protocols, by which the private key(s) corresponding to the Trusts bitcoin is (are) generated and stored in an offline manner. When the Custodian transfers bitcoin from cold storage to a hot wallet, it does so by sending bitcoin over the Bitcoin
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network. Private keys are generated on devices that are not and never have been connected to the internet so that they are resistant to being hacked. The Custodian has multiple, redundant cold storage sites, which are geographically distributed including sites within the United States. Cold storage locations of the Custodian are monitored by 24x7 on-site security, video surveillance and alarms, and hardened room structures, and access to these facilities is controlled by multi-person controls, multi-team access rules, and multi-factor authentication. The private keys related to the Trusts bitcoin are not accessible to any person or entity except the Custodian, including the Sponsor. The Sponsor and the Trusts service providers will have the ability to verify the existence of the Trusts bitcoin through information provided from the Custodian.
Cold storage of private keys may involve keeping such keys on a non-networked computer or electronic device or storing the private keys on a storage device or printed medium and deleting the keys from all computers. The Custodian may receive deposits of bitcoin but may not send bitcoin without use of the corresponding private keys. Outbound bitcoin transfers require cryptographic signing by the Custodian using private keys, which are protected using high standards of physical, cyber, and operational controls.
The Trust generally does not intend to hold cash or cash equivalents except for cash received from Authorized Participants in connection with a creation transaction or cash held by the Trust pending distribution to Authorized Participants in a redemption transaction or payment of Trust expenses. The Trust has entered into a cash custody agreement (the Cash Custody Agreement) with the Cash Custodian under which the Cash Custodian acts as custodian of the Trusts cash. The Trust is obligated to convert any cash contributed to bitcoin as soon as practicable, except to the extent necessary for a redemption transaction or to pay expenses.
The Trust may change the custodial arrangements described in this Prospectus at any time without notice to Shareholders. To the extent a change in custodial arrangements is deemed material by the Sponsor, the Trust will notify Shareholders in a prospectus supplement and/or a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports.
The Shares
The Trust will issue Shares, which represent fractional undivided beneficial interests in and ownership of the Trust. Shares issued by the Trust will be registered in a book entry system and held in the name of Cede & Co. at the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (DTC), and one or more global certificates issued by the Trust to DTC will evidence the Shares. Shareholders may hold their Shares through DTC if they are direct participants in DTC (DTC Participants) or indirectly through entities (such as broker-dealers) that are DTC Participants.
Net Asset Value
Net Asset Value means the total assets of the Trust including, but not limited to, all bitcoin and cash less total liabilities of the Trust.
The Administrator determines the NAV of the Trust on each day that the Exchange is open for regular trading, as promptly as practical after 4:00 p.m. EST. The NAV of the Trust is the aggregate value of the Trusts assets less its accrued but unpaid liabilities (which include accrued expenses). In determining the Trusts NAV, the Administrator values the bitcoin held by the Trust based on the price set by the Index as of 4:00 p.m. EST. The Administrator also determines the NAV per Share. For purposes of the Trusts financial statements, the Trust will utilize a pricing source that is consistent with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), as of the financial statement measurement date, which may result in valuations that differ from the Trusts daily NAV calculations. The Sponsor will determine in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Trusts financial statements in accordance with GAAP.
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Plan of Distribution
The Trust is an exchange-traded product. When the Trust sells or redeems its Shares, it will do so in blocks of 25,000 Shares (a Basket) based on the quantity of bitcoin attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid expenses and liabilities). For a subscription for Shares, the subscription shall be in the amount of cash needed to purchase the amount of bitcoin represented by the Basket being created, as calculated by the Administrator. For a redemption of Shares, the Sponsor shall arrange for the bitcoin represented by the Basket to be sold and the cash proceeds distributed. Authorized Participants will deliver, or facilitate the delivery of, cash to the Trusts account with the Cash Custodian in exchange for Shares when they purchase Shares, and the Trust will deliver cash to such Authorized Participants when they redeem Shares with the Trust. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process. Shares initially comprising the same Basket but offered by the Authorized Participants to the public at different times may have different offering prices, which depend on various factors, including the supply and demand for Shares, the value of the Trusts assets, and market conditions at the time of a transaction. Shareholders who buy or sell Shares during the day from their broker may do so at a premium or discount relative to the NAV of the Shares of the Trust.
Shareholders who decide to buy or sell Shares of the Trust will place their trade orders through their brokers and will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the Shares. The Shares are expected to be listed for trading, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange under the ticker symbol FBTC.
Federal Income Tax Considerations
It is expected that an owner of Shares will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as if they owned a proportionate share of the assets of the Trust. A shareholder will accordingly include in the computation of their taxable income their proportionate share of the income and expenses realized by the Trust. Each sale or other disposition of bitcoin by the Trust (including, under current Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance, the use of bitcoin to pay expenses of the Trust) will give rise to gain or loss and will therefore constitute a taxable event for some or all of the Shareholders. See United States Federal Income Tax ConsequencesTaxation of U.S. Shareholders.
Use of Proceeds
Proceeds received by the Trust from the issuance of Baskets consist of cash. Deposits of cash are held by the Cash Custodian on behalf of the Trust until (i) transferred in connection with the purchase of bitcoin, (ii) delivered out in connection with redemptions of Baskets or (iii) transferred to pay fees due to the Sponsor and Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor.
When the Trust uses cash proceeds from creation transactions to purchase bitcoin, the Trust will receive bitcoin from a third party that is not an Authorized Participant. The Trustnot any Authorized Participantis responsible for selecting the third party to deliver the bitcoin. Furthermore, the third party will not be acting as an agent of any Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of any Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem Shares by delivering bitcoin to a third party that is not an Authorized Participant. The Trustnot any Authorized Participantis responsible for selecting the third party to receive the bitcoin. In addition, the third party will not be acting as an agent of any Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of any Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
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Emerging Growth Company
The Trust is an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the JOBS Act). For as long as the Trust is an emerging growth company, unlike other public companies, it will not be required to, among other things: (i) provide an auditors attestation report on managements assessment of the effectiveness of its system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; or (ii) comply with any new audit rules adopted by the PCAOB after April 5, 2012, unless the SEC determines otherwise.
The Trust will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of (i) it having $1.0 billion or more in annual revenues, (ii) at least $700 million in market value of Shares being held by non-affiliates, (iii) it issuing more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period or (iv) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of its initial public offering.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. The Trust intends to take advantage of the benefits of the extended transition period.
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You should consider carefully the risks described below before making an investment decision. You should also refer to the other information included in this Prospectus, as well as information found in documents incorporated by reference in this Prospectus, before you decide to purchase any Shares. These risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by risk factors contained in any periodic report, prospectus supplement, post-effective amendment or in other reports filed with the SEC in the future.
Risk Factors Related to Digital Assets
The trading prices of many digital assets, including bitcoin, have experienced extreme volatility in recent periods and may continue to do so. Extreme volatility in the future, including further declines in the trading prices of bitcoin, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value.
The trading prices of many digital assets, including bitcoin, have experienced extreme volatility in recent periods and may continue to do so. For instance, there were steep increases in the value of certain digital assets, including bitcoin, over the course of 2017, followed by steep drawdowns throughout 2018 in digital asset trading prices, including for bitcoin. These drawdowns notwithstanding, digital asset prices, including bitcoin, increased significantly again during 2019, decreased significantly again in the first quarter of 2020 amidst broader market declines as a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak and increased significantly again over the remainder of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. Digital asset prices, including bitcoin, continued to experience significant and sudden changes throughout 2021 followed by steep drawdowns in the fourth quarter of 2021, and throughout 2022, and digital asset prices have continued to fluctuate to date in 2023. In particular, digital asset prices have experienced extreme volatility since November 2022 when FTX Trading Ltd. (FTX) halted customer withdrawals.
Extreme volatility in the future, including further declines in the trading prices of bitcoin, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value. Furthermore, a lack of regulatory clarity may reduce confidence in the digital asset economy and may result in greater volatility in the price of bitcoin and other digital assets, including a depreciation in value. The Trust is not actively managed and will not take any actions to take advantage, or mitigate the impacts, of volatility in the price of bitcoin.
Digital assets such as bitcoin were only introduced within the past decade, and the medium-to-long term value of the Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies and to the fundamental investment characteristics of digital assets.
Digital assets such as bitcoin were only introduced within the past decade, and the medium-to-long term value of the Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies, such as the recentness of their development, their dependence on the internet and other technologies, their dependence on the role played by users, developers and miners and the potential for malicious activity. For example, the realization of one or more of the following risks could materially adversely affect the value of the Shares:
| Digital asset networks and the software used to operate them are in the early stages of development. Given the recentness of the development of digital asset networks, digital assets may not function as intended and parties may be unwilling to use digital assets, which would dampen the growth, if any, of digital asset networks. |
| Digital asset networks are dependent upon the internet. A disruption of the internet or a digital asset network, such as the Bitcoin network, would affect the ability to transfer digital assets, including bitcoin, and, consequently, their value. |
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| The acceptance of software patches or upgrades by a significant, but not overwhelming, percentage of the users and miners in a digital asset network, such as the Bitcoin network, could result in a fork in such networks blockchain, resulting in the operation of multiple separate networks. |
| Governance of the Bitcoin network is by voluntary consensus and open competition. As a result, governance challenges such as lack of consensus may stymie the Bitcoin networks utility and ability to grow and face challenges. In particular, it may be difficult to find solutions or martial sufficient effort to overcome any future problems on the Bitcoin network, especially long-term problems. |
| The foregoing notwithstanding, the Bitcoin networks protocol is informally managed by a group of core developers that propose amendments to the Bitcoin networks source code. The core developers evolve over time, largely based on self- determined participation. To the extent that a significant majority of users and miners adopt amendments to the Bitcoin network, the Bitcoin network will be subject to new protocols that may adversely affect the value of bitcoin. In addition, if a digital asset network has high-profile contributors, a perception that such contributors will no longer contribute to the network could have an adverse effect on the market price of the related digital asset. |
| Over the past several years, digital asset mining operations have evolved from individual users mining with computer processors, graphics processing units and first-generation application specific integrated circuit machines to professionalized mining operations using proprietary hardware or sophisticated machines. If the profit margins of digital asset mining operations are not sufficiently high, including due to an increase in electricity costs, digital asset miners are more likely to immediately sell tokens earned by mining, resulting in an increase in liquid supply of that digital asset, which would generally tend to reduce that digital assets market price. |
| To the extent that any miners cease to record transactions that do not include the payment of a transaction fee in solved blocks or do not record a transaction because the transaction fee is too low, such transactions will not be recorded on the blockchain until a block is mined by a miner who does not require the payment of transaction fees or is willing to accept a lower fee. Any widespread delays in the recording of transactions could result in a loss of confidence in a digital asset network. |
| Digital asset mining operations can consume significant amounts of electricity, which may have a negative environmental impact and give rise to public opinion against allowing, or government regulations restricting, the use of electricity for mining operations. Additionally, miners may be forced to cease operations during an electricity shortage or power outage. |
| Many digital asset networks face significant scaling challenges and are being upgraded with various features to increase the speed and throughput of digital asset transactions. These attempts to increase the volume of transactions may not be effective. |
| The open-source structure of many digital asset network protocols, such as the protocol for the Bitcoin network, means that developers and other contributors are generally not directly compensated for their contributions in maintaining and developing such protocols. As a result, the developers and other contributors of a particular digital asset may lack a financial incentive to maintain or develop the network, or may lack the resources to adequately address emerging issues. Alternatively, some developers may be funded by companies whose interests are at odds with other participants in a particular digital asset network. A failure to properly monitor and upgrade the protocol of the Bitcoin network could damage that network. |
| Moreover, in the past, flaws in the source code for digital assets have been exposed and exploited, including flaws that disabled some functionality for users, and/or resulted in the theft of users digital assets. The cryptography underlying bitcoin could prove to be flawed or ineffective, or developments in mathematics and/or technology, including advances in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could result in such cryptography becoming ineffective. In any of these circumstances, a malicious actor may be able to take the Trusts bitcoin, which would adversely affect the value of the Shares. Moreover, functionality of the Bitcoin network may be negatively affected |
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such that it is no longer attractive to users, thereby dampening demand for bitcoin. Even if a digital asset other than bitcoin were affected by similar circumstances, any reduction in confidence in the source code or cryptography underlying such digital asset generally could negatively affect the demand for bitcoin and therefore adversely affect the value of the Shares. |
Moreover, because digital assets, including bitcoin, have been in existence for a short period of time and are continuing to develop, there may be additional risks in the future that are impossible to predict as of the date of this Prospectus.
Digital asset networks are developed by a diverse set of contributors and the perception that certain high-profile contributors will no longer contribute to the network could have an adverse effect on the market price of the related digital asset.
Digital asset networks are often developed by a diverse set of contributors, and the perception that high-profile contributors may no longer contribute to the network may have an adverse effect on the market price of any related digital assets. For example, in June 2017, an unfounded rumor circulated that Ethereum protocol developer Vitalik Buterin had died. Following the rumor, the price of ETH decreased approximately 20% before recovering after Buterin himself dispelled the rumor. In the event a high-profile contributor to the Bitcoin network is perceived as no longer able to contribute to the Bitcoin network due to death, retirement, withdrawal, incapacity, or otherwise, whether or not such perception is valid, it could negatively affect the price of bitcoin, which could adversely impact the value of the Shares.
Recent developments in the digital asset economy have led to extreme volatility and disruption in digital asset markets, a loss of confidence in participants of the digital asset ecosystem, significant negative publicity surrounding digital assets broadly and market-wide declines in liquidity.
Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021 and continuing throughout 2022 and through 2023, digital asset prices began falling precipitously. This has led to volatility and disruption in the digital asset markets and financial difficulties for several prominent industry participants, including digital asset trading platforms, hedge funds and lending platforms. For example, in the first half of 2022, digital asset lenders Celsius Network LLC and Voyager Digital Ltd. and digital asset hedge fund Three Arrows Capital each declared bankruptcy, and the stablecoin TerraUSD collapsed. These events caused a loss of confidence in participants in the digital asset ecosystem, negative publicity surrounding digital assets more broadly and market-wide declines in digital asset trading prices and liquidity.
Thereafter, in November 2022, FTX, the third largest digital asset trading platform by volume at the time, halted customer withdrawals amid rumors of the companys liquidity issues and likely insolvency. Shortly thereafter, FTXs CEO resigned and FTX and numerous affiliates of FTX filed for bankruptcy. The U.S. Department of Justice subsequently brought criminal charges, including charges of fraud, violations of federal securities laws, money laundering, and campaign finance offenses, against FTXs former CEO and others. FTX is also under investigation by the SEC, the Justice Department, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as well as by various regulatory authorities in the Bahamas, Europe and other jurisdictions. In response to these events, the digital asset markets have experienced extreme price volatility and declines in liquidity, and regulatory and enforcement scrutiny has increased, including from the DOJ, the SEC, the CFTC, the White House and Congress. In addition, several other entities in the digital asset industry filed for bankruptcy following FTXs bankruptcy filing, such as BlockFi Inc. and Genesis Global Capital, LLC. The SEC also brought charges against Genesis Global Capital, LLC and Gemini Trust Company, LLC on January 12, 2023 for their alleged unregistered offer and sale of securities to retail investors.
The collapse of TerraUSD and the bankruptcy filings of FTX, Celsius, Voyager and BlockFi have resulted in calls for heightened scrutiny and regulation of the digital asset industry, with a specific focus on digital asset trading platforms, and custodians. Federal and state legislatures and regulatory agencies are expected to introduce
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and enact new laws and regulations to regulate digital asset intermediaries, such as digital asset trading platforms and custodians. The U.S. regulatory regimenamely the Federal Reserve Board, U.S. Congress and certain U.S. agencies (e.g., the SEC, the CFTC, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation) as well as the White House have issued reports and releases concerning digital assets, including bitcoin and digital asset markets. However, the extent and content of any forthcoming laws and regulations are not yet ascertainable with certainty, and it may not be ascertainable in the near future. It is possible that new laws and increased regulation and regulatory scrutiny may require the Trust to comply with certain regulatory regimes, which could result in new costs for the Trust. The Trust may have to devote increased time and attention to regulatory matters, which could increase costs to the Trust. New laws, regulations and regulatory actions could significantly restrict or eliminate the market for, or uses of, digital assets including bitcoin, which could have a negative effect on the value of bitcoin, which in turn would have a negative effect on the value of the Trusts Shares.
These events are continuing to develop at a rapid pace and it is not possible to predict at this time all of the risks that they may pose to the Sponsor, the Trust, their affiliates and/or the Trusts third-party service providers, or to the digital asset industry as a whole.
Continued disruption and instability in the digital asset markets as these events develop, including further declines in the trading prices and liquidity of bitcoin, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value.
Digital assets may have concentrated ownership and large sales or distributions by holders of such digital assets could have an adverse effect on the market price of such digital assets.
The largest bitcoin wallets are believed to hold, in aggregate, a significant percentage of the bitcoins in circulation. Moreover, it is possible that other persons or entities control multiple wallets that collectively hold a significant number of bitcoins, even if they individually only hold a small amount, and it is possible that some of these wallets are controlled by the same person or entity. As a result of this concentration of ownership, large sales or distributions by such holders could have an adverse effect on the market price of bitcoin.
It may be illegal now, or in the future, to acquire, own, hold, sell or use digital assets in one or more countries.
Countries such as China, India and Russia have previously taken regulatory action to prohibit certain activities relating to digital assets and may take additional steps to prohibit or otherwise limit the use of digital assets in the future. In addition, countries may impose new or existing regulatory regimes on digital assets that are inconsistent with their intended operation. The imposition of such regulatory regimes on digital assets may have wide ranging implications on the offer, sale, trading, clearing and use of such assets, which may impede their continued adoption. Such regulatory regimes may adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
For example, in the United States, the SEC has been active in asserting its jurisdiction over digital assets. Specifically, the SEC and its staff have taken the position that certain digital assets fall within the definition of a security under the US federal securities laws, beginning with the June 2017 Report of Investigation that concluded that DAO Tokens were investment contracts, because they were issued with the purpose of raising funds for investing in digital assets. More recently, the bankruptcy filings of FTX, the third largest digital asset trading platform by volume at the time of its filing, and other bankruptcy filings of crypto companies throughout calendar year 2022 have increased the regulatory scrutiny of the digital asset industry. On June 5, 2023, the SEC charged each of Coinbase and Binance with operating its digital asset trading platform as an unregistered national securities exchange, broker and clearing agency, asserting that certain assets supported on each trading platform are securities.
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In addition, Congress continues to consider potential legislation designed to comprehensively regulate the digital asset industry in the U.S. If enacted, such new legislation could dramatically restructure the regulatory framework within which digital assets may be offered, sold, traded, cleared and used in the U.S. Such a restructuring could affect the viability of digital assets in the U.S. and accordingly adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Risks Associated with Bitcoin and the Bitcoin Network
Bitcoin is a relatively new technological innovation with a limited operating history.
Bitcoin has a relatively limited history of existence and operations compared to traditional commodities. There is a limited established performance record for the price of bitcoin and, in turn, a limited basis for evaluating an investment in bitcoin. Although past performance is not necessarily indicative of future result, if bitcoin had a more established history, such history might (or might not) provide investors with more information on which to evaluate an investment in the trust.
Spot markets on which bitcoin trades are relatively new and largely unregulated, and, therefore, may be more exposed to fraud and security breaches than established, regulated exchanges for other financial assets or instruments, which could have a negative impact on the performance of the Trust.
Digital asset trading platforms are relatively new and, in some cases, unregulated. Several digital asset trading platforms are unlicensed, unregulated, operate without extensive supervision by governmental authorities, and do not provide the public with significant information regarding their ownership structure, management team, corporate practices, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.
In the U.S., digital asset trading platforms may not be subject to, or may not comply with, regulations governing the operation of national securities exchanges or designated contract markets. Furthermore, while many prominent digital asset trading platforms provide the public with significant information regarding their ownership structure, management teams, corporate practices and regulatory compliance, many digital asset trading platforms do not provide this information. Furthermore, because these platforms are largely unregulated, there is an increased risk of fraud, manipulation and other malfeasance on these platforms, both by malicious third-party actors or the platforms own personnel. For example, persons with access to trade order information on a digital asset trading platform may use such information to front-run those orders, which may go undetected in part due to the lack of regulations requiring those platforms to adopt deterrence mechanisms.
Outside the U.S., digital asset trading platforms may be subject to significantly less stringent regulatory and compliance requirements in their local jurisdictions. As a result, trading activity on or reported by these digital asset trading platforms is generally significantly less regulated than trading in regulated U.S. securities and commodities markets, and may reflect behavior that would be prohibited in regulated U.S. trading venues. For example, in 2019 there were reports claiming that 80.95% of bitcoin trading volume on digital asset trading platforms was false or noneconomic in nature, with specific focus on unregulated platforms located outside of the United States. Such reports may indicate that the digital asset trading platform market is significantly smaller than expected and that the U.S. makes up a significantly larger percentage of the digital asset trading platform market than is commonly understood. Nonetheless, any actual or perceived false trading in the digital asset trading platform market, and any other fraudulent or manipulative acts and practices, could adversely affect the value of bitcoin and/or negatively affect the market perception of bitcoin. As a result, the marketplace may lose confidence in digital asset trading platform, including prominent exchanges that handle a significant volume of bitcoin trading.
In addition, over the past several years, some digital asset trading platforms have been closed due to fraud and manipulative activity, business failure or security breaches. In many of these instances, the customers of such digital asset trading platforms were not compensated or made whole for the partial or complete losses of their
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account balances in such digital asset trading platforms. While, generally speaking, smaller digital asset trading platforms are less likely to have the infrastructure and capitalization that make larger digital asset trading platforms more stable, larger digital asset trading platforms are more likely to be appealing targets for hackers and malware and may be more likely to be targets of regulatory enforcement action. For example, the collapse of Mt. Gox, which filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan in late February 2014, demonstrated that even the largest digital asset trading platforms could be subject to abrupt failure with consequences for both users of digital asset trading platforms and the digital asset industry as a whole. In particular, in the two weeks that followed the February 7, 2014 halt of bitcoin withdrawals from Mt. Gox, the value of one bitcoin fell on other platforms from around $795 on February 6, 2014 to $578 on February 20, 2014. Additionally, in January 2015, Bitstamp announced that approximately 19,000 bitcoin had been stolen from its operational or hot wallets. Further, in August 2016, it was reported that almost 120,000 bitcoins worth around $78 million were stolen from Bitfinex, a large digital asset trading platform. The value of bitcoin and other digital assets immediately decreased over 10% following reports of the theft at Bitfinex. In November 2022, FTX, one of the largest digital asset trading platforms by volume at the time, halted customer withdrawals amid rumors of the companys liquidity issues and likely insolvency, which were subsequently corroborated by its CEO. Shortly thereafter, FTXs CEO resigned and FTX and many of its affiliates filed for bankruptcy in the United States, while other affiliates have entered insolvency, liquidation, or similar proceedings around the globe, following which the U.S. Department of Justice brought criminal fraud and other charges, and the SEC and CFTC brought civil securities and commodities fraud charges, against certain of FTXs and its affiliates senior executives, including its former CEO. Around the same time, there were reports that approximately $300-600 million of digital assets were removed from FTX and the full facts remain unknown, including whether such removal was the result of a hack, theft, insider activity, or other improper behavior.
Negative perception, a lack of stability in the digital asset markets and the closure or temporary shutdown of digital asset trading platforms due to fraud, failure or security breaches may reduce confidence in the Bitcoin network and result in greater volatility or decreases in the prices of bitcoin. Furthermore, the closure or temporary shutdown of a digital asset trading platforms used in calculating the Index may result in a loss of confidence in the Trusts ability to determine its NAV on a daily basis. The potential consequences of a digital asset trading platforms failure could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Furthermore, some spot markets, including both centralized and decentralized venues, lack certain safeguards put in place by more traditional exchanges to enhance the stability of trading on the exchange and prevent flash crashes, such as limit-down circuit breakers. As a result, the prices of digital assets such as bitcoin on digital asset trading platforms may be subject to larger and/or more frequent sudden declines than assets traded on more traditional exchanges.
A lack of stability in the bitcoin spot markets, including as a result of any manipulation of bitcoin spot markets and the termination or suspension of spot market operations due to fraud, operational failures, cybersecurity breaches, or violations or alleged violations of laws and regulations, may reduce confidence in bitcoin generally and result in greater volatility in the market price of bitcoin and the Shares of the Trust. Furthermore, the closure or temporary shutdown of a bitcoin spot market may impact the Trusts ability to determine the value of its bitcoin holdings or for the Trusts Authorized Participants to effectively arbitrage the Trusts Shares. The potential consequences of a spot markets failure or failure to prevent market manipulation could adversely affect the value of the Shares. To aid in its efforts to identify and combat manipulation, the Exchange has entered into a Surveillance Sharing Agreement with Coinbase to supplement the Exchanges surveillance capabilities.
Momentum pricing.
The value of a bitcoin as represented by the Index may also be subject to momentum pricing due to speculation regarding future appreciation in value, leading to greater volatility that could adversely affect the value of the Shares. Momentum pricing typically is associated with growth stocks and other assets whose
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valuation, as determined by the investing public, is impacted by appreciation in value. Momentum pricing may result in speculation regarding future appreciation in the value of digital assets, which inflates prices and leads to increased volatility. As a result, bitcoin may be more likely to fluctuate in value due to changing investor confidence in future appreciation or depreciation in prices, which could adversely affect the price of bitcoin, and, in turn, an investment in the Trust.
Some market observers have asserted that the bitcoin market is experiencing a bubble and have predicted that, in time, the value of bitcoin will fall to a fraction of its current value, or even to zero. Bitcoin has not been in existence long enough for market participants to assess these predictions with any precision, but if these observers are even partially correct, an investment in the Shares may turn out to be substantially worthless.
A decline in the adoption of bitcoin could negatively impact the Trust.
The further development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network, which is part of a new and rapidly changing industry, is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. For example, the Bitcoin network faces significant obstacles to increasing the usage of bitcoin without resulting in higher fees or slower transaction settlement times, and attempts to increase the volume of transactions may not be effective. The slowing, stopping or reversing of the development or acceptance of the Bitcoin network may adversely affect the price of bitcoin and therefore an investment in the Shares.
The use of bitcoin to, among other things, buy and sell goods and services is part of a new and rapidly evolving industry that employs digital assets based upon computer-generated mathematical and/or cryptographic protocols. Bitcoin is a prominent, but not unique, part of this industry. The growth of this industry is subject to a high degree of uncertainty. Currently, market speculators and investors generate a significant portion of demand for bitcoin, which can contribute to price volatility. This price volatility in turn limits the adoption of bitcoin as a means of payment for goods and services. Although certain merchants and major retail and commercial businesses have begun accepting bitcoin as a means of payment for goods and services, consumer use of bitcoin as a means of payment remains limited. A lack of expansion by bitcoin into retail and commercial markets or a contraction of such use may result in a reduction in the price of bitcoin, which could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
Irrevocable nature of blockchain-recorded transactions.
Bitcoin transactions recorded on the Bitcoin network are not, from an administrative perspective, reversible without the consent and active participation of the recipient of the transaction or, in theory, control or consent of a majority of the nodes on the Bitcoin network. Once a transaction has been verified and recorded in a block that is added to the blockchain, an incorrect transfer of a bitcoin or a theft of bitcoin generally will not be reversible, and the Trust may not be capable of seeking compensation for any such transfer or theft. It is possible that, through computer or human error, or through theft or criminal action, the Trusts bitcoin could be transferred from custody accounts in incorrect quantities or to unauthorized third parties. To the extent that the Trust is unable to seek a corrective transaction with such third-party or is incapable of identifying the third-party that has received the Trusts bitcoin through error or theft, the Trust will be unable to revert or otherwise recover incorrectly transferred bitcoin. To the extent that the Trust is unable to seek redress for such error or theft, such loss could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
The loss or destruction of a private key required to access bitcoin may be irreversible.
Digital assets, including bitcoin, are controllable only by the possessor of both the unique public key and private key or keys relating to the digital wallet in which the digital asset is held. Private keys must be safeguarded and kept private in order to prevent a third-party from accessing the digital asset held in such wallet. To the extent a private key is lost, destroyed or otherwise compromised and no backup of the private key is accessible, the Trust will be unable to access, and will effectively lose, the bitcoin held in the related digital
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wallet. In addition, if the Trusts private keys are misappropriated and the Trusts bitcoin holdings are stolen, including from or by the Custodian, the Trust could lose some or all of its bitcoin holdings, which would adversely impact an investment in the Shares of the Trust. Any loss of private keys relating to digital wallets used to store the Trusts bitcoin would adversely affect the value of the Shares.
A disruption of the internet may affect bitcoin operations, which may adversely affect the bitcoin industry and an investment in the Trust.
The Bitcoin network relies on the Internet. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity could disrupt the Bitcoin networks functionality and operations until the disruption in the Internet is resolved. A disruption in the Internet could adversely affect an investment in the Trust or the ability of the Trust to operate. In particular, some variants of digital assets have experienced a number of denial-of-service attacks, which have led to temporary delays in block creation and digital asset transfers. Moreover, it is possible that as bitcoin increases in value, it may become a bigger target for hackers and subject to more frequent hacking and denial-of-service attacks.
Digital assets are also susceptible to border gateway protocol hijacking (BGP hijacking). Such an attack can be a very effective way for an attacker to intercept traffic en route to a legitimate destination. BGP hijacking impacts the way different nodes and miners are connected to one another to isolate portions of them from the remainder of the network, which could lead to a risk of the network allowing double-spending and other security issues. If BGP hijacking occurs on the Bitcoin network, participants may lose faith in the security of bitcoin, which could affect bitcoins value and consequently the value of the Shares.
Any future attacks that impact the ability to transfer bitcoin could have a material adverse effect on the price of bitcoin and the value of an investment in the Shares.
Potential amendments to the Bitcoin networks protocols and software could, if accepted and authorized by the Bitcoin network community, adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
The Bitcoin network uses a cryptographic protocol to govern the interactions within the Bitcoin network. A loose community of core developers has evolved to informally manage the source code for the protocol. Membership in the community of core developers evolves over time, largely based on self-determined participation in the resource section dedicated to the Bitcoin network on Github.com. The core developers can propose amendments to the Bitcoin networks source code that could alter the protocols and software of the Bitcoin network and the properties of bitcoin. These alterations occur through software upgrades and could potentially include changes to the irreversibility of transactions and limitations on the mining of new bitcoin. The Bitcoin network could be subject to new protocols and software that may adversely affect an investment in the Trust, to the extent that a significant majority of the users and miners on the Bitcoin network install such software upgrades.
The open-source structure of the Bitcoin network protocol means that the core developers and other contributors are generally not directly compensated for their contributions in maintaining and developing the Bitcoin network protocol. A failure to properly monitor and upgrade the Bitcoin network protocol could damage the Bitcoin network and an investment in the Trust.
The Bitcoin network operates based on an open-source protocol maintained by a group of core developers and other contributors, largely on the GitHub resource section dedicated to development of the Bitcoin network. As the Bitcoin network protocol is not sold or made available subject to licensing or subscription fees and its use does not generate revenues for its development team, the core developers are generally not compensated for maintaining and updating the Bitcoin network protocol. Consequently, there is a lack of financial incentive for developers to maintain or develop the Bitcoin network and the core developers may lack the resources to adequately address emerging issues with the Bitcoin network protocol. Although the Bitcoin network is currently supported by the core developers, there can be no guarantee that such support will continue or be sufficient in the
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future. Alternatively, entities whose interests are at odds with other participants in the Bitcoin network may seek to obtain control over the Bitcoin network by influencing core developers. For example, malicious actors could attempt to bribe a core developer or group of core developers to propose certain changes to the network core developers. To the extent that material issues arise with the Bitcoin network protocol and the core developers and open-source contributors are unable to address the issues adequately or in a timely manner, the Bitcoin network and an investment in the Trust may be adversely affected.
Decentralized governance of the Bitcoin network could have a negative impact on the performance of the Trust.
Governance of decentralized networks, such as the Bitcoin network, is achieved through voluntary consensus and open competition. In other words, the Bitcoin network has no central decision-making body or clear manner in which participants can come to an agreement other than through overwhelming consensus. The lack of clarity on governance may adversely affect bitcoins utility and ability to grow and face challenges, both of which may require solutions and directed effort to overcome problems, especially long-term problems. For example, a seemingly simple technical issue once divided the Bitcoin network community: namely, whether to increase the block size of the blockchain or implement another change to increase the scalability of bitcoin. See Risk FactorsThe Bitcoin network faces scaling challenges and efforts to increase the volume of transactions may not be successful.
To the extent lack of clarity in corporate governance of the Bitcoin network leads to ineffective decision- making that slows development and growth, the value of the Shares may be adversely affected.
The inability to recognize the economic benefit of a fork or an air drop could adversely impact an investment in the Trust.
Network Forks.
Bitcoin is open source, meaning that any user can download the software, modify it and then propose that the users and miners of bitcoin adopt the modification. When a modification is introduced and a substantial majority of users and miners consent to the modification, the change is implemented and the Bitcoin network remains uninterrupted. However, a hard fork occurs if less than a substantial majority of users and miners consent to the proposed modification, and the modification is not compatible with the software prior to its modification. In other words, two incompatible networks would then exist: (1) one network running the pre-modified software and (2) another network running the modified software. The effect of such a fork would be the existence of two versions of bitcoin running in parallel, yet lacking interchangeability. This is in contrast to a soft fork, or a proposed modification to the software governing the network that results in a post-update network that is compatible with the network as it existed prior to the update, because it restricts the network operations that can be performed after the update.
Forks occur for a variety of reasons. A fork could occur after a significant security breach. Participants on the network could elect to fork the network to its state before the hack, effectively reversing the hack. A fork could also be introduced by an unintentional, unanticipated software flaw in the multiple versions of otherwise compatible software run by users. Such a fork could adversely affect bitcoins viability. It is possible, however, that a substantial number of users and miners could adopt an incompatible version of the digital asset while resisting community-led efforts to merge the two chains. This would result in a permanent fork.
A fork may occur as a result of disagreement among network participants as to whether a proposed modification to the network should be accepted. For example, on August 1, 2017, the Bitcoin network forked, with bitcoin existing on one fork and a new digital asset, Bitcoin Cash on another. This fork resulted from a several-year dispute over how to increase the rate of transactions that the Bitcoin network can process. Since then, the Bitcoin network has forked several times to launch new digital assets, such as Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Silver and Bitcoin Diamond.
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Forks can introduce new security risks. For example, forks may result in replay attacks or attacks in which transactions from one network were rebroadcast to nefarious effect on the other network. After a hard fork, it may become easier for an individual miner or mining pools hashing power to exceed 50% of the processing power of the digital asset network, thereby making digital assets that rely on proof of work more susceptible to attack.
If bitcoin were to fork into two digital assets, the Trust may hold, in addition to its existing bitcoin balance, a right to claim an equivalent amount of the new forked asset following the hard fork. However, the Index does not track forks involving bitcoin. The Trust may receive or claim rights to any digital assets created by a fork of the Bitcoin network that are supported by the Custodian and for which the Trusts trading counterparties support a secondary market. The Trust Agreement requires that if the Trust receives or claims a forked asset, the Sponsor will cause the forked asset to be sold and have the proceeds distributed to the Shareholders.
Air Drops.
Bitcoin may become subject to an occurrence similar to a fork, which is known as an air drop. In an air drop, the promotors of a new digital asset announce to holders of another digital asset that they will be entitled to claim a certain amount of the new digital asset for free, based on the fact that they hold such other digital asset. Air drops are not included in the Index under its current methodology. See Prospectus Summary The Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate.
The Index does not track air drops involving bitcoin. Accordingly, the Trust will disclaim all rights to digital assets air dropped to holders of bitcoin. By investing in the Trust rather than directly in bitcoin, you forgo potential economic benefits associated with air drops.
In the event of a hard fork of the Bitcoin network, the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its discretion to determine which network should be considered the appropriate network for the Trusts purposes, and in doing so may adversely affect the value of the Shares.
In the event of a hard fork of the Bitcoin network, the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its sole discretion to determine, in good faith, which peer-to-peer network, among a group of incompatible forks of the Bitcoin network, is generally accepted as the Bitcoin network and should therefore be considered the appropriate network for the Trusts purposes. The Sponsor will base its determination on whatever factors it deems relevant, including but not limited to, the Sponsors beliefs regarding expectations of the core developers of bitcoin, the developer roadmap, users of block space (available capacity within a block to store data and execute code) including services and businesses, suppliers of block space (i.e. miners) and their associated incentives, and other constituencies, as well as other non-fundamental factors, the Bitcoin network, the Custodians ability and willingness to support the fork, or whatever other factors it deems relevant. There is no guarantee that the Sponsor will choose the digital asset that is ultimately the most valuable fork, and the Sponsors decision may adversely affect the value of the Shares as a result. The Sponsor may also disagree with Shareholders, the Custodian, other service providers, the Index Provider, cryptocurrency exchanges, or other market participants on what is generally accepted as bitcoin and should therefore be considered bitcoin for the Trusts purposes, which may also adversely affect the value of the Shares as a result.
Bitcoin is subject to cybersecurity risks, which could adversely affect an investment in the Trust or the ability of the Trust to operate.
Digital asset networks, including the Bitcoin network, are subject to control by entities that capture a significant amount of the networks processing power or a significant number of developers important for the operation and maintenance of such digital asset network.
If the majority of the processing power dedicated to mining on the Bitcoin network is controlled by a bad actor (often referred to as a 51% attack), it may be able to alter the Bitcoin Blockchain on which the Bitcoin
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network and bitcoin transactions rely, including by constructing fraudulent blocks. In addition, such a bad actor could prevent certain transactions from completing in a timely manner, or at all, and could control, exclude or modify the ordering of transactions, though it could not generate new bitcoin (except through rewards from the creation of fraudulent blocks) or prevent new transactions from being broadcast to the Bitcoin network. Further, a bad actor could double-spend its own bitcoin (i.e., spend the same bitcoin in more than one transaction) and prevent the confirmation of other users transactions for so long as it maintained control. To the extent that such malicious actor or botnet did not yield its control of the processing power on the Bitcoin network or the network community did not reject the fraudulent blocks as malicious, reversing any changes made to the blockchain may not be possible. Further, a malicious actor or botnet could create a flood of transactions in order to slow down confirmations of transactions on the Bitcoin network. Other digital asset networks have been subject to malicious activity achieved through control of over 50% of the processing power on the network. For example, on May 24, 2018, it was reported that attackers compromised the Bitcoin Gold network in this manner and were successfully able to double-spend units of bitcoin gold in a series of transactions over the course of at least one week and in a total amount of at least $18 million. In August 2020, the Ethereum Classic Network was the target of two double-spend attacks by an unknown actor or actors that gained more than 50% of the processing power of the Ethereum Classic network. The attacks resulted in reorganizations of the Ethereum Classic blockchain that allowed the attacker or attackers to reverse previously recorded transactions in excess of $5.0 million and $1.0 million. Any similar attacks on the Bitcoin network could negatively impact the value of bitcoin and the value of the Shares.
In the past, mining pools have gained control of significant amounts of the processing power or hash rate of the Bitcoin network. If a mining pool obtains control of more than 50% of the hash rate of the Bitcoin network, a malicious actor would be able to gain full control of the network and the ability to alter the blockchain. During May and June 2014, mining pool GHash.IOs processing power approached and during a twenty-four to forty-eight hour period, may have exceeded 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin network. Although no malicious activity or abnormal transaction recording was observed at the time, the incident focused attention on the influence of mining pools.
Moreover, certain hardware providers may create hardware that collectively has majority power and the manufacturer could potentially exert control itself. For example, it was discovered that the mining machines produced by Bitmain contained backdoor code that would allow Bitmain to remotely shut down the mining machines. This vulnerability is colloquially referred to as the Antbleed backdoor. At worst, the Antbleed backdoor could have allowed Bitmain to shut off up to an estimated 70% of the global hash rate. Bitmain released an official response to the controversy claiming that the Antbleed backdoor had no malicious intent, and on April 28, 2017, the day following the discovery of the Antbleed backdoor, Bitmain released new source code and firmware upgrades for its mining hardware to remove the backdoor.
If the feasibility of a bad actor gaining control of the processing power on the Bitcoin network increases, there may be a negative effect on an investment in the Trust. To the extent that the Bitcoin ecosystem, including the core developers and the administrators of mining pools, does not act to ensure greater decentralization of mining processing power, the feasibility of a malicious actor obtaining control of the processing power on the Bitcoin network will increase, which may adversely affect the value of the Shares.
If any of these exploitations or attacks occur, it could result in a loss of public confidence in bitcoin and a decline in the value of bitcoin and, as a result, adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
If miners expend less processing power on the Bitcoin network, it could increase the likelihood of a malicious actor obtaining control.
Miners ceasing operations would reduce the collective processing power 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 Bitcoin Blockchain until the next scheduled adjustment in difficulty for block solutions). If a reduction in processing power occurs, the Bitcoin network may be more vulnerable to a malicious actor
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obtaining control in excess of fifty percent (50%) of the processing power on the Bitcoin network. As a result, it may be possible for a bad actor to manipulate the Bitcoin Blockchain and hinder transactions. Any reduction in confidence in the confirmation process or processing power of the Bitcoin network may adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
Cancer nodes.
Cancer nodes are computers that appear to be participating in the Bitcoin network but that are not in fact connected to the network, which a malicious actor sets up to place users onto a separate network or disconnect them from the Bitcoin network. By using cancer nodes, a malicious actor can disconnect the target user from the bitcoin economy entirely by refusing to relay any blocks or transactions.
Double-spending risks.
A malicious actor may attempt to double spend (i.e., spend the same units in more than one transaction) bitcoin by altering the formation of the blockchain. In this type of attack, a miner creates a valid new block containing a double-spend transaction and schedules the release of such attack block so that it is added to the blockchain before a target users legitimate transaction can be included in a block. All double-spend attacks require that the miner sequence and execute the steps of its attack with sufficient speed and accuracy. Double- spend attacks require extensive coordination and are very expensive. Typically, transactions that allow for a zero-confirmation acceptance tend to be prone to these types of attacks. Accordingly, traders and merchants may execute instantaneous/zero-confirmation transactions only if they are of sufficiently low-value. Users and merchants can take additional precautions by adjusting their network software programs to connect only to other well-connected participants in the Bitcoin network and to disable incoming connections.
Flaws in source code.
In the past, flaws in the source code for digital asset networks have been exposed and exploited, including flaws that disabled some functionality for users, exposed users personal information and/or resulted in the theft of users digital assets. Discovery of flaws in or exploitations of the source code that allow malicious actors to take or create money in contravention of known network rules have occurred. The cryptography underlying bitcoin could prove to be flawed or ineffective, or developments in mathematics and/or technology, such as advances in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could make cryptography ineffective. In any of these circumstances, a malicious actor may be able to steal bitcoin held by others, which could adversely affect the demand for bitcoin and therefore adversely impact the price of bitcoin and the value of the Shares. Even if another digital asset other than bitcoin were affected by similar circumstances, any reduction in confidence in the robustness of the source code or cryptography underlying digital assets generally could negatively affect the demand for all digital assets, including bitcoin, and therefore adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Mathematical or technological advances could undermine the Bitcoin networks consensus mechanism.
The Bitcoin network is premised on multiple persons competing to solve cryptographic puzzles quickly. It is possible that mathematical or technological advances, such as the development of quantum computers with significantly more power than computers presently available, could undermine or vitiate the cryptographic consensus mechanism underpinning the Bitcoin Blockchain.
The Bitcoin network faces scaling challenges and efforts to increase the volume of transactions may not be successful.
Many digital asset networks, including the Bitcoin network, face significant scaling challenges due to the fact that public blockchains generally face a tradeoff between security and scalability. One means through which
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public blockchains achieve security is decentralization, which means that transactions are validated through a dispersed network of nodes running without a central authority. Although this structure makes it difficult for a bad actor to manipulate the network, it also makes validating transactions and the state of the blockchain a slow and resource-intensive process. As a result, a digital asset network may be limited in the number of transactions it can process by the capabilities of each single fully participating node. Many developers are actively researching and testing scalability solutions for public blockchains that do not necessarily result in lower levels of security or decentralization, such as off-chain payment channels and sharding. Off-chain payment channels would allow parties to transact without requiring the full processing power of a blockchain. Sharding can increase the scalability of a database, such as a blockchain, by splitting the data processing responsibility among many nodes, allowing for parallel processing and validating of transactions.
As of November 2023 the Bitcoin network handled approximately seven transactions per second. In an effort to increase the volume of transactions that can be processed on a given digital asset network, many digital assets are being upgraded with various features to increase the speed and throughput of digital asset transactions. For example, in August 2017, the Bitcoin network was upgraded with a technical feature known as Segregated Witness that potentially doubles the transactions per second that can be handled on-chain. More importantly, Segregated Witness also enables so-called second layer solutions, such as the Lightning Network, or payment channels that greatly increase transaction throughput (i.e., millions of transactions per second). Wallets and intermediaries, or connecting nodes that facilitate payment channels, that support Segregated Witness or Lightning Network-like technologies have not yet seen wide-scale use. Additionally, questions remain regarding Lightning Network services, such as its cost and who will serve as intermediaries.
In 2021, the Bitcoin protocol implemented the Taproot upgrade to add enhanced support for complex transactions on the network such as multi-signature transactions, which require two or more parties to execute a transaction on the Bitcoin network. Prior to the upgrade, multi-signature transactions were historically slow, expensive, and easily identifiable. Taproot is intended to reduce the amount of data written to a block and makes multi-signature transactions indistinguishable from regular transactions, adding an enhanced layer of privacy.
As corresponding increases in throughput lag behind growth in the use of digital asset networks, average fees and settlement times may increase considerably. For example, the Bitcoin network has been, at times, at capacity, which has led to increased transaction fees. Since January 1, 2019, bitcoin transaction fees have increased from $0.18 per bitcoin transaction, on average, to a high of $60.95 per transaction, on average, on April 20, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, bitcoin transaction fees were $1.17 per transaction, on average. Increased fees and decreased settlement speeds could preclude certain uses for bitcoin (e.g., micropayments), and could reduce demand for, and the price of, bitcoin, which could adversely impact the value of the Shares. In May 2023, events related to the adoption of ordinals, which are a means of inscribing digital content on the Bitcoin Blockchain, caused transaction fees to temporarily spike above $30 per transaction. As of July 31, 2023, bitcoin transaction fees were averaging $0.79 per transaction.
There is no guarantee that any of the mechanisms in place or being explored for increasing the scale of settlement of transactions in bitcoin will be effective, or how long these mechanisms will take to become effective, which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
New competing digital assets may pose a challenge to bitcoins current market position, resulting in a reduction in demand for bitcoin, which could have a negative impact on the price of bitcoin and may have a negative impact on the performance of the Trust.
The Bitcoin network and bitcoin, as an asset, 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 enjoys the largest user base and has more mining power in use to secure the Bitcoin Blockchain than any other digital asset. However, despite the first-mover advantage of the Bitcoin network over other digital assets, it is possible that real or perceived shortcomings in the Bitcoin
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network, or technological, regulatory or other developments, could result in a decline in popularity and acceptance of bitcoin and the Bitcoin network, and other digital currencies and trading systems could become more widely accepted and used than the Bitcoin network. Bitcoin is one of the only virtual currencies that the staff of the SEC and certain commissioners has publicly indicated is likely not a security under the federal securities laws. See Risk FactorsFuture regulations may require the Trust or the Sponsor to become registered, which may cause the Trust to liquidate. Regulatory changes or guidance that result in other virtual currencies not meeting the definition of security will reduce advantages associated with bitcoins current regulatory status, which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
Promoters of other digital assets claim that those digital assets have solved certain of the purported drawbacks of the Bitcoin network, for example, allowing faster settlement times, reducing mining fees, or reducing electricity usage in connection with mining. For example, in 2022, the Ethereum network completed a transition from a proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. If these digital assets are successful, such success could reduce demand for bitcoin and adversely affect the value of bitcoin and an investment in the Trust.
Competition from central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) could adversely affect the value of bitcoin and other digital assets.
Central banks have introduced digital forms of legal tender. Chinas CBDC project, known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment, has reportedly been tested in a live pilot program conducted in multiple cities in China. Central banks representing at least 130 countries have published retail or wholesale CBDC work ranging from research to pilot projects. Whether or not they incorporate blockchain or similar technology, CBDCs, as legal tender in the issuing jurisdiction, could have an advantage in competing with, or replacing, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange or store of value. As a result, the value of bitcoin could decrease, which could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
Prices of bitcoin may be affected by stablecoins, the activities of stablecoin issuers and their regulatory treatment.
While the Trust does not invest in stablecoins, it may nonetheless be exposed to certain risks that stablecoins pose to the bitcoin market. Stablecoins are digital assets designed to have a stable value over time as compared to typically volatile digital assets, and may be backed by a fiat currency, such as the U.S. dollar, or other digital assets. Given the foundational role that stablecoins play in global digital asset markets, their fundamental liquidity could have a dramatic impact on the broader digital asset market, including the market for bitcoin. Volatility in stablecoins, operational issues with stablecoins (for example, technical issues that prevent settlement), concerns about the sufficiency of any reserves that support stablecoins or potential manipulative activity when unbacked stablecoins are used to pay for other digital assets (including bitcoin), or regulatory concerns about stablecoin issuers or intermediaries, such as exchanges, that support stablecoins, could impact individuals willingness to trade on trading venues that rely on stablecoins, reduce liquidity in the bitcoin market, and affect the value of bitcoin, and in turn impact an investment in the Shares.
For example, because a large portion of the digital asset market still depends on stablecoins such as Tether and USDC, there is a risk that a disorderly de-pegging or a run on Tether or USDC could lead to dramatic market volatility in digital assets more broadly. Questions about the sufficiency of the backing of certain stablecoins has caused the prices for such stablecoins to fluctuate, which fluctuations may affect the price of bitcoin. For example, some have argued that the issuance of Tether has been used to artificially increase demand for bitcoin, thereby inflating its price. On February 17, 2021 the New York Attorney General entered an agreement with Tethers operators, requiring them to cease any further trading activity with New York persons and pay $18.5 million in penalties for false and misleading statements made regarding the assets backing Tether. On October 15, 2021, the CFTC announced a settlement with Tethers operators in which they agreed to pay $41 million in fines to settle charges that, among others, Tethers claims that it maintained sufficient U.S. dollar
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reserves to back every Tether stablecoin in circulation with the equivalent amount of corresponding fiat currency held by Tether were untrue. In another example, in May 2022, the digital asset TerraUSD (UST) lost its $1 peg. As UST de-pegged, the custodian of USTs bitcoin reserves, the Luna Foundation Guard, sold bitcoin to buy UST in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to re-peg the price of UST to its $1 peg. It is believed that the foregoing action by the Luna Foundation Guard exacerbated a bitcoin sell-off that adversely affected the price of bitcoin. Similar future occurrences may significantly impact the value and trading of bitcoin.
Volatility in stablecoins can be triggered by bank risk. USDC is a reserve-backed stablecoin issued by Circle Internet Financial that is commonly used as a method of payment in digital asset markets, including the bitcoin market. An affiliate of the Sponsor acts as investment manager to a money market fund, the Circle Reserve Fund, which the issuer of USDC uses to hold reserves backing USDC stablecoins. While USDC is designed to maintain a stable value at 1 U.S. dollar at all times, on March 10, 2023, the value of USDC fell below $1.00 for multiple days after Circle Internet Financial disclosed that US$3.3 billion of the USDC reserves were held at Silicon Valley Bank, which had entered Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation receivership earlier that day. Stablecoins are reliant on the U.S. banking system and U.S. treasuries, and the failure of either to function normally could impede the function of stablecoins, and therefore could adversely affect the value of the Shares. An affiliate of the Sponsor has a minority equity interest in the issuer of USDC.
Operational cost may exceed the award for solving blocks or transaction fees. Increased transaction fees may adversely affect the usage of the Bitcoin network.
The Bitcoin network is designed to periodically reduce the fixed award given to miners for solving new blocks (the block reward), most recently in May 2020, when the block reward reduced from 12.5 to 6.25 bitcoin. It is estimated that it will halve again during 2024. See Bitcoin, Bitcoin Markets and Regulation of BitcoinMathematically Controlled Supply. As the block reward continues to decrease over time, the mining incentive structure may transition to a higher reliance on transaction confirmation fees in order to incentivize miners to continue to dedicate processing power to the blockchain. If transaction confirmation fees become too high, the marketplace may be reluctant to use bitcoin. Increased transaction fees may motivate market participants, such as merchants or commercial institutions, to switch from bitcoin to another digital asset or back to fiat currency as their preferred medium of exchange. Decreased demand for bitcoin may adversely affect its price, which may adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
Ultimately, if the awards of new bitcoin for solving blocks declines and transaction fees for recording transactions are not sufficiently high to incentivize miners, miners may operate at a loss or cease operations. If the award does not exceed the costs of mining in the long-term, miners may have to cease operations entirely. If miners cease their operations, this could have a negative impact on the Bitcoin network and could adversely affect the value of the bitcoin held by the Trust.
Miners ceasing operations would reduce the collective processing power 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 or botnet obtaining sufficient control to manipulate the blockchain and hinder transactions. Any reduction in confidence in the confirmation process or processing power of the Bitcoin network may adversely affect the value of the Shares.
To the extent that any miners exclude some or all transactions, significant increases in fees and widespread delays in the recording of transactions could result in a loss of confidence in the Bitcoin network, which could adversely impact an investment in Shares.
To the extent that any miners solve blocks that exclude some or all transactions that have been transmitted to the Bitcoin network, such transactions will not be recorded on the blockchain until another miner solves a block that incorporates those transactions. Some in the bitcoin community have suspected that certain
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technologies (for example, before segregated witness was activated, ASICBoost) enhance speed and reduce electricity use of mining while reducing the number of transactions that are included in mined blocks on the Bitcoin network. To the extent that more blocks are mined with fewer transactions, transactions will settle more slowly, and fees will increase. This could result in a loss of confidence in the Bitcoin network, which could adversely impact an investment in the Shares.
Miners could act in collusion to raise transaction fees, which may adversely affect the usage of the Bitcoin network.
Bitcoin miners collect fees for each transaction they confirm. Miners validate unconfirmed transactions by adding the previously unconfirmed transactions to new blocks in the blockchain. Miners are not forced to confirm any specific transaction, but they are economically incentivized to confirm valid transactions as a means of collecting fees. To the extent that any miners cease to record transactions in solved blocks, such transactions will not be recorded on the Bitcoin Blockchain until a block is solved by a miner who does not require the payment of transaction fees. Miners have historically accepted relatively low transaction confirmation fees because miners have a very low marginal cost of validating unconfirmed transactions. If miners collude in an anticompetitive manner to reject low transaction fees, then bitcoin users could be forced to pay higher fees, thus reducing the attractiveness of the Bitcoin network, or to wait longer times for their transactions to be validated by a miner who does not require the payment of a transaction fee. Bitcoin mining occurs globally and it may be difficult for authorities to apply antitrust regulations across multiple jurisdictions. Any collusion among miners may adversely impact an investment in the Trust or the ability of the Trust to operate.
As technology advances, miners may be unable to acquire the digital asset mining hardware necessary to develop and launch their operations. A decline in the bitcoin mining population could adversely affect the Bitcoin network and an investment in the Trust.
Miners may be unable to acquire the proper mining equipment or suitable amounts of equipment necessary to continue their operations or develop and launch their operations. In addition, because successful mining of a digital asset that uses proof of work validation requires maintaining or exceeding a certain level of computing power relative to other validators, miners will need to upgrade their mining hardware periodically to keep up with their competition. The development of supercomputers with disproportionate computing power may threaten the integrity of the bitcoin market by concentrating mining power, which would make it unprofitable for other miners to mine. The expense of purchasing or upgrading new equipment may be substantial and diminish returns to miners dramatically. A decline in miners may result in a decrease in the value of bitcoin and the value of the Trust.
If profit margins of bitcoin mining operations are not high, miners may elect to immediately sell bitcoin earned by mining, resulting in a reduction in the price of bitcoin that could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
Bitcoin network mining operations have rapidly evolved over the past several years from individual users mining with computer processors, graphics processing units and first-generation ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) machines. New processing power is predominantly added to the Bitcoin network currently by professionalized mining operations. Such operations may use proprietary hardware or sophisticated ASIC machines acquired from ASIC manufacturers. Significant capital is necessary for mining operations to acquire this hardware, lease operating space (often in data centers or warehousing facilities), afford electricity costs and employ technicians to operate the mining farms. As a result, professionalized mining operations are of a greater scale than prior Bitcoin network validators and have more defined, regular expenses and liabilities. In past years, individual miners are believed to have been more likely to hold newly mined bitcoin for extended periods.
A professional mining operation operating at a low profit margin may be more likely to sell a higher percentage of its newly mined bitcoin rapidly, and it may partially or completely cease operations if its profit
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margin is negative. In a low profit margin environment, a higher percentage of the new bitcoin mined each day will be sold into the bitcoin market more rapidly, thereby reducing bitcoin prices. The network effect of reduced profit margins resulting in greater sales of newly mined bitcoin could result in a reduction in the price of bitcoin that could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.
Bitcoin mining activities are energy-intensive, which may restrict the geographic locations of miners and have a negative environmental impact and consequently affect the price of bitcoin.
Bitcoin mining activities are inherently energy-intensive and electricity costs account for a significant portion of the overall mining costs. The availability and cost of electricity will restrict the geographic locations of mining activities. High costs of electricity may incentivize miners to redirect their resources to other validation protocols, such a proof-of-stake blockchains, or abandon their validation activities entirely. A significant decrease in the computational resources dedicated to the Bitcoin networks validation protocol could reduce the security of the network which may erode bitcoins viability as a store of value or means of exchange. In addition, the significant consumption of electricity may have a negative environmental impact, including contribution to climate change, which may give rise to public opinion against allowing the use of electricity for bitcoin mining activities or government measures restricting or prohibiting the use of electricity for bitcoin mining activities. Any such developments could lower the demand for bitcoin and have a material and adverse effect on the price of bitcoin.
Concerns have been raised about the electricity required to secure and maintain digital asset networks. For example, as of October 31, 2023, over 462 million tera hashes were performed every second in connection with mining on the Bitcoin network. Although measuring the electricity consumed by this process is difficult because these operations are performed by various machines with varying levels of efficiency, the process consumes a significant amount of energy. Further, in addition to the direct energy costs of performing calculations on any given digital asset network, there are indirect costs that impact a networks total energy consumption, including the costs of cooling the machines that perform these calculations.
Driven by concerns around energy consumption and the impact on public utility companies, various states and cities have implemented, or are considering implementing, moratoriums on mining activity in their jurisdictions. For example, in November 2022, New York imposed a two-year moratorium on new proof-of-work mining permits at fossil fuel plants in the state. A significant reduction in mining activity as a result of such actions could adversely affect the security of the Bitcoin network by making it easier for a malicious actor or botnet to manipulate the Bitcoin network. If regulators or public utilities take action that restricts or otherwise impacts mining activities, such actions could result in decreased security of a digital asset network, including the Bitcoin network, and consequently adversely impact the value of the Shares.
Large-Scale Sales or Distributions.
Some entities hold large amounts of bitcoin relative to other market participants, and to the extent such entities engage in large-scale hedging, sales or distributions on non-market terms, or sales in the ordinary course, it could result in a reduction in the price of bitcoin and adversely affect the value of the Shares. Additionally, political or economic crises may motivate large-scale acquisitions or sales of such digital assets, including bitcoin, either globally or locally. Such large-scale sales or distributions could result in selling pressure that may reduce the price of bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
As of the date of this Prospectus, the largest 100 bitcoin wallets held a substantial amount of the outstanding supply of bitcoin and it is possible that some of these wallets are controlled by the same person or entity. Moreover, it is possible that other persons or entities control multiple wallets that collectively hold a significant number of bitcoin, even if each wallet individually only holds a small amount. As a result of this concentration of ownership, large sales by such holders could have an adverse effect on the market price of bitcoin.
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Congestion or delay in the Bitcoin network may delay purchases or sales of bitcoin by the Trust.
The size of each block on the Bitcoin Blockchain is currently limited and the transaction rate is significantly below the level that centralized systems can provide. Increased transaction volume could result in delays in the recording of transactions due to congestion in the Bitcoin network. Moreover, unforeseen system failures, disruptions in operations, or poor connectivity may also result in delays in the recording of transactions on the Bitcoin network. Any delay in the Bitcoin network could affect the Authorized Participants ability to buy or sell bitcoin at an advantageous price resulting in decreased confidence in the Bitcoin network. Over the longer term, delays in confirming transactions could reduce the attractiveness to merchants and other commercial parties as a means of payment. As a result, the Bitcoin network and the value of the Trust would be adversely affected.
If the digital asset award for mining blocks and transaction fees for recording transactions on the Bitcoin network are not sufficiently high to incentivize miners, or if certain jurisdictions continue to limit or otherwise regulate mining activities, miners may cease expanding processing power or demand high transaction fees, which could negatively impact the value of bitcoin and the value of the Shares.
If the digital asset awards for mining blocks or the transaction fees for recording transactions on the Bitcoin network are not sufficiently high to incentivize miners, or if certain jurisdictions continue to limit or otherwise regulate mining activities, miners may cease expending processing power to mine blocks and confirmations of transactions on the Bitcoin Blockchain could be slowed. For example, the realization of one or more of the following risks could materially adversely affect the value of the Shares:
| Over the past several years, digital asset mining operations have evolved from individual users mining with computer processors, graphics processing units and first-generation application specific integrated circuit machines to professionalized mining operations using proprietary hardware or sophisticated machines. If the profit margins of digital asset mining operations are not sufficiently high, including due to an increase in electricity costs, digital asset miners are more likely to immediately sell tokens earned by mining, resulting in an increase in liquid supply of that digital asset, which would generally tend to reduce that digital assets market price. |
| A reduction in the processing power expended by miners on the Bitcoin network could increase the likelihood of a malicious actor or botnet obtaining control. |
| Miners have historically accepted relatively low transaction confirmation fees on most digital asset networks. If miners demand higher transaction fees for recording transactions in the Bitcoin Blockchain or a software upgrade automatically charges fees for all transactions on the Bitcoin network, the cost of using bitcoin may increase and the marketplace may be reluctant to accept bitcoin as a means of payment. Alternatively, miners could collude in an anti-competitive manner to reject low transaction fees on the Bitcoin network and force users to pay higher fees, thus reducing the attractiveness of the Bitcoin network. Higher transaction confirmation fees resulting through collusion or otherwise may adversely affect the attractiveness of the Bitcoin network, the value of bitcoin and the value of the Shares. |
| To the extent that any miners cease to record transactions that do not include the payment of a transaction fee in mined blocks or do not record a transaction because the transaction fee is too low, such transactions will not be recorded on the Bitcoin Blockchain until a block is mined by a miner who does not require the payment of transaction fees or is willing to accept a lower fee. Any widespread delays in the recording of transactions could result in a loss of confidence in the digital asset network. |
| Digital asset mining operations can consume significant amounts of electricity, which may have a negative environmental impact and give rise to public opinion against allowing, or government regulations restricting, the use of electricity for mining operations. Additionally, miners may be forced to cease operations during an electricity shortage or power outage. |
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If the Bitcoin network is used to facilitate illicit activities or evade sanctions, businesses that facilitate transactions in bitcoin could be at increased risk of criminal or civil lawsuits, or of having services cut off, which could negatively affect the price of bitcoin and the value of the Shares.
Digital asset networks have in the past been, and may continue to be, used to facilitate illicit activities. If the Bitcoin network is used to facilitate illicit activities or evade sanctions, businesses that facilitate transactions in bitcoin could be at increased risk of potential criminal or civil lawsuits, or of having banking or other services cut off, and bitcoin could be removed from digital asset trading platforms as a result of these concerns. Other service providers of such businesses may also cut off services if there is a concern that the Bitcoin network is being used to facilitate crime. Any of the aforementioned occurrences could increase regulatory scrutiny of the Bitcoin network and/or adversely affect the price of bitcoin, the attractiveness of the Bitcoin network and an investment in the Shares of the Trust.
The Trust and the Sponsor, acting on behalf of the Trust, directly interact with parties that are themselves subject to AML program requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act or similar laws.
The Authorized Participants are registered broker-dealers or financial institutions exempt from broker-dealer registration and therefore are subject to AML and countering the financing of terrorism obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act as administered by FinCEN and further overseen by the SEC and FINRA. In accordance with its regulatory obligations, the Authorized Participants conduct customer due diligence.
When the Trust and the Sponsor, acting on behalf of the Trust, buy, sell or deliver, as applicable, bitcoin, they transact directly with financial institution counterparties that are subject to U.S. federal and/or state licensing requirements or similar laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC regulations or similar laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions. The Trust will not hold any bitcoin except those that have been delivered by the Trusts bitcoin trading counterparties in connection with creation requests.
If the Sponsor, the Trust, or an Authorized Participant were nevertheless to transact with such a sanctioned entity, the Sponsor, the Trust, and such Authorized Participant would be at increased risk of potential criminal or civil lawsuits.
Risks Associated with Investing in the Trust
Investment-Related Risks.
Investing in bitcoin and, consequently, the Trust, is speculative. The price of bitcoin is volatile, and market movements of bitcoin are difficult to predict. Supply and demand changes rapidly are affected by a variety of factors, including regulation and general economic trends, such as interest rates, availability of credit, credit defaults, inflation rates and economic uncertainty. All investments made by the Trust will risk the loss of capital. Therefore, an investment in the Trust involves a high degree of risk, including the risk that the entire amount invested may be lost. No guarantee or representation is made that the Trusts investment program will be successful, that the Trust will achieve its investment objective or that there will be any return of capital invested to investors in the Trust, and investment results may vary.
The NAV may not always correspond to the market price of bitcoin.
The NAV of the Trust will change as fluctuations occur in the market price of the Trusts bitcoin holdings. Shareholders should be aware that the public trading price per share may be different from the NAV for a number of reasons, including price volatility and the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares are related, but not identical, to the supply and demand forces influencing the market price of bitcoin.
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An Authorized Participant may be able to create or redeem a Basket at a discount or a premium to the public trading price per share, and the Trust will therefore maintain its intended fractional exposure to a specific amount of bitcoin per share.
Different from directly owning bitcoin.
The performance of the Trust will not reflect the specific return an investor would realize if the investor actually held or purchased bitcoin directly. The differences in performance may be due to factors such as fees, transaction costs, and index tracking risk. Investors will also forgo certain rights conferred by owning bitcoin directly, such as the right to claim air drops. See Risk Factors The inability to recognize the economic benefit of a fork or an air drop could adversely impact an investment in the Trust.
Index tracking risk.
The Trust may not achieve the desired degree of correlation between its performance and that of the Index and thus may not achieve its investment objective. The difference in performance may be due to factors such as fees, transaction costs, redemptions of, and subscriptions for, Shares, pricing differences, differences in the timing of the addition or removal of constituent exchanges underlying the Index or the cost to the Trust of complying with various new or existing regulatory requirements.
Liquidity risk.
The Trusts and the Authorized Participants ability to buy or sell bitcoin may be adversely affected by limited trading volume, lack of a market maker, or legal restrictions. It is also possible that a bitcoin spot market or governmental authority may suspend or restrict trading in bitcoin altogether. Therefore, it may not always be possible to execute a buy or sell order at the desired price or to liquidate an open position due to market conditions on spot markets, regulatory issues affecting bitcoin or other issues affecting counterparties. Bitcoin is a new asset with a very limited trading history. Therefore, the markets for bitcoin may be less liquid and more volatile than other markets for more established products.
The value of the Shares may be influenced by a variety of factors unrelated to the value of bitcoin.
The value of the Shares may be influenced by a variety of factors unrelated to the price of bitcoin and the bitcoin exchanges included in the Index that may have an adverse effect on the price of the Shares. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following factors:
| Unanticipated problems or issues with respect to the mechanics of the Trusts operations and the trading of the Shares may arise, in particular due to the fact that the mechanisms and procedures governing the creation and offering of the Shares and storage of bitcoin have been developed specifically for this product; |
| The Trust could experience difficulties in operating and maintaining its technical infrastructure, including in connection with expansions or updates to such infrastructure, which are likely to be complex and could lead to unanticipated delays, unforeseen expenses and security vulnerabilities; |
| The Trust could experience unforeseen issues relating to the performance and effectiveness of the security procedures used to protect the Trusts account with the Custodian, or the security procedures may not protect against all errors, software flaws or other vulnerabilities in the Trusts technical infrastructure, which could result in theft, loss or damage of its assets; or |
| Service providers may decide to terminate their relationships with the Trust due to concerns that the introduction of privacy enhancing features to the Bitcoin network may increase the potential for bitcoin to be used to facilitate crime, exposing such service providers to potential reputational harm. |
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Any of these factors could affect the value of the Shares, either directly or indirectly through their effect on the Trusts assets.
Authorized Participants buying and selling activity associated with the creation and redemption of Baskets may adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Authorized Participants purchase of bitcoin in connection with Basket creation orders may cause the price of bitcoin to increase, which will result in higher prices for the Shares. Increases in the bitcoin prices may also occur as a result of bitcoin purchases by other market participants who attempt to benefit from an increase in the market price of bitcoin when baskets are created. The market price of bitcoin may therefore decline immediately after Baskets are created.
Selling activity associated with sales of bitcoin by Authorized Participants in connection with redemption orders may decrease the bitcoin prices, which will result in lower prices for the Shares. Decreases in bitcoin prices may also occur as a result of selling activity by other market participants.
In addition to the effect that purchases and sales of bitcoin by Authorized Participants may have on the price of bitcoin, sales and purchases of bitcoin by similar investment vehicles (if developed) could impact the price of bitcoin. If the price of bitcoin declines, the trading price of the Shares will generally also decline.
The inability of Authorized Participants and market makers to hedge their bitcoin exposure may adversely affect the liquidity of Shares and the value of an investment in the Shares.
Authorized Participants and market makers will generally want to hedge their exposure in connection with Basket creation and redemption orders. To the extent Authorized Participants and market makers are unable to hedge their exposure due to market conditions (e.g., insufficient bitcoin liquidity in the market, inability to locate an appropriate hedge counterparty, extreme volatility in the price of bitcoin, wide spreads between prices quotes on different bitcoin trading platforms, etc.), such conditions may make it difficult to create or redeem Baskets or cause them to not create or redeem Baskets. In addition, the hedging mechanisms employed by Authorized Participants and market makers to hedge their exposure to bitcoin may not function as intended, which may make it more difficult for them to enter into such transactions. Such events could negatively impact the market price of Shares and the spread at which Shares trade on the open market. To the extent Authorized Participants wish to use futures to hedge their exposure, note that while growing in recent years, the market for exchange-traded bitcoin futures has a limited trading history and operational experience and may be less liquid, more volatile and more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes than more established futures markets. The liquidity of the market will depend on, among other things, the adoption of bitcoin and the commercial and speculative interest in the market.
Arbitrage transactions intended to keep the price of Shares closely linked to the price of bitcoin may be problematic if the process for the creation and redemption of Baskets encounters difficulties, which may adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
If the processes of creation and redemption of the Shares encounter any unanticipated difficulties, potential market participants who would otherwise be willing to purchase or redeem Baskets to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price of the Shares and the price of the underlying bitcoin may not take the risk that, as a result of those difficulties, they may not be able to realize the profit they expect. In addition, the Trusts NAV and the price of a Basket Deposit (as defined below) could rise or fall substantially between the time a purchase order is submitted by an Authorized Participant and the time the amount of the purchase price in respect thereof is determined, and the risk of such price movements will be borne solely by the Authorized Participant. Such price movements may further frustrate efforts to effectively seize arbitrage opportunities. If this is the case, the liquidity of Shares may decline and the price of the Shares may fluctuate independently of the price of bitcoin and may fall.
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The use of cash creations and redemptions, as opposed to in-kind creations and redemptions, may adversely affect the arbitrage transactions by Authorized Participants intended to keep the price of the Shares closely linked to the price of bitcoin and, as a result, the price of the Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV.
The use of cash creations and redemptions, as opposed to in-kind creations and redemptions, could cause delays in trade execution due to potential operational issues arising from implementing a cash creation and redemption model, which involves more complex operational steps (and therefore execution risk) than the originally contemplated in-kind creation and redemption models. Such delays could cause the execution price associated with such trades to materially deviate from the Index price used to determine the NAV. Even though the Authorized Participant is responsible for the dollar cost of such difference in prices, Authorized Participants could default on their obligations to the Trust, or such potential risks and costs could lead to Authorized Participants, who would otherwise be willing to purchase or redeem Baskets to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price of the Shares and the price of the underlying bitcoin, to elect to not participate in the Trusts Share creation and redemption processes. This may adversely affect the arbitrage mechanism intended to keep the price of the Shares closely linked to the price of bitcoin, and as a result, the price of the Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV. If the arbitrage mechanism is not effective, purchases or sales of Shares on the secondary market could occur at a premium or discount to NAV, which could harm Shareholders by causing them buy Shares at a price higher than the value of the underlying bitcoin held by the Trust or sell Shares at a price lower than the value of the underlying bitcoin held by the Trust, causing Shareholders to suffer losses.
Security threats and cyber-attacks could result in the halting of Trust operations and a loss of Trust assets or damage to the reputation of the Trust, each of which could result in a reduction in the price of the Shares.
Security breaches, cyber-attacks, computer malware and computer hacking attacks have been a prevalent concern in relation to digital assets. Multiple thefts of bitcoin and other digital assets from other holders have occurred in the past. Because of the pseudonymous nature of the Bitcoin Blockchain, thefts can be difficult to trace, which may make bitcoin a particularly attractive target for theft. Cyber security failures or breaches of one or more of the Trusts service providers (including but not limited to, the Index Provider, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor, the Administrator, or the Custodian) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs.
The Trust and its service providers use of internet, technology and information systems (including mobile devices and cloud-based service offerings) may expose the Trust to potential risks linked to cyber-security breaches of those technological or information systems. The Sponsor believes that the Trusts bitcoin held in the Trusts account with the Custodian will be an appealing target to hackers or malware distributors seeking to destroy, damage or steal the Trusts bitcoin or private keys and will only become more appealing as the Trusts assets grow. While the Trust, the Sponsor and the Custodian have implemented procedures to identify and or stop new security threats and expect to adapt to technological changes in the digital asset industry, to the extent such efforts are unsuccessful the Trusts bitcoin may be subject to theft, loss, destruction or other attack.
Additionally, access to the Trusts bitcoin could be restricted by natural events (such as an earthquake or flood) or human actions (such as a terrorist attack). The Sponsor has evaluated the security procedures in place for safeguarding the Trusts bitcoin. Nevertheless, the security procedures cannot guarantee the prevention of any loss due to a security breach, software defect or act of God that may be borne by the Trust.
The security procedures and operational infrastructure may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, error or malfeasance of an employee of the Sponsor, the Custodian, or otherwise, and, as a result, an
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unauthorized party may obtain access to the Trusts account with the Custodian, the private keys (and therefore bitcoin) or other data of the Trust. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees of the Sponsor, the Custodian, or the Trusts other service providers to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to the Trusts infrastructure. As the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, or may be designed to remain dormant until a predetermined event and often are not recognized until launched against a target, the Sponsor and the Custodian may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures.
An actual or perceived breach of the Trusts account with the Custodian could harm the Trusts operations, result in partial or total loss of the Trusts assets, damage the Trusts reputation and negatively affect the market perception of the effectiveness of the Trust, all of which could in turn reduce demand for the Shares, resulting in a reduction in the price of the Shares. The Trust may also cease operations, the occurrence of which could similarly result in a reduction in the price of the Shares.
While the Sponsor and the Trusts service providers have established business continuity plans and systems that they respectively believe are reasonably designed to prevent cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been, or cannot be, identified. Service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Trust, which could be negatively impacted as a result, see Liability and Indemnification and Material Contracts below.
If the Trusts holdings of bitcoin are lost, stolen or destroyed under circumstances rendering a party liable to the Trust, the responsible party may not have the financial resources sufficient to satisfy the Trusts claim. For example, as to a particular event of loss, the only source of recovery for the Trust may be limited to the relevant custodian or, to the extent identifiable, other responsible third parties (for example, a thief or terrorist), any of which may not have the financial resources (including liability insurance coverage) to satisfy a valid claim of the Trust. Similarly, as noted below, the Trusts Custodian has limited liability to the Trust, which could adversely affect the Trusts ability to seek recovery from them, even when the Custodians actions or failure to act are the cause of the Trusts loss.
It may not be possible, either because of a lack of available policies or because of prohibitive cost, for the Trust to obtain insurance that would cover losses of the Trusts bitcoin. If an uninsured loss occurs or a loss exceeds policy limits, the Trust could lose all of its assets.
The Trusts risk management processes and policies may prove to not be adequate to prevent any loss of the Trusts bitcoin.
Custody of digital assets presents inherent and unique risks relating to access loss, theft and means of recourse in such scenarios. These risks are applicable to the Trusts use of FDAS, despite its status as an affiliate of the Sponsor. The Sponsor is continuing to monitor and evaluate the Trusts risk management processes and policies and believes that the current risk management processes and procedures are reasonably designed and effective. The Trust does not normally interact with any digital asset trading platforms, and the Trusts bitcoin is held in a cold storage wallet with the Custodian, a duly chartered New York limited liability trust company, pursuant to an express custodial relationship. The Sponsor believes that the security procedures that the Sponsor and the Custodian utilize, such as hardware redundancy, segregation and offline data storage (i.e., the maintenance of data on computers and/or storage media that is not directly connected to or accessible from the internet and/or networked with other computers, also known as cold storage) protocols are reasonably designed to safeguard the Trusts bitcoin from theft, loss, destruction or other issues relating to hackers and technological attack. Despite the number of security procedures that the Sponsor and Custodian employ, it is impossible to guarantee the prevention of any loss due to a security breach, software defect, act of God, pandemic or riot that may be borne by the Trust. Notwithstanding the above, the Sponsor and the Custodian are responsible for their own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. In the event that the Trusts risk management processes and policies prove to not be adequate to prevent any loss of the Trusts bitcoin and such loss is not covered by
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insurance or is otherwise recoverable, the value of the Shares will decrease as a result and investors would experience a decrease in the value of their investment.
The Trusts Custodian could become insolvent or become subject to a receivership or bankruptcy proceeding, which may result in a loss of or delay in access to Trust assets.
If the Custodian becomes insolvent or subject to a receivership or bankruptcy proceeding, the Trusts operations may be adversely affected, and there is a risk that the insolvency, receivership or bankruptcy of the Custodian may result in the loss of all or a substantial portion of the Trusts assets or in a significant delay in the Trust having access to those assets.
The Trusts assets will be held in one or more accounts maintained for the Trust by the Custodian. The Custodian is a limited liability trust company organized under the New York Banking Law and is subject to the supervision of New York Department of Financial Services. The Custody Agreement for Trust assets contains an agreement by the parties to treat the bitcoin credited to the Trust as financial assets under Article 8 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (Article 8), in addition to stating that the Custodian will serve as a securities intermediary with respect to such assets. Further, the Custodian has agreed to hold Trust assets for the benefit of the Trust as the entitlement holder, and while the Trust assets will be commingled with assets of the Custodians other customers in an omnibus account, such assets will not be commingled with the Custodians proprietary assets. While other types of assets held in a similarly-segregated manner have been deemed not to be part of the asset custodians bankruptcy estate under various regulatory regimes, bankruptcy courts have not yet fully addressed the appropriate treatment of custodial holdings of digital assets and any such determination may be highly fact-specific.
Given that the contractual protections and legal rights of customers with respect to digital assets held on their behalf by third parties are relatively untested in a bankruptcy or receivership proceeding of an entity such as the Custodian, in the event of an insolvency, receivership or bankruptcy proceeding with respect to the Custodian, there is a risk that the Trusts assets may be considered the property of the bankruptcy estate of the Custodian, and that customers of the Custodian including the Trust may be at risk of being treated as general unsecured creditors of the Custodian and subject to the risk of total loss or markdowns on value of such assets. Moreover, even if the Trusts assets ultimately are not treated as part of the Custodians bankruptcy estate, the automatic stay could apply until the bankruptcy court made such a determination, and the limited precedent and fact-dependent nature of the determination could delay or preclude the return of such assets to the Trust. Further, the bankruptcy court may permit the Custodian to retain possession or custody of its customers assets until any claims the estate may have against the customers (including the Trust) are resolved.
