Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (ARCA: BLOK)

Dernières nouvelles pour Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (ARCA:BLOK)

Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF

Technology

Financial Services

Consumer Cyclical

Communication Services

Industrials

The fund is an actively managed ETF that seeks to provide total return by investing at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in the equity securities of companies actively involved in the development and utilization of transformational data sharing technologies. It may invest in non-U.S. equity securities, including depositary receipts. The fund is non-diversified.

Core Scientific Inc

Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd

Microstrategy Inc

Coinbase Global, Inc.

Paypal, Inc.

Sbi Holdings Inc

Block, Inc

Robinhood Markets Inc - A

Cleanspark Inc.

Hut 8 Mining Corp

International Business Machines Corp.

Metaplanet Inc

NU Holdings Ltd/Cayman Islands

Mercadolibre Inc

Bloktopia

BLOK TECHNOLOGIES INC by Blok Technologies Inc.

BLOK Technologies Inc

The popularity of cryptocurrency-based casinos continues to surge, attracting players with fast transactions, enhanced privacy, and innovative gaming features. But where is interest in crypto gambling the highest in 2025? 
What Happened: A new study by the <a href="https://casinospotfr.com/casinos-en-ligne/">CasinoSpotFR</a> analyzed search query data and Google Trends to pinpoint the regions most engaged with crypto casinos and the key factors fueling this growth.
According to <a href="https://ahrefs.com/">Ahrefs</a>, the monthly search volume for &#8220;crypto casino&#8221; in major countries is as follows: the United States leads with 7,500 searches, followed by Germany with 4,200, the United Kingdom with 3,100, Canada with 1,800, and France with 1,500 searches. 
However, adjusting these figures based on population size presents a different perspective. Germany has the highest search rate per capita at 50 searches per million people, while the UK follows closely with 46.27, just ahead of Canada at 46.15. 
The U.S., despite its large overall search volume, ranks lower on a per capita basis with 22.66 searches per million, slightly above France at 22.06. This indicates that while the U.S. shows strong absolute interest, European nations demonstrate a greater concentration of searches per person.
The landscape of cryptocurrency casinos has evolved significantly over the past two years. Global search interest in crypto casinos has risen by approximately 20–30%, reflecting the sector&#8217;s growing appeal. While Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) remains the primary cryptocurrency for gambling, more platforms are now integrating Tether (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">USDT</a>), Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), and Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) as viable payment options. 
Meanwhile, regulatory scrutiny has intensified, with some governments imposing stricter controls on crypto gambling. However, many players are adapting by utilizing VPNs and decentralized platforms to continue participating in online crypto gaming.
The data also highlights key differences in crypto casino interest worldwide. Germany and the UK display the strongest per-capita demand, indicating a thriving gaming culture despite regulatory challenges. Canada and France maintain steady engagement, while the U.S. dominates in absolute search volume. 
As legal landscapes shift, crypto gamblers are adjusting, relying on new payment methods and decentralized systems to sustain activity in the sector.
Crypto casinos have gained traction in financial markets, influencing major ETFs such as ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF and Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF, which reflect the sector's growing relevance in blockchain investment.
Image: Shutterstock

