Item 1. Financial Statements
Item
1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)
21SHARES
CORE ETHEREUM ETF
STATEMENT
OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
September
30,
2024*
(Unaudited)
Assets
Investment in ether, at fair value (cost $ 15,805,033 )
$ 12,582,986
Total
assets
12,582,986
Liabilities
Total
liabilities
$ –
Net
assets
$ 12,582,986
Net assets consist of
Paid-in-capital
$ 15,805,033
Accumulated earnings
(loss)
( 3,222,047 )
$ 12,582,986
Shares issued and outstanding, no par value, unlimited amount authorized
970,000
Net asset value per share
$ 12.97
* No comparative statement has been provided as this is the first fiscal year of the Trust’s operations.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the Financial Statements.
1
21SHARES
CORE ETHEREUM ETF
SCHEDULE
OF INVESTMENT
September 30, 2024*
(Unaudited)
Quantity
of
ether
Cost
Fair
Value
%
of Net
Assets
Investment
in ether
4,850.0000
$ 15,805,033
$ 12,582,986
100.00 %
Total investments
$ 15,805,033
$ 12,582,986
100.00 %
Liabilities in excess
of other assets
–
0.00 %
Net assets
$ 12,582,986
100.00 %
* No comparative period presented as the Trust did not hold any ether as of December 31, 2023.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the Financial Statements.
2
21SHARES
CORE ETHEREUM ETF
STATEMENTS
OF OPERATIONS
For
the three months ended
September 30,
2024*
For
the period May 1, 2024 (date of initial seeding) through September 30, 2024*
(Unaudited)
(Unaudited)
Expenses
Sponsor’s
fee
$ 3,777
$ 3,777
Total
expenses
3,777
3,777
Less
waiver and reimbursement
( 3,777 )
( 3,777 )
Net
expenses
–
–
Net
investment loss
–
–
Realized and change in unrealized
gain (loss)
Net realized gain (loss)
on investment in ether
–
–
Net
change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment in ether
( 3,223,608 )
( 3,222,047 )
Net
realized and change in unrealized gain (loss)
( 3,223,608 )
( 3,222,047 )
Net
increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations
$ ( 3,223,608 )
$ ( 3,222,047 )
* No prior year comparative statement has been provided as this is the first fiscal year of the Trust’s operations.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the Financial Statements.
3
21SHARES
CORE ETHEREUM ETF
STATEMENTS
OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
For
the three months ended
September
30,
2024*
For
the period May 1, 2024 (date of initial seeding) through September 30, 2024*
(Unaudited)
(Unaudited)
Net assets, beginning of period
$ 342,300
$ –
Contributions for Shares
issued
15,464,294
15,805,133
Distributions for Shares
redeemed
–
( 100 )
Net investment loss
–
–
Net realized gain (loss)
on investment in ether
–
–
Net
change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment in ether
( 3,223,608 )
( 3,222,047 )
Net assets, end of period
$ 12,582,986
$ 12,582,986
Shares issued and redeemed
Shares issued
950,000
970,002
Shares redeemed
–
( 2 )
Net
increase in Shares issued
950,000
970,000
* No prior year comparative statement has been provided as this is the first fiscal year of the Trust’s operations.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the Financial Statements.
4
21Shares
Core Ethereum ETF
Notes
to Financial Statements (Unaudited)
1.
Organization
The 21Shares Core Ethereum
ETF (the “Trust”) is a Delaware statutory trust, formed on September 5, 2023, pursuant to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act
(“DSTA”). The Trust operates pursuant to an Amended and Restated Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”). CSC
Delaware Trust Company, a Delaware trust company, is the trustee of the Trust (the “Trustee”). The Trust is managed and controlled
by 21Shares US LLC (the “Sponsor”). The Sponsor is a limited liability company formed in the state of Delaware on June 16,
2021, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jura Pentium Inc., whose ultimate parent company is 21co Holdings Limited (formerly known as
Amun Holdings Limited). Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (“Coinbase”), BitGo New York Trust Company, LLC (“BitGo”),
and Anchorage Digital Bank N.A (“Anchorage”, and, together with Coinbase and BitGo, as the context may require, the “Custodian”,
“Custodians” and each a “Custodian”), are the custodians for the Trust and will hold all of the Trust’s
ether on the Trust’s behalf. The transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) and the administrator for the Trust (the “Administrator”)
is Bank of New York Mellon.
