Bitwise Asset Management has launched a new investment product, the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Corporations ETF (OWNB), designed for investors seeking exposure to companies that hold significant Bitcoin reserves. The ETF tracks firms with at least 1,000 BTC on their balance sheets, reflecting a growing trend of corporations using Bitcoin as a treasury asset.
Why Companies Are Turning to Bitcoin
Matt Hougan, Bitwise’s Chief Investment Officer, highlighted a key motivator behind this shift: while corporations hold trillions in cash, the U.S. government continues to run massive deficits exceeding $2 trillion annually. This has led some companies to view Bitcoin as a hedge against monetary instability, citing its scarcity, liquidity, and independence from central banks.
Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise, noted that over 70 companies have already adopted this approach, following in the footsteps of pioneers like Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy).
ETF Structure and Key Holdings
The OWNB ETF is built on the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Corporations Index, ensuring diversification by limiting any single company’s weight to 20% at rebalancing. Companies where Bitcoin represents less than 33% of their assets receive a capped weighting of 1.5%.
The ETF’s top holdings include:
- Strategy (MSTR) – 20.87% (499,096 BTC)
- Mara Holdings – 12.12%
- CleanSpark – 6.26%
- Riot Platforms – 6.23%
- Boyaa Interactive (China) – 5.75%
- Metaplanet (Japan) – 5.25%
- Aker ASA (Norway) – 4.63%
- Bitfarms – 4.30%
- BitFuFu – 4.03%
- Galaxy Digital – 3.99%
- Tesla – 1.27%
What This Means for Investors
With Bitcoin becoming a core component of corporate balance sheets, OWNB provides a way to gain exposure to Bitcoin’s price movements without direct crypto ownership. However, investors should consider the volatility associated with both Bitcoin and Bitcoin-related equities before making any decisions.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