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

News

Markets

$BTC

$ETH

$SOL

$USDT

BITO

BLOK

Germany and UK Show Highest Per-Capita Demand for Crypto Casinos

Bitcoin mining and digital infrastructure titan Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIOT#NASDAQ">RIOT</a>) is currently in focus <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/blockchain">in the blockchain world</a>. 
According to its December operations update, steady growth in Bitcoin production and infrastructure development ruled the 2024. 
With approximately 17,722 BTC on its balance sheet and valued at around $4.4 billion, Riot is not just mining Bitcoin. The company is expanding its roots in the decentralized digital asset economy, making it a crypto mining leader.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/42844944/nvidia-stock-soars-to-all-time-high-on-ai-breakthroughs-at-ces-2025-goldman-sachs-stays-bullish">Nvidia Hits Record Highs On CES AI Breakthroughs — Goldman Stays Bullish</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Perfect Storm For ETFs With Exposure To Riot</h2>
Defiance ETF recently <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/01/03/3003995/0/en/Defiance-Launches-RIOX-The-First-2X-Leveraged-Single-Stock-ETF-on-Riot-Platforms-Inc.html">launched </a>an offbeat fund that provides a targeted, 200% daily leveraged exposure to Riot's share price. 
The Defiance Daily Target 2X Long RIOT ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIOX#NYSE">RIOX</a>) uses a mix of short-dated, in-the-money call options and swap agreements to achieve a leveraged exposure while actively managing volatility risks. 
The fund's net expense ratio is 0.95% which is on the higher side but considering the uniqueness of the offering, the expense ratio seems reasonable. The ETF has amassed over $1.48 million in assets under management already.
The ETF allows investors to indirectly gain exposure to the broader blockchain industry which continues to withstand regulatory and macroeconomic challenges and expand.
Riot's growing clout and the launch of RIOX could benefit other ETFs with exposure to cryptocurrency stocks, especially Riot. Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLOK#NYSE">BLOK</a>) and VanEck Digital Transformation ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DAPP#NASDAQ">DAPP</a>) are two other ETFs that hold Riot and other crypto stocks in their portfolios, and stand to gain from Riot's market performance.
Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF gives 2.18% weightage to Riot, and has an expense ratio of 0.76%. Meanwhile, VanEck Digital Transformation ETF holds 5.72% in Riot, and boasts a lower expense ratio of 0.51%.
Bitcoin's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/01/42819660/whats-going-on-with-bitcoin-mining-stocks-cleanspark-and-riot-platforms">recent price resurgence</a>, coupled with Riot's aggressive portfolio and growth strategy creates a compelling opportunity. The launch of the Defiance Daily Target 2X Long RIOT ETF is a timely response to the growing investor interest in tools with targeted exposure to high-performing, disruptive companies like Riot. Seasoned investors looking for short-term plays on Riot's price movements without requiring margin accounts are best suited to try this fund.
Riot and its promising Bitcoin mining numbers came out at the same time as Bitcoin climbed 10% over the past week. The currency reclaimed its $102,000 level on Jan. 6 and recouping losses from early December, when it fell to a low of just below $92,000 on December 30. The recovery has driven optimism in the crypto market, fueled by bullish sentiment surrounding Donald Trump's anticipated crypto-friendly policies.
U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $987 million in inflows on Jan. 6. That&#8217;s the highest since Nov. 21, according to data from SoSoValue. This uptick in bitcoin prices often signals a potential altcoin rally.
See Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42829188/hack-attack-cybercrime-surge-fuels-demand-for-cybersecurity-etfs">Cybercrime Surge Fuels Demand For Cybersecurity ETFs</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

New ETFs

Emerging Market ETFs

ETFs

DAPP

RIOT

Tidal Trust II Defiance Daily Target 2X Long RIOT ETF

RIOX

Riot's Crypto Mining Success Spurs Investor Interest With Defiance's New ETF

Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) voiced notable progress with its digital marketing tool, Quanzhantui, which launched earlier this year and aims to drive revenue on its Taobao and Tmall platforms.
The tool helps merchants improve their sales by leveraging AI-powered technology.
According to Eddie Liu, head of marketing and branding at Alimama, the tool was crucial in supporting 1.3 million products on the first day of Singles&#8217; Day, the SCMP <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282960/alibabas-ai-powered-digital-marketing-tool-boosts-singles-day-sales-merchants" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/10/41378473/alibaba-and-jd-com-ease-rivalry-share-logistics-in-response-to-economic-challenges" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba And JD.com Ease Rivalry, Share Logistics In Response To Economic Challenges</a>
Alibaba launched Quanzhantui to help merchants grow their revenue, especially during competitive shopping events like Singles&#8217; Day.
The company introduced Quanzhantui, alongside a new technology service fee, as part of its strategy to increase monetization.
During the initial day of Alibaba&#8217;s Singles&#8217; Day promotion, Quanzhantui supported over 250,000 merchants and helped increase their gross merchandise value (GMV) by 66% compared to the previous day.
Alibaba launched a 1 billion yuan ($142 million) promotion on October 1, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41403644/alibaba-eyes-double-digit-growth-for-singles-day-in-hong-kong-waives-delivery-fees" rel="noreferrer noopener">waiving delivery fees</a> for Taobao orders over 99 yuan in Hong Kong.
Taobao&#8217;s GMV and order volume have grown significantly, with vital positive feedback on the free shipping initiative.
China is reportedly planning a massive fiscal stimulus of 6 trillion yuan ($850 billion) over three years to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41336235/chinese-e-commerce-firms-alibaba-jd-pdd-gear-up-for-singles-day-shopping-festival" rel="noreferrer noopener">boost its economy</a>. This will be accompanied by central bank measures to lower interest rates and reserve requirements.
As part of their Singles&#8217; Day preparations, Alibaba, JD.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JD#NASDAQ">JD</a>), and PDD Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>) launched early promotions on October 16. Alibaba committed over $5.7 billion to offering discounts and free nationwide shipping.
Alibaba&#8217;s&nbsp;fiscal <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/08/40390854/alibaba-q1-earnings-revenue-miss-amid-price-war-profit-beat-international-commerce-and-cloud-segmen" rel="noreferrer noopener">first-quarter&nbsp;topline</a> grew by 4% to $33.47 billion, missing the analyst estimate of $34.81 billion. Taobao and Tmall Group revenue declined by 1% to $15.60 billion.
Alibaba Group stock has gained over 37% year-to-date. Investors can gain exposure to Alibaba through Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GVIP#NYSE">GVIP</a>) and Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLOK#NYSE">BLOK</a>).
Price Action: BABA stock traded lower by 2.47% at $99.90 premarket at the last check on Monday.
Also Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/10/41399541/apple-iphone-16-sees-20-sales-surge-in-china-but-ai-absence-prompts-early-price-cuts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple iPhone 16 Sees 20% Sales Surge in China, But AI Absence Prompts Early Price Cuts</a></li>
</ul>
Photo Via Shutterstock

