4 unchanged sentences
Summary Risk Factors
−Removed: The following is a summary of some of
−Removed: the risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
+Added: The following is a summary
+Added: of some of the risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of
You should read this summary together with the more detailed description of each risk factor contained below.
1 unchanged sentence
Digital assets such as Bitcoin were only introduced within the past decade, and the medium-to-long term value of the Units 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.
+Added: 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.
The Bitcoin Network is part of a new and rapidly evolving industry, and the value of the Units depends on the development and acceptance of the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: A determination that Bitcoin or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and the value of the Units, and result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of the Trust.
+Added: A determination that Bitcoin or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and the value of the Units, and result in potentially extraordinary, non-recurring expenses to, or termination of the Trust.
Changes in the governance of a digital asset network may not receive sufficient support from users and miners, which may negatively affect that digital asset network’s ability to grow and respond to challenges.
Digital asset networks face significant scaling challenges and efforts to increase the volume of transactions may not be successful.
−Removed: A temporary or permanent “fork” could adversely affect the value of the Units.
+Added: A temporary or permanent fork or a “clone” could adversely affect the value of the Units.
Unitholders may not receive the benefits of any forks or “airdrops.”
1 unchanged sentence
If the digital asset award for solving blocks and transaction fees for recording transactions on the Bitcoin Network are not sufficiently high to incentivize miners, miners may cease expanding processing power or demand high transaction fees, which could negatively impact the value of Bitcoin and the value of the Units.
−Removed: Risk Factors Related to the Bitcoin Markets
−Removed: The value of the Units relates directly to the value of Bitcoins, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a number of factors.
−Removed: Due to the unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Bitcoin exchanges, they may experience fraud, security failures or operational problems, which may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and, consequently, the value of the Units.
+Added: The failure of several prominent crypto trading venues and lending platforms has impacted and may continue to impact the broader crypto economy, which could have an adverse impact on the Trust.
+Added: Risk Factors Related to the Bitcoin
+Added: The value of the Units relates directly
+Added: to the value of Bitcoins, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a number of factors.
+Added: Due to the unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Bitcoin exchanges, they may experience fraud, business failures, security failures or operational problems, which may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and, consequently, the value of the Units.
+Added: Recent developments in the digital asset
+Added: economy have led to extreme volatility and disruption in digital asset markets, a loss of confidence in participants of the digital
+Added: asset ecosystem, significant negative publicity surrounding digital assets broadly and market-wide declines in liquidity.
Competition from the emergence or growth of other digital assets or methods of investing in Bitcoin could have a negative impact on the price of Bitcoin and adversely affect the value of the Units.
Failure of funds that hold digital assets or that have exposure to digital assets through derivatives to receive SEC approval to list their shares on exchanges could adversely affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: NAV may not correspond to the weighted-average market price of Bitcoin and, as a result, Units may be purchased (or redeemed, if ever permitted) at a value that differs from the secondary market price of the Units.
+Added: NAV may not always correspond to the weighted-average market price of Bitcoin and, as a result, Units may be purchased (or redeemed, if ever permitted) at a value that differs from the secondary market price of the Units.
Suspension or disruptions of market trading may adversely affect the value of units.
5 unchanged sentences
Momentum pricing of Bitcoin may subject the Bitcoin price to greater volatility and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Units
+Added: Related to the Trust and the Units
The Trust has only a limited performance history.
−Removed: The Units are new securities and their value could decrease if unanticipated operational or trading problems arise.
+Added: Unitholders are bound by the fee-shifting provision contained in the subscription agreement,
+Added: which may discourage actions against us.
+Added: Substantial sales or dispositions by a large Unitholder could negatively impact the price
+Added: of our Units in the secondary market.
Fees and expenses are charged regardless of profitability and may result in depletion of assets.
−Removed: The security of our Bitcoin Holdings cannot be assured, by the Trust, the Custodian or any other person.
+Added: The security of our Bitcoin Holdings cannot be assured by the Trust, the Custodian or any
+Added: other person.
+Added: The Custodian is not liable for any lost profits or any special, incidental, indirect, intangible,
+Added: or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with authorized or unauthorized use of the Coinbase Custody site
+Added: or the custodial services.
+Added: The Trust does not maintain audit or inspection rights under the Custodial Services Agreement,
+Added: and as such our Bitcoin Holdings held in the custodial account cannot be independently verified.
Possibility of termination of the Trust may adversely affect a Unitholder’s portfolio.
−Removed: Any errors, discontinuance or changes in determining the value of the Bitcoin held by the Trust may have an adverse effect on the value of the Units.
−Removed: The value of the Units will be adversely affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the Sponsor or the Custodian as contemplated in the Trust Agreement or the Custodial Services Agreement.
−Removed: The Trust’s Bitcoin trading may subject the Trust to the risk of counterparty non-performance, potentially negatively affecting the market price of the Units.
−Removed: The Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings could become illiquid, which could cause large losses to Unitholders at any time or from time to time.
−Removed: Transactions in Bitcoin are irreversible, and the Trust may be unable to recover improperly transferred Bitcoin.
+Added: Any errors, discontinuance or changes in determining the value of the Bitcoin held by the
+Added: Trust may have an adverse effect on the value of the Units.
+Added: The value of the Units will be adversely affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the
+Added: Sponsor or the Custodian as contemplated in the Trust Agreement or the Custodial Services Agreement.
+Added: The Trust’s Bitcoin trading may subject the Trust to the risk of counterparty non-performance,
+Added: potentially negatively affecting the market price of the Units.
+Added: The Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings could become illiquid, which could cause large losses to
+Added: Unitholders at any time or from time to time.
+Added: Transactions in Bitcoin are irreversible, and the Trust may be unable to
+Added: recover improperly transferred Bitcoin.
The Trust’s Bitcoin may be lost, stolen, or subject to other inaccessibility.
−Removed: Any disruptions to the computer technology used by the Trust or its service providers could adversely affect the Trust’s ability to function and an investment in the Units.
−Removed: The Sponsor’s computer infrastructure may be vulnerable to security breaches.
−Removed: Any such problems could cause interruptions in the Trust’s operations and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: Technology system failures could cause interruptions in the Trust’s ability to operate.
−Removed: The lack of full insurance and Unitholders’ limited rights of legal recourse against the Trust, Trustee, Sponsor, Transfer Agent and Custodian expose the Trust and its Unitholders to the risk of loss of the Trust’s Bitcoins for which no person or entity is liable.
−Removed: Because the Units reflect the estimated accrued but unpaid expenses of the Trust, the number of Bitcoins represented by a Unit will gradually decrease over time as the Trust’s Bitcoins are used to pay the Trust’s expenses.
−Removed: Risk Factors Related to the Regulation of the Trust and
−Removed: Regulation of the Bitcoin industry continues to evolve and is subject to change;
+Added: Any disruptions to the computer technology used by the Trust or its service
+Added: providers could adversely affect the Trust’s ability to function and an investment in the Units.
+Added: The Sponsor’s computer infrastructure may be vulnerable to security
+Added: Any such problems could cause interruptions in the Trust’s operations and adversely affect an investment in
+Added: Technology system failures could cause interruptions in the Trust’s
+Added: ability to operate.
+Added: Because the Units reflect the estimated accrued but unpaid expenses of the
+Added: Trust, the number of Bitcoins represented by a Unit will gradually decrease over time as the Trust’s Bitcoins are used
+Added: to pay the Trust’s expenses.
+Added: Unitholders may not be able to withdraw or value his/her units upon death,
+Added: legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution or withdrawal from the Trust.
+Added: The Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings may be considered property of a bankruptcy
+Added: estate should our Custodian initiate bankruptcy proceedings and the Trust could be considered an unsecured creditor, and the
+Added: Custodian’s assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust.
+Added: Risks associated with the Index.
+Added: We concluded that certain of our previously issued financial statements should
+Added: not be relied upon and restated certain of our previously issued financial statements, which was time-consuming and expensive
+Added: and could expose us to additional risks that could have a negative effect on our Company.
+Added: If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not
+Added: be able to accurately report financial results or prevent fraud.
+Added: Any dispute regarding the subscription agreement will be resolved by arbitration,
+Added: which follows different procedures than in-court litigation and may be more restrictive to Unitholders asserting claims than
+Added: in-court litigation.
+Added: Pandemics, epidemics and other natural and man-made disasters could negatively
+Added: impact the value of the Trust’s holdings and/or significantly disrupt its affairs.
+Added: Related to the Regulation of the Trust and the Units
+Added: Regulation of the Bitcoin industry continues to evolve and is subject to
future regulatory developments are impossible to predict but may significantly and adversely affect the Trust.
1 unchanged sentence
The Trust is not a registered investment company.
−Removed: The Trust could be, or could become, subject to the CEA.
−Removed: and foreign regulation of the Bitcoin market may impose other regulatory burdens, which could harm the Trust or even cause the Trust to liquidate.
−Removed: Banks may not provide banking services, or may cut off banking services, to businesses that provide Bitcoin-related services or that accept Bitcoin as payment, which could directly impact the Trust’s operations, damage the public perception of Bitcoin and the utility of Bitcoin as a payment system and could decrease the price of Bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: It may be illegal now, or in the future, to acquire, own, hold, sell or use Bitcoin in one or more countries, and ownership of, holding or trading in Units may also be considered illegal and subject to sanctions.
−Removed: If regulatory changes or interpretations of the Trust’s or Sponsor’s activities require registration as money service businesses under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S.
−Removed: Bank Secrecy Act or as money transmitters or digital currency businesses under state regimes for the licensing of such businesses, the Trust and/or Sponsor could suffer reputational harm and also extraordinary, recurring and/or nonrecurring expenses, which would adversely impact an investment in the Units.
+Added: The Trust could be, or could become, subject to the Commodity Exchange Act
+Added: and foreign regulation of the Bitcoin market may impose other
+Added: regulatory burdens, which could harm the Trust or even cause the Trust to liquidate.
+Added: Banks may not provide banking services, or may cut off banking services,
+Added: to businesses that provide Bitcoin-related services or that accept Bitcoin as payment, which could directly impact the Trust’s
+Added: operations, damage the public perception of Bitcoin and the utility of Bitcoin as a payment system and could decrease the
+Added: price of Bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: It may be illegal now, or in the future, to acquire, own, hold, sell or use Bitcoin in one
+Added: or more countries, and ownership of, holding or trading in Units may also be considered illegal and subject to sanctions.
+Added: If the Bitcoin Network is used to facilitate illicit activities, businesses that facilitate
+Added: transactions in Bitcoin could be at increased risk of criminal and civil lawsuits, or of having services cut off, which could
+Added: negatively affect the price of Bitcoin and the value of the Units.
+Added: If regulatory changes or interpretations of the Trust’s or Sponsor’s
+Added: activities require registration as money services businesses under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority
+Added: Bank Secrecy Act or as money transmitters or digital currency businesses under state regimes for the licensing
+Added: of such businesses, the Trust and/or Sponsor could suffer reputational harm and also extraordinary, recurring and/or non-recurring
+Added: expenses, which would adversely impact an investment in the Units.
The treatment of the Trust for U.S.
5 unchanged sentences
federal income tax purposes could adversely affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: Future developments in the treatment of digital currency for tax purposes other than U.S.
+Added: Future developments in the treatment of digital currency for tax purposes
+Added: other than U.S.
federal income tax purposes could adversely affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: tax-exempt Unitholder may recognize “unrelated business taxable income” a consequence of an investment in Units.
+Added: tax-exempt Unitholder may recognize UBTI a consequence of an investment
Holders may be subject to U.S.
−Removed: federal withholding tax on income derived from forks, airdrops and similar occurrences.
−Removed: Risk Factors Related to Potential Conflicts of Interest
−Removed: Potential conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust.
−Removed: The Sponsor and its affiliates have no fiduciary duties to the Trust and its Unitholders 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 Unitholders.
−Removed: Unitholders cannot be assured of the Sponsor’s continued services, the discontinuance of which may be detrimental to the Trust.
−Removed: The Custodian could resign or be removed by the Sponsor, which would trigger early termination of the Trust.
−Removed: Unitholders may be adversely affected by the lack of independent advisers representing investors in the Trust.
+Added: federal withholding tax on income
+Added: derived from forks, airdrops and similar occurrences.
+Added: Risk Factors Related to Potential Conflicts
+Added: Potential conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates
+Added: and the Trust.
+Added: The Sponsor and its affiliates have no fiduciary duties to the Trust and its Unitholders other than as provided
+Added: in the Trust Agreement, which may permit them to favor their own interests to the detriment of the Trust and its Unitholders.
+Added: Unitholders cannot be assured of the Sponsor’s continued services,
+Added: the discontinuance of which may be detrimental to the Trust.
+Added: If the Custodian resigns or is removed by the Sponsor or otherwise, without
+Added: replacement, it could trigger early termination of the Trust, or the Sponsor would need to find and appoint a replacement
+Added: custodian, which could pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Trust’s Bitcoin.
+Added: Unitholders may be adversely affected by the lack of independent advisers
+Added: representing investors in the Trust.
Risk Factors Related to Digital Assets
−Removed: Digital assets such as Bitcoin
−Removed: were only introduced within the past decade, and the medium-to-long term value of the Units is subject to a number of factors relating
+Added: Digital assets such as Bitcoin were
+Added: only introduced within the past decade, and the medium-to-long term value of the Units 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.
6 unchanged sentences
value of the Units:
−Removed: ● The trading prices of many
−Removed: digital assets, including Bitcoin, have experienced extreme volatility in recent periods and may continue to do so.
−Removed: For instance,
−Removed: there were steep increases in the value of certain digital assets, including Bitcoin, over the course of 2017, and multiple market
−Removed: observers asserted that digital assets were experiencing a “bubble.” These increases were followed by steep drawdowns
−Removed: throughout 2018 in digital asset trading prices, including for Bitcoin.
−Removed: These drawdowns notwithstanding, Bitcoin prices have increased
−Removed: significantly again during 2019 and the Bitcoin markets may still be experiencing a bubble or may experience a bubble again in
−Removed: Extreme volatility in the future, including further declines in the trading prices of Bitcoin, could have a material
−Removed: adverse effect on the value of the Units and the Units could lose all or substantially all of their value.
−Removed: ● Digital asset networks and
−Removed: the software used to operate them are in the early stages of development.
−Removed: Digital assets have experienced, and we expect will experience
−Removed: in the future, sharp fluctuations in value.
−Removed: Given the infancy of the development of digital asset networks, parties may be unwilling
−Removed: to transact in digital assets, which would dampen the growth, if any, of digital asset networks.
−Removed: ● Digital asset networks are
−Removed: dependent upon the internet.
−Removed: A disruption of the internet or a digital asset network, such as the Bitcoin Network, would affect
−Removed: the ability to transfer digital assets, including Bitcoin, and, consequently, their value.
−Removed: ● The acceptance of software
−Removed: patches or upgrades by a significant, but not overwhelming, percentage of the users and miners in a digital asset network, such
−Removed: as the Bitcoin Network, could result in a “fork” in such network’s blockchain, resulting in the operation of
−Removed: multiple separate networks.
−Removed: ● Governance of the Bitcoin
−Removed: Network is by voluntary consensus and open competition.
−Removed: As a result, there may be a lack of consensus or clarity on the governance
−Removed: of the Bitcoin Network, which may stymie the Bitcoin Network’s utility and ability to grow and face challenges.
−Removed: In particular,
−Removed: it may be difficult to find solutions or martial sufficient effort to overcome any future problems on the Bitcoin Network, especially
−Removed: long-term problems.
−Removed: ● The foregoing notwithstanding,
−Removed: the Bitcoin Network’s protocol is informally managed by a group of core developers that propose amendments to the Bitcoin
−Removed: Network’s source code.
+Added: The trading prices of many digital assets, including Bitcoin, have experienced extreme volatility in recent periods and may continue to do so.
+Added: 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.
+Added: These drawdowns notwithstanding, Bitcoin prices 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.
+Added: The price of Bitcoin continued to experience significant and sudden changes throughout 2021 followed by steep drawdowns in the fourth quarter of 2021 and throughout 2022.
+Added: The price of Bitcoin has continued to fluctuate to date in 2023.
+Added: In particular, digital asset prices have experienced extreme volatility since November 2022 when FTX Trading Ltd.
+Added: (“FTX”) halted customer withdrawals.
+Added: See “ — 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 decline in liquidity.
+Added: ” 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 Units and the Units could lose all or substantially all of their value.
+Added: Furthermore, negative perception, a lack of stability and standardized regulation in the digital asset economy 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.
+Added: Digital asset networks and the software used to operate them are in the early stages of development.
+Added: Digital assets have experienced, and we expect will experience in the future, sharp fluctuations in value.
+Added: Given the infancy of the development of digital asset networks, parties may be unwilling to transact in digital assets, which would dampen the growth, if any, of digital asset networks.
+Added: Digital asset networks are dependent upon the internet.
+Added: 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.
+Added: 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 network’s blockchain, resulting in the operation of multiple separate networks.
+Added: Governance of the Bitcoin Network is by voluntary consensus and open competition.
+Added: As a result, there may be a lack of consensus or clarity on the governance of the Bitcoin Network, which may stymie the Bitcoin Network’s utility and ability to grow and face challenges.
+Added: In particular, it may be difficult to find solutions or marshal sufficient effort to overcome any future problems on the Bitcoin Network, especially long-term problems.
+Added: The foregoing notwithstanding, the Bitcoin Network’s protocol is informally managed by a group of core developers that propose amendments to the Bitcoin Network’s source code.
The core developers evolve over time, largely based on self-determined participation.
−Removed: To the extent
−Removed: that a significant majority of users and miners adopt amendments to the Bitcoin Network, the Bitcoin Network will be subject to
−Removed: new protocols that may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin.
−Removed: ● The loss or destruction
−Removed: of a private key required to access a digital asset such as Bitcoin may be irreversible.
−Removed: If a private key is lost, destroyed or
−Removed: otherwise compromised and no backup of the private key is accessible, the Trust will be unable to access the Bitcoin held in the
−Removed: Bitcoin Account corresponding to that private key and the private key will not be capable of being restored by the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: ● Bitcoins have only recently
−Removed: become selectively accepted as a means of payment by retail and commercial outlets, and use of Bitcoins by consumers to pay such
−Removed: retail and commercial outlets remains limited.
−Removed: Banks and other established financial institutions may refuse to process funds for
−Removed: Bitcoin transactions;
−Removed: process wire transfers to or from Bitcoin exchanges, Bitcoin-related companies or service providers, or maintain
−Removed: accounts for persons or entities transacting in Bitcoin.
−Removed: As a result, the prices of Bitcoins are largely determined by speculators
−Removed: and miners, thus contributing to price
−Removed: volatility that makes retailers less likely to accept it as a form of payment in the future.
−Removed: ● Miners, developers and users
−Removed: may switch to or adopt certain digital assets at the expense of their engagement with other digital asset networks, which may negatively
−Removed: impact those networks, including the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: ● Over the past several years,
−Removed: digital asset mining operations have evolved from individual users mining with computer processors, graphics processing units and
−Removed: first generation application specific integrated circuit machines to “professionalized” mining operations using proprietary
−Removed: hardware or sophisticated machines.
−Removed: If the profit margins of digital asset mining operations are not sufficiently high, digital
−Removed: asset miners are more likely to immediately sell tokens earned by mining, resulting in an increase in liquid supply of that digital
−Removed: asset, which would generally tend to reduce that digital asset’s market price.
−Removed: ● To the extent that any miners
−Removed: cease to record transactions that do not include the payment of a transaction fee in solved blocks or do not record a transaction
−Removed: because the transaction fee is too low, such transactions will not be recorded on the Blockchain until a block is solved by a miner
−Removed: who does not require the payment of transaction fees or is willing to accept a lower fee.
−Removed: Any widespread delays in the recording
−Removed: of transactions could result in a loss of confidence in the digital asset network.
−Removed: ● Many digital asset networks
−Removed: face significant scaling challenges and are being upgraded with various features to increase the speed and throughput of digital
−Removed: asset transactions.
+Added: 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.
+Added: The loss or destruction of a private key required to access a digital asset such as Bitcoin may be irreversible.
+Added: If 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 the Bitcoin held in the Custodial Account corresponding to that private key and the private key will not be capable of being restored by the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: Bitcoin is only selectively accepted as a means of payment by retail and commercial outlets, and use of Bitcoins by consumers to pay such retail and commercial outlets remains limited.
+Added: Banks and other established financial institutions may refuse to process funds for Bitcoin transactions;
+Added: process wire transfers to or from Bitcoin exchanges, Bitcoin-related companies or service providers;
+Added: or maintain accounts for persons or entities transacting in Bitcoin.
+Added: As a result, the prices of Bitcoins are largely determined by speculators and miners, thus contributing to price volatility that makes retailers less likely to accept it as a form of payment in the future.
+Added: Miners, developers and users may switch to or adopt certain digital assets at the expense of their engagement with other digital asset networks, which may negatively impact those networks, including the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: 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.
+Added: If the profit margins of digital asset mining operations are not sufficiently high, 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 asset’s market price.
+Added: 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 solved by a miner who does not require the payment of transaction fees or is willing to accept a lower fee.
+Added: Any widespread delays in the recording of transactions could result in a loss of confidence in the digital asset network.
+Added: 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.
−Removed: ● The open-source structure
−Removed: of many digital asset network protocols, such as the protocol for the Bitcoin Network, means that developers and other contributors
−Removed: are generally not directly compensated for their contributions in maintaining and developing such protocols.
−Removed: As a result, the developers
−Removed: and other contributors of a particular digital asset may lack a financial incentive to maintain or develop the network, or may
−Removed: lack the resources to adequately address emerging issues.
−Removed: Alternatively, some developers may be funded by companies whose interests
−Removed: are at odds with other participants in a particular digital asset network.
−Removed: A failure to properly monitor and upgrade the protocol
−Removed: of the Bitcoin Network could damage that network.
−Removed: ● Banks may not provide banking
−Removed: services, or may cut off banking services, to businesses that provide digital asset-related services or that accept digital assets
−Removed: as payment, which could dampen liquidity in the market and damage the public perception of digital assets generally or any one
−Removed: digital asset in particular, such as Bitcoin, and their or its utility as a payment system, which could decrease the price of digital
−Removed: assets generally or individually.
−Removed: Moreover, because
−Removed: digital assets, including Bitcoin, have been in existence for a short period of time and are continuing to develop, there may be
−Removed: additional risks in the future that are impossible to predict as of the date of this Annual Report.
−Removed: The Bitcoin Network is part of
−Removed: a new and rapidly evolving industry, and the value of the Units depends on the development and acceptance of the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: 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.
+Added: 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.
+Added: Alternatively, some developers may be funded by companies whose interests are at odds with other participants in a particular digital asset network.
+Added: A failure to properly monitor and upgrade the protocol of the Bitcoin Network could damage that network.
+Added: Banks may not provide banking services, or may cut off banking services, to businesses that provide digital asset-related services or that accept digital assets as payment, which could dampen liquidity in the market and damage the public perception of digital assets generally or any one digital asset in particular, such as Bitcoin, and their or its utility as a payment system, which could decrease the price of digital assets generally or individually.
+Added: Moreover, because digital
+Added: assets, including Bitcoin, have been in existence for a short period of time and are continuing to develop, there may be additional
+Added: risks in the future that are impossible to predict as of the date of this Annual Report.
The Bitcoin Network
+Added: is part of a new and rapidly evolving industry, and the value of the Units depends on the development and acceptance of the Bitcoin
+Added: The Bitcoin Network
was first launched in 2009 and Bitcoins were the first cryptographic digital assets created to gain global adoption and critical
−Removed: Although the Bitcoin Network is the most established digital asset network, the Bitcoin Network and other cryptographic and
+Added: Although the Bitcoin Network is the most established digital asset network, the Bitcoin Network and other
+Added: cryptographic and
algorithmic protocols governing the issuance of digital assets represent a new and rapidly evolving industry that is subject to
2 unchanged sentences
adversely affect the value of the Units:
−Removed: ● As the Bitcoin Network continues
−Removed: to develop and grow, certain technical issues might be uncovered, and the troubleshooting and resolution of such issues requires
−Removed: the attention and efforts of Bitcoin’s global development community.
−Removed: ● In August 2017, the Bitcoin
−Removed: Network underwent a hard fork that resulted in the creation of a new digital asset network called Bitcoin Cash.
−Removed: This hard fork
−Removed: was contentious, and as a result some users of the Bitcoin Cash network may harbor ill will toward the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: may attempt to negatively impact the use or adoption of the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: ● Also in August 2017, the
−Removed: Bitcoin Network was upgraded with a technical feature known as “Segregated Witness” that, among other things, potentially
−Removed: doubles the transactions per second that can be handled on-chain and enables so-called second layer solutions, such as the Lightning
−Removed: Network or payment channels, that have the potential to substantially increase transaction throughput (i.e., millions of transactions
−Removed: As of the date of this Annual Report, wallets and intermediaries that support Segregated Witness or Lightning Network-like
−Removed: technologies do not yet have material adoption.
−Removed: This upgrade may fail to work as expected leading to a decline in support and price
−Removed: Moreover, in the
−Removed: past, flaws in the source code for digital assets have been exposed and exploited, including flaws that disabled some functionality
−Removed: for users, exposed users’ personal information and/or resulted in the theft of users’ digital assets.
+Added: As the Bitcoin Network continues to develop and grow, certain technical issues
+Added: might be uncovered, and the troubleshooting and resolution of such issues requires the attention and efforts of Bitcoin’s
+Added: global development community.
+Added: In August 2017, the Bitcoin Network underwent a hard fork that resulted in
+Added: the creation of a new digital asset network called Bitcoin Cash.
+Added: This hard fork was contentious, and as a result some users
+Added: of the Bitcoin Cash network may harbor ill will toward the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: These users may attempt to negatively impact the
+Added: use or adoption of the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: Also in August 2017, the Bitcoin Network was upgraded with a technical feature
+Added: known as “Segregated Witness” that, among other things, potentially doubles the transactions per second that can
+Added: be handled on-chain and enables so-called second layer solutions, such as the Lightning Network or payment channels, that
+Added: have the potential to substantially increase transaction throughput (i.e., millions of transactions per second).
+Added: date of this Annual Report, digital wallets and intermediaries that support Segregated Witness or Lightning Network-like technologies
+Added: do not yet have material adoption.
+Added: This upgrade may fail to work as expected leading to a decline in support and price of
+Added: In 2021, the Bitcoin protocol implemented the Taproot upgrade to add enhanced support for complex transactions on the
+Added: network such as multi-signature transactions, which require two or more parties to execute a transaction on the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: Prior to the upgrade, multi-signature transactions were historically slow, expensive, and easily identifiable.
+Added: intended to reduce the amount of data written to a block and makes multi-signature transactions indistinguishable from regular
+Added: transactions, adding an enhanced layer of privacy.
+Added: This upgrade may fail to work as expected, which could lead to a decline
+Added: in support and price of Bitcoin.
+Added: Moreover, in the past,
+Added: flaws in the source code for digital assets have been exposed and exploited, including flaws that disabled some functionality for
+Added: users, exposed users’ personal information 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
−Removed: digital computing, algebraic geometry
−Removed: and quantum computing, could result in such cryptography becoming ineffective.
−Removed: In any of these circumstances, a malicious actor
−Removed: may be able to take the Trust’s Bitcoin, which would adversely affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: Moreover, functionality of
−Removed: the Bitcoin Network may be negatively affected such that it is no longer attractive to users, thereby dampening demand for Bitcoin.
−Removed: Even if another digital asset other than Bitcoin were affected by similar circumstances, any reduction in confidence in the source
−Removed: code or cryptography underlying digital assets generally could negatively affect the demand for digital assets and therefore adversely
−Removed: affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: The Trust is not
−Removed: actively managed and will not have any formal strategy relating to the development of the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could result in such cryptography becoming ineffective.