An actual or perceived business failure or interruption, default, failure to perform security breach or other problems affecting the Custodian could harm the Trusts operations, result in partial or total loss of the Trusts assets, damage the Trusts reputation and negatively affect the market perception of the effectiveness of the Trust, all of which could in turn reduce demand for the Shares, resulting in a reduction in the price of the Shares.
The Trust may change the custodial arrangements described in this Prospectus at any time without notice to Shareholders.
Loss of a critical banking relationship for, or the failure of a bank used by, the Trust could adversely impact the Trusts ability to create or redeem Baskets, or could cause losses to the Trust.
The Cash Custodian is necessary to facilitate the creation and redemption of Baskets (in exchange for cash subscriptions by Authorized Participants, or in exchange for redemptions of Shares by Authorized Participants), and other cash movements, including in connection with the purchase of bitcoin by the Sponsor to effectuate subscriptions for cash and the selling of bitcoin to effect redemptions for cash and, to the extent applicable, other
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Trust expenses, and in extraordinary circumstances, to effect the liquidation of the Trusts bitcoin. The Trust relies on the Cash Custodian to hold any cash related to the purchase or sale of bitcoin. To the extent that the Trust or Sponsor face difficulty establishing or maintaining banking relationships, the loss of the Trusts banking partners, including the Cash Custodian, or the imposition of operational restrictions by these banking partners and the inability of the Trust to utilize other financial institutions may result in a disruption of creation and redemption activity of the Trust, or cause other operational disruptions or adverse effects for the Trust. In the future, it is possible that the Trust could be unable to establish accounts at new banking partners, or that the banks with which the Trust is able to establish relationships may not be as large or well-capitalized or subject to the same degree of prudential supervision as the existing providers.
The Trust could also suffer losses in the event that a bank in which the Trust holds customer cash, including the Cash Custodian, fails, becomes insolvent, enters receivership, is taken over by regulators, enters financial distress, or otherwise suffers adverse effects to its financial condition or operational status. Recently, some banks have experienced financial distress. If the Cash Custodian were to experience financial distress or its financial condition is otherwise affected, the Cash Custodians ability to provide services to the Trust could be affected. Moreover, the future failure of the Cash Custodian or other bank at which the Trust maintains cash could result in losses to the Trust, to the extent the balances are not covered by deposit insurance. As a result, the Trust could suffer losses.
The Trust is subject to risks due to its concentration of investments in a single asset class.
Unlike other funds that may invest in diversified assets, the Trusts investment strategy is concentrated in a single asset within a single asset class. This concentration maximizes the degree of the Trusts exposure to a variety of market risks associated with bitcoin and digital assets. By concentrating its investment strategy solely in bitcoin, any losses suffered as a result of a decrease in the value of bitcoin can be expected to reduce the value of an interest in the Trust and will not be offset by other gains if the Trust were to invest in underlying assets that were diversified.
The lack of active trading markets for the Shares may result in losses on Shareholders investments at the time of disposition of Shares.
Although Shares of the Trust are expected to be publicly listed and traded on an exchange, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained. If Shareholders need to sell their Shares at a time when no active market for them exists, the price Shareholders receive for their Shares, assuming that Shareholders are able to sell them, may be lower than the price that Shareholders would receive if an active market did exist and, accordingly, a Shareholder may suffer losses.
Several factors may affect the Trusts ability to achieve its investment objective on a consistent basis.
There can be no assurance that the Trust will achieve its investment objective. Prospective investors should read this entire Prospectus and consult with their own advisers before subscribing for Shares. Factors that may affect the Trusts ability to meet its investment objective include: (1) Authorized Participants ability to purchase and sell bitcoin in an efficient manner to effectuate creation and redemption orders; (2) transaction fees associated with the Bitcoin network; (3) the bitcoin market becoming illiquid or disrupted; (4) the need to conform the Trusts portfolio holdings to comply with investment restrictions or policies or regulatory or tax law requirements; (5) early or unanticipated closings of the markets on which bitcoin trades, resulting in the inability of Authorized Participants to execute intended portfolio transactions; and (6) accounting standards.
The amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will decline over time.
The amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will continue to be reduced during the life of the Trust due to the transfer of the Trusts bitcoin to pay for the Sponsor Fee and other liabilities.
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Each outstanding Share represents a fractional, undivided interest in the bitcoin held by the Trust. The Trust does not generate any income and transfers bitcoin to pay for the Sponsor Fee and other liabilities. Therefore, the amount of bitcoin represented by each Share will gradually decline over time. Assuming a constant bitcoin price, the trading price of the Shares is expected to gradually decline relative to the price of bitcoin as the amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares gradually declines.
Shareholders should be aware that the gradual decline in the amount of bitcoin represented by the Shares will occur regardless of whether the trading price of the Shares rises or falls in response to changes in the price of bitcoin.
The development and commercialization of the Trust is subject to competitive pressures.
The Trust and the Sponsor face competition with respect to the creation of competing products. The Sponsors competitors may have greater financial, technical and human resources than the Sponsor. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be effective competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. In addition, the timing of the Trust in reaching the market and the fee structure of the Trust relative to similar products may have a detrimental effect on the scale and sustainability of the Trust. The Sponsors competitors may be able to launch similar products to the Trust before the launch of the Trust due to, for example, the satisfaction of all regulatory requirements required to launch before the Trust is able to do so. Accordingly, the Sponsors competitors may commercialize a product involving bitcoin more rapidly or effectively than the Sponsor is able to, which could adversely affect the Sponsors competitive position, the likelihood that the Trust will achieve initial market acceptance and the Sponsors ability to generate meaningful revenues from the Trust (i.e., revenues that would commercially justify the Sponsor continuing to devote time and resources to the operation of the Trust), which in turn could cause the Sponsor to dissolve and terminate the Trust.
In addition, to the extent that the Trust incurs transaction expenses in connection with the creation and redemption process, litigation expenses, indemnification obligations under the Trusts service provider agreements and other Extraordinary Expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, such expenses will be borne by the Trust. To the extent that the Trust fails to attract a sufficiently large amount of investors, the effect of such expenses on the value of the Shares may be significantly greater than would be the case if the Trust had attracted more assets.
The Sponsor may need to find and appoint a replacement custodian quickly, which could pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Trusts bitcoin.
The Sponsor could decide to replace the Custodian as the custodian of the Trusts bitcoin. Transferring maintenance responsibilities of the Trusts account with the Custodian to another party will likely be complex and could subject the Trusts bitcoin to the risk of loss during the transfer, which could have a negative impact on the performance of the Shares or result in loss of the Trusts assets.
The Sponsor may not be able to find a party willing to serve as the custodian under the same terms as the current Custodian Agreement. To the extent that Sponsor is not able to find a suitable party willing to serve as the custodian, the Sponsor may be required to terminate the Trust and liquidate the Trusts bitcoin.
Limited recourse.
The Custodian has limited liability for any loss, claim, or damage to the Trust, impairing the ability of the Trust to recover losses relating to its bitcoin and any recovery may be limited, except to the extent of a final, non-appealable judicial determination that such loss, claim or damage directly resulted from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of the Custodian. In addition, the Custodian is generally not be liable for any loss caused, directly or indirectly, by the failure of the Trust to adhere to the Custodians policies and procedures that have been disclosed to the Trust, a force majeure event or certain actions determined by the
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Custodian to be necessary or advisable to inspect and protect the security of the Trusts assets. Furthermore, the Custodian is generally not liable for a loss caused, directly or indirectly, by any failure or delay to act by any service provider to the Custodian or any system failure (other than a system failure caused by the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of the Custodian or the Custodians affiliates), that prevents the Custodian from fulfilling its obligations.
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee and the Sponsor will not be liable for any liability or expense incurred absent fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee or the Sponsor or breach by the Sponsor of the Trust Agreement, as the case may be. As a result, the recourse of the Trust or the Shareholder to Trustee or the Sponsor may be limited.
The Index Provider has limited liability relating to the use of the Index, impairing the ability of the Trust to recover losses relating to its use of the Index. The Index Provider does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of the Index or the data included therein and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or index calculation, errors, omissions or interruptions of any Fidelity index or any data included therein. The Index could be calculated now or in the future in a way that adversely affects an investment in the Trust.
The Calculation Agent also has limited liability, impairing the ability of the Trust to recover losses relating to the calculation of the Index.
The value of the Shares will be adversely affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian.
Each of the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Transfer Agent and the Custodian has a right to be indemnified by the Trust for certain liabilities or expenses that it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part. Therefore, the Sponsor, Trustee, Transfer Agent or the Custodian may require that the assets of the Trust be sold in order to cover losses or liability suffered by it. Any sale of that kind would reduce the bitcoin holdings of the Trust and the value of the Shares.
Intellectual property rights claims may adversely affect the Trust and the value of the Shares.
The Sponsor is not aware of any intellectual property rights claims that may prevent the Trust from operating and holding bitcoin. However, third parties may assert intellectual property rights claims relating to the operation of the Trust and the mechanics instituted for the investment in, holding of and transfer of bitcoin. Regardless of the merit of an intellectual property or other legal action, any legal expenses to defend or payments to settle such claims would be Extraordinary Expenses that would be borne by the Trust through the sale or transfer of its bitcoin and any threatened action that reduces confidence in long-term viability or the ability of end-users to hold and transfer bitcoin may adversely affect the value of the Shares. Additionally, a meritorious intellectual property rights claim could prevent the Trust from operating and force the Sponsor to terminate the Trust and liquidate its bitcoin. As a result, an intellectual property rights claim against the Trust could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Unforeseeable risks.
Bitcoin has gained commercial acceptance only within recent years and, as a result, there is little data on its long-term investment potential. Additionally, due to the rapidly evolving nature of the bitcoin market, including advancements in the underlying technology, changes to bitcoin may expose investors in the Trust to additional risks which are impossible to predict.
The Sponsors policies and procedures may not fully mitigate the risk of conflicts of interest.
The Sponsor does not have operating practices that require personnel to pre-clear personal trading activity in which bitcoin is the referenced asset. In general, pre-clearance policies prohibit employees and agents from
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engaging in certain personal trading activity without first obtaining pre-clearance of the transaction from the firms chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, or some senior officer with similar responsibilities.
Without implementing pre-clearance requirements, the Sponsor may not be able to fully mitigate the risk of conflicts of interest or avoid the appearance of impropriety in connection with the purchase and sale of bitcoin. There is no guarantee that every employee, officer, director, or similar person associated with the Sponsor, or its affiliates will refrain from engaging in insider trading in violation of their duties to the Trust and Sponsor.
This risk is present in traditional financial markets and is not unique to bitcoin. If such employees or others affiliated with the Sponsor engage in illegal conduct or conduct which fails to meet applicable regulatory standards, the Sponsor and its affiliates could be the target of civil or criminal fines, penalties, punishments, or other regulatory sanctions or lawsuits or could be the target of an investigation. Any of these outcomes could cause the Trust and Shareholders to suffer harm.
The Sponsor and its affiliates may also participate in transactions related to bitcoin, either for their own account (subject to certain internal employee trading operating practices) or for the account of others, such as clients, and such transactions may occur prior to, during, or after the commencement of this offering. Such transactions may not serve to benefit the Shareholders of the Trust and may have a positive or negative effect on the value of the bitcoin held by the Trust and, consequently, on the market value of bitcoin.
Potential conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust. The Sponsor and its affiliates have no fiduciary duties to the Trust and its Shareholders other than as provided in the Trust Agreement, which may permit them to favor their own interests to the detriment of the Trust and its Shareholders.
The Sponsor will manage the affairs of the Trust. Conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust and its Shareholders, on the other hand. As a result of these conflicts, the Sponsor may favor its own interests and the interests of its affiliates over the Trust and its Shareholders. These potential conflicts include, among others, the following:
| the Sponsor has no fiduciary duties to, and is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than, the Trust and its Shareholders in resolving conflicts of interest, provided the Sponsor does not act in bad faith; |
| the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Sponsor, the Trustee and their respective affiliates pursuant to the Trust Agreement; |
| the Sponsor is responsible for allocating its own limited resources among different clients and potential future business ventures, to each of which it may owe fiduciary duties; |
| the Sponsor and its staff also service affiliates of the Sponsor, and may also service other digital asset investment vehicles, and their respective clients and cannot devote all of its, or their, respective time or resources to the management of the affairs of the Trust; |
| Fidelity Product Services, LLC, the Index Provider of the Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate, Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC, the Custodian of the Trust, and Fidelity Service Company, Inc., the Administrator of the Trust are all affiliates of the Sponsor, and as such the Sponsor is disincentivized from replacing them as the Trusts service providers; |
| the Sponsor, its affiliates and their officers and employees are not prohibited from engaging in other businesses or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with the Trust; |
| affiliates of the Sponsor may start to have substantial direct investments in bitcoin, or other digital assets or companies in the digital assets ecosystem that they are permitted to manage taking into account their own interests without regard to the interests of the Trust or its Shareholders, and any increases, decreases or other changes in such investments could affect the Index price and, in turn, the value of the Shares; and |
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| the Sponsor decides whether to retain separate counsel, accountants or others to perform services for the Trust. |
By purchasing the Shares, Shareholders agree and consent to the provisions set forth in the Trust Agreement.
Risks Associated with the Index and Index Pricing
The Index was developed by an affiliate of the Sponsor, the Index Provider. The Index Provider has substantial discretion at any time to change the methodology used to calculate the Index, including the spot markets that contribute prices to the Trusts NAV. Any such changes could affect the present, past and expected levels of the Index and could adversely affect performance of the Index. The Index Provider does not have any obligation to take the needs of the Trust, the Trusts Shareholders, or anyone else into consideration in connection with such changes. There is no guarantee that the methodology currently used in calculating the Index will appropriately track the price of bitcoin in the future. The Index Provider has no obligation to take the needs of the Trust or the Shareholders into consideration in determining, composing, or calculating the Index. By investing in the Trust, Shareholders will have no rights against the Index Provider or any other persons that have discretion over the Index, even though these entities administer, oversee and determine the Index.
Pricing sources used by the Index are digital asset spot markets that facilitate the buying and selling of bitcoin and other digital assets. Although many pricing sources refer to themselves as exchanges, they are not registered with, or supervised by, the SEC or CFTC and do not meet the regulatory standards of a national securities exchange or designated contract market. For these reasons, among others, purchases and sales of bitcoin may be subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions due to various factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets and government regulation and intervention. For example, on June 5, 2023, the SEC filed lawsuits against cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and Binance alleging, among other things, their operation of an unlicensed securities exchange. These circumstances could affect the price of bitcoin used in Index calculations and, therefore, could adversely affect the level of the Index.
The Index is based on various inputs which include price data from various third-party bitcoin spot markets. The Index Provider does not guarantee the validity of any of these inputs, which may be subject to technological error, manipulative activity, or fraudulent reporting from their initial source.
Right to change index.
The Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may cause the Trust to track (or price its portfolio based upon) an index or standard other than the Index at any time, with prior notice to the Shareholders, if investment conditions change or the Sponsor believes that another index or standard better reflects the price of bitcoin. The Sponsor, however, is under no obligation whatsoever to make such changes in any circumstance.
Risks related to pricing.
As set forth under CALCULATION OF NAV below, the Trusts portfolio will be priced, including for purposes of determining the NAV, based upon the VWMP of bitcoin used for the calculation of the Index as of the time of such valuation.
Using a VWMP methodology and price feeds from eligible bitcoin spot markets, the Index intends to represent the U.S. dollar value of one bitcoin every 15 seconds based on VWMP spot market data over rolling sixty-minute increments. As such, the VWMP methodology used to determine the NAV may not be reflective of market events and other developments that occur after its pricing window and thus this methodology may not be reflective of the then-available market price of bitcoin in periods between its calculation. Additionally, as the methodology references a median price, it may not reflect the price of bitcoin available for the Trust to transact
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on any single spot market. The Sponsor does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, to determine whether the methodology used to determine the level of the Index accurately reflects the value of bitcoin or the price at which market transactions in bitcoin could be readily effected at any given time.
Because the NAV of the Trust will be based almost entirely on the value of the Trusts bitcoin portfolio as determined by such VWMP methodology, and subscriptions and redemptions are processed based on the NAV of the Trust, if the methodology does not reflect the market value of bitcoin at a given time, subscription and redemption transactions will be effected at prices that may adversely affect the Trust.
The NAV of the Trust will change as fluctuations occur in the market price of the Trusts bitcoin holdings. Shareholders should be aware that the public trading price per Share may be different from the NAV for a number of reasons, including price volatility, trading activity, the closing of bitcoin trading platforms due to fraud, failure, security breaches or otherwise, and the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares are related, but not identical, to the supply and demand forces influencing the market price of bitcoin.
An Authorized Participant may be able to create or redeem a Basket at a discount or a premium to the public trading price per Share and the Trust will therefore maintain its intended fractional exposure to a specific amount of bitcoin per Share.
Shareholders also should note that the size of the Trust in terms of total bitcoin held may change substantially over time and as Baskets are created and redeemed.
In the event that the value of the Trusts bitcoin holdings or bitcoin holdings per Share is incorrectly calculated, neither the Sponsor nor the Administrator will be liable for any error and such misreporting of valuation data could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Regulatory Risk
As bitcoin and digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S. Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state agencies have been examining the operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and the digital asset spot market. Many of these state and federal agencies have brought enforcement actions and issued advisories and rules relating to digital asset markets. The SEC has recently charged certain large US digital asset trading platforms of supporting trading and settlement of securities in violation of the US federal securities laws. Specifically, the SEC has alleged that these exchanges are operating as unregistered securities exchanges, brokers and clearing agencies. For example, on June 5, 2023, the SEC filed lawsuits against cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and Binance alleging, among other things, their operation of an unlicensed securities exchange. Although the SEC has not alleged that bitcoin is a security, the outcome of these enforcement actions and others may result in the substantial restructuring of the digital asset market in the United States. Moreover, until these actions are resolved, the structure of the digital asset market in the United States will remain subject to substantial regulatory risk, which may impact the demand for digital assets and the continued availability of existing exchanges and offerings. The U.S. Congress is also actively preparing new legislation to address certain market structure issues relating to digital assets and stablecoins. The outcome of this legislation is unknown. Both the outcome of the pending SEC enforcement actions and federal legislation are highly uncertain and may alter, perhaps to a materially adverse extent, the nature of an investment in the Shares and/or the ability of the Trust to continue to operate.
Although neither the SEC nor the CFTC has exerted direct authority over bitcoin or bitcoin spot trading activity, the SEC and CFTC have broad authority over the regulation of issuances of securities (including digital asset securities) and commodity interests (including derivative instruments utilizing or referencing digital assets). The SEC and CFTCs engagement with the digital asset industry has had a material impact on the development of digital asset markets, including initial coin offerings, margin trading, regulated and unregulated derivatives
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markets, and decentralized finance markets. For example, the SEC has issued guidance as to the application of the securities laws to digital assets and initiated enforcement actions against certain digital asset issuers and offerings on the basis that such digital assets and offerings are securities under U.S. securities laws. In these actions, the SEC reasoned that the unregistered offer and sale of digital assets can, in certain circumstances, including ICOs, be considered an illegal public offering of securities. Similarly, the CFTC, together with the Department of Justice, has initiated enforcement actions against digital asset trading platforms relating to violations of the CEA, on the basis that such platforms engaged in illegal, off-exchange retail commodity transactions in digital assets and digital asset derivative transactions. Further enforcement actions against participants in the digital asset industry could have negative impacts the price of digital assets, including bitcoin.
In August 2021, Gary Gensler, the Chairman of the SEC, stated that he believed investors using digital asset trading platforms are not adequately protected, and that activities on the platforms can implicate the securities laws, commodities laws and banking laws, raising a number of issues related to protecting investors and consumers, guarding against illicit activity, and ensuring financial stability. Chair Gensler expressed a need for the SEC to have additional authorities to prevent transactions, products, and platforms from falling between regulatory cracks, as well as for more resources to protect investors in this growing and volatile sector. Chair Gensler called for federal legislation centering on digital asset trading, lending, and decentralized finance platforms, seeking additional plenary authority to write rules for digital asset trading and lending. It is not possible to predict whether the U.S. Congress will grant additional authorities to the SEC or other regulators, what the nature of such additional authorities might be, how they might impact the ability of digital assets markets to function or how any new regulations that may flow from such authorities might impact the value of digital assets generally and bitcoin held by the Trust specifically. Subsequent to Chair Genslers assertions in August 2021, in April 2022, he announced that he instructed the SEC staff to work (i) to register and regulate digital asset platforms like securities exchanges; (ii) with the CFTC on how to jointly address digital asset platforms that trade both securities and non-securities; (iii) on segregating out digital asset platforms custody of customer assets, if appropriate; and (iv) on segregating out the market making functions of digital asset platforms, if appropriate. At the same time and continuing through the date of this Prospectus, the U.S. Congress continues to consider and debate a variety of proposals regarding how digital assets should be characterized and regulated.
In addition to the SECs actions targeting digital assets and trading platforms directly, the SEC has also targeted regulated investments that provide exposure to digital assets indirectly. For example, in a recent letter regarding the SECs review of proposed rule changes to list and trade shares of certain bitcoin-related investment vehicles on public markets, the SEC staff stated that it has significant investor protection concerns regarding the markets for digital assets, including the potential for market manipulation and fraud. In March 2018, it was reported that the SEC was examining as many as 100 investment funds with strategies focused on digital assets. The reported focus of the examinations is on the accuracy of risk disclosures to investors in these funds, digital asset pricing practices, and compliance with rules meant to prevent the theft of investor funds, as well as on information gathering so that the SEC can better understand new technologies and investment products. It has further been reported that some of these funds have received subpoenas from the SECs Enforcement Division. Additionally, the SECs Division of Examinations (then the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE)) stated that digital assets remain an examination priority for 2023. In particular, OCIE intended to focus its examination on portfolio management of digital assets, safety of client funds and assets, pricing and valuation of client portfolios, compliance and internal controls, and supervision of employee outside business activities.
OFAC has added digital currency addresses to the list of Specially Designated Nationals whose assets are blocked, and with whom U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing. Such actions by OFAC, or by similar organizations in other jurisdictions, may introduce uncertainty in the market as to whether bitcoin that has been associated with such addresses in the past can be easily sold. This tainted bitcoin may trade at a substantial discount to untainted bitcoin. Reduced fungibility in the bitcoin markets may reduce the liquidity of bitcoin and therefore adversely affect its price.
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In December 2020, FinCEN, a bureau within the U.S. Treasury Department, proposed a rule that would require financial institutions to submit reports, keep records, and verify the identity of customers for certain transactions to or from so-called unhosted wallets, also commonly referred to as self-hosted wallets. In May 2021, the U.S. Department of Treasury proposed new rules potentially requiring businesses to record transactions in digital assets that exceed $10,000 in value. It remains unclear if these proposed rules will ultimately be adopted.
On March 9, 2022, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets (the Executive Order), which outlined a unified federal regulatory approach to addressing the risks and benefits of digital assets. The Executive Order articulated various policy objectives related to digital assets, including investor protections, financial and national security risks, and responsible development and use of digital assets. The Executive Order directed federal government departments and agencies to produce various reports, frameworks, analyses, and regulatory and legislative recommendations to the Biden Administration. The policies and objectives of the Executive Order are broad and, at this time, it is unclear what impact it may have on the regulation of bitcoin and other digital assets. The consequences of increased federal regulation of digital assets and digital asset activities could have a material adverse effect on the Trust and the Shares. If the Sponsor determines not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, it may seek to cease certain or all of the Trusts operations. Any such action could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The entire cryptocurrency industry experienced a significant drawdown in 2022, particularly throughout the latter half of the year. The decline was due to numerous factors, including a slowing macroeconomic environment, rising interest rates, expiring pandemic financial assistance, and the public collapse of several major industry participants, including Three Arrows Capital, Voyager, Celsius, and most recently, FTX and Genesis. The cryptocurrency industrys turbulent drawdown in 2022 is expected to draw increased regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Congress, SEC, and CFTC in the remainder of 2023 and beyond.
Under regulations from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), businesses involved in certain digital asset business activity involving New York or a New York resident must apply for a license, commonly known as a BitLicense, from the NYDFS and must comply with anti-money laundering, cyber security, consumer protection, and financial and reporting requirements, among others. As an alternative to a BitLicense, a firm can apply for a charter to become a limited purpose trust company under New York law qualified to engage in digital asset business activity. Other states have considered or approved digital asset business activity statutes or rules, passing, for example, regulations or guidance indicating that certain digital asset business activities constitute money transmission requiring licensure. The regulation of digital asset activity under state money transmission laws varies substantially. Differences between state regimes increase the complexity and compliance burden of operating digital asset businesses across the U.S., which may affect consumer adoption of bitcoin and its price. In an attempt to address these issues, the Uniform Law Commission passed a model law in July 2017, the Uniform Regulation of Virtual Currency Businesses Act, which has many similarities to the BitLicense and features a multistate reciprocity licensure feature, wherein a business licensed in one state could apply for accelerated licensure procedures in other states. As of 2023, only Rhode Island has adopted the model law, while three other states have introduced it. It is still unclear; however, how many states will ultimately adopt some or all of the model legislation.
In June 2021, the government of El Salvador announced and passed legislation that identified bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador. Other South and Central American political leaders have indicated a desire to explore the issues relating to legal tender status for bitcoin. In April 2022, the government of the Central African Republic announced its adoption of bitcoin as legal tender in the Central African Republic. It is unclear whether the designation of bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador, the Central African Republic, or any other country will impact the regulatory treatment of bitcoin in the United States, or whether other countries will adopt similar legislation.
On February 15, 2022, Representative Warren Davidson introduced the Keep Your Coins Act, which is intended [t]o prohibit Federal agencies from restricting the use of convertible virtual currency by a person to
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purchase goods or services for the persons own use, and for other purposes. That same day, Congressman Josh Gottheimer also announced a discussion draft of the Stablecoin Innovation and Protection Act, which is intended to define qualified stablecoins to differentiate them from more volatile cryptocurrencies.
On March 17, 2022, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Jack Reed, Mark Warner, and Jon Tester introduced the Digital Asset Sanctions Compliance Enhancement Act in an attempt to ensure blacklisted Russian individuals and businesses do not use cryptocurrency to evade economic sanctions. The bill does not come without controversy, however, as it would place sweeping restrictions on persons who build, operate and use cryptocurrency networks even if they have no knowledge or intent to help anyone evade sanctions, according to policy group Coin Center.
On March 28, 2022, Representative Stephen Lynch, along with co-sponsors Jesús G. García, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Alma Adams, introduced H.R. 7231, the Electronic Currency and Secure Hardware Act (ECASH Act), which would direct the secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (not the Federal Reserve) to develop and issue a digital analogue to the U.S. dollar, or e-cash, which is intended to replicate and preserve the privacy, anonymity-respecting, and minimal transactional data-generating properties of physical currency instruments such as coins and notes to the greatest extent technically and practically possible, all without requiring a bank account. E-cash would be legal tender, payable to the bearer and functionally identical to physical U.S. coins and notes, capable of instantaneous, final, direct, peer-to-peer, offline transactions using secured hardware devices that do not involve or require subsequent or final settlement on or via a common or distributed ledger, or any other additional approval or validation by the United States Government or any other third-party payments processing intermediary, including fully anonymous transactions, and interoperable with all existing financial institutions and payment systems and generally accepted payments standards and network protocols, as well as other public payments programs.
On April 6, 2022, Senator Pat Toomey released a draft of his Stablecoin Transparency of Reserves and Uniform Safe Transactions Act, or Stablecoin TRUST Act. The draft bill contemplates a payment stablecoin, which is convertible directly to fiat currency by the issuer. Only an insured depositary institution, a money transmitting business (authorized by its respective state authority) or a new national limited payment stablecoin issuer would be eligible to issue payment stablecoins. Additionally, payment stablecoins would be exempt from the federal securities requirements, including the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, and the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).
On June 7, 2022, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis introduced the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, which was drafted to create a complete regulatory framework for digital assets that encourages responsible financial innovation, flexibility, transparency and robust consumer protections while integrating digital assets into existing law. Importantly, the legislation would assign regulatory authority over digital asset spot markets to the CFTC and codify that digital assets that meet the definition of a commodity, such as bitcoin and ether, would be regulated by the CFTC.
In 2023, Congress continued to consider several stand-alone digital asset bills, including a formal process to determine when digital assets will be treated as either securities to be regulated by the SEC or commodities under the purview of the CFTC, what type of federal/state regulatory regime will exist for payment stablecoins and the how the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) will apply to cryptocurrency providers. The Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT for the 21st Century Act) advanced through the House in a vote along bipartisan lines. The FIT for the 21st Century Act would require the SEC and the CFTC to jointly issue rules or guidance that would outline their process in delisting a digital asset that they deem inconsistent with the CEA, federal securities laws and the FIT for the 21st Century Act. The bill, in part, would also provide a certification process for blockchains to be recognized as decentralized, which would allow the SEC to challenge claims made by token issuers about meeting the outlined standards.
Legislative efforts have also focused on setting criteria for stablecoin issuers and what rules will govern redeemability and collateral. The Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act of 2023, as introduced by House Finance
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Committee Chair Patrick McHenry (the McHenry bill), would make it unlawful for any entity other than a permitted payment stablecoin issuer to issue a payment stablecoin. The McHenry bill would establish bank-like regulation and supervision for federal qualified nonbank payment stablecoin issuers. These requirements include capital, liquidity and risk management requirements, application of the Bank Secrecy Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Acts customer privacy requirements, certain activities limits, and broad supervision and enforcement authority. The McHenry bill would grant state regulators primary supervision, examination and enforcement authority over state stablecoin issuers, leaving the Federal Reserve Board with secondary, backup enforcement authority for exigent circumstances. The McHenry bill would also amend the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the 1940 Act, the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act and the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970 to specify that payment stablecoins are not securities for purposes of those federal securities laws.
Several other bills have advanced through Congress to curb crypto as a payment gateway for illicit activity and money laundering. The Blockchain Regulatory Clarity Act would provide clarity to the regulatory classification of digital assets, providing market certainty for innovators and clear jurisdictional boundaries for regulators by affirming that blockchain developers and other related service providers that do not custody customer funds are not money transmitters. The Financial Technology Protection Act, another bipartisan measure, would set up an independent Financial Technology Working Group to combat terrorism and illicit financing in cryptocurrency. The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act aims to protect certain blockchain platforms from being designated as money-services businesses. Both acts advanced through the House with bipartisan support.
In a similar effort to prevent money laundering and stop crypto-facilitated crime and sanctions violations, bipartisan legislation was introduced to require decentralized finance (DeFi) services to meet the same anti-money laundering and economic sanctions compliance obligations as other financial companies. DeFi generally refers to applications that facilitate peer-to-peer financial transactions that are recorded on blockchains. By design, DeFi provides anonymity, which can allow malicious and criminal actors to evade traditional financial regulatory tools. Noting that transparency and sensible rules are vital for protecting the financial system from crime, the Crypto-Asset National Security Enhancement and Enforcement (CANSEE) Act was introduced. The CANSEE Act would end special treatment for DeFi by applying the same national security laws that apply to banks and securities brokers, casinos and pawn shops, and other cryptocurrency companies like centralized trading platforms. DeFi services would be forced to meet basic obligations, most notably to maintain anti-money laundering programs, conduct due diligence on their customers, and report suspicious transactions to FinCEN.
The continued evolution of federal, state and foreign government regulators and policymakers will continue to impact the viability and success of digital asset markets, broadly, and bitcoin, specifically.
Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the 1940 Act or commodity pools under the Commodity Exchange Act.
The 1940 Act establishes a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for investment companies. Regulation of investment companies under the 1940 Act is designed to, among other things: prevent insiders from managing the companies to their benefit and to the detriment of public investors; prevent the inequitable or discriminate issuance of investment company securities and prevent the use of unsound or misleading methods of computing asset values. For example, registered investment companies subject to the 1940 Act must have a board of directors, a certain minimum percentage of whom must be independent (generally, at least a majority). Further, after an initial two-year period, such registered investment companies advisory and sub-advisory contracts must be annually reapproved by a majority of (1) the entire board of directors and (2) the independent directors. Additionally, such registered investment companies are subject to prohibitions and restrictions on transactions with their affiliates and required to maintain fund assets with special types of custodians (generally, banks or broker-dealers). Moreover, such registered investment companies are subject to significant limits on the use of leverage, as well as limits on the form of capital structure and the types of securities a registered fund can issue.
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The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and the Sponsor believes that the Trust is not permitted or required to register under such act. Consequently, Shareholders do not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in investment companies.
The Trust will not hold or trade in commodity interests regulated by the CEA, as administered by the CFTC. Furthermore, the Sponsor believes that the Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA, and that neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor in connection with the operation of the Trust. Consequently, Shareholders will not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in CEA-regulated instruments or commodity pools.
Future and current regulations by a United States or foreign government or quasi-governmental agencies could have an adverse effect on an investment in the Trust.
The regulation of bitcoin and related products and services continues to evolve, may take many different forms and will, therefore, impact bitcoin and its usage in a variety of manners. The inconsistent, unpredictable, 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 Trust or the ability of the Trust to continue to operate. Additionally, changes to current regulatory determinations of bitcoins status as not being a security, changes to regulations surrounding bitcoin futures or related products, or actions by a United States or foreign government or quasi-governmental agencies exerting regulatory authority over bitcoin, the Bitcoin network, bitcoin trading, or related activities impacting other parts of the digital asset market, may adversely impact bitcoin and therefore may have an adverse effect on the value of your investment in the Trust.
Bitcoin and other digital assets currently face an uncertain regulatory landscape in many foreign jurisdictions such as the European Union, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Russia, Israel, Poland, India, Hong Kong, Canada and Singapore. Cybersecurity attacks by state actors, particularly for the purpose of evading international economic sanctions, are likely to attract additional regulatory scrutiny to the acquisition, ownership, sale and use of digital assets, including bitcoin. The effect of any existing regulation or future regulatory change on the Trust or bitcoin is impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to the Trust and the value of the Shares.
Various foreign jurisdictions have adopted, and may continue to adopt in the near future, laws, regulations or directives that affect bitcoin, particularly with respect to bitcoin spot markets, trading venues and service providers that fall within such jurisdictions regulatory scope. Such laws, regulations or directives may conflict with those of the United States and may negatively impact the acceptance of bitcoin by users, merchants and service providers outside the United States and may therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the bitcoin economy in these jurisdictions as well as in the United States and elsewhere, or otherwise negatively affect the value of bitcoin, and, in turn, the value of the Shares.
Future regulations may require the Trust or the Sponsor to become registered, which may cause the Trust to liquidate.
Current and future legislation, SEC and CFTC rulemaking, and other regulatory developments may impact the manner in which bitcoin is treated. While the SEC has not officially affirmed that bitcoin is not a security under U.S. federal securities laws, public statements by senior officials at the SEC, including a June 2018 speech by the director of the SECs division of Corporation Finance, indicate that such officials do not believe that bitcoin is a security. Such statements are not official policy statements by the SEC and reflect only the speakers views, which are not binding on the SEC or any other agency or court. If bitcoin is determined to be a security under federal or state securities laws by the SEC or any other agency, or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it may have material adverse consequences for bitcoins utility as a means of exchange and
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accordingly for its continued adoption. In the face of such developments, the required registrations and compliance steps may result in extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust. Specifically, the Trust and the Sponsor may be subject to additional regulatory requirements including under the 1940 Act, and the Sponsor may be required to register as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act. If the Sponsor determines not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, the Sponsor will terminate the Trust. Any such termination could result in the liquidation of the Trusts bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders. Alternatively, compliance with these requirements could result in additional expenses to the Trust or significantly limit the ability of the Trust to pursue its investment objective. These additional requirements may result in extraordinary, recurring and/or nonrecurring expenses of the Trust, thereby materially and adversely impacting the Shares. If the Sponsor and/or the Trust determines not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, the Sponsor may terminate the Trust. Any such termination could result in the liquidation of the Trusts bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders.
If regulatory changes or interpretations of an Authorized Participants, the Trusts or the Sponsors activities require the regulation of an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor as a money services business under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act or as a money transmitter or digital asset business under state regimes for the licensing of such businesses, an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor may be required to register and comply with such regulations, which could result in extraordinary, recurring and/or nonrecurring expenses to the Authorized Participant, Trust or Sponsor or increased commissions for the Authorized Participants clients, thereby reducing the liquidity of the Shares.
To the extent that the activities of any Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor cause it to be deemed a money services business under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, such Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor may be required to comply with FinCEN regulations, including those that would mandate the implementation of an anti-money laundering program, the submission of certain reports to FinCEN and the maintenance of certain records. Similarly, the activities of an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor may require it to be licensed as a money transmitter or as a digital asset business, such as under NYDFS BitLicense regulation.
Such additional regulatory obligations may cause the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor to incur Extraordinary Expenses. If the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor decide to seek the required licenses, there is no guarantee that they will receive them in a timely manner. In addition, to the extent an Authorized Participant, the Trust, or the Sponsor is found to have operated without appropriate state or federal licenses, it may be subject to investigation, administrative or court proceedings, and civil or criminal monetary fines and penalties, all of which could harm the reputation of the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor and affect the value of the Shares. Furthermore, an Authorized Participant, the Trust, or the Sponsor may not be able to acquire necessary state licenses or be capable of complying with certain federal or state regulatory obligations applicable to money services businesses, money transmitters, and businesses engaged in digital asset activity in a timely manner. The Authorized Participant may also instead decide to terminate its role as Authorized Participant of the Trust, or the Sponsor may decide to terminate the Trust. Termination by the Authorized Participant may decrease the liquidity of the Shares, which may adversely affect the value of the Shares, and any termination of the Trust in response to the changed regulatory circumstances may be at a time that is disadvantageous to the Shareholders.
Tax Risk
The ongoing activities of the Trust may generate tax liabilities for Shareholders.
As described below under United States Federal Income Tax ConsequencesTaxation of U.S. Shareholders, it is expected that each Shareholder will include in the computation of their taxable income their proportionate share of the taxable income and expenses of the Trust, including gains and losses realized in
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connection with the use of bitcoin or the sale of bitcoin to pay Trust expenses or facilitate redemption transactions. The current tax rules applicable to the Trust require the allocation of income and expenses based upon distributions. The Trust does not anticipate making distributions to Shareholders, so any tax liability that a Shareholder incurs as a result of holding Shares will need to be satisfied from some other source of funds. For some purposes, however, redemptions will count as distributions, so Shareholders receiving redemption proceeds after a sale to fund a redemption in cash may be allocated a larger portion of income or gain than those that do not. If a Shareholders sells Shares in order to raise funds to satisfy such a tax liability, the sale itself may generate additional taxable gain or loss.
The tax treatment of bitcoin and transactions involving bitcoin for United States federal income tax purposes may change.
Under current IRS guidance, bitcoin is treated as property, not as currency, for U.S. federal income tax purposes and transactions involving payment in bitcoin in return for goods and services are treated as barter exchanges. Such exchanges result in capital gain or loss measured by the difference between the price at which bitcoin is exchanged and the taxpayers basis in the bitcoin. However, because bitcoin is a new technological innovation, because IRS guidance has taken the form of administrative pronouncements that may be modified without prior notice and comment, and because there is as yet little case law on the subject, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in bitcoin or in transactions relating to investments in bitcoin may change from that described in this prospectus, possibly with retroactive effect. Any such change in the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoin may have a negative effect on prices of bitcoin and may adversely affect the value of the Shares. In this regard, the IRS has indicated that it has made it a priority to issue additional guidance related to the taxation of virtual currency transactions, such as transactions involving bitcoin. While it has started to issue such additional guidance, whether any future guidance will adversely affect the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in bitcoin or in transactions relating to investments in bitcoin is unknown. Moreover, future developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The tax treatment of bitcoin and transactions involving bitcoin for state and local tax purposes is not settled.
Because bitcoin is a new technological innovation, the tax treatment of bitcoin for state and local tax purposes, including without limitation state and local income and sales and use taxes, is not settled. It is uncertain what guidance, if any, on the treatment of bitcoin for state and local tax purposes may be issued in the future. A state or local government authoritys treatment of bitcoin may have negative consequences, including the imposition of a greater tax burden on investors in bitcoin or the imposition of a greater cost on the acquisition and disposition of bitcoin generally. Any such treatment may have a negative effect on prices of bitcoin and may adversely affect the value of the Shares.
A hard fork of the Bitcoin Blockchain could result in Shareholders incurring a tax liability.
Except for cash temporarily held to pay Trust expenses, facilitate redemption transactions, or received in creation transactions, the Trust will only invest in bitcoin. The Trust has no obligation to claim a digital asset created by a fork of the Bitcoin network. The Trust intends to disclaim any digital assets air dropped to holders of bitcoin. The Trust may receive or claim rights to any digital assets created by a fork of the Bitcoin network that are supported by the Custodian and for which the Trusts trading counterparties support a secondary market. Under current IRS guidance, a hard fork resulting in the receipt of new units of cryptocurrency is a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income equal to the value of the new cryptocurrency. The Trust Agreement requires that if the Trust receives or claims a forked asset, the Sponsor will cause the forked asset to be sold and have the proceeds distributed to the Shareholders. Such a sale will give rise to gain or loss, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, if the amount realized on the sale differs from the value of the new forked or air dropped asset at the time it was received by the Trust. A hard fork may therefore give rise to additional tax liabilities for Shareholders.
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The intended tax treatment of the Trust will limit the flexibility of the Trusts investment decisions.
The Trust is intended to be a grantor trust for Federal income tax purposes. A grantor trust is not permitted to change the investment of the Shareholders to take advantage of market fluctuations. Thus, the Sponsor may allow the Trust to hold when an actively managed fund would sell. The Sponsor may distribute proceeds when an actively managed fund would reinvest the proceeds. In addition, a fund treated as a grantor trust may not participate in trading or lending activity without raising a risk of change in status. This means that the returns of the Trust may be less than a successfully actively managed fund.
Other Risks
The Exchange on which the Shares are listed may halt trading in the Trusts Shares, which would adversely impact a Shareholders ability to sell Shares.
The Trusts Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange under the market symbol FBTC. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or, in light of the Exchange rules and procedures, for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading is subject to trading halts or pauses caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to circuit breaker rules and/or limit up/limit down rules that require trading to be halted or paused for a specified period based on a specified market decline. Additionally, there can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the Trusts Shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
The liquidity of the Shares may also be affected by the withdrawal from participation of Authorized Participants, which could adversely affect the market price of the Shares.
In the event that one or more Authorized Participants or market makers that have substantial interests in the Trusts Shares withdraw or step away from participation in the purchase (creation) or sale (redemption) of the Trusts Shares, the liquidity of the Shares will likely decrease, which could adversely affect the market price of the Shares and result in Shareholders incurring a loss on their investment.
The market infrastructure of the bitcoin spot market could result in the absence of active Authorized Participants able to support the trading activity of the Trust.
Bitcoin is extremely volatile, and concerns exist about the stability, reliability and robustness of many spot markets where bitcoin trade. In a highly volatile market, or if one or more spot markets supporting the bitcoin market faces an issue, it could be extremely challenging for any Authorized Participants to provide continuous liquidity in the Shares. There can be no guarantee that the Sponsor will be able to find an Authorized Participant to actively and continuously support the Trust.
Shareholders that are not Authorized Participants may only purchase or sell their Shares in secondary trading markets, and the conditions associated with trading in secondary markets may adversely affect Shareholders investment in the Shares.
Only Authorized Participants may create or redeem Baskets. All other Shareholders that desire to purchase or sell Shares must do so through the Exchange or in other markets, if any, in which the Shares may be traded. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to the NAV per Share.
The Sponsor relies heavily on key personnel.
The Sponsor relies heavily on key personnel to manage its activities. These key personnel intend to allocate their time managing the Trust in a manner that they deem appropriate. If such key personnel were to leave or be unable to carry out their present responsibilities, it may have an adverse effect on the management of the Sponsor.
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Shareholders have no right or power to take part in the management of the Trust. Accordingly, no investor should purchase Shares unless such investor is willing to entrust all aspects of the management of the Trust to the Trustee and the Sponsor.
In addition, certain personnel performing services on behalf of the Sponsor will be shared with affiliates of the Sponsor, including with respect to execution, Trust operations and legal, regulatory and tax oversight. Such individuals will devote a small percentage of their time to those activities.
Additionally, there can be no assurance that all of the personnel who provide services to the Trust will continue to be associated with the Trust for any length of time. The loss of the services of one or more such individuals could have an adverse impact on the Trusts ability to realize its investment objective.
The Trust is new, and if it is not profitable, the Trust may terminate and liquidate at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders.
The Trust is new. If the Trust does not attract sufficient assets to remain open, or if the trust experiences excessive withdrawals, then the Trust could be terminated and liquidated at the direction of the Sponsor (or required to do so because it is delisted by the Exchange). Termination and liquidation of the Trust could occur at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders. When the Trusts assets are sold as part of the Trusts liquidation, the resulting proceeds distributed to Shareholders may be less than those that may be realized in a sale outside of a liquidation context.
Shareholders do not have the rights enjoyed by investors in certain other vehicles and may be adversely affected by a lack of statutory rights and by limited voting and distribution rights.
The Shares have limited voting and distribution rights. For example, Shareholders do not have the right to elect directors, the Trust may enact splits or reverse splits without Shareholder approval, and the Trust is not required to pay regular distributions, although the Trust may pay distributions at the discretion of the Sponsor.
Shareholders may be adversely affected by creation or redemption orders that are subject to postponement, suspension or rejection under certain circumstances.
The Trust may, in its discretion, suspend the right of creation or redemption or may postpone the redemption or purchase settlement date, for (1) any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which the fulfillment of a purchase order or the redemption distribution is not reasonably practicable, or (2) such other period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the protection of the Shareholders of the Trust. In addition, the Trust may reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form as described in the Authorized Participant Agreement or if the fulfillment of the order might be unlawful. Any such postponement, suspension or rejection could adversely affect a redeeming Authorized Participant. Suspension of creation privileges may adversely impact how the Shares are traded and arbitraged on the secondary market, which could cause them to trade at levels materially different (premiums and discounts) from the fair value of their underlying holdings.
Shareholders may be adversely affected by an overstatement or understatement of the NAV calculation of the Trust due to the valuation methodology employed on the date of the NAV calculation.
If the Index is not available or the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that the Index should not be used, the Trusts bitcoin investments may be valued using techniques other than reliance on the price established by the Index. The value established by using the Index may be different from what would be produced through the use of another methodology. Bitcoin valued using techniques other than those employed by the Index, including bitcoin investments that are fair valued, may differ from the value established by the Index.
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The Trust Agreement includes provisions that limit Shareholders voting rights and restrict Shareholders right to bring a derivative action.
Under the Trust Agreement, Shareholders generally have no voting rights and the Trust will not have regular Shareholder meetings. Shareholders take no part in the management or control of the Trust. Accordingly, Shareholders do not have the right to authorize actions, appoint service providers or take other actions as may be taken by shareholders of other trusts or companies where shares carry such rights. The Sponsor may take actions in the operation of the Trust that may be adverse to the interests of Shareholders and may adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Moreover, pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, Shareholders statutory right under Delaware law to bring a derivative action (i.e., to initiate a lawsuit in the name of the Trust in order to assert a claim belonging to the Trust against a fiduciary of the Trust or against a third-party when the Trusts management has refused to do so) is restricted. Under Delaware law, a shareholder may bring a derivative action if the shareholder is a shareholder at the time the action is brought and either (i) was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue or (ii) acquired the status of shareholder by operation of law or the Trusts governing instrument from a person who was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue. Additionally, Section 3816(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act specifically provides that a beneficial owners right to bring a derivative action may be subject to such additional standards and restrictions, if any, as are set forth in the governing instrument of the statutory trust, including, without limitation, the requirement that beneficial owners owning a specified beneficial interest in the statutory trust join in the bringing of the derivative action. In addition to the requirements of applicable law and in accordance with Section 3816(e), the Trust Agreement provides that no Shareholder will have the right, power or authority to bring or maintain a derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Trust unless two or more Shareholders who (i) are not Affiliates (as defined in the Trust Agreement) of one another and (ii) collectively hold at least 10.0% of the outstanding Shares join in the bringing or maintaining of such action, suit or other proceeding. This provision applies to any derivative actions brought in the name of the Trust other than claims under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Due to this additional requirement, a Shareholder attempting to bring or maintain a derivative action in the name of the Trust will be required to locate other Shareholders with which it is not affiliated and that have sufficient Shares to meet the 10.0% threshold based on the number of Shares outstanding on the date the claim is brought and thereafter throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding. This may be difficult and may result in increased costs to a Shareholder attempting to seek redress in the name of the Trust in court. Moreover, if Shareholders bringing a derivative action, suit or proceeding pursuant to this provision of the Trust Agreement do not hold 10.0% of the outstanding Shares on the date such an action, suit or proceeding is brought, or such Shareholders are unable to maintain Share ownership meeting the 10.0% threshold throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding, such Shareholders derivative action may be subject to dismissal. As a result, the Trust Agreement limits the likelihood that a Shareholder will be able to successfully assert a derivative action in the name of the Trust, even if such Shareholder believes that he or she has a valid derivative action, suit or other proceeding to bring on behalf of the Trust.
BITCOIN, BITCOIN MARKETS AND REGULATION OF BITCOIN
This section of the Prospectus provides a more detailed description of bitcoin, including information about the historical development of bitcoin, how a person holds bitcoin, how to use bitcoin in transactions, how to trade bitcoin, the spot markets where bitcoin can be bought, held and sold, the bitcoin OTC market and bitcoin mining.
Bitcoin and the Bitcoin network
Bitcoin is based on the decentralized, open source protocol of a peer-to-peer electronic network. No single entity owns or operates the Bitcoin network. Bitcoin is not issued by governments, banks or any other centralized
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authority. The infrastructure of the Bitcoin network is collectively maintained on a distributed basis by the networks participants, consisting of miners, who run special software to validate transactions, developers, who maintain and contribute updates to the Bitcoin networks source code, and users, who download and maintain on their individual computer a full or partial copy of the Bitcoin Blockchain and related software. Anyone can be a user, developer, or miner. The Bitcoin network is accessed through software, and software governs bitcoins creation, movement, and ownership. The source code for the Bitcoin network and related software protocol is open-source, and anyone can contribute to its development. The value of bitcoin is in part determined by the supply of, and demand for, bitcoin in the global markets for the trading of bitcoin, market expectations for the adoption of bitcoin as a decentralized store of value, the number of merchants and/or institutions that accept bitcoin as a form of payment, and the volume of peer-to-peer transactions, among other factors.
Bitcoin transaction and ownership records are reflected on the Bitcoin Blockchain. Miners authenticate and bundle bitcoin transactions sequentially into files called blocks, which requires performing computational work to solve a cryptographic puzzle set by the Bitcoin networks software protocol. Because each solved block contains a reference to the previous block, they form a chronological chain back to the first bitcoin transaction. Copies of the Bitcoin Blockchain are stored in a decentralized manner on the computers of each individual Bitcoin network full node, i.e., any user who chooses to maintain on their computer a full copy of the Bitcoin Blockchain as well as related software. Each bitcoin is associated with a set of unique cryptographic keys, in the form of a string of numbers and letters, which allow whoever is in possession of the private key to assign that bitcoin in a transfer that the Bitcoin network will recognize.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a digital asset that can be transferred among participants on the Bitcoin network on a peer-to-peer basis via the Internet. Unlike other means of electronic payments, bitcoin can be transferred without the use of a central administrator or clearing agency. Because a central party is not necessary to administer bitcoin transactions or maintain the bitcoin ledger, the term decentralized is often used in descriptions of bitcoin.
Bitcoin network
Bitcoin was first described in a white paper released in 2008 and published under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. The protocol underlying bitcoin was subsequently released in 2009 as open source software and currently operates on a worldwide network of computers.
The first step in using bitcoin for transactions is to download specialized software referred to as a bitcoin wallet. A users bitcoin wallet can run on a computer or smartphone, and can be used both to send and to receive bitcoin. Within a bitcoin wallet, a user can generate one or more unique bitcoin addresses, which are conceptually similar to bank account numbers on the Bitcoin Blockchain and are associated with a pair of public and private keys. After establishing a bitcoin address, a user can send or receive bitcoin from his or her bitcoin address to another users address using the public and private keys. Sending bitcoin from one bitcoin address to another is similar in concept to sending a bank wire from one persons bank account to another persons bank account.
The amount of bitcoin associated with each bitcoin address is listed in a public ledger, referred to as a blockchain. Copies of the Bitcoin Blockchain exist on thousands of computers on the Bitcoin network throughout the Internet. A users bitcoin wallet will either contain a copy of the Bitcoin Blockchain or be able to connect with another computer that holds a copy of the Bitcoin Blockchain.
When a bitcoin user wishes to transfer bitcoin to another user, the sender must first request a bitcoin address from the recipient. The sender then uses his or her bitcoin wallet software to create a data packet containing the proposed addition (often referred to as a transaction) to the Bitcoin Blockchain. The proposed transaction would reduce the senders address and increase the recipients address by the amount of bitcoin desired to be transferred, and is sent on a peer-to-peer basis to other computers participating in the Bitcoin network.
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Bitcoin Protocol
Bitcoin is an open source project with no official company or group that controls the Bitcoin network, and 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 network software known as the Bitcoin Core, and who loosely oversee the development of its source code. There are many other compatible versions of Bitcoin network 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 networks source code. However, because bitcoin has no central authority, the release of updates to the Bitcoin networks source code by the core developers does not guarantee that the updates will be automatically adopted by the other participants in the Bitcoin network. Users and miners must accept any changes made to the Bitcoin network source code by downloading the proposed modification of the Bitcoin networks source code. A modification of the Bitcoin networks source code is effective only with respect to those Bitcoin users and miners who choose to download it. If a modification is accepted by only a percentage of users and miners, a division in the Bitcoin network 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. See Risk FactorsRisks Associated with bitcoin and the Bitcoin network. A modification to the source code becomes part of the Bitcoin network only if accepted by participants collectively having most of the processing power on the Bitcoin network. In recent years, there have been several forks in the Bitcoin network, including, but not limited to, forks resulting in the creation of Bitcoin Cash (August 1, 2017), Bitcoin Gold (October 24, 2017) and Bitcoin SegWit2X (December 28, 2017), among others.
The Trust has adopted the following procedures to address situations involving a fork that results in the issuance of new cryptocurrency that the Trust may receive. The Trust may receive or claim rights to any digital assets created by a fork of the Bitcoin network that are supported by the Custodian and for which the Trusts trading counterparties support a secondary market. The Trust Agreement requires that, if the Trust receives or claims a forked asset, the Sponsor will cause the forked asset to be sold and have the proceeds distributed to the Shareholders. The Trust is under no obligation to claim the forked asset if doing so will expose the Trusts (original) bitcoin holdings to risk. Alternatively, the Custodian may not agree to provide the Trust with access to the forked asset.
Bitcoin Transactions
A bitcoin transaction is similar in concept to an irreversible digital check. The transaction contains the senders bitcoin address, the recipients bitcoin address, the amount of bitcoin to be sent, a transaction fee and the senders digital signature. The senders use of his or her digital signature enables participants on the Bitcoin network to verify the authenticity of the bitcoin transaction.
A users digital signature is generated via usage of the users so-called private key, one of two numbers in a so-called cryptographic key pair. A key pair consists of a public key and its corresponding private key, both of which are lengthy alphanumeric codes, derived together and possessing a unique relationship.
Public keys are associated with bitcoin addresses that are publicly known and can accept a bitcoin transfer. Private keys are used to sign transactions that initiate the transfer of bitcoin from a senders bitcoin address to a recipients bitcoin address. Only the holder of the private key associated with a particular bitcoin address can digitally sign a transaction proposing a transfer of bitcoin from that particular bitcoin address.
A users bitcoin address may be safely distributed, but a users private key must be kept in accordance with appropriate controls and procedures to ensure it is used only for legitimate and intended transactions. Only by using a private key can a bitcoin user create a digital signature to transfer bitcoin to another user. In addition, if an unauthorized third person learns of a users private key, that third person could forge the users digital signature and send the users bitcoin to any arbitrary bitcoin address, thereby stealing the users bitcoin.
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The usage of key pairs is a cornerstone of the Bitcoin network. This is because the use of a private key is the only mechanism by which a bitcoin transaction can be signed. If a private key is lost, the corresponding bitcoin is thereafter permanently non-transferable. Moreover, the theft of a private key enables the thief immediate and unfettered access to the corresponding bitcoin. Bitcoin users must therefore understand that in this regard, bitcoin is a bearer asset, similar to cash: that is, the person or entity in control of the private key corresponding to a particular quantity of bitcoin has de facto control of the bitcoin. For large quantities of bitcoin, holders often employ sophisticated security measures. For a discussion of how the Trust secures its bitcoin, see The Custodian below.
The Bitcoin network incorporates a system to prevent double spending of a single bitcoin. To prevent the possibility of double-spending a single bitcoin, each validated transaction is recorded, time stamped and publicly displayed in a block in the Bitcoin Blockchain, which is publicly available. Thus, the Bitcoin network provides confirmation against double-spending by memorializing every transaction in the Bitcoin Blockchain, which is publicly accessible and downloaded in part or in whole by all users of the Bitcoin network software program.
The process by which bitcoin are created and bitcoin transactions are verified is called mining. To begin mining, a user, or miner, can download special mining software, which, like regular Bitcoin network software programs, turns the users computer into a node on the Bitcoin network. A node may validate transactions and add new blocks of transactions to the Blockchain.
Miners, through the use of the bitcoin software program, engage in a set of prescribed complex mathematical calculations imposed by the Bitcoin networks software protocol, called proof of work, in order to validate proposed transactions and bundle them into a data packet known as a block. The first miner who successfully solves the cryptographic puzzle imposed by the Bitcoin networks software protocol is permitted to add a block of transactions to the Bitcoin Blockchain and is rewarded by a grant of newly-issued bitcoin, known as the block reward. Bitcoin is created and allocated by the Bitcoin network protocol and distributed through a mining process subject to a strict, well-known issuance schedule. Block rewards for mining are the method by which new bitcoin is issued. The supply of bitcoin is limited to 21 million by the Bitcoin networks software protocol.
Confirmed and validated bitcoin transactions are recorded in blocks added to the Bitcoin Blockchain. Each block contains the details of some or all of the most recent transactions that are not memorialized in prior blocks, as well as a record of the award of bitcoin to the miner who added the new block. Each unique block can only be solved and added to the Bitcoin Blockchain by one miner; as a result, individual miners and mining pools on the Bitcoin network engage in a competitive process of constantly increasing their computing power to improve their individual likelihood of solving new blocks. As more miners join the Bitcoin network and its processing power increases, or if miners leave the Bitcoin network and its processing power declines, the Bitcoin network adjusts the complexity of a block-solving equation to maintain a predetermined pace of adding a new block to the Bitcoin Blockchain approximately every ten minutes.
Mathematically Controlled Supply
The supply of new bitcoin is mathematically controlled and the number of bitcoin grows at a limited rate pursuant to a pre-set schedule. The number of bitcoin awarded for solving a new block is automatically cut in half after every 210,000 blocks are added to the Bitcoin Blockchain. This is referred to as a blockhalf. At the time of this Prospectus, the fixed reward for solving a new block is 6.25 bitcoin per block. This is expected to decrease by half, to become 3.125 bitcoin after the next 210,000 blocks are entered into the Bitcoin network. This deliberately controlled rate of bitcoin creation means that the number of bitcoin in existence will increase at a controlled rate until the number of bitcoin in existence reaches the pre-determined amount of 21 million bitcoin. As of November 2023, just over 19.5 million bitcoin has been mined, and estimates of when the 21 million bitcoin limitation will be reached range up to the year 2140. There are websites that keep track of the bitcoin supply and continuously update key information related to bitcoin mining and monitoring, such as the total number of bitcoin in circulation and total bitcoin left to mine before the next blockhalf.
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Bitcoin Markets
Bitcoin can be transferred in peer-to-peer transactions through the direct sending of bitcoin over the Bitcoin Blockchain from one bitcoin address to another. Among end-users, bitcoin can be used to pay other members of the Bitcoin network for goods and services. Consumers can also pay merchants and other commercial businesses for goods or services through direct peer-to-peer transactions on the Bitcoin Blockchain or through third-party service providers. Bitcoin has not yet been widely adopted as an accepted form of payment for most goods and services.
In addition to using bitcoin to purchase goods and services, investors may purchase and sell bitcoin to speculate as to the value of bitcoin in the bitcoin market, or as a long-term investment to diversify their portfolio. The value of bitcoin within the market is determined, in part, by the supply of and demand for bitcoin in the global bitcoin market, market expectations for the adoption of bitcoin as a store of value, the number of merchants that accept bitcoin as a form of payment, and the volume of peer-to-peer transactions, among other factors.
Bitcoin spot markets typically permit investors to open accounts with the market and then purchase and sell bitcoin via websites or through mobile applications on a prefunded basis. Prices for trades on bitcoin spot markets are typically reported publicly. An investor opening a trading account must deposit an accepted government-issued currency into their account with the spot market, or a previously acquired digital asset, before they can purchase or sell assets on the spot market. The process of establishing an account with a bitcoin market and trading bitcoin is different from, and should not be confused with, the process of users sending bitcoin from one bitcoin address to another bitcoin address on the Bitcoin Blockchain. This latter process is an activity that occurs on the Bitcoin network, while the former is an activity that occurs entirely within the order book operated by the spot market. The spot market typically records the investors ownership of bitcoin in its internal books and records, rather than on the Bitcoin Blockchain. The spot market ordinarily does not transfer bitcoin to the investor on the Bitcoin Blockchain unless the investor makes a request to the exchange to withdraw the bitcoin in his or her exchange account to an off-exchange bitcoin wallet.
Outside of the spot markets, bitcoin can be traded OTC. OTC market participants generally consist of institutional entities, such as firms that offer two-sided liquidity for bitcoin, investment managers, proprietary trading firms, entities with sizeable bitcoin holdings, and family offices, as well as high-net-worth individuals that trade bitcoin on a proprietary basis. The OTC market provides a relatively flexible market in terms of quotes, price, quantity, and other factors, although it tends to involve large blocks of bitcoin. The OTC market has no formal structure and no open-outcry meeting place. Parties engaging in OTC transactions will agree upon a priceoften via phone or emailand then one of the two parties will initiate the transaction. For example, a seller of bitcoin could initiate the transaction by sending the bitcoin to the buyers bitcoin address. The buyer would then wire U.S. dollars to the sellers bank account. OTC trades are sometimes hedged and eventually settled with concomitant trades on bitcoin spot markets.
In addition, bitcoin futures and options trading occurs on exchanges in the U.S. regulated by the CFTC. The market for CFTC-regulated trading of bitcoin derivatives has developed substantially. From February 13, 2023 through March 27, 2023, CFTC regulated bitcoin futures represented between $750 million and $3.3 billion in notional trading volume on Chicago Mercantile Exchange on a daily basis and notional volume was never below $670 million and represented over $1.4 billion in open interest for the entirety of the period.
Although bitcoin was the first digital asset, in the ensuing years, the number of digital assets, market participants and companies in the space has increased dramatically. In addition to bitcoin, other well-known digital assets include Ethereum, XRP, bitcoin cash, and Litecoin. The category and protocols are still being defined and evolving. As of November 19, 2023, bitcoin had a total market capitalization of approximately $729 billion and represented approximately 51% of the entire digital asset market.
Bitcoin has generally exhibited high price volatility relative to more traditional asset classes. One volatility measure, standard deviation, is based on the variability of historical price returns. A higher standard deviation
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indicates a wider dispersion of past price returns and thus greater historical volatility. The table below provides information regarding the price return of bitcoin and its volatility from December 31, 2021 to October 31, 2023. Standard deviation is annualized.
Asset |
Mean (Absolute) (2) |
Minimum | Maximum | Mean (3) | Standard Deviation (4) |
|||||||||||||||
Bitcoin (1) |
2.00 | % | -15.78 | % | 14.49 | % | 0.00 | % | 56.10 | % |
(1) | Reflects daily price returns determined under the Sponsors valuation policy for the period from 4:00 p.m. EST on December 31, 2021 through 4:00 p.m. EST on October 31, 2023. |
(2) | Mean (Absolute) is the average absolute price return computed by taking the average of daily (4:00 p.m. EST to 4:00 p.m. EST) absolute price returns of an asset. |
(3) | Mean is the average price return computed by taking the average of daily (4:00 p.m. EST to 4:00 p.m. EST) price returns of an asset. |
(4) | Standard Deviation is the annualized price return volatility computed by taking the standard deviation of daily (4:00 p.m. EST to 4:00 p.m. EST) price returns for an asset and annualizing it using a 365-day factor. |
Regulation of Bitcoin and Government Oversight
As digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S. Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state agencies (including FinCEN, SEC, CFTC, FINRA, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS and state financial institution regulators) have been examining the operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and the digital asset spot markets, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets can be used to launder the proceeds of illegal activities or fund criminal or terrorist enterprises, and the safety and soundness of spot markets or other service-providers that hold digital assets for users. Many of these state and federal agencies have issued consumer advisories regarding the risks posed by digital assets to investors. In addition, federal and state agencies have issued rules or guidance about the treatment of digital asset transactions or requirements for businesses engaged in digital asset activity. As noted previously, the SEC has not asserted regulatory authority over bitcoin or trading or ownership of bitcoin and has not expressed the view that bitcoin should be classified or treated as a security for purposes of U.S. federal securities laws.
The CFTC has regulatory jurisdiction over the bitcoin futures markets. In addition, because the CFTC has determined that bitcoin is a commodity under the CEA and the rules thereunder, it has jurisdiction to prosecute fraud and manipulation in the cash, or spot, market for bitcoin. The CFTC has pursued enforcement actions relating to fraud and manipulation involving bitcoin and bitcoin markets. Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the CFTC generally does not oversee cash or spot market exchanges or transactions involving bitcoin that do not use collateral, leverage, or financing.
On December 1, 2017, two designated contract markets (DCMs) registered with the CFTC self-certified new contracts for bitcoin futures products. DCMs are boards of trades (or exchanges) that operate under the regulatory oversight of the CFTC, pursuant to Section 5 of the Commodity Exchange Act. To obtain and maintain designation as a DCM, an exchange must comply on an initial and ongoing basis with twenty-three Core Principles established in Section 5(d) of the CEA. Among other things, DCMs are required to establish self-regulatory programs designed to enforce the DCMs rules, prevent market manipulation and customer and market abuses, and ensure the recording and safe storage of trade information. The CFTC engaged in a heightened review of the self-certification of bitcoin futures, which required DCMs to enter direct or indirect information sharing agreements with spot market platforms to allow access to trade and trader data; monitor data from cash markets with respect to price settlements and other bitcoin prices more broadly, and identify anomalies and disproportionate moves in the cash markets compared to the futures markets; engage in inquiries, including at the trade settlement level when necessary; and agree to regular coordination with CFTC surveillance staff on trade activities, including providing the CFTC surveillance team with trade settlement data upon request.
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Various foreign jurisdictions have adopted, and may continue to, in the near future, adopt laws, regulations or directives that affect the Bitcoin network, the bitcoin markets, and their users, particularly bitcoin spot markets and service providers that fall within such jurisdictions regulatory scope. Foreign jurisdictions including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Dubai, Netherlands, and Sweden have also approved exchange-traded bitcoin products.
The effect of any future regulatory change on the Trust or bitcoin is impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to the Trust and the value of the Shares.
Overview of the Trust
The Trust is an exchange-traded product that issues Shares that trade on the Exchange. The Trusts investment objective is to reflect the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the performance of the Index, adjusted for the Trusts expenses and liabilities. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin and will value its Shares daily based on the same methodology used to calculate the Index. The Trust is sponsored by FD Funds Management LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR LLC.
The Sponsor believes that the Trust will provide a cost-efficient way for Shareholders to implement strategic and tactical asset allocation strategies that use bitcoin by investing in the Trusts Shares rather than purchasing, holding and trading bitcoin directly. An alternative would require selecting and using a bitcoin spot market and establishing and funding a digital asset account.
Description of the Index Construction and Maintenance
The Index is designed to reflect the performance of bitcoin in U.S. dollars. The Index is constructed using bitcoin price feeds from eligible bitcoin spot markets and the VWMP methodology, calculated every 15 seconds based on VWMP exchange data over rolling sixty-minute increments to develop a bitcoin price composite. The Index methodology was developed by the Index Provider and is monitored by the Committee.
Eligible spot markets include all U.S. digital asset trading platforms and/or regulated digital asset trading platforms selected by the Committee. Such markets will be evaluated quarterly, and the final selections will be made on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December or during market disruptions where a market review is warranted, as determined by the Committee. New exchanges that meet the eligibility requirements will be considered for inclusion at the quarterly review once there is one week of pricing data available. The current bitcoin spot markets included in the Index calculation are BitStamp, Coinbase, Gemini, itBit, Kraken, and LMAX Digital. As further described below, the Sponsor and the Trust reasonably believe each of these digital asset trading platforms maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC regulations.
| BitStamp in the U.S. is a digital asset exchange operated by BitStamp USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of BitStamp Ltd., which operates a Luxembourg-based exchange. BitStamp USA is registered as a money services business with FinCEN and holds licenses to engage in money transmission, or the state equivalent, in applicable U.S. states. |
| Coinbase is a digital asset exchange operated by Coinbase, Inc., which is incorporated in Delaware, registered as a money services business with FinCEN, and holds licenses to engage in money transmission, or the state equivalent, in the majority of U.S. states. |
| Gemini is a digital asset exchange operated by Gemini Trust Company, LLC, a New York limited purpose trust company regulated by the NYDFS, which is registered as a money services business with FinCEN and holds state licenses to engage in money transmission, or the state equivalent, in applicable U.S. states. |
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| itBit is a digital asset exchange operated by Paxos Trust Company, LLC, a New York limited purpose trust company regulated by the NYDFS, which is registered as a money services business with FinCEN and holds state licenses to engage in money transmission, or the state equivalent, in applicable U.S. states. |
| Kraken is a digital asset exchange operated in the United States by Payward Ventures, Inc., which is registered as a money services business with FinCEN and holds licenses to engage in money transmission, or the state equivalent, in the majority of U.S. states. |
| LMAX Digital is a Gibraltar based exchange regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission as a DLT provider for execution and custody services. LMAX Digital is part of LMAX Group, a U.K-based operator of a FCA regulated Multilateral Trading Facility and Broker-Dealer. |
The Committee may from time to time add or remove other digital asset trading platforms from the Index calculation without prior notice to the Trust or the Shareholders, and the Trust will not notify Shareholders of any such addition or removal unless the addition or removal is deemed material by Sponsor in light of all the facts and circumstances. In addition, the Committee reviews the Index every six months for potential updates needed to account for the evolution and maturation of the digital assets industry. The below table reflects the average closing sixty-minute window of trading volume in bitcoins and market share of the BTC-U.S. dollar trading pairs of each of the digital asset trading platforms included in the Index as of and for the three-month period ending on October 31, 2023 using data reported by the Index Provider:
Digital asset trading platforms included in the Index as of October 31, 2023 |
Volume (USD) |
Market Share |
||||||
Bitstamp |
$ | 1,973,812 | 7.46 | % | ||||
Coinbase |
$ | 17,519,000 | 69.33 | % | ||||
Gemini |
$ | 734,427 | 2.92 | % | ||||
itBit |
$ | 320,987 | 2.02 | % | ||||
Kraken |
$ | 2,421,799 | 10.00 | % | ||||
LMAX Digital |
$ | 2,130,474 | 8.26 | % | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total |
$ | 25,100,500 | 100 | % |
The Index is calculated using a volume-weighted median price approach. The Index market value is the volume-weighted median price of bitcoin in U.S. dollars over the previous sixty minutes (i.e., the time window between 3:00 p.m. EST and 4:00 p.m. EST), which is calculated by (1) ordering all individual transactions on eligible spot markets over the previous sixty minutes by price, and then (2) selecting the price associated with the 50th percentile of total volume. The following example is for illustrative purposes only is not representative of the actual price or trading data of bitcoin:
Trades within sixty-minute window at October 31, 2023 close sorted by price |
||||||||||||||||
Amount |
Market |
Price | UTC time | Ascending Volume Share |
Descending Volume Share |
|||||||||||
0.169522 | gemini-btc-usd-spot | 34443.00 | 2023-10-31 19:21:28.547000+00:00 | 0.016 | % | 100.000 | % | |||||||||
0.037670 | gemini-btc-usd-spot | 34443.57 | 2023-10-31 19:21:28.547000+00:00 | 0.019 | % | 99.984 | % | |||||||||
0.010756 | kraken-btc-usd-spot | 34443.80 | 2023-10-31 19:26:36.559258+00:00 | 0.020 | % | 99.981 | % | |||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
0.002521 | coinbase-btc-usd-spot | 34515.13 | 2023-10-31 19:29:14.018333+00:00 | 49.999 | % | 50.002 | % | |||||||||
0.091868 | coinbase-btc-usd-spot | 34515.13 | 2023-10-31 19:29:14.025848+00:00 | 50.007 | % | 50.001 | % | |||||||||
0.005041 | coinbase-btc-usd-spot | 34515.13 | 2023-10-31 19:29:14.025848+00:00 | 50.008 | % | 49.993 | % | |||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
0.000293 | gemini-btc-usd-spot | 34686.29 | 2023-10-31 19:01:59.482000+00:00 | 99.985 | % | 0.015 | % | |||||||||
0.002341 | gemini-btc-usd-spot | 34690.93 | 2023-10-31 19:01:59.482000+00:00 | 99.985 | % | 0.015 | % | |||||||||
0.157775 | gemini-btc-usd-spot | 34691.79 | 2023-10-31 19:01:59.482000+00:00 | 100.000 | % | 0.015 | % |
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In this example, the 50th percentile of total volume lies within the volume share at a price of $34,515.13.
As the Index is calculated as a price return, it does not track forks or air drops involving bitcoin. Accordingly, the Trust will not normally hold forked or air dropped assets, as further described below in Risk factors The inability to recognize the economic benefit of a fork or an air drop could adversely impact an investment in the Trust.
The Index methodology and constituent digital asset trading platforms may be changed from time to time at the discretion of the Index Provider without Shareholder approval. For example, if the Index Provider determines that there have been material efforts to manipulate the price of bitcoin on a constituent digital asset trading platform or that the data feeds from such trading platform are unreliable, the Index Provider may remove such trading platform for the Index methodology. To the extent that such changes to the methodology result in a more limited set of constituent digital asset trading platforms, there is an increased risk that the price of bitcoin used in Trusts calculation of NAV would deviate from the price quoted on digital asset trading platforms not included within the Index methodology. Shareholders will be notified of changes to the Index methodology only if the Sponsor determines that such changes are material with respect to an investment decision regarding the Shares. Once it has actual knowledge of material changes to the Index methodology, the Trust will notify Shareholders in a prospectus supplement and/or a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports. The current Index methodology and constituent digital assets are available on the Index Providers website at i.fidelity.com/indices. The information on or available through any such website is not deemed incorporated in this prospectus and does not form part of this prospectus.
The use of the Index is designed to eliminate from the NAV calculation pursuant to which the Trust prices its Shares those bitcoin spot markets with indicia of suspicious, fake, or non-economic volume. In addition, the use of eligible bitcoin spot markets is designed to mitigate the potential for idiosyncratic market risk, as the failure of any individual bitcoin spot market in and of itself should not materially impact pricing for the Trust. Moreover, any attempt to manipulate the NAV would require a substantial amount of capital distributed across a majority of the eligible spot markets, and potentially coordinated activity across those markets, making it more difficult to conduct, profit from, or avoid the detection of market manipulation. The Sponsor believes that this is especially true in a well-arbitraged and distributed market, as the Index Provider believes the bitcoin market to be.
In addition to the above safeguards, the Index is calculated using a VWMP methodology and price feeds from eligible bitcoin spot markets. The Index is designed to represent the U.S. dollar value of one bitcoin every 15 seconds based on VWMP spot market data over rolling sixty-minute increments. The use of rolling sixty-minute increments means a malicious actor would need to sustain efforts to manipulate the market over an extended period of time, or would need to replicate efforts multiple times, potentially triggering review from the spot market or regulators, or both. The use of a median price by its nature limits the ability of outlier prices that may have been caused by attempts to manipulate the price on a particular market, to impact the NAV, as it systematically excludes those prices from the NAV calculation.
Coin Metrics, Inc. is the third-party, independent calculation agent for the Index. The Index is not sold, endorsed, sponsored, promoted or supported in any other manner by the Calculation Agent nor does Calculation Agent offer any express or implicit guarantee or assurance either with regard to the results of using the Index and/or Index trademark or the Index Price. The Calculation Agents only relationship to the Index Provider with respect to the Index is the licensing of the Index, certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of Coin Metrics, and the provision of the calculation services related to the Index.
The Calculation Agent does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness and/or the completeness of any data supplied by it or any data included therein. The Calculation Agent shall not be subject to any damages or liability for any errors, omissions, or delays therein. The Calculation Agent makes no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the data supplied or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event whatsoever shall the Calculation Agent be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, punitive, or consequential damages
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(including but not limited to, loss of profits, trading losses, lost time, or goodwill) even if the Calculation Agent has been notified of the possibility of such damages.
The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, choose to substitute the Index or Index Provider. The Sponsor may do so, for example, if it determines that the Index no longer reliably reflects the price of bitcoin or if the Index is no longer available. The Trust will notify Shareholders of any such change in a prospectus supplement and/or a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports.
For purposes of calculating the Trusts NAV per Share, the Trusts holdings of bitcoin will be valued using the same methodology as used to calculate the Index. The Index is constructed using bitcoin price feeds from eligible spot markets and the VWMP methodology, calculated every 15 seconds based on VWMP market data over rolling sixty-minute increments.
The Sponsor believes that use of the Index mitigates against idiosyncratic market risk, as the failure of any individual spot market will not materially impact pricing for the Trust. It also allows the Administrator to calculate the NAV in a manner that significantly deters manipulation.
As discussed elsewhere in this Prospectus, the fact that there are multiple bitcoin spot markets contributing prices to the NAV makes manipulation more difficult in a well-arbitraged and fractured market, as a malicious actor would need to manipulate multiple spot markets simultaneously to impact the NAV, or dramatically skew the historical distribution of volume between the various markets.
Since the Index is intended to represent the U.S. dollar value of one bitcoin every 15 seconds based on VWMP spot market data over rolling sixty-minute increments, malicious actors would need to sustain efforts to manipulate the market over an extended period of time, or would need to replicate efforts multiple times across markets, potentially triggering review. This extended period also supports Authorized Participant activity by capturing volume over a longer time period, rather than forcing Authorized Participants to mark an individual close or auction. The use of a median price eliminates the ability of outlier prices to impact the NAV, as it systematically excludes those prices from the NAV calculation. The use of a volume-weighted median (as opposed to a traditional median) protects against attempts to manipulate the NAV by executing a large number of low-dollar trades, because any manipulation attempt would have to involve a majority of global spot bitcoin volume in a narrow window to have any influence on the NAV.
The Trusts NAV per Share is calculated by:
| taking the fair market value of its total assets based on the volume-weighted median price of bitcoin used for the calculation of the Index; |
| subtracting any liabilities; and |
| dividing that total by the total number of outstanding Shares. |
The Administrator calculates the NAV of the Trust once each Exchange trading day. The NAV for a normal trading day will be released after 4:00 p.m. EST. Trading during the core trading session on the Exchange typically closes at 4:00 p.m. EST. However, NAVs are not officially struck until after 4:00 p.m. EST. The pause after 4:00 p.m. EST provides an opportunity for the Sponsor to algorithmically detect, flag, investigate, and correct unusual pricing should it occur. The Sponsor has established a Valuation Committee to carry out the day-to-day fair valuation responsibilities and has adopted policies and procedures to govern the fair valuation process and the activities of the Valuation Committee. If the Valuation Committee determines in good faith that the Index does not reflect an accurate bitcoin price, then the Valuation Committee will instruct the Administrator to employ an alternative method to determine the fair value of the Trusts assets. In determining an alternative fair value
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method, the Valuation Committee generally considers such criteria as observable market-based inputs, including market quotations and last sale information from third-party pricing services and/or trading platforms on which bitcoin are traded. The Valuation Committees selection of third-party pricing services used considers the qualifications, experience, and history of the pricing service and whether their valuation methodologies and procedures are reasonably designed to produce prices that reflect fair value under the prevailing market conditions. Moreover, the terms of the Trust Agreement do not prohibit the Sponsor from changing the Index or other valuation method used to calculate the net asset value of the Trust. Any such change in the Index or other valuation method could affect the value of the Shares and investors could suffer a substantial loss on their investment in the Trust. In the event of a material change, the Sponsor will notify Shareholders in a prospectus supplement and/or a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports, as applicable.