Emerging Markets

Tech

Media

BABA

GVIP

Citigourp Global Markets 2% Protected Notes Linked To The Djia

Alibaba Uses AI Tool Quanzhantui To Boosts Singles' Day Sales, Driving Growth for Merchants

Meme stocks are back in the spotlight with the resurgence of Keith Gill, aka Roaring Kitty, on social media after a three-year break. His return reignited interest in meme stocks like GameStop Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GME#NYSE">GME</a>), AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMC#NYSE">AMC</a>), and others, causing a significant surge in their prices. 
For investors looking to ride this wave, here are three <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/meme-stocks">ETFs to consider</a>:
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">VanEck Social Sentiment ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BUZZ#NYSE">BUZZ</a>)</h1>
The VanEck Social Sentiment ETF offers exposure to large-cap U.S. stocks that show high positive sentiment on social media. 
It tracks the BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index and includes stocks like GameStop and AMC. With an asset base of $67.2 million and an annual fee of 0.75%, BUZZ is a prime choice for those looking to capitalize on the meme stock frenzy driven by social media hype.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/06/39361161/gamestop-amc-tesla-expert-sizes-up-short-interest-in-3-favorite-retail-investor-stocks">GameStop, AMC, Tesla: Expert Sizes Up Short Interest In 3 Favorite Retail Investor Stocks</a>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">SoFi Social 50 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFYF#NYSE">SFYF</a>)</h1>
SoFi Social 50 ETF focuses on the top 50 most widely held U.S. stocks on the SoFi Invest platform. 
This ETF gives investors exposure to stocks that are popular among retail traders, often driven by social sentiment. Key sectors include consumer cyclical, technology and communications. SoFi Social has $17.1 million in assets and charges 0.29% in annual fees, making it an attractive option for those looking to invest in trending stocks.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLOK#NYSE">BLOK</a>)</h1>
The Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF, while primarily focused on blockchain technology, includes companies that are significant players in the digital finance and meme stock arena. 
The ETF has $702.8 million in assets and charges 0.76% in annual fees.
With holdings in companies such as MicroStrategy Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) and Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>), the ETF offers indirect exposure to the meme stock phenomenon. Its diversified approach can provide a balanced risk for investors interested in the volatility of meme stocks.
The meme stock resurgence driven by Roaring Kitty signals another potential rally. While these ETFs offer exposure to the high-risk, high-reward world of meme stocks, investors should be mindful of the inherent volatility and speculative nature of these investments. It&#8217;s crucial to do thorough research and consider one&#8217;s risk tolerance before diving into the meme stock market.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/24/06/39358657/exclusive-what-matters-most-to-retail-investors-at-gamestops-annual-shareholders-meeting-roaring-k">EXCLUSIVE: What Matters Most To Retail Investors At GameStop&#8217;s Annual Shareholders Meeting – Roaring Kitty, Crypto, Or Turnaround?</a>
Photo: Shutterstock

Specialty ETFs

Trading Ideas

BUZZ

COIN

MSTR

SFYF

3 ETFs To Consider For The Next Meme Stock Rally

Bain Capital&#8217;s plan to acquire PowerSchool Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PWSC#NYSE">PWSC</a>) for $5.6 billion is under investigation for conflicts of interest and concerns <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/insights/analyst-ratings/24/05/38737311/demystifying-powerschool-holdings-insights-from-9-analyst-reviews">over an inadequate deal price</a>.
What Happened: Shareholder rights law firm Julie &amp; Holleman on Monday announced that it is probing the proposed transaction because private equity firms Vista Equity Partners and Onex, PowerSchool&#8217;s two largest shareholders, are posing conflicts of interest by &#8220;rolling over&#8221; shares into the post-close company while public shareholders are being cashed out.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/01/36627149/global-giants-kkr-bain-capital-target-asias-rising-data-center-space-amid-ai-cloud-services-upswing">Global Giants KKR, Bain Capital Target Asia&#8217;s Rising Data Center Space Amid AI, Cloud Services Upswing</a>
Bain and PowerSchool didn&#8217;t immediately respond to Benzinga&#8217;s request for comment.
Why It Matters: PowerSchool, a California-based provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, announced on Friday that it had agreed to be acquired by Bain for $22.80 per share in cash.
Julie &amp; Holleman said that per-share deal price is less than what the company&#8217;s stock was trading at earlier this year, less than the average Wall Street analyst stock price target of $24.57 per share and well below the high-end price target of $30 per share. 
But PowerSchool said in its announcement that per-share purchase price represents a premium of 37 percent over PowerSchool's unaffected share price of $16.64 as of May 7, 2024, the last trading day prior to media reports regarding a potential transaction.
PowerSchool&#8217;s shares have declined $0.11 since Monday&#8217;s opening bell to $22.36 by the afternoon.
If you&#8217;re interested in investing in the education technology (EdTech) industry, here are three related ETFs to consider:&nbsp;Global X Education ETF&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EDUT#NASDAQ">EDUT</a>),&nbsp;Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLOK#NYSE">BLOK</a>), and&nbsp;iShares U.S. Technology ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IYW#NYSE">IYW</a>).
Read Now: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39230510/bain-capital-goes-big-in-edtech-powerschool-acquisition-valued-at-5-6b">Bain Capital Goes Big In EdTech: PowerSchool Acquisition Valued At $5.6 million</a>