+Added: of these circumstances, a malicious actor may be able to take the Trust’s Bitcoin, which would adversely affect the value
+Added: of the Units.
+Added: Moreover, functionality of the Bitcoin Network may be negatively affected such that it is no longer attractive to
+Added: users, thereby dampening demand for Bitcoin.
+Added: Even if another digital asset other than Bitcoin were affected by similar circumstances,
+Added: any reduction in confidence in the source code or cryptography underlying digital assets generally could negatively affect the
+Added: demand for digital assets and therefore adversely affect the value of the Units.
+Added: The Trust is not actively
+Added: managed and will not have any formal strategy relating to the development of the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: Digital asset networks are
+Added: developed by a diverse set of contributors and the perception that certain high-profile contributors will no longer contribute
+Added: to the network could have an adverse effect on the market price of the related digital asset.
+Added: Digital asset
+Added: networks are often developed by a diverse set of contributors and the perception that high-profile contributors may no longer contribute
+Added: to the networks may have an adverse effect on the market price of any related digital assets.
+Added: For example, in June 2017, an unfounded
+Added: rumor circulated that Ethereum protocol developer Vitalik Buterin had died.
+Added: Following the rumor, the price of Ethereum decreased
+Added: approximately 20% before recovering after Buterin himself dispelled the rumor.
+Added: Some have speculated that the rumor led to the decrease
+Added: in the price of Ethereum.
+Added: In the event a high-profile contributor to the Bitcoin Network is perceived as no longer able to contribute
+Added: to the Bitcoin Network due to death, retirement, withdrawal, incapacity, or otherwise, whether or not such perception is valid,
+Added: it could negatively affect the price of Bitcoin, which could adversely impact the value of the Units.
Digital assets may have concentrated
2 unchanged sentences
As of January
−Removed: 2022, the largest 100 Bitcoin wallets held approximately 13.49% of the Bitcoins in circulation and it is possible that some of
−Removed: these wallets are controlled by the same person or entity.
−Removed: Moreover, it is possible that other persons or entities control multiple
−Removed: wallets that collectively hold a significant number of Bitcoin, even if they individually only hold a small amount.
−Removed: of this concentration of ownership, large sales by such holders could have an adverse effect on the market price of Bitcoin.
−Removed: A determination that Bitcoin
−Removed: or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and the value of the Units, and
−Removed: result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of the Trust
−Removed: The SEC has stated
−Removed: that certain digital assets may be considered “securities” under the federal securities laws.
−Removed: The test for determining
−Removed: whether a particular digital asset is a “security” is complex and the outcome is difficult to predict.
−Removed: any other digital asset is determined to be a “security” under federal or state securities laws by the SEC or any other
−Removed: agency, or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it may have material adverse consequences for Bitcoin as a digital asset
−Removed: due to negative publicity or a decline in the general acceptance of digital assets.
−Removed: As such, any determination that Bitcoin or
−Removed: any other digital asset is a security under federal or state securities laws may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and, as
−Removed: a result, the value of the Units.
−Removed: To the extent that
−Removed: Bitcoin is determined to be a security, the Trust and the Sponsor may also be subject to additional regulatory requirements, including
−Removed: under the Investment Company Act, and the Sponsor may be required to register as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
−Removed: If the Sponsor determines not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, the Sponsor will terminate
−Removed: Any such termination could result in the liquidation of the Trust’s Bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous
−Removed: to Unitholders.
−Removed: Changes in the governance of
−Removed: a digital asset network may not receive sufficient support from users and miners, which may negatively affect that digital asset
−Removed: network’s ability to grow and respond to challenges.
−Removed: The governance of
−Removed: decentralized networks, such as the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks, is by voluntary consensus and open competition.
−Removed: there may be a lack of consensus or clarity on the governance of any particular decentralized digital asset network, which may
−Removed: stymie such network’s utility and ability to grow and face challenges.
−Removed: The foregoing notwithstanding, the protocols for some
−Removed: decentralized networks, such as the Bitcoin network, are informally managed by a group of core developers that propose amendments
−Removed: to the relevant network’s source code.
+Added: 28, 2022, the largest 100 Bitcoin digital wallets held approximately 13.49% of the Bitcoins in circulation and it is possible that
+Added: some of these digital wallets are controlled by the same person or entity.
+Added: Moreover, it is possible that other persons or entities
+Added: control multiple digital wallets that collectively hold a significant number of Bitcoin, even if they individually only hold a
+Added: small amount.
+Added: As a result of this concentration of ownership, large sales by such holders could have an adverse effect on the market
+Added: price of Bitcoin.
+Added: A determination that Bitcoin or any
+Added: other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and the value of the Units, and result
+Added: in potentially extraordinary, non-recurring expenses to, or termination of the Trust
+Added: The SEC has stated that
+Added: certain digital assets may be considered “securities” under the federal securities laws.
+Added: The test for determining whether
+Added: a particular digital asset is a “security” is complex and the outcome is difficult to predict.
+Added: Further, if any other
+Added: asset is determined to be a “security” under federal or state securities laws by the SEC or any other agency,
+Added: or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it may have material adverse consequences for Bitcoin as a digital asset due
+Added: to negative publicity or a decline in the general acceptance of digital assets.
+Added: As such, any determination that Bitcoin or any
+Added: other digital asset is a security under federal or state securities laws may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and, as a result,
+Added: the value of the Units.
+Added: To the extent that Bitcoin
+Added: is determined to be a security, the Trust and the Sponsor may also be subject to additional regulatory requirements, including
+Added: under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”), and the Sponsor may be required to register
+Added: as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”).
+Added: If the Sponsor
+Added: determines not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, the Sponsor will terminate the Trust.
+Added: such termination could result in the liquidation of the Trust’s Bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
+Added: Changes in the governance of a digital
+Added: asset network may not receive sufficient support from users and miners, which may negatively affect that digital asset network’s
+Added: ability to grow and respond to challenges.
+Added: The governance of decentralized
+Added: networks, such as the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks, is by voluntary consensus and open competition.
+Added: As a result, there may be
+Added: a lack of consensus or clarity on the governance of any particular decentralized digital asset network, which may stymie such network’s
+Added: utility and ability to grow and face challenges.
+Added: The foregoing notwithstanding, the protocols for some decentralized networks,
+Added: such as the Bitcoin network, are informally managed by a group of core developers that propose amendments to the relevant network’s
Core developers’ roles evolve over time, largely based on self-determined participation.
−Removed: If a significant majority of users and miners adopt amendments to a decentralized network based on the proposals of such core developers,
−Removed: such network will be subject to new protocols that may adversely affect the value of the relevant digital asset.
−Removed: As a result of the
−Removed: foregoing, it may be difficult to find solutions or marshal sufficient effort to overcome any future problems, especially long-term
−Removed: problems, on digital asset networks.
+Added: If a significant majority
+Added: of users and miners adopt amendments to a decentralized network based on the proposals of such core developers, such network will
+Added: be subject to new protocols that may adversely affect the value of the relevant digital asset.
+Added: As a result of the foregoing,
+Added: it may be difficult to find solutions or marshal sufficient effort to overcome any future problems, especially long-term problems,
+Added: on digital asset networks.
Digital asset networks face significant
scaling challenges and efforts to increase the volume of transactions may not be successful.
−Removed: Many digital asset
−Removed: networks face significant scaling challenges due to the fact that public blockchains generally face a trade-off regarding security
−Removed: and scalability.
−Removed: One means through which public blockchains achieve security is decentralization, meaning that no intermediary
−Removed: is responsible for securing and maintaining these systems.
−Removed: For example, a greater degree of decentralization generally means a
−Removed: given digital asset network is less susceptible to manipulation or capture.
−Removed: In practice, this typically means that every single
−Removed: node on a given digital asset network is responsible for securing the system by processing every transaction and maintaining a
−Removed: copy of the entire state of the network.
−Removed: As a result, a digital asset network may be limited in the number of transactions it can
−Removed: process by the capabilities of each single fully participating node.
−Removed: As corresponding
−Removed: increases in throughput lag behind growth in the use of digital asset networks, average fees and settlement times may increase
−Removed: considerably.
+Added: Many digital asset networks
+Added: face significant scaling challenges due to the fact that public blockchains generally face a trade-off regarding security and scalability.
+Added: One means through which public blockchains achieve security is decentralization, meaning that no intermediary is responsible for
+Added: securing and maintaining these systems.
+Added: For example, a greater degree of decentralization generally means a given digital asset
+Added: network is less susceptible to manipulation or capture.
+Added: In practice, this typically means that every single node on a given digital
+Added: asset network is responsible for securing the system by processing every transaction and maintaining a copy of the entire state
+Added: of the network.
+Added: As a result, a digital asset network may be limited in the number of transactions it can process by the capabilities
+Added: of each single fully participating node.
+Added: As corresponding increases
+Added: 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.
−Removed: January 1, 2017, Bitcoin transaction fees have increased from $0.35 per Bitcoin transaction, on average, to a high of $55.16 per
−Removed: transaction, on average, on December
−Removed: As of December 31, 2021, Bitcoin transaction fees generally ranged from $1.11 to $3.31 per transaction.
−Removed: Increased fees
−Removed: and decreased settlement speeds could preclude certain uses for Bitcoin (e.g., micropayments), and could reduce demand for, and
−Removed: the price of, Bitcoin, which could adversely impact the value of the Units.
−Removed: Many developers
−Removed: are actively researching and testing scalability solutions for public blockchains that do not necessarily result in lower levels
−Removed: of security or decentralization (e.g., off-chain payment channels like the Lightning Network, sharding or off-chain computations).
−Removed: However, there is no guarantee that any of the mechanisms in place or being explored for increasing the scale of settlement of
−Removed: the Bitcoin Network transactions will be effective, or how long these mechanisms will take to become effective, which could adversely
−Removed: impact the value of the Units.
−Removed: If a malicious actor or botnet
−Removed: obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network, or otherwise obtains control over the Bitcoin
−Removed: Network through its influence over core developers or otherwise, such actor or botnet could manipulate the Blockchain to adversely
−Removed: affect the value of the Units or the ability of the Trust to operate.
+Added: Since January 1,
+Added: 2017, Bitcoin transaction fees have increased from $0.35 per Bitcoin transaction, on average, to a high of $55.16 per transaction,
+Added: on average, on December 22, 2017.
+Added: As of December 2022, Bitcoin transaction fees stood around $1 per transaction, on average.
+Added: fees and decreased settlement speeds could preclude certain uses for Bitcoin (e.g., micropayments), and could reduce demand for,
+Added: and the price of, Bitcoin, which could adversely impact the value of the Units.
+Added: Many developers are actively researching
+Added: and testing scalability solutions for public blockchains that do not necessarily result in lower levels of security or decentralization
+Added: (e.g., off-chain payment channels like the Lightning Network, sharing, or off-chain computations).
+Added: However, there is no guarantee
+Added: that any of the mechanisms in place or being explored for increasing the scale of settlement of the Bitcoin Network transactions
+Added: will be effective, or how long these mechanisms will take to become effective, which could adversely impact the value of the Units.
+Added: If a malicious actor or botnet obtains
+Added: control of more than 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network, or otherwise obtains control over the Bitcoin Network
+Added: through its influence over core developers or otherwise, such actor or botnet could manipulate the Blockchain to adversely affect
+Added: the value of the Units or the ability of the Trust to operate.
If a malicious actor
8 unchanged sentences
To the extent that such malicious actor or botnet did not yield its control of the processing
−Removed: power on the Bitcoin Network, or the Bitcoin community did not reject the fraudulent blocks as malicious, reversing any changes
+Added: power on the Bitcoin Network or the
+Added: Bitcoin community did not reject the fraudulent blocks as malicious, reversing any changes
made to the Blockchain may not be possible.
1 unchanged sentence
to slow down the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: Although there are
−Removed: no known reports of malicious activity on, or control of, the Bitcoin Network, it is believed that certain mining pools may have
−Removed: exceeded the 50% threshold on the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: The possible crossing of the 50% threshold indicates a greater risk that a single
−Removed: mining pool could exert authority over the validation of Bitcoin transactions, and this risk is heightened if over 50% of the processing
+Added: Although there are no
+Added: known reports of malicious activity on, or control of, the Bitcoin Network, it is believed that certain mining pools may have exceeded
+Added: the 50% threshold on the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: The possible crossing of the 50% threshold indicates a greater risk that a single mining
+Added: pool could exert authority over the validation of Bitcoin transactions, and this risk is heightened if over 50% of the processing
power on the network falls within the jurisdiction of a single governmental authority.
3 unchanged sentences
adversely affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: A malicious actor
−Removed: may also obtain control over the Bitcoin Network through its influence over core developers by gaining direct control over a core
−Removed: developer or an otherwise influential programmer.
−Removed: To the extent that the Bitcoin ecosystem does not grow, the possibility that
−Removed: a malicious actor may be able obtain control of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network in this manner will remain heightened.
−Removed: A temporary or permanent “fork”
−Removed: could adversely affect the value of the Units.
+Added: A malicious actor may
+Added: also obtain control over the Bitcoin Network through its influence over core developers by gaining direct control over a core developer
+Added: or an otherwise influential programmer.
+Added: To the extent that the Bitcoin ecosystem does not grow, the possibility that a malicious
+Added: actor may be able obtain control of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network in this manner will remain heightened.
+Added: A temporary or permanent fork or
+Added: a “clone” could adversely affect the value of the Units.
The Bitcoin Network
9 unchanged sentences
of two versions of Bitcoin running in parallel, yet lacking interchangeability.
−Removed: For example, in August 2017, Bitcoin “forked”
−Removed: into Bitcoin and a new digital asset, Bitcoin Cash, as a result of a several-year dispute over how to increase the rate of transactions
+Added: For example, in August 2017, Bitcoin forked into
+Added: Bitcoin and a new digital asset, Bitcoin Cash, as a result of a several-year dispute over how to increase the rate of transactions
that the Bitcoin Network can process.
+Added: A fork may also occur as a result of an unintentional or unanticipated software flaw in the
+Added: various versions of otherwise compatible software that users run.
+Added: Such a fork could lead to users and miners abandoning the digital
+Added: asset with the flawed software.
+Added: It is possible, however, that a substantial number of users and miners could adopt an incompatible
+Added: version of the digital asset while resisting community-led efforts to merge the two chains.
+Added: This could result in a permanent fork.
Forks may also occur
5 unchanged sentences
a fork that effectively reversed the hack.
−Removed: However, a minority of users continued to develop the original blockchain,
−Removed: now referred to as “Ethereum Classic” with the digital asset on that blockchain now referred to as Ether Classic, or
−Removed: ETC now trades on several digital asset exchanges.
−Removed: A fork may also occur as a result of an unintentional or unanticipated
−Removed: software flaw in the various versions of otherwise compatible software that users run.
−Removed: Such a fork could lead to users and miners
−Removed: abandoning the digital asset with the flawed software.
−Removed: It is possible, however, that a substantial number of users and miners could
−Removed: adopt an incompatible version of the digital asset while resisting community-led efforts to merge the two chains.
−Removed: This could result
−Removed: in a permanent fork, as in the case of Ether and Ether Classic.
−Removed: In addition, many
−Removed: developers have previously initiated hard forks in the Blockchain to launch new digital assets, such as Bitcoin
−Removed: Gold and Bitcoin Diamond.
−Removed: To the extent
−Removed: such digital assets compete with Bitcoin, such competition could impact demand for Bitcoin and could adversely impact the value
−Removed: of the Units.
+Added: However, a minority of users continued to develop the original blockchain, now referred
+Added: to as “Ethereum Classic” with the digital asset on that blockchain now referred to as Ether Classic, or ETC.
+Added: trades on several digital asset exchanges.
+Added: A fork may also occur as a result of an unintentional or unanticipated software flaw
+Added: in the various versions of otherwise compatible software that users run.
+Added: Such a fork could lead to users and miners abandoning
+Added: the digital asset with the flawed software.
+Added: It is possible, however, that a substantial number of users and miners could adopt
+Added: an incompatible version of the digital asset while resisting community-led efforts to merge the two chains.
+Added: This could result in
+Added: a permanent fork, as in the case of Ether and Ether Classic.
+Added: In addition, many developers
+Added: have previously initiated hard forks in the Blockchain to launch new digital assets, such as Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin
+Added: Silver and Bitcoin Diamond.
+Added: To the extent such digital assets compete with Bitcoin, such competition could impact demand for Bitcoin
+Added: and could adversely impact the value of the Units.
Furthermore, a hard
3 unchanged sentences
through at least October 2016.
−Removed: An Ethereum exchange announced in July 2016 that it had lost 40,000 Ether Classic, worth about $100,000
−Removed: at that time, as a result of replay attacks.
−Removed: Another possible result of a hard fork is an inherent decrease in the level of security
−Removed: due to significant amounts of mining power remaining on one network or migrating instead to the new forked network.
−Removed: fork, it may become easier for an individual miner or mining pool’s hashing power to exceed 50% of the processing power of
−Removed: the digital asset network that retained or attracted less mining power, thereby making digital assets that rely on proof-of-work
+Added: An Ethereum exchange announced in July 2016 that it had lost 40,000 units of Ethereum Classic, worth
+Added: about $100,000 at that time, as a result of replay attacks.
+Added: Another possible result of a hard fork is an inherent decrease in the
+Added: level of security due to significant amounts of mining power remaining on one network or migrating instead to the new forked network.
+Added: After a hard fork, it may become easier for an individual miner or mining pool’s hashing power to exceed 50% of the processing
+Added: power of the digital asset network that retained or attracted less mining power, thereby making digital assets that rely on proof-of-work
more susceptible to attack.
−Removed: A future fork in
−Removed: the Bitcoin Network could adversely affect the value of the Units or the ability of the Trust to operate.
−Removed: Unitholders may not receive the
−Removed: benefits of any forks or “airdrops.”
+Added: Protocols may also be
+Added: Unlike a fork, which modified an existing blockchain, and results in two competing networks, each with the same genesis
+Added: block, a “clone” is a copy of a protocol’s codebase, but results in an entirely new blockchain and new genesis
+Added: Tokens are created solely from the new “clone” network and, in contrast to forks, holders of tokens of the existing
+Added: network that was cloned do not receive any tokens of the new network.
+Added: A “clone” results in a competing network that
+Added: has characteristics substantially similar to the network it was based on, subject to any changes as determined by the developer(s)
+Added: that initiated the clone.
+Added: A future fork in or
+Added: clone of the Bitcoin Network could adversely affect the value of the Units or the ability of the Trust to operate.
+Added: Unitholders may not receive the benefits
+Added: of any forks or “airdrops.”
In addition to forks,
2 unchanged sentences
the new digital asset for free, based on the fact that they hold such other digital asset.
−Removed: Unitholders may
−Removed: not receive the benefits of any forks, the Trust may not choose, or be able, to participate in an airdrop and the timing of receiving
+Added: Unitholders may not
+Added: receive the benefits of any forks, the Trust may not choose, or be able, to participate in an airdrop, and the timing of receiving
any benefits from a fork, airdrop or similar event is uncertain.
4 unchanged sentences
For instance,
−Removed: the Custodian may not agree to provide access to the Additional Currency.
−Removed: In addition, the Sponsor may determine that there is
−Removed: no safe or practical way to custody the Additional Currency, or that trying to do so may pose an unacceptable risk to the Trust’s
−Removed: holdings in Bitcoin, or that the costs of taking possession and/or maintaining ownership of the Additional Currency exceed the
−Removed: benefits of owning the Additional Currency.
−Removed: Additionally, laws, regulation or other factors may prevent Unitholders from benefiting
−Removed: from the Additional Currency even if there is a safe and practical way to custody and secure the Additional Currency.
−Removed: it may be illegal to sell or otherwise dispose of the Additional Currency, or there may not be a suitable market into which the
−Removed: Additional Currency can be sold (immediately after the fork or airdrop, or ever).
−Removed: The Sponsor may also determine, in consultation
−Removed: with its legal advisors and tax consultants, that the Additional Currency is, or is likely to be deemed, a security under federal
−Removed: or state securities laws.
−Removed: In such a case, the Sponsor would irrevocably abandon, as of any date on which the Trust creates Units,
−Removed: such Additional Currency if holding it would have an adverse effect on the Trust and it would not be practicable to avoid such
−Removed: effect by disposing of the Additional Currency in a manner that would result in Unitholders receiving more than insignificant value
−Removed: In making such a determination, the Sponsor expects to take into account a number of factors, including the definition
−Removed: of a “security” under Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act and Section 3(a)(10) of the Exchange Act, SEC v.
−Removed: Howey Co., 328 U.S.
−Removed: 293 (1946) and the case law interpreting it, as well as reports, orders, press releases, public statements
−Removed: and speeches by the SEC providing guidance on when a digital asset is a “security” for purposes of the federal securities
−Removed: In the event of a hard fork of
−Removed: the Bitcoin Network, the Sponsor will, if permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its discretion to determine which
−Removed: network should be considered the appropriate network for the Trust’s purposes, and in doing so may adversely affect the value
−Removed: of the Units.
−Removed: In the event of
−Removed: a hard fork of the Bitcoin Network, the Sponsor will, if permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its discretion to determine,
+Added: unless specifically announced, the Custodian does not support airdrops, metacoins, colored coins, side chains, or other derivative,
+Added: enhanced, or forked protocols, tokens, or coins which supplement or interact with a digital asset supported by the Custodian.
+Added: addition, the Sponsor may determine that there is no safe or practical way to custody the Additional Currency, or that trying to
+Added: do so may pose an unacceptable risk to the Trust’s holdings in Bitcoin, or that the costs of taking possession and/or maintaining
+Added: ownership of the Additional Currency exceed the benefits of owning the Additional Currency.
+Added: Additionally, laws, regulation or other
+Added: factors may prevent Unitholders from benefiting from the Additional Currency even if there is a safe and practical
+Added: way to custody and secure the Additional Currency.
+Added: For example, it may be illegal to sell or otherwise dispose of the Additional
+Added: Currency, or there may not be a suitable market into which the Additional Currency can be sold (immediately after the fork or airdrop,
+Added: The Sponsor may also determine, in consultation with its legal advisors and tax consultants, that the Additional Currency
+Added: is, or is likely to be deemed, a security under federal or state securities laws.
+Added: In such a case, the Sponsor would irrevocably
+Added: abandon, as of any date on which the Trust creates Units, such Additional Currency if holding it would have an adverse effect on
+Added: the Trust and it would not be practicable to avoid such effect by disposing of the Additional Currency in a manner that would result
+Added: in Unitholders receiving more than insignificant value thereof.
+Added: In making such a determination, the Sponsor expects to take into
+Added: account a number of factors, including the definition of a “security” under Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act and
+Added: Section 3(a)(10) of the Exchange Act, SEC v.
+Added: 293 (1946) and the case law interpreting it, as well
+Added: as reports, orders, press releases, public statements and speeches by the SEC providing guidance on when a digital asset is a “security”
+Added: for purposes of the federal securities laws.
+Added: In the event of a hard fork of the
+Added: Bitcoin Network, the Sponsor will, if permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its discretion to determine which network
+Added: should be considered the appropriate network for the Trust’s purposes, and in doing so may adversely affect the value of
+Added: In the event of a hard
+Added: fork of the Bitcoin Network, the Sponsor will, if permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its 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
10 unchanged sentences
which may also adversely affect the value of the Units as a result.
−Removed: If the digital asset award for
−Removed: solving blocks and transaction fees for recording transactions on the Bitcoin Network are not sufficiently high to incentivize
−Removed: miners, miners may cease expanding processing power or demand high transaction fees, which could negatively impact the value of
−Removed: Bitcoin and the value of the Units.
+Added: If the digital asset award for solving
+Added: blocks and transaction fees for recording transactions on the Bitcoin Network are not sufficiently high to incentivize miners,
+Added: miners may cease expanding processing power or demand high transaction fees, which could negatively impact the value of Bitcoin
+Added: and the value of the Units.
If the digital asset
awards for solving blocks and the transaction fees for recording transactions on the Bitcoin Network are not sufficiently high
−Removed: to incentivize miners, miners may cease expending processing power to solve blocks and confirmations of transactions
−Removed: on the Blockchain could be slowed.
−Removed: A reduction in the processing power expended by miners on the Bitcoin Network could increase the likelihood of a malicious actor
−Removed: or botnet obtaining control.
+Added: to incentivize miners, miners may cease expending processing power to solve blocks and confirmations of transactions on the Blockchain
+Added: could be slowed.
+Added: A reduction in the processing power expended by miners on the Bitcoin Network could increase the likelihood of
+Added: a malicious actor or botnet obtaining control.
Miners have historically
11 unchanged sentences
negatively impact the value of Bitcoin and the value of the Units.
−Removed: From time to time,
−Removed: digital assets may undergo name changes and associated rebranding initiatives.
−Removed: For example, Bitcoin Cash may sometimes be referred
−Removed: to as Bitcoin ABC in an effort to differentiate itself from any Bitcoin Cash hard forks, such as Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision,
−Removed: and in the third quarter of 2018, the team behind Zen rebranded and changed the name of ZenCash to “Horizen.” The Trust
+Added: From time to time, digital
+Added: assets may undergo name changes and associated rebranding initiatives.
+Added: For example, Bitcoin Cash may sometimes be referred to as
+Added: Bitcoin ABC in an effort to differentiate itself from any Bitcoin Cash hard forks, such as Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision, and
+Added: in the third quarter of 2018, the team behind Zen rebranded and changed the name of ZenCash to “Horizen.” The Trust
cannot predict the impact of any name change and any associated rebranding initiative on Bitcoin.
5 unchanged sentences
by the name change and associated rebranding initiative, and could negatively impact the value of Bitcoin and the value of the
−Removed: The Bitcoin Network requires
−Removed: significant electricity to mine and it is possible that certain jurisdictions will implement regulations regarding the energy consumption
−Removed: of the Bitcoin Network, which could result in a significant reduction in mining activity and adversely affect the security of the
+Added: The Bitcoin Network requires significant
+Added: electricity to mine and it is possible that certain jurisdictions will implement regulations regarding the energy consumption of
+Added: the Bitcoin Network, which could result in a significant reduction in mining activity and adversely affect the security of the
Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: have been raised about the electricity required to secure and maintain the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: On February 12, 2022 in connection
−Removed: with the mining process, an all-time high of over 248 million tera hashing operations were performed every second, non-stop on
−Removed: the Bitcoin Network, before falling back to 209 million per second by February 14, 2022.
−Removed: Although measuring the electricity consumed
−Removed: by this process is difficult because these operations are performed by various machines with varying levels of efficiency, the
−Removed: process consumes a significant amount of energy.
−Removed: Further, in addition to the direct energy costs of performing these calculations,
−Removed: there are indirect costs that impact the Bitcoin Network’s total energy consumption, including the costs of cooling the machines
−Removed: that perform these calculations.
−Removed: In recent months, due to these concerns around energy consumption, particularly as such concerns
−Removed: relate to public utilities companies, various states and cities have implemented, or are considering implementing, moratoriums
−Removed: on Bitcoin mining in their jurisdictions.
−Removed: A significant reduction in mining activity as a result of such actions could adversely
−Removed: affect the security of the Bitcoin Network by making it easier for a malicious actor or botnet to manipulate the Blockchain, which
−Removed: could adversely affect the value of the Units or the ability of the Trust to operate.
−Removed: See “—If a malicious actor or
−Removed: botnet obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network, or otherwise obtains control over the Bitcoin
+Added: Concerns have been raised
+Added: about the electricity required to secure and maintain the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: On January 3, 2023, in connection with the mining process,
+Added: an all-time high of over 271 million tera hashing operations were performed every second, non-stop on the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: measuring the electricity consumed by this process is difficult because these operations are performed by various machines with
+Added: varying levels of efficiency, the process consumes a significant amount of energy.
+Added: The operations of the Bitcoin Network and other
+Added: digital asset networks may also consume significant amounts of energy.
