Active Strategies Set to Drive Next Phase of Crypto ETFs, 21Shares Says

Active, actively managed crypto exchange-traded products are emerging as the next frontier for institutional exposure, as the market moves beyond passive price-tracking funds. 21shares, a leading issuer in the space, argues that the asset class’s nascency makes it particularly amenable to portfolio-level management.

In an exclusive conversation, Duncan Moir, president of 21shares, outlined a strategy that blends bottom-up research on individual assets with quantitative and discretionary top-down risk controls to steer portfolios. The firm has been expanding its portfolio-management and trading ranks to support more sophisticated products, he said, reflecting a broader shift in the crypto ETP space toward active strategies.

We’ve had to hire and build out the team with people who have different trading and portfolio management expertise, but now we have a solid team and we think we’ll be able to deliver strong actively managed products.

Industry data underscore the trend: active exchange-traded products worldwide held nearly $1.8 trillion in assets by the end of 2025, according to data compiled by Morningstar and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Moir also pointed to the strategic role of FalconX, which acquired 21shares in October, as a force-multiplier for product development, particularly as the firm pursues more complex offerings.

Regional demand for crypto ETPs and ETFs remains uneven. In the United States, investor interest remains skewed toward the largest-cap crypto assets, while in Europe institutions are showing appetite for newer assets and the application layer beyond base-layer tokens. This divergence reflects a mature European investor base already holding BTC and ETH and looking to broaden crypto allocations with yield-oriented or theme-driven products.

In this environment, 21shares has rolled out Europe-listed ETP linked to Strategy’s preferred stock (STRC), offering exposure to a Bitcoin-focused capital strategy with a high-yield profile. The product has attracted strong early interest across regions as investors seek straightforward exposure to yield via traditional brokers.

Crypto ETPs evolve beyond passive exposure

As the crypto ETP and ETF market matures, issuers are moving beyond simple price tracking, with more complex structures emerging across the US and Europe.

One area gaining traction is staking, a process that allows investors to earn yield by locking up crypto assets to help secure blockchain networks. In October, Grayscale introduced staking across its ETPs, making its Ether funds among the first US-listed spot crypto ETFs to offer staking rewards while extending the feature to its Solana trust pending ETP approval.

In March, asset manager BlackRock launched a Nasdaq-listed Ethereum product that incorporates staking, combining spot Ether exposure with yield generation. The fund recorded $15.5 million in trading volume on its first day.

As new exchange-traded products come to market, Moir said 21shares evaluates potential launches based on three factors: internal research, client demand, and broader market trends, with its research team identifying early opportunities and institutional feedback helping gauge interest. This triad helps determine whether a niche, single-asset product or a broader thematic offering best fits conviction and demand.

Among examples of the approach in practice is 21shares’ Bitcoin-and-gold ETP. Cross-listed in London and live for several years, Moir notes that the product has delivered some of the strongest risk-adjusted returns among European ETPs, illustrating the appeal of balanced exposure across flagship crypto and traditional stores of value.

From a portfolio perspective, the combination “just makes total sense,” he added, citing diversification benefits across Bitcoin and gold.

What’s next for crypto ETPs and investors

The evolving landscape suggests investors can expect more nuanced structures, including yields and staking rewards embedded in traditional brokerage-accessible formats. The FalconX deal accelerates product development by providing deeper execution capabilities and liquidity to support a broader range of strategies. As institutions in Europe deepen their crypto allocations and U.S. issuers explore tiered yield and application-layer exposures, the market will likely see a steady cadence of launches that blend traditional finance rails with crypto’s distinct yields and risk profiles.

Looking ahead, the conversation centers on how regulators will shape access to staking-based products, how quickly large-cap and next-generation assets receive broad market validation, and how issuers balance risk controls with the demand for yield-driven strategies. For investors, the key watchpoints are whether new products deliver clear, repeatable performance across cycles, and how cross-border listings and collaborations—such as 21shares’ integration with FalconX—affect liquidity, pricing, and transparency in the evolving crypto ETP ecosystem.

Readers should watch regulatory clarity in major markets and the pace of institutional adoption as 21shares and peers press forward with more sophisticated, yield-focused offerings that aim to turn crypto exposure into scalable, traditionally accessible investment strategies.