Legal

EDUT

iShares Dow Jones US Technology Sector Index Fund

PWSC

Bain Capital's $5.6B PowerSchool Takeover Under Microscope

Beyond, Inc.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYON#NYSE">BYON</a>) shares are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/movers" rel="noreferrer noopener">trading higher on Wednesday</a>.
The company announced a partnership with X, formerly known as Twitter, to deliver custom short and long-form content, develop customer acquisition and retention strategies, and spotlight the companies&#8217; brands on<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/03/b37963071/beyond-inc-announces-partnership-with-x" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;key tent-pole events and holidays.</a>
&#8220;We are thrilled to be an integrated partner with X as they help us engage more effectively across their 100 million plus U.S. users with both creative content and brand-specific promotional messaging,&#8221; said Marcus Lemonis, Executive Chairman.
Beyond is the parent company of Overstock, Bed Bath &amp; Beyond, Zulily, and a gallery of other brands, all serving homeowners and renters in America.
&#8220;We recognize the power of the X platform and level of engagement users have with it,&#8221; Lemonis added.
Earlier this month, the company was in the headlines for acquiring the intellectual property and other brand assets of Zulily,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/03/g37531355/beyond-inc-acquires-ecommerce-pioneer-zulily-supercharging-its-off-priced-business" rel="noreferrer noopener">the flash sale and e-commerce retailer.&nbsp;</a>
The deal further strengthens Beyond&#8217;s position in the off-price market, enhancing customer value for the products they&#8217;re looking for.&nbsp;
The addition of Zulily will complement Beyond&#8217;s suite of brands, including Overstock, which is scheduled to relaunch later this month.
The new Zulily site is expected to be fully functional by the end of the second quarter of 2024 and contribute to Beyond&#8217;s 24-month revenue goal without adding additional incremental fixed expenses.
According to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>, BYON stock has gained over 88% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLOK#NYSE">BLOK</a>) and&nbsp;ProShares Online Retail ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ONLN#NYSE">ONLN</a>).
Price Action:&nbsp;BYON shares are trading higher by 2.28% to $36.33 on the last check Wednesday.

Equities

Movers

General

BYON

ONLN

Why Overstock Parent Beyond Shares Are Rising Today

We performed a screening of small-cap ETFs - defined as having Assets Under Management (AUM) between $400 million and $2 billion - to determine what funds had the largest positive and negative returns on the week, according to data from <a href="http://etfdb.com">etfdb.com</a>. Only non-leveraged funds were considered.&nbsp;
<h2>Winners</h2>
Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSEARCA: BLOK)
BLOK is up 6.55% over the trailing week.
Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF offers exposure to companies involved in the the development and utilization of blockchain technology, not in cryptocurrency itself. The fund has holdings in companies that mine cryptocurrency, operate online exchanges, and others more tangentially related.&nbsp;
The fund has $565 million in AUM and an expense ratio of 0.75%. BLOK has holdings in 48 companies, with the 10 largest comprising 44.4% of the fund.
The fund&rsquo;s largest holdings are MicroStrategy Incorporated Class A (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mstr#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) and Marathon Digital Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mara#NASDAQ">MARA</a>) making up 5.37% and 5.06% of the fund, respectively.
BLOK is up 66.73% YTD.
The United States Oil Fund LP (NYSEARCA: USO)
USO is up 5.74% over the trailing week.
The US Oil Fund LP is tied to the daily changes of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. Its aim is to track within 10% the changes in NAV of Oil Futures.
The fund has $1.51 billion in AUM and an expense ratio of 0.81%.
LIT is down 4.39% YTD.
<h2>Losers</h2>
PIMCO 25+ Year Zero Coupon US Treasury Index ETF (NYSEARCA: ZROZ)
ZROZ is down 3.69% over the trailing week.
PIMCO 25+ Year Zero Coupon US Treasury Index ETF provides exposure to long dated US treasuries of over 25 years. These are STRIPS, or Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities, which means they are sold at a discount of their face value, do not receive interest payments, and are paid the full amount when the bond matures.&nbsp;
The fund has $949.6 million in AUM and an expense ratio of .15%.
ZROZ is up 1.54% YTD.
PIMCO 15+ Year US TIPS Index ETF (NYSEARCA: LTPZ)
LTPZ is down 3.34% over the trailing week.
PIMCO 15+ Year US TIPS Index ETF provides exposure to long dated US treasuries of over 15 years. These are TIPS, or Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, meaning they change based on the interest rate set by the Fed.
The fund has $649.4 million in AUM and an expense ratio of .2%.
LTPB is up 0.84% YTD.
Featured photo by<a href="https://unsplash.com/@nasa?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"> NASA</a> on<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/blockchain?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"> Unsplash</a>

