Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its 1934 Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Principal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Under the supervision and with the participation of the Principal Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor, the Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trusts disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Principal Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The Sponsor’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined under Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). The Trust’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Trust’s assets, (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that the Trust’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with appropriate authorizations; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Trust’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become ineffective because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The Sponsor’s management, under the supervision and with the participation of the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor assessed the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. In making this assessment, they used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013). Their assessment included an evaluation of the design of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and testing of the operational effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting. Based on their assessment and those criteria, the Sponsor’s management concluded that the Trust maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during its most recently completed fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information .
No t applicable.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
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PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The Sponsor
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 a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR LLC.
Background and Principals
The President and Treasurer of the Sponsor are as follows:
Cynthia Lo Bessette , 1969, serves as President of the Sponsor. She is Head of Fidelity’s 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 Fidelity’s 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.
Heather Bonner , 1977, serves as Treasurer of the Sponsor. She is a Senior Vice President in Fidelity’s Asset Management Treasurer’s 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.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships among our executive officers.
Indemnification
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).
The Trust Agreement provides 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.
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Under Delaware law, a beneficial owner of a statutory trust (such as a shareholder of the Trust) may, under certain circumstances, institute legal action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated beneficial owners (a “class action”) to recover damages for violations of fiduciary duties, or on behalf of a statutory trust (a “derivative action”) to recover damages from a third party where there has been a failure or refusal to institute proceedings to recover such damages. In addition, beneficial owners may have the right, subject to certain legal requirements, to bring class actions in federal court to enforce their rights under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the SEC. Beneficial owners who have suffered losses in connection with the purchase or sale of their beneficial interests may be able to recover such losses from the Sponsor where the losses result from a violation by the Sponsor of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws.
The foregoing summary describing in general terms the remedies available to shareholders under federal law is based on statutes, rules and decisions as of the date of this Annual Report. As this is a rapidly developing and changing area of the law, shareholders who believe that they may have a legal cause of action against any of the foregoing parties should consult their own counsel as to their evaluation of the status of the applicable law at such time.
Code of Ethics
The Sponsor has adopted a code of ethics (“Code of Ethics”) that applies to its Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer which is filed as an exhibit to this Annual Report.
Insider Trading Policies and Procedures
Because the Trust does not have directors, officers, or employees, it has not adopted insider trading policies and procedures governing the purchase, sale and/or disposition of Trust securities by such persons.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The Trust has no employees or directors and is managed by the Sponsor. None of the officers of the Trust, or the members or officers of the Sponsor receive compensation from the Trust.
The Sponsor receives a unified monthly Sponsor Fee from the Trust that accrues daily at an annual rate of 0.25% of the Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Not applicable.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
See Item 11 above.
On December 6, 2024, pursuant to an Asset Purchase and Contribution Agreement, the Trust purchased all of the bitcoin assets of the Wise Origin Bitcoin Index Fund I, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership managed by the Sponsor, in exchange for 1,453,476 Shares of the Trust with a value of $129,377,662. The transaction was exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
(1) to (4). Fees for services performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the period November 30, 2023 (seeding date) through December 31, 2023 were as follows:
Year ended December 31, 2024
Period November 30, 2023 (seeding date) through December 31, 2023
Audit Fees
$
105,700
$
44,800
Audit-Related Fees
—
—
Tax Fees
—
—
All Other Fees
—
—
Total:
$
105,700
$
44,800
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Audit Fees for the period November 30, 2023 (seeding date) through December 31, 2023 consist of fees for the audits of the Trust’s November 30, 2023 financial statements included in the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 under the 1933 Act and the December 31, 2023 annual financial statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period November 30, 2023 (seeding date) through December 31, 2023. Audit Fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 consist of fees for the audits of the Trust’s December 31, 2024 annual financial statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K and fees for the review of financial statements included in the quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
(5) The Sponsor approved all of the services provided by PwC described above. The Sponsor pre‑approves all audit and allowed non‑audit services of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, including all engagement fees and terms.
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PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
(1) For a list of the financial statements included herein, see Index to the Financial Statements on page [ 27 ] of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, incorporated into this Item by reference.
(2) Financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are either not required or not applicable or the information is included in the financial statements or the notes thereto.
(3) Exhibits:
Exhibit
Number
Description
3.1**
Certificate of Trust, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on December 8, 2023 .
3.2**
Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on December 8, 2023 .
4.1**
Second Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on December 29, 2023 .
4.2**
Description of Securities Registered Under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-41904) filed on March 21, 2024.
10.1**
Form of Initial Authorized Participant Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on December 29, 2023 .
10.2**
Distribution Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on January 8, 2024.
10.3**
Custodial Services Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on January 8, 2024 .
10.4**
Administration Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on January 8, 2024 .
10.5**
Transfer Agency Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on January 8, 2024 .
10.6**
Sponsor Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on December 29, 2023 .
10.7**
Custodian Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on December 29, 2023 .
10.8**
Accession Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-254652) filed on January 8, 2024 .
14.1*
Fidelity Digital Asset Management Funds’ Code of Ethics for Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer.
23.1*
Consent of Independent Registered Accounting Firm.
31.1*
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2*
Certification of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1*
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2*
Certification of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
97.1*
Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund Compensation Recovery Policy.
101.INS*
Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document
101.SCH*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema With Embedded Linkbase Documents
104*
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
* Filed herewith.
** Previously filed.
44
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned in the capacities* indicated, thereunto duly authorized .
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
Date: March 14, 2025
By:
/s/ Cynthia Lo Bessette
Name:
Cynthia Lo Bessette
Title:
President (Principal Executive Officer)
FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND
Date: March 14, 2025
By:
/s/ Heather Bonner
Name:
Heather Bonner
Title:
Treasurer (Principal Financial and 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.
46
1.9912504.101
WOB-10K-0325
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.