However, the former, ie performance, is not there, which might explain the low amount of assets managed by these ETFs. Technology companies want to provide the software and hardware, while others like the fashion company Gucci want to engage with a younger audience. The latter is apparent for metaverse ETFs as indicated by most of the major companies announcing metaverse strategies. Thematic investing can be characterised as performance chasing with a narrative. Launching ETFs is much like venture capital, ie six ETFs fail, three break even, and one makes the effort worthwhile by accumulating sufficient assets to become a profitable fund for the issuer. It will be interesting to see if the other ETFs can compete and grow their assets under management. In comparison, the Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK), which is the largest thematic ETF, manages $9bn.įurthermore, the oldest metaverse ETF (METV) has a 97% market share, which highlights the first-mover advantage in the ETF space. Having said this, some of the newer products like the Fidelity Metaverse ETF (FMET) are cheaper as it has become a crowded space, where price competitiveness matters.Īlthough there are already seven ETFs providing exposure to the metaverse, their combined assets under management are only $650m, which seems somewhat small compared to the media attention the metaverse has received in the last 12 months. The average management fees of the seven ETFs is 0.60%, compared to 0.15% for a Nasdaq 100 ETF like QQQM. These ETFs can be characterised as thematic ETFs, which is reflected in their fees. The Steven Spielberg movie Ready Player One often gets referenced as a vision for the metaverse. The most common vision is a virtual reality environment that is accessed via goggles or headsets. There is no common agreement on what the metaverse represents, even amongst the developers and companies building the infrastructure or applications for it. We focus on ETFs trading in the US that specialise on the metaverse, which is a universe of 7 instruments. In addition to METV, there have been a further six ETF launches in the US over the last 12 months that aim to provide exposure to the metaverse. The purchase price was undisclosed, but it is difficult to imagine a better buyer than a corporation run by a future-focused founder that has a market cap north of $600bn and $16bn of cash. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF changed its ticker from META to METV in January 2022, and sold META to Meta Platforms. Roundhill subsequently launched a European-listed version of METV in March this year, the Roundhill Ball Metaverse UCITS ETF (METV). Specifically, it was before Facebook changed its name to Meta Platforms to emphasise its new focus on the metaverse. The product was launched in June 2021, which was well before the metaverse become the new playing field for crypto startups and tech giants. However, the best ticker of recent years must have been META of the Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (METV). TAIL is tough to beat for a tail-risk fund. Anyone looking for a gold ETF is bound to come across State Street Global Advisors’ GLD, similar to OIL for getting exposure to oil. Like the ProShares ETF, Horizons' fund tracks the Solactive Metaverse Theme index.Finding the right ticker for an ETF launch is critical for issuers as these have an outsized impact on the fortune of the ETF. Late last month, two Canadian firms Evolve Funds and Horizons ETF Management were the f irst to launch their metaverse ETFs on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Global metaverse-focused ETF assets have grown to $2.2 billion as of December 28, with most funds launching in the last quarter alone, according to Bloomberg. The emerging industry boasts of high-profile backers from traditional finance like Alan Howard, and tech natives including Masayoshi Son and Justin Sun who are betting big on the metaverse as they see younger generations doing the same. Meanwhile, brands like Microsoft and Bumble are racing to build digital worlds broadly based on blockchain technology, which are tailor-made environments for cryptocurrencies to meet transactional needs. Morgan Stanley has said the metaverse holds an $8 trillion opportunity in the US. Excitement has been building around the potential of the metaverse, a futuristic virtual landscape in which plots of land have sold for millions of dollars.
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