
Ethereum Classic ETF investing can be a bit complex, but it's definitely worth understanding.
Ethereum Classic (ETC) is a decentralized, open-source blockchain that was created in 2016 as a result of a hard fork from the original Ethereum blockchain.
Investing in an ETC ETF can provide exposure to the cryptocurrency without the need to directly hold the asset.
The first Ethereum Classic ETF was launched in 2020, offering investors a convenient way to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency.
Expand your knowledge: How to Invest in S&p 500 Index Funds
What Is
Ethereum Classic ETFs are a type of exchange-traded fund that tracks the price of Ethereum Classic, a blockchain-based platform.
Ethereum Classic is a decentralized platform that allows for the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications.
It was created in July 2016 as a result of a hard fork in the Ethereum blockchain.
The Ethereum Classic network is maintained by a community of developers and miners.
Ethereum Classic has its own unique consensus algorithm, which is called Ouroboros.
You might like: Bitcoin Classic
Grayscale Trust Overview
Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC) is a passively managed Alternative Digital Assets exchange-traded fund (ETF) that was launched in 2017.
The ETF is designed to reflect the value of the ETC held by the Trust, less expenses and other liabilities.
The shares are the first publicly quoted securities solely invested in and deriving value from the price of ETC.
Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC) has a single member on its management team with an average tenure of 7.69 years.
The ETF has a single primary benchmark, the ETC Index Price TR USD index, with a weighting of 100%.
The ETF has a total of 1 security in its portfolio, with the top 10 holdings constituting 100.0% of the ETF's assets.
The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund.
Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC) has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues.
The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0%, foreign stock is 0.0%, and preferred stocks is 0.0%.
Suggestion: United States Oil Fund
The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond, and 0.0% convertible bond).
Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC) has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Here is a summary of the ETF's key statistics:
ETCG Performance and Fees
Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC) has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which means it holds its assets for years. This is significantly lower than the average portfolio turnover of 61% for the Digital Assets category.
The trust's low turnover rate can help keep expenses down, potentially leading to higher after-tax returns. However, the trust's performance in December 2024 was disappointing, with a return of -21.4%.
Discover more: Spdr Portfolio Etfs
ETCG Performance and Fees
The Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC) has a super low portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which means it holds onto its assets for a very long time.
This is significantly lower than the average portfolio turnover rate of 61% for the Digital Assets category, indicating that ETC takes a more conservative approach to its investments.
Curious to learn more? Check out: Moomoo Margin Rate
In December 2024, ETC returned a whopping -21.4%, earning it a grade of F, which is the worst possible grade in this category.
The Digital Assets category as a whole had an average return of -7.8% that month, so ETC's return was actually worse than the average.
ETC's low turnover rate and poor return in December 2024 may be a concern for investors looking for a more stable and profitable investment.
If this caught your attention, see: S and P Total Return Index
ETC Strong Performance
Ethereum Classic's trading volume has surged since the ETF news broke, and its market capitalization has crossed the $4 billion mark, a 34% increase.
This significant growth is a testament to the growing interest in Ethereum Classic, and it's likely that this momentum will continue.
Security and Circulation
Ethereum Classic has a maximum supply of 210,700,000 ETC coins, roughly ten times that of Bitcoin.
The ETC block reward decreases with time at a rate of 20% every two years or 5 million blocks.
In December 2017, Ethereum Classic established a cap to the supply, a move that sets it apart from Ethereum, which has no cap.
Ethereum Classic uses a PoW mining algorithm, which functions similarly to Bitcoin, with miners rewarded with new coins for validating the blockchain in competition with each other.
The ETC block reward drops from 2.56 ETC to 2.048 ETC per block at block 20,000,000, roughly in June 2024.
Ethereum Classic's security has significantly increased, with developers removing safety features they added after the 51% attacks of 2020.
The ETC blockchain is fully replicated, making it redundant across many nodes worldwide, making it practically impossible to take down or tamper with by natural disasters or man.
On a similar theme: Is Coin Market Cap Legit
How Is Secured?
Ethereum Classic uses the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus algorithm to secure its network.
This algorithm requires miners to resolve computationally intensive puzzles to create and validate blocks of transactions, protecting the network.
The ETC blockchain is fully replicated, making it redundant across many nodes worldwide, which makes it practically impossible to take down or tamper with by natural disasters or human intervention.

The network's redundancy is a result of its widespread replication, which has increased its security levels significantly.
After suffering a 51% attack in August 2020, developers removed the safety features they had added to protect the network, reflecting its increased security.
The removal of these safety features is a testament to the network's improved security posture.
Coin Circulation
ETC has a maximum supply of 210,700,000 coins.
This supply cap was established in December 2017, which is a significant difference from Ethereum, which has no cap on its supply.
The block reward for ETC miners decreases over time, with a 20% drop every two years or 5 million blocks.
This means that the block reward will decrease from 2.56 ETC to 2.048 ETC per block, which is expected to happen around June 2024.
ETC's mining algorithm is similar to Bitcoin's, where miners are rewarded with new coins for validating the blockchain in competition with each other.
Consider reading: Gold Miner Etf
Mining and Buying
Mining Ethereum Classic can be a complex process, but it's a key part of the cryptocurrency's ecosystem.
ETC is a major market cap cryptocurrency, which means it's freely tradable on a large number of major exchanges, including Binance, OKEx, HTX, and Coinbase.
If you're interested in buying Ethereum Classic, you have a variety of options available to you, including stablecoins, other cryptocurrencies, and even fiat currencies.
Mined
Mining is a complex process that requires a lot of energy and computing power. Miners group transactions in batches and add a time stamp, the previous block's cryptographic stamp or hash, and a random iterating number called a nonce.
These miners try to create a new cryptographic stamp for the new block by checking if it hits a specific target determined by the protocol. They can do this trillions of times per second.
Only one miner can successfully hit the target and send the block to the rest of the network for verification and payment of the miner reward plus the block's transaction fees. This process is what uses up so much energy and is referred to as "proof of work".
Check this out: Bitcoin Mining Energy Consumption
Where to Buy
You can buy Ethereum Classic (ETC) on major exchanges. Binance, OKEx, HTX, and Coinbase are some of the exchanges that offer ETC for trading.
ETC is freely tradable on a large number of major exchanges. This makes it accessible to a wide range of investors.
Pairs are available against stablecoins, other cryptocurrencies, and fiat currencies. This gives investors flexibility in managing their ETC holdings.
Derivatives and institutional investment vehicles also exist for ETC.
Sources
Featured Images: pexels.com