Global Crypto Product Executive 21Shares has collaborated with British Wealth Management app Stratiphy to let retail investors buy and keep crypto exchange traded notes (ETNS) as Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) lifts its four-year ban on these products.
The change marks a shift in Britain’s attitude towards digital assets, giving retail investors regulated access to crypto for the first time. Stratiphy becomes the first British wealth manager to indicate 21Shares’ products that include physically backed Bitcoin and Ethereum ETNS.
Through the app, users will be able to add crypto exposure to their existing portfolios along with traditional assets. Stratiphy’s AI-based tools allow investors to test and automate investment strategies-containing the company says retailers manage risk and plan long term.
“The investor’s demand for digital assets continues to hover,” said Daniel Gold, Stratiphy’s founder and CEO. “This partnership ensures that we can offer regulated access to crypto as soon as the FCA approval comes into force.”
21Shares manages over $ 11 billion in assets across 50 crypto-transparent products listed in Europe. By 2024, $ 26 billion value of crypto ETPs traded on European exchanges, according to company data – an increase of 300% from the previous year.
Russell Barlow, CEO of 21Shares, said FCA, which lifted its ban on retail access to crypto -ethns, is a big step for the UK, with 12% of adults already holding cryptoassets directly through largely unregulated platforms and exchanges.
“Lifting the ban on Bitcoin and Ethereum-backed ETNs is a good first step that allows retail investors to get exposure to the two largest cryptoassets in the most simple and safe way,” Barlow said.
“As regulated ETNs, we expect these to be eligible for admission to ISA and Sipp portfolios, allowing for tax -efficient exposure to cryptoassets as part of an investment portfolio.”
