ARK, the renowned investment firm led by the pro-Bitcoin advocate Cathie Wood, has recently made strategic moves in its portfolio, shedding Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) shares worth $2.5 million.
This decision comes in the wake of a notable surge in the GBTC market, which has been stoked by the growing anticipation of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).
On October 23, ARK executed the sale of 100,739 GBTC shares, marking its first officially reported GBTC transaction since November 2022 when it acquired 450,272 GBTC shares valued at $4.5 million for its ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW).
The recent sale constitutes approximately 2% of GBTC’s total value in ARKW’s portfolio, equivalent to $122.6 million as of that date. Notably, GBTC is the flagship asset in ARKW’s holdings, representing 10.4% of the fund’s exposure, with Coinbase and Roku shares trailing at 9% and 7.4%, respectively.
The GBTC market has been on a remarkable ascent, hitting multi-month highs and breaching the $24.7 mark for the first time since May 2022.
TradingView data shows that GBTC has surged by over 200% year-to-date, with a nearly 30% increase in the past 30 days.
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One possible explanation for ARK’s move is the anticipation surrounding the decision of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding Grayscale’s registration statement for a Bitcoin-based ETF.
Grayscale filed this new BTC ETF registration statement with the SEC on October 19, shortly after ARK amended its own spot Bitcoin ETF filing on October 11.
Bitcoin advocate Samson Mow suggested that ARK’s GBTC sale aligns with the diminishing GBTC discount and their pending ETF filing.
Speculation has also arisen among online traders, suggesting that if ARK’s spot Bitcoin ETF gets approved, the firm might prioritize it as the primary holding in ARKW, potentially leading to the disposal of GBTC shares.
While ARK has not yet responded to requests for comment, the investment firm has also divested itself of 32,158 Coinbase shares from ARKW and 10,455 Coinbase shares from its ARK Fintech Innovation fund, totaling $3.4 million.
On a different note, ARK has increased its stake in Robinhood shares, adding 32,158 shares valued at $300,000 to ARKW’s portfolio on October 23.
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