Small Cap

ARKW

MARA

Wednesday's ETF Winners And Losers: Small-Cap Returns - This Tech ETF, Up 6.55% On The Week, Beat Cathy Wood's ARKW By More Than 2%

We performed a screening of small-cap ETFs - defined as having Assets Under Management (AUM) between $400 million and $2 billion - to determine what funds had the largest positive and negative returns on the week, according to data from <a href="http://etfdb.com">etfdb.com</a>. Only non-leveraged funds were considered.&nbsp;
<h2>Winners</h2>
Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSEARCA: BLOK)
BLOK is up 6.55% over the trailing week.
Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF offers exposure to companies involved in the the development and utilization of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-blockchain-penny-stocks/">blockchain</a> technology, not in cryptocurrency itself. The fund has holdings in companies that mine cryptocurrency, operate online exchanges, and others more tangentially related.&nbsp;
The fund has $565 million in AUM and an expense ratio of 0.75%. BLOK has holdings in 48 companies, with the 10 largest comprising 44.4% of the fund.
The fund&rsquo;s largest holdings are MicroStrategy Incorporated Class A (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mstr#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) and Marathon Digital Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mara#NASDAQ">MARA</a>) making up 5.37% and 5.06% of the fund, respectively.
BLOK is up 66.73% YTD.
The United States Oil Fund LP (NYSEARCA: USO)
USO is up 5.74% over the trailing week.
The US Oil Fund LP is tied to the daily changes of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. Its aim is to track within 10% the changes in NAV of Oil Futures.
The fund has $1.51 billion in AUM and an expense ratio of 0.81%.
LIT is down 4.39% YTD.
<h2>Losers</h2>
PIMCO 25+ Year Zero Coupon US Treasury Index ETF (NYSEARCA: ZROZ)
ZROZ is down 3.69% over the trailing week.
PIMCO 25+ Year Zero Coupon US Treasury Index ETF provides exposure to long dated US treasuries of over 25 years. These are STRIPS, or Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities, which means they are sold at a discount of their face value, do not receive interest payments, and are paid the full amount when the bond matures.&nbsp;
The fund has $949.6 million in AUM and an expense ratio of .15%.
ZROZ is up 1.54% YTD.
PIMCO 15+ Year US TIPS Index ETF (NYSEARCA: LTPZ)
LTPZ is down 3.34% over the trailing week.
PIMCO 15+ Year US TIPS Index ETF provides exposure to long dated US treasuries of over 15 years. These are TIPS, or Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, meaning they change based on the interest rate set by the Fed.
The fund has $649.4 million in AUM and an expense ratio of .2%.
LTPB is up 0.84% YTD.
Featured photo by<a href="https://unsplash.com/@nasa?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"> NASA</a> on<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/blockchain?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"> Unsplash</a>

<ul>
<li>The SEC ramped up scrutiny of audit firms&#39; service to&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/11/29691585/why-ftxs-collapse-is-the-crypto-equivalent-of-the-2008-lehman-brothers-crisis" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">cryptocurrency companies</a>, fearing unscrupulous audit reports misleading investors.</li>
<li>The SEC warned investors against some claims&nbsp;from crypto companies, Paul Munter, the SEC&#39;s acting chief accountant, said in an interview.</li>
<li>The increased scrutiny has led at least one audit firm to drop crypto clients, in some cases soon after producing reports on the companies&#39; assets and liabilities, the Wall Street Journal&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/sec-heightening-scrutiny-of-auditors-crypto-work-11671681693?mod=latest_headlines" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">reports</a>.</li>
<li>Many of these companies were closely held or based offshore, helping them evade regulatory actions.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The SEC is particularly worried about so-called proof-of-reserves reports, which aim to show that the crypto company has sufficient assets to cover customers&#39; funds.&nbsp;</li>
<li>In December, leading crypto exchange Binance showcased its &quot;audited proof of reserves,&quot; independently verified by audit firm Mazars.&nbsp;</li>
<li>However, the report contained sparse financial information, and Mazars did not express an opinion.&nbsp;</li>
<li>A report for exchange Crypto.com this month did not disclose the nominal amounts of assets and liabilities, citing confidentiality reasons. The same Mazars partner in South Africa signed off on both the Crypto.com and Binance reports.</li>
<li>Such a report &quot;is not enough information for an investor to assess whether the company has sufficient assets to cover its liabilities,&quot; Munter added.</li>
<li>Mazars last week paused doing proof-of-reserves crypto work and pulled copies of the reports from its website.</li>
<li>Other audit firms, including Marcum LLP and BDO, also reevaluated their work for crypto companies, fearing lawsuits, reputational damage, and heightened regulatory scrutiny.</li>
<li>The high-profile scrutiny of FTX&#39;s external auditors after the crypto exchange filed for bankruptcy disclosed the risks of&nbsp;<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/11/29690282/ftx-had-8-9-billion-in-debt-could-that-be-why-binance-was-offering-1-to-acquire-business" style="color:#4a6ee0; background:transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt" target="_blank">signing off on unreliable numbers</a>.</li>
<li>Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>) traded lower by 0.97% at $15.29 in the premarket on the last check Thursday.</li>
</ul>