+Added: Further, in addition to the direct energy costs of performing
+Added: these calculations, there are indirect costs that impact the Bitcoin Network’s total energy consumption, including the costs
+Added: of cooling the machines that perform these
+Added: calculations.
+Added: In recent months, due to these concerns around energy consumption, particularly as such concerns relate to public
+Added: utilities companies, various states and cities have implemented, or are considering implementing, moratoriums on Bitcoin mining
+Added: in their jurisdictions.
+Added: For example, in November 2022, New York imposed a two-year moratorium on new proof-of-work mining permits
+Added: at fossil fuel plants in the state.
+Added: A significant reduction in mining activity as a result of such actions could adversely affect
+Added: the security of the Bitcoin Network by making it easier for a malicious actor or botnet to manipulate the Blockchain, which could
+Added: adversely affect the value of the Units or the ability of the Trust to operate.
+Added: See “—If a malicious actor or botnet
+Added: obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network, or otherwise obtains control over the Bitcoin
Network through its influence over core developers or otherwise, such actor or botnet could manipulate the Blockchain to adversely
affect an investment in the Shares or the ability of the Trust to operate.”
+Added: The failure of several prominent
+Added: crypto trading venues and lending platforms has impacted and may continue to impact the broader crypto economy, which could have
+Added: an adverse impact on the Trust.
+Added: Although the Trust has
+Added: no direct exposure to any of the digital asset market participants that recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, such as Celsius
+Added: Network (other than as a significant investor in the Trust), FTX or BlockFi Inc.
+Added: (“BlockFi”), it may not be immune
+Added: to unfavorable investor sentiment resulting from these recent events or other developments in the broader digital asset market.
+Added: The Trust may also be negatively affected by further developments in the broader digital asset market, including, but not limited
+Added: to, through indirect exposure to third-party market participants that have:
+Added: for bankruptcy, been decreed insolvent or bankrupt, made any assignment for the benefit
+Added: of creditors, or have had a receiver appointed for them;
+Added: experienced excessive redemptions or suspended redemptions or withdrawals of digital
+Added: the digital assets of their customers unaccounted for;
+Added: experienced material corporate compliance failures.
+Added: As a result of any direct
+Added: or indirect exposure to adverse developments in the broader digital asset market, the Trust may be exposed to the risk of reputational
Risk Factors Related to the Bitcoin
−Removed: The value of the Units relates
−Removed: directly to the value of Bitcoins, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a number of factors.
−Removed: The value of the
−Removed: Units relates directly to the value of the Bitcoins held by the Trust and fluctuations in the price of Bitcoin could adversely
−Removed: affect the value of the Units.
+Added: The value of the Units relates directly
+Added: to the value of Bitcoins, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a number of factors.
+Added: The value of the Units
+Added: relates directly to the value of the Bitcoins held by the Trust and fluctuations in the price of Bitcoin could adversely affect
+Added: the value of the Units.
The market price of Bitcoin may be highly volatile, and subject to a number of factors, including:
1 unchanged sentence
Manipulative trading activity on Bitcoin exchanges, which are largely unregulated;
−Removed: The adoption of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, store-of-value or other consumptive asset and the maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the Bitcoin Network;
+Added: The adoption of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, store-of-value or other
+Added: consumptive asset and the maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the Bitcoin Network;
Forks in the Bitcoin Network;
−Removed: Investors’ expectations with respect to interest rates, the rates of inflation of fiat currencies or Bitcoin and digital asset exchange rates;
+Added: Investors’ expectations with respect to interest rates, the rates of inflation of fiat
+Added: currencies or Bitcoin, and digital asset exchange rates;
Consumer preferences and perceptions of Bitcoin specifically and digital assets generally;
1 unchanged sentence
The liquidity of Bitcoin markets;
−Removed: Investment and trading activities of large investors that invest directly or indirectly in Bitcoin;
−Removed: A “short squeeze” resulting from speculation on the price of Bitcoin, if aggregate short exposure exceeds the number of Units available for purchase;
+Added: Investment and trading activities of large investors that invest directly or indirectly in
+Added: A “short squeeze” resulting from speculation on the price of Bitcoin, if aggregate
+Added: short exposure exceeds the number of Units available for purchase;
An active derivatives market for Bitcoin or for digital assets generally;
−Removed: Monetary policies of governments, trade restrictions, currency devaluations and revaluations and regulatory measures or enforcement actions, if any, that restrict the use of Bitcoin as a form of payment or the purchase of Bitcoin on the Bitcoin markets;
+Added: Monetary policies of governments, trade restrictions, currency devaluations and revaluations
+Added: and regulatory measures or enforcement actions, if any, that restrict the use of Bitcoin as a form of payment or the purchase
+Added: of Bitcoin on the Bitcoin markets;
Global or regional political, economic or financial conditions, events and situations;
−Removed: Fees associated with processing a Bitcoin transaction and the speed at which Bitcoin transactions are settled;
+Added: Events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments
+Added: that impact financial institutions, counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial
+Added: services industry generally, or concerns about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, such as the recent events
+Added: involving the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) decision to place Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank
+Added: into receivership;
+Added: Fees associated with processing a Bitcoin transaction and the speed at which Bitcoin transactions
Interruptions in service from or failures of major Bitcoin exchanges;
−Removed: Decreased confidence in Bitcoin exchanges due to the unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Bitcoin exchanges;
+Added: Decreased confidence in Bitcoin exchanges due to the unregulated nature and
+Added: lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Bitcoin exchanges, and the failure of several prominent crypto trading
+Added: venues and lending platforms, such as FTX, Celsius Networks, Voyager and Three Arrows Capital in 2022;
Increased competition from other forms of digital assets or payment services;
−Removed: The Trust’s own acquisitions or dispositions of Bitcoin, since there is no limit on the number of Bitcoin that the Trust may acquire.
−Removed: In addition, there
−Removed: is no assurance that Bitcoin will maintain its value in the long or intermediate term.
+Added: Correlation between the prices of Bitcoin and other digital assets, a decrease
+Added: in the price of other digital assets, including as a result of a crash in one or more digital assets or platforms, such as
+Added: the May 2022 crash of the stablecoin Terra USD or widespread defaults on digital asset exchanges, trading venues or lending
+Added: platforms, such as the crash and subsequent filing for bankruptcy protection of the digital asset lending platform Celsius
+Added: The Trust’s own acquisitions or dispositions of Bitcoin, since there
+Added: is no limit on the number of Bitcoin that the Trust may acquire.
+Added: In addition, there is
+Added: no assurance that Bitcoin will maintain its value in the long or intermediate term.
In the event that the price of Bitcoin declines,
13 unchanged sentences
The 30-day price volatility equals the annualized standard deviation of the relative price
−Removed: change for the 30 most recent trading days closing price, expressed as a percentage.
+Added: change for the 30 most recent trading days closing price, expressed as a percentage (source:
Bitcoin has experienced
significant price fluctuations, such as its historic decline of over $19,000 to less than $3,200 from December 2017 to December
−Removed: 2018, and the price decline from over $59,000 to less than $34,000 during the period from May 7, 2021 to May 28, 2021.
+Added: 2018, the price decline from over $59,000 to less than $34,000 during the period from May 7, 2021 to May 28, 2021, and the price
+Added: decline from over $47,000 to less than $19,000 during the period from January 1, 2022 to June 18, 2022.
As of December 31, 2022,
2 unchanged sentences
Over the past five years, Bitcoin’s
−Removed: rolling 30-day annualized volatility has averaged 65% with a maximum value of 160% on December 26, 2017 and a minimum value of
+Added: rolling 30-day annualized volatility has averaged 61% with a maximum value of 134.14% on April 2, 2020 and a minimum value of 18.99%
on July 26, 2020.
−Removed: Bitcoin has and may continue to experience rapid changes in volatility depending
−Removed: on market conditions.
−Removed: For example, in May of 2021, Bitcoin’s volatility transitioned from a volatility range of 39% to over
−Removed: 100% by June of 2021, where it stayed for 23 consecutive days.
−Removed: Due to the unregulated nature
−Removed: and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Bitcoin exchanges, they may experience fraud, security failures or operational
−Removed: problems, which may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and, consequently, the value of the Units.
−Removed: Bitcoin exchanges
−Removed: are relatively new and, in some cases, unregulated.
−Removed: Many trading platforms for digital assets are not subject to regulation to
−Removed: the same extent or in the same manner as other regulated trading platforms, such as Listing Exchanges or designated contract markets
+Added: Bitcoin has and may continue to experience rapid changes in volatility depending on market
+Added: For example, in May of 2021, Bitcoin’s volatility transitioned from a volatility range of 39% to over 100% by
+Added: June of 2021, where it stayed for 23 consecutive days.
+Added: Due to the unregulated nature and
+Added: lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Bitcoin exchanges, they may experience fraud, business failures, security failures
+Added: or operational problems, which may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and, consequently, the value of the Units.
+Added: Bitcoin exchanges are
+Added: relatively new and, in some cases, unregulated.
+Added: Many trading platforms for digital assets are not subject to regulation to the
+Added: same extent or in the same manner as other regulated trading platforms, such as Listing Exchanges or designated contract markets
that face a variety of federal standards for fair access, cybersecurity and other areas of regulation.
Bitcoin is susceptible to
−Removed: dissemination of false or misleading
−Removed: information regarding material non-public information related to:
−Removed: the actions of regulators with respect to Bitcoin;
−Removed: such as plans of market participants to significantly increase or decrease their holdings in Bitcoin;
−Removed: new sources of demand, such
−Removed: as new ETPs that would hold Bitcoin;
−Removed: or the decision of a Bitcoin-based ETP, a Bitcoin trading venue, or a Bitcoin wallet service
−Removed: provider with respect to how it would respond to a “fork” in the blockchain, which would create two different, non-interchangeable
−Removed: types of Bitcoin.
−Removed: Bitcoin trading activity is dispersed across markets and over-the-counter transactions worldwide, and there is
−Removed: no centralized, regulatory data source for Bitcoin trading statistics.
−Removed: Furthermore, while many prominent Bitcoin exchanges provide
−Removed: the public with significant information regarding their ownership structure, management teams, corporate practices and regulatory
−Removed: compliance, many Bitcoin exchanges do not provide this information.
−Removed: As a result, the marketplace may lose confidence in Bitcoin
−Removed: exchanges, including prominent exchanges that handle a significant volume of Bitcoin trading.
+Added: the dissemination of false or misleading information regarding material non-public information related to:
+Added: the actions of regulators
+Added: with respect to Bitcoin;
+Added: order flow, such as plans of market participants to significantly increase or decrease their holdings
+Added: new sources of demand, such as new exchange-traded products (“ETPs”) that would hold Bitcoin;
+Added: or the decision
+Added: of a Bitcoin-based ETP, a Bitcoin trading venue, or a Bitcoin wallet service provider with respect to how it would respond to a
+Added: fork in the blockchain, which would create two different, non-interchangeable types of Bitcoin.
+Added: Bitcoin trading activity is dispersed
+Added: across markets and over-the-counter transactions worldwide, and there is no centralized, regulatory data source for Bitcoin trading
+Added: Furthermore, while many prominent Bitcoin exchanges provide the public with significant information regarding their
+Added: ownership structure, management teams, corporate practices and regulatory compliance, many Bitcoin exchanges do not provide this
+Added: The Trust is not in a position to determine the extent to which the Bitcoin exchanges included in the Index are in
+Added: compliance with regulatory requirements, as those exchanges are not affiliated with or managed by the Trust of the Sponsor.
+Added: a result, the marketplace may lose confidence in Bitcoin exchanges, including prominent exchanges that handle a significant volume
+Added: of Bitcoin trading.
For example, in 2019
−Removed: 2019 there were reports claiming that 80-95% of Bitcoin trading volume on Bitcoin exchanges was false or non-economic in nature,
−Removed: with specific focus on unregulated exchanges located outside of the U.S.
+Added: there were reports claiming that 80%-95% of Bitcoin trading volume on Bitcoin exchanges was false or non-economic in nature, with
+Added: specific focus on unregulated exchanges located outside of the U.S.
Such reports may indicate that the Bitcoin exchange market
4 unchanged sentences
or manipulative acts and practices, could adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and/or negatively affect the market perception
−Removed: In addition, over
−Removed: the past several years, some Bitcoin exchanges have been closed due to fraud and manipulative activity, business failure or security
−Removed: In many of these instances, the customers of such Bitcoin exchanges were not compensated or made whole for the partial
−Removed: or complete losses of their account balances in such Bitcoin exchanges.
−Removed: While smaller Bitcoin exchanges are less likely to have
−Removed: the infrastructure and capitalization that make larger Bitcoin exchanges more stable, larger Bitcoin exchanges are more likely
−Removed: to be appealing targets for hackers and malware and may be more likely to be targets of regulatory enforcement action.
−Removed: the collapse of Mt.
−Removed: Gox, which filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan in late February 2014, demonstrated that even the largest
−Removed: Bitcoin exchanges could be subject to abrupt failure with consequences for both users of Bitcoin exchanges and the Bitcoin industry
−Removed: In particular, in the two weeks that followed the February 7, 2014 halt of Bitcoin withdrawals from Mt.
−Removed: Gox, the value
−Removed: of one Bitcoin fell on other exchanges from around $795 on February 6, 2014 to $578 on February 20, 2014.
−Removed: Additionally, in January
−Removed: 2015, Bitstamp announced that approximately 19,000 Bitcoin had been stolen from its operational or “hot” wallets.
+Added: In addition, over the
+Added: past several years, some Bitcoin exchanges have been closed due to fraud and manipulative activity, business failure or security breaches.
+Added: these instances, the customers of such Bitcoin exchanges were not compensated or made whole for the partial or complete losses
+Added: of their account balances in such Bitcoin exchanges.
+Added: While smaller Bitcoin exchanges are less likely to have the infrastructure
+Added: and capitalization that make larger Bitcoin exchanges more stable, larger Bitcoin exchanges are more likely to be appealing targets
+Added: for hackers and malware and may be more likely to be targets of regulatory enforcement action.
+Added: For example, the collapse of Mt.
+Added: Gox, which filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan in late February 2014, demonstrated that even the largest Bitcoin exchanges
+Added: could be subject to abrupt failure with consequences for both users of Bitcoin exchanges and the Bitcoin industry as a whole.
+Added: particular, in the two weeks that followed the February 7, 2014 halt of Bitcoin withdrawals from Mt.
+Added: Gox, the value of one Bitcoin
+Added: fell on other exchanges from around $795 on February 6, 2014 to $578 on February 20, 2014.
+Added: Additionally, in January 2015, BitStamp
+Added: announced that approximately 19,000 Bitcoin had been stolen from its operational or “hot” digital wallets.
in August 2016, it was reported that almost 120,000 Bitcoins worth around $78 million were stolen from Bitfinex, a large Bitcoin
−Removed: The value of Bitcoin immediately decreased over 10% following reports of the theft at Bitfinex and the Units suffered
−Removed: a corresponding decrease in value.
−Removed: In July 2017, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) assessed a $110
−Removed: million fine against BTC-E, a now defunct Bitcoin exchange, for facilitating crimes such as drug sales and ransomware attacks.
−Removed: In addition, in December 2017, Yapian, the operator of Seoul-based cryptocurrency exchange Youbit, suspended digital asset trading
−Removed: and filed for bankruptcy following a hack that resulted in a loss of 17% of Yapian’s assets.
−Removed: Following the hack, Youbit users
−Removed: were allowed to withdraw approximately 75% of the digital assets in their exchange accounts, with any potential further distributions
−Removed: to be made following Yapian’s pending bankruptcy proceedings.
−Removed: In addition, in January 2018, the Japanese digital asset exchange,
−Removed: Coincheck, was hacked, resulting in losses of approximately $535 million, and in February 2018, the Italian digital asset exchange,
−Removed: Bitgrail, was hacked, resulting in approximately $170 million in losses.
−Removed: Most recently in May 2019, one of the world’s largest
−Removed: Bitcoin exchanges, Binance, was hacked, resulting in losses of approximately $40 million.
+Added: The value of Bitcoin
+Added: immediately decreased over 10% following reports of the theft at Bitfinex and the Units suffered a corresponding decrease in value.
+Added: In July 2017, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) assessed a $110 million fine against BTC-E, a now
+Added: defunct Bitcoin exchange, for facilitating crimes such as drug sales and ransomware attacks.
+Added: In addition, in December 2017, Yapian,
+Added: the operator of Seoul-based cryptocurrency exchange Youbit, suspended digital asset trading and filed for bankruptcy following
+Added: a hack that resulted in a loss of 17% of Yapian’s assets.
+Added: Following the hack, Youbit users were allowed to withdraw approximately
+Added: 75% of the digital assets in their exchange accounts, with any potential further distributions to be made following Yapian’s
+Added: pending bankruptcy proceedings.
+Added: In addition, in January 2018, the Japanese digital asset exchange, Coincheck, was hacked, resulting
+Added: in losses of approximately $535 million, and in February 2018, the Italian digital asset exchange, Bitgrail, was hacked, resulting
+Added: in approximately $170 million in losses.
+Added: Most recently in May 2019, one of the world’s largest Bitcoin exchanges, Binance,
+Added: was hacked, resulting in losses of approximately $40 million.
Negative perception,
−Removed: a lack of stability in the Bitcoin markets and the closure or temporary shutdown of Bitcoin exchanges due to fraud, business failure,
−Removed: hackers or malware, or government-mandated regulation may reduce confidence in the Bitcoin Network and result in greater volatility
−Removed: in the prices of Bitcoin.
−Removed: Furthermore, the closure or temporary shutdown of a Bitcoin exchange used in calculating the Bitcoin
−Removed: Market Price may result in a loss of confidence in the Trust’s ability to determine its Bitcoin Holdings on a daily basis.
−Removed: These potential consequences of such a Bitcoin exchange’s failure could adversely affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: Competition from the emergence
−Removed: or growth of other digital assets or methods of investing in Bitcoin could have a negative impact on the price of Bitcoin and adversely
+Added: a lack of stability, and standardized regulation in the Bitcoin markets and the closure or temporary shutdown of Bitcoin exchanges
+Added: due to fraud, business failure, hackers or malware, or government-mandated regulation may reduce confidence in the Bitcoin Network
+Added: and result in greater volatility in the prices of Bitcoin.
+Added: Furthermore, the closure or temporary shutdown of a Bitcoin exchange
+Added: used in calculating the Bitcoin Market Price may result in a loss of confidence in the Trust’s ability to determine its NAV
+Added: on a daily basis.
+Added: These potential consequences of such a Bitcoin exchange’s failure could adversely affect the value of the
+Added: Recent developments in the digital
+Added: asset economy have led to extreme volatility and disruption in digital asset markets, a loss of confidence in participants of the
+Added: digital asset ecosystem, significant negative publicity surrounding digital assets broadly and market-wide declines in liquidity.
+Added: Beginning in the fourth
+Added: quarter of 2021 and continuing throughout 2022, digital asset prices began falling precipitously.
+Added: This has led to volatility and
+Added: disruption in the digital asset markets and financial difficulties for several prominent industry participants, including
+Added: asset exchanges, hedge funds and lending platforms.
+Added: For example, in the first half of 2022, digital asset lenders Celsius Network
+Added: LLC and Voyager Digital Ltd.
+Added: and digital asset hedge fund Three Arrows Capital each declared bankruptcy.
+Added: This resulted in a loss
+Added: of confidence in participants in the digital asset ecosystem, negative publicity surrounding digital assets more broadly and market-wide
+Added: declines in digital asset trading prices and liquidity.
+Added: Thereafter, in November
+Added: 2022, FTX, the third largest digital asset exchange by volume at the time, halted customer withdrawals amid rumors of the company’s
+Added: liquidity issues and likely insolvency.
+Added: Shortly thereafter, FTX’s CEO resigned and FTX and several affiliates of FTX filed
+Added: for bankruptcy.
+Added: Department of Justice (“DOJ”) subsequently brought criminal charges, including charges of
+Added: fraud, violations of federal securities laws, money laundering, and campaign finance offenses, against FTX’s former CEO and
+Added: FTX is also under investigation by the SEC, the DOJ, and the CFTC, as well as by various regulatory authorities in the
+Added: Bahamas, Europe and other jurisdictions.
+Added: In response to these events, the digital asset markets have experienced extreme price
+Added: volatility and declines in liquidity, and regulatory and enforcement scrutiny has increased, including from the DOJ, the SEC, the
+Added: CFTC, the White House and Congress.
+Added: In addition, several other entities in the digital asset industry filed for bankruptcy following
+Added: FTX’s bankruptcy filing, such as BlockFi and Genesis Global Capital, LLC.
+Added: The SEC also brought charges against Genesis Global
+Added: Capital, LLC and Gemini Trust Company, LLC on January 12, 2023 for their alleged unregistered offer and sale of securities to retail
+Added: These events have led
+Added: to significant negative publicity around digital asset market participants.
+Added: This publicity could negatively impact the reputation
+Added: of the Sponsor and have an adverse effect on the trading price and/or the value of the Units.
+Added: Moreover, sales of a significant
+Added: number of Units of the Trust as a result of these events could have a negative impact on the trading of the Units.
+Added: These events are continuing
+Added: 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
+Added: Trust, their affiliates and/or the Trust’s third-party service providers, or on the digital asset industry as a whole.
+Added: Continued disruption
+Added: and instability in the digital asset markets as these events develop, including further declines in the trading prices and liquidity
+Added: of Bitcoin, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Units and the Units could lose all or substantially all of
+Added: Competition from the emergence or
+Added: growth of other digital assets or methods of investing in Bitcoin could have a negative impact on the price of Bitcoin and adversely
affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: Bitcoin was the first digital asset
−Removed: to gain global adoption and critical mass, and as a result, it has a “first to market” advantage over other digital
−Removed: As of March 8, 2022, Bitcoin was the largest digital asset by market capitalization and had the largest user base and largest
−Removed: combined mining power.
−Removed: Despite this first to market advantage, as of as of March 8, 2022 there were over 9,000 alternative digital
−Removed: assets tracked by CoinMarketCap.com, having a total market-capitalization of approximately $2 trillion (including the approximately
−Removed: $800 billion market cap of Bitcoin), as calculated using market prices and total available supply of each digital asset.
−Removed: many consortiums and financial institutions are also researching and investing resources into private or permissioned blockchain
−Removed: platforms rather than open platforms like the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: Competition from the emergence or growth of alternative digital
−Removed: assets could have a negative impact on the demand for, and price of, Bitcoin and thereby adversely affect the value of the Units.
+Added: Bitcoin was the first
+Added: digital asset to gain global adoption and critical mass, and as a result, it has a “first to market” advantage over
+Added: other digital assets.
+Added: As of January 6, 2023, Bitcoin was the largest digital asset by market capitalization and had the largest
+Added: user base and largest combined mining power.
+Added: Despite this first to market advantage, as of January 6, 2023, there were over 8,000
+Added: alternative digital assets tracked by CoinMarketCap.com, having a total market-capitalization of approximately $825 billion (including
+Added: the approximately $326 billion market cap of Bitcoin), as calculated using market prices and total available supply of each digital
+Added: In addition, many consortiums and financial institutions are also researching and investing resources into private or permissioned
+Added: blockchain platforms rather than open platforms like the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: Competition from the emergence or growth of alternative
+Added: digital assets could have a negative impact on the demand for, and price of, Bitcoin and thereby adversely affect the value of
Investors may invest
3 unchanged sentences
financial vehicles or to invest in Bitcoin directly, which could limit the market for, and reduce the liquidity of, the Units.
−Removed: In addition, to
−Removed: the extent digital asset financial
−Removed: vehicles other than the Trust tracking the price of Bitcoin are formed and represent a significant proportion of the demand for
−Removed: Bitcoin, large purchases or redemptions of the securities of these digital asset financial vehicles, or private funds holding Bitcoin,
−Removed: could negatively affect the Bitcoin Market Price, the Bitcoin Holdings, the price of the Units, the NAV and the NAV per Unit.
+Added: In addition, to the extent digital asset financial vehicles other than the Trust tracking the price of Bitcoin are formed and represent
+Added: a significant proportion of the demand for Bitcoin, large purchases or redemptions of the securities of these digital asset financial
+Added: vehicles, or private funds holding Bitcoin, could negatively affect the Bitcoin Market Price, the price of the Units, the NAV and
+Added: the NAV per Unit.
Failure of funds that hold digital
1 unchanged sentence
adversely affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: There have been
−Removed: a growing a number of attempts to list on national securities exchanges the shares of funds that hold digital assets or that have
−Removed: exposures to digital assets through derivatives.
−Removed: These investment vehicles attempt to provide institutional and retail investors
−Removed: exposure to markets for digital assets and related products.
+Added: There have been a growing
+Added: number of attempts to list on national securities exchanges the shares of funds that hold digital assets or that have exposures
+Added: to digital assets through derivatives.
+Added: These investment vehicles attempt to provide institutional and retail investors exposure
+Added: to markets for digital assets and related products.
The SEC has repeatedly denied such requests.
−Removed: On January 18, 2018,
−Removed: the SEC’s Division of Investment Management outlined several questions that sponsors would be expected to address before
−Removed: the SEC will consider granting approval for funds holding “substantial amounts” of cryptocurrencies or “cryptocurrency-related
−Removed: products.” The questions, which focus on specific requirements of the Investment Company Act, generally fall into one of
−Removed: five key areas:
−Removed: valuation, liquidity, custody, arbitrage and potential manipulation.
−Removed: The SEC has not explicitly stated whether
−Removed: each of the questions set forth would also need to be addressed by entities with similar products and investment strategies that
−Removed: instead pursue registered offerings under the Securities Act, although such entities would need to comply with the registration
−Removed: and prospectus disclosure requirements of the Securities Act.
+Added: On January 18, 2018, the SEC’s
+Added: Division of Investment Management outlined several questions that sponsors would be expected to address before the SEC will consider
+Added: granting approval for funds holding “substantial amounts” of cryptocurrencies or “cryptocurrency-related products.”
+Added: The questions, which focus on specific requirements of the Investment Company Act, generally fall into one of five key areas:
+Added: liquidity, custody, arbitrage and potential manipulation.
+Added: The SEC has not explicitly stated whether each of the questions set forth
+Added: would also need to be addressed by entities with similar products and investment strategies that instead pursue registered offerings
+Added: under the Securities Act, although such entities would need to comply with the registration and prospectus disclosure requirements
+Added: of the Securities Act.
+Added: Requests to list the shares of other funds on national securities exchanges have also been submitted to
+Added: Although the SEC approved several futures-based
+Added: Bitcoin ETFs in October 2021, it has not approved any requests to list
+Added: the shares of digital asset funds like the Trust to date.
+Added: The requests to list the shares of digital asset funds submitted by the
+Added: Chicago Board Options Exchange (“CBOE”) and the NYSE Arca in 2019 were withdrawn or received disapprovals.
+Added: Subsequently,
+Added: NYSE Arca and CBOE filed several new requests to list shares of various digital asset funds in 2021.
+Added: Several of those requests
+Added: were recently denied by the SEC in 2021 and to date in 2022.
The exchange listing of shares of digital asset funds would create
1 unchanged sentence
If exchange-listing requests are
−Removed: not approved by the SEC and the outstanding requests are ultimately denied by the SEC, increased investment interest by institutional
−Removed: or retail investors could fail to materialize, which could reduce the demand for digital assets generally and therefore adversely
+Added: not approved by the SEC and further requests are ultimately denied by the SEC, increased investment interest by institutional or
+Added: retail investors could fail to materialize, which could reduce the demand for digital assets generally and therefore adversely
affect the value of the Units.
−Removed: NAV may not correspond to the
−Removed: weighted-average market price of Bitcoin and, as a result, Units may be purchased (or redeemed, if ever permitted) at a value that
−Removed: differs from the secondary market price of the Units.