In addition, in order to provide updated information relating to the Trust for use by Shareholders and market professionals, a third-party financial data provider will calculate and disseminate throughout the core trading session on each trading day an updated intraday indicative value (IIV). The IIV will be calculated based on the Trusts bitcoin holdings and any other assets expected to comprise that days NAV calculation. The third-party financial data provider will use the Blockstream Crypto Data Feed Streaming Level 1 as the pricing source for the spot bitcoin. The Blockstream Crypto Data Feed Streaming Level 1 calculates an average of current bitcoin price levels of the bitcoin trading platforms that are available on its feed. The Trust will provide an IIV per Share updated every 15 seconds, as calculated by the Exchange or a third-party financial data provider during the Exchanges regular trading hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST (Regular Trading Hours). The IIV disseminated during Regular Trading Hours should not be viewed as an actual real-time update of the NAV, which will be calculated only once at the end of each trading day as described herein. The IIV will be widely disseminated on a per Share basis every 15 seconds during Regular Trading Hours through the facilities of the consolidated tape association (CTA) and Consolidated Quotation System (CQS) high speed lines. In addition, the IIV will be available through on-line information services such as Bloomberg and Reuters.
The Trusts periodic financial statements may not utilize the net asset value of the Trust determined by reference to the Index to the extent the methodology used to calculate the Index is deemed not to be consistent with GAAP. The Trusts periodic financial statements will be prepared in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC Topic 820) and utilize an exchange-traded price from the Trusts principal market for bitcoin on the Trusts financial statement measurement date. The Sponsor will determine in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Trusts financial statements in accordance with GAAP. The Trust intends to engage a third-party vendor to obtain a price from a principal market for bitcoin, which will be either the market the Trust normally transacts in for bitcoin or, if the Trust does not normally transact in any market or such market suffers an operational interruption and is unavailable, determined and designated by such third-party vendor daily based on its consideration of several exchange characteristics, including oversight, and the volume and frequency of trades. Under GAAP, such a price is expected to be deemed a Level 1 input in accordance with the ASC Topic 820 because it is expected to be a quoted price in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
The Sponsor reserves the right to adjust the Share price of the Trust in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for Shareholders. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits. Such splits would decrease (in the case of a split) or increase (in the case of a reverse split) the proportionate NAV per Share, but would have no effect on the net assets of the Trust or the proportionate voting rights of Shareholders or the value of any Shareholders investment.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
The Trust
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust, formed on March 17, 2021, pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. On October 31, 2023, the Trust filed a Certificate of Amendment to change its name from Wise Origin
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Bitcoin Trust to Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund. The Trust continuously issues shares representing fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust that may be purchased and sold on the Exchange. The Trust will operate pursuant to an Amended and Restated Trust Agreement. Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, is the Delaware trustee of the Trust. The Trust is managed and controlled by the Sponsor. The Sponsor is a limited liability company formed in the state of Delaware on August 23, 2019.
The number of outstanding Shares is expected to increase and decrease from time to time as a result of the creation and redemption of Baskets. The creation and redemption of Baskets requires the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of cash represented by the NAV of the Baskets being created or redeemed. The total amount of cash required for the creation of Baskets will be based on the combined net assets represented by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed. The Sponsor recognizes that the size of the Baskets may impact the effectiveness of the arbitrage mechanism of the Trusts creation and redemption process, and accordingly may adjust the size of the Baskets to enhance the activities of the Authorized Participants in the secondary market for the Trusts Shares.
The Trust has no fixed termination date.
The Trusts Fees and Expenses
The Trust will pay the Sponsor a unified fee of 0.39% of the Trusts net assets (the Sponsor Fee). The Sponsor Fee will be paid by the Trust to the Sponsor as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement. The Administrator will calculate the Sponsor Fee in respect of each day by reference to the Trusts net asset value. The Sponsor Fee will accrue daily and be payable monthly in bitcoin or cash. The Sponsor may, at its sole discretion and from time to time, waive all or a portion of the Sponsor Fee for stated periods of time. The Sponsor is under no obligation to waive any portion of its fees and any such waiver shall create no obligation to waive any such fees during any period not covered by the waiver.
As partial consideration for its receipt of the Sponsor Fee, the Sponsor is obligated under the Trust Agreement to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the fees of the Trusts third-party service providers including the Distributor, the Administrator, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, the Index Provider and the Trustee, (ii) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on the Exchange (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses), (iii) ordinary course legal fees and expenses, (iv) audit fees, (v) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, (vi) printing and mailing costs, (vii) costs of maintaining the Trusts website and (viii) applicable license fees (each, a Sponsor-paid Expense and collectively, the Sponsor-paid Expenses), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Extraordinary Expense will be deemed to be an Extraordinary Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense. There is no cap on the amount of Sponsor-paid Expenses. The Sponsor has also assumed all fees and expenses related to the organization and offering of the Trust and the Shares.
The Trust may incur certain extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, brokerage and transaction costs associated with the sale or transfer of bitcoin, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders, any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively, Extraordinary Expenses).
Under the terms of each Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participants will be responsible for any brokerage or transaction costs associated with the sale or transfer of bitcoin incurred in connection with the fulfillment of a creation or redemption order.
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To the extent it does not have cash readily available, the Sponsor shall cause the transfer or sale of bitcoin in such quantity as may be necessary to permit the payment of Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor or for payment of redemption proceeds to Authorized Participants. The Trust will not bear any costs associated with the transfer or sale of bitcoin to pay the Sponsor Fee. To the extent the Trust incurs any Extraordinary Expenses, the Trust will bear the costs of any transfers or sales of bitcoin to pay such expenses. The Trust will seek to transfer bitcoin at such times and in the smallest amounts required to permit such payments as they become due. With respect to transfers or sales necessary to pay Trust expenses and liabilities that are denominated other than in bitcoin, the amount of bitcoin transferred or sold may vary from time to time depending on the actual sales price of bitcoin relative to the Trusts expenses and liabilities (e.g., if the price of bitcoin falls, the amount of bitcoin needed to be transferred or sold to pay an expense denominated in U.S. dollars will increase). To the extent the Trust must buy or sell bitcoin, the Trust may do so through a third-party digital asset broker or dealer, including affiliates of the Sponsor and the Custodian. When the Trust buys or sells bitcoin, the Sponsor seeks quotes from its bitcoin trading counterparties. Such transactions are typically conducted over the counter rather than over a trading platform or similar order matching service. The Sponsor will select third party brokers or dealers that it believes have implemented adequate anti-money laundering, know-your-customer and other legal compliance policies and procedures. The Sponsor does not currently contemplate utilizing prime brokerage or similar services in connection with the Trusts purchases and sales of bitcoin, however it may determine to do so in the future.
Termination of the Trust
The Sponsor will notify Shareholders at least thirty (30) days before the date for termination of the Trust Agreement and the Trust if any of the following occurs:
| Shares are delisted from the Exchange and are not approved for listing on another national securities exchange within five business days of their delisting; |
| 180 days have elapsed since the Trustee notified the Sponsor of the Trustees election to resign or since the Sponsor removed the Trustee, and a successor trustee has not been appointed and accepted its appointment; |
| the SEC determines that the Trust is an investment company under the 1940 Act, and the Sponsor has made the determination that termination of the Trust is advisable; |
| the CFTC determines that the Trust is a commodity pool under the Commodity Exchange Act, and the Sponsor has made the determination that termination of the Trust is advisable; |
| the Trust is determined to be a money service business under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the US Bank Secrecy Act and is required to comply with certain FinCEN regulations thereunder or is determined to be a money transmitter (or equivalent designation) under the laws of any state in which the Trust operates and is required to seek licensing or otherwise comply with state licensing requirements, and the Sponsor has made the determination that termination of the Trust is advisable; |
| a United States regulator requires the Trust to shut down or forces the Trust to liquidate its bitcoin or seizes, impounds or otherwise restricts access to the Trust Estate (as defined in the Trust Agreement); |
| any ongoing event exists that either prevents the Trust from making or makes impractical the Trusts reasonable efforts to make a fair determination of the price of bitcoin for purposes of determining the NAV of the Trust; |
| the Sponsor determines that the aggregate net assets of the Trust in relation to the operating expenses of the Trust make it unreasonable or imprudent to continue the business of the Trust; |
| the Trust fails to qualify for treatment, or ceases to be treated, as a grantor trust under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) or any comparable provision of the laws of any State |
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or other jurisdiction where that treatment is sought, and the Sponsor determines that, because of that tax treatment or change in tax treatment, termination of the Trust is advisable; |
| 60 days have elapsed since DTC or another depository has ceased to act as depository with respect to the Shares, and the Sponsor has not identified another depository that is willing to act in such capacity; |
| the Trustee elects to terminate the Trust after the Sponsor is conclusively deemed to have resigned effective immediately as a result of the Sponsor being adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver of the Sponsor or of its property being appointed, or a trustee or liquidator or any public officer taking charge or control of the Sponsor or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation and a successor sponsor has not been appointed; or |
| the Sponsor elects to terminate the Trust after the Trustee, Administrator or the Custodian (or any successor trustee, administrator or custodian) resigns or otherwise ceases to be the trustee, administrator or custodian of the Trust, as applicable, and no replacement trustee, administrator and/or custodian acceptable to the Sponsor is engaged. |
In addition, the Trust may be dissolved at any time for any reason by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. In respect of termination events that rely on Sponsor determinations to terminate the Trust (e.g., if the SEC determines that the Trust is an investment company under the 1940 Act; the CFTC determines that the Trust is a commodity pool under the CEA; the Trust is determined to be a money transmitter under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN; the Trust fails to qualify for treatment, or ceases to be treated, as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or, following a resignation by a trustee or custodian, the Sponsor determines that no replacement is acceptable to it), the Sponsor may consider, without limitation, the profitability to the Sponsor and other service providers of the operation of the Trust, any obstacles or costs relating to the operation or regulatory compliance of the Trust relating to the determinations triggering event, and the ability to market the Trust to investors. To the extent that the Sponsor determines to continue operation of the Trust following a determinations triggering event, the Trust will be required to alter its operations to comply with the triggering event. In the instance of a determination that the Trust is an investment company, the Trust and Sponsor would have to comply with the regulations and disclosure and reporting requirements applicable to investment companies and investment advisers. In the instance of a determination that the Trust is a commodity pool, the Trust and the Sponsor would have to comply with regulations and disclosure and reporting requirements applicable to commodity pools and commodity pool operators or commodity trading advisers. In the event that the Trust is determined to be a money transmitter, the Trust and the Sponsor will have to comply with applicable federal and state registration and regulatory requirements for money transmitters and/or money service businesses. In the event that the Trust ceases to qualify for treatment as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Trust will be required to alter its disclosure and tax reporting procedures and may no longer be able to operate or to rely on pass-through tax treatment. In each such case and in the case of the Sponsors determination as to whether a potential successor trustee or custodian is acceptable to it, the Sponsor will not be liable to anyone for its determination of whether to continue or to terminate the Trust.
Upon termination of the Trust, following completion of winding up of its business by the Sponsor, the Trustee, upon written directions of the Sponsor, will cause a certificate of cancellation of the Trusts Certificate of Trust to be filed in accordance with applicable Delaware law. Upon the termination of the Trust, the Sponsor will be discharged from all obligations under the Trust Agreement except for its certain obligations that survive termination of the Trust Agreement.
Amendments
The Trust Agreement can be amended by the Sponsor in its sole discretion and without the Shareholders consent by making an amendment, a Trust Agreement supplemental thereto, or an amended and restated trust agreement. Any such restatement, amendment and/or supplement to the Trust Agreement will be effective on such date as designated by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. However, any amendment to the Trust Agreement
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that affects the duties, liabilities, rights or protections of the Trustee will require the Trustees prior written consent, which it may grant or withhold in its sole discretion. Every Shareholder, at the time any amendment so becomes effective, will be deemed, by continuing to hold any Shares or an interest therein, to consent and agree to such amendment and to be bound by the Trust Agreement as amended thereby. In no event will any amendment impair the right of Authorized Participants to surrender baskets and receive therefor the amount of Trust assets represented thereby (less fees in connection with the surrender of Shares and any applicable taxes or other governmental charges), except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law. The Trust will notify Shareholders of any amendments to the Trust Agreement in a prospectus supplement and/or a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports.
The Sponsor
The Sponsor arranged for the creation of the Trust and is responsible for the ongoing registration of the Shares for their public offering in the United States and the listing of Shares on the Exchange. The Sponsor will not exercise day-to-day oversight over the Trustee, the Custodian, or the Index Provider. The Sponsor, or its agent, will develop a marketing plan for the Trust, will prepare marketing materials regarding the Shares of the Trust, and will exercise the marketing plan of the Trust on an ongoing basis. The Sponsor has agreed to pay all normal operating expenses except for Extraordinary Expenses out of the Sponsors unified fee.
The Sponsor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR LLC. At present, the primary business activities of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses. FMR LLC and its subsidiaries have significant experience sponsoring exchange traded funds, and the Sponsor has managed several digital asset-focused funds since its formation in 2019. The Sponsor has not sponsored an exchange traded vehicle prior to the Trust.
The principal office of the Sponsor is:
FD Funds Management LLC
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
The Trustee
Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, acts as the trustee of the Trust for the purpose of creating a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (DSTA). The Trustee is appointed to serve as the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware for the sole purpose of satisfying the requirement of Section 3807(a) of the DSTA that the Trust have at least one trustee with a principal place of business in the State of Delaware.
Duties of the Trustee.
The Trustee is appointed to serve as the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware for the sole purpose of satisfying the requirement of Section 3807(a) of the DSTA that the Trust have at least one trustee with a principal place of business in the State of Delaware. The duties of the Trustee will be limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Trust in the State of Delaware and (ii) the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State which the Delaware Trustee is required to execute under the DSTA.
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Resignation, discharge or removal of Trustee; successor Trustees.
The Trustee may resign at any time by giving at least one hundred eighty (180) days advance written notice to the Sponsor. The Sponsor may remove the Trustee at any time by giving at least sixty (60) days advance written notice to the Trustee. Upon effective resignation or removal, the Trustee will be discharged of its duties and obligations.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed, the Sponsor, acting on behalf of the Shareholders, is required to use reasonable efforts to appoint a successor trustee. Any successor Trustee must satisfy the requirements of Section 3807 of the DSTA. Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee cannot become effective until a written acceptance of appointment is delivered by the successor Trustee to the outgoing Trustee and the Sponsor and any fees and expenses due to the outgoing Trustee are paid or waived by the outgoing Trustee. Following compliance with the preceding sentence, the successor will become fully vested with the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the outgoing Trustee under the Trust Agreement, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee, and the outgoing Trustee shall be discharged of its duties and obligations herein. If no successor Trustee shall have been appointed and shall have accepted such appointment within forty-five (45) days after the giving of such notice of resignation or removal, the Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
If the Trustee resigns and no successor trustee is appointed within one hundred eighty (180) days after the date the Trustee issues its notice of resignation, the Sponsor will terminate and liquidate the Trust and distribute its remaining assets.
Liability of the Trustee.
The Trustee shall not be liable under any circumstances, except for its own fraud, willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence with respect to its express duties under the Trust Agreement. The Trustee will have no obligation to monitor or supervise the obligations of the Sponsor, Transfer Agent, Administrator, Custodian, or any other person.
Trustees Fee and Indemnity.
The Trustee will be compensated by the Trust, out of the Sponsors Fee, for the Trustees fees. The Trustee will be indemnified by the Trust for any expenses it incurs that arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against it in connection with the execution or delivery of the Trust Agreement relating to or arising out of the creation, operation or termination of the Trust, or the performance of its obligations pursuant to the Trust Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby, except to the extent that such expenses result from gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the Trustee; provided that any such indemnification will be recoverable only from the assets of the Trust.
The Trustee and any of the officers, directors, affiliates, employees and agents of the Trustee shall be indemnified by the Trust and held harmless against any loss, damage, liability (including liability under state or federal securities laws), claim, action, suit, cost, expense, disbursement (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel generally and in connection with its enforcement of its indemnification rights), tax or penalty of any kind and nature whatsoever, to the extent arising out of, imposed upon or asserted at any time against such indemnified person in connection with the execution or delivery of the Trust Agreement, the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated therein; provided, however, that (i) the Trust shall not be required to indemnify any such indemnified person for any such expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence related to the express duties of the Trustee and (ii) any such indemnification will be recoverable only from the assets of the Trust; provided however that, to the extent that the Trust has not satisfied such indemnification obligation by the sixtieth (60th) day following written demand therefor, the Sponsor shall indemnify and hold the Trustee harmless from and against any such amounts. As security for any amounts owing to the Trustee under the above-referenced indemnity, the Trustee shall have a lien against the Trust property. The
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obligations of the Trust to indemnify such indemnified persons under the Trust Agreement shall survive resignation or removal of the Trustee and the termination of the Trust Agreement.
The Administrator
Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides necessary administrative, tax and accounting services and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities to provide such services. The Administrator will also facilitate the instruction to transfer bitcoin required for the operation of the Trust.
The Custodian
The Custodian is responsible for safekeeping all of the bitcoin owned by the Trust. The Custodian was selected by the Sponsor. The Sponsor has responsibility for opening the Bitcoin Account with the Custodian. In addition, the Custodian facilitates the transfer of bitcoin required for the operation of the Trust upon instructions from the Sponsor or the Administrator.
The Transfer Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as the transfer agent for the Trust. The Transfer Agent: (1) facilitates the issuance and redemption of Shares of the Trust; (2) responds to correspondence by Trust Shareholders and others relating to its duties; (3) maintains Shareholder accounts; and (4) makes periodic reports to the Trust. The Trusts Transfer Agent will facilitate the settlement of Shares in response to the placement of creation orders and redemption orders from financial firms that are authorized to purchase or redeem Shares with the Authorized Participants.
The Cash Custodian
State Street Bank and Trust Company also serves as the cash custodian for the Trust. The Cash Custodian is responsible for safekeeping all non-bitcoin assets of the Trust.
Index Services
The Index Provider, an affiliate of the Sponsor, is responsible for analyzing bitcoin market data relating to the calculation and maintenance of the Index. Coin Metrics, Inc. is the third-party, independent calculation agent for the Index.
The Distributor
The Distributor is responsible for working with the Administrator to review and approve, or reject, purchase and redemption orders of Baskets placed by Authorized Participants and for reviewing and approving the marketing materials prepared by the Sponsor for compliance with applicable SEC and FINRA advertising laws, rules, and regulations.
The Trusts Custodian will keep custody of the Trusts bitcoin. The Trusts bitcoin will be held in a segregated account opened in the name of the Trust on the Custodians books and records. Under the Custodial Services Agreement, the Custodian will maintain the Trusts bitcoin in omnibus wallets along with the assets of other customers of the Custodian, and the Trusts bitcoin will be treated as fungible with the bitcoin of other customers of the Custodian.
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Key Generation
Private keys are generated by the Custodian in key generation ceremonies at secure locations using offline devices that have never been connected to a network. Private keys are generated according to detailed procedures using specialized offline devices and within these secure facilities to mitigate risk of hacks, errors, or other unintended external exposure. Key ceremony processes are highly controlled, require segregation of duties across multiple parties and are reviewed and witnessed by designated oversight personnel. Thorough validations and signoffs are performed to verify the integrity and security of key generation ceremonies.
Key Storage
The Custodian will hold a majority of bitcoin in cold storage and is responsible for managing the allocation of bitcoin between cold and hot storage for the omnibus wallets. Private keys for both hot and cold storage are stored on secure devices. While cold storage requires keys to be held in an offline manner, hot storage requires private keys to be held online on the Custodians intranet, where they are more accessible and can be used for more efficient bitcoin transfers. Some portion of bitcoin in omnibus wallets will be held in hot storage for the purpose of satisfying client demands for transfers including in facilitation of redemptions. Within such omnibus hot and cold wallets, the Custodian has represented to the Sponsor that it keeps a substantial majority of assets in cold wallets (generally targeting greater than 98%), to promote security, while the balance of assets is kept in hot wallets to facilitate timely withdrawals. The Custodian has represented to the Sponsor that the percentage of assets maintained in cold versus hot storage including target percentages may change over time and is determined by ongoing risk analysis and market dynamics, in which the Custodian balances anticipated liquidity needs for its customers as a class against the anticipated greater security of cold storage. The Sponsor has no control over the percentage of bitcoin that the Custodian maintains in omnibus cold wallets versus omnibus hot wallets.
The Custodian has multiple, redundant cold storage sites, which are geographically distributed including sites within the United States. Cold storage locations of the Custodian are monitored by 24x7 on-site security, video surveillance and alarms, hardened room structures, and access to these facilities is controlled by multi-person controls, multi-team access rules, and multi-factor authentication. The locations of the cold storage sites may change at the discretion of the Custodian and are kept confidential by the Custodian for security purposes. Transactions from cold to hot storage require physical access, according to the above controls, to one or more cold storage facilities, as well as systematically enforced approvals and integrity verifications, before the secure device can be used to cryptographically complete the transaction. At no point during this process is the private key removed from the secure device(s) nor the cold storage facility. Once these security processes have been completed, a transfer on the bitcoin network can be executed, as signed using the private keys held offline in cold storage.
The Custodian also maintains geographically dispersed backups of private keys, which are cryptographically generated into shards and stored in separate locations; multiple locations must be accessed to reconstruct a single key. The storage facilities are highly secured, and include 24x7 on-premises security presence, video surveillance, and alarms for unexpected entry. Access to facilities is controlled by multi-person controls, multi-team access rules, and multi-factor authentication.
Security Procedures
The Custodian is the custodian of the Trusts private bitcoin in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Custodial Services Agreement. Transfers from the Bitcoin Account require certain security procedures, including authorization controls to validate client requests and private key security procedures for bitcoin network transaction signing as described above. Authorization controls may include usernames, passwords, two-step verification, and telephone call-backs to ensure proper authorization of transaction requests from the Sponsor or its authorized agents.
Transfers of bitcoin to the Bitcoin Account will be available to the Trust once processed on the Bitcoin network, subject to successful completion of processes required by the Custodian.
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The Trust may change the custodial arrangements described in this Prospectus at any time without notice to Shareholders. To the extent a change in custodial arrangements is deemed material by the Sponsor, the Trust will notify Shareholders in a prospectus supplement and/or a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports.
Forks and Air Drops
In the event of a fork, the Custodian Agreement provides that the Custodian may evaluate the consequences of a fork and determine which chain resulting from the fork it will support as an eligible asset for its customers including the Trust. The Custodian will determine in its sole discretion whether to support and make available to clients assets resulting from forks or air drops. In the event that the Trust may have a right to claim assets resulting from a fork or air drop, the Custodian will seek approval of the Trust before claiming such assets on behalf of the Trust and making an entry of ownership on the Custodians books and records for the Trusts account. The Sponsor will disclaim such assets except as described herein. The Sponsor has not communicated any anticipatory disclaimer to the Custodian regarding forked or air dropped assets and will disclaim or claim them on a case-by-case basis.
Custody of the Trusts Cash
The Trust generally does not intend to hold cash or cash equivalents except for cash received from Authorized Participants in connection with a creation transaction or cash held by the Trust pending distribution to Authorized Participants in a redemption transaction or payment of Trust expenses. The Trust has entered into a Cash Custody Agreement with the Cash Custodian under which the Cash Custodian acts as custodian of the Trusts cash.
FORM OF SHARES
Registered Form
Shares are issued in registered form in accordance with the Trust Agreement. The Transfer Agent has been appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of transferring Shares in certificated form. The Transfer Agent keeps a record of all Shareholders and holders of the Shares in certified form in the registry. The Sponsor recognizes transfers of Shares in certificated form only if done in accordance with the Trust Agreement. The beneficial interests in such Shares are held in book-entry form through participants and/or accountholders in DTC.
Book Entry
Individual certificates are not issued for the Shares. Instead, Shares are represented by one or more global certificates, which are deposited by the Administrator with DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the Shares outstanding at any time. Shareholders are limited to (1) participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies (DTC Participants), (2) those who maintain, either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant (Indirect Participants), and (3) those who hold interests in the Shares through DTC Participants or Indirect Participants, in each case who satisfy the requirements for transfers of Shares. DTC Participants acting on behalf of Shareholders holding Shares through such participants accounts in DTC will follow the delivery practice applicable to securities eligible for DTCs Same-Day Funds Settlement System. Shares are credited to DTC Participants securities accounts following confirmation of receipt of payment.
DTC
DTC has advised us as follows: It is a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York and is a member of the Federal Reserve System, a clearing corporation within the meaning of the
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New York Uniform Commercial Code and a clearing agency registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the 1934 Act. DTC holds securities for DTC Participants and facilitates the clearance and settlement of transactions between DTC Participants through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of DTC Participants.
The Shares are only transferable through the book-entry system of DTC. Shareholders who are not DTC Participants may transfer their Shares through DTC by instructing the DTC Participant holding their Shares (or by instructing the Indirect Participant or other entity through which their Shares are held) to transfer the Shares. Transfers are made in accordance with standard securities industry practice.
Transfers of interests in Shares with DTC are made in accordance with the usual rules and operating procedures of DTC and the nature of the transfer. DTC has established procedures to facilitate transfers among the participants and/or accountholders of DTC. Because DTC can only act on behalf of DTC Participants, who in turn act on behalf of Indirect Participants, the ability of a person or entity having an interest in a global certificate to pledge such interest to persons or entities that do not participate in DTC, or otherwise take actions in respect of such interest, may be affected by the lack of a certificate or other definitive document representing such interest.
DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a Shareholder (including, without limitation, the presentation of a global certificate for exchange) only at the direction of one or more DTC Participants in whose account with DTC interests in global certificates are credited and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate principal amount of the global certificate as to which such DTC Participant has or DTC Participants have given such direction.
Buying and Selling Shares
Most investors buy and sell Shares of the Trust in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares trade on the Exchange under the ticker symbol FBTC. Shares are bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, most investors incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. Shareholders are encouraged to review the terms of their brokerage account for details on applicable charges.
Authorized Participants
The offering of the Trusts Shares is a best efforts offering. The Trust continuously offers Baskets consisting of 25,000 Shares to Authorized Participants. Authorized Participants pay a transaction fee for each order they place to create or redeem one or more Baskets.
The Authorized Participants will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise direct the Trust or a third party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving bitcoin as part of the creation or redemption process.
The offering of Baskets is being made in compliance with Rule 2310 of the FINRA Rules. Accordingly, Authorized Participants will not make any sales to any account over which they have discretionary authority without the prior written approval of a purchaser of Shares.
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The per share price of Shares offered in Baskets on any subsequent day will be the total NAV of the Trust calculated shortly after the close of the Exchange on that day divided by the number of issued and outstanding Shares of the Trust. An Authorized Participant is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of Shares.
By executing an Authorized Participant Agreement, an Authorized Participant becomes part of the group of parties eligible to purchase Baskets from, and put Baskets for redemption to, the Trust. An Authorized Participant is under no obligation to create or redeem baskets or to offer to the public Shares of any Baskets it does create.
Because new Shares can be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the Trust, a distribution, as such term is used in the 1933 Act, will be occurring. Authorized Participants, other broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some of their activities may result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that would render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus-delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. For example, the initial Authorized Participant will be a statutory underwriter with respect to the initial purchase of Baskets. Any purchaser who purchases Shares with a view towards distribution of such Shares may be deemed to be a statutory underwriter. In addition, an Authorized Participant, other broker-dealer firm or its client will be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases a basket from the Trust, breaks the basket down into the constituent Shares and sells the Shares 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 the Shares. In contrast, Authorized Participants may engage in secondary market or other transactions in Shares that would not be deemed underwriting. For example, an Authorized Participant may act in the capacity of a broker or dealer with respect to Shares that were previously distributed by other Authorized Participants. A determination of whether a particular market participant is an underwriter must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that would lead to designation as an underwriter and subject them to the prospectus-delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act.
Dealers who are neither Authorized Participants nor underwriters but are nonetheless participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an unsold allotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus-delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act.
While the Authorized Participants may be indemnified by the Sponsor, they will not be entitled to receive a discount or commission from the Trust or The Sponsor for their purchases of Baskets.
As of December 29, 2023, Jane Street Capital, LLC and JP Morgan Securities LLC have each executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and are the only Authorized Participants.
Selling Shareholders
In connection with the Trusts launch, the Trust will be seeded through the sale of one or more Baskets by the Trust to one or more investors. Investors participating in the seeding may include Authorized Participants, market makers, other third-party investors, the Sponsor or affiliates of the Trust and the Sponsor (each, a Selling Shareholder). These Selling Shareholders, who may hold Shares from time to time, may from time to time sell some or all of the Shares held by them pursuant to the registration statement for the Trust, which Shares have been registered under the registration statement of which this Prospectus is a part to permit their resale. The Trust will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Selling Shareholders of these Shares.
Selling Shareholders may sell Shares owned by them directly or through broker-dealers, in accordance with applicable law, on any national securities exchange on which the Shares may be listed or quoted at the time of
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sale, through trading systems, in the OTC market or in transactions other than on these exchanges or systems at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected through brokerage transactions, privately negotiated trades, block sales, entry into options or other derivatives transactions or through any other means authorized by applicable law. Selling Shareholders may redeem Shares held in Basket size through an Authorized Participant. See Conflicts of Interest.
CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES
The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. Baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of cash represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed (the Basket Deposit). The amount of cash required in a Basket Deposit (the Basket Cash Deposit) is based on the value of the quantity of bitcoin and cash attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor Fees and any accrued but unpaid Extraordinary Expenses) being created or redeemed determined as of 4:00 p.m. EST on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received.
Authorized Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Authorized Participants must be (1) registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions, that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions described below and (2) DTC Participants. To become an Authorized Participant, a person must enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor. As of the Trusts commencement of operations, Baskets may only be purchased or redeemed by Authorized Participants for cash. However, subject to obtaining all applicable regulatory approvals, the Trust may in the future permit Authorized Participants to purchase or redeem Baskets in exchange for bitcoin. In connection with a Cash Creation Order (as defined below) or Cash Redemption Order (as defined below), an Authorized Participant is responsible for any operational processing and brokerage costs, transfers fees, network fees and stamp taxes (the Transaction Fee). The Transaction Fee may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor. Authorized Participants who make deposits with the Trust in exchange for Baskets receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Trust or the Sponsor, and no such person will have any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Certain Authorized Participants and their agents and affiliates are expected to be capable of participating directly in the spot markets. Some Authorized Participants or their agents and affiliates may from time to time buy or sell bitcoin and may profit in these instances. To the extent that the activities of Authorized Participants or their agents and affiliates have a meaningful effect on the bitcoin market, it could affect the price of bitcoin and impact the ability of the Authorized Participants to effectively arbitrage the difference between the price at which the shares trade and the net asset value of the Trust. While the Sponsor currently expects that Authorized Participants and their agents and affiliates direct activities in the bitcoin or securities markets in connection with the creation and redemption activities of the Trust will not significantly affect the price of bitcoin or the Shares, the impact of the activities of the Trust and its Authorized Participants and their agents and affiliates on bitcoin or securities markets is unknown and beyond the control of the Sponsor.
Each Authorized Participant will be required to be registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act and a member in good standing with FINRA, or exempt from being or otherwise not required to be licensed as a broker- dealer or a member of FINRA, and will be qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where the nature of its business so requires. Certain Authorized Participants may also be regulated under federal and state banking laws and regulations. Each Authorized Participant has its own set of rules and procedures, internal controls and information barriers as it determines is appropriate in light of its own regulatory regime.
The following description of the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets is only a summary and a Shareholder should refer to the form of Authorized Participant Agreement for more detail. A form of
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Authorized Participant Agreement will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this Prospectus is a part.
Creation Procedures
On any business day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Transfer Agent to create one or more Baskets. For purposes of processing creation and redemption orders, a business day means any day other than a day when the Exchange is closed for regular trading. Purchase orders must be placed by the close of Regular Trading Hours on the Exchange or an earlier time as determined and communicated by the Sponsor and its agent. A purchase order will be effective on the date it is received in good order by the Transfer Agent (Purchase Order Date).
The manner by which creations are made is dictated by the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement. Creation orders are denominated and settled in cash (Cash Creation Order). By placing a Cash Creation Order, an Authorized Participant agrees to facilitate the deposit of cash with the Cash Custodian. If an Authorized Participant fails to consummate the foregoing, the order will be cancelled or delayed until the full cash deposit has been received. An Authorized Participant may not withdraw a creation order without the prior consent of the Sponsor in its discretion.
Following an Authorized Participants Cash Creation Order, the Trusts account at the Cash Custodian must be credited with the Basket Cash Deposit amount by the end of the following business day or such earlier or later time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor following the Purchase Order Date. Upon receipt of the Basket Cash Deposit amount in the Trusts account at the Cash Custodian, the Transfer Agent will notify the Distributor, the Authorized Participant, and the Sponsor that the Basket Cash Amount has been deposited. The Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, will instruct a bitcoin trading counterparty to purchase the amount of bitcoin equivalent in value to the cash deposit amount associated with the creation order, with such purchase transaction prearranged to be executed, in the Sponsors reasonable efforts, at the Index price used by the Trust to calculate NAV, taking into account any spread, commissions, or other trading costs on the applicable Purchase Order Date. The resulting bitcoin will be deposited in the Trusts account with the Bitcoin Custodian. Any slippage incurred (including, but not limited to, any trading fees, spreads, or commissions), on a cash equivalent basis, will be the responsibility of the Authorized Participant and not of the Trust or Sponsor. To the extent the execution price of the bitcoin acquired by the trading counterparty exceeds the cash deposit amount, such cash difference will be the responsibility of the Authorized Participant and not the Trust or Sponsor. The Transfer Agent will then direct DTC to credit the number of Shares created to the Authorized Participants DTC account.
Determination of Required Deposits
The amount of the Basket Deposit changes from day to day. On each day that the Exchange is open for regular trading, the Administrator adjusts the quantity of cash constituting the Basket Deposit as appropriate to reflect the value of the Trusts bitcoin and cash less accrued expenses. The computation is made by the Administrator as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. EST or at an earlier time set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement or otherwise provided to all Authorized Participants on the date such order is placed in order for the creation of Baskets to be effected based on the NAV of Shares as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form.
The Basket Cash Deposit is an amount of cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Trust, net of accrued expenses and other liabilities, on the Purchase Order Date, as the number of Shares constituting a Basket is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the Purchase Order Date, plus the amount of any Transaction Fee. For a discussion of how the Trust determines the value of bitcoin, see Calculation of NAV above. The Basket Cash Deposit so determined is communicated via electronic mail message to all Authorized Participants.
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To the extent the price at which the Trusts executes a bitcoin purchase in connection with a Cash Creation exceeds the amount described in the paragraph above, the Authorized Participant that placed such order will be responsible for any such difference in price. The Sponsor expects that its bitcoin trading counterparties will be able to provide pricing based on the Index price at 4:00 p.m. EST, which would minimize or eliminate any such shortfall. However, there can be no guarantee that the price at which the Trust executes bitcoin trades will be the Index price at 4:00 p.m., and Authorized Participants bear the risk of any such differences in price.
Delivery of Required Deposits
An Authorized Participant who places a purchase order must follow the procedures outlined in the Creation Procedures section of this Prospectus. Upon receipt of the deposit amount by the Cash Custodian the Transfer Agent will direct DTC to credit the number of Shares ordered to the Authorized Participants DTC account on the following business day or such later time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, following the Purchase Order Date. The Sponsor has the authority to set or modify the cut-off time for purchase orders. Cut-off times are communicated periodically to Authorized Participants. In circumstances where purchase orders are due before 4:00 p.m. EST, Authorized Participants will not know the total Basket Deposit at the time they submit a purchase order for the Basket. The Trusts NAV and the price of a Basket Deposit could rise or fall substantially between the time a purchase order is submitted and the time the amount of the purchase price in respect thereof is determined, and the risk of such price movements will be borne solely by the Authorized Participant.
Rejection of Purchase Orders
The Sponsor or its designee has the absolute right, but does not have any obligation, to reject any purchase order or Basket Deposit if the Sponsor determines that:
a. | the purchase order is not in proper form; |
b. | the Basket Deposit delivered is not as specified by the Trust through the Sponsor and/or Transfer Agent, and the Sponsor has not consented to acceptance of a deposit that varies from the designated portfolio; |
c. | the acceptance of the Basket Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Trust; |
d. | the acceptance of the Basket Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; |
e. | the acceptance of the Basket Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Sponsor, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners of the Trust; or |
f. | there exist circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Transfer Agent, or the Sponsor that make it impossible to process purchase orders for all practical purposes. |
The Sponsor may in its sole discretion limit the number of Shares created pursuant to purchase orders on any specified day without notice to the Authorized Participants and may direct the Distributor to reject any purchase orders in excess of such capped amount. The Sponsor may choose to limit the number of Shares created pursuant to purchase orders when it deems so doing to be in the best interest of Shareholders. It may choose to do so when it believes the market is too volatile to execute a bitcoin transaction, when it believes the price of bitcoin is being inconsistently, irregularly, or discontinuously published from bitcoin trading venues and other data sources, or when it believes other similar circumstances may create a scenario in which accepting purchase orders would not be in the best interests of the Shareholders. The Sponsor does not believe that the Trusts ability to arrive at such a determination will have a significant impact on the Shares in the secondary market because it believes that the ability to create Shares would be reinstated shortly after such determination is made, and any entity desiring to create Shares would be able to do so once the ability to create Shares is reinstated. However, it is possible that such a determination would cause the Shares to trade at premiums or discounts relative to the Trusts NAV on the secondary market if arbitrageurs believe that there is risk that the creation and redemption process is not available, as this process is a component of keeping the price of the Shares on the secondary market closely aligned to the Trusts NAV.
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Neither the Sponsor, nor the Transfer Agent, nor the Trust will be liable for the rejection of any purchase order or Basket Deposit.
Redemption Procedures
The procedures by which an Authorized Participant can redeem one or more Baskets mirror the procedures for the creation of Baskets. On any business day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Transfer Agent to redeem one or more Baskets. Redemption orders must be placed by the close of Regular Trading Hours on the Exchange or an earlier time as determined and communicated by the Sponsor and its agent. A redemption order will be effective on the date it is received by the Transfer Agent (Redemption Order Date).
In the case of a redemption order for cash (Cash Redemption Order), the redemption distribution from the Trust consists of a transfer to the Authorized Participant of an amount of cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Trust, net of accrued expenses and other liabilities, on the Redemption Order Date, as the number of Shares to be redeemed under the purchase order is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the Redemption Order Date. The redemption distribution due from the Trust will be delivered once the Transfer Agent notifies the Cash Custodian, the Distributor and the Sponsor that the Authorized Participant has delivered the Shares represented by the Baskets to be redeemed to the Transfer Agents DTC account. If the Transfer Agents DTC account has not been credited with all of the Shares of the Baskets to be redeemed, the redemption distribution will be cancelled or delayed until such time as the Transfer Agent confirms receipt of all such Shares.
By placing a redemption order, an Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the Baskets to be redeemed through DTCs book-entry system to the Trust by the end of the following business day or such later time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor following the Redemption Order Date. An Authorized Participant may not withdraw a redemption order without the prior consent of the Sponsor in its discretion.
Determination of Redemption Distribution
The redemption distribution from the Trust will consist of a transfer to the redeeming Authorized Participant of an amount of cash that is determined in the same manner as the determination of Basket Deposits discussed above.
Delivery of Redemption Distribution
Once the Transfer Agent notifies the Custodian, the Cash Custodian, the Distributor and the Sponsor that the Shares have been received in the Transfer Agents DTC account, the Administrator instructs the Custodian to transfer the cash amount from the Trusts Cash Custodian account to the Authorized Participant. For a Cash Redemption Order, the redemption distribution due from the Trust will be sent by the Custodian or Cash Custodian, as applicable, to the Authorized Participant on the following business day or such later time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, following the Redemption Order Date if, by 4:00 p.m. EST, on such business day, the Transfer Agents DTC account has been credited with the Baskets to be redeemed. If the Transfer Agents DTC account has not been credited with all of the Baskets to be redeemed by such time, the redemption distribution will be cancelled or delayed until such time as the Transfer Agent confirms receipt of all such Shares.
Rejection of Redemption Orders
Redemption orders must be made in whole Baskets. The Distributor acting by itself or through the person authorized to take redemption orders in the manner provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement may, in its sole discretion, reject any redemption order (1) the Sponsor determines not to be in proper form or (2) if requested by the Distributor, the Authorized Participant fails to deliver or execute supporting documentation evidencing ownership or the Authorized Participants right to deliver sufficient Shares.
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Suspension of Orders
The Sponsor may, in its discretion, suspend redemption or creation transactions during any period when the transfer books of the Transfer Agent are closed or if circumstances outside the control of the Sponsor or its delegate make it for all practicable purposes not feasible to process Redemption Orders or for any other reason at any time or from time to time. For example, the Sponsor may determine that it is necessary to suspend redemptions to allow for the orderly liquidation of the Trusts assets. If the Sponsor has difficulty liquidating the Trusts positions, e.g., because of a market disruption event or an unanticipated delay in the liquidation of a position in an over-the-counter contract, it may be appropriate to suspend creations and redemptions until such time as such circumstances are rectified. Neither the Distributor, the person authorized to take redemption orders in the manner provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement, nor the Custodian will be liable to any person or in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such suspension or postponement.
Any such suspension may cause to price of the Shares to deviate more significantly from the Trusts NAV per Share than would be the case if such suspension had not occurred. The Trust will notify Shareholders of any such suspension in a prospectus supplement and/or a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports.
Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees
In connection with a Cash Creation Order or Cash Redemption Order, an Authorized Participant is responsible for the Transaction Fee, which consist of the operational processing and brokerage costs, transfers fees, network fees and stamp taxes. The Transaction Fee may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor.
Tax Responsibility
Authorized Participants are responsible for any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax, value added tax or similar tax or governmental charge applicable to the creation or redemption of baskets, regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly on the Authorized Participant, and agree to indemnify the Sponsor and the Trust if they are required by law to pay any such tax, together with any applicable penalties, additions to tax and interest thereon.
Secondary Market Transactions
As noted, the Trust will create and redeem Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. The creation and redemption of baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of cash equal to the number of Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received.
As discussed above, Authorized Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Authorized Participants must be registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions. An Authorized Participant is under no obligation to create or redeem Baskets, and an Authorized Participant is under no obligation to offer to the public Shares of any Baskets it does create.
Authorized Participants that do offer to the public Shares from the Baskets they create will do so at per-Share offering prices that are expected to reflect, among other factors, the trading price of the Shares on the Exchange, the NAV of the Trust at the time the Authorized Participant purchased the Baskets, the NAV of the Shares at the time of the offer of the Shares to the public, the supply of and demand for Shares at the time of sale, and the liquidity of bitcoin. Baskets are generally redeemed when the price per Share is at a discount to the NAV per Share. Shares initially comprising the same basket but offered by Authorized Participants to the public at
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different times may have different offering prices. An order for one or more Baskets may be placed by an Authorized Participant on behalf of multiple clients. Authorized Participants who make deposits with the Trust in exchange for Baskets receive no fees, commissions or other forms of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Trust or the Sponsor and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Shares are expected to trade in the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares may trade in the secondary market at prices that are lower or higher relative to their NAV per Share. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV per Share may be influenced by various factors, including the number of Shareholders who seek to purchase or sell Shares in the secondary market and the liquidity of bitcoin.
Proceeds received by the Trust from the issuance of Baskets consist of cash. Deposits of cash are held by the Cash Custodian on behalf of the Trust until (i) transferred in connection with the purchase of bitcoin, (ii) delivered out in connection with redemptions of Baskets or (iii) transferred to pay fees due to the Sponsor and Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor.
When the Trust uses cash proceeds from creation transactions to purchase bitcoin, the Trust will receive bitcoin from a third party that is not an Authorized Participant. The Trustnot any Authorized Participantis responsible for selecting the third party to deliver the bitcoin. Furthermore, the third party will not be acting as an agent of any Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust or acting at the direction of any Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the bitcoin to the Trust. The Trust will redeem Shares by delivering bitcoin to a third party that is not an Authorized Participant. The Trustnot any Authorized Participantis responsible for selecting the third party to receive the bitcoin. In addition, the third party will not be acting as an agent of any Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust or acting at the direction of any Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the bitcoin from the Trust.
OWNERSHIP OR BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN THE TRUST
The beneficial interest in the Trust is divided into Shares. Each Share of the Trust represents an equal beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust, and each holder of Shares is entitled to receive such holders pro rata share of distributions of income and capital gains, if any.
All Shares are fully paid and non-assessable. No Share will have any priority or preference over any other Share of the Trust. All distributions, if any, will be made ratably among all Shareholders from the assets of the Trust according to the number of Shares held of record by such Shareholders on the record date for any distribution or on the date of termination of the Trust, as the case may be. Except as otherwise provided by the Sponsor, Shareholders will have no preemptive or other right to subscribe to any additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust.
The Sponsor will have full power and authority, in its sole discretion, without seeking the approval of the Trustee or the Shareholders (a) to establish and designate and to change in any manner and to fix such preferences, voting powers, rights, duties and privileges of the Trust as the Sponsor may from time to time determine, (b) to divide the beneficial interest in the Trust into an unlimited amount of shares, with or without par value, as the Sponsor will determine, (c) to issue shares without limitation as to number (including fractional shares), to such persons and for such amount of consideration, subject to any restriction set forth in the By-Laws, if any, at such time or times and on such terms as the Sponsor may deem appropriate, (d) to divide or combine the shares into a greater or lesser number without thereby materially changing the proportionate beneficial
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interest of the shares in the assets held, and (e) to take such other action with respect to the shares as the Sponsor may deem desirable. The ownership of Shares will be recorded on the books of the Trust or a transfer or similar agent for the Trust. No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares will be issued except as the Sponsor may otherwise determine from time to time. The Sponsor may make such rules as it considers appropriate for the issuance of share certificates, transfer of Shares and similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust, or any transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, will be conclusive as to the identity of the Shareholders and as to the number of Shares held from time to time by each.
There are present and potential future conflicts of interest inherent in the Trusts structure and operation you should consider before you purchase Shares. The Sponsor will use this notice of conflicts as a defense against any claim or other proceeding made. If the Sponsor is not able to resolve these conflicts of interest adequately, it may impact the Trusts ability to achieve its investment objective.
The Sponsor and its affiliates engage in a broad spectrum of activities and may expand the range of services that they provide over time. The Sponsor and its affiliates will generally not be restricted in the scope of their business or in the performance of any such services (whether now offered or undertaken in the future), even if such activities could give rise to conflicts of interest, and whether or not such conflicts are described herein. In the ordinary course of their business activities, the Sponsor and its affiliates may engage in activities where the interests of the Sponsor and its affiliates or the interests of their clients conflict with the interests of the Trust. Certain employees of the Sponsor also have responsibilities relating to the business of one or more affiliates. These employees are not restricted in the amount of time that may be allocated to the business activities of the Sponsors affiliates, and the allocation of such employees time between the Sponsor and its affiliates may change over time.
In addition, the Sponsor and its affiliates may also be responsible for managing other accounts in addition to the services that they provide to the Trust, including other accounts of the Sponsor or its affiliates. Other accounts may include, without limitation, private or SEC-registered funds, separately managed accounts, or investments owned by the Sponsor or its affiliates. Management of other accounts in addition to services provided to the Trust can present certain conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof. The other accounts might have similar or different investment objectives or strategies as the Trust, or otherwise hold, purchase or sell investments that are eligible to be held, purchased or sold by the Trust, or may take positions that are opposite in direction from those taken by the Trust.
The Sponsor and its affiliates may from time to time obtain exposure to bitcoin through investments in the Trust and may hold a material position in the Trust. The Trust will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Sponsor or its affiliates of these Shares, and the sale of such Shares may impact the price at which Shareholders may be able to sell their Shares. In addition, the Sponsor and its affiliates may have substantial direct investments in bitcoin outside of the Trust. The Sponsor and its affiliates are permitted to manage such investments, taking into account their own interests, without regard to the interests of the Trust or its Shareholders. The Sponsor and its affiliates reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, to sell into the market or redeem through an Authorized Participant at any time some or all of the Shares of the Trust acquired for their own accounts. The Sponsor and its affiliates face potential conflicts of interest in determining whether, when and in what amount to sell or redeem Shares of the Trust. The Sponsor and its affiliates are under no obligation to consider the effect of sales or redemptions on the Trust and other Shareholders in deciding whether to sell or redeem their Shares. The Sponsor and its affiliates may invest or trade in digital assets for their own accounts, which activities may conflict or compete with the Trust. Additionally, the Sponsor does not have policies and procedures requiring that personnel pre-clear trading activity in certain digital assets, including bitcoin. The Sponsor may not be able to fully mitigate the risk of conflicts of interest in connection with the purchase and sale of digital assets. There is no guarantee that every employee, officer, director, or similar person associated with the Sponsor and its affiliates will refrain from engaging in impermissible activity in violation of their duties to the Trust and Sponsor.
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The Sponsor will have the authority to manage the operations of the Trust, and this may create or give the appearance of a conflict with shareholders best interests. The Sponsor may select service providers that are affiliates, including the Custodian, the Index Provider, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Sponsor may have a conflict of interest in selecting an affiliated service provider because doing so increases the overall revenue for its affiliates. You should be aware that there may be less expensive service providers or parties with greater experience or expertise than the affiliates selected by the Sponsor. Because of the Sponsors affiliated status, it may be disincentivized from replacing affiliated service providers. In connection with this conflict of interest, Shareholders should understand that affiliated service providers will be compensated for providing services to the Trust. Clients of the affiliated service providers may pay commissions at negotiated rates which are greater or less than the rate paid by the Sponsor. The Sponsor and any affiliated service provider may, from time to time, have conflicting demands in respect of their obligations to the Trust and, in the future, to other clients.
The Sponsor may indemnify its officers, directors and key employees with respect to their activities on behalf of other funds, if the need for indemnification arises. This potential indemnification could cause the Sponsors assets to decrease. If the Sponsors other sources of income are not sufficient to compensate for the indemnification, it could cease operations, which could in turn result in Trust losses and/or termination of the Trust.
Fidelity Product Services LLC is the Index Provider for the Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate and an affiliate of the Sponsor, which may create conflicts of interest as a result of such relationship. The Index Provider does not share officers or personnel with the Sponsor. The Index Provider restricts membership of the Committee to members who do not manage money in any product and who are not employees of the Sponsor. Pursuant to the Index Providers policies, Index Provider personnel that possess knowledge of a material change to the Index are restricted from trading in Shares of the Trust during periods in which a such a change had occurred but before such change is made public. However, Shareholders should be aware that the Index Provider has not taken the interests of the Shareholders into consideration when creating the Index, and the Index Provider will have no obligation to take the interests of the Shareholders into account when maintaining, modifying, reconstituting or discontinuing the Index. Actions taken by the Index Provider in respect of the Index may have an adverse impact on the value or liquidity of the Shares. The interests of the Index Provider and the Shareholders may not be aligned. The Index Provider will have no responsibility or liability to the Shareholders.
Resolution of Conflicts Procedures
The Trust Agreement will provide that whenever a conflict of interest exists between the Sponsor or any of its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust or any Shareholders or any other person, on the other hand, the Sponsor will resolve such conflict of interest considering the relative interest of each party (including its own interest) and the benefits and burdens relating to such interests, any customary or accepted industry practices, and any applicable accepted accounting practices or principles.
Issues Relating to Valuations of Assets
To the extent it is required to do so, the Sponsor will value the Trusts assets in accordance with the valuation policies of the Sponsor; however, the manner in which the Sponsor exercises its discretion with respect to valuation decisions will impact the valuation of assets of the Trust. To the extent that fees are based on valuations, the exercise of discretion in valuation by the Sponsor will give rise to conflicts of interest including in connection with the calculation of Sponsor Fees. In addition, various divisions and units within the Sponsor and its affiliates are required to value assets, including in connection with managing or advising other accounts for clients, such as registered and unregistered funds and owners of separately managed accounts. These various divisions, units and affiliated entities may, but are under no obligation to, share information regarding valuation techniques and models or other information relevant to the valuation of a specific asset or category of assets. Regardless of whether or not the Sponsor has access to such information, to the extent the Sponsor values the assets held by the Trust, the Sponsor will value investments according to its valuation policies, and may value an identical asset differently than such other divisions, units or affiliated entities.
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The general fiduciary duties that would otherwise be imposed on the Sponsor (which would make its operation of the Trust as described herein impracticable due to the strict prohibition imposed by such duties on, for example, conflicts of interest on behalf of a fiduciary in its dealings with its beneficiaries), will be replaced entirely by the terms of the Trust Agreement (to which terms all Shareholders, by subscribing to the Shares, are deemed to consent).
Additionally, under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor will have the following obligations as a sponsor of the Trust:
| Execute, file, record and/or publish all certificates, statements and other documents and do any and all other things as may be appropriate for the formation, qualification and operation of the Trust and for the conduct of its business in all appropriate jurisdictions; |
| Retain independent public accountants to audit the accounts of the Trust; |
| Employ attorneys to represent the Trust; |
| Select the Trusts Trustee, Administrator, Transfer Agent, Custodian, Distributor, Index Provider, insurer(s) and any other service provider(s) and cause the Trust to enter into contracts with such service provider(s); |
| Use its best efforts to maintain the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
| Provide for the safekeeping and use of the Trusts assets; |
| Not employ or permit others to employ the Trusts assets in any manner except for the benefit of the Trust; |
| At all times act with integrity and good faith and exercise due diligence in all activities relating to the Trust and in resolving conflicts of interest; |
| Enter into directly or through its delegates an Authorized Participant Agreement with each Authorized Participant and discharge the duties and responsibilities of the Trust and the Sponsor thereunder; |
| Receive directly or through its delegates from Authorized Participants and process or cause its delegates to process properly submitted purchase orders, as will be described in the Trust Agreement and in the Authorized Participant Agreement; |
| In connection with purchase orders, receive directly or through its delegates the amount of cash in a Basket; |
| In connection with purchase orders, after accepting a purchase order and receiving the corresponding amount of cash, or either directly or through its delegates, direct the Trusts Transfer Agent to credit the Baskets to fill the Authorized Participants purchase order; |
| Receive directly or through its delegates from Authorized Participants and process or cause its delegates to process properly submitted redemption orders, as will be described in the Trust Agreement and in the Authorized Participant Agreement; |
| In connection with redemption orders, after receiving a redemption order specifying the number of Baskets that the Authorized Participant wishes to redeem and after the Transfer Agents DTC account has been credited with the Baskets to be redeemed, directly or through its delegates transfer to the redeeming Authorized Participant the quantity of bitcoin attributable to the Shares redeemed; |
| Interact with the Custodian and any other party as required; |
| Cause the Trust to comply with all rules, orders and regulations of the Exchange, and take all such other actions that may reasonably be taken and are necessary for the Shares to remain listed, quoted or |
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traded on the Exchange until the Trust is terminated or the Shares are no longer listed, quoted or traded on the Exchange; |
| Assist in the preparation and filing of reports and proxy statements (if any) to the Shareholders, the periodic updating of the Registration Statement and Prospectus and other reports and documents for the Trust required to be filed by the Trust with the SEC and other governmental bodies; |
| Use its best efforts to maintain the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including making such elections, filing such tax returns, and preparing, disseminating and filing such tax reports, as it is advised by its counsel or accountants are from time to time required by any statute, rule or regulation of the United States, any State or political subdivision thereof, or other jurisdiction having taxing authority in respect of the Trust or its administration. The expense of accountants employed to prepare such tax returns and tax reports will be an expense of the Trust; |
| Perform such other services as the Sponsor believes the Trust may from time to time require; and |
| In general, to carry out any other business in connection with or incidental to any of the foregoing powers, to do everything necessary, suitable or proper for the accomplishment of any purpose or the attainment of any object or the furtherance of any power herein set forth, either alone or in association with others, and to do every other act or thing incidental or appurtenant or growing out of or connected with the aforesaid business or purposes, objects or powers. |
Consistent with the intention to maintain the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Sponsor will not have the power to vary the investments of the Trust and must manage the Trusts assets in accordance with the strict limitations set forth in the Trust Agreement.
To the extent that a law (common or statutory) or in equity, the Sponsor has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust, the Shareholders or to any other person, the Sponsor will not be liable to the Trust, the Shareholders or to any other person for its good faith reliance on the provisions of the Trust Agreement or this Prospectus unless such reliance constitutes gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct on the part of the Sponsor.
Trustee
The Trustee will not be liable for the acts or omissions of the Sponsor, nor will the Trustee be liable for supervising or monitoring the performance and the duties and obligations of the Sponsor or the Trust under the Trust Agreement. The Trustee will not be personally liable under any circumstances, except for its own fraud, willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence. In particular, but not by way of limitation:
(a) the Trustee will not be personally liable for any error of judgment made in good faith except to the extent such error of judgment constitutes gross negligence on its part;
(b) no provision of the Trust Agreement will require the Trustee to expend or risk its personal funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its rights or powers under the Trust Agreement;
(c) under no circumstances will the Trustee be personally liable for any representation, warranty, covenant, agreement, or indebtedness of the Trust;
(d) the Trustee will not be personally responsible for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of the Trust Agreement or for the due execution hereof by the Sponsor;
(e) the Trustee will incur no liability to anyone in acting upon any signature, instrument, notice, resolution, request, consent, order, certificate, report, opinion, bond or other document or paper reasonably believed by it to
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be genuine and reasonably believed by it to be signed by the proper party or parties. The Trustee may accept a certified copy of a resolution of any governing body of any corporate party as conclusive evidence that such resolution has been duly adopted by such body and that the same is in full force and effect. As to any fact or matter the manner of ascertainment of which is not specifically prescribed herein, the Trustee may for all purposes hereof rely on a certificate, signed by an authorized officer of the Sponsor or any other corresponding directing party, as to such fact or matter, and such certificate will constitute full protection to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in reliance thereon;
(f) in the exercise or administration of the trust hereunder, the Trustee (i) may act directly or through agents or attorneys pursuant to agreements entered into with any of them, and the Trustee will not be liable for the default or misconduct of such agents or attorneys if such agents or attorneys will have been selected by the Trustee in good faith and with due care and (ii) may consult with counsel, accountants and other skilled persons to be selected by it in good faith and with due care and employed by it, and it will not be liable for anything done, suffered or omitted in good faith by it in accordance with the advice or opinion of any such counsel, accountants or other skilled persons;
(g) except as will be expressly provided in the Trust Agreement, the Trustee will act solely as a trustee under the Trust Agreement and not in its individual capacity, and all persons having any claim against the Trustee by reason of the transactions contemplated by the Trust Agreement will look only to the Trusts property for payment or satisfaction thereof; and
(h) the Trustee will not be liable for punitive, exemplary, consequential, special or other similar damages under any circumstances.
The Trustee or any officer, affiliate, director, employee, or agent of the Trustee (each, an Indemnified Person) will be entitled to indemnification from the Sponsor or the Trust, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against any and all losses, claims, taxes, damages, reasonable expenses, and liabilities (including liabilities under State or federal securities laws) of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, Expenses), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted against such Indemnified Persons with respect to the creation, operation or termination of the Trust, the execution, delivery or performance of the Trust Agreement or the transactions contemplated in the Trust Agreement; provided, however, that the Sponsor and the Trust will not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses that are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of such Indemnified Person.
The obligations of the Sponsor and the Trust to indemnify the Indemnified Persons will survive the termination of the Trust Agreement.
Sponsor
The Sponsor will not be under any liability to the Trust, the Trustee or any Shareholder for any action taken or for refraining from the taking of any action in good faith pursuant to the Trust Agreement, or for errors in judgment or for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of the sale of any bitcoin or other assets held in trust hereunder; provided, however, this provision will not protect the Sponsor against any liability to which it would otherwise be subject by reason of its own gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct. The Sponsor may rely in good faith on any paper, order, notice, list, affidavit, receipt, evaluation, opinion, endorsement, assignment, draft or any other document of any kind prima facie properly executed and submitted to it by the Trustee, the Trustees counsel or by any other Person for any matters arising hereunder. The Sponsor will in no event be deemed to have assumed or incurred any liability, duty, or obligation to any Shareholder or to the Trustee other than as expressly provided for herein. The Trust will not incur the cost of that portion of any insurance which insures any party against any liability, the indemnification of which is herein prohibited.
In addition, as will be described in the Trust Agreement, (i) whenever a conflict of interest exists or arises between the Sponsor or any of its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust, on the other hand; or (ii) whenever
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the Trust Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein or therein provides that the Sponsor will act in a manner that is, or provides terms that are, fair and reasonable to the Trust, the Sponsor will resolve such conflict of interest, take such action or provide such terms, considering in each case the relative interest of each party (including its own interest) to such conflict, agreement, transaction or situation and the benefits and burdens relating to such interests, and any applicable generally accepted accounting practices or principles. In the absence of bad faith by the Sponsor, the resolution, action or terms so made, taken or provided by the Sponsor will not constitute a breach of the Trust Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein or of any duty or obligation of the Sponsor at law or in equity or otherwise.
The Sponsor and its shareholders, members, directors, officers, employees, affiliates and subsidiaries (each a Sponsor Indemnified Party) will be indemnified by the Trust and held harmless against any loss, liability or expense incurred hereunder without gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct on the part of such Sponsor Indemnified Party arising out of or in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement. Any amounts payable to a Sponsor Indemnified Party under Section 6.7 of the Trust Agreement may be payable in advance or will be secured by a lien on the Trust. The Sponsor will not be under any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any legal action that in its opinion may involve it in any expense or liability; provided, however, that the Sponsor may, in its discretion, undertake any action that it may deem necessary or desirable in respect of the Trust Agreement and the rights and duties of the parties hereto and the interests of the Shareholders and, in such event, the legal expenses and costs of any such action will be expenses and costs of the Trust and the Sponsor will be entitled to be reimbursed therefor by the Trust. The obligations of the Trust to indemnify the Sponsor Indemnified Parties will survive the termination of the Trust Agreement.
Custodian
The Custodian has limited liability, impairing the ability of the Trust to recover losses relating to its bitcoin and any recovery may be limited, even in the event of fraud. In addition, the Custodian may not be liable for any delay in performance of any of its custodial obligations by reason of any cause beyond its reasonable control, including force majeure events, war or terrorism, and may not be liable for any system failure or third-party penetration of its systems. As a result, the recourse of the Trust to Custodian may be limited.
Cash Custodian
In carrying out its duties and obligations under the Cash Custody Agreement, the Cash Custodian shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence and shall be liable to the Trust for all loss, damage and expense suffered or incurred by the Trust resulting from the failure of the Cash Custodian to exercise such reasonable care, prudence and diligence. The Trust has agreed to indemnify the Cash Custodian and its nominees from all loss, damage and expense suffered or incurred by the Cash Custodian or its nominee in the performance of its duties.
The Index Provider
The Index Provider has no obligation to take the needs of the Trust or the Shareholders into consideration in determining, composing, or calculating the Index. The Index Provider does not make any express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Index or any data included therein. The Index Provider does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of the Index or the data included therein and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or index calculation, errors, omissions or interruptions of any Fidelity index or any data included therein. The Index Provider has contracted with an independent calculation agent to calculate the Index. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Index Provider have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) arising out of matters relating to the use of the Index, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
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According to applicable law, indemnification of the Sponsor is payable only if the Sponsor determined, in good faith, that the act, omission or conduct that gave rise to the claim for indemnification was in the best interest of the Trust and the act, omission or activity that was the basis for such loss, liability, damage, cost or expense was not the result of negligence or misconduct and such liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct by the Sponsor, and such indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of the assets of the Trust.
Provisions of Federal and State Securities Laws
This offering is made pursuant to federal and state securities laws. The SEC and state securities agencies take the position that indemnification of the Sponsor that arises out of an alleged violation of such laws is prohibited unless certain conditions are met.
These conditions require that no indemnification of the Sponsor or any underwriter for the Trust may be made in respect of any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws unless: (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the party seeking indemnification and the court approves the indemnification; (ii) such claim has been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the party seeking indemnification; or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the party seeking indemnification and finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made, provided that, before seeking such approval, the Sponsor or other indemnitee must apprise the court of the position held by regulatory agencies against such indemnification. These agencies are the SEC and the securities administrator of the State or States in which the plaintiffs claim they were offered or sold interests.
MANAGEMENT; VOTING BY SHAREHOLDERS
The Shareholders of the Trust take no part in the management or control, and have no voice in, the Trusts operations or business. Except in limited circumstances, Shareholders will have no voting rights under the Trust Agreement.
The Sponsor will generally have the right to amend the Trust Agreement as it applies to the Trust provided that the Shareholders have the right to vote only if expressly required under Delaware or federal law or rules or regulations of the Exchange, or if submitted to the Shareholders by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. No amendment affecting the Trustee will be binding upon or effective against the Trustee unless consented to by the Trustee in the form of an instruction letter.
The Trust does not have any directors, officers or employees. The creation and operation of the Trust has been arranged by the Sponsor. The Sponsor is governed by a board of directors. The President and Treasurer of the Sponsor are as follows:
Cynthia Lo Bessette, 1969, serves as President of the Sponsor. She is Head of Fidelitys Digital Asset Management division since 2023, leading teams responsible for the management and development of the investment framework and infrastructure for crypto research, asset tokenization, digital asset/crypto trading, and settlement and the development and implementation of new investment capabilities and investment products and solutions, business development, and digital asset education. Previously, in her role as Head of Fidelitys Asset Management and Digital Assets Legal, Ms. Lo Bessette led a team providing legal and regulatory guidance across Asset Management and built a team providing legal and regulatory guidance and support to the Fidelity Digital Assets business and blockchain-related technology research and development in the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology. Prior to joining Fidelity in August 2019, Ms. Lo Bessette was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of OppenheimerFunds, and a Director of OFI International, Ltd, the UK affiliate of OppenheimerFunds, and OppenheimerFunds ICAV.
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Heather Bonner, 1977, serves as Treasurer of the Sponsor. She is a Senior Vice President in Fidelitys Asset Management Treasurers office responsible for oversight of internal controls impacting the Fidelity funds financial reporting, as well as policy setting and interpretation with respect to certain fund accounting, tax, and reporting matters. She also regularly interacts with the Fidelity funds Board of Trustees. Additionally, Ms. Bonner oversees the operations of the Fidelity alternative funds various service providers, including independent accountants, pricing and bookkeeping agents, and custodians. Prior to joining Fidelity in September 2022, Ms. Bonner was Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of the AQR Funds.
The Trust keeps its books of record and account at the office of the Sponsor located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210, or at the offices of the Administrator, or such office, including of an administrative agent, as it may subsequently designate upon notice. The books and records are open to inspection by any person who establishes to the Trusts satisfaction that such person is a Shareholder upon reasonable advance notice at all reasonable times during usual business hours of the Trust.
The Trust will keep a copy of the Trust Agreement on file in the Sponsors office which will be available for inspection by any Shareholder at all times during its usual business hours upon reasonable advance notice.
STATEMENTS, FILINGS, AND REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
After the end of each fiscal year, the Sponsor will cause to be prepared an annual report for the Trust containing audited financial statements. The annual report will be in such form and contain such information as will be required by applicable laws, rules and regulations and may contain such additional information which the Sponsor determines shall be included. The annual report will be filed with the SEC and the Exchange and will be distributed to such persons and in such manner, as is required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
The Sponsor is responsible for the registration and qualification of the Shares under the federal securities laws. The Sponsor will also prepare, or cause to be prepared, and file any periodic reports or updates required under the 1934 Act. The Administrator will assist and support the Sponsor in the preparation of such reports.
The Administrator will make such elections, file such tax returns, and prepare, disseminate and file such tax reports, as it is advised to by its counsel or accountants or as required from time to time by any applicable statute, rule or regulation.
The fiscal year of the Trust is the calendar year. The Sponsor may select an alternate fiscal year to the extent permitted under the Code.
GOVERNING LAW; CONSENT TO DELAWARE JURISDICTION
The rights of the Sponsor, the Trust, DTC (as registered owner of the Trusts global certificate for Shares) and the Shareholders are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. The Sponsor, the Trust and DTC and, by accepting Shares, each DTC Participant and each Shareholder, consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Delaware and any federal courts located in Delaware, provided that (i) the forum selection provisions do not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the 1934 Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction and (ii) the federal district courts of the United States of
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America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the 1933 Act, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Such consent is not required for any person to assert a claim of Delaware jurisdiction over the Sponsor, the Trust. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Section 22 of the 1933 Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Further, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce the exclusive forum jurisdiction for actions arising under the 1933 Act or 1934 Act.
Litigation and Claims
Within the past five years of the date of this Prospectus, there have been no material administrative, civil or criminal actions against the Sponsor, the Trust or any principal or affiliate of any of them. This includes any actions pending, on appeal, concluded, threatened, or otherwise known to them.
Legal Opinion
Chapman and Cutler LLP has advised the Sponsor in connection with the Shares being offered. Chapman and Cutler LLP also advises the Sponsor with respect to its responsibilities as sponsor of, and with respect to matters relating to, the Trust. Dechert LLP will render an opinion regarding the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of ownership of the Shares. Certain opinions of counsel will be filed with the SEC as exhibits to the Registration Statement of which this Prospectus is a part.
The financial statement as of November 30, 2023 included in this Prospectus has been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
Administration Agreement
Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides necessary administrative, tax and accounting services and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust, including valuing the Trusts bitcoin and calculating the NAV per Share of the Trust and the NAV of the Trust and supplying pricing information to the Sponsor for the relevant website. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services. The Administrator will also facilitate the instruction to transfer bitcoin required for the operation of the Trust.
Standard of Care; Limitations of Liability
The Administrator shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence in carrying out all of its duties and obligations under the Administration Agreement, and shall be liable to the Trust only for direct losses suffered or incurred by the Trust resulting from the failure of the Administrator to exercise its standard of care.
The Administrator shall be responsible for the performance only of such duties as are set forth in the Administration Agreement and, except as otherwise provided in the Administration Agreement, shall have no responsibility for the actions or activities of any other party, including other service providers.
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The Administrator shall have no liability in respect of any loss, damage or expense suffered by the Trust insofar as such loss, damage or expense arises from the performance of the Administrators duties hereunder in reliance upon records that were maintained for the Trust by entities other than the Administrator prior to the Administrators appointment as administrator for the Trust. Unless directly caused by or resulting from, the failure of the Administrator to exercise its standard of care, the Administrator shall have no liability for errors of judgment or for any loss or damage resulting from the performance or nonperformance of its duties under the Administration Agreement.
Neither the Trust nor the Administrator shall be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, including lost profits, of any kind whatsoever (including, without limitation, attorneys fees) arising in connection with the Administration Agreement even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
The Administrator shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under the Administration Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control, including without limitation, work stoppage, power or other mechanical failure, computer virus, natural disaster, governmental action or communication disruption.
Indemnity
The Trust will indemnify the Administrator against, and hold Administrator harmless from, any loss, damage, or expense that may be imposed on, incurred by, or asserted against the Administrator as a result of any action or omission taken in accordance with any instruction, except to the extent that such loss, damage, or expense is caused by the negligence, misfeasance or willful misconduct of the Administrator in the manner in which it carries out the instruction.
The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold the Administrator and its directors, officers, employees and agents harmless from all loss, cost, damage and expense, including reasonable fees and expenses for counsel, incurred by the Administrator resulting from any claim, demand, action or suit in connection with any action or omission by the Administrator in the performance of its duties under the Administration Agreement, or as a result of the Administrator acting upon any instructions reasonably believed by it to have been communicated to it or upon reasonable reliance on information or records given or made by the Trust. However, the Trust will not indemnify the Administrator from losses, damages and expenses occasioned by or resulting from the negligence, misfeasance or willful misconduct of the Administrator, its officers, employees or agents as the case may be.
Administrators Fee
Pursuant to the Trusts unitary fee structure, the Administrators fee is paid by the Sponsor in accordance with the Administration Agreement.
Governing Law
The Administration Agreement is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Termination of the Administration Agreement
The Administration Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until the first to occur of: (i) termination for convenience by the Administrator by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to the Trust, such termination to take effect not sooner than ninety (90) days after the date of such delivery; (ii) termination for convenience by the Trust by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to the Administrator, such termination to take effect not sooner than thirty (30) days after the date of such delivery; (iii) termination by the Administrator, by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to the Trust if the Administrator reasonably
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determines that servicing the Trust raises regulatory or reputational concerns, with such termination to take effect not sooner than sixty (60) days after the date of such delivery; or (iv) termination by the either party by written notice delivered to the other party, based upon: (a) the terminating partys determination that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the other party is insolvent or that the financial condition of the other party is deteriorating in any material respect, in which case termination shall take effect upon the other partys receipt of such notice or at such later time as the terminating party shall designate; (b) the other party committing a material breach of the Administration Agreement, and failing to remedy such material breach within ninety (90) days of being given written notice of the material breach, unless the parties agree to extend the period to remedy the breach; or (c) the relevant state or federal authority withdrawing its authorization of the either party.
Custodial Services Agreement
The Custodial Services Agreement establishes the rights and responsibilities of the Custodian, Sponsor, and the Trust with respect to the bitcoin in the Trusts bitcoin custody account, which is established and maintained by the Custodian.
Access to the Custody Account; Transfers and Storage
The Custodian has been engaged to keep the Trusts bitcoin in safe custody.
The Custodian will provide the Sponsor with the information that is necessary for third parties to make deposits to the Trusts account. To support the Trusts ordinary course deposits and withdrawals, the Custodians services will allow the Sponsor to receive a recipient address for deposits by a third party, and to initiate the transfer and broadcast to the blockchain supporting the relevant asset. Subject to completed blockchain transactions to the provided recipient addresses and completion of required transaction screening by the Custodian, the Custodian will credit all bitcoin properly authorized by the Trust or the Sponsor to the Trusts account.
The Custodian will only allow withdrawals of bitcoin from the Trusts account based on authorized instructions from the Sponsor or the Trust.
Standard of Care; Limitations of Liability
The Custodian agrees to exercise the reasonable care of a professional custodian for hire. In no event will the Custodian be responsible or liable for any loss, claim or damage suffered by the Client, except to the extent of a final, non-appealable judicial determination that such loss, claim or damage directly resulted from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of the Custodian. Further, the Custodian is not liable for any loss that is caused, directly or indirectly, by any non-adherence by the Trust to the Custodians policies and procedures, any action taken by the Custodian, which in its sole discretion, may be necessary or advisable to inspect and protect the security of the digital assets or accounts of the Trust. Other exceptions under the Custodial Services Agreement may include force majeure events (i.e., events out of the control of the Custodian, which make compliance by the Custodian with the terms of the Custodial Services Agreement impossible) or losses resulting from the Custodians reasonable reliance on an instruction reasonably understood as provided by the Trust to the Custodian.
The Custodian shall only be responsible for the performance of those duties as are expressly set forth in the Custodial Services Agreement, including the performance of any instructions given in accordance with it. The Custodian does not have implied duties or obligations and is not subject to, nor required to comply with, any other agreement to which the Trust is a party.
Pursuant to the Custodial Services Agreement, the Custodian does not warrant or guarantee the form, authenticity, value or validity of any asset received by the Custodian. The Custodian is not responsible for the
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security, functionality, or availability of the Bitcoin network. Furthermore, the Custodian cannot cancel or reverse a transaction that has been submitted to the Bitcoin network, except by an instruction to halt a withdrawal of bitcoin within three hours immediately following receipt of a confirmation provided to the Trust by the Custodian of a pending withdrawal transaction. To the extent the Custodian does not cause or contribute to a loss that the Trust or Sponsor suffers in connection with any bitcoin transaction initiated by or on behalf of the Trust or Sponsor, the Custodian will have no liability for such loss.
Indemnity
The Trust will indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Custodian, its parent companies, subsidiaries and affiliates, and its and their directors, officers, agents and employees, against any and all claims, costs, causes of action, losses, liabilities, lawsuits, demands and damages, fines, penalties and expenses, including without limitation, any and all court costs and reasonable attorneys fees, in any way related to or arising out of or in connection with the Custodial Services Agreement or any action taken or not taken pursuant hereto, except to the extent that the Custodian would be liable under Custodial Services Agreement.
Insurance
Bitcoin is not subject to the protections or insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Any insurance coverage obtained by or for the Custodian is solely for the benefit of the Custodian and does not guarantee or insure the Trust in any way. There is no third-party insurance held on behalf of the bitcoin accounts.
Inspection and Audit Rights
The Trust does not enjoy audit or inspection rights under the Custodial Services Agreement. The Sponsor relies on the Custodians System and Organization Controls (SOC) reports to provide assurances as to the controls that support the proof of existence of the Trusts bitcoin at the Custodian. SOC reports are internal control evaluations conducted by independent auditors. The Custodian engages an independent auditor to conduct both a SOC 1, Type II audit and a SOC 2, Type II audit.
Fees and Expenses
Pursuant to the Trusts unitary fee structure, Custody Fees are paid by the Sponsor in accordance with a Fee Schedule to the Custodial Services Agreement.
Modification of Agreement
The Custodial Services Agreement may be modified only by written agreement signed by both the Trust and the Custodian.
Governing Law
The Custodial Services Agreement is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Term and Termination
The term of the Custodial Services Agreement shall continue unless terminated in accordance with its terms. Pursuant to the Custodial Services Agreement, either party may terminate the agreement (i) with our without cause upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to the other party, (ii) for material breach of the agreement and the failure to cure such breach by the breaching party within seven (7) days after receiving written notice of the material breach from the non-breaching party, and (iii) upon insolvency.
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Distribution Agreement
Pursuant to a distribution agreement (the Distribution Agreement) between the Trust and Fidelity Distributors Company LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC assists the Sponsor and the Administrator with certain functions and duties relating to distribution and marketing of Shares including reviewing and approving marketing materials.
Indemnity and Limitations on Liability
In its capacity as Distributor, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC is indemnified and held harmless 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 by reason of any person acquiring any shares, based upon the ground that the Trusts offering documents included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading under the 1933 Act, or any other statute or the common law. However, the Trust will not 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 Distributor. In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Trust in favor of Distributor or any person indemnified to be deemed to protect the Distributor or any person against any liability to the Trust or its security holders to which the Distributor or such person 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 the Distribution Agreement, or (ii) is the Trust to be liable under its indemnity agreement with respect to any claim made against the Distributor or any person indemnified unless the Distributor or person, as the case may be, 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 the Distributor or any such person (or after the Distributor or such person shall have received notice of service on any designated agent).
Term and Termination
The Distribution Agreement may be terminated by either party at the end of the initial term or the end of any renewal term on sixty (60) days prior written notice.
Governing Law
The Distribution Agreement is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Transfer Agency Agreement
State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent, among other things, provides transfer agent services with respect to the creation and redemption of Baskets by Authorized Participants, the issuance and redemption of Shares, the payment, if any, of distributions with respect to the Shares, the recording of the issuance of the Shares and the maintaining of certain records therewith.
Resignation, Discharge or Removal of Transfer Agent
Either the Trust or the Transfer Agent may terminate the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement for cause for the reasons set forth in the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, such as either partys bankruptcy or committing a material breach of the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement. The Trust may terminate the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement prior to the expiration of the initial term upon ninety (90) days prior written notice in the event that the Sponsor determines to liquidate the Trust and terminate its registration with the SEC.