The
Trust is an exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that issues units of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) representing
fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets that trade on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”). The
Shares were listed for trading on the Exchange on July 23, 2024, under the ticker symbol “CETH”.
The
Trust’s investment objective is to seek to track the performance of ether, as measured by the performance of the CME CF Ether-Dollar Reference
Rate — New York Variant (the “Index”), adjusted for the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. CF
Benchmarks Ltd. is the administrator for the Index (the “Index Provider”). The Index is designed to reflect the performance
of ether in U.S. dollars. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust holds ether at its Custodians and values its Shares
daily based on the Index.
The
Trust is an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”), and, as such, the Trust may elect to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements.
The Sponsor served as the
“Seed Capital Investor” to the Trust. On May 1, 2024, the Sponsor, in its capacity as Seed Capital Investor, subject to certain
conditions, purchased 2 Shares at a per-Share price of $ 50.00 (the “Initial Seed Creation Baskets”). Total proceeds to the
Trust from the sale of these Initial Seed Creation Baskets were $ 100 . Delivery of the Seed Creation Baskets was made on May 1, 2024.
On June 18, 2024 (the
“Seed Capital Purchase Date”), 21Shares US LLC, in its capacity as Seed Capital Investor, purchased the Seed Creation Baskets
comprising 20,000 Shares (the “Seed Creation Baskets”). In its capacity as the Seed Capital Investor, 21Shares US LLC
has acted as a statutory underwriter in connection with this purchase. The total proceeds to the Trust from the sale of the Seed Creation
Baskets were $ 340,739 . On June 18, 2024, the Trust purchased ether with the proceeds of the Seed Creation Baskets by transacting
with an Ether Counterparty to acquire ether on behalf of the Trust in exchange for cash provided by 21Shares US LLC in its capacity as
Seed Capital Investor. All ether acquired in connection with the Seed Creation Baskets is held by the one or more of the Custodians.
The
statement of assets and liabilities and schedule of investment on September 30, 2024, and the statements of operations, and changes in
net assets for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and the period from May 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024, have been prepared on
behalf of the Trust and are unaudited. In the opinion of management of the Sponsor of the Trust, all adjustments (which include normal
recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position and results of operations for the period ended September 30,
2024, and for all interim periods presented have been made. In addition, interim period results are not necessarily indicative of results
for a full-year period.
The
fiscal year-end of the Trust is December 31st.
2.
Significant Accounting Policies
Basis
of Accounting
The
Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US
GAAP” or “GAAP”).
The
Trust qualifies as an investment company solely for accounting purposes and not for any other purpose and follows the accounting and
reporting guidance under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)
Topic 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies, but is not registered, and is not required to be registered, as an investment company
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for ether in accordance with
its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes.
The
preparation of the financial statement in conformity with US GAAP requires the Trust to make estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statement and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during
the reporting period. Actual results may differ materially from such estimates as additional information becomes available or actual
amounts may become determinable. Should actual results differ from those previously recognized, the recorded estimates will be revised
accordingly with the impact reflected in the operating results of the Trust in the reporting period in which they become known.
5
Cash
Cash
includes non-interest bearing, non-restricted cash maintained with one financial institution that does not exceed U.S. federally insured
limits.
The
Trust did not hold any cash at September 30, 2024.
Investment
Valuation
US
GAAP defines fair value as the price the Trust would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction
between market participants at the measurement date. The Trust’s policy is to value investments held at fair value.
The
Trust identifies and determines the ether principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for
GAAP purposes consistent with the application of the fair value measurement framework in FASB ASC 820. A principal market is the market
with the greatest volume and activity level for the asset or liability. The determination of the principal market will be based on the
market with the greatest volume and level of activity that can be accessed. The Trust obtains relevant volume and level of activity information
and based on initial analysis will select an exchange market as the Trust’s principal market. The net asset value (“NAV”)
and NAV per Share will be calculated using the fair value of ether based on the price provided by this exchange market, as of 4:00 p.m.