+Added: NAV may not always correspond to
+Added: the weighted-average market price of Bitcoin and, as a result, Units may be purchased (or redeemed, if ever permitted) at a value
+Added: that differs from the secondary market price of the Units.
The NAV of the Trust
5 unchanged sentences
security breaches or otherwise.
−Removed: Consequently, an investor may be able to purchase Units at a discount or a premium to the market
−Removed: trading price per Unit (if and when Units trade on a secondary trading market).
−Removed: This price difference may be due, in large part,
−Removed: but not exclusively, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Units are related, but
−Removed: not identical, to the supply and demand forces influencing the market price of Bitcoin.
−Removed: Unitholders also should note that the size
−Removed: of the Trust in terms of total Bitcoin held may change substantially over time and as Units are issued and redeemed (if ever permitted).
−Removed: Suspension or disruptions of
−Removed: market trading may adversely affect the value of units.
+Added: Consequently, an investor may be able to purchase Units from the Trust at a discount or a premium
+Added: to the market trading price per Unit (if and when Units trade on a secondary trading market).
+Added: This price difference may be due,
+Added: in large part, but not exclusively, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Units
+Added: are related, but not identical, to the supply and demand forces influencing the market price of Bitcoin.
+Added: Unitholders also should
+Added: note that the size of the Trust in terms of total Bitcoin held may change substantially over time and as Units are issued and redeemed
+Added: (if ever permitted).
+Added: Suspension or disruptions of market
+Added: trading may adversely affect the value of units.
On January 14, 2021,
6 unchanged sentences
for the Units may result in losses on an investment in the Trust at the time of disposition of Units.
−Removed: There can be no
−Removed: guarantee that an active trading market for the Units will develop or will be maintained.
−Removed: Even if an active trading market does
−Removed: develop, it may not provide significant liquidity, and the Units may not trade at prices advantageous to Unitholders.
−Removed: If a Unitholder
−Removed: wishes to sell Units at a time when no active market for such Units exists, the price received for the Units (assuming that the
−Removed: Unitholder is able to sell them) likely will be lower than the price a Unitholder would receive if an active market did exist and,
−Removed: accordingly, the Unitholder may suffer significant losses.
−Removed: The Trust’s acquisition
−Removed: and sale of Bitcoin may impact the supply and demand of Bitcoin, which may have a negative impact on the price of the Units.
−Removed: If the number of
−Removed: Bitcoin acquired by the Trust is large enough relative to global Bitcoin supply and demand, further issuances and redemptions (if
−Removed: any) of Units could have an impact on the supply of and demand for Bitcoin in a manner unrelated to other factors affecting the
−Removed: global market for Bitcoin.
−Removed: Such an impact could affect the Bitcoin Market Price, which would directly affect the price at which
−Removed: Units are quoted on the OTCQX or the price of future Units issued or redeemed (if permitted) by the Trust.
+Added: There can be no guarantee
+Added: that an active trading market for the Units will develop or will be maintained.
+Added: Even if an active trading market does develop, it may not provide
+Added: significant liquidity, and the Units may not trade at prices advantageous to Unitholders.
+Added: If a Unitholder wishes to sell Units
+Added: at a time when no active market for such Units exists, the price received for the Units (assuming that the Unitholder is able to
+Added: sell them) likely will be lower than the price a Unitholder would receive if an active market did exist and, accordingly, the Unitholder
+Added: may suffer significant losses.
+Added: The Trust’s acquisition and
+Added: sale of Bitcoin may impact the supply and demand of Bitcoin, which may have a negative impact on the price of the Units.
+Added: If the number of Bitcoin
+Added: acquired by the Trust is large enough relative to global Bitcoin supply and demand, further issuances and redemptions (if any)
+Added: of Units could have an impact on the supply of and demand for Bitcoin in a manner unrelated to other factors affecting the global
+Added: market for Bitcoin.
+Added: Such an impact could affect the Bitcoin Market Price, which would directly affect the price at which Units
+Added: are quoted on the OTCQX or the price of future Units issued or redeemed (if permitted) by the Trust.
A possible “short squeeze”
9 unchanged sentences
A short squeeze could lead to volatile price movements in the Units that are not directly correlated to the price of Bitcoin.
−Removed: The Trust’s buying and
−Removed: selling activity associated with the issuance and redemption (if any) of Units may adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: The Trust’s purchase of Bitcoin in connection with Unit issuance orders may cause the price of Bitcoin
−Removed: to increase, which will result in higher prices for the Units.
−Removed: The Trust’s Bitcoin is stored in “cold” storage
−Removed: with Coinbase Custody, and as a result any withdrawal and subsequent transaction request to Coinbase Custody by the Trust requires
−Removed: twenty-four (24) hour notice to process.
−Removed: Such time delay between the withdrawal request and processing of the withdrawal may negatively
−Removed: impact the price of the Bitcoin.
−Removed: Increases in the Bitcoin prices may also occur as a result of Bitcoin purchases by other market
−Removed: participants who attempt to benefit from an increase in the market price of Bitcoin when Units are issued.
−Removed: The market price of
−Removed: Bitcoin may therefore decline immediately after Units are issued.
−Removed: Selling activity associated with sales of Bitcoin from the Trust
−Removed: in connection with redemption orders may decrease the Bitcoin prices, which will result in lower prices for the Units.
−Removed: in Bitcoin prices may also occur as a result of selling activity by other market participants.
−Removed: In addition to the effect that purchases
−Removed: and sales of Bitcoin by the Trust may have on the price of Bitcoin, other exchange-traded products with similar investment objectives
−Removed: could represent a substantial portion of demand for Bitcoin at any given time and the sales and purchases by such investment vehicles
−Removed: may impact the price of Bitcoin.
+Added: The Trust’s buying and selling
+Added: activity associated with the issuance and redemption (if any) of Units may adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: The Trust’s purchase
+Added: of Bitcoin in connection with Unit issuance orders may cause the price of Bitcoin to increase, which will result in higher prices
+Added: for the Units.
+Added: The Trust’s Bitcoin is stored in “cold” storage with Coinbase Custody, and as a result any withdrawal
+Added: subsequent transaction request to Coinbase Custody by the Trust requires twenty-four (24) hour notice to process.
+Added: delay between the withdrawal request and processing of the withdrawal may negatively impact the price of the Bitcoin.
+Added: in the Bitcoin prices may also occur as a result of Bitcoin purchases by other market participants who attempt to benefit from
+Added: an increase in the market price of Bitcoin when Units are issued.
+Added: The market price of Bitcoin may therefore decline immediately
+Added: after Units are issued.
+Added: Selling activity associated with sales of Bitcoin from the Trust in connection with redemption orders may
+Added: decrease the Bitcoin prices, which will result in lower prices for the Units.
+Added: Decreases in Bitcoin prices may also occur as a result
+Added: of selling activity by other market participants.
+Added: In addition to the effect that purchases and sales of Bitcoin by the Trust may
+Added: have on the price of Bitcoin, other exchange-traded products with similar investment objectives could represent a substantial portion
+Added: of demand for Bitcoin at any given time and the sales and purchases by such investment vehicles may impact the price of Bitcoin.
If the price of Bitcoin declines, the trading price of the Units will generally also decline.
−Removed: Difficulties or limitations in
−Removed: the processes of issuance and redemption (if any) of Units may interfere with opportunities for arbitrage transactions intended
−Removed: to keep the price of the Units closely linked to the price of Bitcoin, which may adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: If the processes
−Removed: of issuance and trading of the Units encounter any unanticipated difficulties, potential market participants who would otherwise
−Removed: be willing to purchase or redeem Units to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price
+Added: Difficulties or limitations in the
+Added: processes of issuance and redemption (if any) of Units may interfere with opportunities for arbitrage transactions intended to
+Added: keep the price of the Units closely linked to the price of Bitcoin, which may adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: If the processes of
+Added: issuance and trading of the Units encounter any unanticipated difficulties, potential market participants who would otherwise be
+Added: willing to purchase or redeem Units to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price
of the Units and the price of the underlying Bitcoin may not take the risk that, as a result of those difficulties, they may not
13 unchanged sentences
Information about the Trust’s historical trading prices,
−Removed: including its premiums is located on page 50 under “Secondary Market Trading.”
+Added: including its premiums is located under “Secondary Market Trading.”
Disruptions at OTC trading desks
12 unchanged sentences
and potential consequences of a Bitcoin exchange’s failure could adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: Bitcoin exchanges
−Removed: operate websites on which users can trade Bitcoin for U.S.
−Removed: dollars, other government currencies and other cryptocurrencies.
+Added: Bitcoin exchanges operate
+Added: websites on which users can trade Bitcoin for U.S.
+Added: dollars, currencies of other governments and other cryptocurrencies.
on Bitcoin exchanges are unrelated to transfers of Bitcoin between users via the Bitcoin network.
12 unchanged sentences
Bitcoin exchanges are an important part of the Bitcoin industry.
−Removed: Bitcoin exchanges
−Removed: have a limited history.
−Removed: Since 2009, several Bitcoin exchanges have been closed or experienced disruptions due to fraud, failure,
−Removed: security breaches or distributed denial of service attacks, a/k/a “DDoS Attacks.” In many of these instances, the customers
+Added: Bitcoin exchanges have
+Added: a limited history.
+Added: Since 2009, several Bitcoin exchanges have been closed or experienced disruptions due to fraud, failure, security
+Added: breaches or distributed denial of service attacks, a/k/a “DDoS Attacks.” In many of these instances, the customers
of such exchanges were not compensated or made whole for the partial or complete losses of their funds, Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies
held at the exchanges.
−Removed: largest Bitcoin exchange at the time, Mt.
−Removed: Gox, filed for bankruptcy in Japan amid reports the exchange lost up to 850,000 Bitcoin,
−Removed: valued then at over $450 million.
−Removed: Bitcoin exchanges are also appealing targets for hackers and malware.
−Removed: In August 2016, Bitfinex,
−Removed: an exchange located in Hong Kong, reported a security breach that resulted in the theft of approximately 120,000 Bitcoin valued
−Removed: at the time at approximately $72 million, a loss which was allocated to all Bitfinex account holders (rather than just specified
−Removed: holders whose wallets were affected directly), regardless of whether the account holder held Bitcoin or cash in their account.
−Removed: In February 2017 following a statement by the People’s Bank of China, China’s three largest exchanges (BTCC, Huobi
−Removed: and OKCoin) suspended withdrawals of users’ Bitcoin.
−Removed: Although withdrawals were permitted to resume in late May 2017, Chinese
−Removed: regulators in September 2017 issued a directive to Chinese exchanges to cease operations with respect to Chinese users by September
−Removed: In July 2017, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) and the U.S.
−Removed: Department of Justice levied
−Removed: a $110 million fine and an indictment against BTC-e, another Bitcoin exchange and one of its operators for financial crimes.
−Removed: Department of Justice also seized the Internet domain of the exchange.
−Removed: Similar to the outcome of the Bitfinex breach, losses due
−Removed: to assets seized by FinCEN were allocated among exchange users.
−Removed: In addition, it has been reported that Bitcoin exchange Coincheck
−Removed: lost approximately $500 million to hackers in 2018 and that Bitcoin exchange Binance lost approximately $40 million to hackers
−Removed: The potential for instability of Bitcoin exchanges and the closure or temporary shutdown of exchanges due to fraud, business
−Removed: failure, hackers, DDoS or malware, or government-mandated regulation may reduce confidence in Bitcoin, which may result in greater
−Removed: volatility in the Bitcoin Market Price.
−Removed: Because the Trust
−Removed: relies on the 4:00 p.m., New York time price of Bitcoin traded on Coinbase Pro to determine the Bitcoin Market Price, which is
−Removed: the basis for both the Trust’s NAV and reference for evaluating whether the Trust is achieving its investment objective,
−Removed: any disruption to Coinbase Pro’s operations affecting the ability to trade or the Trust’s ability to value Bitcoin
−Removed: could negatively affect trading in the Trust’s Units and the ability to determine the Trust’s NAV per Unit, both during
−Removed: the disruption and until the impact of the disruption is absorbed by the marketplace.
−Removed: Moreover, because Coinbase Pro is not regulated
−Removed: as a national securities exchange by the SEC or otherwise as an exchange by a federal regulator, there may be greater risk in relying
−Removed: on Coinbase Pro as the reference for the Bitcoin Market Price which used for the Trust’s NAV.
−Removed: For example, there may be greater
−Removed: risk of price fluctuations, front running and price manipulation than if Coinbase Pro were regulated as an exchange, Coinbase Pro
−Removed: is also a relatively new market, having started operations less than ten years ago, and it could be subject to more operational
−Removed: problems than more established, more highly regulated markets, such as national securities exchanges.
−Removed: Despite efforts
−Removed: to ensure accurate pricing, the Bitcoin Market Price and the price of Bitcoin generally, remains subject to volatility.
−Removed: Such volatility
−Removed: can adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: Momentum pricing of Bitcoin may
−Removed: subject the Bitcoin price to greater volatility and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: Momentum pricing
−Removed: typically is associated with growth stocks and other assets whose valuation, as determined by the investing public, accounts for
−Removed: anticipated future appreciation in value.
−Removed: The Sponsor believes that momentum pricing of Bitcoin has resulted, and may continue
−Removed: to result, in speculation regarding future appreciation in the value of Bitcoin, inflating and making more volatile the value of
−Removed: As a result, Bitcoin may be more likely to fluctuate in value due to changing investor confidence in future appreciation
−Removed: in the Bitcoin price, which could adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: Risk Factors Related to the Trust
−Removed: and the Units
+Added: In 2014, the largest Bitcoin exchange at the time, Mt.
+Added: Gox, filed for bankruptcy in Japan amid reports the
+Added: exchange lost up to 850,000 Bitcoin, valued then at over $450 million.
+Added: Bitcoin exchanges are also appealing targets for hackers
+Added: In August 2016, Bitfinex, an exchange located in Hong Kong, reported a security breach that resulted in the theft
+Added: of approximately 120,000 Bitcoin valued at the time at approximately $72 million, a loss which was allocated to all Bitfinex account
+Added: holders (rather than just specified holders whose digital wallets were affected directly), regardless of whether the account holder
+Added: held Bitcoin or cash in their account.
+Added: In February 2017 following a statement by the People’s Bank of China, China’s
+Added: three largest exchanges (BTCC, Huobi and OKCoin) suspended withdrawals of users’ Bitcoin.
+Added: Although withdrawals were permitted
+Added: to resume in late May 2017, Chinese regulators in September 2017 issued a directive to Chinese exchanges to cease operations with
+Added: respect to Chinese users by September 30, 2017.
+Added: In July 2017, FinCEN and the U.S.
+Added: Department of Justice levied a $110 million fine
+Added: and an indictment against BTC-e, another Bitcoin exchange and one of its operators for financial crimes.
+Added: The Department of Justice
+Added: also seized the Internet domain of the exchange.
+Added: Similar to the outcome of the Bitfinex breach, losses due to assets seized by
+Added: FinCEN were allocated among exchange users.
+Added: In addition, it has been reported that Bitcoin exchange Coincheck lost approximately
+Added: $500 million to hackers in 2018 and that Bitcoin exchange Binance lost approximately $40 million to hackers in 2019.
+Added: The potential
+Added: for instability of Bitcoin exchanges and the closure or temporary shutdown of exchanges due to fraud, business failure, hackers,
+Added: DDoS or malware, or government-mandated regulation may reduce confidence in Bitcoin, which may result in greater volatility in
+Added: the Bitcoin Market Price.
+Added: Because the Trust relies
+Added: on the 4:00 p.m., New York time price of Bitcoin traded on Coinbase Pro to determine the Bitcoin Market Price, which is the basis
+Added: for the Trust’s NAV, any disruption to Coinbase Pro’s operations affecting the Trust’s ability to value Bitcoin
+Added: could negatively affect the ability to determine the Trust’s NAV per Unit, both during the disruption and until the impact
+Added: of the disruption is absorbed by the marketplace.
+Added: Moreover, because Coinbase Pro is not regulated as a national securities exchange
+Added: by the SEC or otherwise as an exchange by a federal regulator, there may be greater risk in relying on Coinbase Pro as the reference
+Added: for the Bitcoin Market Price which used for the Trust’s NAV.
+Added: For example, there may be greater risk of price fluctuations,
+Added: front running and price manipulation than if Coinbase Pro were regulated as an exchange, Coinbase Pro is also a relatively new
+Added: market, having started operations fewer than ten years ago, and it could be subject to more operational problems than more established,
+Added: more highly regulated markets, such as national securities exchanges.
+Added: Despite efforts to ensure
+Added: accurate pricing, the Bitcoin Market Price and the price of Bitcoin generally, remains subject to volatility.
+Added: Such volatility can
+Added: adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: Momentum pricing of Bitcoin may subject
+Added: the Bitcoin price to greater volatility and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: Momentum pricing typically
+Added: is associated with growth stocks and other assets whose valuation, as determined by the investing public, accounts for anticipated
+Added: future appreciation in value.
+Added: The Sponsor believes that momentum pricing of Bitcoin has resulted, and may continue to result, in
+Added: speculation regarding future appreciation in the value of Bitcoin, inflating and making more volatile the value of a Bitcoin.
+Added: a result, Bitcoin may be more likely to fluctuate in value due to changing investor confidence in future appreciation in the Bitcoin
+Added: price, which could adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: Risk Factors Related to the Trust and
As the Sponsor and its management
have little history of operating the Trust, their experience may be inadequate or unsuitable to manage the Trust.
−Removed: The Sponsor has
−Removed: only a limited history of past performance in managing the Trust.
−Removed: Similarly, the Sponsor’s management has only a limited
−Removed: history of past performance in managing the Trust.
−Removed: The past performances of the Sponsor and management in other positions are no
−Removed: indication of their ability to manage an investment vehicle such as the Trust.
−Removed: If the experience of the Sponsor and its management
−Removed: is inadequate or unsuitable to manage an investment vehicle such as the Trust, the operations of the Trust may be adversely affected.
−Removed: The Trust has only a limited
−Removed: performance history.
−Removed: The Trust has only
−Removed: a limited operating history.
−Removed: Therefore, a potential Unitholder has little performance history, aside from the historical price
−Removed: of Bitcoin, to serve as a factor in evaluating an investment in the Trust.
−Removed: The Units are new securities
−Removed: and their value could decrease if unanticipated operational or trading problems arise.
−Removed: The mechanisms and
−Removed: procedures governing the issuance, redemption (if any) and offering of the Units have been developed specifically for the Trust.
−Removed: Consequently, there may be unanticipated problems or issues with respect to the mechanisms of the operations of the Trust and the
−Removed: trading of the Units, which could have a material adverse effect on an investment in the Units.
−Removed: In addition, to the extent that
−Removed: unanticipated operational or trading problems or issues arise, the Trust management’s past experience and qualifications
−Removed: may not be suitable for solving these problems or issues.
−Removed: Fees and expenses are charged
−Removed: regardless of profitability.
−Removed: Unitholders in the
−Removed: Trust will pay fees and expenses in connection with their investment in Units, including the Management Fee at an annualized rate
−Removed: of 0.49% of the average daily NAV of the Trust.
−Removed: The Sponsor will bear the routine operational, administrative and other ordinary
−Removed: fees and expenses of the Trust (the “Assumed Expenses”);
−Removed: provided, however, that the Trust shall be responsible for
−Removed: audit fees, index license fees, aggregate legal fees in excess of $50,000 per annum and the fees of the Custodian (the “Excluded
−Removed: Expenses”) and certain extraordinary expenses of the Trust, including but not limited to taxes and governmental charges,
−Removed: expenses and costs, expenses and indemnities related to any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other Service
−Removed: Provider, including the Trustee) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interest of Unitholders, indemnification expenses,
−Removed: fees and expenses related to public quotation on OTCQX (the “Extraordinary Expenses.”)
−Removed: The Trust qualifies as a “smaller reporting company” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting
−Removed: companies may make the Units less desirable.
−Removed: The Trust qualifies as a “smaller reporting company” under the rules of the SEC.
−Removed: As a smaller reporting company, the Trust will be able to take advantage of certain reduced disclosure requirements, such as reduced financial statement disclosure requirements permitting only two years of audited financial statements.
−Removed: Decreased disclosures in the Trust’s SEC filings due to its status as a smaller reporting company may make it harder for investors to analyze the Trust’s results of operations and financial prospects.
−Removed: The Trust cannot predict if investors will find the Trust’s units less attractive because of its smaller reporting company status and reduced disclosure.
+Added: The Sponsor has only
+Added: a limited history of past performance in managing the Trust.
+Added: Similarly, the Sponsor’s management has only a limited history
+Added: of past performance in managing the Trust.
+Added: The past performances of the Sponsor and management in other positions are no indication
+Added: of their ability to manage an investment vehicle such as the Trust.
+Added: If the experience of the Sponsor and its management is inadequate
+Added: or unsuitable to manage an investment vehicle such as the Trust, the operations of the Trust may be adversely affected.
+Added: Because of the lack of an ongoing
+Added: redemption program for Unitholders that invest directly into the Trust (as opposed to Unitholders who acquire Units in the public
+Added: secondary trading market) there is no arbitrage mechanism to keep the price of the Units closely linked to the value of the underlying
+Added: Bitcoin holdings held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, on any secondary trading market.
+Added: Because of the lack
+Added: of an ongoing redemption program for Unitholders that invest directly into the Trust, the Trust cannot rely on arbitrage opportunities
+Added: resulting from differences between the price of the Units and the price of Bitcoin.
+Added: As a result, the value of the Units may not
+Added: approximate, and the Units may trade at a substantial premium over, or discount to, the value of the Bitcoin holdings, less the
+Added: Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, on any secondary trading market.
+Added: Investors who purchase Units in the secondary market
+Added: that are trading at a substantial premium over, or discount to, the NAV per Unit may not be able to realize losses or gains if
+Added: the premium decreases, or discount increases, after the purchase of Units.
+Added: At times when the Units trade at a substantial premium
+Added: to the NAV per Unit, investors who purchase Units on OTCQX may pay substantially more for their Units than investors who purchase
+Added: Units in the private placements.
+Added: The Trust has only a limited performance
+Added: The Trust has only a
+Added: limited operating history.
+Added: Therefore, a potential Unitholder has little performance history, aside from the historical price of
+Added: Bitcoin, to serve as a factor in evaluating an investment in the Trust.
+Added: The value of the Units could decrease
+Added: if unanticipated operational or trading problems arise.
+Added: The mechanisms and procedures governing
+Added: the issuance, redemption (if any) and offering of the Units have been developed specifically for
+Added: Consequently, there
+Added: may be unanticipated problems or issues with respect to the mechanisms of the operations of the Trust and the trading of the Units,
+Added: which could have a material adverse effect on an investment in the Units.
+Added: In addition, to the extent that unanticipated operational
+Added: or trading problems or issues arise, the Trust management’s past experience and qualifications may not be suitable for solving
+Added: these problems or issues.
+Added: Substantial sales or dispositions
+Added: by a large Unitholder could negatively impact the price of our Units in the secondary market.
+Added: The market price of
+Added: our Units could decline as a result of substantial sales or dispositions of our Units by large Unitholders.
+Added: A large disposition
+Added: of Units may cause a negative perception of our Units in the market and could result in other Unitholders deciding to sell and
+Added: further disrupt the market price of our Units.
+Added: Fees and expenses are charged regardless
+Added: of profitability.
+Added: Unitholders in the Trust
+Added: will pay fees and expenses in connection with their investment in Units, including the Management Fee at an annualized rate of
+Added: 0.49% of the average daily NAV of the Trust.
+Added: The Sponsor will bear the Assumed Expenses;
+Added: provided, however, that the Trust shall
+Added: be responsible for the Excluded Expenses and the Extraordinary Expenses.
+Added: The Trust qualifies as a “smaller
+Added: reporting company” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies may make the Units less
+Added: The Trust qualifies
+Added: as a “smaller reporting company” under the rules of the SEC.
+Added: As a smaller reporting company, the Trust will be able
+Added: to take advantage of certain reduced disclosure requirements, such as reduced financial statement disclosure requirements permitting
+Added: only two years of audited financial statements.
+Added: Decreased disclosures in the Trust’s SEC filings due to its status as a smaller
+Added: reporting company may make it harder for investors to analyze the Trust’s results of operations and financial prospects.
+Added: The Trust cannot predict if investors will find the Trust’s units less attractive because of its smaller reporting company
+Added: status and reduced disclosure.
The security of our Bitcoin Holdings
1 unchanged sentence
The Trust’s Bitcoin
−Removed: holdings are held by a custodian subject to security methods and procedures designed to ensure the Trust’s control over
−Removed: those holdings and keep those holdings safe from unauthorized use, theft or other misuse.
−Removed: However, no security measures can provide
−Removed: assurance that the Trust’s Bitcoin holdings will not be affected by theft, misuse, cybersecurity breaches or other harms.
−Removed: FDAS was engaged to keep in safe custody the Trust’s digital assets
−Removed: for the period ended December 31, 2021 and until the Trust transferred its custodied digital assets to Coinbase Custody on March
−Removed: The Trust provided notice of termination if the Custodial Services Agreement to FDAS on March 11, 2022, which will go
−Removed: into effect on April 10, 2022.
−Removed: The Custodial Services Agreement that the Trust entered into with FDAS indicated that the Custodian
−Removed: was not liable for any loss that was caused, directly or indirectly, by any non-adherence by the Trust to the Custodian’s
−Removed: policies and procedures, any action taken by the Custodian , which in its sole discretion, may be necessary or advisable to secure
−Removed: the digital assets or accounts of the Trust or enhance the ability of the Custodian’s ability to secure the Trust’s
−Removed: assets or other exceptions (e.g., force majeure events) under the Custodial Services Agreement.
−Removed: In addition, although we may be
−Removed: entitled to indemnification for certain breaches of the Custodial Services Agreement or the loss or theft of our assets, securing
−Removed: recovery for any such losses may require us to devote substantial time and resources to the task, with no guarantee of success.
−Removed: The terms of the New Custodial Services Agreement also limit the liability of the custodian.
−Removed: In this respect, Coinbase Custody’s
−Removed: liability with respect to the Trust will never exceed the value of the Bitcoins on deposit in the digital asset account at the
−Removed: time of, and directly relating to, the events giving rise to the liability occurred, as determined in accordance with the New
−Removed: Custodial Services Agreement.
−Removed: In addition, the maximum liability with respect to each cold storage address is limited to $100,000,000.
−Removed: While the Trust has taken and will continue to take steps to secure its assets, the Trust’s assets are continuously subject
−Removed: to risks of theft, fraud and other security breaches, and some or all of the Trust’s assets may be lost or otherwise compromised
−Removed: as a result of such security breaches.
−Removed: FDAS held the Trust’s Bitcoin in an omnibus account, a portion of which is held in cold storage
−Removed: (i.e., offline, not connected to the Internet), and a portion of which is held in “hot” storage to facilitate transfer
−Removed: of the Bitcoin.
−Removed: FDAS did not disclose the amount of Bitcoin it held in cold storage versus hot storage, and the Trust did not have
−Removed: authority to direct the amount of Bitcoin the Custodian held in cold storage or hot storage.
−Removed: Amounts of Bitcoin maintained in hot
−Removed: storage are more vulnerable to loss and theft than Bitcoin maintained in cold storage.
−Removed: To the extent significant amounts of Bitcoin
−Removed: held on behalf of the Trust were in hot storage, the Trust’s risk of loss and theft may be greater than anticipated, as any
−Removed: such losses may not be recoverable by the Trust.
−Removed: Possibility of termination of
−Removed: the Trust may adversely affect a Unitholder’s portfolio.
−Removed: The Sponsor may
−Removed: terminate the Trust in its sole discretion upon the occurrence of certain events, and shall terminate the Trust upon the occurrence
−Removed: of certain other events.
