intended to provide exposure to the price performance of bitcoin. Bitcoin Adopters Companies also face risks associated with the custody of their bitcoin. • Bitcoin Miners Risk . Bitcoin miners and other necessary hardware are subject to malfunction, technological obsolescence, the global supply chain and difficulty and cost in obtaining new hardware. Bitcoin miners are subject to malfunctions and normal wear and tear, and, at any point in time, a certain number of bitcoin miners are typically off-line for maintenance or repair. The physical degradation of miners will require replacement of miners that are no longer functional. If there is a model wide component malfunction whether in the hardware or the software that powers these miners, the percentage of offline miners could increase substantially, disrupting mining operations. Any major bitcoin miner malfunction out of the typical range of downtime for normal maintenance and repair could cause significant economic damage. Additionally, as technology evolves, there may be a need to acquire newer models of miners to remain competitive in the market. New miners can be costly and may be in short supply. Given the long production period to manufacture and assemble bitcoin miners and the current global semiconductor chip shortage, there can be no assurance that miners can acquire enough bitcoin mining computers or replacement parts on a cost-effective basis for the maintenance and expansion necessary for efficient bitcoin mining operations. Many engaged in mining rely on third parties, principally located in China, to supply bitcoin miners and shortages of bitcoin miners or their component parts, material increases in bitcoin miner costs, or delays in delivery of orders, including due to trade restrictions and supply chain disruptions, could significantly interrupt plans for expanding bitcoin mining capacity in the near term and future. Shortages of bitcoin mining computers could result in reduced bitcoin mining capacity and increased operating costs, which could materially delay the completion of any planned bitcoin mining capacity expansion and result in a competitive disadvantage. Global bitcoin supply, which is influenced by similar factors as global bitcoin demand, in addition to fiat currency ( i.e. , government currency not backed by an asset such as gold) may be effected by miners and taxpayers who may liquidate bitcoin holdings to meet tax obligations. In addition, the dedication of mining power to the Bitcoin network and the willingness of bitcoin miners to clear bitcoin transactions for relatively low fees may impact the supply and price. An acute cessation of mining operations would reduce the collective processing power on the blockchain, which would adversely affect the transaction verification process by temporarily decreasing the speed at which blocks are added to the blockchain and make the blockchain more vulnerable to a malicious actor obtaining control in excess of 50 percent of the processing power on the blockchain. Reductions in processing power could result in material, though temporary, delays in transaction confirmation time. Any reduction in confidence in the transaction verification process or mining processing power may adversely impact the price of bitcoin and the value of an investment in the Fund. Furthermore, the block reward will decrease over time and eventually cease entirely. As the block reward continues to decrease over time, the mining incentive structure will transition to a higher reliance on transaction verification fees in order to incentivize miners to continue to dedicate processing power to the blockchain. If transaction verification fees become too high, the marketplace may be reluctant to use bitcoin. Miners may cease expanding processing power to create blocks and verify transactions if they are not adequately compensated. Miners generate revenue from both newly created bitcoin (known as the “block reward”) and from fees taken upon verification of transactions. If the aggregate revenue from transaction fees and the block reward is below a miner’s cost, the miner may cease operations. An acute cessation of mining operations would reduce the collective processing power on the blockchain, which would adversely affect the transaction verification process by temporarily decreasing the speed at which blocks are added to the blockchain and make the blockchain more vulnerable to a malicious actor obtaining control in excess of 50 percent of the processing power on the blockchain. Reductions in processing power could result in material, though temporary, delays in transaction confirmation time. Any reduction in confidence in the transaction verification process or mining processing power may adversely impact the price of bitcoin. Furthermore, the block reward will decrease over time. In 2020, the block reward was reduced from 12.5 to 6.25 bitcoin, and it was further reduced to 3.125 bitcoin in 2024. As the block reward continues to decrease over time, the mining incentive structure will transition to a higher reliance on transaction verification fees in order to incentivize miners to continue to dedicate processing power to the blockchain. If transaction verification fees become too high, the marketplace may be reluctant to use bitcoin. Decreased demand for bitcoin may adversely affect its price, which may adversely affect an investment in the Fund. Bitcoin mining activities are inherently energy-intensive and electricity costs account for a significant portion of the overall mining costs. The availability and cost of electricity will restrict the geographic locations of mining activities. High costs of electricity may incentivize miners to redirect their resources to other validation protocols, such a proof-of-stake blockchains, or abandon their validation activities entirely. A significant decrease in the computational resources dedicated to the Bitcoin network’s validation protocol could reduce the security of the network which may erode bitcoin’s viability as a store of value or means of exchange. In addition, the significant consumption of electricity may have a negative environmental impact, including contribution to climate change, which may give rise to public opinion against allowing the use of electricity for bitcoin mining activities or government measures restricting or prohibiting the use of electricity for bitcoin mining activities. Any such developments could lower the demand for bitcoin and have a material and adverse effect on the price of bitcoin.
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