ET on the measurement date for GAAP purposes. The Trust will update its principal market analysis periodically and as needed to the extent
that events have occurred, or activities have changed in a manner that could change the Trust’s determination of the principal
market.
Various
inputs are used in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities. Inputs may be based on independent market data (“observable
inputs”) or they may be internally developed (“unobservable inputs”). These inputs are categorized into a disclosure
hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes. The level of a value determined for an asset or liability
within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Level
1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level
2: Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly,
including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities
in markets that are not considered to be active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, and
inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means; and
Level
3: Unobservable inputs, including the Trust’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of investments, where there is little
or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.
Amount
at
Fair
Value Measurement Using
Fair
Value
Level
1
Level
2
Level
3
September 30, 2024
Assets
Investment
in ether
$ 12,582,986
$ 12,582,986
$ –
$ –
* No
comparative table has been provided as this is the first fiscal year of the Trust’s
operations.
The
cost basis of the investment in ether recorded by the Trust for financial reporting purposes is the fair value of ether at the time of
transfer. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of the
corresponding Shares to investors.
Investment
Transactions
The
Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of ether for Share creations and the delivery of ether for Share redemptions
or for payment of expenses in ether. The Trust records its investments transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are
reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the
specific identification method. Realized gains and losses are recognized in connection with transactions including settling obligations
for the Sponsor’s Fee in ether.
Calculation
of Net Asset Value (NAV) and NAV per Share
On
each day other than a Saturday or Sunday, or a day on which Cboe BZX Exchange is closed for regular trading (a “Business Day”),
as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), the net asset value of the Trust is obtained by subtracting all accrued fees,
expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the fair value of the ether and other assets held by the Trust. The Trustee computes
the net asset value per Share by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation
is made.
6
Federal
Income Taxes
The
Sponsor and the Trustee will treat the Trust as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Although not free
from doubt due to the lack of directly governing authority, if the Trust operates as expected, the Trust should be classified as a “grantor
trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes and the Trust itself should not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Each beneficial
owner of Shares will be treated as directly owning its pro rata Share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata portion of the Trust’s
income, gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares. If the Trust sells ether (for
example, to pay fees or expenses), such a sale is a taxable event to Shareholders. Upon a Shareholder’s sale of its Shares, the
Shareholder will be treated as having sold the pro rata share of the ether held in the Trust at the time of the sale and may recognize
gain or loss on such sale. The Sponsor has reviewed the tax positions as of September 30, 2024, and has determined that no provision
for income tax is required in the Trust’s financial statements.
Recently
Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In
December 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-08, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Crypto
Assets (Subtopic 350-60): Accounting for and Disclosure of Crypto Assets (“ASU 2023-08”). ASU 2023-08 is intended to
improve the accounting for certain crypto assets by requiring an entity to measure those crypto assets at fair value each reporting period
with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The amendments also improve the information provided to investors about an entity’s
crypto asset holdings by requiring disclosure about significant holdings, contractual sale restrictions, and changes during the reporting
period. ASU 2023-08 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted
for both interim and annual financial statements that have not yet been issued. The Trust adopted this new guidance with no material
impact on its financial statements and disclosures as the Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for ether in accordance with
its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes.
3.
Fair Value of Ether
The
following represents the changes in quantity of ether and the respective fair value on September 30, 2024*:
Quantity
of
Ether
Fair
Value
Beginning balance as
of May 1, 2024
–
$ –
Ether contributed
4,850.0000
15,805,033
Ether distributed for Sponsor’s Fee
–
–
Net realized gain (loss) on investment in ether
–
–
Change in unrealized
appreciation (depreciation) on investment in ether
–
( 3,222,047 )
Ending balance as of
September 30, 2024*
4,850.0000
$ 12,582,986
* No comparative table has been provided as this is the first fiscal year of the Trust’s operations.
4.
