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Hashdex Bitcoin ETF
Hashdex’s U.S. spot bitcoin ETF.
$10,000 invested, compounded for 30 years.
Compound-fee impact at an assumed 8% annual return. The expense-ratio benchmarks (lowest + category median) come from the live cohort in /compare/etfs; the 8% return is illustrative, not a forecast.
The full custody chain.
When you buy DEFIshares, you don't hold Bitcoin — you hold a claim on the trust. The trust holds a claim on the custodian. The custodian holds the actual keys.
How DEFI compares to the other ETFs.
DEFI is everywhere.
Listed on NYSE Arca, available in essentially every U.S. brokerage. Compatible with IRA, 401(k), and HSA accounts.
The 8-factor breakdown.
Annual sponsor fee — the largest, most certain drag on returns
Trading depth and spreads for getting in and out at scale
How tightly the fund tracks spot bitcoin
Market-price premium or discount to NAV — arb efficiency
Assets under management — viability and closure risk
Hashdex is a crypto-native asset manager with a U.S. spot bitcoin ETF and broader crypto index-product background.
Clarity of fee structure — waivers, expirations, hidden costs
Hashdex public materials identify BitGo Trust as bitcoin custodian for the fund.
Overall score = 7*25% + 1*20% + 4*12% + 5*10% + 1*13% + 4*8% + 7*7% + 8*5% = 4.3. The 0.25% fee (cut from the prior 0.90%) lifts the expense-ratio factor; low verified market scale (volume/AUM) still caps the score.
Questions readers actually ask about DEFI.
Is owning DEFI the same as owning Bitcoin?
Functionally for most purposes, yes — you get price exposure backed 1:1 by BTC held in cold storage. Mechanically, no — you own shares in a trust, not the underlying Bitcoin. The difference matters in three scenarios: (1) self-custody control, (2) using BTC as collateral elsewhere, (3) keeping access if your brokerage fails.
Does DEFI pay dividends?
No. The trust holds Bitcoin, which doesn't generate yield. All returns come from price appreciation of the underlying.
What happens to my DEFI if Hashdex fails?
The Bitcoin backing DEFI is held by BitGo Trust Company as a qualified custodian, legally separate from Hashdex's operating funds. The trust's assets would not be claimable by Hashdex's creditors.
Can I buy DEFI in my 401(k)?
Depends on your plan. Most modern plans that allow individual brokerage windows support it. Many default 401(k) menus don't.
The receipts.
Every figure on DEFI traces to a primary document. These are the ones we read — open any of them.
- Hashdex DEFI product page ↗Verified
Official page confirms fund identity, ticker, issuer, strategy, fee, and custody materials.
- DEFI SEC filings ↗Partial
SEC filing search for prospectus and periodic reporting related to Hashdex Bitcoin ETF.
Not investment advice. Pledge provides comparison data for educational purposes only; scores do not recommend buying, selling, or holding any ETF. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Review DEFI's current prospectus before investing — expense ratios, fee waivers, AUM, and custodian arrangements can change after a score is published.