Government

Regulations

$BNB

$FTT

SEC Intensifies Check On Auditors' Report On Crypto After FTX Collapse

Defiance <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/22/09/b28791265/defiance-launches-ibit-first-short-blockchain-etf-to-hedge-crypto-industry">announced </a>on Thursday&nbsp;the launch of the Defiance Daily Short Digitizing the Economy ETF (NASDAQ: IBIT), which offers exposure to companies in the crypto and blockchain ecosystems.
What Happened:&nbsp;Defiance ETF&nbsp;CEO and Chief Investment Officer Sylvia Jablonski said she remained highly bullish on the growth of crypto and the digital asset ecosystem over the next few years.
&ldquo;However, given the recent onset of the crypto winter &mdash;&nbsp;the flood of layoffs and revenue losses &mdash;&nbsp;we believe shorting positions such as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/coinbase-alternative/">Coinbase</a>, Galaxy&nbsp;and Robinhood, along with those involved in the metaverse, like Meta and Roblox, will provide downside protection in the current environment,&rdquo; she said.
Over the past two years, more than a dozen <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-cryptocurrency/">cryptocurrency</a>-related ETFs have been introduced, seeking to track anything from the metaverse to Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) miners to multiple blockchains. Defiance ETFs are thematic exchange-traded&nbsp;funds.
Why It Matters:&nbsp;Almost perfect correlations revealed that attempts at differentiation were largely fruitless.
According to statistics provided by Bloomberg, the largest of these funds, the $572 million Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>), has a correlation of 0.9 or higher with 14 of the 18 other U.S.-listed crypto-themed ETFs.
A correlation of 1 indicates complete harmony.
A 21-day correlation coefficient of 0.91 exists between the $489 million Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/metv#NYSE">METV</a>), which seeks exposure to the developing digital world, and Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF, which owns <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-blockchain-penny-stocks/">blockchain</a>-focused firms.
Photo: Gerd Altmann via Pixabay
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&nbsp;

BRPHF

HOOD

IBIT

METV

RBLX

A New ETF Now Gets You Access To Crypto And Blockchain Companies - Due To 'Bullish' Growth

By&nbsp;Marcus Sotiriou, Analyst&nbsp;at the&nbsp;UK based digital asset broker&nbsp;<a href="https://74n5c4m7.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fglobalblock.co.uk%2F/1/0102017eb9d0c2ee-880eea7f-e52f-4103-af08-989ca7b8aa1e-000000/sj0f1F-GDTcZjRgFHchGmUQECCA=256" target="_blank">GlobalBlock</a>
Whilst Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)&nbsp;remains in this downtrend, on-chain analytics show that these prices could be lucrative for the long-term investor. Firstly, Bitcoin has reached the 4th&nbsp;most oversold point in its history when looking at dormancy flow, shown by data from Glassnode. High values for dormancy flow mean that old coins are moving. Extremely low values, like we are seeing currently, show that most of the coins being transacted are young, suggesting that short term holders are capitulating whilst long term holders are holding / accumulating. Historically, values between 150,000 to 250,000 have marked the sign of bottoms before incredible rallies &ndash; currently, the dormancy flow is around 200,000.
<img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/EvX7r1uJfgKEnL_R0zvdPQyEqQP4XJAzXkEvSj18f7X-ZXECKlauVLv9--LNVACzezIJkbMlObvtkhTeh0oR60CqvvgsfOaR4IqKhXbxhlT-JKT9g4PdaBUIuuBefqqVhl46OnIcZawEz2Ty3spC-KNE0qoKIVtlrHyId8ATtt-UdGrLyG2q=s0-d-e1-ft#https://cdn.roxhillmedia.com/production/email/attachment/910001_920000/b0be14482c8f44defb046a75c80df8e46fdf2b22.jpeg" style="height:342px; width:607px" />
This data is supported by the supply held by &lsquo;strong hands&rsquo; (meaning long-term holders) which has hit an all-time-high of 76%. According to Glassnode we have reached the largest gap between long term holders and short-term holders in Bitcoin&rsquo;s history. In addition, the percentage of Bitcoin on exchanges continues to decrease. Since the all-time-high at $69,000, Glassnode shows that 42.9k Bitcoin has left exchanges.
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All these indicators suggest that as price has decreased by over 50% over the past few months, whales have been accumulating, whilst short term holders capitulating. US tech firm MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mstr#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>)&nbsp;is one example of institutions adding to their Bitcoin stack during this downtrend, as CEO Michael Saylor announced another $25 million purchase yesterday for an average price of $37,865. I think there is significant demand within this $30k-$40k range and we will continue to see long term holders build up their positions in preparation for the next rally.

