VanEck files for a new Bitcoin futures mutual fund with US SEC

United States investment management firm VanEck has filed for a new Bitcoin (BTC) futures mutual fund with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to a prospectus filed Monday, the new “Bitcoin Strategy Fund” will invest in Bitcoin futures contracts as well as pooled investment vehicles and exchange-traded products that provide exposure to Bitcoin. The fund will not invest in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies directly.

The fund will have exposure to certain Bitcoin futures through its fully-owned subsidiary operating in the Cayman Islands. “The subsidiary has the same investment objective as the fund and will follow the same general investment policies and restrictions, except that unlike the fund, it may invest without limit in Bitcoin futures,” the prospectus notes.

The fund’s portfolio will be managed by Gregory Krenzer, the deputy portfolio manager for the VanEck Commodity Index Strategy and head of active trading with extensive experience in commodities, natural resource equities and emerging markets. Krenzer has been with the Van Eck Associates Corporation since 1994 and has over 25 years of experience in the international and financial markets.

Related: SEC warns of Bitcoin futures risks in mutual funds

The latest filing comes just a few days after the SEC delayed approval of VanEck’s Bitcoin ETF, VanEck Bitcoin Trust, for the second time this year. The SEC is seeking additional public comments, extending the review period by 45 days. 

Since Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss first attempted to get SEC approval for a Bitcoin ETF back in 2017, the securities regulator has rejected numerous efforts to launch such a product and has yet to approve a BTC ETF to date. Meanwhile, other countries like Canada have been moving forward with Bitcoin ETFs, with 3iQ and CoinShares’ Bitcoin ETF going live on the Toronto Stock Exchange in April 2020.