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The managers of digital asset manager Valkyrie’s just-launched Bitcoin Miners ETF (WGMI) are betting heavily on publicly traded miners that primarily rely on renewable energy since they expect them to prevail over their peers.
“We believe that companies that are focusing on more renewable energy sources are going to win in the end,” as alternative energy sources such as hydro-electric, solar and natural gas will be able to provide better cost savings to miners as opposed to traditional sources of energy such as coal, the fund’s Chief Investment Officer Steven McClurg told CoinDesk. He added that “coal energy is going to cost a whole lot more in the future.”
“We found that these mining companies [that are using mostly renewable energy] have already gone the extra step versus other initiatives, such as carbon neutral pledges, and they tend to maintain a lower overhead because renewable energy often costs less than other sources,” he added.
Valkyrie Bitcoin Miners ETF started trading on the Nasdaq Tuesday under the ticker “WGMI” and shares were up 0.8% in early trading. The exchange-traded fund (ETF) comes with an expense ratio of 0.75%.
The fund’s mandate is to invest 80% of its net assets in miners that derive a minimum of 50% of their profit from bitcoin mining and primarily use renewable energy. Valkyrie notes the miners in the fund’s portfolio use about 77% renewable energy, compared to average renewable energy usage throughout the U.S. of 31%. The top five holdings of the fund (all with allocations in the 8% to 10% range apiece) are Argo Blockchain (ARBK), Bitfarms (BITF), Cleanspark (CLSK), Hive Blockchain (HIVE) and Stronghold Digital Mining (SDIG).
The fund also invests in chip companies that help manufacture mining rigs. Some of the holdings include Nvidia (NVDA), Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) and Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM).
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