−Removed: If this power is so exercised, Unitholders who may wish to continue to invest in Bitcoin through the Trust
−Removed: will have to find another vehicle, and may not be able to find another vehicle that offers the same features as the Trust.
−Removed: detrimental developments could cause a Unitholder to liquidate its investments and upset the overall maturity and timing of its
−Removed: investment portfolio.
−Removed: Any errors, discontinuance or
−Removed: changes in determining the value of the Bitcoin held by the Trust may have an adverse effect on the value of the Units.
−Removed: The Administrator
−Removed: will determine the NAV of the Trust and the NAV per Unit on a daily basis as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m., New York time
−Removed: on each Business Day.
+Added: holdings are held by a custodian subject to security methods and procedures designed to ensure the Trust’s control over those
+Added: holdings and keep those holdings safe from unauthorized use, theft or other misuse.
+Added: However, no security measures can provide assurance
+Added: that the Trust’s Bitcoin holdings will not be affected by theft, misuse, cybersecurity breaches or other harms.
+Added: engaged to keep in safe custody the Trust’s digital assets for the period ended December 31, 2021 and until the Trust transferred
+Added: its custodied digital assets to Coinbase Custody on March 10, 2022.
+Added: The Trust provided notice of termination of the custodial services
+Added: agreement with FDAS on March 11, 2022, which was effective on April 10, 2022.
+Added: The terms of the Custodial Services Agreement with
+Added: Coinbase Custody limit the liability of the custodian.
+Added: In this respect, Coinbase Custody’s liability with respect to the
+Added: Trust will never exceed the value of the Bitcoins on deposit in the digital asset account at the time of, and directly relating
+Added: to, the events giving rise to the liability occurred, as determined in accordance with the Custodial Services Agreement.
+Added: the maximum liability with respect to each cold storage address is limited to $100,000,000.
+Added: The Custodian is subject
+Added: to certain risks related and challenges, including cybersecurity risks such as ransomware, malicious code, destructive malware
+Added: and other hidden threats, fake antiviruses, spyware, phishing and other imposter style attacks.
+Added: The Custodian manages such risks through the Coinbase Global
+Added: Information Security Program Policy (“Information Security Policy”).
+Added: However, the Custodian may not be able to prevent
+Added: all illicit activity and may be the victim of a hack by illicit actors.
+Added: For example, between March and May 2021, illicit actors
+Added: gained unauthorized access to the accounts of Coinbase customers via an indeterminate method, where the illicit actors gained knowledge
+Added: of the email address, password, and phone number associated with certain Coinbase customer accounts.
+Added: With such information and
+Added: for customers who use SMS texts for two-factor authentication, the illicit actor took advantage of a flaw in Coinbase’s SMS
+Added: Account Recovery process in order to receive an SMS two-factor authentication token and gain access to the customer’s account.
+Added: At least 6,000 Coinbase customers had funds removed from their accounts.
+Added: The Custodian addresses such challenges by ensuring its
+Added: Information Security Policy is reviewed and updated at least annually, and which must be presented to the Board of Directors.
+Added: Custody’s cold storage solution has not had a publicly disclosed incident of, nor are we aware of any incident of, lost client
+Added: funds, to date.
+Added: While the Trust has taken and will continue to take steps to secure its assets, the Trust’s assets are continuously
+Added: subject to risks of theft, fraud and other security breaches, and some or all of the Trust’s assets may be lost or otherwise
+Added: compromised as a result of such security breaches.
+Added: The Custodian is not liable for any
+Added: lost profits or any special, incidental, indirect, intangible, or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with authorized
+Added: or unauthorized use of the Coinbase Custody site or the custodial services.
+Added: The Custodian and its
+Added: affiliates are not liable (a) for any amount greater than the value of Bitcoin on deposit in the Custodial Account at the time
+Added: of the events giving rise to the liability (the value of which shall be calculated at the average U.S.
+Added: dollar ask price, at the
+Added: time of the loss, of the three (3) largest exchanges (by trailing 30-day volume) which offer the relevant digital currency or digital
+Added: asset/USD trading pair, as relevant, subject to the per address limitation as described below) and/or (b) for any lost profits
+Added: or any special, incidental, indirect,
+Added: intangible, or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with authorized or unauthorized
+Added: use of the Coinbase Custody site or the custodial services.
+Added: The Custodian does not make any representations or warranties that
+Added: access to the site or any part of the custodial services will be continuous, uninterrupted, or timely;
+Added: be compatible or work with
+Added: any software, system or other services;
+Added: or be secure, complete, free of harmful code, or error-free.
+Added: The Custodian does not
+Added: bear any liability for any damage or interruptions caused by any computer viruses or other malware that may affect the Trust’s
+Added: computer or other equipment, or any phishing, spoofing or other attack, unless such damage or interruption directly resulted from
+Added: the Custodian’s gross negligence, fraud, or willful misconduct.
+Added: Such gross negligence, fraud, or willful misconduct will
+Added: be determined on a facts and circumstances basis and may include activity such as failing to timely react to a cybersecurity incident,
+Added: preventable fraudulent activity, and the willful misconduct of Coinbase Custody representative officers, directors, and employees.
+Added: In any case, the Custodian is not liable for any amount greater than the value of the Bitcoin holdings and its maximum liability
+Added: for each cold storage address is limited to $100,000,000.
+Added: The Trust does not maintain audit
+Added: or inspection rights under the Custodial Services Agreement, and as such our Bitcoin Holdings held in the custodial account cannot
+Added: be independently verified.
+Added: The Trust does not enjoy
+Added: audit or inspection rights under the Custodial Services Agreement and cannot independently verify the Bitcoin Holdings held in
+Added: the custodial account.
+Added: The Sponsor relies on the Custodian’s System and Organization Controls (“SOC”) reports
+Added: to provide assurances as to the existence of the Trust’s Bitcoin at the Custodian.
+Added: SOC reports are internal control evaluations
+Added: conducted by independent auditors.
+Added: SOC 1 reports broadly comment on controls and processes that impact financial statements and
+Added: SOC 2 reports comment on controls and processes that address the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality
+Added: SOC 1 and 2 reports can be subcategorized into Type I, which is an attestation of controls at a service organization
+Added: at specific point in time, and Type II, which is an attestation of controls as a service organization over a period of time.
+Added: Custodian engages an independent auditor to conduct both a SOC 1, Type II audit and a SOC 2, Type II audit.
+Added: Such reports cannot
+Added: specifically identify the existence of the Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings at the Custodian.
+Added: The Trust can use such reports to demonstrate
+Added: the existence of effective controls in place by the Custodian providing assurance and confidence in the Custodian’s service
+Added: delivery processes and controls for digital assets.
+Added: Possibility of termination of the
+Added: Trust may adversely affect a Unitholder’s portfolio.
+Added: The Sponsor may terminate
+Added: the Trust in its sole discretion upon the occurrence of certain events, and shall terminate the Trust upon the occurrence of certain
+Added: other events.
+Added: If this power is so exercised, Unitholders who may wish to continue to invest in Bitcoin through the Trust will have
+Added: to find another vehicle, and may not be able to find another vehicle that offers the same features as the Trust.
+Added: Such detrimental
+Added: developments could cause a Unitholder to liquidate its investments and upset the overall maturity and timing of its investment
+Added: Any errors, discontinuance or changes
+Added: in determining the value of the Bitcoin held by the Trust may have an adverse effect on the value of the Units.
+Added: The Administrator will
+Added: determine the NAV of the Trust and the NAV per Unit on a daily basis as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m., New York time on each
+Added: Business Day.
The Administrator’s determination will be made based on the Bitcoin Market Price.
−Removed: To the extent that
−Removed: such NAV or NAV per Unit is incorrectly calculated, there may be no liability for any error, but such misreporting of valuation
−Removed: data could adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: Unitholders may be adversely
−Removed: affected by redemption orders that are subject to postponement, suspension or rejection under certain circumstances.
−Removed: If redemptions of
−Removed: Units are ever permitted, the Sponsor may nevertheless, in its discretion, suspend the right of redemption or postpone the redemption
−Removed: settlement date if (i) the order is not in proper form as determined by the Trust or Sponsor, (ii) during an emergency as a result
−Removed: of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of Bitcoin is not reasonably practicable, or (iii) for such other period as the Sponsor
+Added: To the extent that such NAV
+Added: or NAV per Unit is incorrectly calculated, there may be no liability for any error, but such misreporting of valuation data could
+Added: adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: Unitholders may be adversely affected
+Added: by redemption orders that are subject to postponement, suspension, or rejection under certain circumstances.
+Added: If redemptions of Units
+Added: are ever permitted, the Sponsor may nevertheless, in its discretion, suspend the right of redemption or postpone the redemption
+Added: settlement date if (1) the order is not in proper form as determined by the Trust or Sponsor, (2) during an emergency as a result
+Added: of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of Bitcoin is not reasonably practicable, or (3) for such other period as the Sponsor
determines to be necessary for the protection of Unitholders.
−Removed: Any such postponement, suspension or rejection could adversely
−Removed: affect a redeeming investor.
−Removed: the resulting delay may adversely affect the value of the investor’s redemption proceeds if the NAV of the Trust declines
−Removed: during the period of delay.
−Removed: The Trust disclaims any liability for any loss or damage that may result from any such suspension or
−Removed: postponement.
−Removed: As a Unitholder, you will not
−Removed: have the rights normally associated with ownership of other types of investment vehicles.
−Removed: For example, in comparison to those of
−Removed: securityholders in traditional operating companies, you will have no voting rights.
+Added: Any such postponement, suspension or rejection could adversely affect
+Added: a redeeming investor.
+Added: For example, the resulting delay may adversely affect the value of the investor’s redemption proceeds
+Added: if the NAV of the Trust declines during the period of delay.
+Added: The Trust disclaims any liability for any loss or damage that may
+Added: result from any such suspension or postponement.
+Added: As a Unitholder, you will not have
+Added: the rights normally associated with ownership of Units of other types of investment vehicles.
+Added: For example, in comparison to those
+Added: of securityholders in traditional operating companies, you will have no voting rights.
The Trust is a passive
4 unchanged sentences
acquiring the right to elect directors, to vote on certain matters regarding the issuer of your Units or to take other actions
−Removed: normally associated with the ownership of shares, such as the right to bring “oppression” or “derivative”
+Added: associated with the ownership of shares, such as the right to bring “oppression” or “derivative”
You will only have the extremely limited rights described under “Description of the Units.”
−Removed: Your right to bring derivative
−Removed: actions is limited and it might be difficult for minority Unitholders to locate other Unitholders to reach the ownership threshold
−Removed: for derivative actions.
−Removed: Under section 7.4
−Removed: of the Trust Agreement, no Unitholder shall have the right to bring or maintain a derivative action, suit or other proceeding on
−Removed: behalf of the Trust unless two or more Unitholders who (i) are not affiliates of one another and (ii) collectively hold at least
−Removed: 10% of the outstanding Units join in the bringing or maintaining of such action, suit or other proceeding.
−Removed: A minority Unitholder
−Removed: may have difficulties attempting to locate other Unitholders to reach the 10% threshold under this provision, further limiting
−Removed: investors’ right to bring derivative actions on behalf of the Trust.
−Removed: The value of the Units will be
−Removed: adversely affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the Sponsor or the Custodian as contemplated in the Trust Agreement or
−Removed: the Custodial Services Agreement.
−Removed: Under the Trust
−Removed: Agreement, each of the Sponsor and the Trustee has a right to be indemnified from the Trust for any liability or expense it incurs
−Removed: without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part.
+Added: Your right to bring derivative actions
+Added: is limited and it might be difficult for minority Unitholders to locate other Unitholders to reach the ownership threshold for
+Added: derivative actions.
+Added: Under Section 7.4 of
+Added: the Trust Agreement, no Unitholder shall have the right to bring or maintain a derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf
+Added: of the Trust unless two or more Unitholders who (i) are not affiliates of one another and (ii) collectively hold at least 10% of
+Added: the outstanding Units join in the bringing or maintaining of such action, suit or other proceeding.
+Added: This provision applies to any
+Added: derivative actions brought in the name of the Trust other than claims under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations
+Added: Due to this additional requirement, a Unitholder attempting to bring or maintain a derivative action in the name of
+Added: the Trust will be required to locate other Unitholders with which it is not affiliated and that have sufficient Units to meet the
+Added: 10.0% threshold based on the number of Units outstanding on the date the claim is brought and thereafter throughout the duration
+Added: of the action, suit or proceeding.
+Added: A minority Unitholder may have difficulties attempting to locate other Unitholders to reach
+Added: the 10% threshold under this provision and may result in increased costs to a Unitholder attempting to seek redress in the name
+Added: of the Trust in court, further limiting investors’ right to bring derivative actions on behalf of the Trust.
+Added: The value of the Units will be adversely
+Added: affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the Sponsor or the Custodian as contemplated in the Trust Agreement or the Custodial
+Added: Services Agreement.
+Added: Under the Trust Agreement,
+Added: each of the Sponsor and the Trustee has a right to be indemnified from the Trust for any liability or expense it incurs without
+Added: gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part.
Under the Trust Agreement, the Trust’s officers, directors,
8 unchanged sentences
could become illiquid, which could cause large losses to Unitholders at any time or from time to time.
−Removed: The Trust may not
−Removed: always be able to liquidate its Bitcoin at a desired price, or at all.
−Removed: It may become difficult to execute a trade at a specific
−Removed: price when there is a relatively small volume of buy and sell orders in the marketplace, including on Bitcoin exchanges and with
−Removed: OTC Bitcoin participants.
+Added: The Trust may not always
+Added: be able to liquidate its Bitcoin at a desired price, or at all.
+Added: It may become difficult to execute a trade at a specific price
+Added: when there is a relatively small volume of buy and sell orders in the marketplace, including on Bitcoin exchanges and with OTC
+Added: Bitcoin participants.
A market disruption,
17 unchanged sentences
To the extent the Trust erroneously
−Removed: transfers, whether accidental or otherwise, Bitcoin in incorrect amounts or to the wrong recipients, the Trust may be unable to
−Removed: recover the Bitcoin, which could adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: The Trust’s Bitcoin may
−Removed: be lost, stolen or subject to other inaccessibility.
−Removed: There is a risk
−Removed: that part or all of the Trust’s Bitcoin could be lost, stolen or destroyed.
−Removed: Although the Trust will secure the Trust’s
−Removed: Bitcoin to seek to minimize the risk of loss, the Trust cannot guarantee that such a loss will be prevented.
−Removed: Access to the Trust’s
−Removed: Bitcoin could also be restricted by natural events (such as a hurricane, earthquake or pandemic) or human actions (such as a terrorist
−Removed: Any of these events may adversely affect the operations of the Trust and, consequently, an investment in the Units.
−Removed: the section below entitled “The Bitcoin Security System” for more information relating to the Trust’s security
−Removed: Any disruptions to the computer
−Removed: technology used by the Trust or its service providers could adversely affect the Trust’s ability to function and an investment
−Removed: in the Units.
+Added: transfers, whether accidental or otherwise, Bitcoin in incorrect amounts or to the wrong recipients, the Trust may be unable to recover the Bitcoin, which could adversely
+Added: affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: The Trust’s Bitcoin may be
+Added: lost, stolen or subject to other inaccessibility.
+Added: There is a risk that
+Added: part or all of the Trust’s Bitcoin could be lost, stolen or destroyed.
+Added: Hackers or malicious actors may launch attacks to
+Added: steal or compromise cryptocurrencies, such as by attacking the network source code, exchange miners, third-party platforms, cold
+Added: and hot storage locations or software, or by other means.
+Added: Digital asset transactions and accounts are not insured by any type of
+Added: government program and cryptocurrency transactions generally are permanent by design of the networks.
+Added: Certain features of digital
+Added: asset networks, such as decentralization, the open-source protocols, and the reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase
+Added: the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response.
+Added: Although the Trust will
+Added: secure the Trust’s Bitcoin to seek to minimize the risk of loss, the Trust cannot guarantee that such a loss will be prevented.
+Added: Access to the Trust’s Bitcoin could also be restricted by natural events (such as a hurricane, earthquake or pandemic) or
+Added: human actions (such as a terrorist attack).
+Added: Any of these events may adversely affect the operations of the Trust and, consequently,
+Added: investment in the Units.
+Added: See the section below entitled “The Bitcoin Security System” for more information relating
+Added: to the Trust’s security measures.
+Added: Any disruptions to the computer technology
+Added: used by the Trust or its service providers could adversely affect the Trust’s ability to function and an investment in the
The Trust will monitor
6 unchanged sentences
in the Units.
−Removed: The Trust may take
−Removed: such steps as the Sponsor determines, in its sole judgment, to be required to maintain and upgrade its technology systems, in order
+Added: The Trust may take such
+Added: steps as the Sponsor determines, in its sole judgment, to be required to maintain and upgrade its technology systems, in order
to protect against failure, hacking, malware and general security threats, and it expects its service providers to take their own
5 unchanged sentences
its Bitcoin may adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: The Sponsor’s computer
−Removed: infrastructure may be vulnerable to security breaches.
−Removed: Any such problems could cause interruptions in the Trust’s operations
−Removed: and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: The Sponsor’s computer infrastructure
+Added: may be vulnerable to security breaches.
+Added: Any such problems could cause interruptions in the Trust’s operations and adversely
+Added: affect an investment in the Units.
The Sponsor’s
17 unchanged sentences
the Trust’s Bitcoin with its technology system may adversely affect the Trust and the value of an investment in the Units.
−Removed: The lack of full insurance and
−Removed: Unitholders’ limited rights of legal recourse against the Trust, Trustee, Sponsor, Transfer Agent and Custodian expose the
−Removed: Trust and its Unitholders to the risk of loss of the Trust’s Bitcoins for which no person or entity is liable.
−Removed: The Trust is not a
−Removed: banking institution or otherwise a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or Securities
−Removed: Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) and, therefore, deposits held with or assets held by the Trust are not
−Removed: subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors with FDIC or SIPC member institutions.
−Removed: In addition, neither the Trust nor
−Removed: the Sponsor directly insures the Trust’s Bitcoins.
−Removed: While FDAS has insurance as a subsidiary under its parent company,
−Removed: FMR LLC, such insurance is solely for the benefit of FDAS and does not guarantee or insure the Trust in any way.
−Removed: The New Custodial Services
−Removed: Agreement indicates that Coinbase Custody will obtain and maintain insurance
−Removed: coverage of such types and amounts as are commercially reasonable for the custodial services provided, however, Unitholders cannot
−Removed: be assured that Coinbase Custody will maintain adequate insurance or that such coverage will cover losses with respect to the
−Removed: Trust’s assets.
−Removed: Pursuant to the Custodial Services Agreement with FDAS, FDAS did not warrant or guarantee the form, authenticity,
−Removed: value or validity of any Asset received by FDAS.
−Removed: FDAS was not responsible for the services provided by the Bitcoin Network, such
−Removed: as verifying and confirming transactions that are submitted to the Bitcoin Network.
−Removed: Furthermore, FDAS could not cancel or reverse
−Removed: a transaction that had been submitted to the Bitcoin Network, except by an instruction to halt a withdrawal of Digital Asset within
−Removed: three hours immediately following receipt of a confirmation provided to the Trust by FDAS of a pending withdrawal transaction.
−Removed: To the extent FDAS did not cause or contribute to a loss that the Trust or Sponsor suffered in connection with any Bitcoin transaction
−Removed: initiated pursuant to FDAS’s services, FDAS would have no liability for such loss.
−Removed: The Unitholders’
−Removed: recourse against the Sponsor and the Trust’s other service providers for the services they provide to the Trust, including
−Removed: those relating to the provision of instructions relating to the movement of Bitcoin, is limited.
−Removed: Consequently, a loss may be suffered
−Removed: with respect to the Trust’s Bitcoin
−Removed: that is not covered by insurance and for which no person is liable in damages.
−Removed: As a result, the recourse of the Trust or the Unitholders
−Removed: Because the Units reflect the
−Removed: estimated accrued but unpaid expenses of the Trust, the number of Bitcoins represented by a Unit will gradually decrease over time
−Removed: as the Trust’s Bitcoins are used to pay the Trust’s expenses.
−Removed: Each outstanding
−Removed: Unit represents a fractional, undivided interest in the Bitcoins held by the Trust.
−Removed: The Units reflect the estimated accrued but
−Removed: unpaid expenses of the Trust.
−Removed: Therefore, the number of Bitcoins represented by each Unit will gradually decrease over time as the
+Added: Because the Units reflect the estimated
+Added: accrued but unpaid expenses of the Trust, the number of Bitcoins represented by a Unit will gradually decrease over time as the
Trust’s Bitcoins are used to pay the Trust’s expenses.
−Removed: This is also true with respect to Units that are issued in exchange
−Removed: for additional deposits of Bitcoins into the Trust, as the number of Bitcoins required to create Units proportionately reflects
−Removed: the number of Bitcoins represented by the Units outstanding at the time of creation.
−Removed: Assuming a constant Bitcoin price, the trading
−Removed: price of the Units is expected to gradually decrease relative to the price of Bitcoin as the number of Bitcoins represented by
−Removed: the Units gradually decreases.
−Removed: Investors should be aware that the gradual decrease in the number of Bitcoins represented by the
−Removed: Units will occur regardless of whether the trading price of the Units rises or falls in response to changes in the price of Bitcoin.
−Removed: Unitholders may not be able to
−Removed: withdraw or value his/her units upon death, legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution or withdrawal from the Trust.
−Removed: Under the Trust
−Removed: Agreement, the death, legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution or withdrawal of any Unitholder (as long as such Unitholder
−Removed: is not the sole Unitholder of the Trust) shall not result in the termination of the Trust, and such Unitholder, his/her estate,
−Removed: custodian or personal representative shall have no right to withdrawal or value such Unitholder’s Units.
−Removed: In addition, Unitholders
−Removed: shall waive the furnishing of any inventory, accounting or appraisal of the assets of the Trust and any right to an audit or examination
+Added: Each outstanding Unit
+Added: represents a fractional, undivided interest in the Bitcoins held by the Trust.
+Added: The Units reflect the estimated accrued but unpaid
+Added: expenses of the Trust.
+Added: Therefore, the number of Bitcoins represented by each Unit will gradually decrease over time as the Trust’s
+Added: Bitcoins are used to pay the Trust’s expenses.
+Added: This is also true with respect to Units that are issued in exchange for additional
+Added: deposits of Bitcoins into the Trust, as the number of Bitcoins required to create Units proportionately reflects the number of
+Added: Bitcoins represented by the Units outstanding at the time of creation.
+Added: Assuming a constant Bitcoin price, the trading price of
+Added: the Units is expected to gradually decrease relative to the price of Bitcoin as the number of Bitcoins represented by the Units
+Added: gradually decreases.
+Added: Investors should be aware that the gradual decrease in the number of Bitcoins represented by the Units will
+Added: occur regardless of whether the trading price of the Units rises or falls in response to changes in the price of Bitcoin.
+Added: Unitholders may not be able to withdraw
+Added: or value his/her units upon death, legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution or withdrawal from the Trust.
+Added: Under the Trust Agreement,
+Added: the death, legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution or withdrawal of any Unitholder (as long as such Unitholder is
+Added: not the sole Unitholder of the Trust) shall not result in the termination of the Trust, and such Unitholder, his/her estate, custodian
+Added: or personal representative shall have no right to withdrawal or value such Unitholder’s Units.
+Added: In addition, Unitholders shall
+Added: waive the furnishing of any inventory, accounting or appraisal of the assets of the Trust and any right to an audit or examination
of the books of the Trust, except as otherwise provided in the Trust Agreement.
−Removed: There are risks associated with
−Removed: the Index because of its limited history, which could have an adverse effect on the Trust and the value of an investment in the
−Removed: The Index has a
−Removed: limited history and the methodology for determining the Index established by the Index Provider is relatively new and untested.
−Removed: The failure of the Index methodology to measure the actual value of Bitcoin could have an adverse effect on the Trust and on the
−Removed: value of an investment in the Trust.
−Removed: In addition, the value of Bitcoin as calculated by the Index methodology may differ from the
−Removed: value of Bitcoin calculated by other methodologies and the price of Bitcoin on any single spot market, including the principal
−Removed: market used to determine NAV.
−Removed: We have concluded that certain
−Removed: of our previously issued financial statements should not be relied upon and have restated certain of our previously issued financial
−Removed: statements which was time-consuming and expensive and could expose us to additional risks that could have a negative effect on
−Removed: As previously announced,
−Removed: we have concluded that certain of our previously issued financial statements should not be relied upon.
−Removed: We restated our previously
−Removed: issued audited financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the interim period ended March 31, 2021.
−Removed: The restatement process could continue to expose us to additional risks that could have a negative effect on the Trust.
−Removed: In particular,
−Removed: we incurred some unanticipated expenses and costs, including audit, legal and other professional fees, in connection with the restatement
−Removed: of our previously issued financial statements and the ongoing remediation of a material weakness in our internal control over financial
−Removed: reporting, including hiring new personnel and enhancing our policies and procedures.
−Removed: To the extent these steps are not successful,
−Removed: we could be forced to incur additional time and expense.
−Removed: Our Sponsor’s management attention was also diverted from some aspects
−Removed: of the operation of our business in connection with the restatement and these ongoing remediation efforts.
−Removed: We have identified a material
−Removed: weakness in our system of internal controls and are in the process of remediation.
−Removed: If not remediated, this material weakness could
−Removed: result in additional material misstatements in our financial statements.
−Removed: We may be unable to develop, implement and maintain appropriate
−Removed: controls in future periods.
−Removed: We identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as a result of the restatement of previously
−Removed: audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the interim period ended March 31, 2021 and we
−Removed: have also concluded that our internal disclosure controls and procedures were not effective.
−Removed: This material weakness resulted
−Removed: in identified misstatements to the financial statements, and previously issued financial statements are restated in this filing.
−Removed: A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there
−Removed: is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or
−Removed: detected on a timely basis.
−Removed: As a public company,
−Removed: we will be required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things,
−Removed: the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for each annual report on Form 10-K to be filed with the SEC
−Removed: after our first annual report.
−Removed: This assessment will require disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management
−Removed: in our internal control over financial reporting.
−Removed: We will be required to disclose changes made in our internal control and our
−Removed: reporting procedures on a quarterly
−Removed: To comply with the requirements of being a public company, we expect to need to undertake various actions, such as implementing
−Removed: new internal controls and procedures and hiring accounting or internal audit staff.
−Removed: Failure to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
−Removed: could potentially subject us to sanctions or investigations by the SEC, Nasdaq or other regulatory authorities, which would require
−Removed: additional financial and management resources.
−Removed: Although we are
−Removed: working to remedy the ineffectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures,
−Removed: there can be no assurance as to when the remediation plan will be fully developed and implemented.
−Removed: Until our remediation plan is
−Removed: fully implemented, we will continue to devote time, attention and financial resources to these efforts.
−Removed: If we do not complete our
−Removed: remediation in a timely fashion, or at all, or if our remediation plan is inadequate, there will continue to be an increased risk
−Removed: that our future financial statements could contain errors that will be undetected.
−Removed: Further and continued determinations that there
−Removed: are one or more material weaknesses in the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could adversely affect
−Removed: our business, reputation, revenues, results of operations, financial condition and stock price and limit our ability to access
−Removed: the capital markets through equity or debt issuances.
+Added: The Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings
+Added: may be considered property of a bankruptcy estate should our Custodian initiate bankruptcy proceedings and the Trust could be considered
+Added: an unsecured creditor, and the Custodian’s assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust.
+Added: The legal rights of
+Added: customers with respect to digital assets held on their behalf by a third-party custodian, such as the Custodian, in insolvency
+Added: proceedings are currently uncertain.
+Added: The Custody Agreement contains an agreement by the parties to treat the digital assets credited
+Added: to the Trust’s account as financial assets under Article 8 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (“Article 8”),
+Added: in addition to stating that the Custodian will serve as fiduciary and custodian on the Trust’s behalf.
