pledge
Franklin Bitcoin ETF
A low-fee Franklin Templeton bitcoin ETF with smaller trading scale.
$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 EZBCshares, 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 EZBC compares to the other ETFs.
EZBC is everywhere.
Listed on Cboe BZX, 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
Franklin Templeton is a large traditional asset manager with a broad ETF and tokenization strategy.
Clarity of fee structure — waivers, expirations, hidden costs
Franklin lists Coinbase Custody Trust Company as bitcoin custodian for EZBC.
Overall score = 9*25% + 1*20% + 8*12% + 7*10% + 1*13% + 8*8% + 8*7% + 8*5% = 5.8.
Questions readers actually ask about EZBC.
Is owning EZBC 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 EZBC 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 EZBC if Franklin Templeton fails?
The Bitcoin backing EZBC is held by Coinbase Custody Trust Company as a qualified custodian, legally separate from Franklin Templeton's operating funds. The trust's assets would not be claimable by Franklin Templeton's creditors.
Can I buy EZBC 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 EZBC traces to a primary document. These are the ones we read — open any of them.
- Franklin EZBC product page ↗Verified
Official page used for AUM, fee, NAV, exchange, daily and average volume, bitcoin in fund, shares outstanding, and custodian.
- StockAnalysis EZBC profile ↗Partial
Market-data snapshot used to cross-check AUM, shares outstanding, price, volume, expense ratio, exchange, and inception date.
- EZBC SEC filings ↗Verified
SEC filing index for Franklin Bitcoin ETF registration and periodic reporting.
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 EZBC's current prospectus before investing — expense ratios, fee waivers, AUM, and custodian arrangements can change after a score is published.