Limitation on Transfer Agents Liability
The Transfer Agent will not be liable for the disposition of EUAs or moneys, or for any action taken or omitted or for any loss or injury resulting from its actions or its performance or lack of performance of its duties
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under the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement in the absence of negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith on its part. In no event will the Transfer Agent be liable for acting in accordance with or conclusively relying upon any instruction, notice, demand, certificate or document (i) from the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Administrator or the Cash Custodian or any entity acting on behalf of any of them which the Transfer Agent believes is given as authorized by the Trust Agreement, the Administration Agreement or the Cash Custody Agreement, respectively; or (ii) from or on behalf of any Authorized Participant which the Transfer Agent believes is given pursuant to or is authorized by an Authorized Participant Agreement (provided that the Transfer Agent has complied with the verification procedures specified in the Authorized Participant Agreement). In no event will the Transfer Agent be liable for acting or omitting to act in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants or any other person believed by it in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information. In addition, the Transfer Agent will not be liable for any delay in performance or for the non-performance of any of its obligations under the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement by reason of causes beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, war or terrorism. The Transfer Agent will not be liable for any indirect, consequential, punitive or special damages, regardless of the form of action and whether or not any such damages were foreseeable or contemplated, or for an amount in excess of the value of the Trusts assets.
Indemnification of Transfer Agent
The Transfer Agent, its directors, employees and agents shall be indemnified by the Trust and held harmless against any loss, liability or expense (including, but not limited to, the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) arising out of or in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement and under each other agreement entered into by the Transfer Agent in furtherance of the administration of the Trust (including, without limiting the scope of the foregoing, any Authorized Participant Agreement) or for any other loss incurred without negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith in connection with the performance of its obligations under or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement or any such other agreement. Such indemnity shall include payment from the Trust of the costs and expenses incurred by such indemnified party in defending itself against any claim or liability in its capacity as Transfer Agent.
Governing Law
The Transfer Agency and Services Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Cash Custody Agreement
Under the Cash Custody Agreement, the Cash Custodian will keep safely all cash and other non-bitcoin assets of the Trust delivered to the Cash Custodian and, on behalf of the Trust, the Cash Custodian shall, from time to time, accept delivery of cash and other non-bitcoin assets for safekeeping. Amounts received in connection with the sale of bitcoin shall be deposited into the Cash Account.
Standard of Care; Limitations of Liability
The Cash Custodian shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence and shall be liable to the Trust for all loss, damage and expense suffered or incurred by the Trust resulting from the failure of the Cash Custodian to exercise such reasonable care, prudence and diligence.
The Cash Custodian shall not be liable if the Cash Custodian (or any sub-custodian) is prevented, forbidden or delayed from performing, or omits to perform, any act or thing which the Cash Custody Agreement provides shall be performed or omitted to be performed, by reason of: (i) any provision of any present or future law or regulation or order of the United States of America, or any state thereof, or of any foreign country, or political
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subdivision thereof or of any court of competent jurisdiction; or (ii) any act of God or war or other similar circumstance beyond the control of the Cash Custodian, unless, in each case, such delay or nonperformance is caused by the breach by the Cash Custodian of its standard care or a malfunction or failure of equipment operated or utilized by the Cash Custodian other than a malfunction or failure beyond the Cash Custodians control and which could not reasonably be anticipated and/or prevented.
Indemnity
Under the Cash Custody Agreement, the Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Cash Custodian and its nominees from all loss, damage and expense (including reasonable attorneys fees) suffered or incurred by the Cash Custodian or its nominee caused by or arising from actions taken by the Cash Custodian on behalf of the Trust in the performance of its duties and obligations under the Cash Custody Agreement; provided however, that such indemnity shall not apply to loss, damage and expense occasioned by or resulting from the Cash Custodians breach of its standard of care.
Cash Custodians Fee
Pursuant to the Trusts unitary fee structure, the Cash Custodians fees are paid by the Sponsor in accordance with the Cash Custody Agreement.
Governing Law
The Cash Custody Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of New York.
Termination of the Cash Custody Agreement
With respect to the Trust, the Cash Custody Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until the first to occur of: (a) termination by the Cash Custodian by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to the Trust, such termination to take effect not sooner than ninety (90) days after the date of such delivery; (b) termination by the Trust by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to the Cash Custodian, such termination to take effect not sooner than thirty (30) days after the date of such delivery; or (c) termination by the Trust by written notice delivered to the Cash Custodian, based upon the Trusts determination that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the Cash Custodian is insolvent or that the financial condition of the Cash Custodian is deteriorating in any material respect, in which case termination shall take effect upon the Cash Custodians receipt of such notice or at such later time as the Trust shall designate.
UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following discussion describes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences associated with the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares by a U.S. Shareholder (as defined below), and certain U.S. federal income consequences that may apply to an investment in Shares by a Non-U.S. Shareholder (as defined below). The discussion below is based on the Code, Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and judicial and administrative interpretations of the Code, all as in effect on the date of this Prospectus and all of which are subject to change either prospectively or retroactively. The tax treatment of Shareholders may vary depending upon their own particular circumstances. Except where noted, this discussion only deals with Shares held as capital assets (generally, property held for investment), and does not address special situations, including those of banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, dealers in securities, currencies, or commodities, tax-exempt organizations, tax-exempt or tax-advantaged retirement plans or accounts, traders using a mark-to-market method of accounting, entities that are partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, persons holding Shares as a position in a hedging, straddle, conversion, constructive sale or other integrated transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes, persons whose functional currency is
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not the U.S. dollar, persons required for U.S. federal income tax purposes to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to the Shares as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement, or persons subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Moreover, the discussion below does not address the effect of any state, local or foreign tax law consequences that may apply to an investment in Shares. Purchasers of Shares are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to all federal, state, local and foreign tax law considerations potentially applicable to their investment in Shares.
For purposes of this discussion, a U.S. Shareholder is a Shareholder that is:
| an individual who is treated as a citizen or resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
| a corporation (or entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| an estate, the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or |
| a trust, if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust. |
If a partnership or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Shares, the tax treatment of a partner generally depends upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding Shares, the discussion below may not be applicable and we urge you to consult your own tax adviser for the U.S. federal income tax implications of the purchase, ownership and disposition of such Shares.
Taxation of the Trust
The Sponsor and the Trustee will treat the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the opinion of Dechert LLP, although not free from doubt due to the lack of directly governing authority, the Trust should be classified as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and the following discussion assumes such classification). As a result, the Trust itself should not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, the Trusts income and expenses should flow through to the Shareholders, and the Trustee will report to Shareholders and the IRS on that basis. The opinion of Dechert LLP is not binding on the IRS or any court. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with the conclusions of counsels opinion and it is possible that the IRS or another tax authority could assert a position contrary to one or all of those conclusions and that a court could sustain that contrary position. Neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee will request a ruling from the IRS with respect to the classification of the Trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes or with respect to any other matter. If the IRS were to assert successfully that the Trust is not classified as a grantor trust, the Trust would likely be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which may affect the timing and other tax consequences to the Shareholders. Under such circumstances, the Trust might be classified as a publicly traded partnership that would be taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in which case the Trust would be taxed in the same manner as a corporation on its taxable income and distributions to Shareholders out of the earnings and profits of the Trust would be taxed to Shareholders as ordinary dividend income. However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be no assurance in this regard. Except as otherwise indicated, the remainder of this discussion assumes that the Trust is classified as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
Each Shareholder will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as if it directly owned a pro rata share of the underlying assets held in the Trust. A Shareholder also will be treated as if it directly received its
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respective pro rata share of the Trusts income, if any, and as if it directly incurred its respective pro rata share of the Trusts expenses, subject to some specialized allocation rules for widely held fixed investment trusts (WHFITs). The WHFIT rules generally allocate Trust items based on distributions. In the case of a Shareholder that acquires Shares as part of the creation of a Basket in cash, the delivery of cash to the Trust in exchange for a pro rata share of the underlying bitcoin represented by the Shares and the additional bitcoin purchased with the cash will not be a taxable event to the Shareholder, and the Shareholders tax basis and holding period for the Shareholders pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust will be based upon the amount of cash contributed and the date that the Trust purchased the bitcoin with the cash. For purposes of this discussion, and unless stated otherwise, it is assumed that all of a Shareholders Shares are acquired on the same date and at the same price per Share. Shareholders that hold multiple lots of Shares, or that are contemplating acquiring multiple lots of Shares, should consult their own tax advisers as to the determination of the tax basis and holding period for the underlying bitcoin related to such Shares.
Current IRS guidance on the treatment of convertible virtual currencies classifies bitcoin as property that is not currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes and clarifies that bitcoin can be held as a capital asset, but it does not address several other aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoin. Because bitcoin is a new technological innovation, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of bitcoin or transactions relating to investments in bitcoin may evolve and change from that discussed below, possibly with retroactive effect. In this regard, the IRS has indicated that it has made it a priority to issue additional guidance related to the taxation of virtual currency transactions, such as transactions involving bitcoin. While the IRS has started to issue such additional guidance, whether any future guidance will adversely affect the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in bitcoin or in transactions relating to investments in bitcoin is unknown. Moreover, future developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The Trust expects to sell or use bitcoin to pay certain expenses of the Trust or to fund cash redemptions if and when applicable. If the Trust sells bitcoin (for example to generate cash to pay fees or expenses) or is treated as selling bitcoin (for example by using bitcoin to pay fees or expenses), a Shareholder will generally recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the Shareholders pro rata share of the amount realized by the Trust upon the sale and (b) the Shareholders tax basis for its pro rata share of the bitcoin that was sold. A Shareholders tax basis for its share of any bitcoin sold by the Trust will generally be a pro rata portion of the Shareholders total tax basis for its share of all of the bitcoin held in the Trust. After any such sale, a Shareholders tax basis for its pro rata share of the bitcoin remaining in the Trust should be equal to its tax basis for its share of the total amount of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale less the portion of such basis allocable to its share of the bitcoin that was sold.
Upon a Shareholders sale of some or all of its Shares, the Shareholder will be treated as having sold the pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust at the time of the sale that is attributable to the Shares sold. Accordingly, the Shareholder generally will recognize gain or loss on the sale in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the amount realized pursuant to the sale of the Shares, and (b) the Shareholders tax basis for the pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust at the time of sale that is attributable to the Shares sold, as determined in the manner described in the preceding paragraph. A selling Shareholder may recognize additional gain or loss recognized by the Trust attributable to the portion of the year the Shares were held. Based on current IRS guidance, such gain or loss (as well as any gain or loss realized by a Shareholder on account of the Trust selling bitcoin) will generally be long-term capital gain or loss if the Shareholder has a holding period of greater than one year in its pro rata share of the bitcoin that was sold and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss.
Such sales of bitcoin to fund cash redemptions are expected to result in gains and losses with such gains and losses expected to be treated as incurred by the Shareholder that is being redeemed. These gains or losses generally would equal the difference between the amount realized from the sale of the bitcoin and the Shareholders tax basis for the portion of the Shareholders pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust that is sold to fund the redemption, as determined in the manner described above. A redemption of some or all of a Shareholders Shares in exchange for the cash received from such sale is not expected to be treated as a separate taxable event for the Shareholder.
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A redemption of some or all of a Shareholders Shares in exchange for the underlying bitcoin represented by the Shares redeemed generally will not be a taxable event to the Shareholder. The Shareholders tax basis and holding period for the bitcoin received in the redemption generally will be the same as the Shareholders tax basis and holding period for the pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the redemption that is attributable to the Shares redeemed. A Shareholders tax basis for bitcoin received in a redemption generally will be the same as the Shareholders tax basis for the portion of the Shareholders pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the redemption that is attributable to the Shares redeemed. The Shareholders holding period for the bitcoin received generally will include the period during which the Shareholder held the Shares being redeemed. A subsequent sale of the bitcoin received the Shareholder generally will be a taxable event.
After any sale or redemption of less than all of a Shareholders Shares, the Shareholders tax basis for its pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately after such sale or redemption generally will be equal to its tax basis in its share of the total amount of the bitcoin held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale or redemption, less the portion of such basis which is taken into account in determining the amount of gain or loss recognized by the Shareholder upon such sale or, in the case of a redemption, that is treated as the basis of the bitcoin received by the Shareholder in the redemption.
Except for cash temporarily held to pay Trust expenses, to facilitate redemption transactions, or received in creation transactions, the Trust will only invest in bitcoin. The Trust will receive or claim rights to any digital assets created by a fork of the Bitcoin network that are supported by the Custodian and for which the Trusts trading counterparties support a secondary market. Under current IRS guidance, a hard fork resulting in the receipt of new units of cryptocurrency is a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income equal to the value of the new cryptocurrency. The Trust Agreement requires that, if the Trust receives or claims a forked asset, the Trust will as soon as possible direct the Custodian to distribute the non-bitcoin asset in-kind to the Sponsor, as agent for the Shareholders, and the Sponsor will arrange to sell such forked asset and for the proceeds to be distributed to the Shareholders. Such a sale will give rise to gain or loss, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, if the amount realized on the sale differs from the value of the new forked or air dropped asset at the time it was received by the Trust. A hard fork may therefore give rise to additional tax liabilities for Shareholders.
3.8% Tax on Net Investment Income
Certain U.S. Shareholders, who are individuals, are required to pay a 3.8% tax on the lesser of the excess of their modified adjusted gross income over a threshold amount ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly and $200,000 for single taxpayers) or their net investment income, which generally includes capital gains from the disposition of property. This tax is in addition to any capital gains taxes due on such investment income. A similar tax applies to estates and trusts. U.S. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, this tax may have on their investment in the Shares.
Brokerage Fees and Trust Expenses
Any brokerage or other transaction fee incurred by a Shareholder in purchasing Shares will be treated as part of the Shareholders tax basis in the underlying assets of the Trust. Similarly, any brokerage fee incurred by a Shareholder in selling Shares will reduce the amount realized by the Shareholder with respect to the sale.
Shareholders will be required to recognize the full amount of gain or loss upon a sale or deemed sale of bitcoin by the Trust (as discussed above), even though some or all of the proceeds of such sale are used by the Trustee to pay Trust expenses. Shareholders may deduct their respective pro rata shares of each expense incurred by the Trust to the same extent as if they directly incurred the expense. However, most trust expenses are expected to result in miscellaneous itemized deductions, and noncorporate taxpayers generally are not allowed any deduction with respect to miscellaneous itemized deductions for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, noncorporate taxpayers may
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deduct certain miscellaneous itemized deductions only to the extent they exceed in the aggregate 2% of the taxpayers adjusted gross income.
Investment by Certain Retirement Plans
Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and participant-directed accounts under tax-qualified retirement plans are limited in the types of investments they may make under the Code. Potential purchasers of Shares that are IRAs or participant-directed accounts under a Code section 401(a) plan should consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a purchase of Shares.
United States Information Reporting and Backup Withholding; Tax Return Reporting for Cryptocurrency
The Trustee will file certain information returns with the IRS, and provide certain tax-related information to Shareholders, in connection with the Trust. To the extent required by applicable regulations, each Shareholder will be provided with information regarding its allocable portion of the Trusts annual income, expenses, gains and losses (if any). A U.S. Shareholder may be subject to United States backup withholding tax in certain circumstances unless it provides its taxpayer identification number and complies with certain certification procedures. Non-U.S. Shareholders may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that they are not a United States person, and some Non-U.S. Shareholders may be required to meet certain information reporting or certification requirements imposed by Code requirements popularly referred to as FATCA in order to avoid certain information reporting and withholding tax requirements.
The amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against a Shareholders U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle the Shareholder to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.
Individual U.S. Shareholders will be required to report on their federal income tax return the receipt, acquisition, sale, or exchange of any financial interest in virtual currency, which includes a Shareholders interest in bitcoin held by the Trust.
Taxation of Authorized Participants
If an Authorized Participant invests in the Trust on its own behalf, the Authorized Participant will generally recognize income, gain, loss or deduction as described for U.S. Shareholders. If an Authorized Participant is acting as agent for one or more other persons, who are the beneficial owners of the Shares, the Authorized Participant will be obligated to issue an information statement to the beneficial owners, who will recognize the consequences described above for U.S. Shareholders.
Taxation in Jurisdictions Other Than the United States
Prospective purchasers of Shares that are based in or acting out of a jurisdiction other than the United States are advised to consult their own tax advisers as to the tax consequences under the laws of such jurisdiction (or any other jurisdiction other than the United States in which they are subject to taxation) of their purchase, holding, sale and redemption of or any other dealing in Shares and, in particular, as to whether any value added tax, other consumption tax or transfer tax is payable in relation to such purchase, holding, sale, redemption or other dealing.
The foregoing is only a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences associated with the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares by a U.S. Shareholder. Each prospective Shareholder should consult the Shareholders own tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal, state, local, and non-U.S. tax considerations relevant to an investment in Shares in the Shareholders particular tax situation.
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PROSPECTIVE SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR LEGAL AND TAX ADVISERS BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO INVEST IN THE SHARES OF THE TRUST.
PURCHASES BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and/or Section 4975 of the Code impose certain requirements on: (i) employee benefit plans and certain other plans and arrangements, including individual retirement accounts and annuities, Keogh plans and certain collective investment funds or insurance company general or separate accounts in which such plans or arrangements are invested, that are subject to Title I of ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the Code (collectively, Plans); and (ii) persons who are fiduciaries with respect to the investment of assets treated as plan assets within the meaning of U.S. Department of Labor (the DOL) regulation 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA (the Plan Assets Regulation), of a Plan. Investments by Plans are subject to the fiduciary requirements and the applicability of prohibited transaction restrictions under ERISA and the Code. It is anticipated that the Shares will constitute publicly-held offered securities as defined in the Department of Labor Regulations § 2510.3-101(b)(2). Accordingly, Shares purchased by a Plan, and not the Plans interest in the underlying bitcoins held in the Trust represented by the Shares, should be treated as assets of the Plan, for purposes of applying the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction rules of ERISA and the Code.
Governmental plans within the meaning of Section 3(32) of ERISA, certain church plans within the meaning of Section 3(33) of ERISA and non-U.S. plans described in Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA, while not subject to the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, may be subject to any federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other law or regulation that is substantially similar to the foregoing provisions of ERISA and the Code. Fiduciaries of any such plans are advised to consult with their counsel prior to an investment in the Shares.
In contemplating an investment of a portion of Plan assets in the Shares, the Plan fiduciary responsible for making such investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the Plan, the Risk Factors discussed above and whether such investment is consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities. The Plan fiduciary should consider, among other issues, whether: (1) the fiduciary has the authority to make the investment under the appropriate governing plan instrument; (2) the investment would constitute a direct or indirect non-exempt prohibited transaction with a party in interest or disqualified person within the meaning of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code respectively; (3) the investment is in accordance with the Plans funding objectives; and (4) such investment is appropriate for the Plan under the general fiduciary standards of investment prudence and diversification, taking into account the overall investment policy of the Plan, the composition of the Plans investment portfolio and the Plans need for sufficient liquidity to pay benefits when due. When evaluating the prudence of an investment in the Shares, the Plan fiduciary should consider the DOLs regulation on investment duties, which can be found at 29 C.F.R. § 2550.404a-1.
By investing, each Plan shall be deemed to acknowledge and agree that: (a) none of the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Custodian or any of their respective affiliates (the Transaction Parties) has through this Prospectus and related materials provided any investment advice within the meaning of Section 3(21) of ERISA to the Plan in connection with the decision to purchase, acquire, hold or dispose of such Shares; and (b) the information provided in this Prospectus and related materials will not make a Transaction Party a fiduciary to the Plan.
This Prospectus contains information you should consider when making an investment decision about the Shares. You should rely only on the information contained in this Prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. None of the Trust or the Sponsor has authorized any person to provide you with different information
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and, if anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell the Shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the Shares is not permitted.
The information contained in this Prospectus was obtained from us and other sources we believe to be reliable.
You should disregard anything we said in an earlier document that is inconsistent with what is included in this Prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. Where the context requires, when we refer to this Prospectus, we are referring to this Prospectus and (if applicable) the relevant prospectus supplement.
You should not assume that the information in this Prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement is current as of any date other than the date on the front page of this Prospectus or the date on the front page of any applicable prospectus supplement.
We include cross references in this Prospectus to captions in these materials where you can find further related discussions. The table of contents tells you where to find these captions.
The Sponsor owns trademark registrations for the Trust. The Sponsor relies upon these trademarks through which it markets its services and strives to build and maintain brand recognition in the market and among current and potential investors. So long as the Sponsor continues to use these trademarks to identify its services, without challenge from any third-party, and properly maintains and renews the trademark registrations under applicable laws, rules and regulations, it will continue to have indefinite protection for these trademarks under current laws, rules and regulations.
The Sponsor also owns trademark registrations for the Sponsor. The Sponsor relies upon these trademarks through which it markets its services and strives to build and maintain brand recognition in the market and among current and potential investors. So long as the Sponsor continues to use these trademarks to identify its services, without challenge from any third-party, and properly maintains and renews the trademark registrations under applicable laws, rules and regulations; it will continue to have indefinite protection for these trademarks under current laws, rules and regulations.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
The Sponsor has filed on behalf of the Trust a registration statement on Form S-1 with the SEC under the 1933 Act. This Prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement (including the exhibits to the registration statement), parts of which have been omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information about the Trust or the Shares, please refer to the registration statement, which is available online at www.sec.gov.
Information about the Trust and the Shares can also be obtained from the Trusts website, which is www.fidelity.com. The Trusts website address is only provided here as a convenience to you and the information contained on or connected to the website is not part of this Prospectus or the registration statement of which this Prospectus is part. The Trust is subject to the informational requirements of the 1934 Act and will file certain reports and other information with the SEC under the 1934 Act.
The reports and other information are available online at www.sec.gov.
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The Trust and the Sponsor may collect or have access to certain nonpublic personal information about current and former Shareholders. Nonpublic personal information may include information received from Shareholders, such as a Shareholders name, social security number and address, as well as information received from brokerage firms about Shareholder holdings and transactions in Shares of the Trust.
The Trust and the Sponsor do not disclose nonpublic personal information except as required by law or as described in their Privacy Policy. In general, the Trust and the Sponsor restrict access to the nonpublic personal information they collect about Shareholders to those of their and their affiliates employees and service providers who need access to such information to provide products and services to Shareholders.
The Trust and the Sponsor maintain safeguards that comply with federal law to protect Shareholders nonpublic personal information. These safeguards are reasonably designed to (1) ensure the security and confidentiality of Shareholders records and information, (2) protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of Shareholders records and information, and (3) protect against unauthorized access to or use of Shareholders records or information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any Shareholder.
Third-party service providers with whom the Trust and the Sponsor share nonpublic personal information about Shareholders must agree to follow appropriate standards of security and confidentiality, which includes safeguarding such nonpublic personal information physically, electronically and procedurally.
A copy of the Sponsors current Privacy Policy, which is applicable to the Trust, is available at www.fidelity.com/privacy.
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Sponsor and Shareholder of Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund
Opinion on the Financial Statement
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Trust) as of November 30, 2023, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statement). In our opinion, the financial statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Trust as of November 30, 2023 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
This financial statement is the responsibility of the Trusts management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Trusts financial statement based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit of this financial statement in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statement, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statement. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
December 22, 2023
We have served as the Trusts auditor since 2023.
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Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
As of November 30, 2023 |
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Assets: |
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Cash |
$ | 40 | ||
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|
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Total Assets |
$ | 40 | ||
Liabilities |
$ | | ||
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Commitments and Contingencies (Note 4) |
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Net Assets |
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Common Shares, no par value (unlimited shares authorized) 1 share issued and outstanding |
$ | | ||
Paid-In-Capital in excess of par value |
40 | |||
|
|
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Total Net Assets |
$ | 40 | ||
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|
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Net Asset Value per share (1 share issued and outstanding) |
$ | 40.00 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this financial statement
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Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund
Notes to Financial Statement
Note 1: Organization
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Trust) is a Delaware Statutory Trust that was formed on March 17, 2021 pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. The Trusts investment objective is to seek to track the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the performance of the Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate (the Index), adjusted for the Trusts expenses and other liabilities. The Trust is sponsored by FD Funds Management LLC (the Sponsor), a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR LLC. Delaware Trust Company is the trustee of the Trust (the Trustee). The Trust will operate pursuant to an Amended and Restated Trust Agreement (the Trust Agreement).
The Trust has had no operations to date other than matters relating to the sale and issuance of 1 share of the Trust to an affiliate for an aggregate purchase price of $40 on November 30, 2023.
Note 2: Significant Accounting Policies
The following is a summary of the significant accounting and reporting policies used in preparing the financial statement.
Basis of Presentation
The financial statement has been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) and are stated in United States (US) dollars. The Trust qualifies as an investment company for accounting purposes pursuant to the accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 946, Financial Services Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for bitcoin in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the financial statement in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statement. Actual amounts may ultimately differ from those estimates and the differences could be material.
Cash
Cash consists of a demand deposit held with a financial institution. Cash is carried at cost which approximates fair value.
Income Taxes
The Trust intends to be classified as a grantor trust for US federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Trust itself should not be subject to US federal income tax. Instead, the Trusts income and expenses should flow through to the Shareholders, and the Trustee will report to Shareholders and the IRS on that basis.
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Note 3: Related Party Agreements and Transactions
Administrator
Fidelity Service Company, Inc. serves as the Trusts administrator (the Administrator). Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides necessary administrative, tax and accounting services and financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust, including valuing the Trusts bitcoin and calculating the NAV per Share of the Trust and the NAV of the Trust and supplying pricing information to the Sponsor for the relevant website. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.
Custodian
Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC, an affiliate of the Sponsor, serves as the Trusts bitcoin custodian. Under the Custodian Agreement, Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC is responsible for safekeeping all of the bitcoin owned by the Trust. Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC was selected by the Sponsor. The Sponsor is responsible for opening an account with Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC that holds the Trusts bitcoin (the Bitcoin Account), as well as facilitating the transfer or sale of bitcoin required for the operation of the Trust.
Distributor
Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (FDC or the Distributor) is responsible for reviewing and approving the marketing materials prepared by the Sponsor for compliance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) advertising laws, rules, and regulations pursuant to a marketing agreement with the Trust. FDC is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 1934 Act) and a member of FINRA.
Index Services
Fidelity Product Services LLC (the Index Provider) is responsible for the methodology and oversight of the Index. Coin Metrics, Inc. is the third-party, independent calculation agent for the Index.
Sponsor Fee
Effective December 14, 2023, the Trust has contractually agreed to pay the Sponsor a unified fee (the Sponsor Fee), rate to be determined. The Sponsor Fee will be paid by the Trust to the Sponsor as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor is obligated to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the fees of the Trusts third-party service providers including Distributor, the Administrator, any custodian, the transfer agent, the Index Provider and the Trustee, (ii) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on the Exchange (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses), (iii) ordinary course, legal fees and expenses, (iv) audit fees, (v) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, (vi) printing and mailing costs, (vii) costs of maintaining the Trusts website and (viii) applicable license fees (each, a Sponsor Expense and collectively, the Sponsor Expenses), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Extraordinary Expense will be deemed to be an Extraordinary Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense. There is no cap on the amount of Sponsor-paid Expenses. The Sponsor has also assumed all fees and expenses related to the organization and offering of the Trust and the Shares.
The Trust may incur certain extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses that are not Sponsor Expenses, including, but not limited to, brokerage and transactions costs associated with the sale or transfer of bitcoin to pay the Trusts expenses and liabilities, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the
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interests of shareholders, any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively, Extraordinary Expenses).
The Administrator will calculate the Sponsor Fee in respect of each day by reference to the Trusts Net Asset Value (NAV) as of that day. The Sponsor Fee will accrue daily and be payable monthly in bitcoin or cash. To the extent the Trust does not have cash readily available, the Sponsor will cause the transfer or sale of bitcoin in such quantity as may be necessary to permit the payment of Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor. The amount of bitcoin transferred or sold may vary from time to time depending on the actual sales price of bitcoin relative to the Trusts expenses and liabilities.
Note 4: Commitments and Contingencies
In the normal course of business, the Trust enters into certain contracts that provide a variety of indemnities, including contracts with the Sponsor and affiliates of the Sponsor, and its officers, directors, employees, subsidiaries and affiliates, and the Custodian as well as others relating to services provided to the Trust. The Trusts maximum exposure under these and its other indemnities is unknown. However, no liabilities have arisen under these indemnities in the past and, while there can be no assurances in this regard, there is no expectation that any will occur in the future. Therefore, the Sponsor does not consider it necessary to record a liability in this regard. The risk of material loss from such claims is considered remote.
Note 5: Capital
The Trust is an exchange-traded product. The Trust plans to continuously offer baskets consisting of shares to Authorized Participants. The number of outstanding Shares is expected to increase and decrease from time to time as a result of the creation and redemption of Baskets. The creation and redemption of Baskets requires the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of bitcoin or cash represented by the NAV of the Baskets being created or redeemed. The total amount of bitcoin required for the creation of Baskets will be based on the combined net assets represented by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed.
Shares represent fractional undivided beneficial interests in and ownership of the Trust. Shares issued by the Trust will be registered in a book entry system and held in the name of Cede & Co. at the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (DTC), and one or more global certificates issued by the Trust to DTC will evidence the Shares. Shareholders may hold their Shares through DTC if they are direct participants in DTC (DTC Participants) or indirectly through entities (such as broker-dealers) that are DTC Participants.
The Trust has had no operations to date other than matters relating to the sale and issuance of 1 share of the Trust to FMR Capital, an affiliate, for an aggregate purchase price of $40 on November 30, 2023.
Note 6: Subsequent Events
In preparation of this financial statement, management has evaluated the events and transactions subsequent to November 30, 2023, through December 22, 2023, the date when the financial statement was issued, and determined that there are no subsequent events or transactions that would require adjustments to or disclosures in the Trusts financial statement other than those disclosed above.
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FIDELITY® WISE ORIGIN® BITCOIN FUND
SHARES
PROSPECTUS
, 2024
Until , 2024 (25 calendar days after the date of this Prospectus) all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers obligation to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The Trust shall not bear any expenses incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered. These expenses shall be paid by FD Funds Management LLC, the sponsor of the Trust. Except for the Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee and Exchange Listing Fee, all such expenses are estimated:
SEC registration fee (actual) |
$ | 109.10 | * | |
Listing fee (actual) |
$ | 4,500 | ||
Auditors fees and expenses |
$ | 16,600 | ||
Legal fees and expenses |
$ | 500,000 | ||
Printing expenses |
$ | 25,000 | ||
Miscellaneous expenses |
$ | 0 | ||
Total |
$ | 546,209.10 |
* | An indeterminate number of the securities is being registered as may from time to time be sold at indeterminate prices. In accordance with Rules 456(d) and 457(u), the Trust is deferring payment of all of the additional registration fee and will pay the additional registration fee subsequently on an annual basis. |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
The Trust Agreement will provide that the Trust shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustee (including in its individual capacity) and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee (the Indemnified Persons) from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel and fees and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement of its indemnification rights under the Trust Agreement), taxes and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, Expenses), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Persons with respect to the performance of the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated thereby; provided, however, that the Trust shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person. If the Trust shall have insufficient assets or improperly refuses to pay an Indemnified Person within sixty (60) days of a request for payment owed hereunder, the Sponsor shall, as secondary obligor, compensate or reimburse the Trustee or indemnify, defend and hold harmless an Indemnified Person as if it were the primary obligor under the Trust Agreement; provided, however, that the Sponsor shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person. To the fullest extent permitted by law and by the requirement for treatment of the Trust as a grantor trust for tax purposes, Expenses to be incurred by an Indemnified Person shall, from time to time, be advanced by, or on behalf of, the Sponsor prior to the final disposition of any matter upon receipt by the Sponsor of an undertaking by, or on behalf of, such Indemnified Person to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Trust Agreement.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
On November 30, 2023, the Trust sold one Share to FMR Capital, Inc., an affiliate of the Sponsor, for $40 in a transaction exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Proceeds from such sale will be used to purchase bitcoin. No further sales of unregistered securities are contemplated.
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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) Exhibits.
* | Filed herewith. |
** | Previously filed. |
(b) Financial Statement Schedules.
Not applicable.
Item 17. Undertakings.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
(i) | to include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; |
(ii) | to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the Calculation of Registration Fee table in the effective registration statement; and |
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(iii) | to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; |
(2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post- effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
(4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
(i) | If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B: |
(A) | each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
(B) | each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or |
(ii) | If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
(5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: |
The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means
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of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) | any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
(ii) | any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
(iii) | the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
(iv) | any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
(6) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, 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 director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, 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. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Boston, and the State of Massachusetts, on December 29, 2023.
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND | ||||
FD Funds Management LLC, as Sponsor of the Trust | ||||
By: | /s/ Cynthia Lo Bessette | |||
Name: | Cynthia Lo Bessette | |||
Title: | President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities* and on the dates indicated.
Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
/s/ Cynthia Lo Bessette |
Cynthia Lo Bessette President |
December 29, 2023 | ||
(Principal Executive Officer) | ||||
/s/ Heather Bonner |
Heather Bonner Treasurer |
December 29, 2023 | ||
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
* | The registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of FD Funds Management LLC, the Sponsor of the registrant. |
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Exhibit 3.1
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
TRUST AGREEMENT
OF
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
Dated as of December 28, 2023
By and Among
FD FUNDS MANAGEMENT LLC
DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY
and
THE SHAREHOLDERS
FROM TIME TO TIME HEREUNDER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I |
DEFINITIONS; THE TRUST | 2 | ||||
SECTION 1.1 |
Definitions | 2 | ||||
SECTION 1.2 |
Name | 8 | ||||
SECTION 1.3 |
Delaware Trustee; Offices | 8 | ||||
SECTION 1.4 |
Declaration of Trust | 9 | ||||
SECTION 1.5 |
Purposes and Powers | 9 | ||||
SECTION 1.6 |
Tax Treatment | 10 | ||||
SECTION 1.7 |
Legal Title | 10 | ||||
ARTICLE II |
THE TRUSTEE | 10 | ||||
SECTION 2.1 |
Term; Resignation; Removal | 10 | ||||
SECTION 2.2 |
Powers | 11 | ||||
SECTION 2.3 |
Compensation and Expenses of the Trustee | 12 | ||||
SECTION 2.4 |
Indemnification | 12 | ||||
SECTION 2.5 |
Successor Trustee | 13 | ||||
SECTION 2.6 |
Liability of Trustee | 13 | ||||
SECTION 2.7 |
Reliance; Advice of Counsel | 16 | ||||
SECTION 2.8 |
Payments to the Trustee | 16 | ||||
ARTICLE III |
SHARES; CREATIONS AND ISSUANCE OF CREATION BASKETS | 17 | ||||
SECTION 3.1 |
General | 17 | ||||
SECTION 3.2 |
Offer of Shares; Procedures for Creation and Issuance of Creation Units to Authorized Participants | 17 | ||||
SECTION 3.3 |
Book-Entry System | 18 | ||||
SECTION 3.4 |
Assets of the Trust | 19 | ||||
SECTION 3.5 |
Liabilities of the Trust | 19 | ||||
SECTION 3.6 |
Distributions | 19 | ||||
SECTION 3.7 |
Voting Rights | 19 | ||||
SECTION 3.8 |
Equality | 19 | ||||
ARTICLE IV |
TRANSFERS OF SHARES | 20 | ||||
SECTION 4.1 |
General Prohibition | 20 | ||||
SECTION 4.2 |
[Reserved] | 20 | ||||
SECTION 4.3 |
Transfer of Shares Generally | 20 | ||||
ARTICLE V |
REDEMPTIONS | 20 | ||||
SECTION 5.1 |
Redemption of Creation Units | 20 | ||||
ARTICLE VI |
THE SPONSOR | 21 | ||||
SECTION 6.1 |
Management of the Trust | 21 |
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SECTION 6.2 |
Authority of Sponsor | 22 | ||||
SECTION 6.3 |
Obligations of the Sponsor | 23 | ||||
SECTION 6.4 |
General Prohibitions | 25 | ||||
SECTION 6.5 |
Liability of Covered Persons | 26 | ||||
SECTION 6.6 |
Fiduciary Duty | 26 | ||||
SECTION 6.7 |
Indemnification of the Sponsor | 28 | ||||
SECTION 6.8 |
Expenses and Limitations Thereon | 29 | ||||
SECTION 6.9 |
Voluntary Withdrawal of the Sponsor | 31 | ||||
SECTION 6.10 |
Litigation | 31 | ||||
SECTION 6.11 |
Bankruptcy; Merger of the Sponsor | 31 | ||||
ARTICLE VII |
THE SHAREHOLDERS | 32 | ||||
SECTION 7.1 |
No Management or Control; Limited Liability; Exercise of Rights through an Authorized Participant | 32 | ||||
SECTION 7.2 |
Rights and Duties | 32 | ||||
SECTION 7.3 |
Limitation of Liability | 33 | ||||
SECTION 7.4 |
Derivative Actions | 33 | ||||
SECTION 7.5 |
Appointment of Agents | 34 | ||||
SECTION 7.6 |
Business of Shareholders | 34 | ||||
SECTION 7.7 |
Authorization of Prospectus | 34 | ||||
ARTICLE VIII |
BOOKS OF ACCOUNT AND REPORTS | 35 | ||||
SECTION 8.1 |
Books of Account | 35 | ||||
SECTION 8.2 |
Annual Updates, Quarterly Updates and Account Statements | 35 | ||||
SECTION 8.3 |
Tax Information | 35 | ||||
SECTION 8.4 |
Calculation of Bitcoin Holdings | 36 | ||||
SECTION 8.5 |
Maintenance of Records | 36 | ||||
ARTICLE IX |
FISCAL YEAR | 36 | ||||
SECTION 9.1 |
Fiscal Year | 36 | ||||
ARTICLE X |
AMENDMENT OF TRUST AGREEMENT; MEETINGS | 37 | ||||
SECTION 10.1 |
Amendments to the Trust Agreement | 37 | ||||
SECTION 10.2 |
Meetings of the Trust | 38 | ||||
SECTION 10.3 |
Action Without a Meeting | 38 | ||||
ARTICLE XI |
TERM | 38 | ||||
SECTION 11.1 |
Term | 38 | ||||
ARTICLE XII |
TERMINATION | 39 | ||||
SECTION 12.1 |
Events Requiring Dissolution of the Trust | 39 | ||||
SECTION 12.2 |
Distributions on Dissolution | 40 |
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SECTION 12.3 |
Termination; Certificate of Cancellation | 41 | ||||
ARTICLE XIII |
MISCELLANEOUS | 41 | ||||
SECTION 13.1 |
Governing Law | 41 | ||||
SECTION 13.2 |
Provisions In Conflict With Law or Regulations | 42 | ||||
SECTION 13.3 |
Merger and Consolidation | 42 | ||||
SECTION 13.4 |
Construction | 43 | ||||
SECTION 13.5 |
Notices | 43 | ||||
SECTION 13.6 |
Counterparts; Electronic Signatures | 44 | ||||
SECTION 13.7 |
Binding Nature of Trust Agreement | 44 | ||||
SECTION 13.8 |
No Legal Title to Trust Estate | 44 | ||||
SECTION 13.9 |
Creditors | 44 | ||||
SECTION 13.10 |
Integration | 44 | ||||
SECTION 13.11 |
Goodwill; Use of Name | 44 | ||||
SECTION 13.12 |
Patriot Act Compliance | 44 | ||||
SECTION 13.13 |
Corporate Transparency Act | 45 |
EXHIBIT A | | Form of Certificate of Trust of Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund |
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FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT
This SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT of FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND is made and entered into as of December 28, 2023 (Trust Agreement), by and among FD Funds Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (Sponsor), Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware corporation, as trustee (Trustee), and the SHAREHOLDERS from time to time hereunder.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, with the filing of a Certificate of Trust on March 17, 2021 and entry into that certain original trust agreement with the Trustee (the Original Trust Agreement), the Sponsor established a statutory trust, to be known as the Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust, pursuant to the Delaware Trust Statute;
WHEREAS, with the filing of a Certificate of Amendment on October 31, 2023, the name of the Trust was changed to Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Sponsor and the Trustee entered into that certain First Amended and Restated Trust Agreement dated December 14, 2023 (the First Amended and Restated Trust Agreement); and
WHEREAS, the Sponsor and the Trustee desire to amend and restate the First Amended and Restated Trust Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Sponsor desires to establish the terms on which bitcoin (as herein defined) may be deposited in the trust and provide for the creation of Shares in Creation Units (as herein defined) representing fractional undivided interests in the net assets of the trust and the execution and delivery of Certificates (as herein defined) evidencing the shares; and
WHEREAS, the Sponsor desires to provide for other terms and conditions upon which the trust shall be established and administered, as hereinafter provided;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual agreements herein contained, the Sponsor and the Trustee hereby amend and restate the First Amended and Restated Trust Agreement and agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS; THE TRUST
SECTION 1.1 Definitions.
As used in this Trust Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:
Administrator means any Person from time to time engaged by the Sponsor to assist in the administration of the Shares.
Administrator Fee means the fee payable to the Administrator for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay the Administrator as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
Affiliate means (i) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of such Person, (ii) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote by such Person, (iii) any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by or under common control of such Person, (iv) any employee, officer, director, member, manager or partner of such Person, or (v) if such Person is an employee, officer, director, member, manager or partner, any Person for which such Person acts in any such capacity.
Annual Report means (i) the Trusts most recent annual report, if any, prepared and publicly disseminated pursuant to the standards of any Secondary Market on which the Shares are then listed, quoted or traded or (ii) if the Shares are then registered under the Exchange Act, the Trusts most recent annual report prepared and filed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. At inception, the Trust shall not be required to prepare a Quarterly Report.
Authorized Participant means a Person that (i) is a registered broker-dealer or other securities market participant, such as a bank or other financial institution, that is not required to register as a broker-dealer to engage in securities transactions, (ii) is a DTC Participant, and (iii) has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and the Trust.
Authorized Participant Agreement means an agreement among the Distributor, the Transfer Agent and an Authorized Participant, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
Authorized Participant Representative means an entity eligible to facilitate creations or redemptions of Shares on behalf of an Authorized Participant in exchange for cash and has access to a Authorized Participant Representative Account.
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Authorized Participant Representative Account means, with respect to any Authorized Participant Representative, a Bitcoin account maintained by and at the Custodian known to the Custodian as associated with such Authorized Participant Representative.
Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account means, with respect to any Authorized Participant, a Bitcoin wallet address known to the Custodian as associated with such Authorized Participant.
Benchmark means the Fidelity Bitcoin Reference Rate, or such other benchmark or index as the Sponsor may designate from time to time.
Beneficial Owners means owners of beneficial interests in Shares.
bitcoin (in lowercase form) means bitcoin, a type of virtual currency based on an open source cryptographic protocol existing on the Bitcoin Network as determined by the Sponsor in accordance with Section 6.2, and the assets underlying the Trusts Shares.
Bitcoin Account means the Trusts digital asset custody account with the Custodian.
Bitcoin Creation Order has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3.2(a)(i).
Bitcoin Holdings means, at any time, the aggregate number of bitcoin representing the Trusts assets, less its liabilities (which include estimated accrued but unpaid fees and expenses), calculated in accordance with Section 8.4.
Bitcoin Network or Bitcoin (in capitalized form) means the online, end-user-to-end-user network hosting a public transaction ledger, known as a blockchain, and the source code comprising the basis for the cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the Bitcoin Network.
Bitcoin Redemption Order has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 5.1(a)(i).
Bitcoin Trading Platform means an electronic marketplace where trading participants may trade, buy and sell bitcoin based on bid-ask trading.
Business Day means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banks are permitted or required to close for business in New York, New York.
Cash Creation Order has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3.2(a)(i).
Cash Redemption Order has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 5.1(a)(i).
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Certificate of Trust means the Certificate of Trust of the Trust, including all amendments thereto, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to Section 3810 of the Delaware Trust Statute.
CFTC means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Corporate Trust Office means the principal office at which at any particular time the corporate trust business of the Trustee is administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808.
Covered Person means the Sponsor and its Affiliates and their respective members, managers, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons.
Creation Unit means a basket of 25,000 Shares that may be issued or redeemed by the Trust in exchange for deposits of the Creation Amount or distributions of the Redemption Amount, as applicable.
Creation Amount means, in the case of a Creation Order in bitcoin, the Creation Bitcoin Amount, or, in the case of a Creation Order for cash, the Creation Cash Amount.
Creation Bitcoin Amount means, on any Trade Date, the number of bitcoin required as of such Trade Date for each Creation Unit, as determined by dividing (x) the number of bitcoin owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such Trade Date, after deducting the number of bitcoin representing accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (in the case of any such fee and expense other than the Sponsor Fee, converted using the Benchmark at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one bitcoin (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)) and multiplying such quotient by 25,000.
Creation Cash Amount means, on any Trade Date, the amount of cash as of such Trade Date for each Creation Unit, as determined by dividing (x) the cash value of bitcoin owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such Trade Date, converted using the Benchmark at such time, after deducting representing accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (in the case of any such fee and expense denominated in bitcoin, converted using the Benchmark at such time), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one bitcoin (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)) and multiplying such quotient by 25,000.
Creation Order has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3.2(a)(i).
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Creation Settlement Date means, with respect to any Creation Order, the Business Day on which such Creation Order settles, as specified in the Authorized Participant Agreement.
CTA has the meaning given in Section 13.13 herein.
Custodian means Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC, or any other Person or Persons from time to time engaged to provide custodian, security or related services to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.
Custodian Fee means the fee payable to the Custodian for the services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay to the Custodian as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
Delaware Trust Statute means the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code, 12 Del. C. § 3801 et seq., as the same may be amended from time-to-time.
Depository means The Depository Trust Company, or such other depository of Shares as may be selected by the Sponsor as specified herein.
Digital Assets means digital representations of value or rights represented by cryptocurrency, cryptographic tokens or other forms of virtual currency or assets.
Distributor means any Person from time to time engaged to provide marketing and/or distribution services or related services to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.
Distributor Fee means the fee payable to the Distributor for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay the Distributor as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
Event of Withdrawal has the meaning set forth in Section 12.1(a)(iv) hereof.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Expenses has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
Extraordinary Expenses has the meaning set forth in Section 6.8(b).
FinCEN means the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Fiscal Year has the meaning set forth in Article IX hereof.
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GAAP means U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Incidental Rights means any rights to claim or otherwise take possession of IR Assets that may result from a hard fork of the Bitcoin Network, airdrop of Digital Assets or other future means of creating or disseminating Digital Assets, in each case as applicable to the Trusts bitcoin.
Indemnified Persons has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.4.
IR Agent means any party appointed by agreement to serve as an agent of the Shareholders for the distribution of Incidental Rights or IR Assets.
IR Assets means any Digital Assets that are entitled to be acquired by the Trust through the exercise (subject to Section 1.5(b) and Section 6.4(l)) of any Incidental Right.
IRS means the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or any successor thereto.
Liquidating Trustee has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 12.2.
Percentage Interest means, with respect to any Shareholder at any time, a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Shares held by such Shareholder and the denominator of which is the total number of Shares outstanding, in each case as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of determination.
Person means any natural person, partnership, limited liability company, statutory trust, corporation, association or other legal entity.
Prospectus means the most recent of any prospectus of the Trust that has been filed with the SEC as a part of the Registration Statement.
Quarterly Report means (i) the Trusts most recent quarterly report, if any, prepared and publicly disseminated pursuant to the standards of any Secondary Market on which the Shares are then listed, quoted or traded or (ii) if the Shares are then registered under the Exchange Act, the Trusts most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q prepared and filed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. At inception, the Trust shall not be required to prepare a Quarterly Report.
Redemption Order has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 5.1(a).
Redemption Settlement Date means, with respect to any Redemption Order, the Business Day on which such Redemption Order settles, as specified in the Authorized Participant Agreement.
Registration Statement means the most recent registration statement of the Trust, if any, as filed with and declared effective by the SEC, as the same may at any time and from time to time be amended or supplemented. At inception, the Trust shall not file a Registration Statement.
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SEC means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Secondary Market means any marketplace or other alternative trading system, as determined by the Sponsor, on which the Shares may then be listed, quoted or traded, including but not limited to, Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. or any national securities exchange.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Shareholder means any Person that owns Shares.
Shares means the common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in the profits, losses, distributions, capital and assets of, and ownership of, the Trust.
Sponsor means FD Funds Management LLC, or any substitute therefor as provided herein, or any successor thereto by merger or operation of law.
Sponsor Agreement means that certain Sponsor Agreement by and between the Sponsor and the Trust, dated December 14, 2023, as may be amended from time to time.
Sponsor Fee has the meaning set forth in Section 6.8(a)(i).
Sponsor-paid Expenses have the meaning set forth in Section 6.8(a)(v).
Total Creation Amount means, with respect to any Creation Order, the applicable Creation Amount multiplied by the number of Creation Units, as specified in such Creation Order.
Total Redemption Amount means, with respect to any Redemption Order, the applicable Creation Amount multiplied by the number of Creation Units being redeemed, as specified in such Redemption Order.
Trade Date means, for any Creation Order or Redemption Order, the Business Day on which the Total Creation Amount with respect to such Creation Order or Redemption Order is determined in accordance with the Authorized Participant Agreement.
Transfer Agent means any Person from time to time engaged to provide such services or related services to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.
Transfer Agent Fee means the fee payable to the Transfer Agent for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay the Transfer Agent as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
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Treasury Regulations means regulations, including proposed or temporary regulations, promulgated under the Code. References herein to specific provisions of proposed or temporary regulations shall include analogous provisions of final Treasury Regulations or other successor Treasury Regulations.
Trust means Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, a Delaware statutory trust formed pursuant to the Certificate of Trust, the affairs of which are governed by this Trust Agreement.
Trust Agreement means this Second Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, as it may at any time or from time-to-time be amended.
Trustee means Delaware Trust Company, its successors and assigns, or any substitute therefor as provided herein, acting not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee of the Trust.
Trust Estate means (i) all the bitcoin and cash in the Trusts accounts, including the Bitcoin Account, (ii) all Incidental Rights held by the Trust, (iii) all IR Assets in the Trusts accounts, (iv) all proceeds from the sale of bitcoin, Incidental Rights and IR Assets pending use of such cash for payment of Extraordinary Expenses or distribution to the Shareholders, and (v) any rights of the Trust pursuant to any agreements, other than this Trust Agreement, to which the Trust is a party.
Trust Expense has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3.
U.S. Dollar means United States dollars.
SECTION 1.2 Name.
(a) The name of the Trust is Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund in which name the Trustee and the Sponsor shall cause the Trust to carry out its purposes as set forth in Section 1.5, make and execute contracts and other instruments in the name and on behalf of the Trust and sue and be sued in the name and on behalf of the Trust.
SECTION 1.3 Delaware Trustee; Offices.
(a) The sole Trustee of the Trust is Delaware Trust Company, which is located at the Corporate Trust Office or at such other address in the State of Delaware as the Trustee may designate in writing to the Shareholders. The Trustee shall receive service of process on the Trust in the State of Delaware at the foregoing address. In the event Delaware Trust Company resigns or is removed as the Trustee, the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware shall be the successor Trustee, subject to Section 2.1.
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(b) The principal office of the Trust, and such additional offices as the Sponsor may establish, shall be located at such place or places inside or outside the State of Delaware as the Sponsor may designate from time to time in writing to the Trustee and the Shareholders. Initially, the principal office of the Trust shall be at 245 Summer Street V13E, Boston, MA 02210.
SECTION 1.4 Declaration of Trust.
The Trust Estate shall be held in trust for the Shareholders. It is the intention of the parties hereto that the Trust shall be a statutory trust, under the Delaware Trust Statute and that this Trust Agreement shall constitute the governing instrument of the Trust. It is not the intention of the parties hereto to create a general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock association, corporation, bailment or any form of legal relationship other than a Delaware statutory trust that is treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and for purposes of applicable state and local tax laws. Nothing in this Trust Agreement shall be construed to make the Shareholders partners or members of a joint stock association. Effective as of the date hereof, the Trustee and the Sponsor shall have all of the rights, powers and duties set forth herein and in the Delaware Trust Statute with respect to accomplishing the purposes of the Trust. The Trustee has filed the Certificate of Trust required by Section 3810 of the Delaware Trust Statute in connection with the formation of the Trust under the Delaware Trust Statute.
SECTION 1.5 Purposes and Powers.
(a) The purposes of the Trust shall be to accept bitcoin or cash for subscriptions of Shares in accordance with Article III hereof, to hold bitcoin, cash, Incidental Rights and IR Assets, to distribute bitcoin (or cash from the sale of Bitcoin) upon redemptions of Shares in accordance with Article V hereof and to distribute bitcoin, Incidental Rights and IR Assets (or cash from the sale thereof) upon the liquidation of the Trust, and to enter into any lawful transaction and engage in any lawful activities in furtherance of or incidental to the foregoing. For the avoidance of doubt, such activities include any lawful action necessary or desirable in connection with the Trusts ownership of Incidental Rights, including the acquisition of IR Assets, except if such action would be prohibited by Section 1.5(b) or any other provision of this Trust Agreement. The Trust shall not engage in any business activity and shall not intentionally acquire any assets other than bitcoin or cash or own any assets other than bitcoin, Incidental Rights and (if permissible under Section 1.5(b) and Section 6.4(l)) IR Assets, or take any of the actions set forth in Section 6.4. The Trust shall have all of the powers specified in Section 3.1 hereof as powers which may be exercised by a Sponsor on behalf of the Trust under this Trust Agreement.
(b) The Trust shall not take any action that could cause the Trust to be treated other than as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in this Trust Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, Section 1.5(a)) shall be construed to give the Trustee or the Sponsor the power to vary the investment of the Shareholders within the meaning of Section 301.7701-4(c) or similar provisions of the Treasury Regulations, nor shall the Trustee or the Sponsor take any action that would vary the investment of the Shareholders. The Trust shall not seek to acquire Incidental Rights or IR Assets. However, if the Trust does acquire such assets by virtue of holding bitcoin, the Trust shall sell such Incidental Rights or IR Assets, distribute such Incidental Rights or IR Assets, or pay expenses with such Incidental Rights or IR Assets as soon as practical after acquiring such Incidental Rights or IR Assets.
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(c) To the extent not held or reserved pending fulfillment of a Redemption Order or to pay the expenses of the Trust, the Sponsor shall cause all cash proceeds received by the Trust in connection with purchase of Creation Units to be converted to bitcoin as soon as reasonably practicable.
SECTION 1.6 Tax Treatment.
Each of the parties hereto, by entering into this Trust Agreement, (i) expresses its intention that the Shares will qualify under applicable tax law as interests in a grantor trust which holds the Trust Estate, (ii) agrees that it will file its own U.S. federal, state and local income, franchise and other tax returns in a manner that is consistent with clause (i) of this Section 1.6 and with the classification of the Trust as a grantor trust, and (iii) agrees to use reasonable efforts to notify the Sponsor promptly upon a receipt of any notice from any taxing authority having jurisdiction over such holders of Shares with respect to the treatment of the Shares as anything other than interests in a grantor trust.
SECTION 1.7 Legal Title.
Legal title to all of the Trust Estate shall be vested in the Trust as a separate legal entity; provided, however, that if applicable law in any jurisdiction requires legal title to any portion of the Trust Estate to be vested otherwise, the Sponsor may cause legal title to such portion of the Trust Estate to be held by or in the name of the Sponsor or any other Person (other than a Shareholder or the Trustee) as nominee.
ARTICLE II
THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 2.1 Term; Resignation; Removal.
(a) Delaware Trust Company has been appointed and hereby agrees to serve as the Trustee of the Trust. The Trust shall have only one Trustee unless otherwise determined by the Sponsor. The Trustee shall serve until such time as the Trust is terminated or if the Sponsor removes the Trustee or the Trustee resigns. The Trustee is appointed to serve as the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware and shall at all times satisfy the requirements of Section 3807(a) of the Delaware Trust Statute and be authorized to exercise corporate trust powers under the laws of Delaware, having a combined capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities. If the Trustee publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Article II the combined capital, surplus and undivided profits of the Trustee shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible to serve as trustee of the Trust in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.1, the Trustee shall resign promptly in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article II. The Trustee may have normal banking and trust relationships with the Sponsor and their respective Affiliates; provided that none of (i) the Sponsor, (ii) any Person involved in the organization or operation of the Sponsor or the Trust or (iii) any Affiliate of any of them may be the Trustee hereunder. The Trust shall have at least one trustee with a principal place of business in Delaware. It is understood and agreed by the parties hereto that the Trustee shall have none of the duties or liabilities of the Sponsor and shall have no obligation to supervise or monitor the Sponsor or otherwise manage the Trust.
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(b) The Trustee is permitted to resign upon at least one hundred eighty (180) days notice to the Sponsor upon which date such resignation shall be effective.
(c) If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible to serve as trustee of the Trust in accordance with the provisions of this Trust Agreement, or if at any time the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation, then the Sponsor may remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and the successor trustee. The Sponsor may at any time, upon sixty (60) days prior notice to the Trustee, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument or instruments, in triplicate, signed by the Sponsor or its attorney-in-fact duly authorized, one complete set of which instruments shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one complete set to the successor so appointed.
SECTION 2.2 Powers.
Except to the extent expressly set forth in Section 1.3 and this Article II, the duty and authority to manage the affairs of the Trust is vested in the Sponsor, which duty and authority the Sponsor may further delegate as provided herein, all pursuant to Section 3806(b)(7) of the Delaware Trust Statute. The duties of the Trustee shall be limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Trust in the State of Delaware, (ii) the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware which the Trustee is required to execute under Section 3811 of the Delaware Trust Statute and (iii) any other duties specifically allocated to the Trustee in this Trust Agreement. The Trustee shall provide prompt notice to the Sponsor of its performance of any of the foregoing. The Sponsor shall reasonably keep the Trustee informed of any actions taken by the Sponsor with respect to the Trust that would reasonably be expected to affect the rights, obligations or liabilities of the Trustee hereunder or under the Delaware Trust Statute.
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SECTION 2.3 Compensation and Expenses of the Trustee.
The Trustee shall be entitled to receive from the Sponsor, as a Sponsor-paid Expense, reasonable compensation for its services hereunder as set forth in a separate fee agreement and shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it in the performance of its duties hereunder, including without limitation, the reasonable compensation, out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements of counsel, any experts and such other agents as the Trustee may employ in connection with the exercise and performance of its rights and duties hereunder (together, the Trust Expenses). To the extent that the Sponsor fails to pay the Trust Expenses, the Trust will be responsible for such Trust Expenses.
SECTION 2.4 Indemnification.
(a) The Trust hereby agrees to be primary obligor and shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustee (including in its individual capacity) and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee (the Indemnified Persons) from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel and fees and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement of its indemnification rights hereunder), taxes and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, Expenses), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Persons with respect to the performance of this Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Trust shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person. If the Trust shall have insufficient assets or improperly refuses to pay an Indemnified Person within sixty (60) days of a request for payment owed hereunder, the Sponsor shall, as secondary obligor, compensate or reimburse the Trustee or indemnify, defend and hold harmless an Indemnified Person as if it were the primary obligor hereunder; provided, however, that the Sponsor shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person. To the fullest extent permitted by law and by the requirement for treatment of the Trust as a grantor trust for tax purposes, Expenses to be incurred by an Indemnified Person shall, from time to time, be advanced by, or on behalf of, the Sponsor prior to the final disposition of any matter upon receipt by the Sponsor of an undertaking by, or on behalf of, such Indemnified Person to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Trust Agreement.
(b) As security for any amounts owing to the Trustee hereunder, the Trustee shall have a lien against the Trust property, which lien shall be prior to the rights of the Sponsor or any other Shareholder. The obligations of the Sponsor and the Trust to indemnify the Indemnified Persons under this Section 2.4 shall survive the termination of this Trust Agreement.
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SECTION 2.5 Successor Trustee.
Upon the resignation or removal of the Trustee, the Sponsor shall appoint a successor Trustee by delivering a written instrument to the outgoing Trustee. Any successor Trustee must satisfy the requirements of Section 3807 of the Delaware Trust Statute. The successor Trustee shall become fully vested with all of the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the outgoing Trustee under this Trust Agreement, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee, and the outgoing Trustee shall be discharged of its duties and obligations under this Trust Agreement. Any business entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, to the fullest extent permitted by law without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. Any successor Trustee shall file any necessary amendments to the Certificate of Trust with the Secretary of State.
SECTION 2.6 Liability of Trustee.
Except as otherwise provided in this Article II, in accepting the trust created hereby, Delaware Trust Company acts solely as Trustee hereunder and not in its individual capacity, and all Persons having any claim against Delaware Trust Company by reason of the transactions contemplated by this Trust Agreement and any other agreement to which the Trust is a party shall look only to the Trust Estate for payment or satisfaction thereof. The Trustee shall not be liable or accountable hereunder to the Trust or to any other Person or under any other agreement to which the Trust is a party, except for the Trustees own fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. In particular, but not by way of limitation:
(a) The Trustee shall have no liability or responsibility for the validity or sufficiency of this Trust Agreement or for the form, character, genuineness, sufficiency, enforceability, collectability, location, existence, value or validity of the Trust Estate;
(b) The Trustee has not prepared or verified, and shall not be responsible or liable for, any information, disclosure or other statement in the Prospectus or in any other document issued or delivered in connection with the sale or transfer of the Shares;
(c) The Trustee shall not be liable for any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with the instructions of the Sponsor or the Liquidating Trustee;
(d) The Trustee shall not have any liability for the acts or omissions of the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian or their respective delegates;
(e) The Trustee shall have no duty or obligation to monitor or supervise the performance of any obligations of the Sponsor, the Custodian or their respective delegates or any Authorized Participant or any other Person;
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(f) No provision of this Trust Agreement shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its rights or powers hereunder;
(g) Under no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable for any obligations, representations, warranties, covenants or indebtedness of the Trust arising under this Trust Agreement or any other agreements to which the Trust is a party;
(h) The Trustee shall be authorized but not obligated to take the actions of the Trust under this Agreement and the related documents and shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Trust Agreement, or to institute, conduct or defend any litigation under this Trust Agreement or any other agreements to which the Trust is a party, at the request, order or direction of the Sponsor unless the Sponsor has offered to Delaware Trust Company (or any successor Trustee) (in its capacity as Trustee and individually) security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities that may be incurred by Delaware Trust Company (or such successor Trustee) (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel) therein or thereby;
(i) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Trustee shall not be required to take any action in any jurisdiction other than in the State of Delaware if the taking of such action will (i) require the consent or approval or authorization or order of, or the giving of notice to, or the registration with or taking of any action in respect of, any state or other governmental authority or agency of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware, (ii) result in any fee, tax or other governmental charge becoming payable by the Trustee under the laws of any jurisdiction or any political subdivision thereof other than the State of Delaware or (iii) subject the Trustee to personal jurisdiction, other than in the State of Delaware, for causes of action arising from personal acts unrelated to the consummation of the actions of the Trustee contemplated by this Trust Agreement;
(j) To the extent that, at law or in equity, the Trustee has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust, the Shareholders, the Beneficial Owners, or any other Person, the Trustee, acting under this Trust Agreement, shall not be liable to the Trust, the Shareholders, the Beneficial Owners or any other Person for its good faith reliance on the provisions of this Trust Agreement, and the provisions of this Trust Agreement, to the extent that they restrict or eliminate the duties and liabilities of the Trustee otherwise existing at law or in equity are agreed by the parties hereto to replace such other duties and liabilities of the Trustee;
(k) The Trustee shall not be liable for special, punitive, exemplary, consequential or similar damages for a breach of the Trust Agreement under any circumstances, including, without limitation, lost profits;
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(l) If the Trustee is unsure of the application of any provision of this Agreement or any related agreement, then the Trustee may promptly deliver a notice to the Sponsor requesting written instructions as to the course of action desired by the Sponsor, and if the Trustee does not receive such instructions within ten Business Days after it has delivered such notice, or such shorter period of time set forth in such notice, it may, but shall be under no duty to, take or refrain from taking such action not inconsistent with this Agreement;
(m) The Trustee shall not be required to take any action if the Trustee shall reasonably determine, or shall have been advised by counsel, that such action is likely to result in personal liability, or is contrary to the terms hereof or of any document contemplated hereby to which the Trustee is a party or otherwise contrary to law;
(n) The Trustee shall have no duty or obligation to manage, control, use, sell, dispose of or otherwise deal with the Trust Estate, to prepare or file any document or report (including any securities or tax filings or reports, any financing or continuation statement, qualification to do business, licensing, commission filing or other filing for the Trust), or to otherwise perfect or maintain the perfection of any security interest or lien, or otherwise to take or refrain from taking any action under or in connection with this Agreement except as expressly required by the terms of this Agreement, and the right of the Trustee to perform any discretionary act enumerated in this Agreement or in any related document shall not be construed as a duty, and no implied duties (including fiduciary duties) or obligations shall be read into this Agreement or any related agreement against the Trustee;
(o) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, or error of judgment made, in good faith by any officer or employee of the Trustee;
(p) In no event shall the Trustee be liable for forces beyond its control including strikes, work stoppages, acts of war or terrorism, insurrection, revolution, nuclear or natural catastrophes, epidemics or pandemics, or acts of God and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services ; and
(r) The Trustee may earn compensation in the form of short-term interest (float) on items like uncashed distribution checks (from the date issued until the date cashed), funds that the Trustee is directed not to invest and deposits awaiting investment direction or received too late to be invested overnight in previously directed investments.
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SECTION 2.7 Reliance; Advice of Counsel.
(a) In the absence of bad faith, the Trustee may conclusively rely upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Trust Agreement in determining the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions contained therein, and shall incur no liability to anyone in acting or not acting on any signature, instrument, notice, resolution, request, consent, order, certificate, report, opinion, bond or other document or paper believed by it to be genuine and believed by it to be signed by the proper party or parties and need not investigate any fact or matter pertaining to, or contained in, any such document; provided, however, that the Trustee shall have examined any certificates and opinions so as to reasonably determine compliance of such certificates and opinions with the requirements of this Trust Agreement. The Trustee may accept a certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors or other governing body of any corporate party as conclusive evidence that such resolution has been duly adopted by such body and that such resolution is in full force and effect. As to any fact or matter the method of the determination of which is not specifically prescribed in this Trust Agreement, the Trustee may for all purposes hereof rely on a certificate, signed by the president, any vice president, the treasurer or any other authorized officers of the relevant party, as to such fact or matter, and such certificate shall constitute full protection to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in reliance thereon.
(b) In the exercise or administration of the Trust hereunder and in the performance of its duties and obligations under this Trust Agreement, the Trustee, at the expense of the Trust (i) may act directly or through its agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees pursuant to agreements entered into with any of them, and the Trustee shall not be liable for the conduct or misconduct of such agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees if such agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees shall have been selected by the Trustee with reasonable care and (ii) may consult with counsel, accountants and other skilled professionals to be selected with reasonable care by it. The Trustee shall not be liable for anything done, suffered or omitted in good faith by it in accordance with the opinion or advice of any such counsel, accountant or other such Persons.
SECTION 2.8 Payments to the Trustee.
Any amounts paid to the Trustee pursuant to this Article II shall be deemed not to be a part of the Trust Estate immediately after such payment. Any amounts owing to the Trustee under this Trust Agreement shall constitute a claim against the Trust Estate. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement, all payments to the Trustee, including fees, expenses and any amounts paid in connection with indemnification of the Trustee in accordance with the terms of this Trust Agreement will be payable only in U.S. Dollars.
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ARTICLE III
SHARES; CREATIONS AND ISSUANCE OF CREATION BASKETS
SECTION 3.1 General.
The Sponsor shall have the power and authority, without action or approval by the Shareholders, to cause the Trust to issue Shares from time to time as it deems necessary or desirable. The number of Shares authorized shall be unlimited, and the Shares so authorized may be represented in part by fractional Shares, calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one bitcoin (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place). From time to time, the Sponsor may cause the Trust to divide or combine the Shares into a greater or lesser number without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in the Trust Estate, or in any way affecting the rights, of the Shareholders, without action or approval by the Shareholders. Except as set forth in Section 3.2(b), the Trust shall issue Shares solely in exchange for contributions of bitcoin and/or an amount of cash equivalent to the number of bitcoin (or for no consideration if pursuant to a Share distribution or split-up); provided, however, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, determine to require such transactions to exclusively in bitcoin or exclusively in cash. All Shares when so issued shall be fully paid and non-assessable. Subject to the limitations upon, and requirements for, the issuance of Creation Units stated herein and in the Authorized Participant Agreement, the number of Creation Units that may be issued by the Trust is unlimited. Every Shareholder and Beneficial Owner, by virtue of having purchased or otherwise acquired a Share, shall be deemed to have expressly consented and agreed to be bound by the terms of this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 3.2 Offer of Shares; Procedures for Creation and Issuance of Creation Units to Authorized Participants.
(a) General. The following procedures, as supplemented by the more detailed procedures specified in each Authorized Participant Agreement, including all exhibits, annexes, attachments and procedures, as applicable, to each Authorized Participant Agreement, which may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement (provided that any such amendment shall not constitute an amendment of this Trust Agreement), shall govern the Trust with respect to the creation and issuance of Creation Units to Authorized Participants, subject to Section 3.2(b).
(i) On any Business Day, an Authorized Participant may place an order for one or more Creation Units (each, a Creation Order) in the manner provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement. The Sponsor may require, in its sole discretion, that a Creation Order be denominated in bitcoin (a Bitcoin Creation Order) or cash (a Cash Creation Order).
(ii) The Sponsor or its delegate shall process Creation Orders only from Authorized Participants with respect to which an Authorized Participant Agreement is in full force and effect and only in accordance with the Authorized Participant Agreement. The Sponsor or its delegate shall maintain and make available at the Trusts principal offices during normal business hours a current list of the Authorized Participants with respect to which an Authorized Participant Agreement is in full force and effect.
(iii) The Trust shall create and issue Creation Units only in exchange for deposit in the account designated by the Sponsor on the applicable Creation Settlement Date of the applicable Total Creation Amount by the relevant Authorized Participant or Authorized Participant Representative, as applicable.
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(iv) The Sponsor or its delegate has final determination of all questions as to the calculation of the Total Creation Amount at any time.
(v) In the case of Bitcoin Creation Order, deposits of bitcoin other than those received from an Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account or a Authorized Participant Representative Account shall be rejected. The expense and risk of delivery, ownership and safekeeping of bitcoin, until such bitcoin has been received and not rejected by the Trust, shall be borne solely by the Authorized Participant or a Authorized Participant Representative, as applicable.
(vi) Upon the receipt of the Total Creation Amount in the account designated by the Sponsor, the Sponsor or its delegate shall, or shall direct the Transfer Agent to, credit to the Authorized Participants account the number of Creation Units ordered by the Authorized Participant.
(vii) The Trust or its delegate may accept delivery of bitcoin or cash by such other means as the Sponsor, from time to time, may determine to be acceptable for the Trust.
(b) Rejection or Suspension. The Sponsor or its delegate shall reject a Creation Order if the Creation Order is not in proper form as described in the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement or if the fulfillment of the Creation Order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. The issuance of Creation Units may be suspended by the Sponsor generally, or refused with respect to a particular Creation Order, during any period when the transfer books of the Transfer Agent are closed or if circumstances outside the control of the Sponsor or its delegate make it for all practicable purposes not feasible to process Creation Orders or for any other reason at any time or from time to time. None of the Sponsor, its delegates or the Custodian shall be liable for the suspension or rejection of any Creation Order.
(c) Conflict. In the event of any conflict between the procedures described in this Section 3.2 and the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participant Agreement shall control.
(d) Successor Custodian. If a successor to the Custodian shall be employed, the Trust and the Sponsor shall establish procedures acceptable to such successor with respect to the matters addressed in this Section 3.2.
SECTION 3.3 Book-Entry System.
(a) Shares shall be held in book-entry form by the Sponsor, its delegate, or the Transfer Agent. The Sponsor or its delegate shall, or shall direct the Transfer Agent, to (i) credit or debit the number of Creation Units to the account of the applicable Shareholder and (ii) issue or cancel Creation Units, as applicable, at the direction of the Sponsor or its delegate.
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(b) The Sponsor or its delegate may cause the Trust to issue Shares in certificated form in its sole discretion.
SECTION 3.4 Assets of the Trust.
The Trust Estate shall irrevocably belong to the Trust for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors of the Trust and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust.
SECTION 3.5 Liabilities of the Trust.
The Trust Estate shall be charged with the liabilities of the Trust and with all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to the Trust. The Sponsor shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with applicable law, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital, and each such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders and Beneficial Owners.
SECTION 3.6 Distributions.
(a) The Trust may make distributions on Shares either in cash or in kind, including in such form as is necessary and permissible for the Trust to facilitate the distribution of Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets.
(b) Distributions on Shares, if any, may be made with such frequency as the Sponsor may determine, which may be daily or otherwise, to the Shareholders, from the Trust Estate, after providing for actual and accrued liabilities. All distributions on Shares shall be made pro rata to the Shareholders in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests at the date and time of record established for such distribution.
(c) If the Trust sells bitcoin, Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets in order to pay Extraordinary Expenses, then any cash remaining from these sales after the payment of any Extraordinary Expenses shall promptly be distributed to the Shareholders.
SECTION 3.7 Voting Rights.
Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, on each matter submitted to a vote of the Shareholders, each Shareholder shall be entitled to a proportionate vote based upon its Percentage Interest at such time.
SECTION 3.8 Equality.
All Shares shall represent an equal proportionate beneficial interest in the Trust Estate subject to the liabilities of the Trust, and each Shares interest in the Trust Estate shall be equal to each other Share.
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ARTICLE IV
TRANSFERS OF SHARES
SECTION 4.1 General Prohibition.
A Shareholder may not sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of, or pledge, hypothecate or in any manner encumber any or all of its Shares or any part of its right, title and interest in the Trust Estate except as permitted in this Article IV and any act in violation of this Article IV shall not be binding upon or recognized by the Trust (regardless of whether the Sponsor shall have knowledge thereof), unless approved in writing by the Sponsor.
SECTION 4.2 [Reserved].
SECTION 4.3 Transfer of Shares Generally.
Shares shall be transferable on the books of account for the Trust only by the record holder thereof or by his or her duly authorized agent upon delivery to the Sponsor or the Transfer Agent or similar agent of a duly executed instrument of transfer, and such evidence of the genuineness of each such execution and authorization and of such other matters as may be required by the Sponsor. Upon such delivery, and subject to any further requirements specified by the Sponsor, the transfer shall be recorded on the books of account for the Trust. Until a transfer is so recorded, the Shareholder of record of Shares shall be deemed to be the Shareholder with respect to such Shares for all purposes hereunder and neither the Sponsor nor the Trust, nor the Transfer Agent or any similar agent or registrar or any officer, employee or agent of the Trust, shall be affected by any notice of a proposed transfer.
ARTICLE V
REDEMPTIONS
SECTION 5.1 Redemption of Creation Units.
(a) General. The following procedures, as supplemented by the Authorized Participant Agreement, which may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Authorized Participant Agreement (provided that any such amendment shall not constitute an amendment of this Trust Agreement), shall govern the Trust with respect to the redemption of Creation Units, subject to Section 5.1(b).
(i) On any Business Day, an Authorized Participant may place an order to redeem Creation Units (each, a Redemption Order) in the manner provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement. The Sponsor may require, in its sole discretion, that Redemption Orders may be denominated in bitcoin (a Bitcoin Redemption Order) or cash (a Cash Redemption Order).
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(ii) The Sponsor or its delegates shall process Redemption Orders only from Authorized Participants with respect to which an Authorized Participant Agreement is in full force and effect.
(iii) The Sponsor or its delegate has final determination of all questions as to the determination of the Total Redemption Amount at any time.
(iv) With respect to a Bitcoin Redemption Order, the Total Redemption Amount shall be delivered only to an Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account or a Authorized Participant Representative Account.
(v) With respect to a Cash Creation Order, the Sponsor shall instruct the Custodian to withdraw from the Bitcoin Account bitcoin in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of the Total Redemption Amount and may cause the Trust (or its delegate) to convert such bitcoin into U.S. Dollars.
(vi) The Total Redemption Amount shall be subject to the deduction of any applicable tax or other governmental charges that may be due.
(b) Rejection or Suspension. The Sponsor or its delegate shall reject a Redemption Order if the Redemption Order is not in proper form as described in the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement or if the fulfillment of the Redemption Order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. The redemption of Creation Units may be suspended by the Sponsor generally, or refused with respect to a particular Redemption Order, during any period when the transfer books of the Transfer Agent are closed or if circumstances outside the control of the Sponsor or its delegate make it for all practicable purposes not feasible to process Redemption Orders or for any other reason at any time or from time to time. None of the Sponsor, its delegates or the Custodian shall be liable for the suspension or rejection of any Redemption Order.
(c) Conflict. In the event of any conflict between the procedures described in this Section 5.1 and the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participant Agreement shall control.
ARTICLE VI
THE SPONSOR
SECTION 6.1 Management of the Trust.
Pursuant to Section 3806(b)(7) of the Delaware Trust Statute, the Trust shall be managed by the Sponsor in accordance with this Trust Agreement. The Sponsor may delegate, as provided herein, the duty and authority to manage the affairs of the Trust. Any determination as to what is in the interests of the Trust made by the Sponsor in good faith shall be conclusive. In construing the provisions of this Trust Agreement, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Sponsor, but subject, for the avoidance of doubt, to the restrictions, prohibitions and limitations expressly set forth in Section 1.5, Section 6.4(l) and otherwise in this Trust Agreement. The enumeration of any specific power in this Trust Agreement shall not be construed as limiting the aforesaid power.
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SECTION 6.2 Authority of Sponsor.
In addition to, and not in limitation of, any rights and powers conferred by law or other provisions of this Trust Agreement, and except as limited, restricted or prohibited by the express provisions of this Trust Agreement or the Delaware Trust Statute, the Sponsor shall have, and may exercise on behalf of the Trust, all powers and rights necessary, proper, convenient or advisable to effectuate and carry out the purposes of the Trust, which powers and rights shall include, without limitation, the following:
(a) To direct the Trustee pursuant to this Agreement and to enter into, execute, accept, deliver and maintain, and to cause the Trust to perform its obligations under, contracts, agreements and any or all other documents and instruments incidental to the Trusts purposes, and to do and perform all such acts as may be in furtherance of the Trusts purposes, or necessary or appropriate for the offer and sale of the Shares, including, but not limited to, causing the Trust to enter into (i) contracts or agreements with the Sponsor or an Affiliate, provided that any such contract or agreement does not conflict with the provisions of Section 1.5(b) of this Trust Agreement, Section 6.4 of this Trust Agreement or clause (ii) of this Section 6.2(a) and (ii) contracts with third parties for various services, it being understood that any document or instrument executed or accepted by the Sponsor in the Sponsors name shall be deemed executed and accepted on behalf of the Trust by the Sponsor
(b) To establish, maintain, deposit into, and sign checks and/or otherwise draw upon, accounts on behalf of the Trust with appropriate banking and savings institutions;
(c) To deposit, withdraw, pay, retain and distribute the Trust Estate or any portion thereof in any manner consistent with the provisions of this Trust Agreement;
(d) To supervise the preparation of the Prospectus and supplements and amendments thereto;
(e) To make or authorize the making of distributions to the Shareholders and expenses of the Trust out of the Trust Estate;
(f) To cause the Trust to appoint an agent to act on behalf of the Shareholders pursuant to Section 7.5;
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(g) To prepare, or cause to be prepared, and file, or cause to be filed, an application to register any Shares under the Securities Act and/or the Exchange Act and to take any other action and execute and deliver any certificates or documents that may be necessary to effectuate such registration;
(h) To prepare, or cause to be prepared, and file, or cause to be filed, an application to enable the Shares to be listed, quoted or traded on any Secondary Market and to take any other action and execute and deliver any certificates or documents that may be necessary to effectuate such listing, quotation or trading;
(i) To appoint one or more Custodians, banks or other security vendors, including itself or an Affiliate, to provide for custodian security services, or to determine not to appoint any Custodian, bank or other security vendors, and to otherwise take any action with respect to the Custodians, banks or other security vendors to safeguard the Trust Estate;
(j) In the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor, to admit an Affiliate or Affiliates of the Sponsor as additional Sponsors;
(k) To delegate those of its duties hereunder as it shall determine from time to time to one or more Distributors, and add any additional service providers, if needed and as applicable;
(l) To perform such other services as the Sponsor believes that the Trust may from time to time require;
(m) Interact with the Depository as required; and
(n) In general, but subject to Section 1.5 and Section 6.4 of this Trust Agreement, to do everything necessary, suitable or proper for the accomplishment of any purpose or the furtherance of any power herein set forth, either alone or in association with others, and to do every other act or thing incidental or appurtenant to, or growing out of or connected with, the aforesaid purposes or powers.