+Added: The Custodian’s
+Added: parent, Coinbase Global Inc., has stated in its most recent public securities filings that in light of the inclusion in its custody
+Added: agreements of provisions relating to Article 8 it believes that a court would not treat custodied digital assets as part of its
+Added: general estate in the event the Custodian were to experience insolvency.
+Added: However, due to the novelty of digital asset custodial
+Added: arrangements courts have not yet considered this type of treatment for custodied digital assets and it is not possible to predict
+Added: with certainty how they would rule in such a scenario.
+Added: If the Custodian became subject to insolvency proceedings and a court were
+Added: to rule that the custodied digital assets were part of the Custodian’s general estate and not the property of the Trust,
+Added: then the Trust would be treated as a general unsecured creditor in the Custodian’s insolvency proceedings and the Custodian’s
+Added: assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust.
+Added: As such, the Trust could be subject to the loss of all or a significant
+Added: portion of its assets.
+Added: Risks Associated with the Index
+Added: The Index has a limited
+Added: history and the methodology for determining the Index established by the Index Provider is relatively new and untested.
+Added: 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
+Added: investment in the Trust.
+Added: In addition, the value of Bitcoin as calculated by the Index methodology may differ from the value of
+Added: Bitcoin calculated by other methodologies and the price of Bitcoin on any single spot market, including the principal market used
+Added: to determine NAV.
+Added: concluded that certain of our previously issued financial statements should not be relied upon and have restated certain of our
+Added: previously issued financial statements which was time-consuming and expensive and could expose us to additional risks that could
+Added: have a negative effect on our Company.
+Added: previously announced, we have concluded that certain of our previously issued financial statements should not be relied upon.
+Added: restated our previously issued audited financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the interim period
+Added: ended March 31, 2021.
+Added: The restatement could continue to expose us to additional risks that could have a negative effect on the
+Added: In particular, we incurred some unanticipated expenses and costs, including audit, legal and other professional fees, in
+Added: connection with the restatement of our previously issued financial statements and the remediation of a material weakness in our
+Added: internal control over financial reporting, including hiring new personnel and enhancing our policies and procedures.
+Added: To the extent
+Added: these steps are not successful, we could be forced to incur additional time and expense.
+Added: Our Sponsor’s management attention
+Added: was also diverted from some aspects of the operation of our business in connection with the restatement and these ongoing remediation
+Added: We previously
+Added: identified a material weakness in our system of internal controls.
+Added: While we believe the material weakness has been fully remediated,
+Added: new material weaknesses could result in additional material misstatements in our financial statements.
+Added: We may be unable to develop,
+Added: implement and maintain appropriate controls in future periods.
+Added: identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as a result of the restatement of the previously
+Added: audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the interim period ended March 31, 2021, and we also concluded
+Added: that our internal controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2021, March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022 and September
+Added: This material weakness resulted in identified misstatements to the financial statements, and previously issued financial
+Added: statements were restated.
+Added: A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial
+Added: reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements
+Added: will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
+Added: we believe that we have fully remedied the ineffectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls
+Added: and procedures, there can be no assurance that additional material weakness could occur in the future.
+Added: Further and continued determinations
+Added: that there are one or more material weaknesses in the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and/or our
+Added: disclosure controls and procedures could adversely affect our business, reputation, revenues, results of operations, financial
+Added: condition and stock price and limit our ability to access the capital markets through equity or debt issuances.
+Added: Effective internal controls are necessary to provide reliable financial reports and to assist in the effective prevention of fraud.
+Added: As a public company, we are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on,
+Added: among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for each annual report on Form 10-K to be
+Added: filed with the SEC.
+Added: This assessment will require disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal
+Added: control over financial reporting.
+Added: Any system of internal controls, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain
+Added: assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the system are met.
+Added: If we, or our
+Added: independent registered public accounting firm, determine that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective, discover
+Added: areas that need improvement in the future or discover a material weakness, these shortcomings could have an adverse effect on our
+Added: business and financial results, and the price of our units could be negatively affected.
+Added: Any dispute regarding the subscription
+Added: agreement will be resolved by arbitration, which follows different procedures than in-court litigation and may be more restrictive
+Added: to Unitholders asserting claims than in-court litigation.
+Added: The subscription agreement
+Added: that Unitholders enter into provides that the sole forum for any dispute arising thereunder will be arbitration conducted in New
+Added: York, New York in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.
+Added: As a result, Unitholders will not be able
+Added: to pursue litigation in state or federal court for any disputes pertaining to the subscription agreement.
+Added: Arbitration is intended
+Added: to be the exclusive means for resolving such disputes or claims arising thereunder except for claims made under the federal securities
+Added: Costs in arbitration proceedings may be higher than those in litigation proceedings, and Unitholders may face limited access
+Added: to information and other imbalances of resources.
+Added: This provision can discourage claims against us because it limits the ability
+Added: of Unitholders to bring a claim in a judicial forum that they find favorable.
+Added: As arbitration provisions in commercial agreements
+Added: have generally been respected by federal courts and state courts, we believe that the arbitration provision in the subscription
+Added: agreement is enforceable, however, the issue of enforceability is not free from doubt.
+Added: To the extent that one or more of the provisions
+Added: in our subscription agreement with respect to the arbitration were to be found by a court to be unenforceable, we would abide by
+Added: such decision.
+Added: We do not intend for secondary purchasers of Unitholders to be bound by the arbitration provision in the subscription
+Added: Unitholders are bound by the fee-shifting
+Added: provision contained in the subscription agreement, which may discourage actions against us.
+Added: The subscription agreement
+Added: also provides that if any legal action or any arbitration or other proceeding is brought for the enforcement of the subscription
+Added: agreement or because of an alleged dispute, breach, default or misrepresentation in connection with any of the provisions in the
+Added: subscription agreement, the successful or prevailing party or parties shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorneys’
+Added: fees and their costs incurred in that action nor proceedings, in addition to any other relief to which they may be entitled;
+Added: however, that the foregoing shall not apply to any claim, suit, action or proceeding brought to enforce any duty or liability created
+Added: by the federal securities laws.
+Added: In the event a Unitholder initiates or asserts a claim against us, including the Trust, our Sponsor
+Added: and its officers, in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions contained in the subscription agreement and the Unitholder
+Added: does not prevail, the Unitholder will be obligated to reimburse us for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection
+Added: with such claim, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses and costs of appeal, if any.
+Added: subscription agreement does not define what constitutes a successful or prevailing party, though we intend to apply a broad interpretation
+Added: to such provision to apply the fee-shifting provision broadly.
+Added: We, including our Sponsor and its officers, reserve the ability
+Added: to seek to enforce such provision against a former or current Unitholder, including those who purchase Units in a secondary transaction,
+Added: depending on the nature and facts of the claim made or instituted by the Unitholder, however, whether a specific judgment satisfies
+Added: the applicable criteria and the extent of recovery for applicable fees and expenses will be subject to judicial interpretation.
+Added: The provision could discourage Unitholder lawsuits that might otherwise benefit the Trust or its Unitholders.
+Added: Under Delaware law,
+Added: “fee shifting by contract .
+Added: [is] enforceable self-ordering by contractual parties.” Manti Holdings, LLC v.
+Added: Acquisition Company, Inc., 2020 WL 4596838, at 6 (Del.
+Added: 11, 2020), aff’d, 261 A.3d 1199 (Del.
+Added: While there are
+Added: statutes prohibiting fee-shifting provisions in corporations’ charters and bylaws with respect to intra-corporate litigation,
+Added: fee-shifting provisions in agreements between corporations and their stockholders have been found acceptable.
+Added: Delaware courts have also confirmed that, where a corporation and a stockholder are parties to a negotiated transaction (e.g.,
+Added: a shareholders agreement), either party thereto can enforce an agreed-upon fee-shifting provision against each other.
+Added: We are not aware of any Delaware case law or statutes indicating that a statutory trust would be treated any differently
+Added: to a corporation or any other business entity with regard to its ability to enforce the fee-shifting provision in a contract between
+Added: any entity and its owner.
+Added: Moreover, “[i]t is the policy of [The Delaware Statutory Trust Act] to give maximum effect to the
+Added: principle of freedom of contract and to the enforceability of governing instruments.” 8 Del.
+Added: Although we believe
+Added: the fee-shifting provision is enforceable, the enforceability of fee-shifting provisions has been challenged in legal proceedings,
+Added: and it is possible that a court could find this type of provision to be inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or
+Added: more of the specified types of actions or proceedings.
+Added: The Trust relies on third-party service
+Added: providers to perform certain functions essential to the affairs of the Trust and the replacement of such service providers could
+Added: pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Trust’s Bitcoins and to the operations of the Trust.
+Added: The Trust relies on
+Added: the Custodian and other third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to managing the affairs of the Trust.
+Added: Any disruptions to such service providers’ business operations, resulting from business failures, financial instability,
+Added: security failures, government mandated regulation or operational problems, could have an adverse impact on the Trust’s ability
+Added: to access critical services and be disruptive to the operations of the Trust and require the Sponsor to replace such service provider.
+Added: Moreover, the Sponsor could decide to replace a service
+Added: provider to the Trust for other reasons.
+Added: If the Sponsor is required
+Added: to replace any other service provider, they may not be able to find a party willing to serve in such capacity in a timely manner
+Added: If the Sponsor decides, or is required, to replace a third-party service provider, this could negatively impact the
+Added: Trust’s ability to operate the Trust and could have a negative impact on the value of the Units.
+Added: Pandemics, epidemics and other natural
+Added: and man-made disasters could negatively impact the value of the Trust’s holdings and/or significantly disrupt its affairs.
+Added: Pandemics, epidemics
+Added: and other natural and man-made disasters could negatively impact demand for digital assets, including Bitcoin, and disrupt the
+Added: operations of many businesses, including the businesses of the Trust’s service providers.
+Added: For example, the COVID-19 pandemic
+Added: had serious adverse effects on the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in increased volatility and uncertainty
+Added: in economies and financial markets of many countries and in the digital asset markets.
+Added: Moreover, governmental authorities and regulators
+Added: throughout the world have in the past responded to major economic disruptions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
+Added: with a variety of fiscal and monetary policy changes, such as quantitative easing, new monetary programs and lower interest rates.
+Added: An unexpected or quick reversal of any such policies, or the ineffectiveness of such policies, could increase volatility in economies
+Added: and financial markets generally, and could specifically increase volatility in digital asset markets, which could adversely affect
+Added: the value of Bitcoin and the value of the Units.
Risk Factors Related to the Regulation
of the Trust and the Units
−Removed: Regulatory changes or actions
−Removed: may affect the value of the Units or restrict the use of Bitcoins, mining activity or the operation of the Bitcoin Network or the
−Removed: Bitcoin markets in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Units.
−Removed: As digital assets
−Removed: have grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S.
+Added: Regulation of the Bitcoin industry
+Added: continues to evolve and is subject to change;
+Added: future regulatory developments are impossible to predict but may significantly and
+Added: adversely affect the Trust.
+Added: domestic and foreign regulators and governments have focused on regulation of Bitcoin.
+Added: In the U.S., developments include the following:
+Added: On May 7, 2014 the SEC published an investor alert that highlighted fraud
+Added: and other concerns relating to certain investment opportunities denominated in Bitcoin and fraudulent and unregistered investment
+Added: schemes targeted at participants in online Bitcoin forums.
+Added: On July 25, 2017, the SEC issued a Report of Investigation (the
+Added: “Report”) which concluded that digital assets or tokens issued for the purpose of raising funds may be securities
+Added: within the meaning of the federal securities laws.
+Added: The Report emphasized that whether a digital asset is a security is based
+Added: on the particular facts and circumstances, including the economic realities of the transactions.
+Added: On January 7, 2020, the SEC
+Added: issued a press release announcing that digital assets and electronic investments, would be at the top of the SEC’s priorities
+Added: The SEC continues to take action against persons or entities misusing Bitcoin in connection with fraudulent schemes
+Added: (i.e., Ponzi scheme), inaccurate and inadequate publicly disseminated information, and the offering of unregistered securities.
+Added: On September 17, 2015, the CFTC provided clarity regarding the regulatory
+Added: treatment of Bitcoin in the Coinflip civil enforcement case.
+Added: There the CFTC determined that Bitcoin and other virtual currencies
+Added: are regulated as commodities under the CEA.
+Added: Based on this determination, the CFTC applied Commodity Exchange At provisions
+Added: and CFTC regulations to a Bitcoin derivatives trading platform.
+Added: Also of significance, the CFTC took the position that Bitcoin
+Added: is not encompassed by the definition of currency under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
+Added: The CFTC defined Bitcoin
+Added: and other “virtual currencies” as “a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange,
+Added: a unit of account, and/or a store of value, but does not have legal tender status in any jurisdiction.
+Added: Bitcoin and other virtual
+Added: currencies are distinct from ‘real’ currencies, which are the coin and paper money of the United States or another
+Added: country that are designated as legal tender, circulate, and are customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in the
+Added: country of issuance.” On July 6, 2017, the CFTC granted LedgerX, LLC an order of registration as a Swap Execution Facility
+Added: for digital assets and on July 24, 2017, the CFTC approved LedgerX, LLC as the first derivatives clearing organization for
+Added: digital currency.
+Added: On September 21, 2017, the CFTC filed a civil enforcement action in federal court against a New York corporation
+Added: and its principal, charging them with fraud, misappropriation, and issuing false account statements in connection with a Ponzi
+Added: scheme involving investments in Bitcoin, which the CFTC asserted is a commodity subject to its jurisdiction.
+Added: On October 17,
+Added: 2017, the CFTC’s LabCFTC office issued A CFTC Primer on Virtual Currencies (“Primer”).
+Added: As noted in the Primer,
+Added: beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the CFTC staff does not claim general jurisdiction over “spot” or cash-market
+Added: exchanges and transactions involving virtual currencies that do not utilize margin, leverage or financing.
+Added: On December 1,
+Added: 2017, the CFTC approved the self-certification of binary Bitcoin options for the Cantor Exchange and exchange-traded Bitcoin
+Added: futures contracts for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.
+Added: and CBOE Futures Exchange.
+Added: On December 15, 2017, the CFTC issued
+Added: a proposed interpretation of the “actual delivery” requirements with respect to virtual currencies under the CEA.
+Added: Section 2(c)(2)(D) of the Commodity Exchange Act provides the CFTC with direct oversight authority over “retail commodity
+Added: transactions” – defined as agreements, contracts or transactions in any commodity that are entered into with,
+Added: or offered to retail market participants on a leveraged or margined basis, or financed by the offeror, the counterparty or
+Added: a person acting in concert with the offeror or counterparty on a similar basis.
+Added: Such a transaction is subject to the Commodity
+Added: Exchange Act as if it were a commodity future.
+Added: The statute contains an exception for contracts of sale that result in “actual
+Added: delivery” within 28 days from the date of the transaction.
+Added: The proposed interpretation establishes two primary factors
+Added: necessary to demonstrate “actual delivery” of retail commodity transactions in virtual currency:
+Added: (1) a customer
+Added: having the ability to:
+Added: (i) take possession and control of the entire quantity of the commodity, whether it was purchased on
+Added: commerce (both within and away from any particular platform) no later than 28 days from the date of the transaction;
+Added: the offeror and counterparty seller (including any of their respective affiliates or other persons acting in concert with
+Added: the offeror or counterparty seller on a similar basis) not retaining any interest in or control over any of the commodity
+Added: purchased on margin, leverage, or other financing arrangement at the expiration of 28 days from the date of the transaction.
+Added: Currently, the CFTC takes the position that Bitcoin is a commodity, although
+Added: it has not issued regulations to formalize this position.
+Added: The Trust is not registered as a commodity pool for purposes of
+Added: the CEA, and the Sponsor is not registered as a commodity pool operator, a commodity trading advisor or otherwise.
+Added: and the Sponsor will continue to monitor and evaluate whether any such registrations may be or may become required.
+Added: On March 25, 2014, the “IRS released the Notice noting that Bitcoin
+Added: will be treated as property for U.S.
+Added: Federal income tax purposes and that Bitcoin may be held as a capital asset.
+Added: 9, 2019, the IRS released the Revenue Ruling and published the FAQs on reporting virtual currency transactions.
+Added: Ruling provides more guidance to taxpayers and tax practitioners regarding the treatment of a cryptocurrency hard forks and
+Added: The FAQs provide guidance on how to report virtual currency transactions for those who hold virtual currency as
+Added: a capital asset.
+Added: On March 18, 2013, FinCEN issued interpretive guidance relating to the application
+Added: of the Bank Secrecy Act to distributing, exchanging and transmitting “virtual currencies.” More specifically,
+Added: it determined that a user of virtual currencies (such as Bitcoin) for its own account will not be considered a money service
+Added: business (“MSB”) or be required to register, report and perform recordkeeping;
+Added: however, an administrator or exchanger
+Added: of virtual currency must be a registered money services business under FinCEN’s money transmitter regulations.
+Added: result, Bitcoin exchanges that deal with U.S.
+Added: residents or otherwise fall under U.S.
+Added: jurisdiction are required to obtain licenses
+Added: and comply with FinCEN regulations.
+Added: FinCEN released additional guidance clarifying that, under the facts presented, miners
+Added: acting solely for their own benefit, software developers, hardware manufacturers, escrow service providers and investors in
+Added: Bitcoin would not be required to register with FinCEN on the basis of such activity alone, but that Bitcoin exchanges, certain
+Added: types of payment processors and convertible digital asset administrators would likely be required to register with FinCEN
+Added: on the basis of the activities described in the October 2014 and August 2015 letters.
+Added: FinCEN has also taken significant enforcement
+Added: steps against companies alleged to have violated its regulations, including the assessment in July 2017 of a civil money penalty
+Added: in excess of $110 million against BTC-e for alleged willful violation of U.S.
+Added: anti-money laundering laws.
+Added: On May 9, 2019 FinCEN
+Added: published a guidance entitled “Application of FinCEN’s Regulations to Certain Business Models Involving Convertible
+Added: Virtual Currencies.” In that guidance, FinCEN consolidated and clarified regulatory requirements and prior guidance
+Added: In February 2020, former U.S.
+Added: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testified in Congress that FinCEN was set to release
+Added: new requirements related to cryptocurrencies.
+Added: In December 2020, FinCEN released a notice of proposed rulemaking setting forth
+Added: proposed U.S.
+Added: anti-money laundering regulations that would expand the application of U.S.
+Added: anti-money laundering rules to virtual
+Added: Such rules have not yet been finalized.
+Added: In a report titled “Strategies for Improving the U.S.
+Added: Payment System,”
+Added: published in January 2015 by the Federal Reserve, “Digital Value Transfer Vehicles” technology was identified
+Added: for further exploration and monitoring.
+Added: Since then, the Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell confirmed that the Federal
+Added: Reserve is in the initial stages of exploring and analyzing the “costs and benefits of pursuing” a central bank
+Added: digital currency initiative.
+Added: In June 2015, the New York Department of Financial Services (the “NYDFS”)
+Added: finalized a rule that requires most businesses involved in digital currency business activity in or involving New York, excluding
+Added: merchants and consumers, to apply for a license (“BitLicense”) from the NYDFS and to comply with anti-money laundering,
+Added: cyber security, consumer protection, and financial and reporting requirements, among others.
+Added: As an alternative to the BitLicense
+Added: in New York, firms can apply for a charter to become limited purpose trust companies qualified to engage in digital currency
+Added: business activity.
+Added: Other states have considered regimes similar to the BitLicense or have required digital currency businesses
+Added: to register with their states as money transmitters, such as Washington and Georgia, which results in digital currency businesses
+Added: being subject to requirements similar to those of NYDFS’ BitLicense regime.
+Added: Certain state regulators, such as the Texas
+Added: Department of Banking, Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional
+Added: Regulation, have found that mere transmission of Bitcoin, without activities involving transmission of fiat currency, does
+Added: not constitute money transmission requiring licensure.
+Added: The North Carolina Commissioner of Banks has issued guidance providing
+Added: that North Carolina’s money transmission regulations only apply to the transmission of digital currency and not its
+Added: In July 2017, Delaware amended its General Corporation Law to provide for the creation and maintenance of certain required
+Added: records by blockchain technology and permit its use for electronic transmission of stockholder communications.
+Added: On September 15, 2015, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors finalized
+Added: their proposed model regulatory framework for state regulation of participants in “virtual currency activities.”
+Added: The Conference of State Bank Supervisors’ proposed framework is a non-binding model and would have to be independently
+Added: adopted, in sum or in part, by state legislatures or regulators on a case-by-case basis.
+Added: In July 2017, the Uniform Law Commission
+Added: (the “ULC”), a private body of lawyers and legal academics from the several U.S.
+Added: states, voted to finalize and
+Added: approve a uniform model state law for the regulation of virtual currency businesses, including Bitcoin (the “Uniform
+Added: Virtual Currency Act”).
+Added: Having been approved by the ULC, the Uniform Virtual Currency Act now goes to each of the U.S.
+Added: states and territories for their consideration and would have to be independently adopted, in sum or in part, by state legislatures
+Added: or regulators on a case-by-case basis.
+Added: The regulation of Bitcoin,
+Added: digital assets and related products and services continues to evolve.
+Added: The inconsistent and sometimes conflicting regulatory landscape
+Added: may make it more difficult for Bitcoin businesses to provide services, which may impede the growth of the Bitcoin economy and have
+Added: an adverse effect on consumer adoption of Bitcoin.
+Added: There is a possibility of future regulatory change altering, perhaps to a material
+Added: extent, the nature of an investment in the Units or the ability of the Trust to continue to operate.
+Added: Additionally, to the extent
+Added: that Bitcoin itself is determined to be a security, commodity future or other regulated asset, or to the extent that a United States
+Added: or foreign government or quasi-governmental agency exerts regulatory authority over the Bitcoin network, Bitcoin trading or ownership
+Added: in Bitcoin, such determination may have an adverse effect on the value of your investment in the Trust.
+Added: In sum, Bitcoin regulation
+Added: takes many different forms and will, therefore, impact Bitcoin and its usage in a variety of manners.
+Added: Regulatory changes or actions may
+Added: affect the value of the Units or restrict the use of Bitcoins, mining activity or the operation of the Bitcoin Network or the Bitcoin
+Added: markets in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Units.
+Added: As digital assets have
+Added: grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S.
Congress and a number of U.S.
federal and state agencies (including FinCEN,
−Removed: SEC, CFTC, FINRA, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Justice, The Department of Homeland Security, the
+Added: SEC, CFTC, FINRA, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Justice, the Department of
+Added: Homeland Security, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS and state financial institution regulators) have been examining the operations of Bitcoin
7 unchanged sentences
Trust to continue to operate.
−Removed: In August 2021,
−Removed: SEC Chair Gary Gensler asked Congress to pass a law that could give the agency the legal authority to monitor crypto exchanges.
−Removed: This statement follows former U.S.
−Removed: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s statement that he had “very serious concerns”
−Removed: about digital assets in July 2019.
+Added: In August 2021, SEC
+Added: Chair Gary Gensler asked Congress to pass a law that could give the agency the legal authority to monitor crypto exchanges.
+Added: statement follows former U.S.
+Added: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s statement in July 2019 that he had “very serious
+Added: concerns” about digital assets.
Former Secretary Mnuchin indicated that one source of concern is digital assets’ potential
to be used to fund illicit activities in July 2019.
−Removed: Former Secretary Mnuchin has indicated that the U.S.
−Removed: Financial Crimes Enforcement
−Removed: Network is planning to release new requirements relating to digital asset activities in the first half of 2020.
−Removed: As of the date
−Removed: of this disclosure, no such requirements have been released.
−Removed: Law enforcement
−Removed: agencies have often relied on the transparency of blockchains to facilitate investigations.
−Removed: However, certain privacy-enhancing
−Removed: features have been, or are expected to be, introduced to a number of digital asset networks.
−Removed: If the Bitcoin Network were to adopt
−Removed: any of these features, these features may provide law enforcement agencies with less visibility into transaction-level data.
−Removed: the European Union’s law enforcement agency, released a report in October 2017 noting the increased use of privacy-enhancing
−Removed: digital assets like Zcash and Monero in criminal activity on the internet.
−Removed: Although no regulatory action has been taken to treat
−Removed: privacy-enhancing digital assets differently, this may change in the future.
+Added: Former Secretary Mnuchin had indicated that FinCEN was planning to release
+Added: new requirements relating to digital asset activities in the first half of 2020.
+Added: As of the date of this disclosure, no such requirements
+Added: have been released.
+Added: Moreover, President’s Bident’s March 9, 2022 Executive Order, asserting that technological advances
+Added: and the rapid growth of the digital asset markets “necessitate an evaluation and alignment of the United States Government
+Added: approach to digital assets,” signals an ongoing focus on digital asset policy and regulations in the United States.
+Added: of reports issued pursuant to the Executive Order have focused on various risks related to the digital asset ecosystem, and have
+Added: recommended additional legislation and regulatory oversight.
+Added: There have also been several bills introduced in Congress that propose
+Added: to establish additional regulation and oversight of the digital asset markets.
+Added: 15, 2023, the SEC proposed a new rule that would enhance safeguarding of assets for registered investment advisers.
+Added: the changes would amend and redesign Rule 206(4)-2, the SEC’s custody rule, under the Advisers Act and amend certain related
+Added: recordkeeping and reporting obligations.
+Added: The proposed rule would exercise the SEC’s authority under Section 411 of the Dodd-Frank Act by broadening the application
+Added: of the current investment adviser custody rule beyond client funds and securities to include any client assets in an investment
+Added: adviser’s possession or when an investment adviser has authority to obtain possession of client assets, requiring the investment
+Added: adviser to hold client assets with a qualified custodian.
+Added: As such, the rule would expand SEC authority to digital assets held by
+Added: or in control of an investment adviser on behalf of clients.
+Added: Law enforcement agencies
+Added: have often relied on the transparency of blockchains to facilitate investigations.
+Added: However, certain privacy-enhancing features
+Added: have been, or are expected to be, introduced to a number of digital asset networks.
+Added: If any such features are introduced to the
+Added: Bitcoin Network, any exchanges or businesses that facilitate transactions in Bitcoin may be at an increased risk of criminal or
+Added: civil lawsuits, or of having banking services cut off if there is a concern that these features interfere with the performance
+Added: of anti-money laundering duties and economic sanctions checks.
+Added: In addition, these features will provide law enforcement agencies
+Added: with less visibility into transaction-level data.
+Added: Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, released a report
+Added: in October 2017 noting the increased use of privacy-enhancing digital assets like Zcash and Monero in criminal activity on the
+Added: In August 2022, OFAC banned all U.S.
+Added: citizens from using Tornado Cash, a digital asset protocol designed to obfuscate
+Added: blockchain transactions, by adding certain Ethereum digital wallet addresses associated with the protocol to its Specially Designated
+Added: Nationals list.
+Added: Approximately 60% of Ethereum validators, as well as notable industry participants such as Centre Consortium, the
+Added: issuer of the USDC stablecoin, have reportedly complied with the sanctions and blacklisted the sanctioned addresses from interacting
+Added: with their network.
+Added: Although no regulatory action has been taken to treat privacy-enhancing digital assets differently, this may
+Added: change in the future.
Additionally, concerns
−Removed: have been raised about the electricity required to secure and maintain digital asset networks as well as the electricity consumed
−Removed: by the Bitcoin mining process.
−Removed: Due to these concerns around energy consumption, particularly as such concerns relate to public
−Removed: utilities companies, various states and cities have implemented, or are considering implementing, moratoriums on digital asset
−Removed: mining in their jurisdictions.
−Removed: A significant reduction in mining activity as a result of such actions could adversely affect the
−Removed: security of the Bitcoin Network by making it easier for a malicious actor or botnet to manipulate the Blockchain.