Expenses
The
Trust pays the unitary Sponsor Fee of 0.21 % of the Trust’s ether holdings. The Sponsor Fee is paid by the Trust to the Sponsor
as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor agreed to waive the entire Sponsor Fee for (i) a six-month
period which commenced on July 23, 2024 (the day the Trust’s Shares were initially listed on the Exchange), or (ii) the first $ 500
million of Trust assets, whichever came first.
The
Sponsor has agreed to pay all operating expenses (except for litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses) out of the Sponsor
Fee. Operating expenses assumed by the Sponsor include; (i) the Marketing Fee, (ii) fees to the administrator, if any, (iii) fees to
the ether Custodians, (iv) fees to the Transfer Agent, (v) fees to the Trustee, (vi) the fees and expenses related to any future listing,
trading or quotation of the Shares on any listing exchange or quotation system (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses),
(vii) ordinary course legal fees and expenses but not litigation-related expenses, (viii) audit fees, (ix) regulatory fees, including,
if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act or Exchange Act, (x) printing and mailing costs;
(xi) costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and (xii) applicable license fees (each, a “Sponsor-paid Expense,” and
together, the “Sponsor-paid Expenses”), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Additional Trust Expense (as defined
below) will be deemed to be an Additional Trust Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.
The
Sponsor will not, however, assume certain extraordinary, non-recurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not
limited to, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service
provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders, any indemnification of the ether Custodians, Administrator
or other agents, service providers or counter-parties of the Trust, the fees and expenses related to the listing, and extraordinary legal
fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation
matters (collectively, “Additional Trust Expenses”). Of the Sponsor-paid Expenses, ordinary course legal fees and expenses
shall be subject to a cap of $ 100,000 per annum. In the Sponsor’s sole discretion, all or any portion of a Sponsor-paid Expense
may be re-designated as an Additional Trust Expense.
To
the extent that the Sponsor does not voluntarily assume expenses, they will be the responsibility of the Trust. The Sponsor also pays
the costs of the Trust’s organization and offering. The Trust is not obligated to repay any such costs related to the Trust’s
organization and offering paid by the Sponsor.
7
5.
Creation and Redemption of Shares
The
Trust creates and redeems Shares on a continuous basis but only in Creation Units consisting of 10,000 Shares or multiples thereof. Only
Authorized Participants, which are registered broker-dealers who have entered into written agreements with the Sponsor and the Administrator,
can place orders. The Trust engages in ether transactions for converting cash into ether (in association with purchase orders) and ether
into cash (in association with redemption orders). The Trust conducts its ether purchase and sale transactions by, in its sole discretion,
choosing to trade directly with third parties (each, an “ether Trading Counterparty”), who are not registered broker-dealers
pursuant to written agreements between such ether Trading Counterparties and the Trust, or choosing to trade through the Prime Broker
acting in an agency capacity with third parties such as through its Coinbase Prime service pursuant to the Prime Broker Agreement. An
ether Trading Counterparty may be an affiliate of an Authorized Participant.
The
Authorized Participants deliver only cash to create Shares and receive only cash when redeeming Shares. Further, Authorized Participants
will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive ether as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise
direct the Trust or a third-party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving ether as part of the creation or redemption
process.
The
Trust creates Shares by receiving ether from a third-party that is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust—not the Authorized
Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party to deliver the ether. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an
agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the ether to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized
Participant with respect to the delivery of the ether to the Trust. The Trust redeems shares by delivering ether to a third-party that
is not the Authorized Participant and the Trust—not the Authorized Participant—is responsible for selecting the third-party
to receive the ether. Further, the third-party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt
of the ether from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the ether from the
Trust. The third-party is unaffiliated with the Trust and the Sponsor.
Three Months
Ended
September 30,
2024*
For
the period May 1, 2024 (date of initial seeding) through September 30, 2024*
(Unaudited)
(Unaudited)
Activity in Capital Transactions Issued and
Redeemed:
Shares issued
950,000
970,002
Shares redeemed
–
( 2 )
Net Change in Capital
Transactions Issued and Redeemed
950,000
970,000
Three Months
Ended
September 30,
2024*
For
the period May 1, 2024 (date of initial seeding) through September 30, 2024*
(Unaudited)
(Unaudited)
Activity in Capital Transactions Issued and
Redeemed:
Shares issued
15,464,294
15,805,133
Shares redeemed
–
( 100 )
Net Change in Capital
Transactions Issued and Redeemed
15,464,294
15,805,033
* No prior year comparative table has been provided as this is the first fiscal year of the Trust’s operations.