SECTION 6.3 Obligations of the Sponsor.
In addition to the obligations expressly provided by the Delaware Trust Statute or this Trust Agreement, the Sponsor shall:
(a) Devote such of its time to the affairs of the Trust as it shall, in its discretion exercised in good faith, determine to be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Trust, as set forth in Section 1.5, for the benefit of the Shareholders;
(b) Execute, file, record and/or publish all certificates, statements and other documents and do any and all other things as may be appropriate for the formation, qualification and operation of the Trust and for the conduct of its affairs in all appropriate jurisdictions;
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(c) Retain independent public accountants to audit the accounts of the Trust;
(d) Employ attorneys to represent the Sponsor and, as necessary, the Trust;
(e) Select and enter into agreements with the Trustee and any other service provider to the Trust;
(f) Use its best efforts to maintain the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Subpart E, Part I of Subchapter J of the Code;
(g) Monitor all fees charged to the Trust, and the services rendered by the service providers to the Trust, to determine whether the fees paid by, and the services rendered to, the Trust are at competitive rates and are the best price and services available under the circumstances, and if necessary, renegotiate the fee structure to obtain such rates and services for the Trust;
(h) Provide for the safekeeping and use of the Trust Estate, whether or not in the Sponsors immediate possession or control;
(i) Not employ or permit others to employ the Trust Estate in any manner except for the benefit of the Trust, including, among other things, the utilization of any portion of the Trust Estate as compensating balances for the exclusive benefit of the Sponsor;
(j) At all times act with integrity and good faith and exercise due diligence in all activities relating to the Trust and in resolving conflicts of interest;
(k) Enter into directly or through its delegates an Authorized Participant Agreement with each Authorized Participant and discharge the duties and responsibilities of the Trust and the Sponsor thereunder;
(l) Receive directly or through its delegates from Authorized Participants and process properly submitted Creation Orders, as described in Section 3.2(a);
(m) Receive directly or through its delegates from Authorized Participants and process properly submitted Redemption Orders (if authorized), as described in Section 5.1(a);
(n) Interact with the Custodian and any other party as required;
(o) If the Shares are listed, quoted or traded on any Secondary Market, cause the Trust to comply with all rules, orders and regulations of such Secondary Market to which the Trust is subject as a result of the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on such Secondary Market, and take all such other actions that may reasonably be taken and are necessary for the Shares to remain listed, quoted or traded on such Secondary Market until the Trust is terminated or the Shares are no longer listed, quoted or traded on such Secondary Market;
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(p) If the Shares are transferred in a transaction registered under the Securities Act or registered under the Exchange Act, cause the Trust to comply with all rules, orders and regulations of the SEC and take all such other actions as may reasonably be taken and are necessary for the Shares to remain registered under the Exchange Act until the Trust is terminated or the Shares are no longer registered under the Exchange Act; and
(q) Take all actions to prepare and, to the extent required by this Trust Agreement or by law, deliver to Shareholders and/or Beneficial Owners, as applicable, press releases or statements, financial or otherwise, that the Sponsor determines are required to be provided to Shareholders by applicable law or governmental regulation or the requirements of any Secondary Market on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded or, if any Shares are transferred in a transaction registered under the Securities Act or registered under the Exchange Act, the SEC, as applicable.
The foregoing clauses of Section 6.2 and Section 6.3 shall be construed as powers, and the foregoing enumeration of specific powers shall not be held to limit or restrict in any manner the general powers of the Sponsor. Any action by the Sponsor hereunder shall be deemed an action on behalf of the Trust, and not an action in an individual capacity.
SECTION 6.4 General Prohibitions.
The Trust shall not, and the Sponsor shall not have the power to cause the Trust to:
(a) Receive any property other than bitcoin or cash upon the issuance of Shares;
(b) Hold any property other than (i) bitcoin, Incidental Rights and IR Assets, (ii) cash from the sale of bitcoin, Incidental Rights or IR Assets or received in connection with a Cash Creation Order and (iii) interests in any liquidating trust or other vehicle formed to hold Incidental Rights or IR Assets pending distribution of such interests to the Shareholders;
(c) Hold any cash from the sale of bitcoin, Incidental Rights or IR Assets for more than thirty (30) Business Days prior to using such cash to pay Extraordinary Expenses or satifying Redemption Orders and distributing any remaining cash to the Shareholders;
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(d) redeem the Shares other than (i) to satisfy a Redemption Order from an Authorized Participant, (ii) as provided in Section 5.1 or (iii) upon the dissolution of the Trust;
(e) Elect to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement, including Section 6.4(b), take any action that could cause the Trust to be treated other than as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
SECTION 6.5 Liability of Covered Persons.
A Covered Person shall have no liability to the Trust or to any Shareholder, Beneficial Owner or other Covered Person for any loss suffered by the Trust which arises out of any action or inaction of such Covered Person if such Covered Person, in good faith, determined that such course of conduct was in the best interest of the Trust and such course of conduct did not constitute fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Covered Person. Subject to the foregoing, neither the Sponsor nor any other Covered Person shall be personally liable for the return or repayment of all or any portion of the bitcoin transferred, or the purchase price otherwise paid, by a Shareholder for its Shares, it being expressly agreed that any such return made pursuant to this Trust Agreement shall be made solely from the assets of the Trust without any rights of contribution from the Sponsor or any other Covered Person. A Covered Person shall not be liable for the conduct or misconduct of any delegatee selected by the Sponsor with reasonable care.
SECTION 6.6 Fiduciary Duty.
(a) To the extent that, at law or in equity, the Sponsor has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust, the Shareholders, the Beneficial Owners or any other Person, the Sponsor acting under this Trust Agreement shall not be liable to the Trust, the Shareholders, the Beneficial Owners or any other Person for its good faith reliance on the provisions of this Trust Agreement subject to the standard of care set forth in Section 6.5 herein. The provisions of this Trust Agreement, to the extent that they restrict or eliminate the duties and liabilities of the Sponsor otherwise existing at law or in equity are agreed by the parties hereto to replace such other duties and liabilities of the Sponsor. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no Person other than the Sponsor and the Trustee shall have any duties (including fiduciary duties) or liabilities at law or in equity to the Trust, the Shareholders, the Beneficial Owners or any other Person.
(b) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein:
(i) whenever a conflict of interest exists or arises between the Sponsor or any of its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust, any Shareholder, and Beneficial Owner or any other Person, on the other hand; or
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(ii) whenever this Trust Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein provides that the Sponsor shall act in a manner that is, or provides terms that are, fair and reasonable to the Trust, any Shareholder, any Beneficial Owner or any other Person,
the Sponsor shall resolve such conflict of interest, take such action or provide such terms, considering in each case the relative interest of each party (including its own interest) to such conflict, agreement, transaction or situation and the benefits and burdens relating to such interests, any customary or accepted industry practices, and any applicable generally accepted accounting practices or principles. In the absence of bad faith by the Sponsor, the resolution, action or terms so made, taken or provided by the Sponsor shall not constitute a breach of this Trust Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein or of any duty or obligation of the Sponsor at law or in equity or otherwise.
(c) The Sponsor and any Affiliate of the Sponsor may engage in or possess an interest in profit-seeking or business ventures of any nature or description, independently or with others, whether or not such ventures are competitive with the Trust and the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, shall not apply to the Sponsor. If the Sponsor acquires knowledge of a potential transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter that may be an opportunity for the Trust, it shall have no duty to communicate or offer such opportunity to the Trust, and the Sponsor shall not be liable to the Trust, the Shareholders or the Beneficial Owners for breach of any fiduciary or other duty by reason of the fact that the Sponsor pursues or acquires for, or directs such opportunity to, another Person or does not communicate such opportunity or information to the Trust. Neither the Trust, any Shareholder nor any Beneficial Owner shall have any rights or obligations by virtue of this Trust Agreement or the trust relationship created hereby in or to such independent ventures or the income or profits or losses derived therefrom, and the pursuit of such ventures, even if competitive with the purposes of the Trust, shall not be deemed wrongful or improper. Except to the extent expressly provided herein, the Sponsor may engage or be interested in any financial or other transaction with the Trust, the Shareholders, the Beneficial Owners or any Affiliate of the Trust,the Shareholders or the Beneficial Owners.
(d) To the fullest extent permitted by law and notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement or in any agreement contemplated herein or applicable provisions of law or equity or otherwise, whenever in this Trust Agreement a Person is permitted or required to make a decision (a) in its sole discretion or discretion or under a grant of similar authority or latitude, the Person shall be entitled to consider only such interests and factors as it desires, including its own interests, and shall have no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of or factors affecting the Trust, the Shareholders, the Beneficial Owners or any other Person, or (b) in its good faith or under another express standard, the Person shall act under such express standard and shall not be subject to any other or different standard. The term good faith as used in this Trust Agreement shall mean subjective good faith as such term is understood and interpreted under Delaware law.
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SECTION 6.7 Indemnification of the Sponsor.
(a) The Sponsor shall be indemnified by the Trust against any losses, judgments, liabilities, expenses and amounts paid in settlement of any claims sustained by it in connection with its activities for the Trust, provided that (i) the Sponsor was acting on behalf of, or performing services for, the Trust and has determined, in good faith, that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust and such liability or loss was not the result of fraud, gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct, or a material breach of this Trust Agreement on the part of the Sponsor and (ii) any such indemnification will be recoverable only from the Trust Estate. All rights to indemnification permitted herein and payment of associated expenses shall not be affected by the dissolution or other cessation of existence of the Sponsor, or the withdrawal, adjudication of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor, or the filing of a voluntary or involuntary petition in bankruptcy under Title 11 of the United States Code by or against the Sponsor.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6.7(a) above, the Sponsor, any Authorized Participant and any other Person acting as a broker-dealer for the Trust shall not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of U.S. federal or state securities laws unless (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation, litigation costs), (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation, litigation costs) or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against a particular indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made.
(c) The Trust shall not incur the cost of that portion of any insurance that insures any party against any liability, the indemnification of which is herein prohibited.
(d) Expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending civil, administrative or criminal action suit or proceeding against the Sponsor shall be paid by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding if (i) the legal action relates to the performance of duties or services by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust; (ii) the legal action is initiated by a third party who is not a Shareholder or the legal action is initiated by a Shareholder and a court of competent jurisdiction specifically approves such advance; and (iii) the Sponsor undertakes to repay the advanced funds with interest to the Trust in cases in which it is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 6.7.
(e) The term Sponsor as used only in this Section 6.7 shall include, in addition to the Sponsor, any other Covered Person performing services on behalf of the Trust and acting within the scope of the Sponsors authority as set forth in this Trust Agreement.
(f) In the event the Trust is made a party to any claim, dispute, demand or litigation or otherwise incurs any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense as a result of or in connection with any Shareholders (or assignees) or Beneficial Owners (or assignees) obligations or liabilities unrelated to Trust affairs, such Shareholder or Beneficial Owner (or assignees cumulatively) shall indemnify, defend, hold harmless, and reimburse the Trust for all such loss, liability, damage, cost and expense incurred, including attorneys and accountants fees.
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SECTION 6.8 Expenses and Limitations Thereon.
(a) Sponsor Fee.
(i) The Trust shall pay to the Sponsor a unified fee (the Sponsor Fee) as set forth in the Sponsor Agreement. The Sponsor Fee will accrue daily and be payable monthly in bitcoin or cash. The Sponsor may agree to waive or reduce the Sponsor Fee in its sole discretion without Shareholder consent or approval.
(ii) Except as provided in Section 6.8(a)(iv), to cause the Trust to pay the Sponsor Fee, the Sponsor shall instruct the Custodian to withdraw the number of bitcoin or cash equal to the accrued but unpaid Sponsor Fee and transfer such bitcoin or cash to the Sponsors account at such times as the Sponsor determines in its absolute discretion.
(iii) After the payment of the Sponsor Fee to the Sponsor, the Sponsor may elect to convert the bitcoin it receives into U.S. Dollars. The Shareholders acknowledge that the rate at which the Sponsor converts such bitcoin to U.S. Dollars may differ from the Benchmark. The Trust shall not be responsible for any fees and expenses incurred by the Sponsor to convert bitcoin received in payment of the Sponsor Fee into U.S. Dollars.
(iv) The Sponsor may, from time to time, temporarily waive all or a portion of the Sponsor Fee in its sole discretion.
(v) As partial consideration for receipt of the Sponsor Fee, the Sponsor shall assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the Distributor Fee; (ii) the Administrator Fee; (iii) the Custodian Fee; (iv) the Transfer Agent Fee; (v) the Trustee fee; (vi) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including customary marketing expenses); (vii) ordinary course legal fees and expenses; (viii) audit fees; (ix) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act; (x) printing and mailing costs; (xi) costs of maintaining the Trusts website and (xii) applicable license fees (each, an Sponsor-paid Expense and, together, the Sponsor-paid Expenses), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Extraordinary Expense as set forth in Section 6.8(b) shall be deemed to be an Extraordinary Expenses and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.
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(b) Extraordinary Expenses.
(i) The Trust shall pay any expenses incurred by the Trust in addition to the Sponsor Fee that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, (i) brokerage and transaction costs associated with the sale or transfer of bitcoin not covered by an Authorized Participant, (ii) taxes and governmental charges; (iii) expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders (including in connection with any Incidental Rights and any IR Assets); (iii) any indemnification of the Custodian, Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust; (iv) extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters and (v) other extraordinary expenses not included as Sponsor-paid Expenses (collectively, Extraordinary Expenses).
(ii) To cause the Trust to pay the Extraordinary Expenses, if any, the Sponsor or its delegates (i) shall instruct the Custodian to withdraw from the Bitcoin Account bitcoin in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Extraordinary Expenses and (ii) may either (x) cause the Trust (or its delegate) to convert such bitcoin into U.S. Dollars or other fiat currencies or (y) cause the Trust (or its delegate) to deliver such bitcoin in kind in satisfaction of such Extraordinary Expenses.
(iii) If the Trust holds any Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets at any time, the Trust may pay any Extraordinary Expenses, in whole or in part, with such Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets by entering into an agreement with the relevant payee and transferring such Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets to that payee at a value to be determined pursuant to such agreement; provided that the Trust shall use Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets to pay Extraordinary Expenses only if such agreement and transfer does not otherwise conflict with the terms of this Trust Agreement. If the Trust pays the Extraordinary Expenses in Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets, in whole or in part, the amount of bitcoin that would otherwise have been used to satisfy such payment shall be correspondingly reduced.
(c) The Sponsor or any Affiliate of the Sponsor may be reimbursed only for the actual cost to the Sponsor or such Affiliate of any expenses that it advances on behalf of the Trust for payment of which the Trust is responsible. In addition, payment to the Sponsor or such Affiliate for indirect expenses incurred in performing services for the Trust in its capacity as the Sponsor (or an Affiliate of the Sponsor) of the Trust, such as salaries and fringe benefits of officers and directors, rent or depreciation, utilities and other administrative items generally falling within the category of the Sponsors overhead, is prohibited.
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SECTION 6.9 Voluntary Withdrawal of the Sponsor.
The Sponsor may withdraw voluntarily as the Sponsor of the Trust only upon one hundred and twenty (120) days prior written notice to all Shareholders and the Trustee. If the withdrawing Sponsor is the last remaining Sponsor, the Shareholders holding Shares equal to at least a majority (over 50%) of the Shares may vote to elect and appoint, effective as of a date on or prior to the withdrawal, a successor Sponsor who shall carry on the affairs of the Trust. If the Sponsor withdraws and a successor Sponsor is named, the withdrawing Sponsor shall pay all expenses as a result of its withdrawal.
SECTION 6.10 Litigation.
The Sponsor is hereby authorized to prosecute, defend, settle or compromise actions or claims at law or in equity as may be necessary or proper to enforce or protect the Trusts interests. The Sponsor shall satisfy any judgment, decree or decision of any court, board or authority having jurisdiction or any settlement of any suit or claim prior to judgment or final decision thereon, first, out of any insurance proceeds available therefor, next, out of the Trusts assets and, thereafter, out of the assets (to the extent that it is permitted to do so under the various other provisions of this Trust Agreement) of the Sponsor.
SECTION 6.11 Bankruptcy; Merger of the Sponsor.
(a) The Sponsor shall not cease to be a Sponsor of the Trust merely upon the occurrence of its making an assignment for the benefit of creditors, filing a voluntary petition in bankruptcy, filing a petition or answer seeking for itself any reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any statute, law or regulation, filing an answer or other pleading admitting or failing to contest material allegations of a petition filed against it in any proceeding of this nature or seeking, consenting to or acquiescing in the appointment of a trustee, receiver or liquidator for itself or of all or any substantial part of its properties.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted by law, and on sixty (60) days prior written notice to the Shareholders of their right to vote thereon, if any such transaction is other than with an affiliated entity, nothing in this Trust Agreement shall be deemed to prevent the merger of the Sponsor with another corporation or other entity, the reorganization of the Sponsor into or with any other corporation or other entity, the transfer of all the capital stock of the Sponsor or the assumption of the rights, duties and liabilities of the Sponsor by, in the case of a merger, reorganization or consolidation, the surviving corporation or other entity by operation of law. Without limiting the foregoing, none of the transactions referenced in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be a voluntary withdrawal for purposes of Section 6.10 or an Event of Withdrawal for purposes of Section 12.1(a)(iv).
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ARTICLE VII
THE SHAREHOLDERS
SECTION 7.1 No Management or Control; Limited Liability; Exercise of Rights through an Authorized Participant.
The Shareholders shall not participate in the management or control of the Trust nor shall they enter into any transaction on behalf of the Trust or have the power to sign for or bind the Trust, said power being vested solely and exclusively in the Sponsor. Except as provided in Section 7.3 hereof, no Shareholder shall be bound by, or be personally liable for, the expenses, liabilities or obligations of the Trust in excess of its Percentage Interest of the Trust Estate. Except as provided in Section 7.3 hereof, each Share owned by a Shareholder shall be fully paid and no assessment shall be made against any Shareholder. No salary shall be paid to any Shareholder in its capacity as a Shareholder, nor shall any Shareholder have a drawing account or earn interest on its Percentage Interest of the Trust Estate. By the purchase and acceptance or other lawful delivery and acceptance of Shares, each owner of such Shares shall be deemed to be a Shareholder and beneficiary of the Trust and vested with beneficial undivided interest in the Trust to the extent of the Shares owned beneficially by such Shareholder, subject to the terms and conditions of this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 7.2 Rights and Duties.
The Shareholders shall have the following rights, powers, privileges, duties and liabilities:
(a) The Shareholders shall have the right to obtain from the Sponsor information on all things affecting the Trust, provided that such information is for a purpose reasonably related to the Shareholders interest as a beneficial owner of the Trust.
(b) The Shareholders shall receive the share of the distributions provided for in this Trust Agreement in the manner and at the times provided for in this Trust Agreement.
(c) Except for the Shareholders transfer rights set forth in Article IV and the Shareholders redemption rights set forth in Article V hereof, Shareholders shall have the right to demand a redemption of their Shares only upon the dissolution and winding up of the Trust and only to the extent of funds available therefor, as provided in Section 12.2. In no event shall a Shareholder be entitled to demand or receive property other than cash upon the dissolution and winding up of the Trust. No Shareholder shall have priority over any other Shareholder as to distributions. The Shareholder shall not have any right to bring an action for partition against the Trust.
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(d) Shareholders holding Shares representing at least a majority (over 50%) of the Shares may vote to appoint a successor Sponsor as provided in Section 6.10 or to continue the Trust as provided in Section 12.1(a)(iv).
Except as set forth above, the Shareholders shall have no voting or other rights with respect to the Trust.
SECTION 7.3 Limitation of Liability.
(a) Except as provided in Section 6.7(f) hereof, and as otherwise provided under Delaware law, the Shareholders shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the General Corporation Law of Delaware and no Shareholder shall be liable for claims against or debts of the Trust in excess of its Percentage Interest of the Trust Estate, except in the case of a Shareholder that is an Authorized Participant, in the event that the liability is founded upon misstatements or omissions contained in such Shareholders Authorized Participant Agreement. In addition, and subject to the exceptions set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, the Trust shall not make a claim against a Shareholder with respect to amounts distributed to such Shareholder or amounts received by such Shareholder upon redemption of such Shareholders Shares unless, under Delaware law, such Shareholder is liable to repay such amount.
(b) The Trust shall indemnify to the full extent permitted by law and the other provisions of this Trust Agreement, and to the extent of the Trust Estate, each Shareholder against any claims of liability asserted against such Shareholder solely because it is a beneficial owner of one or more Shares as a Shareholder.
(c) Every written note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust shall give notice to the effect that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon the Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust, and no resort shall be had to the Shareholders personal property for satisfaction of any obligation or claim thereunder, and appropriate references may be made to this Trust Agreement and may contain any further recital that the Sponsor deems appropriate, but the omission thereof shall not operate to bind the Shareholders individually or otherwise invalidate any such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking. Nothing contained in this Section 7.3 shall diminish the limitation on the liability of the Trust to the extent set forth in Section 3.5 hereof.
SECTION 7.4 Derivative Actions.
Subject to any other requirements of applicable law including Section 3816 of the Delaware Trust Statute, no Shareholder shall have the right, power or authority to bring or maintain a derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Trust unless two or more Shareholders who (i) are not Affiliates of one another and (ii) collectively hold at least 10% of the outstanding Shares join in the bringing or maintaining of such action, suit or other proceeding. This Section 7.4 shall not apply to any derivative claims brought under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder.
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SECTION 7.5 Appointment of Agents.
(a) By the purchase and acceptance or other lawful delivery, acceptance or holding of the Shares, the Shareholders shall be deemed to agree that the Sponsor may cause the Trust to appoint an agent (an IR Agent) to act on their behalf in connection with any distribution of Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets if the Sponsor has determined in good faith that such appointment is reasonably necessary or in the best interests of the Trust and the Shareholders in order to facilitate the distribution of any Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets. For the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor may cause the Trust to appoint the Sponsor or any of its Affiliates to act in such capacity, subject to Section 6.2(a) of this Trust Agreement. Any Person appointed as IR Agent of the Shareholders pursuant to this Section 7.5(a) shall receive an in-kind distribution of Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets on behalf of the Shareholders of record with respect to such distribution and (ii) following receipt of any such distribution, shall determine, in such Persons sole discretion and without any direction from the Trust or the Sponsor (in its capacity as Sponsor of the Trust), whether and when to sell the distributed Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets on behalf of the record date Shareholders.
(b) Any IR Agent appointed pursuant to Section 7.5(a) shall not receive any compensation in connection with its role as IR Agent. The foregoing notwithstanding, any such IR Agent shall be entitled to receive from any distribution of Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets, Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets with an aggregate fair market value equal to the amount of administrative and other reasonable expenses incurred by such IR Agent in connection with such in-kind distribution of Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets, including expenses incurred by such IR Agent in connection with any post-distribution sale of such Incidental Rights and/or IR Assets.
SECTION 7.6 Business of Shareholders.
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, any of the Shareholders and any shareholder, officer, director, employee or other Person holding a legal or beneficial interest in an entity that is a Shareholder, may engage in or possess an interest in business ventures of every nature and description, independently or with others, and the pursuit of such ventures, even if competitive with the affairs of the Trust, shall not be deemed wrongful or improper.
SECTION 7.7 Authorization of Prospectus.
Each Shareholder (or any permitted assignee thereof) hereby agrees that the Trust, the Sponsor and the Trustee are authorized to execute, deliver and perform the agreements, acts, transactions and matters contemplated hereby or described in, or contemplated by, the Prospectus on behalf of the Trust without any further act, approval or vote of the Shareholders, notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement, the Delaware Trust Statute or any applicable law, rule or regulation.
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ARTICLE VIII
BOOKS OF ACCOUNT AND REPORTS
SECTION 8.1 Books of Account.
Proper books of account for the Trust shall be kept and shall be audited annually by an independent certified public accounting firm selected by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, and there shall be entered therein all transactions, matters and things relating to the Trust as are required by the applicable law and regulations and as are usually entered into books of account kept by trusts. The books of account shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust and each Shareholder (or any duly constituted designee of a Shareholder) shall have, at all times during normal business hours, free access to and the right to inspect and copy the same for any purpose reasonably related to the Shareholders interest as a beneficial owner of the Trust. Such books of account shall be kept, and the Trust shall report its profits and losses on, the accrual method of accounting for financial accounting purposes on a Fiscal Year basis as described in Article IX.
SECTION 8.2 Annual Updates, Quarterly Updates and Account Statements.
(a) If the Shares are not then listed, quoted or traded on any Secondary Market or registered under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Sponsor shall furnish each Shareholder with an annual report of the Trust within one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days after the Trusts fiscal year (or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter) including, but not limited to, annual audited financial statements (including a statement of income and statement of financial condition), prepared in accordance with GAAP and accompanied by a report of the independent registered public accounting firm that audited such statements.
(b) If the Shares are then listed, quoted or traded on a Secondary Market or registered under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Sponsor shall prepare and publish the Trusts Annual Reports and Quarterly Reports as required by the rules and regulations of such Secondary Market or the SEC, as applicable.
SECTION 8.3 Tax Information.
Appropriate tax information (adequate to enable each Shareholder to complete and file its U.S. federal tax return) shall be delivered to each Shareholder following the end of each Fiscal Year but, to the extent possible, no later than April 1. All such information shall be prepared, and all of the Trusts tax returns shall be filed, in a manner consistent with the treatment of the Trust as a grantor trust. The Trusts taxable year shall be the calendar year. The Trust shall comply with all U.S. federal withholding requirements respecting distributions to, or receipts of amounts on behalf of, Shareholders that the Sponsor reasonably believes are applicable under the Code. The consent of Shareholders shall not be required for such withholding.
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SECTION 8.4 Calculation of Bitcoin Holdings.
The Sponsor or its delegate shall calculate and publish the Trusts Bitcoin Holdings on each Business Day as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon as practicable thereafter, as set forth in and in accordance with the Prospectus.
SECTION 8.5 Maintenance of Records.
The Sponsor shall maintain for a period of at least six Fiscal Years (a) all books of account required by Section 8.1 hereof; (b) a list of the names and last known address of, and number of Shares owned by, all Shareholders; (c) a copy of the Certificate of Trust and all certificates of amendment thereto; (d) executed copies of any powers of attorney pursuant to which any certificate has been executed; (e) copies of the Trusts U.S. federal, state and local income tax returns and reports, if any; (f) copies of any effective written Trust Agreements, Authorized Participant Agreements, including any amendments thereto; and (g) any financial statements of the Trust. The Sponsor may keep and maintain the books and records of the Trust in paper, magnetic, electronic or other format as the Sponsor may determine in its sole discretion, provided that the Sponsor shall use reasonable care to prevent the loss or destruction of such records. If there is a conflict between this Section 8.5 and the rules and regulations of any Secondary Market on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded or, if applicable, the SEC with respect to the maintenance of records, the records shall be maintained pursuant to the rules and regulations of such Secondary Market or the SEC.
ARTICLE IX
FISCAL YEAR
SECTION 9.1 Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Trust for financial accounting purposes (the Fiscal Year) shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December of each year. The Fiscal Year in which the Trust shall terminate shall end on the date of such termination.
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ARTICLE X
AMENDMENT OF TRUST AGREEMENT; MEETINGS
SECTION 10.1 Amendments to the Trust Agreement.
(a) Amendment Generally.
(i) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Section 10.1, the Sponsor, in its sole discretion and without Shareholder consent, may amend or otherwise supplement this Trust Agreement by making an amendment, an agreement supplemental hereto, or an amended and restated declaration of trust and trust agreement. Any such restatement, amendment and/or supplement hereto shall be effective on such date as designated by the Sponsor in its sole discretion; provided that the Sponsor shall not be permitted to make any such amendment, or otherwise supplement this Trust Agreement, if such amendment or supplement would permit the Sponsor, the Trustee or any other Person to vary the investment of the Shareholders (within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 301.7701-4(c)) or would otherwise adversely affect the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
(b) Without limitation of the foregoing, the Sponsor may, without the approval of the Shareholders, amend the provisions of this Trust Agreement if the Trust is advised at any time by the Trusts accountants or legal counsel that the amendments made are necessary to ensure that the Trusts status as a grantor trust will be respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
(c) No amendment affecting the rights or duties of the Trustee shall be binding upon or effective against the Trustee unless consented to by the Trustee in writing. No amendment shall be made to this Trust Agreement without the consent of the Trustee if the Trustee reasonably believes that such amendment adversely affects any of its rights, duties or liabilities. The Trustee shall be under no obligation to execute any amendment to the Trust Agreement or to any agreement to which the Trust is a party until it has received an instruction letter from the Sponsor, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, (i) directing the Trustee to execute such amendment, (ii) representing and warranting to the Trustee that such execution is authorized and permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement and (if applicable) such other agreement to which the Trust is a party and does not conflict with or violate any other agreement to which the Trust is a party and (iii) confirming that such execution and acts related thereto are covered by the indemnity provisions of the Trust Agreement in favor of the Trustee and do not adversely affect the Trustee.
(d) Upon amendment of this Trust Agreement, the Certificate of Trust shall also be amended, if required by the Delaware Trust Statute, to reflect such change. At the expense of the Sponsor, the Trustee shall execute and file any amendment to the Certificate of Trust, if so directed by the Sponsor.
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(e) To the fullest extent permitted by law, no provision of this Trust Agreement may be amended, waived or otherwise modified orally but only by a written instrument adopted in accordance with this Section 10.1.
SECTION 10.2 Meetings of the Trust.
Meetings of the Shareholders may be called by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. The Sponsor shall furnish written notice to all Shareholders thereof of the meeting and the purpose of the meeting, which shall be held on a date not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days after the date of mailing of said notice, at a reasonable time and place. Any notice of meeting shall be accompanied by a description of the action to be taken at the meeting. Shareholders may vote in person or by proxy at any such meeting.
SECTION 10.3 Action Without a Meeting.
Any action required or permitted to be taken by Shareholders by vote may be taken without a meeting by written consent setting forth the actions so taken. Such written consents shall be treated for all purposes as votes at a meeting. If the vote or consent of any Shareholder to any action of the Trust or any Shareholder, as contemplated by this Trust Agreement, is solicited by the Sponsor, the solicitation shall be effected by notice to each Shareholder given in the manner provided in Section 13.5. The vote or consent of each Shareholder so solicited shall be deemed conclusively to have been cast or granted as requested in the notice of solicitation, whether or not the notice of solicitation is actually received by that Shareholder, unless the Shareholder expresses written objection to the vote or consent by notice given in the manner provided in Section 13.5 and actually received by the Trust within twenty (20) days after the notice of solicitation is sent. The Covered Persons dealing with the Trust shall be entitled to act in reliance on any vote or consent that is deemed cast or granted pursuant to this Section 10.3 and shall be fully indemnified by the Trust in so doing. Any action taken or omitted in reliance on any such deemed vote or consent of one or more Shareholders shall not be void or voidable by reason of any communication made by or on behalf of all or any of such Shareholders in any manner other than as expressly provided in Section 13.5.
ARTICLE XI
TERM
SECTION 11.1 Term.
The term for which the Trust is to exist shall be perpetual, unless terminated pursuant to the provisions of Article XII hereof or as otherwise provided by law.
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ARTICLE XII
TERMINATION
SECTION 12.1 Events Requiring Dissolution of the Trust.
(a) The Trust shall dissolve at any time upon the happening of any of the following events:
(i) a U.S. federal or state regulator requires the Trust to shut down or forces the Trust to liquidate its bitcoin or seizes, impounds or otherwise restricts access to the Trust Estate;
(ii) any ongoing event exists that either prevents the Trust from converting or makes impractical the Trusts reasonable efforts to convert bitcoin to U.S. Dollars;
(ii) a certificate of dissolution or revocation of the Sponsors charter is filed (and ninety (90) days have passed after the date of notice to the Sponsor of revocation without a reinstatement of the Sponsors charter) or the withdrawal, removal, adjudication or admission of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor (each of the foregoing events an Event of Withdrawal) has occurred unless (i) at the time there is at least one remaining Sponsor or (ii) within ninety (90) days of such Event of Withdrawal Shareholders holding at least a majority (over 50%) of the Shares agree in writing to continue the affairs of the Trust and to select, effective as of the date of such event, one or more successor Sponsors; or
(iii) Shareholders holding at least 50% of the outstanding Shares, not including affiliated parties of the Sponsor for purposes of calculation of such percentage, notify the Sponsor that they elect to dissolve the Trust, notice of which is sent to the Sponsor not less than ninety (90) business days prior to the effective date of dissolution.
(b) The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, dissolve the Trust if any of the following events occur:
(i) the SEC determines that the Trust is an investment company required to be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940;
(ii) the CFTC determines that the Trust is a commodity pool under the Commodity Exchange Act;
(iii) the Trust is determined to be a money service business under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and is required to comply with certain FinCEN regulations thereunder;
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(iv) the Trust is required to obtain a license or make a registration under any state law regulating money transmitters, money services businesses, providers of prepaid or stored value or similar entities, or virtual currency businesses;
(v) the Trust becomes insolvent or bankrupt;
(vi) the Custodian resigns or is removed without replacement;
(vii) all of the Trusts assets are sold;
(viii) the Sponsor determines that the size of the Trust Estate in relation to the expenses of the Trust makes it unreasonable or imprudent to continue the affairs of the Trust;
(ix) the Sponsor receives notice from the IRS or from counsel for the Trust or the Sponsor that the Trust fails to qualify for treatment, or will not be treated, as a grantor trust under the Code;
(x) the Trustee notifies the Sponsor of the Trustees election to resign and the Sponsor does not appoint a successor trustee within one hundred and eighty (180) days; or
(xi) the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that it is desirable or advisable for any reason to discontinue the affairs of the Trust.
(c) The death, legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution, or withdrawal of any Shareholder (as long as such Shareholder is not the sole Shareholder of the Trust) shall not result in the termination of the Trust, and such Shareholder, his or her estate, custodian or personal representative shall have no right to a redemption of such Shareholders Shares. Each Shareholder (and any assignee thereof) expressly agrees that in the event of his or her death, he or she waives on behalf of himself or herself and his or her estate, and he or she directs the legal representative of his or her estate and any person interested therein to waive the furnishing of any inventory, accounting or appraisal of the Trust Estate and any right to an audit or examination of the books of account for the Trust, except for such rights as are set forth in Article VIII hereof relating to the books of account and reports of the Trust.
SECTION 12.2 Distributions on Dissolution.
Upon the dissolution of the Trust, the Sponsor (or in the event there is no Sponsor, such person (the Liquidating Trustee) as the majority in interest of the Shareholders may propose and approve) shall take full charge of the Trust Estate. Any Liquidating Trustee so appointed shall have and may exercise, without further authorization or approval of any of the parties hereto, all of the powers conferred upon the Sponsor under the terms of this Trust Agreement, subject to all of the applicable limitations, contractual and otherwise, upon the exercise of such powers, and provided that the Liquidating Trustee shall not have general liability for the acts, omissions, obligations and expenses of the Trust. Thereafter, in accordance with Section 3808(e) of the Delaware Trust Statute, the affairs of the Trust shall be wound up by the Sponsor or the Liquidating Trustee and all assets owned by the Trust shall be liquidated as promptly as is consistent with obtaining the fair value thereof, and the proceeds therefrom shall be applied and distributed in the following order of priority: (a) to the expenses of liquidation and termination and to creditors, including Shareholders who are creditors, to the extent otherwise permitted by law, in satisfaction of liabilities of the Trust (whether by payment or the making of reasonable provision for payment thereof) other than liabilities for distributions to Shareholders, and (b) to the Shareholders pro rata in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests of the Trust Estate.
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SECTION 12.3 Termination; Certificate of Cancellation.
Following the dissolution and distribution of the assets of the Trust, the Trust shall terminate and the Sponsor or the Liquidating Trustee, as the case may be, shall instruct the Trustee in writing to execute and cause such certificate of cancellation of the Certificate of Trust to be filed in accordance with the Delaware Trust Statute at the expense of the Sponsor or the Liquidating Trustee, as the case may be. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Trust Agreement, the existence of the Trust as a separate legal entity shall continue until the filing of such certificate of cancellation.
ARTICLE XIII
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 13.1 Governing Law.
The validity and construction of this Trust Agreement and all amendments hereto shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, and the rights of all parties hereto and the effect of every provision hereof shall be subject to and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the conflict of laws provisions thereof; provided, however, that causes of action for violations of U.S. federal or state securities laws shall not be governed by this Section 13.1, and provided, further, that the parties hereto intend that the provisions hereof shall control over any contrary or limiting statutory or common law of the State of Delaware (other than the Delaware Trust Statute) and that, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, there shall not be applicable to the Trust, the Trustee, the Sponsor, the Shareholders or this Trust Agreement any provision of the laws (statutory or common) of the State of Delaware (other than the Delaware Trust Statute) pertaining to trusts that relate to or regulate in a manner inconsistent with the terms hereof: (a) the filing with any court or governmental body or agency of trustee accounts or schedules of trustee fees and charges, (b) affirmative requirements to post bonds for trustees, officers, agents, or employees of a trust, (c) the necessity for obtaining court or other governmental approval concerning the acquisition, holding or disposition of real or personal property, (d) fees or other sums payable to trustees, officers, agents or employees of a trust, (e) the allocation of receipts and expenditures to income or principal, (f) restrictions or limitations on the permissible nature, amount or concentration of trust investments or requirements relating to the titling, storage or other manner of holding of trust assets, or (g) the establishment of fiduciary or other standards or responsibilities or limitations on the acts or powers of trustees or managers that are inconsistent with the limitations on liability or authorities and powers of the Trustee or the Sponsor set forth or referenced in this Trust Agreement. Section 3540 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code shall not apply to the Trust. The Trust shall be of the type commonly called a statutory trust, and without limiting the provisions hereof, but subject to Section 1.5 and Section 1.6, the Trust may exercise all powers that are ordinarily exercised by such a statutory trust under Delaware law. Subject to Section 1.5 and Section 1.6, the Trust specifically reserves the right to exercise any of the powers or privileges afforded to statutory trusts and the absence of a specific reference herein to any such power, privilege or action shall not imply that the Trust may not exercise such power or privilege or take such actions.
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SECTION 13.2 Provisions In Conflict With Law or Regulations.
(a) The provisions of this Trust Agreement are severable, and if the Sponsor shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any one or more of such provisions (the Conflicting Provisions) are in conflict with the Code, the Delaware Trust Statute, the Securities Act, if applicable, or other applicable U.S. federal or state laws or the rules and regulations of any Secondary Market, the Conflicting Provisions shall be deemed never to have constituted a part of this Trust Agreement, even without any amendment of this Trust Agreement pursuant to this Trust Agreement; provided, however, that such determination by the Sponsor shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions of this Trust Agreement or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination. No Sponsor or Trustee shall be liable for making or failing to make such a determination.
(b) If any provision of this Trust Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such holding shall not in any manner affect or render invalid or unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Trust Agreement in any jurisdiction.
SECTION 13.3 Merger and Consolidation.
Subject to the provisions of Section 1.5 and Section 1.6, the Sponsor may cause (i) the Trust to be merged into or consolidated with, converted to or to sell all or substantially all of its assets to, another trust or entity; (ii) the Shares of the Trust to be converted into beneficial interests in another statutory trust (or series thereof); or (iii) the Shares of the Trust to be exchanged for shares in another trust or company under or pursuant to any U.S. state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law. For the avoidance of doubt, subject to the provisions of Section 1.5, the Sponsor, with written notice to the Shareholders, may approve and effect any of the transactions contemplated under (i), (ii) and (iii) above without any vote or other action of the Shareholders.
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SECTION 13.4 Construction.
In this Trust Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, words used in the singular or in the plural include both the plural and singular and words denoting any gender include all genders. The title and headings of different parts are inserted for convenience and shall not affect the meaning, construction or effect of this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 13.5 Notices.
All notices or communications under this Trust Agreement (other than notices of pledge or encumbrance of Shares, and reports and notices by the Sponsor to the Shareholders) shall be in writing and shall be effective upon personal delivery, or if sent by mail, postage prepaid, or if sent electronically, by email, or by overnight courier, and addressed, in each such case, to the address set forth in the books and records of the Trust or such other address as may be specified in writing, of the party to whom such notice is to be given, upon the deposit of such notice in the United States mail, upon transmission and electronic confirmation thereof or upon deposit with a representative of an overnight courier, as the case may be. Notices of pledge or encumbrance of Shares shall be effective upon timely receipt by the Sponsor in writing. Any reports or notices by the Sponsor to the Shareholders which are given electronically shall be effective upon receipt without requirement of confirmation.
All notices that are required to be provided to the Trustee shall be sent to:
Delaware Trust Company
Attn: Corporate Trust Administration
251 Little Falls Drive
Wilmington, DE 19808
All notices that the Trustee is required to provide shall be sent to:
if to the Trust, at
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
Attention: Legal Department
if to the Sponsor, at
FD Funds Management LLC
245 Summer Street V13E
Boston, MA 02210
Attention: Cynthia Lo Bessette
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SECTION 13.6 Counterparts; Electronic Signatures.
This Trust Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including those by facsimile or other electronic means), all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument binding on all of the parties hereto, notwithstanding that all parties are not signatory to the original or the same counterpart. This Trust Agreement, to the extent signed and delivered by means of a facsimile machine or other electronic transmission, shall be treated in all manner and respects as an original agreement and shall be considered to have the same binding legal effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person.
SECTION 13.7 Binding Nature of Trust Agreement.
The terms and provisions of this Trust Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, custodians, executors, estates, administrators, personal representatives, successors and permitted assigns of the respective Shareholders. For purposes of determining the rights of any Shareholder or assignee hereunder, the Trust and the Sponsor may rely upon the Trust records as to who are Shareholders and permitted assignees, and all Shareholders and assignees agree that the Trust and the Sponsor, in determining such rights, shall rely on such records and that Shareholders and their assignees shall be bound by such determination.
SECTION 13.8 No Legal Title to Trust Estate.
Subject to the provisions of Section 1.7 in the case of the Sponsor, the Shareholders shall not have legal title to any part of the Trust Estate.
SECTION 13.9 Creditors.
No creditors of any Shareholders shall have any right to obtain possession of, or otherwise exercise legal or equitable remedies with respect to, the Trust Estate.
SECTION 13.10 Integration.
This Trust Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings pertaining thereto.
SECTION 13.11 Goodwill; Use of Name.
No value shall be placed on the name or goodwill of the Trust, which shall belong exclusively to FD Funds Management LLC.
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SECTION 13.12 Patriot Act Compliance.
The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with requirements established under the USA PATRIOT Act and its implementing regulations (collectively, the Patriot Act), the Trustee, in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. Each party hereby agrees that it shall provide the Trustee with such information in its possession as the Trustee may request from time to time in order to comply with any applicable requirements of the Patriot Act.
SECTION 13.13 Corporate Transparency Act.
The Corporate Transparency Act (31 U.S.C. § 5336) and its implementing regulations (collectively, the CTA), may require the Trust to file reports with Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. It shall be Sponsors duty and not the Trustees duty to prepare such filings, cause the Trust to make such filings, and to cause the Trust to comply with its obligations under the CTA, if any.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have duly executed this Trust Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY as Trustee | ||
By: | /s/ Gregory Daniels | |
Name: Gregory Daniels | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
FD FUNDS MANAGEMENT LLC as Sponsor | ||
By: | /s/ Cynthia Lo Bessette | |
Name: Cynthia Lo Bessette | ||
Title: President |
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EXHIBIT A
FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRUST
CERTIFICATE OF TRUST
OF
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
This Certificate of Trust of Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Trust) is being duly executed and filed on behalf of the Trust by the undersigned, as trustee, to form a statutory trust under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. C. § 3801 et seq.) (the Act).
1. Name. The name of the statutory trust formed hereby is Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund.
2. Delaware Trustee. The name and business address of the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware are Delaware Trust Company, 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808.
3. Effective Date. This Certificate of Trust shall be effective upon filing.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed this Certificate of Trust in accordance with Section 3811(a)(1) of the Act.
DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY, not in its individual capacity but solely as Trustee of the Trust | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
A-1
Exhibit 5.1
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Morrison Warren Partner |
Chapman and Cutler LLP 320 South Canal Street, 27th Floor Chicago, Illinois 60606
T 312.845.3484 warren@chapman.com |
December [__], 2023
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund
245 Summer Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
Re: | Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, a Delaware statutory trust (the Trust), with respect to the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of Amendment No. [ ] (the Amendment) to the Trusts Registration Statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Trust filed the Amendment on or about December 29, 2023, in order to register shares (the Shares) of beneficial interest of the Trust. The Amendment seeks to register an unlimited number of Shares.
We have examined the Trusts Certificate of Trust; its Amended and Restated Trust Agreement; a form of Authorized Participant Agreement; its Certificate of Good Standing for the Trust; and such other legal and factual matters as we have considered necessary.
This opinion is based exclusively on the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the federal securities laws of the United States of America governing the issuance of shares of the Trust and does not extend to the securities or blue sky laws of the State of Delaware or other States or to other Federal securities or other laws.
We have assumed the following for purposes of this opinion:
1. | The legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all documents and records that we have reviewed, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of the documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or reproduced copies. |
2. | The Trusts Shares will be issued against consideration therefor as described in the Trusts prospectus relating thereto. |
This opinion relates solely to the registration of Shares of the Trust and not to the registration of any other series or classes of the Trust that have previously been registered.
December [__], 2023
Page 2
Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that, upon the effectiveness of the Amendment, the Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust, when issued upon the terms and for the consideration described in the Amendment, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. To the extent that any of the opinions expressed herein related to matters arising under the laws of the State of Delaware, we have relied on the opinion of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. We hereby consent to the prospectus discussion of this opinion, the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.
Respectfully submitted, | ||
By: |
| |
CHAPMAN AND CUTLER LLP |
Exhibit 8.1
|
Three Bryant Park 1095 Avenue of the Americas
+1 212 698 3500 Main +1 212 698 3599 Fax www.dechert.com
|
December __, 2023
FD Funds Management LLC as Sponsor to Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund 245 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210
|
Delaware Trust Company as Trustee to Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund 245 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210 |
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are acting as special U.S. tax counsel to Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Trust), a Delaware statutory trust, formed on March 17, 2021, pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, in connection with the preparation of a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the Registration Statement) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on the date hereof.
In rendering this opinion, we have examined the Registration Statement and such other documents and materials as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to review for purposes of our opinion and have made such investigations of law as we have deemed appropriate as a basis for the opinion expressed below. In addition, in rendering this opinion, we have relied upon and have assumed, with your permission, the accuracy of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, and that the Trust will operate in the manner discussed in its organizational documents and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement (the Prospectus).
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Page 2 Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund December __, 2023 DRAFT |
Our opinion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), the U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as of the date hereof and all of which are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. In rendering this opinion, we are expressing our views only as to United States federal income tax law.
Based on and subject to the foregoing, the discussion relating to tax matters under the heading United States Federal Income Tax Consequences in the Prospectus (subject to the qualifications contained therein) expresses our opinion as to the material aspects of the United States federal income tax treatment to a Shareholder, as of the date hereof, of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of a Share pursuant to the Prospectus.
Our opinion relies on, and is subject to, the facts, representations and assumptions set forth or referenced herein. Any inaccuracy or subsequent change in such facts, representations or assumptions could adversely affect our opinion.
We hereby consent to the filing with the SEC of this letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and the reference to this letter and to us under the heading United States Federal Income Tax Consequences in the Prospectus. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933.
Very truly yours,
Dechert LLP
Exhibit 10.1
FORM OF AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund
This Authorized Participant Agreement (the Agreement) is entered into between Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (the Distributor) and [________________________________________and its affiliates] (collectively, the Participant) and is subject to acceptance by State Street Bank and Trust Company (the Transfer Agent). The Distributor, the Participant and the Transfer Agent acknowledge and agree that Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Trust) structured as an exchange-traded commodity fund (the Fund) shall be a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement and shall receive the benefits contemplated by this Agreement to the extent specified herein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein are defined in the current prospectus for the Fund (the Prospectus).
The Distributor may designate others, including affiliates or its agents, to perform certain functions in this agreement. The Distributor has appointed the Transfer Agent to provide certain order-taking functions relating to the shares of beneficial interest of the Fund (the Shares). The Transfer Agent serves as the transfer agent of the Shares.
This Agreement is intended to set forth certain premises and the procedures by which the Participant may create and/or redeem Creation Units through the Continuous Net Settlement (CNS) clearing processes of NSCC (as such processes have been enhanced to effect purchases and redemptions of Creation Units, the CNS Clearing Process), the manual process of The Depository Trust Company (DTC) or outside of these processes.
In consideration of the premises and mutual agreements contained herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. | STATUS OF PARTICIPANT |
a. | Clearing Status |
The Participant represents, covenants and warrants that it has the ability to transact through the Federal Reserve Book-Entry System and, with respect to orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units, (i) through the CNS Clearing Process, because it is a member of NSCC and an authorized participant in the CNS System of NSCC (a Participating Party), and/or (ii) outside the CNS Clearing Process, because it is a DTC participant (a DTC Participant). The Participant clears through NSCC numbers [____________] (CNS) and [____________] (DTC).
The Participant may place orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units either through the CNS Clearing Process or outside the CNS Clearing Process, subject to the procedures for creation and redemption referred to in Section 2 of this Agreement and the procedures described in Attachment A hereto. Any change in the foregoing status of the Participant shall terminate this Agreement. The Participant shall give prompt notice of any such change to the Distributor and the Transfer Agent.
b. | Broker-Dealer Status |
The Participant represents, covenants and warrants that: (i) it is a broker-dealer registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and it is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), or it is exempt from, or it is otherwise not required to be licensed as, a broker-dealer or a member of FINRA; (ii) it is registered and/or licensed to act as a broker or dealer, as required under all applicable laws, rules and regulations in the states or other jurisdictions in which the Participant conducts its activities, or it is otherwise exempt; and (iii) it is a Qualified Institutional Buyer, as defined in Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act).
The Participant agrees that it will: (i) maintain such registrations, licenses, qualifications, and memberships in good standing and in full force and effect throughout the term of this Agreement; (ii) conform to the NASD Conduct Rules (or comparable FINRA Conduct Rules, if such NASD Conduct Rules are subsequently renamed, repealed, rescinded, or otherwise replaced by FINRA Conduct Rules) and the securities laws of any jurisdiction in which it sells Shares, directly or indirectly, to the extent such laws, rules and regulations relate to the Participants transactions in, and activities with respect to, the Shares; and (iii) not offer or sell Shares of the Fund in any state or jurisdiction where such Shares may not lawfully be offered and/or sold.
c. | Foreign Status |
If the Participant is offering and selling Shares in jurisdictions outside the several states, territories and possessions of the United States, and the Participant is not otherwise required to be registered or qualified as a broker or dealer, or to be a member of FINRA as set forth above, the Participant nevertheless agrees to observe the applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdiction in which such offer and/or sale is made, to comply with the full disclosure business in accordance with the NASD Conduct Rules (or comparable FINRA Conduct Rules, if such NASD Conduct Rules are subsequently renamed, repealed, rescinded, or otherwise replaced by FINRA Conduct Rules), to the extent the foregoing relates to the Participants transactions in, and activities with respect to, the Shares.
d. | Distributor Status |
The Participant understands and acknowledges that the method by which Creation Units will be created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws, rules and regulations. For example, because new Creation Units of Shares may be issued and sold by a Fund on an ongoing basis, a distribution, as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. The Participant understands and acknowledges that some activities on its part, depending on the circumstances, may result in it being deemed a participant in a distribution in a manner which could render it a statutory underwriter and subject it to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. Neither the Distributor nor the Transfer Agent will indemnify the Participant for any violations of the federal securities laws committed by the Participant. The Participant also understands and acknowledges that dealers who are not underwriters, but who effect transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus.
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2. | EXECUTION OF ORDERS |
All orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units shall be handled in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus, and where applicable, the procedures described in Attachment A to this Agreement. In the event the procedures include the use of recorded telephone lines, the Participant hereby consents to such use. The Trust and/or the Distributor reserve the right to issue additional or other procedures relating to the manner of creating or redeeming Creation Units, and the Participant and the Transfer Agent agree to comply with such procedures as may be issued from time to time, upon reasonable notice thereof. In the event of a conflict between the Prospectus and any such procedures, the Prospectus shall control.
With respect to any order for the purchase of Creation Units (Purchase Order), the Trust acknowledges and agrees to return to the Participant, or to any party for which it is acting, any dividend, interest, distribution or other corporate action paid to the Trust in respect of any Basket Deposit that is transferred to the Trust that, based on the valuation of such Basket Deposit at the time of transfer, should have been paid to the Participant or any party for which it is acting.
With respect to any order for the redemption of Creation Units (Redemption Order), the Participant acknowledges and agrees on behalf of itself and any party for which it is acting (regardless of its capacity) that: (i) the Participant will use its best efforts to return to the Trust any dividend, interest, distribution or other corporate action paid to it or the party for which it is acting in respect of Basket Deposit that are transferred to the Participant or any party for which it is acting that, based on the valuation of such Basket Deposit at the time of transfer, should have been paid to the Trust, and (ii) the Trust is entitled to reduce the amount of money or other proceeds due to the Participant or any party for which it is acting that, based on the valuation of such Basket Deposit at the time of transfer, should be paid to the Trust.
Solely with respect to orders for the creation or redemption of Creation Units through the CNS Clearing Process, the Participant as a Participating Party hereby authorizes the Trust or its designee to transmit to NSCC on behalf of the Participant such instructions, including Share and cash amounts (if any), as are necessary with respect to the creation and redemption of Creation Units consistent with the instructions issued by the Participant to the Transfer Agent for purchases and redemptions. The Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of such instructions issued by the Transfer Agent on behalf of the Trust and reported to NSCC as though such instructions were issued by the Participant directly to NSCC.
3. | BASKET DEPOSIT AND/OR RELEVANT CASH AMOUNTS |
The Fund will make available each day the Fund is open through the Distributor and/or the Transfer Agent the names and the required amount of the Deposit Security in a Creation Unit, as well as information regarding the Cash Component, Cash Amount, or the Cash Deposit, collectively referred to herein as Cash Component or Cash Deposit, if applicable. The Participant understands that a Creation Unit will not be issued until the requisite amount of the Deposit Security and the Cash Component, or the Cash Deposit, if any, as well as applicable Transaction Fees (as discussed below) are transferred to the Trust on or before the settlement date in accordance with the Prospectus.
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4. | ROLE OF PARTICIPANT |
a. | Not Acting as Agent |
The Participant acknowledges and agrees that, for all purposes of this Agreement, the Participant will be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall have no authority in any transaction or in any respect to act as agent of the Trust, the Distributor, or the Transfer Agent. The Participant agrees to make itself and its employees available, upon request, during normal business hours to consult with the Trust, the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, or the Participants custodian or their designees concerning the performance of the Participants responsibilities under this Agreement.
b. | Obligations as DTC Participant |
The Participant, as a DTC Participant, agrees that it shall be bound by all of the obligations of a DTC Participant in addition to any obligations that it undertakes hereunder or in accordance with the Prospectus.
c. | Delivery of Shareholder Information |
The Participant agrees that subject to any privacy obligations or other obligations arising under the federal or state securities laws that the Participant may have to its customers, the Participant will assist the Distributor and/or Transfer Agent in ascertaining certain information regarding sales of Shares made by or through the Participant upon the request of the Trust or the Distributor necessary for the Fund to comply with its obligations to distribute information to its shareholders, as may be required from time to time under applicable state or federal securities laws, rules and regulations. The Participant shall undertake to deliver to its customers proxy materials and annual and other reports of the Fund, or other similar information that the Fund is obligated to deliver to its shareholders, upon receiving from the Fund or the Distributor of sufficient quantities of the same to allow mailing thereof to such customers. The Participant will be responsible for providing Prospectuses in connection with sales of Shares in the secondary market, as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
d. | Identification in Registration Statement |
Except as required by court order or requested by any regulatory or self-regulatory authority of competent jurisdiction, the Distributor on its own behalf and on behalf of the Trust and the Funds each agree that it will not, without prior written consent of the Participant, use in advertising or publicity any trade name, trademark, trade device, service mark, symbol or any abbreviation, contraction or simulation thereof owned by the Participant or any of its affiliates or represent that any product or any service provided or distributed by the Fund, Trust or the Distributor has been approved or endorsed by the Participant or any of its affiliates, or that the Participant acts as underwriter, distributor or selling group member with respect to the Shares. Upon the termination of this Agreement as to the Trust, the Distributor will remove any reference to the Participant from such documents, including, but not limited to the Prospectus in the amendment of the Registration Statement next occurring after the date of the termination of this Agreement, and Distributor will also promptly file a current report on Form 8-K indicating the withdrawal of the Participant as an Authorized Participant of the Trust, if previously included in said report. The Distributor will promptly update the Trusts website to remove any identification of the Participant as an Authorized Participant of the Trust. This Section 4(d) shall survive termination or expiration of this Agreement.
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e. | Proprietary Information |
Neither the Distributor nor any of its affiliates shall use the names, addresses and other information concerning the Participants customers for any purpose except in connection with the performance of its duties and responsibilities hereunder and except for servicing and informational mailings described in this Section 4, or as may otherwise be permitted by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
f. | Maintenance of Records |
The Participant agrees to maintain records of all sales of Shares made by or through it, in a manner consistent with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to furnish copies of such records to the Trust or the Distributor promptly upon request.
g. | Privacy |
The Participant affirms that it has and will continue to have throughout the term of this Agreement, procedures in place that are reasonably designed to protect the privacy of non-public personal consumer/customer information to the extent required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
h. | Anti-Money Laundering |
The Participant represents that it has and will continue to have throughout the term of this Agreement written policies, procedures and internal controls (AML Program) reasonably designed to comply with applicable anti-money laundering laws, rules and regulations, now or hereafter in effect, including applicable provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and the regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control, as the same may be in effect from time to time, which is hereby confirmed with the placement of any order. The Participant represents that its AML Program will be maintained in substantial conformity with the foregoing provisions throughout the term of this Agreement.
5. | PARTICIPANT REPRESENTATIONS |
a. | Representations Concerning a Fund |
The Participant represents, warrants and agrees that it will not make any representations concerning a Fund, Creation Units or Shares, other than those consistent with the Prospectus or any promotional or sales literature furnished to the Participant by the Trust or the Distributor, or any such materials permitted by clause (b) of this Section.
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b. | Marketing Materials |
The Participant represents, warrants and agrees that, in connection with any sale or solicitation of a sale of Shares, it will only make representations concerning the Shares that are consistent with the then current Prospectus or any promotional materials or sales literature furnished to the Participant by the Distributor or the Trust.
The Participant agrees not to furnish, or cause to be furnished by it or its employees, to any person, or to display or publish, any information or materials relating to the Fund or the Shares (including, without limitation, promotional materials and sales literature, advertisements, press releases, announcements, statements, posters, signs or other similar materials, but not including any materials that are prepared and used for the Participants internal use only, or brokerage communications that are prepared by the Participant in the normal course of its business, consistent with the Prospectus, and in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations) (Marketing Materials), unless such Marketing Materials: (i) are either furnished to the Participant by the Trust or the Distributor, or are otherwise consistent with the Prospectus, have been approved by the Distributor in writing prior to use, and clearly indicate that such Marketing Materials are prepared and distributed by the Participant, and (ii) comply with applicable NASD Conduct Rules (or comparable FINRA Conduct Rules, if such NASD Conduct Rules are subsequently renamed, repealed, rescinded, or otherwise replaced by FINRA Conduct Rules). The Participant shall file all such Marketing Materials that it prepares with FINRA, as required by applicable laws, rules or regulations.
c. | Preparation and Circulation of Research Reports |
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Participant and its affiliates may prepare and circulate in the regular course of their businesses research, reports and other similar materials that include information, opinions or recommendations relating to the Shares, provided that, such materials comply with applicable NASD Conduct Rules (or comparable FINRA Conduct Rules, if such NASD Conduct Rules are subsequently renamed, repealed, rescinded, or are otherwise replaced by FINRA Conduct Rules) and other applicable laws, rules and regulations. Such materials must be consistent with the Prospectus or other materials previously furnished by the Trust or the Distributor or be approved by the Distributor in writing prior to use, and clearly indicate that such materials are prepared and distributed by the Participant.
6. | PAYMENT OF CERTAIN FEES AND TAXES |
a. | Transaction Fees |
In connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units, the Participant agrees to pay the Transaction Fee, if any, prescribed in the Prospectus or provided to the Participant, applicable to creations or redemptions. Transaction Fees, which may be waived or otherwise adjusted from time to time. The Participant will receive a Prospectus that contains complete disclosure about Transaction Fees. The Participant will also receive the amount of the transaction fee, including the maximum amount of the Transaction Fee charged by the Fund from the Distributor. Variations in the Transaction Fee may be imposed in the sole discretion of the Distributor and/or Trust from time to time, as disclosed in the Prospectus.
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b. | Tax Liability |
To the extent any payment of any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax, value added tax or any other similar tax or government charge applicable to the creation or redemption of any Creation Unit of Shares of any Fund made pursuant to this Agreement is imposed, the Participant shall be responsible for the payment of such tax or government charge regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly on the Participant. To the extent the Trust, the Distributor or their agents are required by law to pay any such tax or charge, the Participant agrees to promptly indemnify such party for any such payment, together with any applicable penalties, additions to tax or interest thereon.
7. | AUTHORIZED PERSONS |
a. | Certification |
Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, the Participant shall deliver to the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, and the Trust a certificate in a form attached as Attachment B-1 to this Agreement, duly certified as appropriate by its secretary or other duly authorized person that sets forth the names, titles, signatures, email addresses, and telephone numbers of all persons authorized to give instructions relating to the activities contemplated hereby or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Participant (each, an Authorized Person). Such certificate may be accepted and relied upon by the Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Trust as conclusive evidence of the facts set forth therein and shall be considered to be in full force and effect until receipt by the Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Trust of a superseding or amended certificate or if earlier, until termination of this Agreement. After such certificate is accepted by the Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Trust, the Participant may authorize additional Authorized Persons to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated hereby or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Participant by delivering to the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, and the Trust an addendum to the certificate described above in a form attached as Attachment B-2 to this Agreement.
b. | PIN Numbers |
The Transfer Agent shall issue to each Authorized Person a unique personal identification number (PIN Number) by which such Authorized Person and the Participant shall be identified and instructions issued by the Participant hereunder shall be authenticated. The PIN Number shall be kept confidential and provided to Authorized Persons and the Distributor only. If for some reason, an Authorized Persons PIN Number is compromised, the Participant or such Authorized Person shall contact the Transfer Agent immediately in order for a new PIN Number to be issued, and the Participant or Authorized Person and the Transfer Agent shall notify the Distributor.
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The Participant may revoke the PIN Number at any time upon written notice to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of such written request, the Transfer Agent shall promptly deactivate the PIN Number. If a Participants PIN Number is changed, the new PIN Number will become effective on a date and time mutually agreed upon by the Participant, the Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Trust. The Transfer Agent will promptly provide the Distributor with all newly issued PIN Numbers and promptly notify the Distributor of any changes to PIN Numbers, including deactivation of any PIN Number.
c. | Termination of Authority |
Upon the termination or revocation of authority of an Authorized Person by the Participant, the Participant shall give prompt written notice of such fact to the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, and such notice shall be effective upon receipt by the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent shall promptly deactivate the PIN Number of such Authorized Person upon receipt of the written notice and notify the Distributor.
d. | Verification |
The Distributor and Transfer Agent shall not verify that an Order is being placed by an Authorized Person. The Distributor and Transfer Agent shall be entitled to assume that all instructions issued to it using the Participants PIN Number have been properly placed by Authorized Persons, unless the Distributor or Transfer Agent, as the case may be, has actual knowledge to the contrary or the Participant has properly revoked such PIN Number as provided herein.
e. | Limitation of Liability |
The Participant agrees that the Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Trust shall not be liable for losses incurred by the Participant as a result of unauthorized use of the Participants PIN Number.
8. | REDEMPTION |
The Participant represents, warrants and agrees on behalf of itself and any party for which it acts (a Participant Client) that, as of the close of a Business Day on which it has placed any Submission Number for the purpose of redeeming a Creation Unit of Shares of the Fund (a Redemption Order), it or the Participant Client, as the case may be, will own (within the meaning of Rule 200 of Regulation SHO) or have arranged to borrow for delivery to the Trust on or prior to the settlement date of the Redemption Order the number of Shares of the Fund to be redeemed as a Creation Unit. In either case, the Participant acknowledges that: (i) it has or if, applicable, its Participant Client has full legal authority and legal right to tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares of the Fund and to receive the entire proceeds of the redemption and (ii) if such Shares submitted for redemption have been loaned or pledged to another party or are the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or any other arrangement affecting legal or beneficial ownership of such Shares being tendered there are no restrictions precluding the tender and delivery of such Shares (including borrowed Shares, if any) for redemption, free and clear of liens, on the redemption settlement date. In the event that the Distributor and/or the Trust have reason to believe that the Participant does not own or have available for delivery the requisite number of Shares of the Fund to be redeemed as a Creation Unit to deliver by the settlement date, the Distributor and/or the Trust may require the Participant to deliver or execute supporting documentation evidencing ownership or its right to deliver sufficient Shares of the Fund in order for the Redemption Order to be in proper form and, if such documentation is not satisfactory to the Distributor and/or the Trust, in their reasonable discretion, the Distributor may reject the Redemption Order. Failure to deliver or execute the requested supporting documentation may result in the Participants Redemption Order being rejected as not in proper form.
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9. | INDEMNIFICATION |
This Section 9 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
a. | Participants Indemnification of Trust, Distributor, and Transfer Agent |
The Participant hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, their respective affiliates, directors, trustees, partners, members, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (each, a Participant Indemnified Party) from and against any loss, liability, cost and expense (including reasonable attorneys fees) incurred by such Participant Indemnified Party as a result of: (i) any breach by the Participant of any provision of this Agreement that relates to the Participant; (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, rules and regulations, including rules and regulations of self-regulatory organizations (SROs) in relation to its role as Participant; (iv) actions of such Participant Indemnified Party in reliance upon any instructions issued or representations made in accordance with Attachment A (as amended from time to time) and reasonably believed by the Distributor or the Transfer Agent, as applicable, to be genuine and to have been given by the Participant or (v)(1) any representation by the Participant, its employees or its agents or other representatives about the Shares, any Participant Indemnified Party or the Trust that is not consistent with the Trusts then-current Prospectus made in connection with the offer or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell Shares and (2) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any of Participants research reports, marketing material or sales literature described in Section 5 hereof or any alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading to the extent that such statement or omission relates to the Shares or any Participant Indemnified Party unless, in either case, such representation, statement or omission was made or included by the Participant at the written direction of the Trust or the Distributor or is based upon any omission by the Trust or the Distributor to state a material fact in connection with such representation, statement or omission necessary to make such representation, statement or omission not misleading.
The foregoing shall not apply to any loss, damage, charge, liability, cost, expense, cause of action, obligation, judgment or fee incurred by a Participant Indemnified Party arising out of such Participant Indemnified Partys fraud, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless or willful misconduct. With respect to (i) through (iii) and (v) above, the Participant Indemnified Partys failure to promptly acknowledge the Participants breach of, or failure to perform or comply with, the terms of this Agreement shall not negate the foregoing indemnification.
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b. | Distributors Indemnification of Participant |
The Distributor hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Participant, its respective subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, partners, members, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (each a Distributor Indemnified Party) from and against any loss, liability, cost and expense (including reasonable attorneys fees) incurred by such Distributor Indemnified Party as a result of: (i) any breach by the Distributor of any provision of this Agreement that relates to the Distributor; (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, rules and regulations, including rules and regulations of SROs in relation to its role as Distributor; (iv) actions of such Distributor Indemnified Party in reliance upon any instructions issued or representations made in accordance with Attachment A (as amended from time to time) reasonably believed by the Participant to be genuine and to have been given by the Distributor; or (v) any untrue statement, of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, as each may be amended from time to time, or any omission, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
The foregoing shall not apply to any loss, damage, charge, liability, cost, expense, cause of action, obligation, judgment or fee incurred by a Distributor Indemnified Party arising out of such Distributor Indemnified Partys fraud, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless or willful misconduct. With respect to (i) through (iii) and (v) above, the Distributor Indemnified Partys failure to promptly acknowledge any omission to state a material fact or untrue statement contained in such materials or the Distributors breach of, or failure to perform or comply with, the terms of this Agreement shall not negate the foregoing indemnification.
c. | Data Errors and Communication Delays |
Neither the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, nor the Participant shall be liable to any other party to this Agreement for any damages arising out of mistakes or errors in data provided to the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, or the Participant by a third party, or out of interruptions or delays of electronic means of communications with the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, or the Participant.
10. | LIMITATION OF LIABILITY |
a. | Express Duties |
The Distributor and the Transfer Agent undertake to perform such duties and only such duties as are expressly set forth herein, or expressly incorporated herein by reference, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Distributor or the Transfer Agent.
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b. | Limited Liability |
In the absence of fraud, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless or willful misconduct on its part, neither the Distributor, nor the Transfer Agent, whether acting directly or through agents or attorneys, shall be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted or for any error of judgment made by any of them in the performance of their duties hereunder. Neither the Distributor nor the Transfer Agent shall be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith unless the party exercising such shall have been grossly negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts necessary to make such judgment. In no event shall the Distributor or the Transfer Agent be liable for special, indirect or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profit), even if such parties have been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action. In no event shall the Distributor or the Transfer Agent be liable for the acts or omissions of DTC, NSCC or any other securities depository or clearing corporation.
c. | Force Majeure |
Neither the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, nor the Participant shall be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including without limitation: acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; terrorism; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruptions; loss or malfunction of utilities, computer (hardware or software) or communications service; accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority or governmental actions.
d. | Reliance on Instructions |
The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Trust may conclusively rely upon, and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon, any communication authorized hereby and upon any written or oral instruction, notice, request, direction or consent reasonably believed by each of them to be genuine.
e. | No Advancement by Transfer Agent |
The Transfer Agent shall not be required to advance, expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur or become exposed to financial liability in the performance of its duties hereunder, except as may be required as a result of its own fraud, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless or willful misconduct.
11. | HARD FORKS AND AIR DROPS |
Except for cash temporarily held to pay Trust expenses, facilitate redemption transactions, or received in creation transactions, the Trust will only invest in bitcoin. The Trust intends to disclaim any digital assets airdropped to holders of bitcoin. The Trust will receive or claim rights to any digital assets created by a fork of the Bitcoin network that are supported by the digital assets custodian and for which the Sponsor determines a suitable secondary market exists to sell such assets The Trust Agreement requires that, if the Trust receives or claims a forked asset, the Sponsor will cause the forked asset to be sold and have the proceeds distributed to the Shareholders.
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In the event of a hard fork of the Bitcoin network, the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its sole discretion to determine, in good faith, which peer-to-peer network, among a group of incompatible forks of the Bitcoin network, is generally accepted as the Bitcoin network and should therefore be considered the appropriate network for the Trusts purposes. The Sponsor will base its determination on whatever factors it deems relevant, including but not limited to, the Sponsors beliefs regarding expectations of the core developers of Bitcoin, the developer roadmap, users of block space (available capacity within a block to store data and execute code) including services and businesses, suppliers of block space (i.e. miners) and their associated incentives, and other constituencies, as well as other non-fundamental factors, the Bitcoin network, the digital assets custodians ability and willingness to support the fork, or whatever other factors it deems relevant. There is no guarantee that the Sponsor will choose the digital asset that is ultimately the most valuable fork, and the Sponsors decision may adversely affect the value of the Shares as a result. The Sponsor may also disagree with Shareholders, the digital assets custodian, other service providers, the Index Provider, cryptocurrency exchanges, or other market participants on what is generally accepted as bitcoin and should therefore be considered bitcoin for the Trusts purposes, which may also adversely affect the value of the Shares as a result.
In the event of a hard fork of the Bitcoin network, the Trust or its agent will use best efforts to notify the Participant as soon as possible if an alternate fork is being selected. The Participant may reach out to the Trust or its agent to determine if a fork is being selected if the Participant has determined it is material with respect to its ability to perform under the terms of this Agreement.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Transfer Agent is not an agent of the Trust for purposes of this Section 11, and will have no obligation, responsibility, or liability for the determinations or actions in this Section.
12. | TRUST AS THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARY |
The Participant, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent understand and agree that the Trust, as a third-party beneficiary to this Agreement, is entitled and intends to proceed directly against the Participant in the event the Participant fails to honor any of its obligations pursuant to this Agreement that benefit the Trust. The Participant agrees to cooperate with the Trust, Transfer Agent, and the Distributor if a request for information or records is made to the Participant.
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13. | ACKNOWLEDGMENT |
The Participant acknowledges receipt of the Prospectus and represents it has reviewed the Prospectus and understands the terms thereof, and further acknowledges that the procedures contained therein pertaining to the creation and redemption of Shares are incorporated herein by reference.
14. | NOTICES |
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement, all notices required or permitted to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be given in writing and delivered by personal delivery, traceable overnight mail (e.g., Federal Express) or by postage prepaid registered or certified U.S. First Class mail, return receipt requested, or similar means of same day delivery (with a confirming copy by mail as provided herein).
Each party acknowledges its consent to electronic delivery, including via email, of any documents or materials required and/or provided by one to the other related to services provided under this Agreement. Either party may revoke this consent and request any such documents or materials to be mailed, in lieu of electronic delivery, at any time upon reasonable notice to the other.
Unless otherwise notified in writing, all notices shall be given or sent as follows:
To the DISTRIBUTOR: | Fidelity Distributors Company LLC
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Telephone: | ||||
Email: | ||||
With a copy to: | ||||
ETF Services Team 6501 S. Fiddlers Green Circle, Suite 600 Greenwood Village, CO 80111
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Telephone: |
720-356-6716 | |||
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Shelley.harding@fmr.com | |||
To the PARTICIPANT: | [Name of Participant] [Participant Street Address] [Participant City, State and Zip Code]
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Telephone: | [(___) ___-____] | |||
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To the TRANSFER AGENT: | State Street Bank and Trust Company Attn: ETF Matters P.O. Box 5049 Boston, MA 02206-5049
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With a copy to:
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State Street Bank and Trust Company 200 Clarendon Street, 16th Floor Boston, MA 02116
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Telephone: | ||
Email: | ||
To the Trust: | Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund Delaware Trust Company | |
Telephone: | ||
Email: |
15. | ENTIRE AGREEMENT |
This Agreement and Attachment A hereto, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, supersede any prior agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter contained herein and constitute the entire agreement between the parties regarding the matters contained herein. Additional or other procedures relating to the manner of creating or redeeming Creation Units, when issued by the Distributor and/or Trust and provided pursuant to the notice provisions hereof, shall become part of this Agreement.
16. | INTERPRETATION |
Titles and section headings are included solely for convenient reference and are not a part of this Agreement.
17. | AMENDMENT |
This Agreement, Attachment A hereto, and any additional or other procedures relating to the manner of creating or redeeming Creation Units issued by the Trust and provided pursuant to the notice provisions hereof may be amended or modified: (i) by a written document signed by an authorized representative of each party; or (ii) by the Trust or the Distributor from time to time without the consent of any Participant or Beneficial Owner by the following procedure: the Trust or the Distributor will mail a copy of the amendment to the Participant and the Trust or Distributor, as applicable, and the Transfer Agent. If neither the Participant nor the other party objects in writing to the amendment within ten (10) days after its receipt, the amendment will become part of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.
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18. | TERMINATION |
This Agreement may be terminated at any time by any party upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to the other parties unless: (i) earlier terminated by the Trust, Transfer Agent or the Distributor in the event of a breach by the Participant of this Agreement or the procedures described or incorporated herein; or (ii) in the event that the Trust is terminated pursuant to the Trust Agreement.
19. | PROSPECTUS AND REPRESENTATIONS |
The Distributor will provide to the Participant copies of the Prospectus and any printed supplemental information in reasonable quantities upon request. The Participant consents to the delivery of Prospectuses electronically. The Participant understands that current Prospectuses and all required reports for each applicable Fund are available at the Funds website at [ XXXX]. The Participant can revoke this consent to delivering Prospectuses electronically at any time by calling 1-800-[___-_____]. The Participant agrees to maintain a valid email address, and agrees to promptly notify the Distributor if its email address changes. The Participant shall, upon request of the Trust, provide the Trust with sufficient documentation and other evidence that the Participant is providing Prospectuses to the purchasers of any Shares. The Distributor shall be deemed to have complied with this Section when the Participant has received such revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus by email at [ XXXX@ .com].
Participant and Distributor are expressly put on notice of the limitation of shareholder liability as set forth in the Declaration(s) of Trust or other organizational document of the Fund or Trust and agree that any obligation assumed by the Fund under this contract shall be limited in all cases to the Fund and its assets. Participant or Distributor shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders or any shareholder of the Fund. Nor shall the Participant or Distributor seek satisfaction from the Trustees or any individual Trustee of the Fund.
20. | COUNTERPARTS |
This Agreement may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all shall constitute but one and the same instrument.
21. | GOVERNING LAW |
This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. The parties irrevocably submit to the personal jurisdiction and service and venue of any Commonwealth of Massachusetts or United States Federal court sitting in Boston, Massachusetts having subject matter jurisdiction, for the purposes of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
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22. | ASSIGNMENT |
No party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement (in whole or in part) without the prior written consent of the other parties, which shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided that, any party may assign its rights and obligations hereunder (in whole, but not in part) without such consent to an entity acquiring all, or substantially all of its assets or business or to an affiliate. The party resulting from any such merger, conversion, consolidation or succession shall notify the other parties hereto of the change. Notwithstanding the aforementioned termination provisions, in the event that an entity acquires all or substantially all of the Participants assets or business, the Distributor or Transfer Agent may elect within a limited period of time not to exceed thirty (30) days from the date upon which such acquisition was publicly announced to immediately terminate this Agreement.
23. | SEVERANCE |
If any provision of this Agreement is held by any court or any act, regulation, rule or decision of any other governmental or supranational body or authority or regulatory or self-regulatory organization to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason, it shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable only to the extent so held and shall not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of the other provisions of this Agreement so long as this Agreement, as so modified, continues to express, without material change, the original intentions of the parties as to the subject matter of this Agreement and the deletion of such portion of this Agreement will not substantially impair the respective benefits, obligations, or expectations of the parties to this Agreement.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the duly authorized representatives of the below parties hereto have executed this Agreement, the effective date of which shall be date of the last dated signature below.
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC, AS DISTRIBUTOR: | ||
By: |
| |
Name: |
| |
Title: |
| |
Address: | ||
Telephone: | ||
Email: | ||
Date: |
[Name of Participant], AS PARTICIPANT: | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
Address: | [Participant Street Address] | |
[Participant City, State and Zip Code] | ||
Telephone: | [(___) ___-____] | |
Email: | ||
Tax ID No. | ||
Date: |
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Accepted by:
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, AS TRANSFER AGENT: | ||
By: |
| |
Name: |
| |
Title: |
| |
Address: | ||
Telephone: | ||
Email: | ||
Date: |
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ATTACHMENT A
This attachment to the Authorized Participant Agreement supplements the Prospectus with respect to the procedures to be used by (i) the Transfer Agent and Distributor in processing a Purchase Order for the purchase of Shares, (ii) the Transfer Agent and Distributor in processing a Redemption Order for the redemption of Shares, and (iii) the Participant, Transfer Agent, Distributor or their agents in delivering or arranging for the delivery of requisite cash payments, Fund Deposits or Shares, as the case may be, in connection with the submission of Purchase Orders or Redemption Orders.
A Participant may, under certain circumstances, submit a non-standard order. In order to submit a non-standard order, the Participant must follow the additional procedures described in Appendix 1 of this Attachment A.