−Removed: a malicious actor or botnet obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin Network, or otherwise obtains
−Removed: control over the Bitcoin Network through its influence over core developers or otherwise, such actor or botnet could manipulate
−Removed: the Blockchain to adversely affect the value of the Units or the ability of the Trust to operate.”
+Added: have been raised about the electricity required to secure and maintain digital asset networks.
+Added: As of December 31, 2020, in connection
+Added: with the mining process, over 138 million tera hashing operations are performed every second, non-stop on the Bitcoin Network.
+Added: Although measuring the electricity consumed by this process is difficult because these operations are performed by various machines
+Added: with varying levels of efficiency, the process consumes a significant amount of energy.
+Added: Further, in addition to the direct energy
+Added: costs of performing these calculations, there are indirect costs that impact the digital asset network’s total energy consumption,
+Added: including the costs of cooling the machines that perform these calculations.
+Added: Due to these concerns around energy consumption, particularly
+Added: as such concerns relate to public utilities companies, various states and cities have implemented, or are considering implementing,
+Added: moratoriums on digital asset mining in their jurisdictions.
+Added: A significant reduction in mining activity as a result of such actions
+Added: could adversely affect the security of the Bitcoin Network by making it easier for a malicious actor or botnet to manipulate the
+Added: See “—If a malicious actor or botnet obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power on the Bitcoin
+Added: Network, or otherwise obtains control over the Bitcoin Network through its influence over core developers or otherwise, such actor
+Added: or botnet could manipulate the Blockchain to adversely affect the value of the Units or the ability of the Trust to operate.”
To the extent that Bitcoin itself
is determined to be a security, such determination may have an adverse effect on the value of your investment in the Trust.
−Removed: Many blockchain
−Removed: startups use digital asset networks, such as the Bitcoin network, to launch their initial coin offerings, also known as ICOs.
−Removed: July 2017, the SEC determined that tokens issued by The DAO, for instance, were securities under the U.S.
+Added: Many blockchain startups use
+Added: digital asset networks, such as the Bitcoin network, to launch their initial coin offerings, also known as ICOs.
+Added: In July 2017, the
+Added: SEC determined that tokens issued by The DAO, for instance, were securities under the U.S.
securities laws.
−Removed: SEC reasoned that the unregistered sale of digital asset tokens can, in certain circumstances, including initial coin offerings,
−Removed: be considered illegal public offering of securities.
−Removed: In November 2018, the SEC determined that two other token issuances by companies
−Removed: called CarrierEQ, Inc., (d/b/a Airfox) and Paragon Coin, Inc.
+Added: The SEC reasoned that
+Added: the unregistered sale of digital asset tokens can, in certain circumstances, including initial coin offerings, be considered illegal public offering of securities.
+Added: In November 2018, the SEC determined that two other token issuances by companies called
+Added: Inc., (d/b/a Airfox) and Paragon Coin, Inc.
were unregistered securities offerings.
−Removed: And in September 2019, the
−Removed: SEC determined that the token issuance of EOS by a company called Block.one, was an unregistered securities offering and ordered
−Removed: Block.one to pay a
−Removed: $24 million civil penalty.
−Removed: could make a similar determination with respect to digital tokens distributed in other initial coin offerings.
−Removed: If the SEC were
−Removed: to determine that Bitcoin is a security, the Trust and the Sponsor would be subject to additional regulatory and compliance requirements
−Removed: federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act and, with respect to the Sponsor, the Advisers Act.
−Removed: addition, the SEC’s determination or a market expectation of the SEC’s determination that any digital asset is a security
−Removed: could adversely affect the market price of Bitcoin or digital assets generally and thus the value of the Shares.
−Removed: Regulatory changes or actions
+Added: In September 2019, the SEC determined
+Added: that the token issuance of EOS by a company called Block.one, was an unregistered securities offering and ordered Block.one to
+Added: pay a $24 million civil penalty.
+Added: The SEC could make a similar determination with respect to digital tokens distributed in other
+Added: initial coin offerings.
+Added: If the SEC were to determine that Bitcoin is a security, the Trust and the Sponsor would be subject to
+Added: additional regulatory and compliance requirements under U.S.
+Added: federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act and,
+Added: with respect to the Sponsor, the Advisers Act.
+Added: In addition, the SEC’s determination or a market expectation of the SEC’s
+Added: determination that any digital asset is a security could adversely affect the market price of Bitcoin or digital assets generally
+Added: and thus the value of the Shares.
+Added: Regulatory changes or other events
in foreign jurisdictions may have impacted the price of Bitcoin or may impact it in the future.
−Removed: Various foreign
−Removed: jurisdictions may, in the near future, adopt laws, regulations or directives that affect the Bitcoin Network, the Bitcoin exchange
−Removed: market and their users, particularly Bitcoin exchanges and service providers that fall within such jurisdictions’ regulatory
−Removed: scope, which may in turn, impact the price of Bitcoin.
−Removed: Such laws, regulations or directives may conflict with those of the United
−Removed: States and may negatively impact the acceptance of Bitcoin by users, merchants and service providers outside the United States
−Removed: and may therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the Bitcoin economy globally, or otherwise negatively affect the value
−Removed: The regulatory uncertainty surrounding the treatment of Bitcoin creates risks for the Trust.
−Removed: March 5, 2020, South Korea voted to amend its Financial Information Act to require virtual asset service providers to register
−Removed: and comply with its AML and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (“CFT”) framework.
−Removed: These measures also provide the
−Removed: government with the authority to close digital asset exchanges that do not comply with specified processes.
−Removed: The Chinese and South
−Removed: Korean governments have also banned initial coin offerings (“ICOs”) and there are reports that Chinese regulators have
−Removed: taken action to shut down a number of China-based digital asset exchanges.
−Removed: Further, on January 19, 2018, a Chinese news organization
−Removed: reported that the People’s Bank of China had ordered financial institutions to stop providing banking or funding to “any
−Removed: activity related to cryptocurrencies.” Similarly, in April 2018, the Reserve Bank of India banned the entities it regulates
−Removed: from providing services to any individuals or business entities dealing with or settling digital assets.
−Removed: On March 5, 2020, this
−Removed: ban was overturned in the Indian Supreme Court, although the Reserve Bank of India is currently challenging this ruling and, in
−Removed: December 2021, reportedly informed its central board of directors that it favors a complete ban on cryptocurrencies.
−Removed: There remains
−Removed: significant uncertainty regarding the South Korean, Indian and Chinese governments’ future actions with respect to the regulation
−Removed: of digital assets and digital asset exchanges.
−Removed: Such laws, regulations or directives may conflict with those of the United States
−Removed: and may negatively impact the acceptance of bitcoin by users, merchants and service providers outside the United States, and may
−Removed: therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the Bitcoin economy in the European Union, China, Japan, Russia and the United
−Removed: States and globally, or otherwise negatively affect the value of Bitcoin.
−Removed: Other foreign jurisdictions including Canada, Germany
−Removed: and Sweden have also approved exchange-traded Bitcoin products.
−Removed: In July 2019, the
−Removed: United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority proposed rules to address harm to retail consumers deriving from the sale of
−Removed: derivatives and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”) that reference certain types of digital assets, contending that they
−Removed: are “ill-suited” to retail investors citing extreme volatility, valuation challenges and association with financial
−Removed: In addition to ETNs, the proposed ban would affect financial products including contracts for difference, options and futures.
−Removed: Public consultation on the proposed restriction closed in October 2019.
−Removed: A determination
−Removed: that Bitcoin is a security under U.S.
−Removed: or foreign law could adversely affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: The sale of the Units could be
−Removed: subject to SEC or state securities registration.
−Removed: The offer and sale
−Removed: of the Units in a Rule 506 offering is not registered with the SEC under the Securities Act or with a state regulator under the
−Removed: securities laws of any state.
−Removed: If a regulator or a court determines that the sale of the Units should have been registered, the
−Removed: Trust may be required to provide investors who purchased in the offering the option to rescind their investment on terms favorable
−Removed: to those investors.
−Removed: If this occurs, the Trust may lack sufficient assets to repay all purchasers seeking rescission, the secondary
−Removed: market for the Units, if any, may be negatively impacted, and the value of the Units held by remaining investors may decrease.
+Added: Various foreign jurisdictions
+Added: have and may, in the near future, adopt laws, regulations or directives that affect the Bitcoin Network, the Bitcoin exchange market
+Added: and their users, particularly Bitcoin exchanges and service providers that fall within such jurisdictions’ regulatory scope,
+Added: which may in turn, impact the price of Bitcoin.
+Added: For example, China has made transacting in cryptocurrencies illegal for Chinese
+Added: citizens in mainland China, and additional restrictions may follow.
+Added: Both China and South Korea have banned initial coin offerings
+Added: entirely and regulators in other jurisdictions, including Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, have opined that initial coin offerings
+Added: may constitute securities offerings subject to local securities regulations.
+Added: In May 2021, the Chinese government announced renewed
+Added: efforts to restrict cryptocurrency trading and mining activities, citing concerns about high energy consumption and its desire
+Added: to promote financial stability.
+Added: Regulators in Inner Mongolia and other regions of China have proposed regulations that would create
+Added: penalties for companies engaged in cryptocurrency mining activities and introduce heightened energy saving requirements on industrial
+Added: parks, data centers and power plants providing electricity to cryptocurrency miners.
+Added: In April 2018, the Reserve Bank of India banned
+Added: the entities it regulates from providing services to any individuals or business entities dealing with or settling digital assets.
+Added: On March 5, 2020, this ban was overturned in the Indian Supreme Court, although the Reserve Bank of India is currently challenging
+Added: this ruling and, in December 2021, reportedly informed its central board of directors that it favors a complete ban on cryptocurrencies.
+Added: The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority published final rules in October 2020 banning the sale of derivatives and
+Added: exchange traded notes that reference certain types of digital assets, contending that they are “ill-suited” to retail
+Added: investors citing extreme volatility, valuation challenges and association with financial
+Added: A new bill, the Financial Services and Markets Bill (“FSMB”), has made its way through the House of Commons
+Added: and is expected to work through the House of Lords and become law in 2023.
+Added: The FSMB would bring digital asset activities within
+Added: the scope of existing laws governing financial institutions, markets and assets.
+Added: In addition, the European Council of the European
+Added: Union approved the text of MiCA in October 2022, establishing a regulatory framework for digital asset services across the European
+Added: MiCA is intended to serve as a comprehensive regulation of digital asset markets and imposes various obligations on digital
+Added: asset issuers and service providers.
+Added: The main aims of MiCA are industry regulation, consumer protection, prevention of market abuse
+Added: and upholding the integrity of digital asset markets.
+Added: MiCA is expected to pass the European Parliament in 2023 and come into effect
+Added: For further discussion, see “Government Oversight — Regulation of Bitcoin.”
+Added: Such laws, regulations
+Added: or directives may conflict with those of the United States and may negatively impact the acceptance of Bitcoin by users, merchants
+Added: and service providers outside the United States and may therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the Bitcoin economy globally,
+Added: or otherwise negatively affect the price and value of Bitcoin.
+Added: Moreover, other events, such as the interruption in telecommunications
+Added: or Internet services, cyber-related terrorist acts, civil disturbances, war or other catastrophes, could also negatively affect
+Added: the digital asset economy in one or more jurisdictions.
+Added: For example, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 led
+Added: to volatility in digital asset prices, with an initial steep decline followed by a sharp rebound in prices.
+Added: The regulatory uncertainty
+Added: surrounding the treatment of Bitcoin creates risks for the Trust.
+Added: The sale of the Units could be subject
+Added: to SEC or state securities registration.
+Added: The offer and sale of
+Added: the Units in a Rule 506 offering is not registered with the SEC under the Securities Act or with a state regulator under the securities
+Added: laws of any state.
+Added: If a regulator or a court determines that the sale of the Units should have been registered, the Trust may be
+Added: required to provide investors who purchased in the offering the option to rescind their investment on terms favorable to those
+Added: If this occurs, the Trust may lack sufficient assets to repay all purchasers seeking rescission, the secondary market
+Added: for the Units, if any, may be negatively impacted, and the value of the Units held by remaining investors may decrease.
+Added: The Trust is not a registered investment
The Trust is not a registered
−Removed: investment company.
−Removed: The Trust is not
−Removed: a registered investment company subject to the Investment Company Act.
−Removed: Consequently, Unitholders of the Trust do not have the regulatory
−Removed: protections provided to shareholders in registered investment companies which, for example, require that investment companies have
−Removed: a certain percentage of disinterested directors and requirements as to the relationship between the investment company and certain
−Removed: of its affiliates.
−Removed: The Trust could be, or could
−Removed: become, subject to the CEA.
+Added: investment company subject to the Investment Company Act.
+Added: Consequently, Unitholders of the Trust do not have the regulatory protections
+Added: provided to shareholders in registered investment companies which, for example, require that investment companies have a certain
+Added: percentage of disinterested directors and requirements as to the relationship between the investment company and certain of its
+Added: The Trust could be, or could become,
+Added: subject to the Commodity Exchange Act.
Currently, the CFTC
7 unchanged sentences
regulation, and may be less reliable than U.S.
−Removed: To the extent any
−Removed: of the Trust’s assets are valued based on trading conducted on Bitcoin markets outside the U.S., trading on such markets
−Removed: is not regulated by any U.S.
+Added: To the extent any of
+Added: the Trust’s assets are valued based on trading conducted on Bitcoin markets outside the U.S., trading on such markets is
+Added: not regulated by any U.S.
governmental agency and may involve certain risks not applicable to trading in U.S.
1 unchanged sentence
These factors could adversely affect the performance of
−Removed: Future regulations may impose
−Removed: other regulatory burdens, which could harm the Trust or even cause the Trust to liquidate.
−Removed: Current and future
−Removed: legislation, CFTC and SEC rulemaking and other regulatory developments may affect the manner in which Bitcoin are treated for classification
+Added: Future regulations may impose other
+Added: regulatory burdens, which could harm the Trust or even cause the Trust to liquidate.
+Added: Current and future legislation,
+Added: CFTC and SEC rulemaking and other regulatory developments may affect the manner in which Bitcoins are treated for classification
and clearing purposes, and the manner in which the Units, the Trust and the Sponsor are regulated.
8 unchanged sentences
In addition, on March
−Removed: 9, 2022, President Biden announced an executive order on cryptocurrencies which seeks to establish a unified federal regulatory
+Added: 9, 2022, President Biden announced an executive order on cryptocurrencies that seeks to establish a unified federal regulatory
regime for cryptocurrencies.
−Removed: In the face of such developments, new or additional registration and compliance steps may result in
−Removed: extraordinary expenses to the Trust.
−Removed: If the Sponsor decides to terminate the Trust in response to changed regulatory circumstances,
−Removed: the Trust may be dissolved or liquidated at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
−Removed: To the extent that
−Removed: Bitcoin is deemed to fall within the definition of a “commodity interest” under the CEA, the Trust and the Sponsor
−Removed: may be subject to additional regulation under the CEA and CFTC regulations.
−Removed: The Sponsor or the Trust may be required to register
−Removed: as a commodity pool operator or commodity trading advisor with the CFTC and become a member of the National Futures Association
−Removed: and may be subject to additional regulatory requirements with respect to the Trust, including disclosure and reporting requirements.
−Removed: These additional requirements may result in extraordinary, recurring and nonrecurring expenses.
−Removed: If the Sponsor or the Trust determines
−Removed: not to comply with such additional regulatory requirements, the Sponsor will terminate the Trust.
−Removed: Any such termination could result
−Removed: in the liquidation of the Trust’s Bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
−Removed: To the extent that
−Removed: Bitcoin is deemed to fall within the definition of a security under U.S.
−Removed: federal securities laws, the Trust and the Sponsor may
−Removed: be subject to additional requirements under the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act.
−Removed: The Sponsor or the Trust may be required
−Removed: to register as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
−Removed: Such additional registration may result in extraordinary, recurring
−Removed: and non-recurring expenses.
−Removed: If the Sponsor or the Trust determines not to comply with such additional regulatory requirements,
−Removed: the Sponsor will terminate the Trust.
−Removed: Any such termination could result in the liquidation of the Trust’s Bitcoin at a time
−Removed: that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
−Removed: Banks may not provide banking
−Removed: services, or may cut off banking services, to businesses that provide Bitcoin-related services or that accept Bitcoin as payment,
−Removed: which could directly impact the Trust’s operations, damage the public perception of Bitcoin and the utility of Bitcoin as
−Removed: a payment system and could decrease the price of Bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: On June 7, 2022, U.S.
+Added: Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis introduced the “Responsible
+Added: Financial Innovation Act,” a bipartisan proposed legislation that would create a regulatory framework for digital assets,
+Added: including a standard for determining which digital assets are commodities and what are securities, and would assign regulatory
+Added: authority over digital asset spot markets to the CFTC.
+Added: In the face of such developments, new or additional registration and compliance
+Added: steps may result in extraordinary expenses to the Trust.
+Added: If the Sponsor decides to terminate the Trust in response to changed regulatory
+Added: circumstances, the Trust may be dissolved or liquidated at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
+Added: To the extent that Bitcoin
+Added: is deemed to fall within the definition of a “commodity interest” under the CEA, the Trust and the Sponsor may be subject
+Added: to additional regulation under the CEA and CFTC regulations.
+Added: The Sponsor or the Trust may be required to register as a commodity
+Added: pool operator or commodity trading advisor with the CFTC and become a member of the National Futures Association and may be subject
+Added: to additional regulatory requirements with respect to the Trust, including disclosure and reporting requirements.
+Added: These additional
+Added: requirements may result in extraordinary, recurring and non-recurring expenses.
+Added: If the Sponsor or the Trust determines not to comply
+Added: with such additional regulatory requirements, the Sponsor will terminate the Trust.
+Added: Any such termination could result in the liquidation
+Added: of the Trust’s Bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
+Added: To the extent that Bitcoin
+Added: is deemed to fall within the definition of a security under U.S.
+Added: federal securities laws, the Trust and the Sponsor may be subject
+Added: to additional requirements under the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act.
+Added: For example, in February 15, 2023, the SEC proposed
+Added: a new rule that would enhance safeguarding of assets for registered investment advisers, If adopted, the changes would amend and
+Added: redesign Rule 206(4)-2, the SEC’s custody rule, under the Advisers Act and amend certain related recordkeeping and reporting
+Added: The proposed rule would exercise the SEC’s authority under Section 411 of the Dodd-Frank Act by broadening the
+Added: application of the current investment adviser custody rule beyond client funds and securities to include any client assets in an
+Added: investment adviser’s possession or when an investment adviser has authority to obtain possession of client assets, requiring
+Added: the investment adviser to hold client assets with a qualified custodian.
+Added: As such, the rule, if adopted substantially as proposed,
+Added: would expand SEC authority to digital assets held by or in control of an investment adviser on behalf of clients.
+Added: If the Sponsor
+Added: or the Trust were required to register as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, such additional registration may result
+Added: in extraordinary, recurring and non-recurring expenses and create additional uncertainty with respect to new or shifting regulatory
+Added: requirements.
+Added: If the Sponsor or the
+Added: Trust determines not to comply with any additional regulatory requirements, the Sponsor will terminate the Trust.
+Added: Any such termination
+Added: could result in the liquidation of the Trust’s Bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
+Added: Banks may not provide banking services,
+Added: or may cut off banking services, to businesses that provide Bitcoin-related services or that accept Bitcoin as payment, which could
+Added: directly impact the Trust’s operations, damage the public perception of Bitcoin and the utility of Bitcoin as a payment system
+Added: and could decrease the price of Bitcoin and adversely affect an investment in the Units.
A number of companies
1 unchanged sentence
This may have an adverse impact on the Trust’s operations.
−Removed: Similarly, a number of such companies have had their
−Removed: existing bank accounts closed by their banks.
−Removed: Banks may refuse to provide bank accounts and other banking services to Bitcoin-related
−Removed: companies or companies that accept Bitcoin for a number of reasons, such as perceived compliance risks or costs.
−Removed: The difficulty
−Removed: that many businesses that provide Bitcoin-related services have and may continue to have in finding banks willing to provide them
−Removed: with bank accounts and other banking services may be currently decreasing the usefulness of Bitcoin as a payment system and harming
−Removed: public perception of Bitcoin or could decrease its usefulness and harm its public perception in the future.
−Removed: Similarly, the usefulness
−Removed: of Bitcoin as a payment system and the public perception of Bitcoin could be damaged if banks were to close the accounts of many
−Removed: or of a few key businesses providing Bitcoin-related services.
−Removed: This could decrease the price of Bitcoin and therefore adversely
−Removed: affect an investment in the Units.
−Removed: It may be illegal now, or in
−Removed: the future, to acquire, own, hold, sell or use Bitcoin in one or more countries, and ownership of, holding or trading in Units
−Removed: may also be considered illegal and subject to sanctions.
−Removed: The United States,
−Removed: China, Russia, India or other jurisdictions may take additional regulatory actions in the future that further restrict the right
−Removed: to acquire, own, hold, sell or use Bitcoin or to exchange Bitcoin for fiat currency.
−Removed: For example, the United States and other G7
−Removed: leaders imposed expansive economic sanctions on Russia as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and new guidance issued by the Department
−Removed: of Treasury highlighted the expectation of compliance with such sanctions, including as it relates to transactions using virtual
−Removed: currency, such as Bitcoin.
−Removed: Additional regulatory actions could result in the restriction of ownership, holding or trading in the
−Removed: Such a restriction
−Removed: could subject the Trust or the Sponsor
−Removed: to investigations, civil or criminal fines and penalties, which could harm the reputation of the Trust or its Sponsor, and could
−Removed: result in the termination and liquidation of the Trust at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders, or may adversely affect
−Removed: an investment in the Units.
+Added: Recently, the FDIC declared Signature Bank in New York
+Added: insolvent and placed the bank into receivership and established a bridge bank where all deposits were transferred.
+Added: Trust does not have material cash operations, it had an account holding nominal cash at Signature Bank and was able to access
+Added: funds within one business day of the FDIC’s actions.
+Added: Although the closing of Signature Bank did not have a material impact
+Added: on the Trust, it is possible that a future closing of a bank with which the Trust has a financial relationship could subject the
+Added: Trust to adverse conditions and pose challenges in finding an alternative suitable bank to provide the Trust with bank accounts
+Added: and banking services.
+Added: Also, a number of companies
+Added: that provide Bitcoin-related services have had their existing bank accounts closed by their banks.
+Added: Banks may refuse to provide
+Added: bank accounts and other banking services to Bitcoin-related companies or companies that accept Bitcoin for a number of reasons,
+Added: such as perceived compliance risks or costs.
+Added: The difficulty that many businesses that provide Bitcoin-related services have and
+Added: may continue to have in finding banks willing to provide them with bank accounts and other banking services may be currently decreasing
+Added: the usefulness of Bitcoin as a payment system and harming public perception of Bitcoin or could decrease its usefulness and harm
+Added: its public perception in the future.
+Added: Similarly, the usefulness of Bitcoin as a payment system and the public perception of Bitcoin
+Added: could be damaged if banks were to close the accounts of many or of a few key businesses providing Bitcoin-related services.
+Added: could decrease the price of Bitcoin and therefore adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: It may be illegal now, or in the
+Added: future, to acquire, own, hold, sell or use Bitcoin in one or more countries, and ownership of, holding or trading in Units may
+Added: also be considered illegal and subject to sanctions.
+Added: The United States, China,
+Added: Russia, India or other jurisdictions may take additional regulatory actions in the future that further restrict the right to acquire,
+Added: own, hold, sell or use Bitcoin or to exchange Bitcoin for fiat currency.
+Added: For example, the United States and other G7 leaders imposed
+Added: expansive economic sanctions on Russia as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and new guidance issued by the Department of Treasury
+Added: highlighted the expectation of compliance with such sanctions, including as it relates to transactions using virtual currency,
+Added: such as Bitcoin.
+Added: Additional regulatory actions could result in the restriction of ownership, holding or trading in the Units.
+Added: a restriction could subject the Trust or the Sponsor to investigations, civil or criminal fines and penalties, which could harm
+Added: the reputation of the Trust or its Sponsor, and could result in the termination and liquidation of the Trust at a time that is
+Added: disadvantageous to Unitholders, or may adversely affect an investment in the Units.
+Added: If the Bitcoin Network is used to
+Added: facilitate illicit activities, businesses that facilitate transactions in Bitcoin could be at increased risk of criminal and civil
+Added: lawsuits, or of having services cut off, which could negatively affect the price of Bitcoin and the value of the Units.
+Added: Digital asset networks
+Added: have in the past been, and may continue to be, used to facilitate illicit activities.
+Added: If the Bitcoin Network is used to facilitate
+Added: illicit activities, businesses that facilitate transactions in Bitcoin could be at increased risk of potential criminal or civil
+Added: lawsuits, or of having banking or other services cut off, and Bitcoin could be removed from digital asset exchanges as a result
+Added: of these concerns.
+Added: Other service providers of such businesses may also cut off services if there is a concern that the Bitcoin
+Added: network is being used to facilitate crime.
+Added: Any of the aforementioned
+Added: occurrences could increase regulatory scrutiny of the Bitcoin Network and/or adversely affect the price of Bitcoin, the attractiveness
+Added: of the Bitcoin Network and an investment in the Units of the Trust.
If regulatory changes or interpretations
−Removed: of the Trust’s or Sponsor’s activities require registration as money service businesses under the regulations promulgated
+Added: of the Trust’s or Sponsor’s activities require registration as money services businesses under the regulations promulgated
by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S.
1 unchanged sentence
regimes for the licensing of such businesses, the Trust and/or Sponsor could suffer reputational harm and also extraordinary, recurring
−Removed: and/or nonrecurring expenses, which would adversely impact an investment in the Units.
+Added: and/or non-recurring expenses, which would adversely impact an investment in the Units.
If regulatory changes
8 unchanged sentences
In the event of any such requirement, to the extent that the Sponsor decides to continue the Trust, the required registrations,
−Removed: licensure and regulatory compliance steps may result in extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust.
+Added: licensure and regulatory compliance steps may result in extraordinary, non-recurring expenses to the Trust.
Regulatory compliance
would include, among other things, implementing anti-money laundering and consumer protection programs.
−Removed: To the extent the
−Removed: Trust or Sponsor is found to have operated without appropriate state or federal licenses, it may be subject to investigation, administrative
+Added: To the extent the Trust
+Added: or 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 would harm the reputation of the Trust or
its Sponsor, decrease the liquidity of the Trust, and have a material adverse effect on the price of the Units.
−Removed: If the Sponsor decides
−Removed: to comply with such additional federal or state regulatory obligations and continue the Trust, the required registrations, licensure
−Removed: and regulatory compliance steps may result in extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust, possibly affecting an investment
−Removed: in the Units in a material and adverse manner.
−Removed: Furthermore, the Trust and its service providers may not be capable of complying
−Removed: with certain federal or state regulatory obligations applicable to money service businesses’ money transmitters and businesses
−Removed: involved in digital currency business activity.
−Removed: If the Sponsor and/or the Trust determines not to comply with such requirements,
−Removed: the Sponsor will act to dissolve and liquidate the Trust.
−Removed: Any such termination could result in the liquidation of the Trust’s
−Removed: Bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
−Removed: Digital assets are not insured
−Removed: or guaranteed by any government or government agency.
+Added: If the Sponsor
+Added: decides to comply with such additional federal or state regulatory obligations and continue the Trust, the required registrations,
+Added: licensure and regulatory compliance steps may result in extraordinary, non-recurring expenses to the Trust, possibly affecting
+Added: an investment in the Units in a material and adverse manner.
+Added: Furthermore, the Trust and its service providers may not be capable
+Added: of complying with certain federal or state regulatory obligations applicable to money services businesses’ money transmitters
+Added: and businesses involved in digital currency business activity.
+Added: If the Sponsor and/or the Trust determines not to comply with such
+Added: requirements, the Sponsor will act to dissolve and liquidate the Trust.