6.
Related Parties
The
Sponsor is a related party to the Trust. The Trust’s operations are supported by its Sponsor, who is in turn supported by its parent
company and affiliated companies and external service providers.
As
of September 30, 2024, the Sponsor owned 20,000 Shares of the Trust.
The
Sponsor arranged for the creation of the Trust and is responsible for the ongoing registration of the Shares for their public offering
in the United States and the listing of Shares on the Exchange.
8
7.
Financial Highlights*
Per
Share Performance (for a Share outstanding throughout each period presented)
For
the three months ended September 30, 2024*
For
the period May 1, 2024 (date of initial seeding) through September 30, 2024*
(Unaudited)
(Unaudited)
Net asset value per Share, beginning
of period
$ 17.12
$ 17.04 1
Net investment loss 2
–
-
Net realized and change
in unrealized loss on investment in ether
( 4.15 )
( 4.07 )
Net
change in net assets from operations
( 4.15 )
( 4.07 )
Net asset value per Share,
end of period
$ 12.97
$ 12.97
Total return, at net
asset value 3
( 24.24 )%
( 23.88 )%
Ratio to average net
assets 4
Net investment loss
- %
- %
Gross expenses
0.21 %
0.21 %
Net expenses
- %
- %
* No prior year comparative period presented as this is the first fiscal year of the Trust’s operations.
1 The
amount represents the NAV per Share on June 18, 2024, the Seed Capital Purchase Date.
2 Calculated using average Shares outstanding.
3 Total return is calculated based on the change in value during the period and is not annualized. An individual shareholder’s total return and ratio may vary from the above total returns and ratios based on the timing of contributions to and withdrawals from the Trust.
4 Annualized.
8.
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities
In
the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts that contain a variety of general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s
maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust which have
not yet occurred and cannot be predicted with any certainty. However, the Sponsor believes the risk of loss under these arrangements
to be remote.
9.
Indemnification
The
Sponsor will not be liable to the Trust, the Trustee or any Shareholder for any action taken or for refraining from taking any action
in good faith, or for errors in judgment or for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of the sale of any ether or other assets of the
Trust. However, the preceding liability exclusion will not protect the Sponsor against any liability resulting from its own gross negligence,
bad faith, or willful misconduct.
The
Sponsor and each of its shareholders, members, directors, officers, employees, affiliates, and subsidiaries will be indemnified by the
Trust and held harmless against any losses, liabilities or expenses incurred in the performance of its duties under the Declaration of
Trust without gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct. The Sponsor may rely in good faith on any paper, order, notice, list,
affidavit, receipt, evaluation, opinion, endorsement, assignment, draft, or any other document of any kind prima facie properly executed
and submitted to it by the Trustee, the Trustee’s counsel or by any other person for any matters arising under the Declaration
of Trust. The Sponsor shall in no event be deemed to have assumed or incurred any liability, duty, or obligation to any Shareholder or
to the Trustee other than as expressly provided for in the Declaration of Trust. Such indemnity includes payment from the Trust of the
costs and expenses incurred in defending against any indemnified claim or liability under the Declaration of Trust.
The
Trustee will not be liable or accountable to the Trust or any other person or under any agreement to which the Trust or any series of
the Trust is a party, except for the Trustee’s breach of its obligations pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or its own willful
misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence. The Trustee and each of the Trustee’s officers, affiliates, directors, employees, and
agents will be indemnified by the Trust from and against any losses, claims, taxes, damages, reasonable expenses, and liabilities incurred
with respect to the creation, operation or termination of the Trust, the execution, delivery or performance of the Declaration of Trust
or the transactions contemplated thereby; provided that the indemnified party acted without willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence.
9
10.
Subsequent Events
The
Trust has evaluated subsequent events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date the financial statements
were issued and has determined that there are no material events that would require disclosure in the financial statements.
10
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.