A Participant is first required to have signed the Authorized Participant Agreement and opened an account with Fidelity Digital Asset Services (the Digital Assets Custodian) prior to initiating any orders. Upon acceptance of the Authorized Participant Agreement by the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will assign a PIN Number to each Authorized Person authorized to act for the Participant. The Digital Assets Custodian will assign an address to the Participant. This will allow a Participant through its Authorized Person(s) to place a Purchase Order or Redemption Order with respect to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units of Shares.
A. | ELECTION TO PLACE ORDERS BY INTERNET |
1. | GENERAL |
In addition to the procedures for placing a Purchase Order and Redemption Order as set forth under Sections B.1 - B.3, Sections C.1 - C.3 and Section D of this Attachment A, respectively, the Participant may utilize the State Street Fund Connect proprietary system, or any successor system (Fund Connect), made available to Participant by the Transfer Agent, together with State Street Global Markets, LLC (collectively, State Street). Fund Connect is a proprietary electronic fund platform that will allow Participant to submit orders to create or redeem Creation Units under the Agreement. The terms and conditions on which State Street will deliver Fund Connect to Participant shall be set forth in a separate agreement between State Street and Participant (Fund Connect Agreement). To the extent that any provision of the Agreement is inconsistent with any provision of any Fund Connect Agreement, the Fund Connect Agreement shall control with respect to State Streets provision of Fund Connect; provided, however, it is not the intention of the parties to otherwise modify the rights, duties and obligations of the parties under the Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect until otherwise expressly modified or terminated in accordance with its terms. For additional clarity, Sections B.4 and B.5 of this Attachment A related to processing and suspending/rejecting Purchase Orders, respectively, shall continue to apply with respect to any orders via Fund Connect.
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2. | CERTAIN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
The Participant acknowledges and agrees that (i) neither the Trust, the Distributor nor State Street have made any representations, warranties, indemnities, obligations, guarantees or agreements of any kind, whether express, implied, oral or written, with respect to Fund Connect, other than as may be expressly provided by State Street in the Fund Connect Agreement; (ii) Fund Connect is provided as is, as available with all faults and without any warranty of any kind and that any transactions, content, or data downloaded or otherwise obtained through the use of Fund Connect are done at the Participants own discretion and risk; (iii) the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and their respective agents may elect to review any order placed through Fund Connect manually before it is executed and that such manual review may result in a delay in execution of such order; and (iv) during periods of heavy market activity or other times, it may be difficult to place orders via Fund Connect and the Participant may place orders as otherwise set forth in Attachment A.
3. | ELECTION TO TERMINATE PLACING ORDERS BY INTERNET |
The Participant may elect at any time to discontinue placing orders through Fund Connect without providing notice under the Agreement.
B. | TO PLACE A PURCHASE ORDER |
1. | PLACEMENT OF A PURCHASE ORDER |
Purchase Orders for Creation Units may be initiated only on days when the NYSE is open for trading (Transmittal Days), which excludes the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washingtons Birthday (popularly known as Presidents Day), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day (each, a Holiday).
Purchase Orders may only be made in whole Creation Units. All Purchase Orders shall be made in accordance with the terms and procedures set forth in the Prospectus. Each party hereto agrees to comply with the provisions of the Prospectus to the extent applicable to it. The Distributor and/or Trust reserves the right to issue procedures relating to the manner of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units, and the Participant, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent agree to comply with such procedures as may be issued from time to time upon reasonable notice thereof.
To initiate a Purchase Order, an Authorized Person of the Participant must call the Transfer Agent at [State Street to insert phone number here] not later than the closing time of the regular trading session of the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern time) on a Transmittal Day as set forth in the applicable Funds order form, which is incorporated into and made part of this Agreement, or such earlier time as designated by such Fund (the Order Cut-Off Time); provided that, when the NYSE closes early on a Transmittal Day prior to a Holiday, or for any other reason, the Order Cut-Off Time shall be the earlier NYSE close on such Transmittal Day.
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Upon verifying the authenticity of the Authorized Person (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number) and the terms of the Purchase Order, the Transfer Agent will issue a unique Order Number. An Order Number is only valid for a limited time. The Purchase Order must be sent by facsimile in the form provided by the Fund or its agents (which may include various Participant representations) to the Transfer Agent within 20 minutes of the issuance of the Order Number. In the event that the Purchase Order is not received within such time period, the Transfer Agent will attempt to contact the Participant to request immediate transmission of the Purchase Order. Unless the Purchase Order is received by the Transfer Agent upon the earlier of (i) within 15 minutes of contact with the Participant or (ii) 45 minutes after the Order Cut-Off Time, the order will be deemed invalid.
NOTE: A PURCHASE ORDER REQUEST IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE TRANSFER AGENT ISSUES AN ORDER NUMBER. AN ORDER MAY NOT BE CANCELED BY AN AUTHORIZED PERSON AFTER AN ORDER NUMBER HAS BEEN ISSUED. INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS ARE QUEUED AND WILL BE HANDLED IN THE ORDER RECEIVED. A CALL THAT IS PLACED BEFORE THE ORDER CUT-OFF TIME WILL BE PROCESSED EVEN IF THE CALL IS ANSWERED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT AFTER THE ORDER CUT-OFF TIME. ACCORDINGLY, THE AUTHORIZED PERSON SHOULD NOT HANG UP AND REDIAL. INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE ORDER CUT-OFF TIME WILL NOT BE ANSWERED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT. ALL TELEPHONE CALLS MAY BE RECORDED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT.
THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE PURCHASE ORDER. A PURCHASE ORDER IS ONLY COMPLETED AND PROCESSED UPON RECEIPT OF WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINING THE DESIGNATED ORDER NUMBER AND AUTHORIZED PERSONS SIGNATURE AND TRANSMITTED BY FACSIMILE.
2. | RECEIPT OF TRADE CONFIRMATION |
The Transfer Agent will fax a copy of any accepted Purchase Order that was submitted by telephone to the Participant within approximately 45 minutes of its receipt of acceptance of the Order by the Distributor, as confirmation of such Purchase Order. In the event the Participant does not receive a Purchase Order confirmation, it should contact the Transfer Agent at the business number indicated.
3. | AMBIGUOUS INSTRUCTIONS |
In the event that the written Purchase Order contains terms that differ from the information provided in the telephone call at the time of issuance of the Order Number, a representative of the Transfer Agent will attempt to contact the Participant to request confirmation of the terms of the Purchase Order. If an Authorized Person is able to confirm the terms as they appear in the written Purchase Order by the Order Cut-Off Time, the Transfer Agent will continue processing the Purchase Order. If an Authorized Person contradicts its terms, the Purchase Order will be deemed invalid and a corrected written Purchase Order must be received by the Transfer Agents telephone representative by the Order Cut-Off Time.
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In the event that a written Purchase Order contains terms that are illegible, as determined in the sole discretion of the Distributor or Transfer Agent, the written Purchase Order will be deemed invalid and the Transfer Agent will attempt to contact the Participant to request transmission of a legible written Purchase Order. If the Transfer Agent does not receive a legible written Purchase Order by the Order Cut-Off Time, the Purchase Order will be deemed invalid. If the Transfer Agent is not able to contact an Authorized Person, the Purchase Order will be deemed invalid.
4. | PROCESSING A PURCHASE ORDER |
A Purchase Order shall be deemed to be received on the Transmittal Day on which the order is placed; provided that: (i) the order is placed in proper form prior to the Order Cut-Off Time on such date; (ii) federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Funds custodian on the next following business day prior to 12:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time, or such later time as designated by the Fund, for Fund Deposits consisting solely of cash, if applicable, (Cash Settlement Time); and (iii) the requisite number of Basket Deposit, together with any associated cash component, is delivered to the account of the applicable Fund by 12:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on the settlement date, or such later time as designated by the Fund, for Fund Deposits consisting of bitcoin or bitcoin and cash. Any Purchase Order that is not placed in the manner described above may be deemed to be rejected and the Participant shall be liable to the Trust for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The Transfer Agent shall process and transmit Purchase Orders in accordance with the procedures described in the relevant Funds registration statement and in this Attachment A. The Distributor shall make any determination to approve Purchase Orders.
The Distributor may, prior to the receipt of federal funds in the appropriate amount on the applicable Cash Settlement Time for Fund Deposits consisting of cash, begin to trade for a Fund with respect to which the Participant has placed a Purchase Order. The Participant agrees that, if the Distributor makes investments for such a Fund prior to receiving confirmation that such federal funds have been received, the Participant will indemnify and hold the Distributor, the Fund, the Trust and their agents harmless for any loss suffered by any or all of them due to the failure or delay in depositing such federal funds with the Funds custodian prior to the Cash Settlement Time. For purposes of clarity, a loss suffered by such a Fund includes not only actual losses suffered by the Fund, but also any adverse effect on the Funds performance directly attributable to the failure or delay in depositing such federal funds in the appropriate amount prior to the applicable Cash Settlement Time.
Purchase Orders may also be rejected under the circumstances described in Section 5 of this Attachment A.
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The cash component may be paid in cash or in bitcoin, as determined by the Trust and/or Distributor. After a Fund has accepted a Purchase Order and received delivery of the all-cash payment (or Basket Deposit, as applicable and any accompanying cash payment), DTC will instruct the Fund to initiate delivery of the appropriate number of Shares to the book-entry account specified by the Participant. The Distributor will furnish a Prospectus and the Transfer Agent will furnish a confirmation to the Participant unless such confirmation will be provided by the National Securities Clearing Corporation.
A Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of the all-cash payment (or the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Basket Deposit and the payment of any cash portion of the purchase price) has been completed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Creation Units may be issued to a Participant notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Basket Deposit and cash payment have not been received in part or in whole, in the sole discretion of the Trust, provided that the Participant deposits the available Basket Deposit and cash in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component (including any Transaction Fees), plus (ii) 115% of the market value of the undelivered Basket Deposit (the Additional Cash Deposit). An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Fund, pending delivery of the missing Basket Deposit to the extent necessary to maintain an amount of cash on deposit with the Fund at least equal to 115% of the daily marked to market value of the undelivered Basket Deposit. In the sole discretion of the Fund following the initial settlement date, the Fund may use the cash on deposit to purchase the undelivered Basket Deposit. The Participant will be liable to the Fund for the costs incurred by the Fund in connection with any such purchases and the Participant shall be liable to the Fund for any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing any missing Basket Deposit and the value of the collateral. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Basket Deposit exceeds the market value of such Basket Deposit on the day the Purchase Order was deemed received by the Distributor and/or the Transfer Agent plus any brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Fund will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the undelivered Basket Deposit have been properly received by the Funds custodian or purchased by the Fund and deposited into the Fund.
5. | REJECTING OR SUSPENDING A PURCHASE ORDER |
The Distributor may reject any Purchase Order that is not submitted in accordance with the procedures described in the Prospectus. The Trust and the Distributor also reserve the absolute right to reject or revoke acceptance of a Purchase Order transmitted to it in respect of a Fund, for example if:
a. | the Purchase Order is not in proper form; |
b. | the Fund Deposit delivered is not as specified by the Fund through the Distributor and/or Transfer Agent, and the Distributor has not consented to acceptance of an in-kind deposit that varies from the designated portfolio; |
c. | the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to such Fund; |
d. | the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; |
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e. | the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Distributor, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners of such Fund; |
f. | the value of Creation Units to be created exceeds a purchase authorization limit afforded to the Participant by the Trust, and the Participant has not deposited an amount in excess of such purchase authorization with the Trusts custodian prior to 3:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time, on the Transmittal Day; or |
g. | there exist circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Transfer Agent, or the Distributor that make it impossible to process Purchase Orders for all practical purposes. |
Cash Purchase Orders to be transferred In-Kind to the Trust
The Distributor will void the order if delivery of the in-kind bitcoin is not available at time of settlement, returning cash position to the relevant Authorized Participant. If the Authorized Participant has provided the cash to complete the order but there is a failure by a separate entity (unaffiliated with and not the agent of the Authorized Participant), for example, the Digital Assets Custodian or another provider purchasing the bitcoin, the failure of this creation shall not be deemed a failure on the part of the Authorized Participant to deliver as such cash was delivered and the Authorized Participants order shall be void and cancelled at that time with no penalties as to the Authorized Participant. For purposes of clarity, the Participant will not be liable to the Distributor, the Fund, the Trust and their agents for any loss suffered by any or all of them due to the failure or delay in the depositing of bitcoin with the Digital Assets Custodian prior to the Settlement Time.
In-Kind Purchase Orders
If creations are on an in-kind basis, the Trust further reserves the absolute right to reject or suspend a Purchase Order transmitted to it by the Distributor and/or the Transfer Agent in respect of a Fund if: (i) the portfolio of Basket Deposit delivered is not as specified by the Distributor; (ii) acceptance of the Basket Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Trust or any Fund; or (iii) for any other reasons as specified herein.
To the extent Purchase Orders are effected in-kind, the bitcoin in the Creation Basket Deposit of the Trust must be delivered to a bitcoin address maintained by the Trust on or before the settlement date.
The Trust shall notify the Authorized Person of its rejection of any Purchase Order. Except as provided herein, all Purchase Orders for Creation Units are irrevocable.
The Trust, Transfer Agent and the Distributor are under no duty to verify or give notification of any defects or irregularities in any written Order or in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust shall return to the Authorized Person or any party for which it is acting any dividend, interest, distribution or other corporate action paid to the Trust in respect of any Basket Deposit that is transferred to the Trust that, based on the valuation of such Basket Deposit at the time of transfer, should have been paid to the Authorized Person or any party for which it is acting.
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C. | TO PLACE A REDEMPTION ORDER |
1. | PLACING A REDEMPTION ORDER |
Redemption Orders for Creation Units may be initiated only on Transmittal Days (as defined herein). Redemption Orders may only be made in whole Creation Units of Shares of the Fund.
To initiate a Redemption Order, the Authorized Person must call the Transfer Agent at [State Street to insert phone number here] not later than the Order Cut-Off Time. Upon verifying the authenticity of the Authorized Person (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number) and terms of the Redemption Order, the Transfer Agent will issue a unique Order Number. Upon verifying the authenticity of the Authorized Person (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number) and the terms of the Redemption Order, the Transfer Agent will issue a unique Order Number. An Order Number is only valid for a limited time. The Redemption Order must be sent by facsimile in the form provided by the Fund or its agents (which may include various Participant representations, warranties or acknowledgments) to the Transfer Agent within 20 minutes of the issuance of the Order Number. In the event that the Redemption Order is not received within such time period, the Transfer Agent will attempt to contact the Participant to request immediate transmission of the Redemption Order. Unless the Redemption Order is received by the Transfer Agent upon the earlier of (i) within 15 minutes of contact with the Participant or (ii) 45 minutes after the Order Cut-Off Time, the order will be deemed invalid.
NOTE: A REDEMPTION ORDER REQUEST IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE TRANSFER AGENT ISSUES AN ORDER NUMBER. AN ORDER MAY NOT BE CANCELED BY THE AUTHORIZED PERSON AFTER AN ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED. INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS ARE QUEUED AND WILL BE HANDLED IN THE ORDER RECEIVED. CALLS PLACED BEFORE THE ORDER CUT-OFF TIME WILL BY PROCESSED EVEN IF THE CALL IS ANSWERED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT AFTER THE ORDER CUT-OFF TIME. ACCORDINGLY, THE AUTHORIZED PERSON SHOULD NOT HANG UP AND REDIAL. INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE ORDER CUT-OFF TIME WILL NOT BE ANSWERED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT. ALL TELEPHONE CALLS MAY BE RECORDED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT.
THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE REDEMPTION ORDER. A REDEMPTION ORDER IS ONLY COMPLETED AND PROCESSED UPON RECEIPT OF WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINING THE DESIGNATED ORDER NUMBER AND AUTHORIZED PERSONS SIGNATURE AND TRANSMITTED BY FACSIMILE.
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2. | RECEIPT OF CONFIRMATION |
The Transfer Agent will fax a copy of any accepted Redemption Order that was submitted by telephone to the Participant within approximately 45 minutes of its receipt of acceptance of the Order by the Distributor, as confirmation of such Redemption Order. In the event the Participant does not receive a Redemption Order confirmation, it should contact the Transfer Agent at the business number indicated.
3. | DELIVERY FOR IN-KIND REDEMPTIONS |
The bitcoin constituting the in-kind portion of a redemption distribution (to the extent a Redemption Order is effected in-kind) will be delivered to the appropriate bitcoin address which must be indicated in the Participants standing redemption instructions. Redemptions of Shares for bitcoin will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state laws.
The Shares of the Trust must be delivered through the NSCC to a DTC account maintained at the Transfer Agent on or before the settlement date. The Distributor and/or Trust will make available on the settlement date, the cash component less the applicable Transaction Fee.
Except as provided in the next two paragraphs, the bitcoin and any Balancing Amount will be delivered concurrently with the transfer of good title to the Trust of the required number of Shares through the NSCCs Continuous Net Settlement (CNS) system.
The Trust will permit the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a cash in lieu amount) to be added to the Balancing Amount to replace any bitcoin with respect to the Trust which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery.
If the Trusts DTC account has not been credited with all of the redemption units to be redeemed by the end of the settlement date, the redemption distribution is delivered to the extent of whole units received. Any further outstanding amount of the Redemption Order shall be cancelled.
4. | CASH REDEMPTIONS |
When a Participant chooses to effect a cash redemption of Creation Units of Shares of the Trust, such redemptions shall be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind sales thereof. In the case of a cash sale, the Participant will receive the cash equivalent of the bitcoin it would otherwise be entitled to receive through an in-kind redemption, less the same cash component required by an in-kind redeemer. In addition, to offset the Trusts brokerage, transaction, and other costs associated with selling the requisite bitcoin for cash, the Participant may be required to pay an additional transaction fee or adjustment as advised by the Distributor and/or Trust which may include any difference between the actual cost to the Trust to sell the bitcoin and the value of the bitcoin had the bitcoin been delivered. Such transaction fees and additional amounts, if any, shall be included in the calculation of the cash component to be received.
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5. | AMBIGUOUS INSTRUCTIONS |
In the event that the written Redemption Order contains terms that differ from the information provided in the telephone call at the time of issuance of the Order Number, a representative of the Transfer Agent will attempt to contact the Participant to request confirmation of the terms of the Redemption Order. If an Authorized Person is able to confirm the terms as they appear in the written Redemption Order by the Order Cut-Off Time, the Transfer Agent will continue processing the Redemption Order. If an Authorized Person contradicts its terms, the Redemption Order will be deemed invalid and a corrected written Redemption Order must be received by the Transfer Agent by the Order Cut-Off Time.
In the event that a written Redemption Order contains terms that are illegible, as determined in the sole discretion of the Distributor or Transfer Agent, the written Redemption Order will be deemed invalid and the Transfer Agent will attempt to contact the Participant to request transmission of a legible written Redemption Order. If the Transfer Agent does not receive a legible written Redemption Order by the Order Cut-Off Time, the Redemption Order will be deemed invalid. If the Transfer Agent is not able to contact an Authorized Person, the Redemption Order will be deemed invalid.
D. | T-1 PROCEDURES |
The following trade date minus 1 (T-1) procedures relate only to Purchase Orders and Redemption Orders submitted after 4:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern time (or such earlier time following an early NYSE close on a Transmittal Day) and before 5:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern time (the T-1 Order Cut-Off Time) (a T-1 Purchase Order with respect to Purchase Orders and a T-1 Redemption Order with respect to Redemption Orders). Except as modified herein, all of the procedures set forth under Sections B.1 - B.3 and Sections C.1 - C.3 of this Attachment A apply to T-1 Purchase Orders and T-1 Redemption Orders.
An Authorized Person for the Participant may call the Transfer Agent at the telephone number provided on the order form after 4:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern time and before 5:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern time to receive an Order Number. Upon verifying the authenticity of the Authorized Person (as determined by the use of the appropriate PIN Number) and the terms of the T-1 Purchase Order or T-1 Redemption Order, the Transfer Agent will issue a unique Order Number. An Order Number is only valid for a limited time. The T-1 Purchase Order or T-1 Redemption Order must be sent by facsimile in the form provided by the Fund or its agents (which may include various Participant representations) to the Transfer Agent within 20 minutes of the issuance of the Order Number. In the event that the T-1 Purchase Order or T-1 Redemption Order is not received within such time period, the Transfer Agent will attempt to contact the Participant to request immediate transmission of the T-1 Purchase Order or T-1 Redemption Order. Unless the T-1 Purchase Order or T-1 Redemption Order is received by the Transfer Agent upon the earlier of (i) within 15 minutes of contact with the Participant or (ii) 45 minutes after the T-1 Order Cut-Off Time, the Order will be deemed invalid.
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NOTE: A T-1 PURCHASE ORDER OR T-1 REDEMPTION ORDER IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE TRANSFER AGENT ISSUES AN ORDER NUMBER. AN ORDER MAY NOT BE CANCELED BY AN AUTHORIZED PERSON AFTER AN ORDER NUMBER HAS BEEN ISSUED. INCOMING TELEPHONE CALLS ARE QUEUED AND WILL BE HANDLED IN THE ORDER RECEIVED. A CALL THAT IS PLACED BEFORE THE T-1 ORDER CUT-OFF TIME WILL BE PROCESSED EVEN IF THE CALL IS ANSWERED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT AFTER THE T-1 ORDER CUT-OFF TIME. ACCORDINGLY, THE AUTHORIZED PERSON SHOULD NOT HANG UP AND REDIAL. INCOMING CALLS THAT ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE T-1 ORDER CUT-OFF TIME WILL NOT BE ANSWERED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT. ALL TELEPHONE CALLS MAY BE RECORDED BY THE TRANSFER AGENT.
THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE ORDER. AN ORDER IS ONLY COMPLETED AND PROCESSED UPON RECEIPT OF WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINING THE DESIGNATED ORDER NUMBER AND AUTHORIZED PERSONS SIGNATURE AND TRANSMITTED BY FACSIMILE. ONCE AN ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED, A T-1 PURCHASE ORDER OR A T-1 REDEMPTION ORDER CANNOT BE CANCELED BY THE PARTICIPANT.
E. | ADDITIONAL SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES |
The Participant is advised that, pursuant to the Trusts Valuation Procedures, if an error occurs in calculating a Funds net asset value after Participant receives a Purchase/Redemption Order confirmation but prior to the settlement date and results in a difference between the originally computed net asset value and the corrected net asset value that equals or exceeds $0.01 per share, the custodian will reprocess the Purchase/Redemption Order and notify the Participant. If there is a loss to the Fund as a result of the error in calculating the net asset value, the Participant will be required to pay the additional value in cash on or prior to the settlement date. If there is a Fund benefit, the amount of the benefit will be returned to the Participant on the settlement date.
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ATTACHMENT B-1
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZED PERSONS OF THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
The following are the names, titles, signatures, phone numbers, and email addresses of all persons (each, an Authorized Person) authorized to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated by the Authorized Participant Agreement for the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Agreement) or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Authorized Participant pursuant to the Agreement.
Authorized Participant: [__________________________________].[NSCC/DTC #s:_________]
NAME(1) |
TITLE(1) |
SIGNATURE(1) |
TELEPHONE |
E-MAIL |
User Location |
PERMISSION (2)* |
* | Permissions: |
RO- Read-Only (Allows users to see account information and run reports, but not place trades)
ET Execute Trades (Allows user to place trades directly on to Fund Connect)
(1) | Required information. |
(2) | Required information to use the Web Order Site. |
Signed on behalf of the Authorized Participant:
By: |
| |
Name: |
| |
Title: |
|
Date: |
|
ATTACHMENT B-2
[On APs Firm Letterhead]
[DATE]
Distributor
Re: Addendum to the Certificate of Authorized Persons for [_________________________] under the Authorized Participant Agreement for the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Agreement)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Pursuant to the Agreement, following are the names, titles, signatures, phone numbers, and email addresses of additional Authorized Persons of [______________________________] (the Participant) authorized to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated by the Agreement or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Participant pursuant to the Agreement. This list of Authorized Persons is an addendum and adds Authorized Persons to the Participants most recently executed certificate (entitled Certificate of Authorized Persons of the Authorized Participant, the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund) preceding the date set forth above.
NAME(1) |
TITLE(1) |
SIGNATURE(1) |
TELEPHONE |
E-MAIL |
User Location |
PERMISSION (2)* |
* | Permissions: |
RO- Read-Only (Allows users to see account information and run reports, but not place trades)
ET Execute Trades (Allows user to place trades directly on to Fund Connect)
(1) | Required information. |
(2) | Required information to use the Web Order Site. |
Signed on behalf of the Authorized Participant:
By: |
| |
Name: |
| |
Title: |
|
Date: |
|
ATTACHMENT C
AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS FOR DELIVERY OF BITCOIN
The bitcoin address into which Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund should deposit the bitcoin of the Trust upon redemption by the Participant is set forth below:
Bitcoin Address:__________________________________________________________
Exhibit 10.2
FORM OF
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
between
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
and
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC
AGREEMENT made as of this ___ day of _____, 20__, between Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, a Delaware statutory trust having its principal place of business in Boston, Massachusetts (Issuer) and Fidelity Distributors Company LLC, a Delaware limited liability company having its principal place of business in Smithfield, Rhode Island (Distributors).
In consideration of the mutual promises and undertakings herein contained, the parties agree as follows:
1. Sale of Shares - The Issuer grants to Distributors the right to sell shares on behalf of the Issuer during the term of this Agreement and subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (1933 Act), and of the laws governing the sale of securities in the various states (Blue Sky Laws) under the following terms and conditions: Distributors (i) shall have the right to sell, as agent on behalf of the Issuer, shares authorized for issue and registered under the 1933 Act, and (ii) may sell shares under offers of exchange, if available, between and among the funds sponsored by FD Funds Management LLC (the Sponsor) or any of its affiliates. As specified in the Issuers registration statement, Issuer shares may be created or redeemed only in blocks of shares or multiples thereof (Creation Units).
2. Sale of Shares by the Issuer - Distributors agrees to act as agent of the Issuer with respect to the continuous distribution of shares of the Issuer as set forth in the Issuers registration statement and in accordance with the provisions thereof. Distributors further agrees as follows: (i) Distributors shall enter into agreements with DTC participants or participants in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (Authorized Participants) in accordance with the registration statement; (ii) Distributors or its agent shall generate, transmit and maintain copies of confirmations of Creation Unit purchase order acceptances to the purchaser (such confirmations will be made available to the Issuer promptly upon request); (iii) Distributors or its agent shall deliver copies of the relevant Prospectus to purchasers of such Creation Units; and (iv) Distributors or its agent shall maintain telephonic, facsimile and/or access to direct computer communications links with the transfer agent. The rights granted to Distributors shall be non-exclusive in that the Issuer reserves the right to sell its shares to investors on applications received and accepted by the Issuer. Further, the Issuer reserves the right to issue shares in connection with the merger or consolidation, or acquisition by the Issuer through purchase or otherwise, with any other investment company, trust, or personal holding company.
3. Shares Covered by this Agreement - This Agreement shall apply to unissued shares of the Issuer, shares of the Issuer held in its treasury in the event that in the discretion of the Issuer treasury shares shall be sold, and shares of the Issuer repurchased for resale.
4. Public Offering Price - Except as otherwise noted in the Issuers current Prospectus, all shares sold to investors by Distributors or the Issuer will be sold at the public offering price. The public offering price for all accepted subscriptions will be the net asset value per share, as determined in the manner described in the Issuers current Prospectus, plus applicable transaction fees (if any) described in the Issuers current Prospectus. The Issuer shall in all cases receive the net asset value per share on all sales. If a fee in connection with shareholder redemptions is in effect, the Issuer shall collect the fee and, unless otherwise agreed upon by the Issuer and Distributors, the Issuer shall be entitled to receive all of such fees.
5. Right Not to Sell Shares - If and whenever the determination of net asset value is suspended and until such suspension is terminated, no further orders for shares shall be processed by Distributors except such unconditional orders as may have been placed with Distributors before it had knowledge of the suspension. In addition, the Issuer reserves the right to suspend sales and Distributors authority to process orders for shares on behalf of the Issuer if, in the judgment of the Issuer, it is in the best interests of the Issuer to do so. Suspension will continue for such period as may be determined by the Issuer.
6. Solicitation of Sales - In consideration of these rights granted to Distributors, Distributors agrees to use all reasonable efforts, consistent with its other business, to secure purchasers for shares of the Issuer. This shall not prevent Distributors from entering into like arrangements (including arrangements involving the payment of underwriting commissions) with other Issuers. This does not obligate Distributors to register as a broker or dealer under the Blue Sky Laws of any jurisdiction in which it is not now registered or to maintain its registration in any jurisdiction in which it is now registered. The Distributor will not direct remuneration from commissions paid by the Issuer for portfolio securities transactions to a broker or dealer for promoting or selling fund shares.
7. Authorized Representations - Distributors is not authorized by the Issuer to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in the appropriate registration statements or Prospectuses filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1933 Act (as these registration statements, Prospectuses may be amended from time to time), or contained in shareholder reports or other material that may be prepared by or on behalf of the Issuer for Distributors use. This shall not be construed to prevent Distributors from preparing and distributing sales literature or other material as it may deem appropriate.
8. Portfolio Securities - Portfolio securities of the Issuer may be bought or sold by or through Distributors, and Distributors may participate directly or indirectly in brokerage commissions or spreads for transactions in portfolio securities of the Issuer.
9. Registration of Shares - The Issuer agrees that it will take all action necessary to register shares under the 1933 Act (subject to the necessary approval of its shareholders) so that there will be available for sale the number of shares Distributors may reasonably be expected to sell. The Issuer shall make available to Distributors such number of copies of its currently effective Prospectus as Distributors may reasonably request. The Issuer shall furnish to Distributors copies of all information, financial statements and other papers which Distributors may reasonably request for use in connection with the distribution of shares of the Issuer.
10. Expenses - The Issuer shall pay all fees and expenses (a) in connection with the preparation, setting in type and filing of any registration statement, Prospectus under the 1933 Act and amendments for the issue of its shares, (b) in connection with the registration and qualification of shares for sale in the various states in which the Issuer shall determine it advisable to qualify such shares for sale (including registering the Issuer as a broker or dealer or any officer of the Issuer as agent or salesman in any state), (c) of preparing, setting in type, printing and mailing any report or other communication to shareholders of the Issuer in their capacity as such, and (d) of preparing, setting in type, printing and mailing Prospectuses and any supplements thereto sent to existing shareholders.
11. Indemnification - The Issuer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Distributors and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls Distributors within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act 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 by reason of any person acquiring any shares, based upon the ground that the registration statement, Prospectus, shareholder reports or other information filed or made public by the Issuer (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 or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading under the 1933 Act, or any other statute or the common law. However, the Issuer does not agree to indemnify Distributors 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 Issuer by or on behalf of Distributors. In no case (i) is the indemnity of the Issuer in favor of Distributors or any person indemnified to be deemed to protect Distributors or any person against any liability to the Issuer or its security holders to which Distributors or such person 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 Issuer to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against Distributors or any person indemnified unless Distributors or person, as the case may be, shall have notified the Issuer 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 Distributors or any such person (or after Distributors or such person shall have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to notify the Issuer of any claim shall not relieve the Issuer from any liability which it may have to Distributors or any person against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph. The Issuer 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 Issuer elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to Distributors or person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event the Issuer elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, Distributors, officers or directors 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 Issuer does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse Distributors, officers or directors or controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them. The Issuer agrees to notify Distributors 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 shares.
Distributors also covenants and agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Issuer and each of its officers and each person, if any, who controls the Issuer within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, against any loss, liability, damages, claim or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, damages, claim or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising by reason of any person acquiring any shares, based upon the 1933 Act or any other statute or common law, alleging any wrongful act of Distributors or any of its employees or alleging that the registration statement, Prospectus, shareholder reports or other information filed or made public by the Issuer (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 or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading, insofar as the statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with information furnished to the Issuer by or on behalf of Distributors. In no case (i) is the indemnity of Distributors in favor of the Issuer or any person indemnified to be deemed to protect the Issuer or any person against any liability to which the Issuer or such person 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 Distributors to be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against the Issuer or any person indemnified unless the Issuer or person, as the case may be, shall have notified Distributors 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 Issuer or any such person (or after the Issuer or such person shall have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to notify Distributors of any claim shall not relieve Distributors from any liability which it may have to the Issuer or any person against whom the action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph. In the case of any notice to Distributors, it 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 Distributors elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and satisfactory to the Issuer, to its officers and to any controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event that Distributors elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the Issuer or controlling persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall bear the fees and expense of any additional counsel retained by them. If Distributors does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the Issuer, officers or controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them. Distributors agrees to notify the Issuer promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it in connection with the issue and sale of any of the shares.
12. Effective Date - This agreement shall be effective upon its execution, and may at any time be terminated by either party upon not less than sixty days prior written notice to the other party.
13. Notice - Any notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the other party at the last address furnished by the other party to the party giving notice: if to the Issuer, at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts, and if to Distributors, at 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island.
14. Limitation of Liability - Distributors is expressly put on notice of the limitation of shareholder liability as set forth in the Trust Agreement or other organizational document of the Issuer and agrees that the obligations assumed by the Issuer under this contract shall be limited in all cases to the Issuer and its assets. Distributors shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders or any shareholder of the Issuer. Nor shall Distributors seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the Trustee of the Issuer.
15. This agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to the choice of laws provisions thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Issuer has executed this instrument in its name and behalf, and its seal affixed, by one of its officers duly authorized, and Distributors has executed this instrument in its name and behalf by one of its officers duly authorized, as of the day and year first above written.
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIIN BITCOIN FUND | ||
By | ||
[Name] | ||
President and Treasurer | ||
FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC | ||
By | ||
[Name] | ||
President and Treasurer |
Exhibit 10.3
FORM OF
CUSTODIAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund &
Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC
THIS CUSTODIAL SERVICES AGREEMENT (this Agreement) is made on [___], 2023, (the Effective Date), by and between Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Client), FD Funds Management LLC as sponsor acting on behalf of the Client (the Sponsor) and Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC (the Custodian, and collectively with the Client and the Sponsor, the Parties, and each individually, a Party).
1. | DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION |
A. | Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement and any exhibit or schedule hereto, |
B. | the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them below: |
Affiliated Agent has the meaning set forth in Section 12.C.iii.
Assets means Cash and Eligible Assets that have been Delivered to the Custodian to be credited to one or more Custody Accounts established and maintained by the Custodian on behalf of the Client, in each case until such Assets are withdrawn or cease to be Assets pursuant to this Agreement. Assets shall also mean any Forked Digital Asset that the Custodian, in its sole discretion, chooses to support pursuant to Section 8 hereof.
Authenticated Instruction means an Instruction that has been confirmed as originating from an Authorized Person through a video conference call, the use of a mobile phone application or hardware security module or other method of authentication in accordance with procedures specified by the Custodian from time to time as required to be used in connection with the services hereunder.
Sponsor means FD Funds Management LLC.
Authorized Participant means a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has a written agreement with the Client or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to deposit and redeem Eligible Assets.
Authorized Participant Agreement means the agreement between an Authorized Participant and the Client.
Authorized Person has the meaning set forth in Section 5.A.
Blockchain Address means a public address on a blockchain in which a record of Eligible Assets can be held (including, without limitation, a bitcoin address for the asset commonly known as bitcoin).
Business Day means any day on which the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is open for business.
Cash has the meaning set forth in Section 2.A.ii.
Cash Credit Request has the meaning set forth in Section 3.D.
Cash Custody Account has the meaning set forth in Section 2.A.ii.
Cash Debit Request has the meaning set forth in Section 3.E.
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Client Digital Assets has the meaning set forth in Section 2.B.i.
Confidential Information has the meaning set forth in Section 18.
Creation Order means an order to create shares of Client delivered by an Authorized Participant in accordance with the applicable Authorized Participant Agreement.
Custody Account has the meaning set forth in Section 2.A.ii.
Cut-Off Time has the meaning set forth in Section 5.G.
Delivery (or Deliver or Delivered) means the transfer of Eligible Assets to one or more Blockchain Addresses controlled by the receiving Party and provided by the receiving Party to the sending Party for such transfer. Eligible Assets shall be considered Delivered to the Custodian after the prevailing number of network confirmations as required by the Custodian from time to time have occurred on the blockchain used for the transaction transferring the Eligible Assets.
Digital Asset means a digital asset (also called a cryptocurrency, virtual currency, digital currency, or digital commodity), such as bitcoin, which is based on the cryptographic protocol of a computer network that may be (i) centralized or decentralized, (ii) closed or open-source, and (iii) used as a medium of exchange and/or store of value.
Digital Asset Credit Request has the meaning set forth in Section 3.A.
Digital Asset Debit Request has the meaning set forth in Section 3.B.
Digital Asset Custody Account has the meaning set forth in Section 2.A.i.
Eligible Assets mean Digital Assets that are supported by the Custodian in its sole discretion on any given date in accordance with Section 2.D.
Fee Schedule means the schedule of fees agreed to separately by the Parties and referred to in Section 12.D.i.
Force Majeure Event means any event due directly or indirectly to any cause or condition beyond the reasonable control of the Custodian, such as, but not limited to: changes in the functioning or features of Eligible Assets or the software protocols that govern their operation; sabotage or fraudulent manipulation of the protocols or network that govern Eligible Assets; changes in applicable Law; cybersecurity attacks, hacks or other intrusions; unavailability or malfunction of wire, communications or other technological systems; suspension or disruption of trading markets; requisitions; involuntary transfers; failure of utility services; fire; flooding; adverse weather or events of nature; explosions; acts of God, civil commotion, strikes or industrial action of any kind; riots, insurrection, terrorist acts; war (whether declared or undeclared); or acts of government or government agencies (U.S. or foreign).
Fork means a change in the consensus rules of a network for a Digital Asset, as further described in Custodians Policy Statement on Forks, made available to Client as agreed to by the Parties and which may be supplemented or modified by the Custodian from time to time in its sole discretion.
Forked Digital Asset means the resulting branches of a Digital Asset that has undergone a Fork.
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Governmental Authority means any governmental body at the supranational, national, state, county, province, city, municipal, local or any other level, any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, quasi-regulatory authority, administrative tribunal, central bank, public office, court, arbitration or mediation panel, or other entity or subdivision exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of government, securities exchange or self-regulatory organization, in each case in any jurisdiction.
Hague Securities Convention means the Convention on the Law Applicable to Certain Rights in Respect of Securities Held with an Intermediary, July 5, 2006, 17 U.S.T. 401, 46 I.L.M. 649 (entered into force April 1, 2017).
Ineligibility Determination has the meaning set forth in Section 2.D.
Instructions mean communications, including entitlement orders, received by the Custodian through an on-line communication system, by e-mail, or other method or system, as specified by the Custodian from time to time as available for use in connection with the services hereunder.
Law means each of the following, including any updates thereto throughout the Term, to the extent applicable: any and all supranational, national, state, provincial or local laws, treaties, rules, regulations, regulatory guidance, directives, policies, orders or determinations of (or agreements with), and mandatory written direction from (or agreements with), any Governmental Authority or other regulatory authority, including export laws, sanctions regulations, and all federal and state statutes or regulations relating to banking, stored value, money transmission, unclaimed property, payment processing, telecommunications, unfair or deceptive trade practices or acts, anti-corruption, trade compliance, anti-money laundering, terrorist financing, know your customer, securities, commodities, derivatives, other financial products or services, privacy or data security.
Person means any natural person, corporation, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, proprietorship, governmental body or other entity, association or organization of any nature. Any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Persons successors and assigns.
Proper Instructions has the meaning set forth in Section 5.B.
Sponsor Fees has the meaning set forth in Section 12.D.i.
System Failure means a failure of any computer hardware or software used by the Custodian or a service provider to the Custodian, or any telecommunications lines or devices used by the Custodian or a service provider to the Custodian.
Taxes means all federal, state, local, foreign, and other taxes, government fees or the like, including, without limitation, income taxes, estimated taxes, alternative minimum taxes, franchise taxes, capital stock taxes, sales taxes, use taxes, ad valorem, or value-added taxes, employment and payroll-related taxes, withholding taxes, and transfer taxes, whether or not measured in whole or in part by net income, and all deficiencies, or other additions to tax, interest thereon, and fines and penalties imposed in connection therewith.
Trade Order has the meaning set forth in Section 4.A.UCC means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from time to time.
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C. | Interpretation. |
i. | The words hereof, herein and hereunder and words of like import used in this Agreement will refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. References to Sections, Exhibits, Appendices and Schedules are to Sections, Exhibits, Appendices and Schedules of this Agreement unless otherwise specified. All Exhibits, Appendices and Schedules annexed hereto or referred to herein are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Agreement as if set forth in full herein. Any capitalized terms used in any Exhibit, Appendix or Schedule but not otherwise defined therein, will have the meaning as defined in this Agreement. Any singular term in this Agreement will be deemed to include the plural, and any plural term the singular. Whenever the words such as, include, includes or including are used in this Agreement, they will be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation, whether or not they are in fact. The word will shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word shall. |
ii. | The terms entitlement holder, entitlement order, financial asset, proceeds, and securities intermediary have the meanings set forth in Articles 8 and 9 of the UCC and the term security shall also include property included in the term securities in the Hague Securities Convention. |
2. | ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF CUSTODY ACCOUNTS AND APPOINTMENT OF CUSTODIAN |
A. | Custody Accounts. The Client authorizes, approves and directs the Custodian to establish and maintain on its books, in the name of the Client as the entitlement holder, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement the following accounts, and Custodian agrees to act as custodian of Clients assets held in such accounts subject to the provisions of this Agreement: |
i. | one or more custody accounts for the receipt, safekeeping and maintenance of Eligible Assets (each a Digital Asset Custody Account); and |
ii. | one or more cash accounts (each a Cash Custody Account, and, together with the Digital Asset Custody Accounts, the Custody Account), each corresponding to a Digital Asset Custody Account, to hold cash and monies received for deposit for the account of the Client (Cash) in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. |
B. | Financial Asset Election. The Parties agree that all property credited to the Custody Accounts, including all Cash, will be treated as financial assets under Article 8 of the UCC, the Custodian will be acting as securities intermediary in maintaining the Custody Accounts within the meaning of Article 8 of the UCC and the Hague Securities Convention, and the Custody Accounts will constitute securities accounts within the meaning of Article 8 of the UCC and the Hague Securities Convention with respect to all property credited thereto. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the securities intermediarys jurisdiction for purposes of the UCC, and the law in force in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is applicable to all issues specified in Article 2(1) of the Hague Securities Convention. |
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C. | Asset Segregation. |
i. | Cash |
Cash held for the Client in Cash Custody Accounts may be held by the Custodian in an omnibus, non-interest bearing cash account, along with the Cash of other customers of the Custodian, at an unaffiliated depository in the name of the Custodian, specifically designated for the purpose of holding funds of the Custodians customers, provided that the records of the Custodian shall record ownership of such Cash as set forth in Section 2.E hereof. The Custodian may hold Cash in a Cash Custody Account subject to and in accordance with applicable local law, rules or practices. The establishment of the Custody Account in the name of the Client shall be subject to successful completion of the Custodians screening procedures.
ii. | Digital Assets |
(a) | Digital Assets in the Digital Asset Custody Account will be held through an omnibus wallet structure, along with the Digital Assets of other customers of the Custodian (an Omnibus Wallet). The Client agrees that the Digital Assets that are transferred by the Client or by or on behalf of Authorized Participants to the Custodian or acquired by the Client through Trade Orders (Client Digital Assets) will be treated as fungible with those Digital Assets of other clients of the Custodian that are based on the same cryptographic protocol or consensus rules of a computer network (subject to Custodians Policy Statement on Forks) that are also held in the Omnibus Wallet by the Custodian on behalf of such other clients, provided that the records of the Custodian shall record ownership of such Digital Assets as set forth in Section 2.E hereof. The Client acknowledges that the redelivery rights of the Client in respect of the Client Digital Assets are not necessarily for the same Digital Assets as the Client Digital Assets (or addresses or accounts that are associated with the Client Digital Asset), but rather will be in respect of an equal amount of Digital Assets that are based on the same cryptographic protocol or consensus rules of a computer network (subject to Custodians Policy Statement on Forks) as the Client Digital Asset. The Custodian will manage all associated private keys on behalf of the Client, subject to the terms of this Agreement. |
(b) | A substantial portion of the Digital Assets held for clients in the Omnibus Wallet will be held within an offline storage system used by the Custodian in connection with the storage or maintenance of the Digital Assets. |
D. | Acceptance and Holding of Assets. The Custodian will determine in its sole discretion whether to accept Assets of any kind for custody in the Custody Account. If the Custodian determines in its sole discretion that, due to legal, regulatory, operational, security or reputational risk, an Asset currently held in custody is no longer an Eligible Asset (Ineligibility Determination), the Custodian shall (i) deliver the Client written notice of such Ineligibility Determination, (ii) provide no other services with respect to any such Asset (except with respect to Digital Assets to be delivered pursuant to a Creation Order submitted by and Authorized Participant and approved in accordance with the provisions of the Authorized Participant Agreement before the determination by the Custodian that such Assets are no longer Eligible Assets), except for Digital Asset Debit Requests and the services described in this Section 2, following such Ineligibility Determination and (iii) within 60 Business Days, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as promptly as reasonably practicable, of the delivery of the Ineligibility Determination, Deliver Digital Assets that are of the same type as the Client Digital Assets (as set forth in Section 2.C.i) in the amount of the Digital Assets subject to the Ineligibility Determination. |
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E. | Designation of Assets. The Custodian shall on its books and records segregate all Digital Assets from the proprietary property of the Custodian; provided that the Custodian may maintain in the Omnibus Wallet an amount of proprietary Digital Assets that are used for operational or other purposes. The ownership of all of the Clients Assets shall be clearly recorded in the Custodians books and records as belonging to the Client. Without the consent of the Client, the Custodian will not lend, pledge or hypothecate any Client Digital Assets. |
F. | Status of Custodian. The Custodian is a limited liability company and shall be agent or principal with respect to any actions taken by the Custodian with respect to the purchase and sale services pursuant to Section 4 of this Agreement, subject to Section 12.C.vii. |
G. | Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery. Custodian maintains a comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery program designed to prevent Clients Digital Assets from becoming inaccessible due to a significant business interruption, including unplanned downtime or the general unavailability of any data centers used to provide the services. |
3. | TRANSFER OF ASSETS |
A. | Credits to the Digital Asset Custody Account.: Subject to the terms of this Agreement and in accordance with the procedures agreed to by the Parties, Custodian will receive from Client or by or on behalf of Authorized Participants or by agents of Client, Eligible Assets (Digital Asset Credit Request). Such Eligible Assets shall be delivered within the time period specified by the Custodian at the recipient address specified by the Custodian to the Client (or at an address previously specified by the Custodian to the Client and not subsequently identified to the Client as invalid), subject to successful completion of the Custodians screening procedures, and shall be credited to the Digital Asset Custody Account upon Delivery. Unless otherwise agreed to between the Parties, Client (or another party on behalf of Client) shall send the Custodian the applicable Proper Instructions in accordance with Section 5.B hereof. |
i. | The Custodian shall monitor associated nodes, as determined to be necessary by the Custodian in its sole discretion, for incoming transactions. The Custodian shall advise the Client of Eligible Assets availability after Eligible Assets have been Delivered to the Digital Asset Custody Account. |
B. | Debits to the Digital Asset Custody Account. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, from time to time the Client, directly or through agents, shall instruct the Custodian to Deliver Eligible Assets from the Digital Asset Custody Account to one or more addresses. Such instructions shall be in the form of Proper Instructions in accordance with Section 5.B hereof or such other procedures agreed upon by the Parties (a Digital Asset Debit Request). |
i. | The Custodian, upon receiving a verified Digital Asset Debit Request, will initiate the transfer and broadcast the Digital Asset Debit Requests to the blockchain supporting the relevant Eligible Asset at the recipient address specified by or on behalf of the Client to Custodian (or at an address previously specified by or on behalf of the Client to the Custodian and not subsequently identified to the Custodian as invalid) within the time period agreed to between the Parties, subject to successful completion of the Custodians screening procedures. |
ii. | The Custodian shall provide the Client with a confirmation of a pending debit transaction. Within the three (3) hours immediately following receipt of such confirmation, the Client may notify the Custodian to query or halt the transaction. |
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iii. | If the Custodian has received a Digital Asset Debit Request that would result in the transfer of Assets from the Custody Account exceeding the credit to the Custody Account for that Asset, the Custodian may, in its sole and absolute discretion, reject such Instructions or decide which deliveries it will make (in whole or in part and in the order it selects). |
C. | Request for Additional Information. The Client shall promptly provide to the Custodian such additional information as the Custodian may request regarding the source or ownership of the Eligible Assets that are subject to a Digital Asset Credit Request or the recipient of Eligible Assets (and any associated financial institution) that are the subject of a Digital Asset Debit Request. |
D. | Credits to the Cash Custody Account. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Client may transfer Cash into the Clients Cash Custody Account from a third-party bank account or a third party by sending the Custodian the applicable Proper Instructions in accordance with Section 5.B (a Cash Credit Request). |
i. | The Custodian, upon receiving the Cash Credit Request and verifying that such request complies with Section 5.B, will complete any transfer to the Cash Custody Account within the time period agreed to between the Parties. Transfers to the Cash Custody Account are subject to fees specified in the Fee Schedule. |
E. | Debits to the Cash Custody Account. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Client may transfer Cash from the Cash Custody Account to an account at a third-party bank established and maintained in the name of the Client or in the name of a third party in connection with the Clients purchase of Digital Assets by sending the Custodian the applicable Proper Instructions in accordance with Section 5.B (a Cash Debit Request). |
i. | The Custodian, upon receiving the Cash Debit Request and verifying that such request complies with Section 5.B, will complete any transfer from the Cash Custody Account within the time period agreed to between the Parties. Transfers from the Cash Custody Account are subject to fees specified in the Fee Schedule. |
ii. | Such transfer may only be effected via wire transfer. |
F. | Purpose of Transfer of Cash. Unless otherwise approved by the Custodian in advance of a transfer, any transfer of Cash to or from the Clients Cash Custody Account requested by the Client pursuant to this Agreement shall be solely for the purpose of the settlement of transactions that are the subject of the Clients Digital Asset Credit Request or Digital Asset Debit Request or, to transfer Cash to an account at a third-party bank established and maintained in the name of the Client =. |
G. | Investment in and Transfer of Assets. The Client shall bear the sole risk and expense associated with investing, transferring or otherwise transacting in respect of Digital Assets held in the Digital Asset Custody Account pursuant to this Agreement (except to the extent otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement). |
H. | Transaction Limits. The Custodian may, for risk management or other reasons, impose limits on the number or size, or both, of transactions processed for the Client under this Section 3. |
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4. | PURCHASE AND SALE OF DIGITAL ASSETS |
A. | Role of Custodian. The Custodian may purchase any Digital Assets constituting Eligible Assets from the Client or sell any such Digital Assets to the Client upon receipt of a sale or purchase order in the form of Proper Instructions from the Client (Trade Orders). |
B. | Execution and Order Fulfillment. The Custodian will execute and fulfill the Clients Trade Orders in accordance with the procedures in effect for its trade execution service, as such terms and procedures may be modified by the Custodian from time to time. THE CUSTODIANS EXECUTION AND SETTLEMENT OF TRADE ORDERS IS SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE LIQUIDITY AND MARKET CONDITIONS GENERALLY. THE CUSTODIAN RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CANCEL OR REJECT ANY TRADE ORDER, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, FOR ANY REASON. |
C. | Upon completion of any purchase of Eligible Asset by Custodian on behalf of the Client, the Custodian shall credit such Eligible Assets to the Digital Asset Custody Account promptly. |
5. | INSTRUCTIONS |
A. | Authorized Persons and Sponsor. The Persons identified as Authorized Persons on the Firm Authorized User Form(s) completed by the Client or the Sponsor shall, subject to approval by the Custodian, be authorized to act on behalf of the Client in the performance of those acts or duties specified for each such person from time to time in the Firm Authorized User Form(s) (Authorized Persons). The Client, or Sponsor acting on behalf of the Client, may, from time to time, add to or remove names from the list of Authorized Persons maintained by the Custodian, or change the authorizations granted to any Authorized Person, by delivery of a new or revised Firm Authorized User Form to the Custodian. If at any time there are no Authorized Persons designated by the Client or the Sponsor, the president/chief executive officer and chief financial officer of the Sponsor shall be deemed Authorized Persons hereunder. |
B. | Proper Instructions. |
i. | Proper Instructions mean: |
a) | With respect to Digital Assets Debit Requests or Cash Debit Requests, an Authenticated Instruction delivered by an Authorized Person (or Person that the Custodian believes in good faith to be an Authorized Person) that is confirmed by an Authenticated Instruction from at least one additional Authorized Person (or Person that the Custodian believes in good faith to be an Authorized Person); |
b) | With respect to Digital Assets Credit Requests or Cash Credit Requests, an Authenticated Instruction delivered by an Authorized Person (or Person that the Custodian believes in good faith to be an Authorized Person); |
c) | With respect to Trade Orders, an Instruction delivered by an Authorized Person (or Person that the Custodian believes in good faith to be an Authorized Person) through the user interface specified by the Custodian to submit Trade Orders; |
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d) | With respect to requests not involving the transfer of Assets from or to the Custody Account, an Instruction delivered by an Authorized Person (or Person that the Custodian believes in good faith to be an Authorized Person); and |
e) | Such other procedures as agreed to between the Parties in writing. |
ii. | The Custodian may act upon and rely upon any Proper Instruction received from, or believed in good faith by the Custodian to be received from, an Authorized Person, that have been validated in accordance with procedures in place from time to time, unless or until the Custodian has (i) received written notice of any change thereto from the Client and (ii) had a reasonable time to note and implement such change. Validation procedures used by the Custodian are designed only to verify the source of the Instruction and not to detect errors in the content of that Instruction or to prevent duplicate Instructions. The Client agrees that the Custodian shall have no obligation to act in accordance with purported Instructions to the extent that they conflict with applicable Law. The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss resulting from a delay while it obtains clarification of any Proper Instructions. The Client agrees that the Custodian is not responsible for any errors made by the Client, any errors resulting, directly or indirectly, from fraud or the duplication of any Instruction by the Client, or any losses resulting from the malfunctioning of any devices used by the Client or any Authorized Person or loss or compromise of credentials used by the Client or any Authorized Person to deliver Instructions. |
C. | Rejection of Instruction. The Custodian may reject or decide, in its sole and absolute discretion, not to act on any Instruction to transfer Eligible Assets (i) based on the Custodians applicable policies and procedures, including the results of the Custodians transaction monitoring and screening procedures, (ii) where it reasonably doubts such Instructions contents, authorization, origination or compliance with the Custodians policies and procedures, (iii) where it reasonably believes that acting on the Instruction could (a) require it to register or qualify as a regulated entity, (b) violate or facilitate the violation of any Law or (c) subject the Custodian to any financial or other liability for which it has not been provided adequate indemnification, and, in each case, the Custodian covenants to promptly notify the Client of its decision in such instance if permitted to do so by Law, or (iv) in order to give effect to transaction limits imposed in accordance with Section 3.H. In the event the Custodian shall receive conflicting Instructions from the Client or any Authorized Person, the Custodian shall be entitled, at its option, to refrain from taking action until such conflicting Instructions are reconciled to its reasonable satisfaction. |
D. | Responsibility for Instructions. The Client is responsible for any Instructions actually given to the Custodian or on which the Custodian is entitled to rely hereunder, whether or not properly authorized by the Client. The Custodian shall have no duty or responsibility to inquire into, make recommendations, or determine the suitability of any Instructions or transactions affecting the Custody Account. |
E. | Acknowledgment of Risk. The Client expressly acknowledges and agrees that the use of electronic communication systems to convey Instructions does not eliminate the risk of error and fraudulent activities or security and privacy issues. |
F. | English. Instructions are to be given in the English language only. |
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G. | Cut-Off Times. The Custodian may act on Instructions only within applicable cut-off times specified by the Custodian from time to time on Business Days when the Custodian is open for business in the ordinary course (a Cut-Off Time). |
6. | PERFORMANCE BY THE CUSTODIAN |
A. | Custodial Duties Requiring Instructions. The Custodian shall carry out any of the following actions only upon receipt of specific Instructions, delivered in accordance with Section 5, authorizing and requesting same: |
i. | Receive or Deliver any Assets, except as otherwise specifically provided for in this Agreement; |
ii. | Carry out any action affecting Assets and the Custody Account, other than those specified in Sections 6.A.i or 6.B hereof; provided, however, that each instance shall be subject to the prior approval and agreement of the Custodian; and provided further, that all Instructions regarding Forked Digital Assets are subject to Section 8 of this Agreement; and |
iii. | Transfer Assets in connection with the services described in Section 3.F. |
B. | Non-Discretionary Custodial Duties. Absent a contrary Instruction, the Custodian shall be permitted, and is hereby authorized and directed by Client to, and may authorize subcustodians or depositories to, carry out any of the following actions without any further Instructions or approval by or on behalf of Client: |
i. | In the Clients name or on its behalf, sign any affidavits, certificates of ownership and other certificates and documents relating to Assets which may be required (a) to obtain any Assets, or (b) by any tax or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Assets or the Custody Account; |
ii. | Notify the Client of notices, circulars, reports and announcements that require discretionary action, in each case, which the Custodian has received in the course of acting in the capacity of custodian of any Assets held on the Clients behalf; and |
iii. | Attend to all non-discretionary matters in connection with anything provided in this Section 6.B or any Instruction. |
C. | Use of Third Parties. |
The Custodian may perform any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement through depositories, subcustodians, subcontractors or agents (including its affiliates), whenever and on such terms and conditions as it deems necessary or advisable to perform such duties or obligations or liabilities, provided that Custodian shall remain liable to Client with respect to performance of such duties or obligations.
The Custodian shall act in good faith and use reasonable care in the selection and continued appointment of unaffiliated depositories, subcustodians, subcontractors or agents.
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D. | Reporting. The Custodian will provide to Client monthly account statements identifying the Digital Assets in the Custody Account on a monthly basis and setting forth all transactions in the Custody Account during such month. Upon written request from the Sponsor, the Custodian will also provide copies of monthly account statements to the Sponsor. The Custodian shall deliver or make available to the Client the Custodians most recent Service Organization Control (SOC 1 and SOC 2) reports upon completion of such reports, and upon Clients request on an annual basis. |
E. | Security of Assets. The Custodian may take such steps that it determines, in its sole discretion, may be necessary or advisable to inspect and protect the security of the Assets, the Custody Account or the Omnibus Wallet or enhance the Custodians ability to secure the Assets or the Omnibus Wallet, including cancelling, interrupting, terminating or suspending any or all of the Custodians services and operations hereunder and the Clients access to the Custodians services and operations, to any Assets or to the Custody Accounts. The Custodian will notify the Client in writing as soon as reasonably practicable (1) when a material change has been or will be made to its policies and procedures imposing new or modified requirements on the Client (2) any time the Custodian has experienced any breach (or significant threat of breach) of its systems, regardless of whether any loss of assets has occurred. |
F. | Asset Count. The Custodian will permit auditors of Client to engage in an annual verification of assets in the Digital Asset Custody Account, subject to such reasonable processes or procedures as Custodian may require. |
7. | TAXATION |
A. | Clients Tax Obligations. The Client shall, for all tax purposes, be treated as the owner of all Assets held by the Custodian pursuant to this Agreement. It is the Clients sole responsibility to determine whether and to what extent Taxes and Tax reporting obligations may apply to the Client with respect to its Assets, Custody Accounts, and transactions, and the Client shall timely pay all such Taxes and shall file all returns, reports, and disclosures required by applicable Law. |
B. | Tax Information. Upon execution of this Agreement, as well as upon request of the Custodian, the Client will promptly provide the Custodian with all forms, certifications, documentation, representations and warranties and any other information as the Custodian may reasonably request (Account Tax Documentation), including a duly completed and executed W-9 or W-8 (both available at www.irs.gov), as applicable, as to the Clients and/or the Clients underlying beneficial owners tax status and/or residence. The Client warrants that, when given, such Account Tax Documentation is true, complete and correct. If any such Account Tax Documentation becomes inaccurate, incorrect or obsolete, the Client will notify the Custodian immediately and promptly provide updated Account Tax Documentation. The Client understands that the Custodian may disclose any information with respect to Client Assets, Custody Accounts and transactions required or requested by any applicable taxing authority or other governmental entity. |
C. | Payments; Indemnity. Custodian is authorized to deduct and/or withhold Taxes, including Taxes arising as a result of the Clients failure to provide Account Tax Documentation pursuant to Section 7.B above, from Clients Assets, Custody Account or cash or other property of the Client and remit such amounts to the relevant taxing authority. If any Taxes become payable with respect to any prior payment made to the Client by the Custodian, the Custodian may withhold any cash or other property of the Client held or received with respect to Clients Assets, Custody Accounts or cash or other property in satisfaction of such prior Taxes. The Client shall remain liable for any Tax deficiency. If Taxes are required to be deducted or withheld from any payments made by the Client to Custodian, the Client will pay such additional amounts as are necessary so that Custodian receives a net amount equal to the amount Custodian would have received absent such withholding or deduction. Without limiting Section 13 hereof, the Client shall indemnify and hold the Custodian harmless from and against any and all liabilities, penalties, interest or additions to tax with respect to, or resulting from, any delay in, or failure by, the Custodian to pay, withhold or report any Taxes imposed on Clients Assets, cash or other property. |
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8. | DIGITAL ASSET FORKS |
The Custodian is not responsible for any Fork of a Digital Asset, including any Eligible Assets, and is not liable for any loss in value of the Assets held by the Custodian on the Clients behalf as a result of any Fork or otherwise. It is the responsibility of the Client to make itself aware of anticipated or upcoming operational or systemic changes in a Digital Asset and the Client must carefully consider publicly available information as well as information provided by the Custodian, if any, in determining whether to continue to use an account with the Custodian in connection with a Forked Digital Asset. In the event of a Fork of an Eligible Asset, the Custodian will use reasonable efforts to investigate the technical and operational feasibility of providing services with respect to Forked Digital Assets and will act in accordance with its Policy Statement on Forks; provided that the Custodian retains the right, in its sole discretion, to determine whether or not to support (or cease supporting) each Forked Digital Asset.
9. | VALUE AND SUPPLY OF DIGITAL ASSETS; INSURANCE |
A. | VALUE FLUCTUATION. THE CLIENT UNDERSTANDS THAT THE VALUE OF DIGITAL ASSETS AND ANY UNSUPPORTED FORKED DIGITAL ASSET CAN FLUCTUATE SUBSTANTIALLY, WHICH MAY RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT OR TOTAL LOSS OF THE VALUE OF THE ASSETS HELD BY THE CUSTODIAN ON THE CLIENTS BEHALF OR ANY UNSUPPORTED FORKED DIGITAL ASSET. THE CLIENT AGREES THAT THE CUSTODIAN WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS IN VALUE OF THE ASSETS OR UNSUPPORTED FORKED DIGITAL ASSET AT ANY TIME. |
B. | SUPPLY OF DIGITAL ASSETS. THE SUPPLY OF DIGITAL ASSETS AVAILABLE TO THE CUSTODIAN TO PROVIDE TO THE CLIENT THROUGH TRADE ORDERS AND THE ABILITY OF THE CUSTODIAN TO DELIVER DIGITAL ASSETS DEPENDS ON THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE CUSTODIANS CONTROL. THE CUSTODIAN DOES NOT OWN OR CONTROL ANY OF THE PROTOCOLS THAT ARE USED IN CONNECTION WITH DIGITAL ASSETS AND THEIR RELATED NETWORKS, INCLUDING THOSE RESULTING FROM A FORK. ACCORDINGLY, THE CUSTODIAN DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY RELATING TO SUCH PROTOCOLS AND ANY CHANGE IN THE VALUE OF ANY DIGITAL ASSETS (WHETHER FORKED DIGITAL ASSETS OR NOT), ANY ELIGIBLE ASSETS, OR ANY ASSETS, AND MAKES NO GUARANTEES REGARDING THE SECURITY, FUNCTIONALITY, OR AVAILABILITY OF SUCH PROTOCOLS OR NETWORKS. THE CLIENT ACCEPTS ALL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF THE SERVICES TO CONDUCT TRANSACTIONS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, RISKS IN CONNECTION WITH THE FAILURE OF HARDWARE, SOFTWARE AND INTERNET CONNECTIONS. |
C. | INSURANCE. THE CLIENT ACCEPTS THAT DIGITAL ASSETS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE PROTECTIONS OR INSURANCE PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR THE SECURITIES INVESTOR PROTECTION CORPORATION. IN ADDITION, ALTHOUGH THE CUSTODIAN MAY MAINTAIN INSURANCE FOR ITS OWN BENEFIT IN CONNECTION WITH ITS BUSINESS, THIS INSURANCE, IF MAINTAINED, IS SOLELY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CUSTODIAN AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR INSURE THE CLIENT IN ANY WAY. |
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10. | ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DIGITAL ASSET RISKS |
A. | General Risks. The Client understands and acknowledges that investing in, buying, and selling Digital Assets presents a variety of risks that are not presented by investing in, buying, and selling products in other, more traditional asset classes. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following: |
i. | Digital Assets are not legal tender, operate without central authority or banks, and are not backed by any government. |
ii. | Digital Assets are a new technological innovation with a limited history and are a highly speculative asset class, and as such, have in the past experienced, and are likely in the future to continue to experience, high volatility, including periods of extreme volatility. |
iii. | Digital Assets could become subject to Forks, and various types of cyberattacks, including but not limited to a 51% Attack or a Replay Attack, as described in the Policy Statement on Forks. |
iv. | Trading platforms on which Digital Assets are traded, including exchanges that may be used by the Custodian to fill Trade Orders, may stop operating or shut down due to fraud, technical problems, hackers or malware, and these trading platforms may be more susceptible to fraud and security breaches than established, regulated exchanges for other products. |
v. | The decentralized, open source protocol of the peer-to-peer computer network supporting a Digital Asset could be affected by internet disruptions, fraud or cybersecurity attacks, and such network may not be adequately maintained and protected by its participants. |
vi. | Regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to exchange a Digital Asset or utilize it for payments, and federal, state or foreign governments may restrict the use and exchange of Digital Assets. |
vii. | It may be or in the future become illegal to acquire, own, sell, or use a Digital Asset in one or more countries, and the regulation of Digital Assets within and outside of the United States is still developing. |
viii. | A Digital Asset could decline in popularity, acceptance or use, thereby impairing its price and liquidity. |
B. | Acknowledgement. The risks described in this Section 10 are just some of the risks presented by investing in, buying and selling Digital Assets, and the Client acknowledges that the Client is solely responsible for understanding and accepting the risks involved in investing in, buying, and selling Digital Assets, acknowledges that, subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, including but not limited to, Section 12, the Custodian has no control or influence over such risks, and acknowledges that the Custodian shall not be liable for any loss in value of Digital Assets that occurs in connection, directly or indirectly, with these risks. |
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11. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES |
A. | General. Each Party hereto represents and warrants to the other Party, as of the date this Agreement, that: |
i. | It is duly organized and in good standing in its jurisdiction of formation; |
ii. | It has the requisite power and authority to execute this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; |
iii. | It has taken all necessary action to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; |
iv. | This Agreement, when executed and delivered, will be its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy or other similar laws; |
v. | Any consent, authorization or Instruction required in connection with its execution and performance of this Agreement has been provided by any relevant third party; |
vi. | Any act reasonably required by any relevant governmental or other authority to be done in connection with its execution and performance of this Agreement has been or will be done (and will be renewed if necessary); and |
vii. | Neither the execution nor performance of this Agreement by such Party will materially breach any applicable Law, contract or other requirement to which such Party is bound. |
B. | Client. In addition to the general representations set forth in Section 11(A) hereof, the Client also represents, warrants and covenants to the Custodian that: |
i. | Its principal place of business is in Massachusetts, and it will notify the Custodian before changing its principal place of business to another jurisdiction; |
ii. | It has the requisite power and authority to enter into this Agreement and establish the Custody Account; |
iii. | Any factual information heretofore or contemporaneously furnished by or on behalf of the Client in writing to the Custodian for purposes of or in connection with the services contemplated by this Agreement is true and accurate in all material respects on the date as of which such information is dated or certified and not incomplete by omitting to state any fact necessary to make such information not misleading in any material respect at such time; provided that, with respect to forecasts or projections, the Client represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time; |
iv. | There is no claim pending, or to the Clients knowledge, threatened, and no encumbrance or other lien, in each case, that may adversely affect any delivery of Assets made by Client in accordance with this Agreement; |
v. | It has not relied on any oral or written representation or warranty made by the Custodian or any other person on the Custodians behalf, other than those explicitly set forth in Section 11.A. hereof; |
vi. | It will not grant any liens, claims, security interests and encumbrances (except those granted herein) over the Custody Accounts or the assets therein and it has all rights, title and interest in and to the Assets in the Custody Account as necessary for the Custodian to perform its obligations under this Agreement; |
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vii. | It acknowledges that Digital Assets are new forms of assets, that the law regarding their ownership, custody and transfer is developing and uncertain, and that custody of such assets poses certain risks that are not present in the case of more traditional asset classes, including the risks of fraud and theft; and it understands that it will bear such risks and the potential loss or diminution in value of Digital Assets due to (a) changes or developments in the Law or conditions under existing Law in which its rights in and to such Digital Assets are not adequately protected, (b) changes in the Custodians policies or procedures made in the Custodians sole discretion in light of legal, regulatory, operational, security or reputational risks, (c) an Ineligibility Determination or (d) fraud and theft by third parties; |
viii. | It is not, and to its knowledge no transferee of Assets pursuant to any Digital Asset Debit Request is, (a) the target of any economic, financial or trade sanctions or embargoes, export controls or other restrictive measures imposed by the United States of America (including those administered by the United States Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control), the European Union, any member state of the European Union, the United Kingdom or the United Nations (the Sanctions), or (b) located, organized or resident in a country or territory with which dealings are broadly restricted or prohibited by any Sanctions (as of the date hereof, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria)(any such country, territory, entity or individual described in this clause (ix), a Sanctioned Party); |
ix. | The Client does not know or have any reason to suspect that (a) any part of the Assets are or will be derived from, held for the benefit of, or related in any way to transactions with or on behalf of, any Sanctioned Party, and (b) any Sanctioned Party has or will have any legal or beneficial interest in the Client or any of the Assets; |
x. | The Client does not know or have any reason to suspect that (a) any part of the Assets was derived from unlawful activities, or (b) any part of the Assets or proceeds of the Assets will be used to finance any unlawful activities; |
xi. | If the Client is a non-U.S. banking institution (a Non-U.S. Bank) or is holding its security entitlement to the Assets credited to the Custody Account directly or indirectly on behalf of or for the benefit of a Non-U.S. Bank, such Non-U.S. Bank (a) maintains a place of business at a fixed address, other than solely a post office box or an electronic address, in a country where the Non-U.S. Bank is authorized to conduct banking activities; (b) at such location, employs one or more individuals on a full-time basis; (c) maintains operating records related to its banking activities; (d) is subject to inspection by the banking authority that licensed the Non-U.S. Bank; and (e) does not provide banking services to any other Non-U.S. Bank that does not have a physical presence in any country and that is not a registered affiliate of such Non-U.S. Bank; |
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xii. | The Client recognizes the importance of guarding against the use of the Client for money laundering activities. The Client intends to conduct its business activities in a manner reasonably designed to prevent money laundering activity transacted by or through the Client. Each Authorized Participant is a U.S. broker-dealer that is required to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to achieve compliance with the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended by Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and other laws, and related regulations (collectively, the BSA). Each such Authorized Participant will be required to represent and warrant to the Client that no fund or assets that such investor contributes to the Client were or are derived from, or related to, any activity that is deemed criminal under United States law or shall cause the Client or its general partner to be in violation of the BSA, the U.S. Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, the U.S. International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act of 2001 (also known as Title III of the USA Patriot Act of 2001) or economic sanctions promulgated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, each as amended from time to time, and that such investor will provide the Clients general partner with any additional information regarding the investor that the Clients general partner deems necessary or appropriate to ensure compliance with all applicable laws concerning money laundering and similar activities. If at any time it is discovered that any of such representations by the investor are incorrect, or if otherwise required by applicable law or regulation related to money laundering and similar activities, the Clients general partner may in its sole discretion undertake appropriate actions to ensure compliance with applicable law or regulation, including but not limited to freezing, segregating or withdrawing the investors subscription in the Client; |
xiii. | If the Client is an entity holding its security entitlement to the Assets on behalf of any of its own customers, whether or not expressly identified to the Custodian from time to time, any such customers of the Client shall not be customers or indirect customers of the Custodian by virtue of the services provided hereunder; |
xiv. | It acknowledges that the Custodian may, with or without prior notice to the Client, freeze the Clients Custody Account, or any other Assets of the Client in the Custodians possession or control, including, but not limited to, prohibiting transfers, declining any Cash Debit Request, Cash Credit Request, Digital Asset Debit Request or Digital Asset Credit Request, and/or segregating Assets or property, if the Custodian determines, suspects, or is advised that such actions are necessary or advisable to comply with any applicable anti-money laundering, OFAC or other laws or regulations in any relevant jurisdiction. The Client acknowledges that the Custodian may be required to report transactions that raise suspicions of money laundering or OFAC violations and to disclose the identity of the Client and any related parties to appropriate government authorities; |
xv. | It does conduct and intends to continue to conduct its business in material compliance with all applicable Laws, and has obtained all regulatory licenses, approvals and consents necessary to carry on its business as now conducted; without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it will not use the services provided by Custodian hereunder in any manner that is, or would result in, a violation of any applicable Law; |
xvi. | It is aware of and familiar with, and has been fully informed of, the risks associated with giving Proper Instructions, and is willing to accept such risks, and it shall (and shall cause each Authorized Person to) safeguard and treat with extreme care any devices or credentials related to Proper Instructions, understands that there may be alternative methods of giving or delivering the same than the methods selected by the Custodian, agrees that the security procedures (if any) to be followed in connection therewith provide a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances, and acknowledges and agrees that a deposit or withdrawal request may conclusively be presumed by the Custodian to have been given by Authorized Person(s) duly authorized to do so, and may be acted upon as given; and |
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xvii. | It has determined, and agrees that it is solely responsible for ensuring, that the services offered by the Custodian under this Agreement are sufficient for all legal, regulatory, contractual, operational and other requirements and obligations of the Client, and that such services are appropriate and desirable for the Client, including, but not limited to, determining whether the services provided by the Custodian hereunder are sufficient for satisfying any obligation of the Client to arrange for a qualified custodian to maintain Client funds and securities under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, if applicable. The Custodian makes no express or implied warranty, guarantee, or representation that the services offered by the Custodian under this Agreement satisfy any legal or regulatory requirements applicable to the custody of Client Assets. The Custodian shall have no liability whatsoever for, and the Client shall indemnify and hold the Custodian harmless against, any loss in value of the Assets held by the Custodian on the Clients behalf and any other loss, expense, cost or liability of any kind incurred by the Custodian arising directly or indirectly out of the Clients failure or alleged failure to comply with any Law, contract or operational requirements applicable to the Client, including, but not limited to, any Law applicable to the custody of Client Assets. |
C. | Custodian. The Custodian represents to the Client that the Custodian is (A) a New York State limited liability trust company authorized pursuant to Section 102-a of the New York Banking Law to engage in all activities described in Sections 96 and 100 of the New York Banking Law, with the exception of accepting deposits and making loans (other than pursuant to the exercise of its fiduciary powers), and (B) a bank as defined in Section 202(a) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. |
12. | SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY |
A. | Standard of Care. The Custodian shall exercise the reasonable care of a professional custodian for hire. |
B. | Limitations on Liability and Losses. |
i. | In no event will the Custodian be responsible or liable for any loss, claim or damage suffered by the Client, except to the extent of any loss, claim or damage that directly resulted from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of the Custodian. In such event, the liability of the Custodian will not exceed the lesser of (a) the replacement cost of any Assets and (b) the market value of the Assets (as determined by the Custodian) to which such loss or damage relates at the time the Client reasonably should have been aware of such gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud. In the event of any loss sustained by the Client for which the Custodian is liable hereunder, the liability of the Custodian shall be reduced to the extent that the Clients own conduct contributed to such loss. |
ii. | The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss caused, directly or indirectly, by (a) the failure of the Client to adhere to the Custodians policies and procedures that have been disclosed to the Client, (b) a Force Majeure Event or (c) any action taken pursuant to Section 6.E (except with respect to the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of the Custodian in connection with any action taken pursuant to Section 6.E.). |
iii. | Under no circumstances will the Custodian be liable to the Client for (a) acting in accordance with or conclusively relying upon any Instruction that it believes in good faith to have been authorized by the Client or any Person acting on behalf of the Client, or (b) any indirect, consequential, incidental, special or punitive loss or damage, even if the Custodian has been advised of or otherwise might have anticipated the possibility of such loss or damage. |
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iv. | The Custodian shall not be responsible or liable to the Client for any loss caused, directly or indirectly, by (a) any failure or delay to act by any service provider (other than an Affiliated Agent as identified in Section 12.C.ii. below) to the Custodian or (b) any System Failure (other than a System Failure caused by the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of the Custodian or the Custodians affiliates), that prevents the Custodian from fulfilling its obligations under this Agreement. |
C. | Limitations on the Custodians Responsibility |
i. | General. The Custodian shall only be responsible for the performance of those duties as are expressly set forth herein, including acting in accordance with any Proper Instructions given in accordance with this Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the terms by which the Custodian shall satisfy each of its duties under Article 8 of the UCC. The Custodian shall have no implied duties or other obligations whatsoever. The Custodian shall not be subject to, nor required to comply with, any other agreement to which the Client is a party. |
ii. | No Liability for Third Parties. The Custodian, provided that the Custodian shall have acted in good faith and used reasonable care in the selection and continued appointment of the third party and subject to clause iii below, is not responsible or liable for the acts, omissions, defaults, insolvency, negligence, gross negligence, misconduct or fraud of any third party selected by the Custodian to perform any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement, other than any Affiliated Agent. In addition, and subject to clause iii below, in no event shall the Custodian be liable for the acts, omissions, defaults, insolvency, negligence, gross negligence, misconduct or fraud of any other third party. |
iii. | Sole Obligations of the Custodian. The Client understands and agrees that notwithstanding any delegation by the Custodian of any of its obligations and duties to any affiliate of the Custodian (defined as an Affiliated Agent), no such agreement with any Affiliated Agent shall discharge the Custodian from its obligations hereunder, and the rights of the Client with respect to the Custodian extend only to the Custodian and do not extend to any Affiliated Agent of the Custodian. The Client shall have no direct or indirect rights or causes of action against any Affiliated Agent, nor shall any Affiliated Agent have any responsibility or liability to any Client of the Custodian. |
iv. | Performance Subject to Laws. The Client understands and agrees that the Custodians performance of this Agreement may be subject to relevant Laws and any rules, operating procedures, practices, and protocols related to Digital Assets, all of which may be subject to change. The Custodian may from time to time review and amend its policies and procedures or impose such additional policies and procedures as the Custodian, in its discretion, considers necessary or advisable due to change in any Law, including any Law related to Digital Assets. |
v. | Preventing of Performance. The Custodian will not be responsible for any failure to perform any of its obligations if such performance is prevented, hindered or delayed by a Force Majeure Event, by changes in the Custodians policies or procedures made in the Custodians sole discretion in light of legal, regulatory, operational, security or reputational risks or after an Ineligibility Determination. In such case, the Custodians obligations will be suspended for so long as the Force Majeure Event continues or any change in the Custodians policies or procedures or Ineligibility Determination remains in effect. |
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vi. | Validity of Assets. The Custodian does not warrant or guarantee the form, authenticity, value or validity of any Asset received by the Custodian. |
vii. | No Fiduciary Duties. The Custodian has no fiduciary duty to the Client in any respect, including with respect to the Assets held in the Custody Account under this Agreement (irrespective of whether an affiliate of the Custodian has provided other services or is currently providing other services to the Client on other matters). |
viii. | Capacity of Custodian. For the avoidance of doubt, the Custodian is not acting as an investment manager or as a broker or dealer (as respectively defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), nor is it acting as an investment, financial, legal or tax adviser to the Client. This Agreement is an arms length, commercial transaction between the Client and the Custodian. The Custodian is not recommending that the Client take any investment or other action with respect to the Assets held in the Custody Account under this Agreement. |
ix. | Forwarded Information; Contents of Documents. The Custodian is not responsible for the form, accuracy or content of any notice, circular, report, announcement or other material provided under Section 6.B.ii of this Agreement not prepared by the Custodian and the Custodian shall not be required to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any certificate, report, or other document. |
x. | Security of Assets. Except for Custodians gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, the Custodian shall not be liable to the Client for any loss resulting from actions taken by the Custodian to inspect, protect or improve the security of the Clients Assets pursuant to Section 6.E. |
xi. | Conflicting Claims. In the event of any dispute or conflicting claims by any person or persons with respect to the Assets, the Custodian shall be entitled to refuse to act until either (a) such dispute or conflicting claim shall have been finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction or settled by agreement between conflicting parties, and the Custodian shall have received written evidence satisfactory to it of such determination or agreement or (b) the Custodian shall have received an indemnity, security or both, satisfactory to it and sufficient to hold it harmless from and against any and all loss, liability and expense that the Custodian may incur as a result of its actions. |
xii. | Legal and Regulatory Compliance. The Custodian shall have no obligation to review, monitor or otherwise ensure compliance by the Client or the Sponsor with (a) any Law applicable to the Client or the Sponsor or (b) any term or condition of any agreement between the Client and any third party, including the Sponsor. |
xiii. | Reliance on Written Items. The Custodian may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any written notice, instruction, statement, certificate, request, waiver, consent, opinion, report, receipt or other paper or document furnished to it in accordance with this Agreement, not only as to its due execution and validity, but also as to the truth and accuracy of any information therein contained, which it in good faith believes to be genuine and signed or presented by an Authorized Person. The Custodian shall be entitled to presume the genuineness and due authority of any signature appearing thereon. The Custodian shall not be bound to make any independent investigation into the facts or matters stated in any such notice, instruction, statement, certificate, request, waiver, consent, opinion, report, receipt or other paper or document. |
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D. | Client Obligations. |
i. | All fees, expenses, charges and obligations incurred from time to time for any services pursuant to this Agreement as determined in accordance with the terms of the Fee Schedule as agreed to separately by the Parties which may be changed from time to time by the Custodian upon prior written notice to the Client or the Sponsor, together with any other amounts payable to the Custodian under the Agreement (except such expenses identified as extraordinary expenses to be paid by Client), will be paid by Sponsor, and Custodian agrees that Sponsor shall be the only party liable for such fees, expenses, charges and obligations (Sponsor Fees). The Client authorizes the Sponsor to process payments on their behalf. Unless otherwise agreed, all fees and expenses paid to the Custodian shall be paid in U.S. Dollars. |
ii. | The Client hereby acknowledges that the Custodian is subject to various laws including those verifying the identities of customers, pursuant to which the Custodian will obtain, verify and record information that allows the Custodian to identify each Client. Accordingly, prior to entering into this Agreement, the Custodian will ask the Client to provide certain information including, but not limited to, the Clients name, physical address, tax identification number and other information that will help the Custodian to identify and verify the Clients identity, such as organizational documents, certificate of good standing, license to do business or other pertinent identifying information. The Custodian may obtain and verify comparable information for any Authorized Person. The Client shall provide the Custodian with documentation to allow for obtaining and verifying the beneficial owners and control persons of customers that are legal entities. The Client acknowledges that the Custodian cannot provide services under this Agreement until the Custodian verifies the identity of the Client (and, if applicable, Authorized Persons and/or beneficial owners) in accordance with its customer identification and verification procedures. The Clients Custody Account may be restricted or closed if the Custodian cannot obtain and verify this information. The Custodian will not be responsible for any losses or damages (including, but not limited to, lost opportunities) that may result if a Clients Custody Account is restricted or closed. |
iii. | The Client will promptly provide the Custodian with such additional information and documentation (including, as applicable, by executing additional documentation) as the Custodian may request to identify the owner(s) of Assets, for the Custodian to comply with applicable Law and its policies and procedures, and to enable the Custodian to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement. |
iv. | The Client shall promptly inform the Custodian if (a) the Client is or becomes a Sanctioned Person, (b) the Client is or becomes located, organized, or resident in, or begins to conduct business in or with a country or territory with which dealings are broadly restricted or prohibited by any Sanctions (including, as of the date hereof, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria) or (c) the Client becomes aware that the Client or any Asset, or any transaction involving an Asset, is or becomes the target of any Sanctions or investigation (including the reasonable details thereof). |
v. | The Client shall not grant any other Person a lien, security interest, charge or similar rights or claims against the Assets without the Custodians prior consent, not to be unreasonably withheld. |
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vi. | In giving any Instructions which purport to be Proper Instructions under this Agreement, the Client will act, and will cause the Sponsor to act, in accordance with the provisions of any and all constitutional documents of the Client, any and all documents governing the Assets and any related laws and regulations. |
vii. | The Client and its Authorized Persons are responsible for creating a strong password and maintaining adequate security and control of any and all IDs, passwords, hints, personal identification numbers, or any other codes that the Client and any Authorized Person uses to access the services provided by the Custodian under this Agreement. Any loss or compromise of the foregoing information and/or the Clients personal information may result in unauthorized access to the Custody Account by third-parties and the loss or theft of any Digital Assets or Assets held in the Custody Account and any associated accounts. The Client is responsible for keeping the Clients contact information, including email address and telephone number, up to date in order to receive any notices or alerts that the Custodian may send to the Client. The Custodian assumes no responsibility for any loss that the Client may sustain due to the compromise of account login credentials not due to fault of the Custodian, or due to any failure by the Client, any Authorized Person or the Sponsor to follow or act on any notices or alerts that the Custodian may send to the Client, an Authorized Person or the Sponsor. |
viii. | At any time, the Custodian may request Instructions from any Authorized Person or the Sponsor (or Person that the Custodian believes in good faith to be an Authorized Person or the Sponsor), and may consult with its own legal counsel or outside legal counsel for the Client with respect to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Custodian under this Agreement. |
13. | INDEMNITY |
A. | Indemnity to the Custodian. The Client agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Custodian, its parent companies, subsidiaries and affiliates, and its and their directors, officers, agents and employees, against any and all claims, costs, causes of action, losses, liabilities, lawsuits, demands and damages, fines, penalties and expenses, including without limitation, any and all court costs and reasonable attorneys fees, in any way related to or arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or any action taken or not taken pursuant hereto, except to the extent that the Custodian would be liable under Section 12.B hereunder and except with respect to any fees to be paid to Custodian hereunder, which fees will be paid by the Sponsor. The foregoing indemnifications shall survive any termination of this Agreement. |
B. | Clients Direct Liability. The disclosure by the Client to the Custodian that the Client has entered into this Agreement as the agent or representative of another person shall not relieve the Client of any of its obligations under this Agreement, including those described in Section 13.A above. |
14. | CLIENT FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS |
The Client agrees that the Assets will be finally distributed, transferred and delivered to the Client only upon the indefeasible payment in full of any amounts due and owing to the Custodian by Client hereunder. For the avoidance of doubt, all Sponsor Fees are the obligation of Sponsor and not of Client.