+Added: Any such termination could result in the liquidation of
+Added: the Trust’s Bitcoin at a time that is disadvantageous to Unitholders.
+Added: Laws and regulations may also be
+Added: introduced or interpreted by regulators that lack experience in digital assets and blockchain technology.
+Added: This may result in unclear
+Added: rules with which compliance may be difficult.
Governments, quasi-government
−Removed: and financial institutions may impose additional regulation on digital assets and blockchain technology, and the regulatory environment
−Removed: for digital assets is changing and unpredictable.
−Removed: Governments, quasi-government and financial institutions may impose additional
−Removed: regulation on digital assets and blockchain technology, and the regulatory environment for digital assets is changing and unpredictable.
−Removed: Many governments,
−Removed: regulators, self-regulators and other quasi-government agencies around the world that seek to regulate the digital assets industry
−Removed: may lack experience in digital assets and blockchain technology generally.
−Removed: They may seek to use existing laws and regulations and
−Removed: interpret them to apply to the digital assets industry.
−Removed: Many of these legal and regulatory regimes were adopted prior to the advent
−Removed: of the internet, mobile technologies, digital assets and related technologies.
−Removed: As a result, they do not contemplate or address
−Removed: unique issues associated with digital assets and are thus subject to significant uncertainty and vary widely across jurisdictions.
−Removed: This may result in unclear rules that are difficult or impractical to comply with, and therefore increase the Trust’s legal
−Removed: and regulatory compliance risks.
−Removed: While interest in
−Removed: digital assets is increasing, digital asset regulation is also evolving and increasing.
−Removed: Governmental authorities and regulators
−Removed: have been looking to take on a more active role in regulating digital assets to ensure the assets are not used for illicit purposes
−Removed: and reduce financial risk by promoting better compliance, among other things.
−Removed: Although regulation on digital assets will increase
−Removed: the regulatory responsibility and costs for investors and exchanges, it may also further legitimize the industry.
−Removed: The digital assets industry is
−Removed: relatively new and has limited access to policymakers or lobbying organizations, which may harm the Trust’s ability to effectively
−Removed: react to proposed laws and regulation of digital assets adverse to the Trust’s business.
+Added: organizations and financial institutions may impose additional regulation on digital assets and blockchain technology, and the
+Added: regulatory environment for digital assets is changing and unpredictable.
+Added: Many governments, regulators,
+Added: self-regulators and other quasi-government agencies around the world that seek to regulate the digital assets industry may lack
+Added: experience in digital assets and blockchain technology generally.
+Added: They may seek to use existing laws and regulations and interpret
+Added: them to apply to the digital assets industry.
+Added: Many of these legal and regulatory regimes were adopted prior to the advent of the
+Added: internet, mobile technologies, digital assets and related technologies.
+Added: As a result, they do not contemplate or address unique
+Added: issues associated with digital assets and are thus subject to significant uncertainty and vary widely across jurisdictions.
+Added: may result in unclear rules that are difficult or impractical to comply with, and therefore increase the Trust’s legal and
+Added: regulatory compliance risks.
+Added: The digital assets industry is relatively
+Added: new and has limited access to policymakers or lobbying organizations, which may harm the Trust’s ability to effectively react
+Added: to proposed laws and regulation of digital assets adverse to the Trust’s business.
Various governmental
8 unchanged sentences
many jurisdictions.
−Removed: Competitors from more established industries, including traditional financial services, may have
−Removed: greater access to lobbyists or governmental
−Removed: Accordingly, legislators and regulators that are concerned about the potential for digital assets for illicit usage
−Removed: may affect statutory and regulatory changes with minimal or discounted inputs from the digital assets industry.
−Removed: As a result, new
−Removed: laws and regulations may be proposed and adopted, or existing laws and regulations may be interpreted in new ways that can adversely
−Removed: impact the digital assets industry and/or digital asset platforms.
−Removed: The Trust may not
−Removed: be able to appropriately adapt to such sudden adverse legal and regulatory changes.
+Added: Competitors from more established industries, including traditional financial services, may have greater access
+Added: to lobbyists or governmental officials.
+Added: Accordingly, legislators and regulators that are concerned about the potential for digital
+Added: assets for illicit usage may affect statutory and regulatory changes with minimal or discounted inputs from the digital assets
+Added: As a result, new laws and regulations may be proposed and adopted, or existing laws and regulations may be interpreted
+Added: in new ways that can adversely impact the digital assets industry and/or digital asset platforms.
+Added: The Trust may not be
+Added: able to appropriately adapt to such sudden adverse legal and regulatory changes.
Its inability to adapt to such changes in time
1 unchanged sentence
adversely impact its reputation, business, operating results, financial condition and share price.
−Removed: The treatment of the Trust for
+Added: The treatment of the Trust for U.S.
federal income tax purposes is uncertain.
−Removed: The Sponsor intends
+Added: As discussed in greater
+Added: detail above in “Certain U.S.
+Added: Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax Treatment of the Trust”, the Sponsor intends
to take the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S.
3 unchanged sentences
federal income tax.
−Removed: Rather, if the Trust is a grantor trust,
−Removed: each beneficial owner of Units will be treated as directly owning its pro rata share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata
−Removed: portion of the Trust’s income, gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Units.
+Added: Rather, each beneficial owner of Units
+Added: will be treated as directly owning its pro rata share of the Trust’s assets, and a pro rata portion of the Trust’s
+Added: income, gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Units.
Because of the evolving
4 unchanged sentences
treated as a grantor trust for such purposes.
−Removed: If the Trust is
−Removed: not properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S.
+Added: If the Trust is not
+Added: properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S.
federal income tax purposes.
−Removed: However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital currency for U.S.
−Removed: federal income tax purposes (as discussed below in “Certain
+Added: due to the uncertain treatment of digital currency for U.S.
+Added: federal income tax purposes (as discussed below in “Certain U.S.
Federal Income Tax Consequences—Uncertainty Regarding the U.S.
12 unchanged sentences
net taxable income and certain distributions made by the Trust to Unitholders would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent
−Removed: of the Trust’s current and accumulated earnings and profits.
−Removed: Any such dividend distributed to a beneficial owner of Units
−Removed: that is a non-U.S.
+Added: of the Trust’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (as calculated for U.S.
+Added: federal income tax purposes).
+Added: dividend distributed to a beneficial owner of Units that is a non-U.S.
person for U.S.
−Removed: federal income tax purposes would be subject to U.S.
−Removed: federal withholding tax at a rate of 30%
−Removed: (or such lower rate as provided in an applicable tax treaty).
−Removed: Unitholders could incur a tax
−Removed: liability without an associated distribution.
+Added: federal income tax purposes would be subject
+Added: federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as provided in an applicable tax treaty).
+Added: Unitholders could incur a tax liability
+Added: without an associated distribution.
In the normal course
7 unchanged sentences
Consequences to U.S.
−Removed: The treatment of Bitcoin for
+Added: Holders” above.
+Added: The treatment of Bitcoin for U.S.
federal income tax purposes is uncertain.
−Removed: As discussed in
−Removed: the section entitled “Certain U.S.
+Added: As discussed in the
+Added: section titled “Certain U.S.
Federal Income Tax Consequences—Uncertainty Regarding the U.S.
−Removed: Federal Income Tax
−Removed: Treatment of Digital Currency”, assuming that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S.
−Removed: federal income tax
−Removed: purposes, each beneficial owner of Units will be treated for U.S.
−Removed: federal income tax purposes as the owner of an undivided interest
−Removed: in the Bitcoin (and, if applicable, any Additional Currency) held in the Trust.
+Added: Federal Income Tax Treatment
+Added: of Digital Currency” below, assuming that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S.
+Added: federal income tax purposes,
+Added: each beneficial owner of Units will be treated for U.S.
+Added: federal income tax purposes as the owner of an undivided interest in the
+Added: Bitcoin (and, if applicable, any Additional Currency) held in the Trust.
Due to the new and evolving nature of digital currencies
2 unchanged sentences
tax treatment of digital currency are uncertain.
−Removed: In 2014, the IRS
−Removed: released a Notice discussing certain aspects of “convertible virtual currency” (that is, digital currency that has
−Removed: an equivalent value in fiat currency or that acts as a substitute for fiat currency) for U.S.
−Removed: federal income tax purposes and,
−Removed: in particular, stating that such digital currency (i) is “property” (ii) is “not treated as currency” for
−Removed: purposes of the rules relating to foreign currency gain or loss and (iii) may be held as a capital asset.
In 2014, the IRS released
−Removed: a Revenue Ruling in which the IRS concluded that a hard fork on a digital currency blockchain (i) does not create taxable income
−Removed: if the taxpayer does not subsequently receive new units of digital currency and (ii) does create taxable ordinary income if the
−Removed: taxpayer receives new units of cryptocurrency by airdrop.
−Removed: Simultaneously with the release of the Revenue Ruling, the IRS also published
−Removed: the FAQs, which address, among other issues, how to determine the fair market value of digital currencies and the proper method
−Removed: of determining a holder’s holding period and tax basis for units of digital currency (including those acquired at different
−Removed: times or at varying prices.
−Removed: However, the Notice, Revenue Ruling and FAQs do not address other significant aspects
−Removed: federal income tax treatment
−Removed: of digital currencies, including:
−Removed: (i) whether convertible virtual currencies are properly treated as “commodities”
−Removed: federal income tax purposes;
−Removed: (ii) whether convertible virtual currencies are properly treated as “collectibles”
−Removed: federal income tax purposes;
−Removed: (iii) the proper method of determining a holder’s holding period and tax basis for
−Removed: convertible virtual currencies acquired at different times or at varying prices;
−Removed: and (iv) whether and how a holder of convertible
−Removed: virtual currencies acquired at different times or at varying prices may designate, for U.S.
−Removed: federal income tax purposes, which
−Removed: of the convertible virtual currencies is transferred in a subsequent sale, exchange or other disposition.
−Removed: The uncertainty surrounding
−Removed: federal income tax treatment of digital currencies and other digital assets could affect the performance of the Trust.
−Removed: Moreover, although the Revenue Ruling and FAQs address the treatment of hard forks, there continues to be uncertainty with respect
−Removed: to the timing and amount of the income inclusions.
−Removed: There can be no
−Removed: assurance that the IRS will not alter its position with respect to digital currencies in the future or that a court would uphold
−Removed: the treatment set forth in the Notice, Revenue Ruling and FAQs.
−Removed: It is also unclear what additional guidance on the treatment of
−Removed: digital currencies for U.S.
+Added: the Notice, noting that Bitcoin will be treated as property for U.S.
+Added: Federal income tax purposes and that Bitcoin may be held as
+Added: a capital asset.
+Added: In 2019, the IRS released the Revenue Ruling and published the FAQs on reporting virtual currency transactions.
+Added: The Revenue Ruling provides more guidance to taxpayers and tax practitioners regarding the treatment of a cryptocurrency hard forks
+Added: and airdrops.
+Added: The FAQs provide guidance on how to report virtual currency transactions for those who hold virtual currency as a
+Added: capital asset.
+Added: There can be no assurance
+Added: that the IRS will not alter its position with respect to digital currencies in the future or that a court would uphold the treatment
+Added: set forth in the Notice, Revenue Ruling and FAQs.
+Added: It is also unclear what additional guidance on the treatment of digital currencies
federal income tax purposes may be issued in the future.
−Removed: Any such alteration of the current IRS positions
−Removed: or additional guidance could result in adverse tax consequences for Unitholders and could have an adverse effect on the value of
−Removed: Future developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the
−Removed: treatment of digital currencies for U.S.
+Added: Any such alteration of the current IRS positions or additional
+Added: guidance could result in adverse tax consequences for Unitholders and could have an adverse effect on the value of Bitcoin.
+Added: developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital
+Added: currencies for U.S.
federal income tax purposes.
−Removed: For example, the Notice addresses only digital currency that
−Removed: is “convertible virtual currency,” and it is conceivable that, as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence,
−Removed: the Trust will hold certain types of digital currency that are not within the scope of the Notice.
−Removed: Unitholders are
−Removed: urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of owning and disposing of Units and digital currencies in general.
−Removed: Future developments regarding
−Removed: the treatment of digital currency for U.S.
+Added: For example, the Notice addresses only digital currency that is “convertible
+Added: virtual currency,” and it is conceivable that, as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence, the Trust will hold
+Added: certain types of digital currency that are not within the scope of the Notice.
+Added: Unitholders are urged
+Added: to consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of owning and disposing of Units and digital currencies in general.
+Added: Future developments regarding the
+Added: treatment of digital currency for U.S.
federal income tax purposes could adversely affect the value of the Units.
24 unchanged sentences
state tax purposes may be issued in the future.
−Removed: The treatment of
−Removed: digital currencies for tax purposes by non-U.S.
+Added: The treatment of digital
+Added: currencies for tax purposes by non-U.S.
jurisdictions may differ from the treatment of digital currencies for U.S.
−Removed: state or local tax purposes.
+Added: federal, state
+Added: or local tax purposes.
It is possible, for example, that a non-U.S.
−Removed: jurisdiction would impose sales tax or value-added tax
−Removed: on purchases and sales of digital currencies for fiat currency.
−Removed: If a foreign jurisdiction with a significant share of the market
−Removed: of Bitcoin users imposes onerous tax burdens on digital currency users, or imposes sales or value-added tax on purchases and sales
−Removed: of digital currency for fiat currency, such actions could result in decreased demand for Bitcoin in such jurisdiction.
+Added: jurisdiction would impose sales tax or value-added tax on purchases
+Added: and sales of digital currencies for fiat currency.
+Added: If a foreign jurisdiction with a significant share of the market of Bitcoin
+Added: users imposes onerous tax burdens on digital currency users, or imposes sales or value-added tax on purchases and sales of digital
+Added: currency for fiat
+Added: currency, such actions could result in decreased demand for Bitcoin in such jurisdiction.
Any future guidance
3 unchanged sentences
any such future guidance could have an adverse effect on the value of the Units.
−Removed: tax-exempt Unitholder
−Removed: may recognize “unrelated business taxable income” a consequence of an investment in Units.
−Removed: Under the guidance
−Removed: provided in Revenue Ruling and FAQs, hard forks, airdrops and similar occurrences with respect to digital currencies will under
−Removed: certain circumstances be treated as taxable events giving rise to ordinary income.
−Removed: In the absence of guidance to the contrary,
−Removed: it is possible that any such income recognized by a U.S.
−Removed: tax-exempt Unitholder would constitute “unrelated business taxable
−Removed: income” (“UBTI”).
−Removed: A tax-exempt Unitholder should consult its tax advisor regarding whether such Unitholder may
−Removed: recognize UBTI as a consequence of an investment in Units.
+Added: tax-exempt Unitholder may
+Added: recognize UBTI a consequence of an investment in Units.
+Added: Under the guidance provided
+Added: in Revenue Ruling and FAQs, hard forks, airdrops and similar occurrences with respect to digital currencies will under certain
+Added: circumstances be treated as taxable events giving rise to ordinary income.
+Added: In the absence of guidance to the contrary, it is possible
+Added: that any such income recognized by a U.S.
+Added: tax-exempt Unitholder would constitute UBTI.
+Added: A tax-exempt Unitholder should consult its
+Added: tax advisor regarding whether such Unitholder may recognize UBTI as a consequence of an investment in Units.
Unitholders may be subject
federal withholding tax on income derived from forks, airdrops and similar occurrences.
−Removed: The Revenue Ruling
−Removed: and FAQs do not address whether income recognized by a non-U.S.
−Removed: person as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence could
−Removed: be subject to the 30% withholding tax imposed on U.S.-source “fixed or determinable annual or periodical” income.
−Removed: Unitholders should assume that, in the absence of guidance, a withholding agent is likely to withhold 30% of any such income recognized
−Removed: by a non-U.S.
−Removed: Unitholder in respect of its Units, including by deducting such withheld amounts from proceeds that such non-U.S.
−Removed: Unitholder would otherwise be entitled to receive in connection with a distribution of Additional Currency.
−Removed: Risk Factors Related to Potential
−Removed: Conflicts of Interest
−Removed: Potential conflicts of interest
−Removed: may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust.
−Removed: The Sponsor and its affiliates have no fiduciary duties to the Trust
−Removed: and its Unitholders other than as provided in the Trust Agreement, which may permit them to favor their own interests to the detriment
+Added: The Revenue Ruling and
+Added: FAQs do not address whether income recognized by a non-U.S.
+Added: person as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence could be
+Added: subject to the 30% withholding tax imposed on U.S.-source FDAP income.
+Added: Unitholders should assume that, in the absence
+Added: of guidance, a withholding agent is likely to withhold 30% of any such income recognized by a non-U.S.
+Added: Unitholder in respect of
+Added: its Units, including by deducting such withheld amounts from proceeds that such non-U.S.
+Added: Unitholder would otherwise be entitled
+Added: to receive in connection with a distribution of Additional Currency.
+Added: Risk Factors Related to Potential Conflicts
+Added: Potential conflicts of interest may
+Added: arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust.
+Added: The Sponsor and its affiliates have no fiduciary duties to the Trust and
+Added: its Unitholders 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 Unitholders.
−Removed: The Sponsor will
−Removed: manage the affairs of the Trust.
−Removed: Conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the
−Removed: Trust and its Unitholders, on the other hand.
−Removed: As a result of these conflicts, the Sponsor may favor its own interests and the interests
−Removed: of its affiliates over the Trust and its Unitholders.
+Added: The Sponsor will manage
+Added: the affairs of the Trust.
+Added: Conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust
+Added: and its Unitholders, on the other.
+Added: As a result of these conflicts, the Sponsor may favor its own interests and the interests of
+Added: its affiliates over the Trust and its Unitholders.
These potential conflicts include, among others, the following:
−Removed: The Sponsor has no fiduciary duties to, and is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than, the Trust and its Unitholders in resolving conflicts of interest;
−Removed: The Trust has agreed to indemnify the Sponsor and its affiliates pursuant to the Trust Agreement;
−Removed: The Sponsor is responsible for allocating its own limited resources among different clients and potential future business ventures, to each of which it owes fiduciary duties;
−Removed: The Sponsor and its staff also service affiliates of the Sponsor, including several 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;
−Removed: 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;
−Removed: There is an absence of arm’s-length negotiation with respect to certain terms of the Trust, and, where applicable, there has been no independent due diligence conducted with respect to the Trust;
−Removed: The Sponsor decides whether to retain separate counsel, accountants or others to perform services for the Trust;
−Removed: The Sponsor may appoint an agent to act on behalf of the Unitholders, including in connection with the distribution of any Additional Currency, which agent may be the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor.
−Removed: By purchasing the
−Removed: Units, Unitholders agree and consent to the provisions set forth in the Trust Agreement.
+Added: The Sponsor has no fiduciary duties to, and is allowed to take into account
+Added: the interests of parties other than, the Trust and its Unitholders in resolving conflicts of interest;
+Added: The Trust has agreed to indemnify the Sponsor and its affiliates pursuant
+Added: to the Trust Agreement;
+Added: The Sponsor is responsible for allocating its own limited resources among
+Added: different clients and potential future business ventures, to each of which it owes fiduciary duties;
+Added: The Sponsor and its staff also service affiliates of the Sponsor, including
+Added: several other digital asset investment vehicles, and their respective clients and cannot devote all of its, or their, respective
+Added: time or resources to the management of the affairs of the Trust;
+Added: The Sponsor, its affiliates and their officers and employees are not prohibited
+Added: from engaging in other businesses or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with the Trust;
+Added: There is an absence of arm’s-length negotiation with respect to certain
+Added: terms of the Trust, and, where applicable, there has been no independent due diligence conducted with respect to the Trust;
+Added: The Sponsor decides whether to retain separate counsel, accountants or others
+Added: to perform services for the Trust;
+Added: The Sponsor may appoint an agent to act on behalf of the Unitholders, including
+Added: in connection with the distribution of any Additional Currency, which agent may be the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor.
+Added: By purchasing the Units,
+Added: Unitholders agree and consent to the provisions set forth in the Trust Agreement.
See “Description of the Trust Documents—Description
of the Trust Agreement.”
−Removed: Unitholders cannot be assured
−Removed: of the Sponsor’s continued services, the discontinuance of which may be detrimental to the Trust.
−Removed: Unitholders cannot
−Removed: be assured that the Sponsor will be willing or able to continue to serve as sponsor to the Trust for any length of time.
−Removed: Sponsor discontinues its activities on behalf of the Trust and a substitute sponsor is not appointed, the Trust will terminate
−Removed: and liquidate its Bitcoins.
−Removed: Appointment of a
−Removed: substitute sponsor will not guarantee the Trust’s continued operation, successful or otherwise.
−Removed: Because a substitute sponsor
−Removed: may have no experience managing a digital asset financial vehicle, a substitute sponsor may not have the experience, knowledge
−Removed: or expertise required to ensure that the Trust will operate successfully or continue to operate at all.
−Removed: Therefore, the appointment
−Removed: of a substitute sponsor may not necessarily be beneficial to the Trust and the Trust may terminate.
−Removed: The Custodian could resign or
−Removed: be removed by the Sponsor, which would trigger early termination of the Trust, or the Sponsor may need to find and appoint a replacement
−Removed: custodian, which could pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Trust’s Bitcoin.
−Removed: The custodial
−Removed: services agreements with FDAS and Coinbase Custody each include termination provisions.
−Removed: For example, the New Custodial Services
−Removed: Agreement indicates that either party may terminate the agreement upon thirty-day’s prior written notice and that the Trust
−Removed: may cancel its custodial account at any time by withdrawing all balances and contacting Coinbase Custody.
−Removed: If Coinbase Custody
−Removed: resigns or is removed without replacement, the Trust will dissolve in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement.
−Removed: could also decide to replace
−Removed: the custodian of the Trust’s Bitcoin
−Removed: On March 11, 2022, the Trust delivered to FDAS a notice of
−Removed: termination of the Custodial Services Agreement dated May 18, 2020.
−Removed: The notice of termination will become effective on April 10,
−Removed: On March 10, 2022, the Trust transferred its custodied digital assets from FDAS to Coinbase Custody.
+Added: For a further discussion
+Added: of the conflicts of interest among the Sponsor, the Trust and others, see “Conflicts of Interest.”
+Added: The respective officers, employees
+Added: and/or affiliates of the Sponsor may trade in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency markets for their own personal trading accounts,
+Added: and in doing so may take positions opposite to those held by the Trust or may compete with the Trust for positions in the marketplace.
+Added: The respective officers,
+Added: employees and/or affiliates of the Sponsor may manage other accounts in addition to the services that they provide to the Trust,
+Added: including their personal trading accounts.
+Added: The management of such other accounts in addition to services provided to the Trust
+Added: can present certain conflicts of interest.
+Added: The other accounts might have similar or different investment objectives or strategies
+Added: as the Trust, or otherwise hold, purchase or sell investments that are eligible to be held, purchased or sold by the Trust, or
+Added: may take positions
+Added: that are opposite in direction from those taken by the Trust.
+Added: When managing personal trading accounts, the respective
+Added: officers, employees and/or affiliates of the Sponsor may take into account their own interests without regard to the interests
+Added: of the Trust or the Unitholders.
+Added: Records of other accounts, including personal trading accounts, will not be available for inspection
+Added: by Unitholders.
+Added: Unitholders cannot be assured of
+Added: the Sponsor’s continued services, the discontinuance of which may be detrimental to the Trust.
+Added: Unitholders cannot be
+Added: assured that the Sponsor will be willing or able to continue to serve as sponsor to the Trust for any length of time.
+Added: If the Sponsor
+Added: discontinues its activities on behalf of the Trust and a substitute sponsor is not appointed, the Trust will terminate and liquidate
+Added: its Bitcoins.
+Added: Appointment of a substitute
+Added: sponsor will not guarantee the Trust’s continued operation, successful or otherwise.
+Added: Because a substitute sponsor may have
+Added: no experience managing a digital asset financial vehicle, a substitute sponsor may not have the experience, knowledge or expertise
+Added: required to ensure that the Trust will operate successfully or continue to operate at all.
+Added: Therefore, the appointment of a substitute
+Added: sponsor may not necessarily be beneficial to the Trust and the Trust may terminate.
+Added: See “Conflicts of Interest—The
+Added: If the Custodian resigns or is removed
+Added: by the Sponsor or otherwise, without replacement, it could trigger early termination of the Trust, or the Sponsor would need to
+Added: find and appoint a replacement custodian, which could pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Trust’s Bitcoin.
+Added: The custodial services
+Added: agreements with FDAS included and Coinbase Custody includes termination provisions.
+Added: For example, the Custodial Services Agreement
+Added: with Coinbase Custody indicates that either party may terminate the agreement upon thirty-day’s prior written notice and
+Added: that the Trust may cancel its custodial account at any time by withdrawing all balances and contacting the Custodian.
+Added: Custody resigns or is removed without replacement, the Trust will dissolve in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement.
+Added: The Sponsor could replace the custodian of the Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings.
+Added: On March 11, 2022, the Trust delivered to FDAS a
+Added: notice of termination of the custodial services agreement dated May 18, 2020.
+Added: The notice of termination became effective on April
+Added: On March 10, 2022, the Trust transferred its custodied digital assets from FDAS to the Custodian.
Although the transfer
1 unchanged sentence
custodian is not without any risk.
−Removed: The transferring maintenance responsibilities of the Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings to another
−Removed: party will likely be complex and could subject the Trust’s Bitcoin to the risk of loss during the transfer, which could
−Removed: have a negative impact on the performance of the Units or result in loss of the Trust’s assets.
−Removed: Unitholders may be adversely
−Removed: affected by the lack of independent advisers representing investors in the Trust.
−Removed: The Sponsor has
−Removed: consulted with counsel, accountants and other advisers regarding the formation and operation of the Trust.
−Removed: No counsel was appointed
−Removed: to represent investors in connection with the formation of the Trust or the establishment of the terms of the Trust Agreement and
−Removed: Moreover, no counsel has been appointed to represent Unitholders in connection with an investment in the Units.
−Removed: an investor should consult his, her or its own legal, tax and financial advisers regarding the desirability of an investment in
−Removed: Lack of such consultation may lead to an undesirable investment decision with respect to investment in the Units.
−Removed: Unresolved Staff Comments
+Added: The transferring of maintenance responsibilities of the Trust’s Bitcoin Holdings to another
+Added: party will likely be complex and could subject the Trust’s Bitcoin to the risk of loss during the transfer, which could have
+Added: a negative impact on the performance of the Units or result in loss of the Trust’s assets.
+Added: In addition, to the
+Added: extent that the Sponsor is not able to find a suitable party willing to serve as a replacement custodian, the Sponsor may be required
+Added: to terminate the Trust and liquidate the Trust’s Bitcoin.
+Added: In addition, the extent that the Sponsor finds a suitable party
+Added: and must enter into a modified Custodian Agreement that is less favorable for the Trust or Sponsor and/or transfer the Trust’s
+Added: assets in a relatively short time period, the safekeeping of the Trust’s Bitcoin may be adversely affected, which may in
+Added: turn adversely affect the value of the Units
+Added: Unitholders may be adversely affected
+Added: by the lack of independent advisers representing investors in the Trust.
+Added: The Sponsor has consulted with counsel, accountants
+Added: and other advisers regarding the formation and operation of the Trust.
+Added: No counsel was appointed to represent investors in connection
+Added: with the formation of the Trust or the establishment of the terms of the Trust Agreement and the Units.
+Added: Moreover, no counsel has been appointed
+Added: to represent Unitholders in connection with an investment in the Units.
+Added: Accordingly, an investor should consult his, her or its
+Added: own legal, tax and financial advisers regarding the desirability of an investment in the Units.
+Added: Lack of such consultation may lead
+Added: to an undesirable investment decision with respect to investment in the Units.
+Added: Unresolved Staff
Not applicable.
3 unchanged sentences
Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.