Bitcoin On-Chain Analytics Show Long Term Holders At Multiyear Highs

Japanese gameshow contestant versus bear. Image via TMZ.
Not Just Luck&nbsp;
In a previous post (Aggressive Protection In Action), we posted the performance of the aggressive hedged portfolio our system created on May 6th (these portfolios last for six months, which is why we&#39;re writing about them now). As we noted there, the outperformance in that one was driven by a position in Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/car#NASDAQ">CAR</a>).&nbsp;
<img alt="Chart" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/13/saupload_f7989e868b6982a7075d1572f9a667f0.png" style="height:366px; width:635px" />
That raised the question of how our system would perform without it. Now we have the answer, with the conclusion of May 13th&#39;s aggressive portfolio: pretty well. Let&#39;s take a look. First, a quick recap of the May 6th portfolio and how it performed.&nbsp;
Our May 6th Aggressive Portfolio&nbsp;
This is the portfolio our site created for an investor looking to maximize his return while limiting his risk to a decline of no more than 20% over the next six months, in a worst case scenario.&nbsp;
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/5/6/131469-1620356124470211.png" />
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/5/6/131469-16203561776503646.png" />
Screen captures via&nbsp;<a href="https://portfolioarmor.com/" rel="nofollow">Portfolio Armor</a>&nbsp;on 5/6/2021.
How The May 6th Portfolio Performed
It was up 35.12% over the next six months, versus 12.54% for the SPDR S&amp;P 500 Trust ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/spy#NYSE">SPY</a>).&nbsp;
<a href="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366228856560025_origin.png" rel="lightbox"><img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366228856560025.png" /></a>
<a href="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366229372371526_origin.png" rel="lightbox"><img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366229372371526.png" /></a>
Our CAR-less May 13th Portfolio
This was our portfolio hedged against a &gt;20% decline created on May 13th.&nbsp;
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/5/14/131469-16209716337793794.png" />
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/5/14/131469-16209716913685832.png" />
Screen captures via Portfolio Armor on 5/13/2021.&nbsp;
The Net Potential Return in the portfolio-level summary above was our system&#39;s estimate of a best-case return for this portfolio; the Expected Return was its estimate of a more likely return, taking into account historic actual performance versus our potential return estimates.
Our May 13th portfolio had two securities in common with our May 6th portfolio, the Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>) and the SPDR S&amp;P Oil &amp; Gas Exploration &amp; Production ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xop#NYSE">XOP</a>). It did have Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) in it, but Tesla was hedged with a collar limiting its upside to 29% over the time frame of the hedge.&nbsp;
Performance Of Our May 13th Portfolio
Our May 13th portfolio was up 20.67%, versus 14.64% for SPY over the same time period.
<a href="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/13/131469-16367969929940882_origin.png" rel="lightbox"><img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/13/131469-16367969929940882.png" /></a>
<a href="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/13/131469-1636797079439156_origin.png" rel="lightbox"><img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/13/131469-1636797079439156.png" /></a>
You Can Do Well In Up Markets While Hedged
The key is having an effective method for selecting securities and hedges. Having one uncapped position hit it out of the park like CAR did in our May 6th portfolio certainly helps, but isn&#39;t necessary to deliver solid performance.&nbsp;

TSLA

Driving Performance Without CAR: Another Hedged Portfolio Outperforms, This Time Without The Skyrocketing Rental Car Company