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15. | REMEDIES UPON NONPAYMENT |
If the Client, upon demand, fails to pay the Custodian any required amount in respect of any Asset subject to this Agreement, the Custodian may, without notice to the Client (except as required by Law) and at any time appropriate, sell such Asset and/or exercise in respect of each such Asset any and all the rights and remedies of a secured party on default under applicable Law.
16. | LIEN AND SET OFF |
In addition to all rights and remedies available to the Custodian under applicable Law, the Custodian shall have, and the Client hereby grants, a continuing lien on and valid and perfected first-priority security interest in all Assets in the Custody Account until the satisfaction of all liabilities of the Client to the Custodian arising under this Agreement, including without limitation liabilities in respect of any expenses or credit exposures in relation to the Custody Account incurred in the performance of services under this Agreement. Custodian shall have all the remedies of a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code in effect in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Without limiting any other rights and remedies of the Custodian under this Agreement or applicable Law, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, the Custodian may, with prior notice to the Client, set off any payment obligation owed to the Custodian by the Client against any payment obligations owed by the Custodian to the Client, regardless of the place of payment, delivery and/or currency of any obligation (and for such purposes may make any necessary conversions of currencies or Digital Assets). If any obligation is unliquidated or unascertained, the Custodian may set off an amount estimated by the Custodian in good faith to be the amount of that obligation.
17. | RECORDS |
The Client shall examine each statement sent by the Custodian and notify the Custodian in writing within five (5)) Business Days of the date of such statement of (A) any discrepancy between Instructions given by the Client and the position shown on the statement and (B) any other errors known to the Client. Absent such timely notification, the Custodians liability for any loss or damage in regards to such discrepancy shall not accrue beyond such five (5) Business Day period.
18. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION |
Each of the Custodian and the Client agrees that it will maintain any confidential and proprietary information disclosed to it by the other Party hereto (Confidential Information), in a confidential manner using the same care it uses to protect the confidentiality of its own confidential information, and will not use for its own benefit or otherwise the Confidential Information of the other Party except (x) as expressly authorized by this Agreement and to the extent necessary for performance of this Agreement or (y) upon the prior written consent of the other Party; provided, however, that each of the Custodian and the Client may disclose any such confidential or proprietary information of the other Party to those of its affiliates and its and their officers, directors, employees, agents (including its accountants, attorneys and financial advisors), and contractors (Representatives), in each case, who need to know such information for purposes of this Agreement and who are bound by confidentiality obligations consistent with the terms hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Confidential Information shall not include information that was (a) publicly available prior to disclosure by such disclosing party; (b) already in the receiving partys possession and not subject to an obligation of confidentiality; (c) obtained by the receiving party from a third party without restriction on disclosure; (d) entirely independently developed by the receiving party without reference to any Confidential Information of the disclosing party; (e) the tax treatment and any facts that may be relevant to the income tax consequences of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Client shall treat the terms of this Agreement, including the fees set forth on Schedule 1 hereto, as Confidential Information.
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If, at any time, the receiving party is required by law or regulation to make any disclosure of any of the Confidential Information, by summons, subpoena, judicial or administrative order or otherwise, the receiving party shall (to the extent permissible and practicable under the circumstances) give prompt prior written notice of such requirement to the disclosing party and permit the disclosing party to intervene in any relevant proceedings to protect its interests in the Confidential Information, and provide reasonable cooperation and assistance to the disclosing party in lawful efforts to resist, limit or delay disclosure at the disclosing partys sole expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Custodian may disclose the Clients Confidential Information to the Custodians regulators without any notice thereof, and the Client may file a form of this Agreement on the SECs EDGAR system if and as required by Clients obligations under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
The receiving party shall promptly notify the disclosing party in writing of any loss, or use, access or disclosure of Confidential Information of the disclosing party in violation of this Agreement promptly following recipients discovery and shall promptly take measures to minimize the effect and prevent its recurrence. The receiving party shall be liable under this Agreement to the disclosing party for any loss, or access, use, or disclosure in violation of this Agreement by itself or its Representatives.
19. | TERMINATION |
A. | Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and terminate when terminated pursuant to this Section 19 (the Term). |
B. | Termination. Either Party may terminate this Agreement in whole or in part, with or without cause, by giving not less than sixty (60 days prior written notice to the other Party. |
C. | Immediate Termination by Either Party. Without prejudice to any accrued rights and remedies under this Agreement, either Party may terminate this Agreement immediately by giving written notice to the other Party upon the occurrence of any of the following events (provided such notice to terminate is given within three (3) months following the occurrence of the event): |
i. | if the other Party commits any material breach of any of its obligations under this Agreement and, in the case of any breach which is capable of remedy, fails to remedy such breach within seven (7) days of delivery of a written notice to the other Party specifying such breach (or such longer period as the notice may specify); or |
ii. | if the other Party becomes insolvent, enters into liquidation (apart from solvent liquidation for the purposes of amalgamation or reconstruction) or is dissolved or declared bankrupt or has a receiver, administrator or administrative receiver appointed over all or a substantial part of its assets or enters into an arrangement with its creditors or takes or suffers similar action. |
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D. | Immediate Termination by Custodian or Client. Without prejudice to any accrued rights and remedies under this Agreement, the Custodian may terminate this Agreement immediately by giving written notice to the Client if in its sole discretion it has determined that (i) continuing to provide services under this Agreement would result in violation of any Law or that (iii) the Client has conducted or participated in any activity, transaction or conduct that may present a material adverse impact or reflection on the Custodians reputation. Without prejudice to any accrued rights and remedies under this Agreement, the Client may terminate this Agreement immediately by giving written notice to the Custodian if in its sole discretion it has determined that continuing to receive services under this Agreement would result in violation of any Law. |
E. | Effect on Assets. Upon termination of this Agreement (or termination of all Custodians services pursuant to Section 6E) and subject to Section 14 hereof, the Custodian shall deliver the Clients Assets as instructed by the Client in writing. If by the termination date the Client has not given instructions to the Custodian regarding where to deliver any Assets, the Custodian will continue to maintain the Custody Account until the Client provides such Proper Instructions to effect a free delivery of such Assets, and the Client shall be liable to pay monthly storage fees in the amount reasonably determined by the Custodian until all Assets are removed. Except as set forth in subsection 19.E.i hereof, the Custodian will provide no other services with respect to any such Assets following termination. Notwithstanding termination of this Agreement or any Proper Instruction, the Custodian may retain sufficient Assets to close out or complete any transaction that was in process prior to such termination or to pay any fees of the Custodian or amounts otherwise outstanding hereunder. |
i. | If Custodian terminates this Agreement or ceases to support a Digital Asset in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, Client will be permitted to withdraw Digital Assets in its Custody Account(s) to the extent not prohibited (i) under applicable law, including applicable sanctions programs, or (ii) by a facially valid subpoena, court order, or binding order of a government authority, and Custodian will continue to provide the custodial services set forth in this Agreement with respect to such assets until the sooner of (1) the appointment of a successor custodian, (2) the transfer of all Digital Assets from any affected Custody Accounts by Client or (3) 180 days after the termination of this Agreement or Custodian ceasing to support a Digital Asset, as the case may be. |
F. | Surviving Terms. The rights and obligations contained in Sections 7, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 19 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
20. | GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION |
A. | Governing Law. This Agreement is solely and exclusively governed, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to conflict of law rules or principles that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction. |
B. | Jurisdiction. Both Parties submit to personal jurisdiction in the federal and state courts located in Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and further agree that any and all claims and controversies arising out of this Agreement that cannot be amicably resolved by the Parties shall be brought solely and exclusively in a court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
C. | Venue. Each Party hereto waives any objection it may have at any time, to the laying of venue of any actions or proceedings brought in an inconvenient forum and further waives the rights to object that such court does not have jurisdiction over such parties. |
D. | Negotiated Agreement. Each Party acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to negotiate the terms of this Agreement, including the foregoing governing law and jurisdiction provisions, and that it has freely contracted to bind itself to such provisions. |
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21. | MISCELLANEOUS |
A. | Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement, including all exhibits and schedules, constitutes the entire Agreement and understanding between the Parties, and supersedes all previous communications, representations or agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the subject matter hereof. In the event that this Agreement conflicts with any exhibit, schedule, or terms of use, the terms of this Agreement shall control and govern. Except as specified in this Agreement, this Agreement may be modified only by written agreement signed by both Parties. |
B. | Notices. For the purposes of any notices or other communications required to be delivered hereunder, the Custodians address shall be 245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210 and the Clients address shall be as set forth in the account opening documentation provided by the Client to the Custodian, as updated from time to time. Either Party may provide such notice by sending written notice by registered or certified mail or by e-mail to the address designated by the other Party. Any notices provided under this provision shall be effective, upon receipt (in the case of registered or certified mail) or by the recipient acknowledging receipt (in the case of e-mail). |
C. | Third Parties. This Agreement is not intended to confer any rights or benefits to any third parties, including, but not limited to, the Clients affiliates, employees, customers, counterparties or investors. |
D. | Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes illegal, invalid, or unenforceable under any applicable Law, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect (as shall that provision under any other law). |
E. | Waiver of Rights. No failure or delay of the Client or the Custodian in exercising any right or remedy under this Agreement shall constitute a waiver of that right. Any waiver of any right will be limited to the specific instance. The exclusion or omission of any provision or term from this Agreement shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any right or remedy the Client or the Custodian may have under applicable Law. |
F. | Recordings. The Client and the Custodian consent to telephonic or electronic recordings for security and quality of service purposes and agree that either may produce telephonic or electronic recordings or computer records as evidence in any proceedings brought in connection with this Agreement. |
G. | Assignment. The Custodian may assign this Agreement, delegate its duties hereunder, and transfer the Custody Account to any of its affiliates or to its successors and assigns, whether by merger, consolidation, or otherwise, in each case, without notice to the Client. The Client may not assign or transfer any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the Custodians prior written consent. Any attempted transfer or assignment in violation hereof shall be null and void. |
H. | No Agency. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall constitute the Client and/or the Custodian (and/or any other Person) as members of any partnership, joint venture, association, syndicate, unincorporated business or similar assignment as a result of or by virtue of the engagement or relationship established by this Agreement. Neither the Client nor the Custodian shall hold itself out as an agent, partner or joint venture partner of the other or any of the subsidiaries or companies controlled directly or indirectly by or affiliated with the other. |
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I. | No Affiliate Obligations. The Client acknowledges and agrees that (i) the obligations and duties of the Custodian hereunder apply only to the Custodian and are not obligations or duties of any other member of the Fidelity organization; (ii) notwithstanding any affiliation of the Custodian with the Fidelity organization or any member thereof (including FMR LLC, the parent company of the Custodian), this Agreement is with the Custodian only, and the rights of the Client under this Agreement apply only to the Custodian and not to FMR LLC or any other affiliate of the Custodian; and (iii) the Custodian may in its sole and absolute discretion in the performance of its responsibilities hereunder make such arrangements as it sees fit with any affiliate to have access to and use the services and resources of its affiliates, and in such event, the Custodian alone shall remain solely responsible to the Client for the provision of services hereunder and any such affiliate shall have no duty, responsibility or liability whatsoever to any Client in connection herewith. |
J. | Other Business. Nothing herein shall prevent the Custodian or any of its affiliates from engaging in other business, or from entering into any other transaction or financial or other relationship with, or receiving fees from or from rendering services of any kind to the Client or any other Person. The Custodian and its affiliates may own and trade Digital Assets and are not prohibited from engaging in other business or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with the Client. The Custodian and its affiliates (or funds or other accounts advised or managed by them) may have investments in, or other commercial arrangements with, counterparties that fill Trade Orders or other service providers to the Custodian. Affiliates of the Custodian (and funds or other accounts advised or managed by them) may themselves utilize the Custodians trade execution service and submit Trade Orders that could be internally crossed with Trade Orders of the Client. |
K. | Headings. Titles to Sections of this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and shall be disregarded in construing the language contained in this Agreement. |
L. | Counterparts; Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. This Agreement may be accepted, executed, and agreed to through the use of electronic signatures and electronic transmission. |
[signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized.
FD FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC ON BEHALF OF FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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FD FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC
By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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FIDELITY DIGITAL ASSET SERVICES, LLC
By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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Exhibit 10.4
FORM OF
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
This Administration Agreement (Agreement) dated as of [ ], 2023 is by and between each entity listed on Appendix A hereto (each, a Fund) and Fidelity Service Company, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (the Administrator).
WHEREAS, each Fund desires to retain the Administrator to furnish certain administrative services and the Administrator is willing to furnish such services, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. | APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR |
Each Fund hereby appoints the Administrator to act as administrator to it for the purposes of providing certain administrative services for the period and on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The Administrator accepts such appointment and agrees to render the services stated herein.
In the event that any additional entity wishes to retain the Administrator to act as administrator under this Agreement, such entity shall notify the Administrator in writing. Upon written acceptance by the Administrator, such entity(ies) shall become subject to the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as the existing Funds.
2. | DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS |
Each Fund will promptly deliver to the Administrator copies of each of the following documents and all future amendments and supplements, if any:
i. | Each Funds governing documents; |
ii. | Copies of signature authority documents authorizing certain individuals on behalf of a Fund to designate the individuals (Authorized Persons) authorized to (a) give instructions to the Administrator pursuant to this Agreement and (b) sign checks and pay expenses; and |
iii. | Such other certificates, documents or opinions which the Administrator may, in its reasonable discretion, deem necessary or appropriate in the proper performance of its duties, subject to the consent of the relevant Fund which shall not be unreasonably withheld, provided however, that if a Funds refusal to provide such certificates, documents or opinions renders the Administrator, in its reasonable opinion, unable to perform its duties, the Administrator shall not be liable for its failure to perform such duties. |
3. | FUND ACCOUNTING AND FUND ADMINISTRATION SERVICES |
The Administrator shall provide the services listed on Appendix B, attached hereto, subject to the authorization and direction of each Fund and, in each case where appropriate, the review and comment by each Funds independent accountants and legal counsel and in accordance with procedures which may be established from time to time between the Fund and the Administrator.
The Administrator shall perform such other services for the Fund(s) that are mutually agreed to by the parties from time to time, for which each Fund will pay such fees, including the Administrators reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, as may be mutually agreed upon. The provision of such services shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
4. | FEES; EXPENSES; EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT |
The Administrator shall receive from each Fund such compensation for the Administrators services provided pursuant to this Agreement as may be agreed to from time to time in a written fee schedule (the Fee Schedule) approved by the parties.
The Administrator is authorized to and may employ, associate or contract with such person or persons as the Administrator may deem desirable to assist it in performing its duties under this Agreement, and the Administrator may delegate its duties hereunder to any affiliate, affiliated joint venture or wholly-owned direct or indirect subsidiary of its parent company; provided, however, that the compensation of any such person or persons shall be paid by the Administrator and that the Administrator shall:
i. | ensure that, with respect to any delegated activity, the delegate shall adopt and implement the policies and procedures of the Administrator with respect to such delegated activity; |
ii. | regularly review such delegation in keeping with the level of risk and the nature of the delegated activity; |
iii. | procure that any such delegation shall not hinder either any Fund or any relevant regulatory authority from accessing relevant information or data at any given time, or from conducting audits or inspections with respect to the delegated functions; |
iv. | be as fully responsible to the Administrator for the acts and omissions of any such person or persons as it is for its own acts and omissions. |
5. | INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE |
Each Fund authorizes Administrator to accept, rely upon and/or act upon any instructions received by it from an Authorized Person without inquiry. Each Fund is solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of instructions, their proper delivery to Administrator, for updating such instructions as may be necessary to ensure continued accuracy and completeness, and for monitoring their status. Each Fund will indemnify the Administrator against, and hold Administrator harmless from, any loss, damage, or expense that may be imposed on, incurred by, or asserted against the Administrator as a result of any action or omission taken in accordance with any instruction, except to the extent that such loss, damage, or expense is caused by the negligence, misfeasance or willful misconduct of the Administrator in the manner in which it carries out the instruction.
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6. | STANDARD OF CARE, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION |
The Administrator shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence (the Standard of Care) in carrying out all of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, and shall be liable to each Fund only for direct losses suffered or incurred by the such Fund resulting from the failure of the Administrator to exercise the Standard of Care. The Administrator shall be entitled to receive and act upon advice of counsel on all matters. The Administrator shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted in good faith pursuant to the advice of (i) counsel for the applicable Fund or Funds; or (ii) at the expense of the Administrator, counsel to the Administrator; provided however, with respect to the performance of any action or omission of any action upon such advice, the Administrator shall be required to conform to the Standard of Care. For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby specifically understood and agreed that nothing in this section shall be construed as imposing upon the Administrator any obligation to seek such advice of counsel or to act in accordance with such advice when received.
The Administrator shall be responsible for the performance only of such duties as are set forth in this Agreement and, except as otherwise provided under Section 4, shall have no responsibility for the actions or activities of any other party, including other service providers.
The Administrator shall have no liability in respect of any loss, damage or expense suffered by a Fund insofar as such loss, damage or expense arises from the performance of the Administrators duties hereunder in reliance upon records that were maintained for the Funds by entities other than the Administrator prior to the Administrators appointment as administrator for the Funds. Unless directly caused by or resulting from, and then only to the extent of, the failure of the Administrator to exercise the Standard of Care, the Administrator shall have no liability for errors of judgment or for any loss or damage resulting from the performance or nonperformance of its duties hereunder.
In providing the Services, Administrator is performing an administrative function for each Fund and is acting solely as agent for the Fund and not as a fiduciary for a Fund, the investment adviser, any shareholder or any other third party with respect to the Services, even if Administrator or an Administrator affiliate separately acts in a fiduciary capacity with respect to a Fund. Each Fund is responsible for determining that the Services are appropriate for the Funds use.
Neither a Fund nor the Administrator shall be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, including lost profits, of any kind whatsoever (including, without limitation, attorneys fees) arising in connection with this Agreement even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
The Administrator shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control, including without limitation, work stoppage, power or other mechanical failure, computer virus, natural disaster, governmental action or communication disruption.
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Subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, each Fund agrees to indemnify and hold the Administrator and its directors, officers, employees and agents harmless from all loss, cost, damage and expense, including reasonable fees and expenses for counsel, incurred by the Administrator resulting from any claim, demand, action or suit in connection with any action or omission by the Administrator in the performance of its duties hereunder, or as a result of the Administrator acting upon any instructions reasonably believed by it to have been communicated by an Authorized Person or upon reasonable reliance on information or records given or made by the Fund, provided that this indemnification shall not apply to losses, damages and expenses occasioned by or resulting from the negligence, misfeasance or willful misconduct of the Administrator, its officers, employees or agents as the case may be.
The provisions of this Section 6 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
7. | ERISA |
Each Fund has informed, in writing, the Administrator whether the assets of any Fund constitute the assets of any Benefit Plan, within the meaning of the Employment Retirement Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and will promptly notify Administrator in writing if it reasonably expects that the assets of any Fund will constitute the assets of any Benefit Plan, within the meaning of ERISA.
Notwithstanding any other provisions contained in this Agreement, each Fund acknowledges that (i) the Services do not constitute investment advice to the Funds or the investment adviser or their respective affiliates; (ii) Administrator and any of its employees, do not exercise any discretion or control with respect to the management or disposition of the assets of the Funds; and (iii) Administrator will not, in any circumstances, be required to undertake any action that could possibly characterize Administrator as a fiduciary, as defined in Section 3(21) of ERISA, of any Fund, Funds, or any Plan whose assets are invested in the Funds (an ERISA Fiduciary). Accordingly, each Fund acknowledges and agrees that Administrator is not an ERISA Fiduciary nor will become an ERISA Fiduciary as a result of performing the Services.
Notwithstanding anything herein that may be to the contrary, each Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Administrator from and against any and all loss, damage, or expense which may be imposed on Administrator as a result of any act or omission by Administrator, but only to the extent that such loss, damage, or expense is attributable to the assets of any Fund being deemed to constitute the assets of any Benefit Plan.
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8. | CONFIDENTIALITY |
a. | The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially all Confidential Information provided by each party to the other party regarding its business and operations. For purposes of this Agreement, Confidential Information shall mean any confidential or proprietary information, whether disclosed orally, visually or in writing, by way of any media, of a party to this Agreement or any Fund; any customer of a party to this Agreement or any Fund; or any third party which has disclosed such information to a party on a confidential basis, including but not limited to, a partys, the Funds, their respective customers or such third partys business or financial affairs, trade secrets, intellectual property, technology, research and development, pricing, product plans, marketing plans or the terms or existence of this Agreement. All Confidential Information provided by a party hereto shall be used by the other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering or receiving services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party. Neither party will use or disclose Confidential Information for purposes other than the activities contemplated by this Agreement or except as required by law, court process or pursuant to the lawful requirement of a governmental agency (provided that, unless prohibited by law or regulation, promptly on receipt of any order compelling such disclosure, the disclosing party shall notify the non-disclosing party in writing of such requirement to disclose so that the non-disclosing party will have the opportunity to obtain a protective order), or except at the request or with the written consent of the other party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each party acknowledges that the other party may provide access to and use of Confidential Information relating to the other party to the disclosing partys affiliates, employees, contractors, agents, professional advisors, auditors, or persons performing similar functions who need to know such information in connection with the performance of such functions. |
b. | The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information (i) that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, (ii) that is independently derived by a party hereto without the use of any information provided by the other party hereto in connection with this Agreement, (iii) that is required in any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit, examination, subpoena, civil investigative demand or other similar process, or by operation of law or regulation, or (iv) where the party seeking to disclose has received the prior written consent of the party providing the information, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. |
c. | The Administrator acknowledges that each Fund is subject to certain laws and regulations regarding the privacy and protection of consumer and/or personal information, and that any receipt or use of any personally identifiable information or data concerning or relating to a Funds employees, customers or prospective customers that the Administrator obtains, directly or indirectly, from a Fund or that the Administrator collects or derives from interactions with a Fund or their employees, customers or prospective customers in connection this Agreement (Personal Information) by a Fund or its personnel may also be subject to compliance with such laws and regulations. The Administrator has implemented a comprehensive information security program that has appropriate security measures to safeguard Personal Information if the Administrator receives, stores, maintains, processes or otherwise has access to Personal Information. The Administrators information security program is consistent with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Administrator agrees, and will cause its personnel to agree, that Personal Information shall be treated as Confidential Information hereunder. |
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d. | The parties agree that disclosure of Confidential Information (including Personal Information) by the Administrator will cause irreparable damage the Funds and, therefore, in addition to all other remedies available at law or in equity, a Fund shall have the right to seek equitable and injunctive relief, and to recover the amount of damages (including reasonable attorneys fees and expenses) incurred in connection with such unauthorized use. The Administrator shall be liable under this Agreement to each Fund for any use or disclosure in violation of this section by its or its affiliates personnel, agents, subcontractors, attorneys, accountants, and other advisors. |
e. | The undertakings and obligations contained in this Section shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement. The Administrator shall, upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, or at any time on demand by a Fund, promptly destroy or return to the Fund all Confidential Information together with any copies or reproductions thereof and destroy all related data in its computer and other electronic files. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may retain one (1) copy of the Confidential Information for the sole purpose of dealing with any claims made with regard to this Agreement, or to comply with its document retention policy. |
9. | COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNMENTAL RULES AND REGULATIONS; RECORDS |
a. | The Administrator agrees that all records which it maintains for each Fund shall at all times remain the property of such Fund, shall be readily accessible during normal business hours, and shall be promptly surrendered upon the termination of the Agreement or otherwise on written request except as otherwise provided in Section 8. The Administrator further agrees that, notwithstanding that the Funds are not subject to the 1940 Act, all records that it maintains for each Fund will be preserved for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act such regulatory requirements unless any such records are earlier surrendered as provided above. Records may be surrendered in either written or machine-readable form in useable format mutually agreed to by a Fund and the Administrator, at the option of the Administrator. The Administrator shall provide each Fund with copies of periodic SOC1 reports that include a review of the Administrators operations that relate to the services provided hereunder. |
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b. | Each Fund hereby acknowledges that Administrator is obliged to comply with AML/Sanctions Requirements and that Administrator shall not be liable for any action it or any Administrator Affiliate reasonably takes to comply with any AML/Sanctions Requirements, including identifying and reporting suspicious transactions, rejecting transactions, and blocking or freezing funds, financial assets, or other assets. Each Fund shall cooperate with Administrators performance of its due diligence and other obligations concerning AML/Sanctions Requirements. In addition, each Fund agrees that Administrator may defer acting upon an Instruction pending completion of any review under its policies and procedures for compliance with AML/Sanctions Requirements, and that Administrator shall not be responsible for any losses, damages, or expenses resulting from or relating to such deferral. |
10. | SERVICES NOT EXCLUSIVE |
The services of the Administrator are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Administrator shall be free to render similar services to others. The Administrator shall be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided herein or authorized by the Administrator from time to time, have no authority to act or represent a Fund or a Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of a Fund or a Fund.
11. TERMINATION
a. | This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until the first to occur of: |
(i) | termination for convenience by the Administrator by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to a Fund, such termination to take effect not sooner than ninety (90) days after the date of such delivery; |
(ii) | termination for convenience by a Fund by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to the Administrator, such termination to take effect not sooner than thirty (30) days after the date of such delivery; |
(iii) | termination by the Administrator, by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to a Fund if the Administrator reasonably determines that servicing the Fund or the Funds raises regulatory or reputational concerns, with such termination to take effect not sooner than sixty (60) days after the date of such delivery; |
(iv) | termination by the either party by written notice delivered to the other party, based upon: |
(a) | the terminating partys determination that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the other party is insolvent or that the financial condition of the other party is deteriorating in any material respect, in which case termination shall take effect upon the other partys receipt of such notice or at such later time as the terminating party shall designate; |
(b) | the other party committing a material breach of this Agreement, and failing to remedy such material breach within ninety (90) days of being given written notice of the material breach, unless the parties agree to extend the period to remedy the breach; or |
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(c) | the relevant state or federal authority withdrawing its authorization of the either party. |
b. | Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Fund shall in no way affect the rights and duties under this Agreement with respect to any other Fund. |
c. | Should the Agreement be terminated by either party for any reason and if requested by a Fund, the Administrator agrees to continue performing the services contemplated in this Agreement pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement at the rates set forth in the then current fee schedule and for a reasonable period of time to be agreed upon by the parties in good faith, in order to provide for the orderly transition of services to the Fund or to an alternative service provider designated by the Fund so that, to the extent feasible, the services are maintained without interruption. |
12. | REDISTRIBUTION OF DATA FROM THIRD PARTIES |
The reports and other output from the Services provided by Administrator to each Fund under this Agreement may contain data licensed from third party information providers. Such data is the intellectual property of those information providers and is subject to restrictions on use contained in the license agreement between the information provider and Administrator, which Administrator cannot unilaterally change. Administrator will notify the relevant Fund of any such restrictions that may affect the Funds use of the that data to the extent provided herein, and shall use reasonable efforts to notify the Fund if the information provider adds additional restrictions on the use of such data. Each Fund acknowledges that its continued use of such data as provided herein shall constitute the Funds acceptance of the revised usage restrictions, provided, however, that any redistribution of such data or information derived therefrom may require a separate license from the relevant information providers.
13. | AMENDMENT |
This Agreement may be amended at any time in writing by mutual agreement of the parties hereto. Appendix A may be amended from time to time to add or remove funds from this Agreement by the execution by the parties hereto of a revised Appendix A.
14. | ASSIGNMENT |
Neither party may assign this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party.
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15. | THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES |
Except as specifically provided herein, nothing under this Agreement shall be construed to give any rights or benefits under this Agreement to anyone other than the Administrator and each Fund, and the duties and responsibilities undertaken pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Administrator and each Fund.
Should the Funds exercise their rights under this Agreement, notice is hereby given to Administrator that this Agreement is not executed on behalf of the officers or trustees of any Fund as individuals, and the obligations of this Agreement are not binding upon any of the trustees, officers, shareholders or partners of any Fund individually, but are binding only upon the assets and property of each Funds respective portfolios. The Administrator hereby agrees that no shareholder, trustee, officer or partner of any Fund may be held personally liable or responsible for any obligations of any Fund arising out of this agreement. A copy of the declaration of trust or other organizational document of each Fund is on file with the secretary of the state of the Funds formation.
16. | SUCCESSORS |
This Agreement shall be binding on and shall inure to the benefit of each Fund and the Administrator and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
17. | BUSINESS CONTINUITY |
The Administrator (i) has in place a business continuity/disaster recovery plan (BCP) and facilities which, in the event of a disaster affecting the Administrator, will be sufficient to enable the Administrator to resume and continue to perform its obligations under this Agreement without undue delay or disruption; and (ii) shall test its BCP regularly.
18. | ENTIRE AGREEMENT |
This Agreement, including its associated schedules and attachments, if any, contains the entire understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all previous representations, warranties or commitments regarding the services to be performed hereunder whether oral or in writing.
19. | WAIVER |
The failure of a party to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Agreement on any occasion shall not be considered a waiver nor shall it deprive such party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any term of this Agreement. Any waiver must be in writing signed by the waiving party.
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20. | SEVERABILITY |
If any provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, the balance of the Agreement shall remain in effect, and if any provision is inapplicable to any person or circumstance it shall nevertheless remain applicable to all other persons and circumstances.
21. | GOVERNING LAW; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL |
This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflicts of law provisions.
The parties hereby irrevocably waive any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
22. | REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS |
This Agreement and all schedules, exhibits, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, xerographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties hereto all/each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.
23. | COUNTERPARTS |
This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their officers designated below as of the date first written above.
FIDELITY SERVICE COMPANY, INC.
as Administrator
By: |
| |
Name: | John J Burke, III | |
Title: | President |
EACH ENTITY LISTED ON EXHIBIT A HERETO
by FD Funds Management LLC in its capacity as [ ]
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
APPENDIX A
Listing of Fund(s)
Dated [ ], 2023
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
APPENDIX B
A. | Trade Processing |
1) | Receive accepted/confirmed order activity, including in-kind purchase orders effected by transfers of Bitcoin and other assets as determined by Authorized Participants (Third Parties), for the creation of units and promptly deliver or receive applicable payments and appropriate documentation to the Funds custodian. |
2) | Assist in resolution of securities and other assets trade breaks between Administrators records and third parties. |
B. | Asset Servicing |
1) | In conjunction with each Funds custodian (Custodian), receiving information and keeping records regarding all corporate actions that occur on assets within the fund. |
C. | Cash & Position Reconciliation |
1) | Reconcile cash activity, cash balances and positions reflected in the accounting system to third parties, as applicable, daily. |
2) | Research and resolve cash and position breaks resulting from non-receipt or mismatched activity. |
D. | Cash Processing |
1) | Prepare wires for payment of the Funds operating expenses and other miscellaneous Fund expenses. |
2) | Provide Manager with current day spendable cash and review cash projections for reasonability. |
E. | Accounting |
1) | Calculate NAV of the Fund daily upon receipt of all applicable data components required to strike the NAV. |
2) | Maintain and preserve all accounts, books, financial records, and other financial documents as are required of the Fund including maintenance of the general ledger, recording and verification of any activity within each Fund such as expenses, income, or gain/loss. |
3) | Accounting relating to each Fund and transactions of the Fund for securities and investments. Provide trade settlement support, including failed trade resolution. |
4) | Establish and maintain static security master information. |
F. | ETF Services |
1) | Administrator shall be responsible for preparing and providing fund data, including but not limited to, daily holdings, basket components, NAV and other data elements deemed reasonably necessary to third parties including but not limited to the NSCC and APs (Authorized Participants) |
G. | Financial Reporting |
1) | Prepare financial statements in appropriate form and in sufficient detail to support an independent audit of the financial condition of the Funds |
2) | Assist the Auditor in their review of the annual report of the Funds |
H. | Regulatory Reporting |
1) | Provide necessary reporting to support regulatory requirements |
I. | Tax |
1) | Prepare required tax filings. |
Exhibit 10.5
TRANSFER AGENCY AND SERVICE AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the [ ] day of December, 2023, by and among State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street or the Transfer Agent) and FD Funds Management LLC, as sponsor (Sponsor) on behalf of each of the Companies Listed on Appendix A hereto, as the same may be amended from time to time (each a Company and collectively the Companies), and the Sponsor on its own behalf solely with respect to Section 2 hereof.
WHEREAS, each Company is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest (Shares) representing interests in a portfolio of digital assets and other assets;
WHEREAS, each Company will issue and redeem Shares only in aggregations of Shares known as Creation Units as described in the currently effective prospectus of the applicable Company (the Prospectus);
WHEREAS, only those entities (Authorized Participants) that have entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the distributor of the Companies, currently Fidelity Distributors Corporation (the Distributor), are eligible to place orders for Creation Units with the Distributor;
WHEREAS, the Depository Trust Company, a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York (DTC) or its nominee will be the record or registered owner of all outstanding Shares;
WHEREAS, each Company desires to appoint State Street as transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent and agent in connection with certain other activities; and
WHEREAS, State Street is willing to accept such appointment.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, mutually covenant and agree as follows:
1. | TERMS OF APPOINTMENT |
1.1 | Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, each Company hereby employs and appoints the Transfer Agent to act as, and the Transfer Agent agrees to act as, transfer agent for the Creation Units and dividend disbursing agent of such Company. |
1.2 | Transfer Agency Services. In accordance with procedures established from time to time by written agreement between the Companies and the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent shall: |
(i) | establish each Authorized Participants account in the applicable Company on the Transfer Agents recordkeeping system and maintain such account for the benefit of such Authorized Participant; |
(ii) | receive and process orders for the purchase of Creation Units, subject to a determination of acceptance by the Distributor or the applicable Company, and promptly deliver payment and appropriate documentation thereof to the custodian of the Company (the Custodian); |
(iii) | generate or cause to be generated and transmitted confirmation of receipt of such purchase orders to the Authorized Participants and, if applicable, transmit appropriate trade instruction to the National Securities Clearance Corporation (NSCC); |
(iv) | receive and process redemption requests and redemption directions, subject to a determination of acceptance by the Distributor or the applicable Company, and deliver the appropriate documentation thereof to the Custodian; |
(v) | with respect to items (i) through (iv) above, the Transfer Agent shall execute transactions directly with Authorized Participants and the Distributor or its agent; |
(vi) | at the appropriate time as and when it receives monies paid to it by the Custodian with respect to any redemption, pay over or cause to be paid over in the appropriate manner such monies, if any, to the redeeming Authorized Participant as instructed by the Distributor or the applicable Company; |
(vii) | prepare and transmit by means of DTCs book-entry system payments for any dividends and distributions declared by the applicable Company; |
(viii) | record the issuance of Shares of the applicable Company and maintain a record of the total number of Shares of such Company which are issued and outstanding; and provide such Company on a regular basis with the total number of Shares which are issued and outstanding but Transfer Agent shall have no obligation, when recording the issuance of Shares, to monitor the issuance of such Shares to determine if there are authorized Shares available for issuance or to take cognizance of any laws relating to, or corporate actions required for, the issue or sale of such Shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of the applicable Company; and, excluding DTC or its nominee as the record or registered owner, the Transfer Agent shall have no obligations or responsibilities to account for, keep records of, or otherwise related to, the beneficial owners of the Shares; |
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(ix) | maintain and manage, as agent for each Company, such bank accounts as the Transfer Agent shall deem necessary for the performance of its duties under this Agreement, including but not limited to, the processing of Creation Unit purchases and redemptions and the payment of each Companys dividends and distributions. The Transfer Agent may maintain such accounts at the bank or banks deemed appropriate by the Transfer Agent in accordance with applicable law; |
(x) | process any request from an Authorized Participant to change its account registration; and |
(xi) | except as otherwise instructed by a Company, the Transfer Agent shall process all transactions in accordance with the procedures mutually agreed upon by the Companies and the Transfer Agent with respect to the proper net asset value to be applied to purchase orders received in good order by the Transfer Agent or by the Companies or any other person or firm on behalf of the Companies or from an Authorized Participant before cut-offs established by the Companies. The Transfer Agent shall report to the Companies any known exceptions to the foregoing. |
1.3 | Additional Services. In addition to, and neither in lieu of nor in contravention of the services set forth in Section 1.2 above, the Transfer Agent shall perform the following services: |
(i) | The Transfer Agent shall perform such other services for one or more of the Company that are mutually agreed to by the parties from time to time, for which the applicable Companies will pay such fees, charges and expenses as may be mutually agreed upon. The provision of such services shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. |
(ii) | DTC and NSCC. The Transfer Agent shall: (a) accept and effectuate the registration and maintenance of accounts, and the purchase and redemption of Creation Units in such accounts, in accordance with instructions transmitted to and received by the Transfer Agent by transmission from DTC or NSCC on behalf of Authorized Participants; and (b) issue instructions to the Companies banks for the settlement of transactions between the Companies and DTC or NSCC (acting on behalf of the applicable Authorized Participant). |
1.4 | Service Level Documents. The Transfer Agent and the Companies may from time to time agree to document the manner in which they expect to deliver and receive the services contemplated by Sections 1.2 and 1.3 of this Agreement. The parties agree that such document(s) (hereinafter referred to as Service Level Document(s)) reflect performance goals and any failure to perform in accordance with the provisions thereof shall not be considered a breach of contract that gives rise to contractual or other remedies, except as otherwise provided in this Section 1.4. It is the intention of the parties that the sole remedy for failure to perform in accordance with the provisions of a Service Level Document, or any dispute relating to performance goals set forth in a Service Level Document, will be a meeting of the parties to resolve the failure pursuant to the consultation procedure described below. Nothing in this Section 1.4 shall modify a partys applicable standard of care under this Agreement. |
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If a party to this Agreement is consistently unable to meet the provisions of a Service Level Document, or in the event that a dispute arises relating to performance goals set forth in a Service Level Document, either party to this Agreement shall address any concerns it may have by requiring a consultation with the other party. The purpose of the consultation procedure is to endeavor to resolve a consistent failure to meet the provisions of a Service Level Document. If a consultation occurs pursuant to this Section 1.4, the parties must negotiate in good faith to endeavor to:
(a) | implement changes which will enable the Service Level Document provisions to be more regularly met; |
(b) | agree to alternative Service Level Document provisions which meet the partys respective business requirements; or |
(c) | otherwise find a solution such that within 30 days after the consultation, the inability to meet the Service Level Document provisions may be less likely to occur in the future. |
1.5 | Authorized Persons. The Companies hereby agrees and acknowledges that the Transfer Agent may rely on the current list of authorized persons, including the Distributor, as provided or agreed to by the Companies in writing and as may be amended from time to time (each, an Authorized Person), in receiving instructions to issue or redeem Creation Units. Each Company agrees and covenants for itself and each such Authorized Person that any order or sale of or transaction in Creation Units received by it after the order cut-off time as set forth in the Prospectus or such earlier time as designated by the Company (the Order Cut-Off Time), shall be effectuated at the net asset value determined on the next business day or as otherwise required pursuant to the Companys then-effective Prospectus, and the Company or such Authorized Person shall so instruct the Transfer Agent of the proper effective date of the transaction. |
1.6 | Anti-Money Laundering and Client Screening. In no event will the Transfer Agent be responsible for the Companies compliance with applicable anti-money laundering laws, rules and regulations, now or hereafter in effect, including applicable provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and the regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control, as the same may be in effect from time to time. |
1.7 | State Transaction (Blue Sky) Reporting. The Companies shall be solely responsible for its applicable blue sky compliance and state registration requirements. |
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1.8 | Tax Law. The Transfer Agent shall have no responsibility or liability for any obligations now or hereafter imposed on any Company, any Creation Units, any Shares, a beneficial owner thereof, an Authorized Participant or the Transfer Agent in connection with the services provided by the Transfer Agent hereunder by the tax laws of any country or of any state or political subdivision thereof. It shall be the responsibility of each Company to notify the Transfer Agent of the obligations imposed on such Company, the Creation Units, the Shares, or the Transfer Agent in connection with the services provided by the Transfer Agent hereunder by the tax law of countries, states and political subdivisions thereof, including responsibility for withholding and other taxes, assessments or other governmental charges, certifications and governmental reporting. |
1.9 | Facilities and Personnel. The Transfer Agent shall provide the office facilities and the personnel determined by it to perform the services contemplated herein. |
1.10 | Digital Assets. The parties agree that the only underlying digital assets of a Company shall be those specified adjacent to such Company on Appendix A hereto. |
2. | FEES AND EXPENSES |
2.1 | Fee Schedule. For the performance by the Transfer Agent pursuant to this Agreement, the Sponsor shall pay the Transfer Agent the fees, charges and expenses set forth in a written fee schedule agreed to by the relevant parties. The relevant parties agree that the fees set forth in the fee schedule shall apply with respect to each Company listed on Appendix A hereto as of the date hereof and to any Companies added to this Agreement that have requirements consistent with services then being provided by the Transfer Agent under this Agreement. In the event that a Company is added with service requirements that are inconsistent with the services contemplated under this Agreement, the parties shall confer diligently and negotiate in good faith, and agree upon fees applicable to such Company. |
2.2 | Invoices. The Sponsor agrees to cause to be paid all fees, charges and expenses set forth in the fee schedule applicable to such Company, within thirty (30) days following the receipt of the respective invoice, except for any fee or expense that is subject to good faith dispute. In the event of such a dispute, the Sponsor of the relevant Company may withhold that portion of the fee or expense subject to the good faith dispute. The Sponsor shall notify the Transfer Agent in writing within twenty-one (21) calendar days following the receipt of each invoice if the Sponsor is disputing any amounts in good faith. The Sponsor shall settle such disputed amounts within five (5) days of the day on which the parties agree on the amount to be paid. |
2.3 | The Transfer Agent is authorized to and may employ, associate or contract with such person or persons as the Transfer Agent may deem desirable to assist it in performing its duties under this Agreement; provided, however, that the compensation of such person or persons shall be paid by the Transfer Agent and that the Transfer Agent shall be as fully responsible to each Company for the acts and omissions of any such person or persons as it is for its own acts and omissions. |
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3. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE TRANSFER AGENT |
The Transfer Agent represents and warrants to each Company that:
3.1 | It is a trust company duly organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
3.2 | It is duly registered as a transfer agent under Section 17A(c)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), it will remain so registered for the duration of this Agreement, and it will promptly notify the Company in the event of any material change in its status as a registered transfer agent, including if it is de-registered. |
3.3 | It is duly qualified to carry on its business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
3.4 | It is empowered under applicable laws and by its organizational documents to enter into and perform the services contemplated in this Agreement. |
3.5 | All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
3.6 | It is in compliance with all material federal and state laws, rules and regulations applicable to its transfer agency business and the performance of its duties, obligations and services under this Agreement. |
3.7 | It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement. |
4. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF EACH COMPANY |
Each Company represents and warrants to the Transfer Agent that:
4.1 | The Company is a statutory trust duly organized, existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. |
4.2 | The Company is empowered under applicable laws and by its organizational documents to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
4.3 | All requisite proceedings have been taken to authorize the Company to enter into, perform and receive services pursuant to this Agreement. |
4.4 | A registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), is currently effective and will remain effective, and all appropriate state securities law filings have been made and will continue to be made, with respect to all Shares of the Company being offered for sale. |
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5. | DATA ACCESS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION |
In order to provide Transfer Agent clients with the ability to access certain client data, the Transfer Agent maintains such client or client-related data (Customer Information) on databases under the control and ownership of the Transfer Agent or under the control and ownership of third parties (Data Access Services). For purposes of this Section 5, the term Data Access Services includes such databases and related computer programs, screen formats, report formats, interactive design techniques, and documentation manuals furnished to each client by the Transfer Agent and excludes Customer Information. For avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 5 shall modify the Transfer Agents Standard of Care under this Agreement.
5.1 | Each Company acknowledges that the Data Access Services constitute copyrighted, trade secret, or other proprietary information (collectively, Proprietary Information) of substantial value to the Transfer Agent or another third party. In no event shall: (i) Proprietary Information be deemed Customer Information or the confidential information of the Company or (ii) Customer Information be deemed to be Proprietary Information. Each Company agrees to treat all Proprietary Information as proprietary to the Transfer Agent and further agrees that it shall not divulge any Proprietary Information to any person or organization except as may be provided hereunder. Without limiting the foregoing, each Company agrees for itself and its officers and employees and applicable agents, to: |
(i) | use such programs and databases solely on such Companys, or such agents computers, or solely from equipment at the location(s) agreed to between the applicable Company and the Transfer Agent, and solely in accordance with the Transfer Agents applicable user documentation; |
(ii) | refrain from copying or duplicating in any way the Proprietary Information; |
(iii) | refrain from obtaining unauthorized access to any portion of the Proprietary Information, and if such access is inadvertently obtained, to inform the Transfer Agent in a timely manner of such fact and dispose of such information in accordance with the Transfer Agents instructions; |
(iv) | refrain from causing or allowing Proprietary Information transmitted from the Transfer Agents computers to such Companys, or such agents computer to be retransmitted to any other computer facility or other location; |
(v) | allow such Company to have access only to those authorized transactions agreed upon by the Company and the Transfer Agent; |
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(vi) | to honor all reasonable written requests made by the Transfer Agent to protect at the Transfer Agents expense the rights of the Transfer Agent in Proprietary Information at common law, under federal copyright law and under other federal or state law. |
5.2 | Proprietary Information shall not include all or any portion of any of the foregoing items that are or become publicly available without breach of this Agreement; that are released for general disclosure by a written release by the Transfer Agent; or that are already in the possession of the receiving party at the time of receipt without obligation of confidentiality or breach of this Agreement. |
5.3 | Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, a Company may disclose Proprietary Information in the event that it is required to be disclosed by law or in a judicial or administrative proceeding, or by an appropriate regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company; provided that all reasonable legal remedies for maintaining such information in confidence have been exhausted including, but not limited to, giving the Transfer Agent as much advance notice of the possibility of such disclosure as practical so the Transfer Agent may attempt to stop such disclosure or obtain a protective order concerning such disclosure. |
5.4 | If a Company notifies the Transfer Agent that any of the Data Access Services do not operate in material compliance with the most recently issued user documentation for such services, the Transfer Agent shall endeavor in a timely manner to correct such failure. Organizations from which the Transfer Agent may obtain certain data included in the Data Access Services are solely responsible for the contents of such data, and the applicable Company agrees to make no claim against the Transfer Agent arising out of the contents of such third-party data, including, but not limited to, the accuracy thereof. DATA ACCESS SERVICES AND ALL COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ARE PROVIDED ON AN AS IS, AS AVAILABLE BASIS. THE TRANSFER AGENT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES EXCEPT THOSE EXPRESSLY STATED HEREIN INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. |
5.5 | As of the date hereof, the parties do not anticipate that the Companies shall originate electronic instructions to the Transfer Agent in order to effect the transfer or movement of cash or Creation Units or transmit Authorized Participant information or other information. If, however, the Companies and the Transfer Agent agree that the Companies may originate such electronic instructions, then in such event the Transfer Agent shall be entitled to rely on the validity and authenticity of an instruction made by the Companies or any of their officers, employees, agents or subcontractors who have been designated by the Companies as Authorized Persons, without undertaking any further inquiry as long as such instruction is undertaken in conformity with security procedures that may be agreed upon by the Transfer Agent and the Companies from time to time. |
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5.6 | Each party shall take reasonable efforts to advise its employees of their obligations pursuant to this Section. The obligations of this Section shall survive any earlier termination of this Agreement. |
6. | STANDARD OF CARE / LIMITATION OF LIABILITY |
6.1 | The Transfer Agent shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence (the Standard of Care) in carrying out all of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, and shall be liable to each Company for all losses, damages and expenses suffered or incurred by such Company resulting from the failure of the Transfer Agent to exercise the Standard of Care. |
The parties agree that any encoding or payment processing errors shall be governed by this Standard of Care, and that Section 4-209 of the Uniform Commercial Code is superseded by this Section.
6.2 | In no event shall the Transfer Agent or the Companies be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, including lost profits, of any kind whatsoever (including, without limitation, attorneys fees) arising in connection with this Agreement even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In any event, except as otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties hereto, the Transfer Agents cumulative liability for each calendar year (a Liability Period) with respect to the services provided pursuant to this Agreement regardless of the form of action or legal theory shall be limited to its total annual compensation earned and fees payable hereunder during the preceding Compensation Period, as defined herein, for any liability or loss suffered by the Companies including, but not limited to, any liability relating to the Companies compliance with any federal or state tax or securities statute, regulation or ruling during such Liability Period. Compensation Period shall mean the calendar year ending immediately prior to each Liability Period in which the event(s) giving rise to the Transfer Agents liability for that period have occurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Compensation Period for purposes of calculating the annual cumulative liability of the Transfer Agent for the Liability Period commencing on the date of this Agreement and terminating on December 31, 2023 shall be the date of this Agreement through December 31, 2023, calculated on an annualized basis. |
7. | INDEMNIFICATION |
7.1 | The Transfer Agent shall not be responsible for, and the applicable Company shall indemnify and hold the Transfer Agent harmless from and against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees (including the defense of any lawsuit in which the Transfer Agent is a named party), payments, reasonable expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to: |
(i) | all actions of the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors required to be taken pursuant to this Agreement, provided that such actions are taken in good faith and without negligence or willful misconduct; |
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(ii) | the applicable Companys breach of any representation, warranty or covenant of the Company hereunder; |
(iii) | the applicable Companys lack of good faith, negligence or willful misconduct; |
(iv) | the reliance upon, and any subsequent use of or action taken or omitted, by the Transfer Agent, or its agents or subcontractors on: (a) any information, records, documents, data, stock certificates or services, which are received by the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors by machine readable input, facsimile, electronic data entry, electronic instructions or other similar means authorized by the applicable Company, and which have been prepared, maintained or performed by such Company or any other person or firm on behalf of such Company, including but not limited to any broker-dealer or previous transfer agent; (b) any instructions or requests of the Company or any of their officers, employees, agents or subcontractors who have been designated by the Company as Authorized Persons; (c) any instructions or opinions of legal counsel to the Company with respect to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Transfer Agent under this Agreement which are provided to the Transfer Agent after consultation with such legal counsel; or (d) any paper or document, reasonably believed to be genuine, authentic, or signed by the proper person or persons; |
(v) | the offer or sale of Creation Units in violation of federal or state securities laws or regulations requiring that such Creation Units be registered, or in violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by any federal or state agency with respect to the offer or sale of such Creation Units; |
(vi) | the negotiation and processing of any checks, wires and ACH transmissions, including without limitation, for deposit into, or credit to, the applicable Companys demand deposit accounts maintained by the Transfer Agent; |
(vii) | all actions relating to the transmission of Creation Unit or Authorized Participant data through the NSCC clearing systems, if applicable; and |
(viii) | any tax obligations under the tax laws of any country or of any state or political subdivision thereof, including taxes, withholding and reporting requirements, claims for exemption and refund, additions for late payment, interest, penalties and other expenses (including legal expenses) that may be assessed, imposed or charged against the Transfer Agent as transfer agent hereunder. |
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7.2 | At any time the Transfer Agent may apply to any officer of a Company for instructions, and may consult with legal counsel with respect to any matter arising in connection with the services to be performed by the Transfer Agent under this Agreement, and the Transfer Agent and its agents or subcontractors shall not be liable and shall be indemnified by such Company for any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon such instructions or upon the opinion of such counsel. The Transfer Agent, its agents and subcontractors shall be protected and indemnified in acting upon any paper or document furnished by or on behalf of the Companies, reasonably believed to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper person or persons, or upon any instruction, information, data, records or documents provided the Transfer Agent or its agents or subcontractors by machine readable input, telex, CRT data entry or other similar means authorized by the Companies, and shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person, until receipt of written notice thereof from the Companies. |
7.3 | In order that the indemnification provisions contained in this Section shall apply, upon the assertion of a claim for which a Company may be required to indemnify the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent shall promptly notify such Company of such assertion, and shall keep the Company advised with respect to all material developments concerning such claim. The applicable Company shall have the option to participate with the Transfer Agent in the defense of such claim or to defend against said claim in its own name. The Transfer Agent shall in no case confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the Company may be required to indemnify the Transfer Agent except with the Companys prior written consent which shall not be unreasonably withheld. |
8. | ADDITIONAL COVENANTS OF THE COMPANIES AND THE TRANSFER AGENT |
8.1 | Each Company shall promptly furnish to the Transfer Agent a copy of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Company and all amendments thereto. |
8.2 | The Transfer Agent hereby agrees to establish and maintain facilities and procedures for safekeeping of stock certificates, check forms and facsimile signature imprinting devices, if any; and for the preparation or use, and for keeping account of, such certificates, forms and devices. |
8.3 | Records. The Transfer Agent shall keep records relating to the services to be performed hereunder, in the form and manner as it may deem advisable. To the extent required by applicable federal securities laws, the Transfer Agent agrees that all such records prepared or maintained by the Transfer Agent relating to the services to be performed by the Transfer Agent hereunder are the property of the applicable Company and will be preserved, maintained and made available in accordance with applicable law, and will be surrendered promptly to the Company on and in accordance with its request. Records may be surrendered in either written or machine-readable form in useable format mutually agreed to by the Transfer Agent and the Company, at the option of the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent shall provide the Company with copies of periodic reports performed by an independent third-party firm (e.g., SOC 1 reports) that include a review of the Transfer Agents operations that relate to the services provided hereunder. |
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9. | CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY |
9.1 | All information provided under this Agreement by a party (the Disclosing Party) to the other party (the Receiving Party) regarding the Disclosing Partys business and operations shall be treated as confidential. Subject to Section 9.2 below and any applicable Transfer Agent notice and/or consent requirements specified in Section 13 herein, all Confidential Information provided under this Agreement by Disclosing Party shall be used, including disclosure to third parties, by the Receiving Party, or its agents or service providers, solely for the purpose of performing or receiving the services and discharging the Receiving Partys other obligations under the Agreement or managing the business of the Receiving Party and its affiliates, including financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information (a) that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available, other than through a breach of this Agreement, (b) that is independently derived by the Receiving Party without the use of any information provided by the Disclosing Party in connection with this Agreement, (c) that is disclosed to comply with any legal or regulatory proceeding, investigation, audit, examination, subpoena, civil investigative demand or other similar process (provided that, unless prohibited by law or regulation, promptly on receipt of any order compelling such disclosure, the disclosing party shall notify the non-disclosing party in writing of such requirement to disclose so that the non-disclosing party will have the opportunity to obtain a protective order), (d) that is disclosed as required by operation of law or regulation or as required to comply with the requirements of any market infrastructure that the Disclosing Party or its agents direct the Transfer Agent or its affiliates to employ (or which is required in connection with the holding or settlement of instruments included in the assets subject to this Agreement), or (e) where the party seeking to disclose has received the prior written consent of the party providing the information. For purposes of this Agreement, Confidential Information shall mean any confidential or proprietary information, whether disclosed orally, visually or in writing, by way of any media, of a party to this Agreement, any customer of a party to this Agreement or any third party which has disclosed such information to a party on a confidential basis, including but not limited to, a partys, its respective customers or such third partys business or financial affairs, trade secrets, intellectual property, technology, research and development, pricing, product plans, marketing plans or the terms or existence of this Agreement. |
The parties agree that disclosure of Confidential Information by the Transfer Agent will cause irreparable damage to the applicable Company and, therefore, in addition to all other remedies available at law or in equity, the applicable Company shall have the right to seek equitable and injunctive relief, and to recover the amount of damages (including reasonable attorneys fees and expenses) incurred in connection with such unauthorized use. The Transfer Agent shall be liable under this Agreement to the applicable Company for any use or disclosure in violation of this section by its or its affiliates personnel, agents, subcontractors, attorneys, accountants, and other advisors.
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The undertakings and obligations contained in this Section 9.1 shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement. The Transfer Agent shall, upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, or at any time on demand by the applicable Company, promptly return to such Company all Confidential Information together with any copies or reproductions thereof and destroy all related data in its computer and other electronic files.
9.2 | In connection with the provision of the services and the discharge of its other obligations under this Agreement, and subject to the Transfer Agents notice and/or consent obligations specified in Section 13 herein, the Transfer Agent (which term for purposes of this Section 9.2 includes each of its parent company, branches and affiliates (Affiliates)) may collect and store information regarding a Company and share such information with its Affiliates, agents and service providers in order and to the extent reasonably necessary (i) to carry out the provision of services contemplated under this Agreement and other agreements between the Company and the Transfer Agent or any of its Affiliates and (ii) to carry out management of its businesses, including, but not limited to, financial and operational management and reporting, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance and client service management. Except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, nothing in this Section 9.2 shall limit the confidentiality and data-protection obligations of the Transfer Agent and its Affiliates under this Agreement and applicable law. The Transfer Agent shall cause any Affiliate, agent or service provider to which it has disclosed information pursuant to this Section 9.2 to comply at all times with confidentiality and data-protection obligations as if it were a party to this Agreement. |
9.3 | The Transfer Agent affirms that it has, and will continue to have throughout the term of this Agreement, procedures in place that are reasonably designed to protect the privacy of non-public personal consumer/customer financial information to the extent required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. |
10. | EFFECTIVE PERIOD AND TERMINATION |
10.1 | This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect for a period of three (3) years from the date on which the initial Company commences operations (the Initial Term). After the expiration of the Initial Term, this Agreement shall automatically renew for successive one-year terms (each, a Renewal Term) unless a written notice of non-renewal is delivered by the non-renewing party no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any Renewal Term, as the case may be. |
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10.2 | During the Initial Term and thereafter, the Transfer Agent may, at its discretion, terminate this Agreement for cause with respect to any Company by providing not less than sixty (60) days prior written notice to the Company upon the occurrence of any of the following termination events: |
(a) | the Companys material breach of a material provision of this Agreement that the Company has either (i) failed to cure or (ii) failed to establish a remedial plan to cure that is reasonably acceptable, within sixty (60) days written notice of such breach; |
(b) | the Company has been convicted, pled guilty or pled no contest to criminal conduct in a criminal proceeding; |
(c) | the Company has been found to have violated federal or state law in an administrative or regulatory proceeding; provided that such violation involves unethical conduct; |
(d) | the Company has encountered financial difficulties which are evidenced by the authorization or commencement of, or involvement by way of pleading, answer, consent or acquiescence in, a voluntary or involuntary case under Title 11 of the United Code, as from time to time is in effect, or any applicable law, other than said Title 11, of any jurisdiction relating to the liquidation or reorganization of debtors or the modification or alteration of the rights of creditors; |
(e) | in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the Company or upon the happening of a like event to the Company at the direction of an appropriate agency or court of competent jurisdiction; or |
(f) | the Company (i) transfers all, or substantially all, of its assets to a non-affiliate, or (ii) attempts to assign this Agreement in violation of Section 12 of this Agreement. |
Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10.2, the Company shall pay the Transfer Agent its compensation due and shall reimburse the Transfer Agent for its costs, expenses and disbursements as set forth in the fee schedule.
10.3 | During the Initial Term and thereafter, any Company may, at its discretion, terminate this Agreement for cause by providing not less than sixty (60) days prior written notice to the Transfer Agent upon the occurrence of any of the following termination events: |
(a) | the Transfer Agents material breach of a material provision of this Agreement that the Transfer Agent has either (i) failed or cure or (ii) failed to establish a remedial plan to cure that is reasonably acceptable, within sixty (60) days written notice of such breach; |
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(b) | the Transfer Agent has been convicted, pled guilty or pled no contest to criminal conduct in any criminal proceeding in connection with the provision of transfer agency services to any client; |
(c) | the Transfer Agent has been found to have violated federal or state law in any administrative or regulatory proceeding; provided such violation (i) involves unethical behavior and (ii) relates to the provision of transfer agency services to any client; |
(d) | the Transfer Agent has encountered financial difficulties which are evidenced by the authorization or commencement of, or involvement by way of pleading, answer, consent or acquiescence in, a voluntary or involuntary case under Title 11 of the United States Code, as from time to time is in effect, or any applicable law, other than said Title 11, of any jurisdiction relating to the liquidation or reorganization of debtors or to the modification or alteration of the rights of creditors; |
(e) | in the event of the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the Transfer Agent or upon the happening of a like event to the Transfer Agent at the direction of an appropriate agency or court of competent jurisdiction; |
(f) | the Transfer Agent (i) transfers fifty percent (50%) or more of any class of its voting securities, (ii) transfers all, or substantially all, of its assets to a non-affiliate, or (iii) attempts to assign this Agreement in violation of Section 12 of this Agreement; and |
(g) | in the Companys reasonable opinion, the Transfer Agent has not achieved one or more of the performance measures set forth in any Service Level Document established pursuant to Section 1.4 of this Agreement, and a plan or revised plan has not been put into place in accordance with the following procedures: In the event that the Company reasonably believes that the Transfer Agent has not met one or more of the performance measures set forth in any Service Level Document during any calendar quarter or other period of measurement as may be set forth in any Service Level Document, the Company may, in its discretion, submit a written deficiency notice to the Transfer Agent outlining the performance deficiencies (Deficiency Notice). Such Deficiency Notice must be provided to the Transfer Agent within twenty (20) days of the end of such quarter or other period of measurement, as the case may be. After receipt of such notice, the Transfer Agent shall present the Company with a written plan to address the deficiencies set forth in the Deficiency Notice (the Plan). Such Plan must be provided to the Company within thirty (30) days after receipt of the Deficiency Notice. If the Transfer Agent fails to submit a Plan within such thirty (30) day period, the Company may terminate the Agreement upon sixty (60) days written notice to the Transfer Agent. The Company, in its discretion, may accept the Plan or reject the Plan (Rejection Notice). Such Rejection Notice must be submitted to the Transfer Agent within fifteen (15) days after submission of the Plan. If, within such fifteen (15) day period, the Company fails to provide a Rejection Notice, it shall be presumed that the Company accepted the Plan. In the event the Company submits a Rejection Notice, the Transfer Agent shall submit a revised plan (Revised Plan) to the Company. Such Revised Plan must be provided to the Company within thirty (30) after provision of the Rejection Notice. If the Transfer Agent fails to submit a Revised Plan within such thirty (30) day period, the Company may terminate the Agreement upon sixty (60) days written notice to the Transfer Agent. The Company, in its sole discretion, may accept the Revised Plan or reject the Revised Plan (Denial Notice). Any Denial Notice must be submitted to the Transfer Agent within fifteen (15) days after provision of the Revised Plan. If the Company fails to provide a Denial Notice within such fifteen (15) day period, it shall be presumed that the Company accepted the Revised Plan. If the Company provides a Denial Notice to the Transfer Agent, the Company may, in its sole discretion, terminate this Agreement upon sixty (60) days written notice to the Transfer Agent. Such termination notice must be submitted to the Transfer Agent within sixty (60) days after provision of the Denial Notice. |
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Upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to sub-sections (a) through (g) of this Section 10.3, the Company shall pay the Transfer Agent its compensation due and shall reimburse the Transfer Agent for its costs, expenses and disbursements as set forth in the fee schedule.
In the event of: (i) a Companys termination of this Agreement for any reason other than as set forth in sub-sections (a) through (g) of this Section 10.3, or (ii) a transaction not in the ordinary course of business pursuant to which the Transfer Agent is not retained to continue providing services hereunder to the Company (or its respective successor), the applicable Company shall pay the Transfer Agent its compensation due through the end of the then-current term (based upon the average monthly compensation previously earned by the Transfer Agent with respect to such Company) and shall reimburse the Transfer Agent for its costs, expenses and disbursements as set forth in the fee schedule. For the avoidance of doubt, no payment will be required pursuant to clause (ii) of this paragraph in the event of any transaction such as (a) the liquidation or dissolution of a Company and distribution of the Companys assets, (b) a merger of a Company into, or the consolidation of a Company with, another entity, (c) the sale by a Company of all, or substantially all, of the Companys assets to another entity, in each of (b) and (c) where the Transfer Agent is retained to continue providing services to the Company (or its respective successor) on substantially the same terms as this Agreement. Furthermore, if an affiliate of a Company decides to perform the services contemplated by this Agreement itself, such Company may terminate this Agreement with ninety (90) days written notice at any time after thirty (30) months after the effective date of this Agreement without obligation to make the payment required pursuant to this paragraph other than its compensation due through the date of termination and shall reimburse the Transfer Agent for its costs, expenses and disbursements as set forth in the fee schedule.
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10.4 | Termination of this Agreement with respect to any one particular Company shall in no way affect the rights and duties under this Agreement with respect to any other Company. |
10.5 | Should the Agreement be terminated by either party for any reason and if requested by a Company, the Transfer Agent agrees to continue performing the services contemplated in this Agreement pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement at the rates set forth in the then current fee schedule and for a reasonable period of time to be agreed upon by the parties in good faith, in order to provide for the orderly transition of services to an alternative service provider designated by the Company so that, to the extent feasible, the services are maintained without interruption. The Company shall reimburse the Transfer Agent for additional costs (to be mutually agreed upon by the parties) which are reasonably incurred by the Transfer Agent in the transition. |
11. | ADDITIONAL COMPANIES |
In the event that the parties hereto agree that the Transfer Agent shall render services as transfer agent under the terms hereof to companies in addition to those listed on Appendix A, the parties shall update Appendix A to include such additional companies, at which point such additional companies shall be become a Company hereunder.
12. | ASSIGNMENT |
12.1 | Except as provided in Section 13 below, neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned by either party without the written consent of the other party. Any attempt to do so in violation of this Section shall be void. Unless specifically stated to the contrary in any written consent to an assignment, no assignment will release or discharge the assignor from any duty or responsibility under this Agreement. |
12.2 | Except as explicitly stated elsewhere in this Agreement, nothing under this Agreement shall be construed to give any rights or benefits in this Agreement to anyone other than the Transfer Agent and the Companies, and the duties and responsibilities undertaken pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Transfer Agent and the Companies. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns. |
12.3 | This Agreement does not constitute an agreement for a partnership or joint venture between the Transfer Agent and any Company. Other than as provided in Section 13, neither party shall make any commitments with third parties that are binding on the other party without the other partys prior written consent. |
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13. | SUBCONTRACTORS |
The Transfer Agent may, without further consent on the part of the Companies, subcontract for the performance hereof to any affiliated party that is a transfer agent duly registered pursuant to Section 17A(c)(2) of the 1934 Act (Section 17A(c)(2)) upon notice to the Company; provided, however, that the Transfer Agent shall remain liable to the Company for the acts and omissions of any subcontractor under this Section as it is for its own acts and omissions under this Agreement. The Transfer Agent shall not assign or subcontract for the performance hereof to any third party that is unaffiliated with the Transfer Agent without the prior written consent of the Company.
14. | MISCELLANEOUS |
14.1 | Amendment. This Agreement may be amended by a written agreement executed by both parties. |
14.2 | Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts without regard to the conflicts of law provisions thereof. |
14.3 | Force Majeure. The Transfer Agent shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control, including without limitation, work stoppage, power or other mechanical failure, computer virus, natural disaster, governmental action or communication disruption. |
14.4 | Survival. All provisions regarding indemnification, warranty, liability, and limits thereon, and confidentiality and/or protections of proprietary rights and trade secrets shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
14.5 | Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired. |
14.6 | Priorities Clause. In the event of any conflict, discrepancy or ambiguity between the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and any schedules or attachments hereto, the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement shall take precedence. |
14.7 | Waiver. No waiver by either party or any breach or default of any of the covenants or conditions herein contained and performed by the other party shall be construed as a waiver of any succeeding breach of the same or of any other covenant or condition. |
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14.8 | Merger of Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof whether oral or written. |
14.9 | Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. |
14.10 | Reproduction of Documents. This Agreement and all schedules, exhibits, attachments and amendments hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process. The parties hereto all/each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence. |
14.11 | Data Protection. The Transfer Agent will implement and maintain a comprehensive written information security program that contains appropriate security measures to safeguard the personal information of the Companys shareholders, employees, directors and/or officers that the Transfer Agent receives, stores, maintains, processes or otherwise accesses in connection with the provision of services hereunder. For these purposes, personal information shall mean (i) an individuals name (first initial and last name or first name and last name), address or telephone number plus (a) social security number, (b) drivers license number, (c) state identification card number, (d) debit or credit card number, (e) financial account number or (f) personal identification number or password that would permit access to a persons account or (ii) any combination of the foregoing that would allow a person to log onto or access an individuals account. Notwithstanding the foregoing personal information shall not include information that is lawfully obtained from publicly available information, or from federal, state or local government records lawfully made available to the general public. |
14.12 | Business Continuity. The Transfer Agent shall enter into and shall maintain in effect, at all times during the term of this Agreement, with appropriate parties one or more agreements making reasonable provision for (i) periodic back-up of the computer files and data with respect to the Company; and (ii) emergency use of electronic data processing equipment to provide services under this Agreement. |
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14.13 | Notices. All notices and other communications as required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows or to such other address or addresses of which the respective party shall have notified the other. |
(a) | If to Transfer Agent, to: |
State Street Bank and Trust Company
One Congress Street
Boston, MA 02114
Attention: Jason ONeill
Telephone: 916-319-6550
Email: jason.oneill@statestreet.com
(b) | If to a Company, to: |
c/o FD Funds Management LLC
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
Email: FDAMOperations@fmr.com
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized officers, as of the day and year first above written.
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY | ||||
By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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FD FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC AS SPONSOR ON BEHALF OF EACH OF THE COMPANIES LISTED ON APPENDIX A ATTACHED HERETO | ||||
By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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FD FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC ON ITS OWN BEHALF
SOLELY WITH RESPECT TO SECTION 2 HEREOF
By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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Appendix A
LIST OF COMPANIES
Company |
Underlying Digital Assets | |
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund | Bitcoin |
A-1
Exhibit 10.6
EXECUTION VERSION
SPONSOR AGREEMENT
THIS SPONSOR AGREEMENT (the Agreement), dated as of December 14, 2023, is made by and between FD Funds Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (Sponsor), and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, a statutory trust organized under the laws of Delaware (the Trust).
1. The Trust. The Trust is not an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) and it is not required to register thereunder. The Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended, and the Sponsor is not subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor. The Sponsor is not registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and is not required to register thereunder.
2. Appointment. Pursuant to the terms of the Trusts First Amended and Restated Trust Agreement (the Trust Agreement), Sponsor was appointed to serve as sponsor for the Trust, with full powers and rights to effectuate and carry out the purposes, activities and objectives of the Trust. Sponsor has accepted such appointment and hereby agrees to render such services to the Trust on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Trust Agreement.
3. Duties. Sponsor will perform such duties for the Trust as set forth in Article VI of the Trust Agreement in accordance with Sponsors best judgment and as outlined in the Trusts then-current registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
4. Execution of Trust Documents. Pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor is authorized to execute documents for and on behalf of the Trust. For the avoidance of doubt, when a specified officer of the Trust is required to execute, or executes, a document, including but not limited to filings required to be made with regulatory authorities such as the SEC, the authorized officers of the Sponsor (or persons performing similar functions, including in the event of a vacancy in one or more of the specified Sponsors officer positions) shall be authorized to execute the document.
5. Reporting; Record Keeping. Sponsor will be available at reasonable times to discuss the activities of the Trust with the trustee of the Trust or its designee. Any written reports supplied by Sponsor to the Trust discussing the activities of the Trust are intended solely for the benefit of the Trust, and the Trust agrees that it will not disseminate such reports to any other party (other than the Trusts service providers) without the prior consent of Sponsor, except as may be required by applicable law. Sponsor shall make or cause to be made, and shall maintain or cause to be maintained, all records as are required to be made or maintained by it in its capacity as Sponsor of the Trust.
6. Other Accounts. The Trust understands and acknowledges that Sponsor may act as sponsor for various persons other than the Trust. The Trust acknowledges that Sponsor may give advice and take action concerning other persons that may be the same as, similar to or different from the advice given, or the timing and nature of action taken, concerning the Trust. The Trust also acknowledges that Sponsor may serve as a manager to other investment funds that invest in bitcoin or other cryptocurrency with the same investment objective as the Trust, and the Sponsor or its affiliates may serve as a manager to other investment funds that invest in digital assets. Except to the extent necessary to perform Sponsors obligations under this Agreement, nothing herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict the right of Sponsor, or any affiliate of Sponsor or any employee of Sponsor to engage in any other business or to devote time and attention to the management or other aspects of any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.
7. Sponsors Compensation. The Trust shall pay to Sponsor a fee as described in Schedule A that is attached hereto and made a part hereof. Such fee shall be computed daily and paid not less than monthly in arrears by the Trust. No other compensation is paid to the Sponsor by the Trust. Sponsors compensation is paid in consideration of Sponsors (i) services under this Agreement and the Trust Agreement and (ii) the payment by Sponsor of the Trust expenses described in paragraph 8 below.
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8. Fees and Expenses. As partial consideration for its receipt of the Sponsor Fee, the Sponsor agrees to assume the Sponsor-paid Expenses of the Trust as provided in Section 6.8 of the Trust Agreement, as amended from time to time.
9. Liability and Indemnification. Sponsor will not be liable for losses to the Trust, and Sponsor shall be indemnified, to the extent provided in Article VI of the Trust Agreement.
10. Governing Law/Disputes. This Agreement is entered into in accordance with and shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware; provided, however, that in the event that any law of the State of Delaware shall require that the laws of another state or jurisdiction be applied in any proceeding, such Delaware law shall be superseded by this paragraph, and the remaining laws of the State of Delaware shall nonetheless be applied in such proceeding. Each party agrees that in the event that any dispute arising from or relating to this Agreement becomes subject to any judicial proceeding, such party waives any right it may otherwise have to (a) seek punitive damages, or (b) request a jury trial.
11. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated (i) by Sponsor at any time upon 30 days prior written notice; or (ii) by either party upon discovery of acts of fraud or willful malfeasance of the other party in performing its duties hereunder. Any obligation or liability of either party resulting from actions or inactions occurring prior to termination shall not be affected by termination of this Agreement.
12. Assignment. This Agreement may be assigned by either party upon prior notice to the other party.
13. Notices. All notices and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be addressed to the parties at their respective addresses. Sponsor shall comply with, and be entitled to act on, any instructions reasonably believed to be from an authorized representative of the Trust. Sponsor and its employees and agents shall be fully protected from all liability in acting upon such instructions, without being required to determine the authenticity of the authorization or authority of the persons providing such instructions.
14. Severability. In the event any provision of this Agreement is adjudicated to be void, illegal, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby, and each of such remaining terms and provisions shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless a party demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that the invalidated provision was an essential economic term of this Agreement.
15. Integration; Amendment. This Agreement together with any other written agreements between the parties entered into concurrently with this Agreement contain the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and supersede all previous oral or written negotiations, commitments and understandings related thereto. This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any respect, nor may any provision be waived, without the written agreement of both parties. No waiver by one party of any obligation of the other hereunder shall be considered a waiver of any other obligation of such party.
16. Further Assurances. Each party hereto shall execute and deliver such other documents or agreements as may be necessary or desirable for the implementation of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
17. Headings. The headings of paragraphs herein are included solely for convenience and shall have no effect on the meaning of this Agreement.
18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument.
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19. Trustee. The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and a separate legal entity under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and pursuant to such act a trustee, when acting in such capacity, is not personally liable to any person (other than the statutory trust or any beneficial owner thereof) for any act, omission or obligation of a statutory trust. In furtherance thereof, (a) this Agreement is executed and delivered by Delaware Trust Company, not individually or personally, but solely as Trustee of the Trust, (b) each of the representations, undertakings and agreements herein made on the part of the Trust is made and intended not as personal representations, undertakings and agreements by Delaware Trust Company but is made and intended for the purpose of binding only the Trust, (c) nothing herein contained shall be construed as creating any liability on Delaware Trust Company, individually or personally, to perform any covenant either expressed or implied contained herein of the, all such liability, if any, being expressly waived by the parties hereto and by any Person claiming by, through or under the parties hereto, and (d) under no circumstances shall Delaware Trust Company be personally liable for the payment of any indebtedness or expenses of the Trust or be liable for the breach or failure of any obligation, representation, warranty or covenant made or undertaken by the Trust under this Agreement.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund | ||||
By: FD Funds Management LLC | ||||
By: | /s/ Cynthia Lo Bessette | |||
Name: | Cynthia Lo Bessette | |||
Title: | President | |||
FD Funds Management LLC | ||||
By: | /s/ Cynthia Lo Bessette | |||
Name: | Cynthia Lo Bessette | |||
Title: | President |
Signature Page Sponsor Agreement
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Exhibit 10.7
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of December 11, 2009, between each of the entities set forth on Appendix A attached hereto (each, a Company) and State Street Bank and Trust Company (the Custodian).
WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, each Company desires to appoint the Custodian as custodian under the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and the Custodian has agreed so to act as custodian.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
APPOINTMENT OF CUSTODIAN
Each Company hereby employs and appoints the Custodian as a custodian, subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement. Each Company shall deliver to the Custodian, or shall cause to be delivered to the Custodian, cash, securities and other assets owned by such Company from time to time during the term of this Agreement.
ARTICLE II
POWERS AND DUTIES OF CUSTODIAN
As custodian, the Custodian shall have and perform the powers and duties set forth in this Article II. Pursuant to and in accordance with Article IV hereof, the Custodian may appoint one or more Subcustodians or may maintain assets with one or more Eligible Securities Depositories (each as hereinafter defined) to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Custodian set forth in this Article II and references to the Custodian in this Article II shall include any Subcustodian or Eligible Securities Depository so appointed or utilized, as applicable.
Section 2.01. Safekeeping. The Custodian shall keep safely all cash, securities and other assets of each Company delivered to the Custodian and, on behalf of such Company, the Custodian shall, from time to time, accept delivery of cash, securities and other assets for safekeeping.
Section 2.02. Manner of Holding Securities and Other Assets.
(a) | Except to the extent precluded by Section 8-501(d) of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (UCC), the Custodian shall hold all securities and other assets, other than cash, of each Company that are delivered to it hereunder in a securities account with the Custodian for and in the name of such Company and shall treat all such assets, other than cash, as financial assets as those terms are used in the UCC. The Custodian shall at all times hold securities or other financial assets held for each Company either: (i) by physical possession of the certificated securities or instruments representing such financial assets, in either registered or bearer form; or (ii) in book-entry form by maintaining security entitlements, within the meaning of the UCC, with respect to such financial assets with (A) a Securities System (as hereinafter defined) in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.22(a) below or (B) an Eligible Securities Depository in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.22(b) below. The standards for the performance of the duties and obligations of the Custodian under UCC Article 8, including without limitation Section 8-504 through Section 8-508, with respect to securities entitlements of each Company shall be as set forth under this Agreement. |
(b) | The Custodian shall at all times hold registered securities of each Company in the name of the Custodian, the Company or a nominee of either of them, unless specifically directed by Proper Instructions to hold such registered securities in so-called street name; provided that, in any event, all such securities and other assets shall be held in an account of the Custodian containing only assets of a Company, or only assets held by the Custodian as a fiduciary or custodian for customers; and provided further, that the records of the Custodian shall indicate at all times the Company or other customer for which such securities and other assets are held in such account and the respective interests therein. |
Section 2.03. Security Purchases. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions (as hereinafter defined), the Custodian shall pay for and receive securities purchased for the account of a Company, provided that, payment shall be made by the Custodian only upon receipt of the securities by: (1) the Custodian; (2) a clearing corporation of a national securities exchange of which the Custodian is a member; (3) a Securities System; or (4) an Eligible Securities Depository. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon receipt of Proper Instructions: (i) in the case of a repurchase agreement, the Custodian may release funds to a Securities System prior to the receipt of advice from the Securities System that the securities underlying such repurchase agreement have been transferred by book- entry into the Account (as hereinafter defined) maintained with such Securities System by the Custodian, provided that, the Custodians instructions to the Securities System require that the Securities System may make payment of such funds to the other party to the repurchase agreement only upon transfer by book-entry of the securities underlying the repurchase agreement into the Account; (ii) in the case of time deposits, call account deposits, currency deposits, and other deposits, foreign exchange transactions, futures contracts or options, pursuant to Sections 2.09, 2.10, 2.12 and 2.13 hereof, the Custodian may make payment therefor before receipt of an advice or confirmation evidencing said deposit or entry into such transaction; (iii) in the case of the purchase of securities, the settlement of which occurs outside of the United States of America, the Custodian may make payment therefor and receive delivery of such securities in accordance with local custom and practice generally accepted by Institutional Clients (as hereinafter defined) in the country in which the settlement occurs, but in all events subject to the standard of care set forth in Article V hereof; (iv) in the case of the purchase of securities in which, in accordance with standard industry custom and practice generally accepted by Institutional Clients with respect to such securities, the receipt of such securities and the payment therefor take place in different countries, the Custodian may receive delivery of such securities and make payment therefor in accordance with standard industry custom and practice for such securities generally accepted by Institutional Clients, but in all events subject to the standard of care set forth in Article V hereof. For purposes of this Agreement, an Institutional Client shall mean a major commercial bank, corporation, insurance company, pension fund or substantially similar institution, which, as a substantial part of its business operations, purchases or sells securities and makes use of custodial services.
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Section 2.04. Exchanges of Securities. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall exchange securities held by it for the account of a Company for other securities in connection with any reorganization, recapitalization, split- up of shares, change of par value, conversion or other event relating to the securities or the issuer of such securities, and shall deposit any such securities in accordance with the terms of any reorganization or protective plan. The Custodian shall, without receiving Proper Instructions: surrender securities in temporary form for definitive securities; surrender securities for transfer into the name of the Custodian, a Company or a nominee of either of them, as permitted by Section 2.02(b); and surrender securities for a different number of certificates or instruments representing the same number of shares or same principal amount of indebtedness, provided that the securities to be issued will be delivered to the Custodian or a nominee of the Custodian.
Section 2.05. Sales of Securities. (a) Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall make delivery of securities which have been sold for the account of a Company, but only against payment therefor in the form of: (1) cash, certified check, bank cashiers check, bank credit, or bank wire transfer; (2) credit to the account of the Custodian with a clearing corporation of a national securities exchange of which the Custodian is a member; or (3) credit to the Account of the Custodian with a Securities System or Eligible Securities Depository, in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.22(a) and Section 2.22(b) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the receipt of Proper Instructions: (i) in the case of the sale of securities, the settlement of which occurs outside of the United States of America, such securities shall be delivered and paid for in accordance with local custom and practice generally accepted by Institutional Clients in the country in which the settlement occurs, but in all events subject to the standard of care set forth in Article V hereof; (ii) in the case of the sale of securities in which, in accordance with standard industry custom and practice generally accepted by Institutional Clients with respect to such securities, the delivery of such securities and receipt of payment therefor take place in different countries, the Custodian may deliver such securities and receive payment therefor in accordance with standard industry custom and practice for such securities generally accepted by Institutional Clients, but in all events subject to the standard of care set forth in Article V hereof; (iii) in the case of securities held in physical form, such securities shall be delivered and paid for in accordance with street delivery custom to a broker or its clearing agent, against delivery to the Custodian of a receipt for such securities, provided that the Custodian shall have taken reasonable steps to ensure prompt collection of the payment for, or the return of, such securities by the broker or its clearing agent, and provided further that the Custodian shall not be responsible for the selection of or the failure or inability to perform of such broker or its clearing agent.
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Section 2.06. Depositary Receipts. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall surrender securities to the depositary used for such securities by an issuer of American Depositary Receipts, Global Depository Receipts or International Depositary Receipts (hereinafter referred to, collectively, as ADRs), against a written receipt therefor adequately describing such securities and written evidence satisfactory to the Custodian that the depositary has acknowledged receipt of instructions to issue ADRs with respect to such securities in the name of the Custodian or a nominee of the Custodian, for delivery to the Custodian at such place as the Custodian may from time to time designate. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall surrender ADRs to the issuer thereof, against a written receipt therefor adequately describing the ADRs surrendered and written evidence satisfactory to the Custodian that the issuer of the ADRs has acknowledged receipt of instructions to cause its depository to deliver the securities underlying such ADRs to the Custodian.
Section 2.07. Exercise of Rights; Tender Offers. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall: (a) deliver warrants, puts, calls, rights or similar securities to the issuer or trustee thereof, or to the agent of such issuer or trustee, for the purpose of exercise or sale, provided that the new securities, cash or other assets, if any, acquired as a result of such actions are to be delivered to the Custodian; and (b) deposit securities upon invitations for tenders thereof, provided that the consideration for such securities is to be paid or delivered to the Custodian, or the tendered securities are to be returned to the Custodian. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Custodian shall take all necessary action, unless otherwise directed to the contrary in Proper Instructions, to comply with the terms of all mandatory or compulsory exchanges, calls, tenders, redemptions, or similar rights of security ownership, and shall promptly notify the Company of such action in writing by facsimile transmission or in such other manner as the Company and the Custodian may agree in writing.
Section 2.08. Stock Dividends, Rights, Etc. The Custodian shall receive and collect all stock dividends, rights and other items of like nature and, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, take action with respect to the same as directed in such Proper Instructions.
Section 2.09. Options. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions and in accordance with the provisions of any agreement between the Custodian, any registered broker-dealer and, if necessary, the applicable Company relating to compliance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation or of any registered national securities exchange or similar organization(s), the Custodian shall: (a) receive and retain confirmations or other documents, if any, evidencing the purchase or writing of an option on a security or securities index by the Company; (b) deposit and maintain in a segregated account, securities (either physically or by book-entry in a Securities System), cash or other assets; and (c) pay, release and/or transfer such securities, cash or other assets in accordance with notices or other communications evidencing the expiration, termination or exercise of such options furnished by the Options Clearing Corporation, the securities or options exchange on which such options are traded, or such other organization as may be responsible for handling such option transactions. The applicable Company and the broker-dealer shall be responsible for the sufficiency of assets held in any segregated account established in compliance with applicable margin maintenance requirements and the performance of other terms of any option contract.
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Section 2.10. Futures Contracts. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions or pursuant to the provisions of any futures margin procedural safekeeping agreement with the applicable Company (a Procedural Agreement) the Custodian shall: (a) receive and retain confirmations, if any, evidencing the purchase or sale of a futures contract or an option on a futures contract by the Company; (b) deposit and maintain in a segregated account cash, securities and other assets designated as initial, maintenance or variation margin deposits intended to secure the Company s performance of its obligations under any futures contracts purchased or sold or any such options on futures contracts written by the Company (i) in a segregated account established in accordance with the provisions of a futures margin Procedural Agreement among the Company, the Custodian and any futures commission merchant, designed to comply with the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and/or any commodity exchange or contract market (such as the Chicago Board of Trade), or any similar organization(s), regarding such margin deposits (a Segregated Futures Margin Account), or (ii) in a brokers margin account meeting the applicable requirements of Rule 17f-6 under the 1940 Act, as the same may be amended from time to time (a Brokers Futures Margin Account); and (c) release to the applicable Company any such assets held in a Segregated Futures Margin Account, or accept delivery of such assets back from a Brokers Margin Account, as the case may be. In the absence of Proper Instructions, the Custodian may release assets from and/or transfer assets into a Segregated Futures Margin Account only in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Procedural Agreement. Each Company and the applicable futures commission merchant shall be responsible for the sufficiency of assets held in a Segregated Futures Margin Account or Brokers Futures Margin Account, as the case may be, in compliance with applicable margin maintenance requirements and the performance of any futures contract or option on a futures contract in accordance with its terms. For purposes of determining the Custodians obligations with respect to any losses resulting from the acts or omissions of any futures commission merchant holding Company assets in a Brokers Futures Margin Account, such futures commission merchant shall be deemed to be an Additional Custodian (as defined below), and the Custodians liability shall be governed by the provisions of Section 5.02(b) hereof.
Section 2.11. Borrowing. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall deliver securities of a Company to lenders or their agents, or otherwise establish a segregated account as agreed to by such Company and the Custodian, as collateral for borrowings effected by such Company, provided that such borrowed money is payable by the lender (a) to or upon the Custodians order, as Custodian for such Company, and (b) concurrently with delivery of such securities.
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Section 2.12. Interest Bearing Deposits. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions directing the Custodian to purchase interest bearing fixed term and call deposits (hereinafter referred to collectively, as Interest Bearing Deposits) for the account of a Company, the Custodian shall purchase such Interest Bearing Deposits in the name of the Company with such banks or trust companies (including the Custodian, any Subcustodian or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Custodian) (hereinafter referred to as Banking Institutions) and in such amounts as the Company may direct pursuant to Proper Instructions. Such Interest Bearing Deposits may be denominated in U.S. Dollars or other currencies, as the Company may determine and direct pursuant to Proper Instructions. The Custodian shall include in its records with respect to the assets of each Company appropriate notation as to the amount and currency of each such Interest Bearing Bank Deposit, the accepting Banking Institution and all other appropriate details, and shall retain such forms of advice or receipt evidencing such account, if any, as may be forwarded to the Custodian by the Banking Institution. The responsibilities of the Custodian to each Company for Interest Bearing Deposits accepted on the Custodians books in the United States of America on behalf of the Company shall be that of a U.S. bank for a similar deposit. With respect to Interest Bearing Deposits other than those accepted on the Custodians books, (a) the Custodian shall be responsible for the collection of income as set forth in Section 2.15 and the transmission of cash and instructions to and from such accounts; and (b) the Custodian shall have no duty with respect to the selection of the Banking Institution or, so long as the Custodian acts in accordance with Proper Instructions, for the failure of such Banking Institution to pay upon demand. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall take such reasonable actions as the Company deems necessary or appropriate to cause each such Interest Bearing Deposit Account to be insured to the maximum extent possible by all applicable deposit insurers including, without limitation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Section 2.13. Foreign Exchange Transactions.
(a) | Foreign Exchange Transactions Other Than as Principal. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall settle foreign exchange contracts or options to purchase and sell foreign currencies for spot and future delivery on behalf of and for the account of a Company with such currency brokers or Banking Institutions as such Company may determine and direct pursuant to Proper Instructions. The Custodian shall be responsible for the transmission of cash and instructions to and from the currency broker or Banking Institution with which the contract or option is made, the safekeeping of all certificates and other documents and agreements evidencing or relating to such foreign exchange transactions and the maintenance of proper records as set forth in Section 2.25. The Custodian shall have no duty with respect to the selection of the currency brokers or Banking Institutions with which the Company deals or, so long as the Custodian acts in accordance with Proper Instructions, for the failure of such brokers or Banking Institutions to comply with the terms of any contract or option. |
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(b) | Foreign Exchange Contracts as Principal. The Custodian shall not be obligated to enter into foreign exchange transactions as principal. However, if the Custodian has made available to a Company its services as a principal in foreign exchange transactions, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall enter into foreign exchange contracts or options to purchase and sell foreign currencies for spot and future delivery on behalf of and for the account of the Company with the Custodian as principal. The Custodian shall be responsible for the selection of the currency brokers or Banking Institutions and the failure of such currency brokers or Banking Institutions to comply with the terms of any contract or option. |
(c) | Payments. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon receipt of Proper Instructions the Custodian may, in connection with a foreign exchange contract, make free outgoing payments of cash in the form of U.S. Dollars or foreign currency prior to receipt of confirmation of such foreign exchange contract or confirmation that the countervalue currency completing such contract has been delivered or received. |
Section 2.14. Securities Loans. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall, in connection with loans of securities by a Company, deliver securities of such Company to the borrower thereof prior to receipt of the collateral, if any, for such borrowing; provided that, in cases of loans of securities secured by cash collateral, the Custodians instructions to the Securities System shall require that the Securities System deliver the securities of the Company to the borrower thereof only upon receipt of the collateral for such borrowing. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall release the collateral received in respect of a loan of securities to the borrower against receipt of the loaned securities.
Section 2.15. Collections. The Custodian shall, and shall cause any Subcustodian to: (a) collect amounts due and payable to each Company with respect to portfolio securities; (b) upon Custodians receipt of such income or payments or as otherwise agreed in writing by the Custodian and the applicable Company, promptly credit to the account of the Company all income and other payments relating to portfolio securities and other assets held by the Custodian; (c) promptly endorse and deliver any instruments required to effect such collections; (d) promptly execute ownership and other certificates and affidavits for all federal, state and foreign tax purposes in connection with receipt of income, capital gains or other payments with respect to portfolio securities and other assets of such Company, or in connection with the purchase, sale or transfer of such securities or other assets; and (e) promptly file any certificates or other affidavits for the refund or reclaim of foreign taxes paid, and promptly notify the Company of any changes to law, interpretative rulings or procedures regarding such reclaims, and otherwise use all available measures customarily used to minimize the imposition of foreign taxes at source, and promptly inform the Company of alternative means of minimizing such taxes of which the Custodian shall become aware (or with the exercise of reasonable care should have become aware); provided, however, that with respect to portfolio securities registered in so-called street name, the Custodian shall use its best efforts to collect amounts due and payable to each Company. The Custodian shall promptly notify the Company in writing by facsimile transmission, or in such other manner as the Company and the Custodian may agree in writing, if any amount payable with respect to portfolio securities or other assets of the Company is not received by the Custodian when due. The Custodian shall not be responsible for the collection of amounts due and payable with respect to portfolio securities or other assets that are in default.
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Section 2.16. Reserved.
Section 2.17. Proceeds from Shares Sold. The Custodian shall receive funds representing cash payments or securities sold from time to time by the Company, and shall promptly credit such funds to the account(s) of the applicable Company. The Custodian shall promptly notify the Company of Custodians receipt of cash in a Company account by facsimile transmission or in such other manner as the Company and Custodian may agree in writing. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall: (a) deliver all federal funds received by the Custodian in payment for such cash or securities as may be set forth in such Proper Instructions and at a time agreed upon between the Custodian and the applicable Company ; and (b) make federal funds available to the Company as of specified times agreed upon from time to time by the Company and the Custodian, in payment for cash or securities which are deposited to the account(s) of the Company.
Section 2.18. Proxies, Notices, Etc. The Custodian shall deliver to the applicable Company or such other person as the Company shall designate in Proper Instructions, in the most expeditious manner practicable, all forms of proxies, all notices of meetings, and any other notices or announcements affecting or relating to securities owned by the Company that are received by the Custodian, any Subcustodian, or any nominee of either of them (or with the exercise of reasonable care that the Custodian, any Subcustodian, or any nominee of either of them should have become aware), and, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall execute and deliver, or cause such Subcustodian or nominee to execute and deliver, such proxies or other authorizations as may be required. Except as directed pursuant to Proper Instructions, neither the Custodian nor any Subcustodian or nominee shall vote upon any such securities, or execute any proxy to vote thereon, or give any consent or take any other action with respect thereto.
Section 2.19. Bills and Other Disbursements. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall pay or cause to be paid, all bills, statements, or other obligations of each Company.
Section 2.20. Nondiscretionary Functions. The Custodian shall attend to all nondiscretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer or other dealings with securities or other assets of each Company held by the Custodian, except as otherwise directed from time to time pursuant to Proper Instructions.
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Section 2.21. Bank Accounts.
(a) | Accounts with the Custodian and any Subcustodians. The Custodian shall open and operate a bank account or accounts (hereinafter referred to collectively, as Bank Accounts) on the books of the Custodian or any Subcustodian provided that such account(s) shall be in the name of the Custodian or a nominee of the Custodian, for the account of the Company, and shall be subject only to the draft or order of the Custodian; and provided further, however, that such Bank Accounts in countries other than the United States of America may be held in an account of the Custodian containing only assets held by the Custodian as a fiduciary or custodian for customers, and provided further, that the records of the Custodian shall indicate at all times the Company or other customer for which such securities and other assets are held in such account and the respective interests therein. Such Bank Accounts may be denominated in either U.S. Dollars or other currencies. The responsibilities of the Custodian to the Company for deposits accepted on the Custodians books in the United States of America shall be that of a U.S. bank for a similar deposit. The responsibilities of the Custodian to the Company for deposits accepted on any Subcustodians books shall be governed by the provisions of Section 5.02. |
(b) | Accounts With Other Banking Institutions. The Custodian may open and operate Bank Accounts on behalf of a Company, in the name of the Custodian or a nominee of the Custodian, at a Banking Institution other than the Custodian or any Subcustodian, provided that such account(s) shall be in the name of the Custodian or a nominee of the Custodian, for the account of such Company, and shall be subject only to the draft or order of the Custodian; provided however, that such Bank Accounts may be held in an account of the Custodian containing only assets held by the Custodian as a fiduciary or custodian for customers, and provided further, that the records of the Custodian shall indicate at all times the Company or other customer for which such securities and other assets are held in such account and the respective interests therein. Such Bank Accounts may be denominated in either U.S. Dollars or other currencies. Subject to the provisions of Section 5.01(a), the Custodian shall be responsible for the selection of the Banking Institution and for the failure of such Banking Institution to pay according to the terms of the deposit; provided, however, that the Custodian shall not be responsible for losses arising in the event of the Banking Institutions insolvency. |
(c) | Deposit Insurance. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall take such reasonable actions as the Company deems necessary or appropriate to cause each deposit account established by the Custodian pursuant to this Section 2.21 to be insured to the maximum extent possible by all applicable deposit insurers including, without limitation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. |
Section 2.22. Deposit of Company Assets in Securities Systems and Eligible Securities Depositories.
(a) | The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain domestic securities owned by a Company in compliance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and regulations, provided that, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall terminate the use of any Securities System (except the federal book-entry system) on behalf of such Company as promptly as practicable and shall take all actions reasonably practicable to safeguard the securities of the Company maintained with such Securities System. |
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(b) | The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain Foreign Assets (as defined in Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act, as the same may be amended from time to time (Rule 17f-5)), owned by a Company in a securities depository located outside the United States of America that the Custodian has determined meets the definition of Eligible Securities Depository under Rule 17f-7(b)(1) under the 1940 Act, as the same may be amended from time to time (Rule 17f-7), or that has otherwise been made exempt pursuant to an exemptive order of the SEC or no-action letter of the staff of the SEC (each of the foregoing being referred to in this Agreement as an Eligible Securities Depository), provided that prior to the deposit or maintenance of Foreign Assets of a Company with a securities depository located outside the United States of America, the Custodian shall have certified in writing to such Company that the securities depository is an Eligible Securities Depository. Use of an Eligible Securities Depository shall be in accordance with applicable SEC rules and regulations, in particular Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act, and subject to the following provisions: |
(1) | The Custodian or any Subcustodian may deposit and/or maintain Foreign Assets held hereunder in an Eligible Securities Depository, provided that such Foreign Assets are represented in an Account of the Custodian or Subcustodian in the Eligible Securities Depository which Account shall not contain any assets of the Custodian or Subcustodian other than assets held as a fiduciary, custodian, or otherwise for customers and shall be so designated on the books and records of the Eligible Securities Depository unless the Company permits another manner of holding, representing and/or designating a Companys Foreign Assets. |
(2) | The Custodian shall, in accordance with the standard of care set forth in Section 5.01(a) hereof, be responsible for: (A) providing the applicable Company or its designee an analysis (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company) of the custody risks associated with maintaining Foreign Assets with the Eligible Securities Depository; (B) establishing a system to monitor the custody risks associated with maintaining Foreign Assets with the Eligible Securities Depository; (C) monitoring the custody risks associated with maintaining Foreign Assets with the Eligible Securities Depository on a continuing basis; and (D) promptly notifying the Company of any material change in the custody risks associated with maintaining Foreign Assets with the Eligible Securities Depository. |
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(3) | The Eligible Securities Depository shall be obligated to comply with the Custodians or Subcustodians directions with respect to the Foreign Assets held in such Account, provided that the Foreign Assets held in such Account shall not be subject to any right, charge, security interest, lien or claim of any kind in favor of the Custodian or Subcustodian (or either of their respective creditors), except a claim for reasonable payment for their safe custody or administration. |
(4) | Each Company hereby acknowledges that the Custodian or each Subcustodian shall be the party in whose name any Foreign Assets deposited by the Custodian or the Subcustodian in the Account are to be registered or recorded, provided, however, that the Custodian may register or record Foreign Assets of such Company in the name of the Company or other nominee for the Company upon the Custodians provision of written notice to the Company of such proposed registration or recordation at least 5 Business Days prior to such registration or recordation. For purposes of this Agreement, a Business Day shall mean any day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which the Custodian is closed for business. |
(5) | The books and records of the Custodian shall at all times identify those Foreign Assets belonging to each Company which are maintained in an Eligible Securities Depository. |
(6) | The Custodian shall pay for Foreign Assets purchased for the account of a Company only upon (w) receipt of advice from the Eligible Securities Depository that such Foreign Assets have been transferred to the Account of the Custodian or Subcustodian, and (x) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such payment and transfer for the account of such Company, provided however, if required under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Eligible Securities Depository is located or pursuant to the rules of an Eligible Securities Depository, the Custodian may receive delivery of such securities and make payment therefor in accordance with such applicable laws or rules of the Eligible Securities Depository, but in all events subject to the standard of care set forth in Section 5.01(a) hereof. The Custodian or Subcustodian shall transfer Foreign Assets sold for the account of a Company only upon (y) receipt of advice from the Eligible Securities Depository that payment for such Foreign Assets has been transferred to the Account of the Custodian or Subcustodian, and (z) the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer and payment for the account of such Company, provided however, if required under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Eligible Securities Depository is located or pursuant to the rules of an Eligible Securities Depository, the Custodian may make payment therefor and receive delivery of such securities in accordance with such applicable laws or rules of the Eligible Securities Depository, but in all events subject to the standard of care set forth in Section 5.01(a) hereof. Copies of all advices from the Eligible Securities Depository relating to transfers of Foreign Assets for the account of a Company shall identify such Company or the Custodian or Subcustodian who is holding the assets of such Company and shall be maintained for such Company by the Custodian. The Custodian shall deliver to the Company no later than the next succeeding Business Day, or at such other time or times as the Company and the Custodian may agree in writing, daily transaction reports which shall include each days transactions in the Eligible Securities Depository for the account of each applicable Company. Such transaction reports shall be delivered to the Company or any agent designated by the Company pursuant to Proper Instructions, by electronic device or system (including without limitation, computers) or in such other manner as the Company and the Custodian may agree in writing. |
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(7) | The Custodian shall, if requested by a Company or its designee pursuant to Proper Instructions, provide the Company with all reports obtained by the Custodian or any Subcustodian with respect to an Eligible Securities Depositorys accounting system, internal accounting controls, and procedures for safeguarding Foreign Assets deposited in the Eligible Securities Depository. |
(8) | The Custodian (A) shall terminate the use of any Eligible Securities Depository on behalf of any Company as soon as reasonably practicable and shall take all actions reasonably practicable to safeguard the Foreign Assets of any Company maintained with such Eligible Securities Depository: (1) upon receipt of Proper Instructions; or (2), in the absence of the receipt of Proper Instructions, if the custody arrangement with the Eligible Securities Depository at any time ceases to satisfy the requirements of Rule 17f-7, and (B) shall provide the Company or their respective designees with written notification of any termination of the Custodians use of an Eligible Securities Depository at least 90 Business Days prior to the effective date of the proposed termination, unless the Company in its discretion permits a shorter notification period. |
(9) | Each Eligible Securities Depository through which the Custodian maintains Foreign Assets of the applicable Company and the countries where they may hold Foreign Assets of the applicable Company shall be listed on Appendix B attached hereto, as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Section 8.04(c) hereof. |
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Section 2.23. Other Transfers.
(a) | Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall transfer to or receive from a third party that has been appointed to serve as an additional custodian of a Company (an Additional Custodian) securities, cash and other assets of such Company in accordance with such Proper Instructions. Each Additional Custodian shall be identified as such on Appendix B, as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Section 8.04(c) hereof. |
(b) | Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall make such other dispositions of securities, funds or other property of a Company in a manner or for purposes other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement, provided that the Proper Instructions relating to such disposition shall include a statement of the purpose for which the delivery is to be made, the amount of funds and/or securities to be delivered, and the name of the person or persons to whom delivery is to be made, and shall otherwise comply with the provisions of Sections 3.01 and 3.03 hereof. |
Section 2.24. Establishment of Segregated Account. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall establish and maintain on its books a segregated account or accounts for and on behalf of a Company, into which account or accounts may be transferred cash and/or securities or other assets of the Company, including securities maintained by the Custodian in a Securities System pursuant to Section 2.22(a) hereof or an Eligible Securities Depository pursuant to Section 2.22(b) hereof, said account or accounts to be maintained: (a) for the purposes set forth in Sections 2.09, 2.10 and 2.11 hereof; (b) for the purposes of compliance by the Company with the procedures required by Investment Company Act Release No. 10666, or any subsequent release or releases of the SEC or SEC rules or regulations relating to the maintenance of segregated accounts by registered investment companies; or (c) for such other purposes as set forth, from time to time, in Proper Instructions.
Section 2.25. Custodians Books and Records. The Custodian shall provide any assistance reasonably requested by a Company in the preparation of reports to such Companys shareholders and others, audits of accounts, and other ministerial matters of like nature. The Custodian shall maintain complete and accurate records with respect to securities and other assets held for the accounts of each Company as may be required by applicable law; (a) ledgers or other records reflecting (i) securities in transfer, (ii) securities in physical possession, (iii) securities borrowed, loaned or collateralizing obligations of each Company, (iv) monies borrowed and monies loaned (together with a record of the collateral therefor and substitutions of such collateral), (v) dividends and interest received, (vi) the amount of tax withheld by any person in respect of any collection made by the Custodian or the Company Subcustodian, and (vii) the amount of reclaims or refunds for foreign taxes paid; and (b) cancelled checks and bank records related thereto. The Custodian shall keep books and records of each Company as the Company shall reasonably request. All such books and records maintained by the Custodian shall be maintained in a form acceptable to the Company. All books and records maintained by the Custodian pursuant to this Agreement shall at all times be the property of the applicable Company and shall be available during normal business hours for inspection and use by the Company and its agents, including, without limitation, its independent certified public accountants. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Company shall not take any actions or cause the Custodian to take any actions which would cause, either directly or indirectly, the Custodian to violate any applicable laws, regulations or orders.
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Section 2.26. Opinion of the Companys Independent Certified Public Accountants. The Custodian shall take all reasonable action as a Company may request to obtain from year to year favorable opinions from such Companys independent certified public accountants with respect to the Custodians activities and any annual financial statements.
Section 2.27. Reports by Independent Certified Public Accountants. At the request of a Company, the Custodian shall deliver to such Company a written report prepared by the Custodians independent certified public accountants with respect to the services provided by the Custodian under this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Custodians accounting system, internal accounting control and procedures for safeguarding cash, securities and other assets, including cash, securities and other assets deposited and/or maintained in a Securities System, Eligible Securities Depository or with a Subcustodian. Such report shall be of sufficient scope and in sufficient detail as may reasonably be required by the Company and as may reasonably be obtained by the Custodian.
Section 2.28. Insurance Requirements.
(a) | The Custodian shall, at its own expense, procure and maintain: (i) workers compensation insurance for its own employees in an amount not less than the statutory limits under all applicable statutes, rules and regulations in each of the states in which Custodian operates and under all applicable federal statutes, rules and regulations, (ii) employers liability insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, (iii) comprehensive general liability insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, (iv) comprehensive automobile liability (including automobile non-ownership liability) insurance in a combined single limit amount of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, (v) umbrella or excess liability insurance providing coverages in excess of the coverages listed in (ii), (iii) and (iv) above in an amount not less than $5,000,000 per occurrence, (vi) errors and omission liability insurance in an amount not less than $10,000,000 per claim, (vii) a fidelity bond in an amount not less than $10,000,000 per loss, and (viii) electronic and computer crime insurance in an amount not less than $10,000,000 per loss, provided however that the term Custodian in this Section 2.28 shall not include a Subcustodian or Eligible Securities Depository. Nothing in this Section 2.28 shall be deemed to limit the Custodians liability to the types or coverage amounts specified above or to limit any coverage under any of Custodians insurance policies. |
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(b) | Concurrent with the execution of this Agreement, Custodian shall provide a certificate of insurance to the Company that evidences that policies, bonds or similar agreements providing the types and amounts of coverage specified in paragraph (a) of this Section 2.28 have been entered into and are in full force and effect. |
Section 2.29. Provision of Information. At the request of a Company the Custodian shall promptly provide to the Company all information relating to the Companys cash, securities, and other assets which may be reasonably requested by the Company in order to determine the amount to be paid to the Custodian under Article VI hereof. Such information shall be delivered to the Company at such time(s) and in such form(s) specified by the Company.
ARTICLE III
PROPER INSTRUCTIONS
AND RELATED MATTERS
Section 3.01. Proper Instructions.
(a) | Proper Instructions. As used herein, the term Proper Instructions shall mean: (i) a tested telex, a written (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission) request, direction, instruction or certification signed or initialed by or on behalf of the applicable Company by one or more Authorized Persons (as hereinafter defined); (ii) a telephonic or other oral communication by one or more Authorized Persons; or (iii) a communication effected directly between an electro-mechanical or electronic device or system (including, without limitation, computers) by or on behalf of the Company by one or more Authorized Persons; provided, however, that communications of the types described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above purporting to be given by an Authorized Person shall be considered Proper Instructions only if the Custodian reasonably believes such communications to have been given by an Authorized Person with respect to the transaction involved. Proper Instructions in the form of oral communications shall be confirmed by the Company by tested telex or in writing in the manner set forth in clause (i) above, but the lack of such confirmation shall in no way affect any action taken by the Custodian in reliance upon such oral instructions prior to the Custodians receipt of such confirmation. Proper Instructions may relate to specific transactions or to types or classes of transactions, and may be in the form of standing instructions. |
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(b) Address for Proper Instructions. Proper Instructions shall be delivered to the Custodian at the address and/or telephone, telecopy or telex number agreed upon from time to time by the Custodian and the Company.
Section 3.02. Authorized Persons. Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement and from time to time thereafter, as appropriate, each Company shall deliver to the Custodian, duly certified as appropriate by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company a certificate setting forth: (a) the names, titles, signatures and scope of authority of all persons authorized to give Proper Instructions or any other notice, request, direction, instruction, certificate or instrument on behalf of such Company (collectively, the Authorized Persons and individually, an Authorized Person). Such certificate may be accepted and relied upon by the Custodian as conclusive evidence of the facts set forth therein and shall be considered to be in full force and effect until delivery to the Custodian of a similar certificate to the contrary. Upon delivery of a certificate which deletes the name(s) of a person previously authorized by the Company to give Proper Instructions such persons shall no longer be considered an Authorized Person or authorized to issue Proper Instructions for the Company
Section 3.03. Persons Having Access to Assets of the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, no Authorized Person, officer, employee or agent of a Company shall have physical access to the assets of such Company held by the Custodian nor shall the Custodian deliver any assets of a Company for delivery to an account of such person; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 3.03 shall prohibit (a) any Authorized Person from giving Proper Instructions, so long as such action does not result in delivery of or access to Company assets prohibited by this Section 3.03; or (b) the Companys independent certified public accountants from examining or reviewing the assets of the Company held by the Custodian. Each Company shall deliver to the Custodian a written certificate identifying such Authorized Persons, officers, employees and agents of the Company.
Section 3.04. Actions of Custodian Based on Proper Instructions. So long as and to the extent that the Custodian acts in accordance with (a) Proper Instructions, and (b) the terms of this Agreement, the Custodian shall not be responsible for the title, validity or genuineness of any property, or evidence of title thereof, received by it or delivered by it pursuant to this Agreement.
ARTICLE IV
SUBCUSTODIANS
The Custodian may, from time to time, in accordance with the relevant provisions of this Article IV, appoint one or more Domestic Subcustodians, Foreign Subcustodians, Interim Subcustodians and Special Subcustodians to act on behalf of a Company. (For purposes of this Agreement, all duly appointed Domestic Subcustodians, Foreign Subcustodians, Interim Subcustodians, and Special Subcustodians are hereinafter referred to collectively, as Subcustodians.)
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Section 4.01. Appointment of Domestic and Foreign Subcustodians. The Custodian may, at any time and from time to time, appoint any bank, trust company, depository or clearing agent, to act on behalf of a Company as a subcustodian for purposes of holding cash, securities and other assets of such Company and performing other functions of the Custodian within the United States (a Domestic Subcustodian); provided that, the Custodian shall notify the Company in writing of the identity and qualifications of any proposed Domestic Subcustodian at least thirty (30) days prior to appointment of such Subcustodian.
The Custodian may at its discretion appoint and remove subcustodians for purposes of holding cash, securities and other assets of the Company outside the United States (a Foreign Subcustodian). The Foreign Subcustodians and the countries and custody arrangements are listed on Schedule A to this Agreement, which list may be amended from time to time in the sole discretion of the Custodian.
Section 4.02. Termination of a Subcustodian. The Custodian shall cause each Domestic Subcustodian and Foreign Subcustodian to, perform all of its obligations in accordance with the terms and conditions of the subcustodian agreement between the Custodian and such Subcustodian. In the event that the Custodian is unable to cause such Subcustodian to fully perform its obligations thereunder, the Custodian shall forthwith, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, terminate such Subcustodian with respect to each applicable Company and, if necessary or desirable, appoint a replacement Subcustodian in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.01. In addition to the foregoing, the Custodian (A) may, at any time in its discretion, upon written notification to the Company, terminate any Domestic Subcustodian or Foreign Subcustodian, and (B) shall, upon receipt of Proper Instructions, terminate any Subcustodian with respect to the Company, in accordance with the termination provisions under the applicable subcustodian agreement.
Section 4.03. Certification Regarding Foreign Subcustodians. Upon request of a Company, the Custodian shall deliver to such Company a certificate stating (i) the identity of each Foreign Subcustodian then acting on behalf of the Custodian for such Company; and (ii) the countries in which and the securities depositories and clearing agents through which each such Foreign Subcustodian is then holding cash, securities and other assets of such Company.
ARTICLE V
STANDARD OF CARE; INDEMNIFICATION
Section 5.01. Standard of Care.
(a) | General Standard of Care. In carrying out all of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Custodian shall exercise reasonable care, prudence and diligence and shall be liable to the applicable Company for all loss, damage and expense suffered or incurred by such Company resulting from the failure of the Custodian to exercise such reasonable care, prudence and diligence. |
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(b) | Actions Prohibited by Applicable Law, Etc. In no event shall the Custodian incur liability hereunder if the Custodian or any Subcustodian, Securities System or Eligible Securities Depository, or any subcustodian, securities depository or securities system utilized by any such Subcustodian, or any nominee of the Custodian or any Subcustodian (individually, a Person) is prevented, forbidden or delayed from performing, or omits to perform, any act or thing which this Agreement provides shall be performed or omitted to be performed, by reason of: (i) any provision of any present or future law or regulation or order of the United States of America, or any state thereof, or of any foreign country, or political subdivision thereof or of any court of competent jurisdiction; or (ii) any act of God or war or other similar circumstance beyond the control of the Custodian, unless, in each case, such delay or nonperformance is caused by (A) the breach by the Custodian of the standard care as set forth in Section 5.01(a), or (B) a malfunction or failure of equipment operated or utilized by the applicable Person other than a malfunction or failure beyond such Persons control and which could not reasonably be anticipated and/or prevented by such Person. |
(c) | Mitigation by Custodian. Upon the occurrence of any event which causes or may cause any loss, damage or expense to a Company, (i) the Custodian shall promptly notify such Company of the occurrence of such event and (ii) the Custodian shall cause any applicable Subcustodian, to use all commercially reasonable efforts and take all reasonable steps under the circumstances to mitigate the effects of such event and to avoid continuing harm to the Company. |
(d) | Advice of Counsel. The Custodian shall be entitled to receive and act upon advice of (i) counsel for the Company, or (ii) at the expense of the Custodian, such other counsel as the Company and the Custodian may agree upon, on all matters, and the Custodian shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted in good faith pursuant to such advice; provided, however, with respect to the performance of any action or omission of any action upon such advice, the Custodian shall be required to conform to the standard of care set forth in Section 5.01(a). |
(e) | Expenses of the Company. If the Custodian is liable to a Company under this Article V, the Custodian shall be liable to such Company for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any claim by the Company against the Custodian or any Subcustodian arising from the obligations of the Custodian hereunder, including, without limitation, all reasonable attorneys fees and expenses incurred by the Company in asserting any such claim, and all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any investigations, lawsuits or proceedings relating to such claim, provided that such Company has recovered from the Custodian for such claim. |
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(f) | Charge Against Company. If a Company requires the Custodian, its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents to advance cash or securities for any purpose (including without limitation securities settlements, foreign exchange contracts and assumed settlement) or in the event that the Custodian or its nominee shall incur or be assessed any taxes, charges, expenses, assessments, claims or liabilities (together, the Charges) in connection with the performance of this Agreement, except such as may arise from the Custodians or its nominees own negligence or willful misconduct, such advances and Charges shall be a charge against the Company. |
(g) | Liability for Past Records. The Custodian shall have no liability in respect of any loss, damage or expense suffered by the Company, insofar as such loss, damage or expense arises from the performance of the Custodians duties hereunder by reason of the Custodians reliance upon records that were maintained for the Company by entities other than the Custodian prior to the Custodians appointment as custodian hereunder. |
Section 5.02. Liability of Custodian for Actions of Other Persons.
(a) | Domestic Subcustodians and Foreign Subcustodians. The Custodian shall be liable for the actions or omissions of any Domestic Subcustodian or any Foreign Subcustodian to the same extent as if such action or omission was performed by the Custodian itself. In the event of any loss, damage or expense suffered or incurred by the Company caused by or resulting from the actions or omissions of any Domestic Subcustodian or Foreign Subcustodian for which the Custodian would otherwise be liable, the Custodian shall promptly reimburse the Company in the amount of any such loss, damage or expense. |
(b) | Securities Systems and Eligible Securities Depositories. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5.01 to the contrary, the Custodian shall not be liable to the Company for any loss, damage or expense suffered or incurred by the Company resulting from the use by the Custodian of a Securities System or Eligible Securities Depository, unless such loss, damage or expense is caused by, or results from the Custodians breach of the standard of care set forth in Section 5.01(a); provided however, that in the event of any such loss, damage or expense, the Custodian shall take all reasonable steps to enforce such rights as it may have against the Securities System or Eligible Securities Depository to protect the interests of the Company. |
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(c) | Reimbursement of Expenses. Each Company agrees to reimburse the Custodian for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Custodian on behalf of such Company in connection with the fulfillment of its obligations under this Section 5.02; provided however, that such reimbursement shall not apply to expenses occasioned by or resulting from the negligence, misfeasance or misconduct of the Custodian. |
Section 5.03. Indemnification.
(a) | Indemnification Obligations. Subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, each Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Custodian and its nominees from all loss, damage and expense (including reasonable attorneys fees) suffered or incurred by the Custodian or its nominee caused by or arising from actions taken by the Custodian on behalf of the Company in the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement; provided however, that such indemnity shall not apply to loss, damage and expense occasioned by or resulting from the Custodians breach of the standard of care as set forth in Section 5.01(a). In addition, each Company agrees to indemnify any Person against any liability incurred by reason of taxes assessed to such Person, or other loss, damage or expenses incurred by such Person, resulting from the fact that securities and other Company property are registered in the name of such Person; provided however, that in no event shall such indemnification be applicable to income, franchise or similar taxes which may be imposed or assessed against any Person. |
b) | Notice of Litigation, Right to Prosecute, Etc. A Company shall not be liable for indemnification under this Section 5.03 unless a Person shall have promptly notified the Company in writing of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings brought against such a Person in respect of which indemnity may be sought under this Section 5.03. The Company shall be entitled to participate in any such litigation or proceedings and, after written notice from the Company to any Person, the Company may assume the defense of such litigation or proceedings with counsel of its choice at its own expense, subject to applicable law and the ruling of any court of competent jurisdiction; provided, however, a Person shall be entitled to participate in (but not control) at its own cost and expense, the defense of any such litigation or proceeding if the Company has not acknowledged in writing its obligation to indemnify the Person with respect to such litigation or proceeding. A Person shall not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement in any such litigation or proceeding without providing the Company with adequate notice of any such settlement or judgment, and without the Companys prior written consent. All Persons shall submit written evidence to the Company with respect to any cost or expense for which they are seeking indemnification in such form and detail as the Company may reasonably request. |
20
Section 5.04. Investment Limitations. If the Custodian has otherwise complied with the terms and conditions of this Agreement in performing its duties generally, and more particularly in connection with the purchase, sale or exchange of securities made by or for a Company, the Custodian shall not be liable to the Company and the Company agrees to indemnify the Custodian and its nominees, for any loss, damage or expense suffered or incurred by the Custodian and its nominees arising out of any violation of any investment or other limitation to which the Company is subject.
Section 5.05. Companys Right to Proceed. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, each Company shall have, at its election upon reasonable notice to the Custodian, the right to enforce, to the extent permitted by any applicable agreement and applicable law, the Custodians right against any Subcustodian, Securities System, or other Person for loss, damage or expense caused the Company by such Subcustodian, Securities System or other Person, and shall be entitled to enforce the right of the Custodian with respect to any claim against such Subcustodian, Securities System or other Person, which the Custodian may have as a consequence of any such loss, damage or expense, if and to that extent that the Company has not yet been made whole for any such loss or damage. Upon the Companys election to enforce any rights of the Custodian under this Section 5.05, the Company shall reasonably prosecute all actions and proceedings directly relating to the rights of the Custodian; provided that, so long as the Company has acknowledged in writing its obligation to indemnify the Custodian under Section 5.03 hereof with respect to such claim, the Company shall retain the right to settle, compromise and/or terminate any action or proceeding without the Custodians consent and provide further, that if the Company has not made an acknowledgment of its obligation to indemnify, the Company shall not settle, compromise or terminate any such action or proceeding without the written consent of the Custodian, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. In any event, the Custodian shall retain the ability to enforce its rights directly against any such Subcustodian, Securities System or other Person if it makes the Company whole for such loss of damage. The Custodian agrees to cooperate with the Company and take all actions reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the Companys enforcement of any rights of the Custodian. The Company agrees to reimburse to Custodian for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Custodian in connection with the fulfillment of its obligations under this Section 5.04; provided, however, that such reimbursement shall not apply to expenses occasioned by or resulting for the breach of the standard of care set forth in Section 5.01(a) by the Custodian.
ARTICLE VI
COMPENSATION
The Custodian shall be compensated in an amount, and at such times, as may be agreed upon in writing, from time to time, by the Custodian and each Company.
21
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
With respect to each Company, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until the first to occur of: (a) termination by the Custodian by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to such Company, such termination to take effect not sooner than ninety (90) days after the date of such delivery; (b) termination by the Company by an instrument in writing delivered or mailed to the Custodian, such termination to take effect not sooner than thirty (30) days after the date of such delivery; or (c) termination by the Company by written notice delivered to the Custodian, based upon the Companys determination that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the Custodian is insolvent or that the financial condition of the Custodian is deteriorating in any material respect, in which case termination shall take effect upon the Custodians receipt of such notice or at such later time as the Company shall designate. In the event of termination pursuant to this Article VII by any Company, each such Company shall make payment of all accrued fees and unreimbursed expenses within a reasonable time following termination and delivery of a statement to the Company setting forth such fees and expenses. The Company shall identify in any notice of termination a successor custodian or custodians to which the cash, securities and other Company assets shall, upon termination of this Agreement be delivered. In the event that no written notice designating a successor custodian shall have been delivered to the Custodian on or before the date when termination of this Agreement as to a terminating Company shall become effective, the Custodian may deliver to a bank or trust company doing business in Boston, Massachusetts, of its own selection, having an aggregate capital, surplus, and undivided profits, as shown by its last published report, of not less than $25,000,000, all securities and other assets of such terminating Company held by the Custodian and all instruments held by the Custodian relative thereto and all other property of the terminating Company held by the Custodian under this Agreement. Thereafter, such bank or trust company shall be the successor of the Custodian with respect to such terminating Company under this Agreement. In the event that securities and other assets of such terminating Company remain in the possession of the Custodian after the date of termination hereof with respect to such terminating Company owing to a failure of the Company to appoint a successor custodian, the Custodian shall be entitled to compensation for its services in accordance with the fee schedule most recently in effect, for such period as the Custodian retains possession of such securities and other assets, and the provisions of this Agreement relating to the duties and obligations of the Custodian and the Company shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of the appointment of a successor custodian, it is agreed that the cash, securities and other property owned by a Company and held by the Custodian, any Subcustodian or nominee shall be delivered to the successor custodian; and the Custodian agrees to cooperate with the Company in the execution of documents and performance of other actions necessary or desirable in order to substitute the successor custodian for the Custodian under this Agreement. The execution and delivery to the Custodian of an amended Appendix A which deletes one or more Companies shall constitute a termination of this Agreement only with respect to such deleted Company(s), shall be governed by the preceding provisions as to the identification of a successor custodian and the delivery of cash, securities and other assets of the Company(s) so deleted, and shall not affect the obligations of the Custodian and any other Company hereunder with respect to the other Companies set forth in Appendix A, as amended from time to time.
22
ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 8.01. Execution of Documents, Etc.
(a) | Actions by the Company. Upon request, each Company shall execute and deliver to the Custodian such proxies, powers of attorney or other instruments as may be reasonable and necessary or desirable in connection with the performance by the Custodian or any Subcustodian of their respective obligations to the Company under this Agreement or any applicable subcustodian agreement with respect to the Company, provided that the exercise by the Custodian or any Subcustodian of any such rights shall in all events be in compliance with the terms of this Agreement. |
(b) | Actions by Custodian. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, the Custodian shall execute and deliver to a Company or to such other parties as the Company may designate in such Proper Instructions, all such documents, instruments or agreements as may be reasonable and necessary or desirable in order to effectuate any of the transactions contemplated hereby. |
Section 8.02. Several Obligations of Each Company. WITH RESPECT TO ANY OBLIGATIONS OF A COMPANY ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE OBLIGATIONS ARISING UNDER SECTIONS 5.03, 5.05 and ARTICLE VI HEREOF, THE CUSTODIAN SHALL LOOK FOR PAYMENT OR SATISFACTION OF ANY OBLIGATION SOLELY TO THE ASSETS AND PROPERTY OF THE COMPANY TO WHICH SUCH OBLIGATION RELATES AS THOUGH THE COMPANY HAD SEPARATELY CONTRACTED WITH THE CUSTODIAN BY SEPARATE WRITTEN INSTRUMENT.
Section 8.03. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement of each Company, on the one hand, and the Custodian, on the other, with respect to the subject matter hereof and accordingly, supersedes as of the effective date of this Agreement any custodian agreement heretofore in effect between each Company and the Custodian.
Section 8.04. Waivers and Amendments. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, amended or terminated except by a statement in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of such waiver, amendment or termination is sought; provided, however: (a) Appendix A listing the Companies for which the Custodian serves as custodian may be amended from time to time to add one or more Companies by execution and delivery to the Custodian of an amended Appendix A, and the execution of such amended Appendix by the Custodian, in which case such amendment shall take effect immediately upon execution by the Custodian; (b) Appendix A may be amended from time to time to delete one or more Companies (but less than all of the Companies) by the execution and delivery to the Custodian of an amended Appendix A, in which case such amendment shall take effect thirty (30) days after such delivery, unless otherwise agreed by the Custodian and each Company in writing; and (c) Appendix B may be amended from time to time in writing by each Company and the Custodian.
23
Section 8.05. Interpretation. In connection with the operation of this Agreement, the Custodian and any Company may agree in writing from time to time on such provisions interpretative of or in addition to the provisions of this Agreement with respect to such Company as may in their joint opinion be consistent with the general tenor of this Agreement. No interpretative or additional provisions made as provided in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Agreement.
Section 8.06. Captions. Headings contained in this Agreement, which are included as convenient references only, shall have no bearing upon the interpretation of the terms of the Agreement or the obligations of the parties hereto.
Section 8.07. Governing Law. Insofar as any question or dispute may arise in connection with the custodianship of foreign securities pursuant to an agreement with a Foreign Subcustodian that is governed by the laws of the State of New York, the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York, provided that in all other instances this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in each case without giving effect to principles of conflicts of law.
Section 8.08. Notices. Except in the case of Proper Instructions notices and other writings contemplated by this Agreement shall be delivered by hand or by facsimile transmission (provided that in the case of delivery by facsimile transmission, notice shall also be mailed postage prepaid to the parties at the following addresses:
(a) | If to any Company: |
c/o Pyramis Global Advisors, LLC
900 Salem Street
Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917
Attn: Douglas Payne, Director
Telephone: (401) 292-5578
Telefax: (617) 385-1833
(b) | If to the Custodian: |
State Street Bank and Trust Company
2 Avenue de Lafayette, LCC/6
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
Attn: Gus Bonavita, Vice President
Telephone: (617) 662-3839
Telefax: (617) 956-5674
or to such other address as a Company or the Custodian may have designated in writing to the other.
24
Section 8.09. Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding on and shall inure to the benefit of each Company and the Custodian and their respective successors and assigns, provided that, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01 hereof, neither the Custodian nor any Company may assign this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party.
Section 8.10. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original. With respect to each Company, this Agreement as amended and restated shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed and delivered by such Company and the Custodian.
Section 8.11. Consent to Recording. Each Company and the Custodian hereby agree that each may electronically record all telephonic conversations between them and that any such recordings may be submitted in evidence in any proceedings relating to this Agreement.
Section 8.12. Anti-Money Laundering; ERISA. Each Company acknowledges that the Custodian is required to comply with a number of U.S. regulations and policies concerning matters such as the identity of its customers and the source of funds it handles, including the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA Patriot Act, and all regulations issued thereunder, and the regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (together, the U.S. Money Laundering and Investor Identification Requirements). Accordingly, each Company confirms that it has complied and shall continue to comply with all applicable U.S. Money Laundering and Investor Identity Requirements, including without limitation, maintaining and effecting appropriate procedures to verify suspicious transactions and the source of funds for settlement of transactions.
The aggregate interest in any class (or similar designation, if any) of interests in each Company held by benefit plan investors (as such term is interpreted under The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA)) shall not at any time equal or exceed 25% of the outstanding interests of such class (or similar designation, if any) without the prior written consent of the Custodian, and the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Custodian, permit the assets of the Company to be deemed assets of an employee benefit plan that is subject to ERISA. Each Company acknowledges and agrees that the Custodian shall not grant its consent in either of the foregoing circumstances unless and until the Companys investment manager has delivered to the Custodian an executed Indemnification and Contribution Agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Custodian.
Section 8.13. Confidentiality; Survival of Obligations. The parties hereto agree that all information regarding the assets, investment holdings, transactions or other confidential and proprietary information of each Company with respect to accounts maintained on behalf of such Company shall be treated as confidential and not disclosed to any third party (without regard to whether such third party is Companys client, any investment manager hired by any such client, or other service provider to any such client), except as permitted under this Agreement.
25
(a) Definition. Proprietary Information shall mean any and all written, oral and visual technical, trade secret or business information of a Company that is disclosed to the Custodian or is otherwise obtained by the Custodian from the Company or its agents during the term of this Agreement including, without limitation, financial information, proprietary data or customer information, including without limitation investment holdings or transactional data.
(b) Duty Not to Use or Disclose. The Custodian acknowledges and understands that the Proprietary Information is confidential and proprietary to the Company, that it constitutes trade secrets of the Company, and that it is of great value and importance to the success of the Companys business. The Custodian agrees to use its best efforts to safeguard the Proprietary Information and prevent the unauthorized, negligent or inadvertent use or disclosure thereof at all times consistent with its standard of care obligations as set forth in Section 5.01 of this Agreement. The Custodian shall not, without the prior written approval of the Company, directly or indirectly, disclose the Proprietary Information to any person or business entity except for employees, attorneys, accountants and other advisors of the Custodian and its affiliates on a need-to-know basis. The Custodian shall only use the Proprietary Information for the purpose of rendering services pursuant to this Agreement and shall not use the Proprietary Information for any other purpose. The Custodian shall promptly notify the Company of any unauthorized use or disclosure of Proprietary Information of which the Custodian becomes aware. The Custodian shall be liable to the Company for any use or disclosure of Proprietary Information by the Custodian inconsistent with the terms hereof, including the Custodians failure to use its best efforts to safeguard the Proprietary Information, in accordance with the terms of Section 5.01 of this Agreement.
(c) Duty To Return. If requested by the Company, the Custodian shall return to the Company any and all Proprietary Information in tangible form together with any copies or reproductions thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company agrees that the Custodian may retain such copies of the Proprietary Information as may be required for regulatory compliance requirements.
(d) Remedies. The Custodian acknowledges and understands that the use or disclosure of the Proprietary Information in any manner inconsistent with this Agreement will cause the Company irreparable damage. The Company shall have the right to (a) equitable and injunctive relief to prevent such unauthorized, negligent or inadvertent use or disclosure and to pursue any other available remedy, and (b) recover the amount of all such damage (including reasonable attorneys fees and expenses) to the Company in connection with such use or disclosure, provided, however, that such damages shall not include special, indirect, extraordinary or consequential damages. In the event that any court of competent jurisdiction determines that any provision of this Agreement is too broad to enforce as written, such court is authorized and directed to construe, modify or reform such provision to the extent reasonably necessary to make such provision enforceable. No failure or delay by the Company in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude the exercise of any other right, power or privilege hereunder.
26
(e) Exclusions. The Custodian shall not have any obligations under this Agreement with respect to any information that is: (i) already known to the Custodian or its affiliates at the time of the disclosure; (ii) publicly known at the time of the disclosure or becomes publicly known through no wrongful act or failure of the Custodian; (iii) subsequently disclosed to the Custodian or its affiliates on a non-confidential basis by a third party not having a confidential relationship with the Company which rightfully acquired such information; (iv) communicated to a third party by the Custodian with the express written consent of the Company; (v) independently acquired or developed by the Custodian (except with respect to holdings, transactions and related data of the Company); or (vi) required to be disclosed pursuant to a subpoena, summons, order or other judicial, administrative or governmental process, by any bank examiner or auditor, or otherwise by applicable law or regulation, provided the Custodian provides prompt notice to the Company so that the Company will have the opportunity to obtain a protective order.
(f) Termination. The rights and obligations of the parties hereunder with respect to any Proprietary Information disclosed or obtained prior to termination shall survive any termination of this Agreement or any return of Proprietary Information under Section 8.13(c) for a period of two (2) years.
(g) Survival of Obligations. The provisions of this Section 8.13 and Sections 8.01, 8.02, 8.07, 8.09, Section 3.04, Section 7.01, Article V and Article VI hereof and any other rights or obligations incurred or accrued by any party hereto prior to termination of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
[signature page immediately follows]
27
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and behalf on the day and year first above written.
FOR EACH OF THE ENTITIES LISTED ON APPENDIX A HERETO | ||
By: | /s/ Louis Russo | |
Name: | Louis Russo | |
Title: | Vice President | |
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY | ||
By: | /s/ Joseph C. Antonellis | |
Name: | Joseph C. Antonellis | |
Title: | Vice Chairman |
28
APPENDIX A
TO
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
COMPANIES
Pyramis Leveraged Loan LP
A-1
APPENDIX B
TO
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT
The following is a list of Additional Custodians, Foreign Subcustodians and Eligible Securities Depositories:
Additional Subcustodians None
Foreign Subcustodians See Schedule A
Eligible Securities Depositories See Schedule B
C-1
SCHEDULE A
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
SUBCUSTODIANS
Market | Subcustodian | |
Argentina | Citibank, N.A. | |
Australia | The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited | |
Citigroup Pty. Limited | ||
Austria | UniCredit Bank Austria AG | |
Bahrain | HSBC Bank Middle East Limited | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Bangladesh | Standard Chartered Bank | |
Belgium | Deutsche Bank AG, Netherlands (operating through its Amsterdam branch with support from its Brussels branch) | |
Benin | via Société Générale de Banques en Côte dIvoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |
Bermuda | Bank of Bermuda Limited | |
Botswana | Barclays Bank of Botswana Limited | |
Brazil | Citibank, N.A. | |
Bulgaria | ING Bank N.V. | |
UniCredit Bulbank AD* | ||
Burkina Faso | via Société Générale de Banques en Côte dIvoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |
Canada | State Street Trust Company Canada | |
Cayman Islands | Close Trustees (Cayman) Limited | |
Chile | Banco Itaú Chile | |
Peoples Republic of China | HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | |
Colombia | Cititrust Colombia S.A. Sociedad Fiduciaria | |
Costa Rica | Banco BCT S.A. | |
Croatia | Privredna Banka Zagreb d.d. | |
Zagrebacka Banka d.d.* | ||
Cyprus | BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A., Greece (operating through its Athens branch) | |
Czech Republic | Československá obchodní banka, a.s. | |
UniCredit Bank Czech Republic a.s.* |
As of 12/31/09 | -1- |
* | Legacy subcustodian relationship established by Investors Bank & Trust Company (IBT) for its customers. |
SCHEDULE A
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
SUBCUSTODIANS
Market | Subcustodian | |
Denmark | Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Sweden (operating through its Copenhagen branch) | |
Ecuador | Banco de la Producción S.A. PRODUBANCO | |
Egypt | HSBC Bank Egypt S.A.E. | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Estonia | AS SEB Pank | |
Finland | Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Sweden (operating through its Helsinki branch) | |
France | Deutsche Bank AG, Netherlands (operating through its Amsterdam branch with support from its Paris branch) | |
Germany | Deutsche Bank AG | |
Ghana | Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited | |
Greece | BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A. | |
Guinea-Bissau | via Société Générale de Banques en Côte dIvoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |
Hong Kong | Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited | |
Hungary | UniCredit Bank Hungary Zrt. | |
Iceland | NBI hf. | |
India | Deutsche Bank AG | |
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited | ||
Indonesia | Deutsche Bank AG | |
Ireland | Bank of Ireland | |
HSBC Bank Plc.* | ||
Israel | Bank Hapoalim B.M. | |
Italy | Deutsche Bank S.p.A. | |
Ivory Coast | Société Générale de Banques en Côte dIvoire | |
Jamaica | Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited | |
Japan | Mizuho Corporate Bank Limited | |
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited |
As of 12/31/09 | -2- |
* | Legacy subcustodian relationship established by Investors Bank & Trust Company (IBT) for its customers. |
SCHEDULE A
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
SUBCUSTODIANS
Market | Subcustodian | |
Jordan | HSBC Bank Middle East Limited | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Kazakhstan | SB HSBC Bank Kazakhstan JSC | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Kenya | Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited | |
Republic of Korea | Deutsche Bank AG | |
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited | ||
Standard Chartered First Bank (Korea) Limited* | ||
Kuwait | HSBC Bank Middle East Limited | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Latvia | AS SEB Banka | |
Lebanon | HSBC Bank Middle East Limited | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Lithuania | AB SEB Bankas | |
Malaysia | Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad | |
Mali | via Société Générale de Banques en Côte dIvoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |
Malta | The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited | |
Mauritius | The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited | |
Mexico | Banco Nacional de México S.A. | |
Morocco | Citibank Maghreb | |
Namibia | Standard Bank Namibia Limited | |
Netherlands | Deutsche Bank AG | |
New Zealand | The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited | |
Niger | via Société Générale de Banques en Côte dIvoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |
Nigeria | Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc. | |
Norway | Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Sweden (operating through its Oslo branch) | |
Oman | HSBC Bank Middle East Limited | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) |
As of 12/31/09 | -3- |
* | Legacy subcustodian relationship established by Investors Bank & Trust Company (IBT) for its customers. |
SCHEDULE A
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
SUBCUSTODIANS
Market | Subcustodian | |
Pakistan | Deutsche Bank AG | |
Palestine | HSBC Bank Middle East Limited | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Peru | Citibank del Perú, S.A. | |
Philippines | Standard Chartered Bank | |
Poland | Bank Handlowy w Warszawie S.A. | |
Portugal | Deutsche Bank AG, Netherlands (operating through its Amsterdam branch with support | |
from its Paris branch) | ||
BNP Paribas Securities Services, S.A. | ||
Puerto Rico | Citibank N.A. | |
Qatar | HSBC Bank Middle East Limited | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Romania | ING Bank N.V. | |
UniCredit Tiriac Bank S.A.* | ||
Russia | ING Bank (Eurasia) ZAO | |
Saudi Arabia | Saudi British Bank | |
(as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | ||
Senegal | via Société Générale de Banques en Côte dIvoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |
Serbia | UniCredit Bank Serbia JSC | |
Singapore | Citibank N.A. | |
United Overseas Bank Limited | ||
Slovak Republic | Československá obchodna banka, a.s. | |
UniCredit Bank Slovakia a.s.* | ||
Slovenia | UniCredit Banka Slovenija d.d. | |
South Africa | Nedbank Limited | |
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited | ||
Spain | Deutsche Bank S.A.E. | |
Sri Lanka | The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited | |
Swaziland | Standard Bank Swaziland Limited |
As of 12/31/09 | -4- |
* | Legacy subcustodian relationship established by Investors Bank & Trust Company (IBT) for its customers. |
SCHEDULE A
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
SUBCUSTODIANS
Market | Subcustodian | |
Sweden | Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB | |
Switzerland | UBS AG | |
Credit Suisse AG | ||
Taiwan - R.O.C. | Deutsche Bank AG | |
Standard Chartered Bank (Taiwan) Limited | ||
Thailand | Standard Chartered Bank (Thai) Public Company Limited | |
Togo | via Société Générale de Banques en Côte dIvoire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | |
Trinidad & Tobago | Republic Bank Limited | |
Tunisia | Banque Internationale Arabe de Tunisie | |
Turkey | Citibank, A.S. | |
HSBC Bank A.S.* | ||
Uganda | Barclays Bank of Uganda Limited | |
Ukraine | ING Bank Ukraine | |
United Arab Emirates Dubai Financial Market |
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | |
United Arab Emirates Dubai International Financial Center |
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | |
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi |
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (as delegate of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) | |
United Kingdom | State Street Bank and Trust Company, United Kingdom branch | |
HSBC Bank Plc.* | ||
Uruguay | Banco Itaú Uruguay S.A. | |
Venezuela | Citibank, N.A. | |
Vietnam | HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Limited | |
Zambia | Barclays Bank of Zambia Plc. | |
Zimbabwe | Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe Limited |
As of 12/31/09 | -5- |
* | Legacy subcustodian relationship established by Investors Bank & Trust Company (IBT) for its customers. |
SCHEDULE B
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS
Market | Depository | |
Argentina | Caja de Valores S.A. | |
Australia | Austraclear Limited | |
Austria | Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG (Wertpapiersammelbank Division) | |
Bahrain | Clearing, Settlement, and Depository System of the Bahrain Stock Exchange | |
Bangladesh | Central Depository Bangladesh Limited | |
Belgium | National Bank of Belgium | |
Euroclear Belgium | ||
Benin | Dépositaire Central Banque de Règlement | |
Bermuda | Bermuda Securities Depository | |
Botswana | Central Securities Depository Company of Botswana Ltd. | |
Brazil | Central de Custódia e de Liquidação Financeira de Títulos Privados (CETIP) | |
Companhia Brasileira de Liquidação e Custódia | ||
Sistema Especial de Liquidação e de Custódia (SELIC) | ||
Bulgaria | Bulgarian National Bank | |
Central Depository AD | ||
Burkina Faso | Dépositaire Central Banque de Règlement | |
Canada | The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited | |
Chile | Depósito Central de Valores S.A. | |
Peoples Republic of China | China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited, Shanghai Branch China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited, Shenzhen Branch | |
Colombia | Depósito Central de Valores | |
Depósito Centralizado de Valores de Colombia S.A. (DECEVAL) | ||
Costa Rica | Central de Valores S.A. | |
Croatia | Sredisnje klirinsko depozitarno drustvo d.d. | |
Cyprus | Central Depository and Central Registry | |
Czech Republic | Czech National Bank | |
Středisko cenných papíru - Ceská republika | ||
Denmark | VP Securities A/S |
As of 12/31/09 | -1- |
SCHEDULE B
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS
Market | Depository | |
Egypt | Misr for Central Clearing, Depository and Registry S.A.E. | |
Central Bank of Egypt | ||
Estonia | AS Eesti Väärtpaberikeskus | |
Finland | Euroclear Finland | |
France | Euroclear France | |
Germany | Clearstream Banking AG, Frankfurt | |
Ghana | GSE Securities Depository Company Ltd. | |
Greece | Kentriko Apothetirio Aksion, a department of Hellenic Exchanges S.A. Holding | |
Bank of Greece, System for Monitoring Transactions in Securities in Book-Entry Form | ||
Guinea-Bissau | Dépositaire Central Banque de Règlement | |
Hong Kong | Central Moneymarkets Unit | |
Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited | ||
Hungary | Központi Elszámolóház és Értéktár (Budapest) Zrt. (KELER) | |
Iceland | Icelandic Securities Depository Limited | |
India | Central Depository Services (India) Limited | |
National Securities Depository Limited | ||
Reserve Bank of India | ||
Indonesia | Bank Indonesia | |
PT Kustodian Sentral Efek Indonesia | ||
Israel | Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Clearing House Ltd. (TASE Clearing House) | |
Italy | Monte Titoli S.p.A. | |
Ivory Coast | Dépositaire Central Banque de Règlement | |
Jamaica | Jamaica Central Securities Depository | |
Japan | Bank of Japan Net System | |
Japan Securities Depository Center (JASDEC) Incorporated | ||
Jordan | Securities Depository Center | |
Kazakhstan | Central Securities Depository | |
Kenya | Central Depository and Settlement Corporation Limited | |
Central Bank of Kenya |
As of 12/31/09 | -2- |
SCHEDULE B
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS
Market | Depository | |
Republic of Korea | Korea Securities Depository | |
Kuwait | Kuwait Clearing Company | |
Latvia | Latvian Central Depository | |
Lebanon | Banque du Liban | |
Custodian and Clearing Center of Financial Instruments | ||
for Lebanon and the Middle East (Midclear) S.A.L. | ||
Lithuania | Central Securities Depository of Lithuania | |
Malaysia | Bank Negara Malaysia | |
Bursa Malaysia Depository Sdn. Bhd. | ||
Mali | Dépositaire Central Banque de Règlement | |
Malta | Central Securities Depository of the Malta Stock Exchange | |
Mauritius | Bank of Mauritius | |
Central Depository and Settlement Co. Ltd. | ||
Mexico | S.D. Indeval, S.A. de C.V. | |
Morocco | Maroclear | |
Namibia | Bank of Namibia | |
Netherlands | Euroclear Nederland | |
New Zealand | New Zealand Central Securities Depository Limited | |
Niger | Dépositaire Central Banque de Règlement | |
Nigeria | Central Securities Clearing System Limited | |
Norway | Verdipapirsentralen | |
Oman | Muscat Depository & Securities Registration Company, SAOC | |
Pakistan | Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited | |
State Bank of Pakistan | ||
Palestine | Clearing, Depository and Settlement system, a department of the Palestine Securities Exchange |
As of 12/31/09 | -3- |
SCHEDULE B
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS
Market | Depository | |
Peru | CAVALI S.A. Institución de Compensación y Liquidación de Valores | |
Philippines | Philippine Depository & Trust Corporation | |
Registry of Scripless Securities (ROSS) of the Bureau of Treasury | ||
Poland | Rejestr Papierów Wartościowych | |
Krajowy Depozyt Papierów Wartos´ciowych, S.A. | ||
Portugal | INTERBOLSA - Sociedad Gestora de Sistemas | |
de Liquidação e de Sistemas Centralizados de Valores Mobiliários, S.A. | ||
Qatar | Central Clearing and Registration (CCR), a department of the Qatar Exchange | |
Romania | S.C. Depozitarul Central S.A. | |
National Bank of Romania | ||
Russia | Vneshtorgbank, Bank for Foreign Trade of the Russian Federation | |
National Depository Center | ||
Saudi Arabia | Tadawul Central Securities Depository | |
Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency | ||
Senegal | Dépositaire Central Banque de Règlement | |
Serbia | Central Registrar, Depository and Clearinghouse | |
Singapore | The Central Depository (Pte) Limited | |
Monetary Authority of Singapore | ||
Slovak Republic | Centralny depozitar cenných papierov SR, a.s. | |
Slovenia | KDD - Centralna klirinsko depotna druzba d.d. | |
South Africa | Strate Ltd. | |
Spain | IBERCLEAR | |
Sri Lanka | Central Bank of Sri Lanka | |
Central Depository System (Pvt) Limited | ||
Sweden | Euroclear Sweden | |
Switzerland | SIX SIS AG | |
Taiwan - R.O.C. | Taiwan Depository and Clearing Corporation | |
Central Bank of China | ||
Thailand | Thailand Securities Depository Company Limited |
As of 12/31/09 | -4- |
SCHEDULE B
STATE STREET
GLOBAL CUSTODY NETWORK
DEPOSITORIES OPERATING IN NETWORK MARKETS
Market | Depository | |
Togo | Dépositaire Central Banque de Règlement | |
Trinidad and Tobago | Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago | |
Trinidad and Tobago Central Depository Limited | ||
Tunisia | Société Tunisienne Interprofessionelle pour la | |
Compensation et le Dépôts des Valeurs Mobilières (STICODEVAM) | ||
Turkey | Central Bank of Turkey | |
Central Registry Agency | ||
Uganda | Bank of Uganda | |
Ukraine | Mizhregionalny Fondovy Souz | |
National Bank of Ukraine | ||
United Arab Emirates - Dubai Financial Market |
Clearing and Depository System, a department of the Dubai Financial Market | |
United Arab Emirates - Dubai International Financial Center |
Central Securities Depository, owned and operated by NASDAQ Dubai Limited | |
United Arab Emirates -Abu Dhabi |
Clearing, Settlement, Depository and Registry department of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange | |
United Kingdom | Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited | |
Uruguay | Banco Central del Uruguay | |
Venezuela | Banco Central de Venezuela | |
Caja Venezolana de Valores | ||
Vietnam | Vietnam Securities Depository | |
Zambia | Bank of Zambia | |
LuSE Central Shares Depository Limited | ||
TRANSNATIONAL
Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V. Clearstream Banking, S.A. |
As of 12/31/09 | -5- |
Exhibit 10.8
Execution
ACCESSION AGREEMENT
This Accession Agreement (this Accession Agreement) is entered into as of December [26], 2023 by the undersigned (the New Company), pursuant to the terms of that certain Custodian Agreement dated as of December 11, 2009 (as amended, restated and/or modified from time to time, the Agreement) by and among STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY (the Custodian) and those funds, investment vehicles and other entities set forth on Appendix A thereto, severally and not jointly (each such entity, a Company). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement. By the execution of this Accession Agreement, the New Company hereby agrees (a) to become bound by all of the terms and conditions and provisions of the Agreement as a Company and (b) adopts the Agreement with the same force and effect as if the New Company were originally a party thereto.
For the avoidance of doubt, the parties agree that the Custodian is not providing any custody services pursuant to the Agreement with respect to any Digital Assets, including bitcoin. Digital Assets means an asset that is issued and/or transferred using distributed ledger or blockchain technology, including, but not limited to, so-called virtual currencies, coins and tokens and with respect to which the Custodian has expressly agreed to provide services pursuant to the Agreement with respect to a Company. The Custodian will only accept custody of cash, securities and/or other assets that it is operationally equipped and licensed to hold in the relevant market where it provides custodial services either directly or through an existing Subcustodian and may decline to accept custody of certain securities or asset types that it determines present an unacceptable risk profile or that it or its Subcustodians are not operationally equipped or permitted to hold under any law or regulation. Without limiting the foregoing, the Custodian further reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to decline to accept custody of, and to provide services with respect to, any Digital Asset.
Subject to and in accordance with directions from or on behalf of the New Company, the Custodian shall disseminate to the National Securities Clearing Corporation, on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open, such information with respect to the issuance or redemption of Company shares in Creation Unit aggregations that the Custodian receives from or on behalf of the New Company.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement, FD Funds Management, LLC, as sponsor (Sponsor) of the New Company, has agreed to pay the Custodian such compensation as may be agreed upon in writing, from time to time, by the Custodian and the Sponsor on behalf of the New Company pursuant to Article VI of the Agreement.
[signature page immediately follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Accession Agreement has been executed for and on behalf of the undersigned as of the day and year first written above.
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
By FD Funds Management, LLC as Sponsor
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
FD FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC
Solely with respect to Article VI of the Agreement
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
Accepted and agreed:
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund of our report dated December 22, 2023 relating to the financial statement of Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, which appears in this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading Experts, in such Registration Statement.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP |
Boston, MA |
December 29, 2023 |
NM^$'C:?1]0?P9XBW0_O&2T\W@PRY^:$^Q.<>_'<5IB,
M)!TU*ENDFUY=S/#XJ?M'&ILVTG^AU7PW^)E_XVUV^L;W3[:U2V@\Q6B=B2=P
M7'->D5X'\ O^1RUC_KT_]J"O?*Y,;3C3K.,%9:'7@ZDJE%2D[LX3XM>#[CQ;
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M1'7J".G3H*]FO]0L]+M&NM2NH;6W4@-+,X102<#D^]
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Chapman and Cutler LLP 320 South Canal Street, 27th Floor Chicago, Illinois 60606
T 312.845.3000 F 312.701.2361 www.chapman.com |
VIA EDGAR
December 29, 2023
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20549
Re: | Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
On behalf of Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (the Registrant), we are transmitting for electronic filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), the Registrants amendment no. 3 to the registration statement on Form S-1 (the Registration Statement). The Registration Statement relates to common shares of beneficial interest of Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, a Delaware statutory trust intending to operate as an exchange-traded fund.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Morrison C. Warren at (312) 845-3484 or James M. Audette at (312) 845-3421.
Very truly yours, |
/s/ CHAPMAN AND CUTLER LLP |
CHAPMAN AND CUTLER LLP |