Japanese gameshow contestant versus bear. Image via TMZ.
A Different Approach To Limiting Risk
A conventional approach to limiting risk in investing is to put more of your money in assets that are unlikely to go up or down a lot, like short duration government bonds. Our approach is different: buy and hedge a handful of securities that&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>We estimate are likely to do well over the next six months, and&nbsp;</li>
<li>Are inexpensive to hedge relative to our estimates of their potential returns.</li>
</ul>
Because you&#39;re hedged, you can concentrate your assets in a handful of names;&nbsp;because you&#39;re concentrated, you will do well if one of those names does well.&nbsp;
Here&#39;s an example of that approach in action.&nbsp;
If You Were Unwilling To Risk A &gt;20% Decline
On May 6th, if you indicated on our website that you were unwilling to risk a decline of more than 20% over the next six months, this is the portfolio the site would have presented you, depending on the size of your account:
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/5/6/131469-1620356124470211.png" />
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/5/6/131469-16203561776503646.png" />
Screen captures via&nbsp;<a href="https://portfolioarmor.com/" rel="nofollow">Portfolio Armor</a>&nbsp;on 5/6/2021.&nbsp;
With this, your maximum drawdown over the next six months - that is, if every underlying security went to zero - would have been a decline of 18.49%. Your best case scenario was a gain of about 36%, and your expected return (a more likely scenario) was a gain of a little under 13% in six months.
Why Those Securities?
Each trading day, our system analyzes total returns and options market sentiment to estimate potential returns for thousands of stocks and ETFs. The Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>), Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/car#NASDAQ">CAR</a>), the Direxion Daily&nbsp;S&amp;P Oil &amp; Gas Exp. &amp; Prod. Bull 2X Shares ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gush#NYSE">GUSH</a>), MGM Resorts International (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mgm#NYSE">MGM</a>), MicroStrategy, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mstr#NYSE">MSTR</a>), RH (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rh#NYSE">RH</a>), and the SPDR S&amp;P Oil &amp; Gas Exploration &amp; Production ETF&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xop#NYSE">XOP</a>)&nbsp;were selected because they were among our top names: the ones that had the highest potential returns, net of hedging costs. Our system started with roughly equal dollar amounts of each, and then rounded them down to round lots, to reduce hedging costs. It swept up most of the leftover cash from the rounding-down process into a tightly hedged&nbsp;iPath Series B Bloomberg Coffee Subindex Total Return ETN&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/jo#NYSE">JO</a>)&nbsp;position, to further reduce hedging cost.
Why Those Hedges?
On our website, if you click the plus signs in the portfolio above, the positions expand to give you a better look at the hedges. For example, this is what the CAR position looked like expanded.
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366225633085938.png" />
CAR was hedged with an optimal, or least expensive, put option. A few of the other positions were hedged with optimal collars. Our system estimates returns both ways to determine which type of hedge is best. We elaborated on that process in a previous post:&nbsp;When To Hedge With Puts Versus Collars.
How The Portfolio Performed
The portfolio returned 35.12% over six months, net of hedging and trading costs,&nbsp;versus SPY which returned 12.54% over the same time period.&nbsp;
<a href="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366228856560025_origin.png" rel="lightbox"><img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366228856560025.png" /></a>
<a href="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366229372371526_origin.png" rel="lightbox"><img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/11/11/131469-16366229372371526.png" /></a>
CAR Drove Outperformance&nbsp;
The best performer of the underlying securities in this portfolio was CAR.&nbsp;Because it was one of only 8 underlying securities in the portfolio, and because our algorithm hedged it with optimal puts,&nbsp;the portfolio was able to capture all of its outperformance, as the rental car stock&#39;s price shot up.&nbsp;

GUSH

iPath DJ-UBSffee Subindex Total Return ETN

Aggressive Protection In Action: How A Hedged Portfolio Tripled The Market's Performance

Virtual reality as an escape from real-world dystopia has a long tradition in science fiction. Is Mark Zuckerberg bringing it to life?&nbsp;
Facebook Goes Meta
Last week&#39;s biggest news out of Silicon Valley was the announcement by Facebook,&nbsp;Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fb#NASDAQ">FB</a>) announcement that it was rebranding as &quot;Meta&quot;, as part of its corporate embrace of the &quot;Metaverse&quot;.&nbsp;
<iframe frameborder="0" height="576" src="https://seekingalpha.com/embed/17314" width="550"></iframe>
The Dystopian Playbook
The term Metaverse was coined by Neal Stephenson in his dystopian novel Snow Crash. Stephenson tweeted on Friday that he has no connection with Facebook/Meta otherwise.&nbsp;
<iframe frameborder="0" height="273" src="https://seekingalpha.com/embed/17315" width="550"></iframe>
Mark Zuckerberg almost certainly has read Snow Crash; it&#39;s a favorite of tech types from Google co-founder Larry Page to Union Square Ventures partner Fred Wilson. And Neal Stephenson has been one of America&#39;s most prophetic novelists. Already two dystopian trends he predicted in Snow Crash have come true: people living in shipping containers, and mass illegal migration from the Global South to America (although in Stephenson&#39;s book, they came by sea, which was likely an homage to JeanRaspail&#39;s earlier novel,&nbsp;The Camp of the Saints; for an even earlier dystopian novel that has proven prescient, see our previous post, That Hideous Strength).&nbsp;
In Snow Crash, the Metaverse is, among other things, a virtual reality escape from the actual reality of living in a shipping container. That idea was borrowed in a later dystopian novel, Ready Player One, which was made into Spielberg movie in 2018.&nbsp;
<a href="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/10/31/131469-16356651291914663_origin.jpg" rel="lightbox"><img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/10/31/131469-16356651291914663.jpg" style="height:354px; width:640px" /></a>
A warren of shipping container homes in Ready Player One (2018).&nbsp;
As The American Sun noted, the push for a virtual escape from dystopia suggests the powers that be aren&#39;t working to prevent a dystopia.&nbsp;
<iframe frameborder="0" height="273" src="https://seekingalpha.com/embed/17316" width="550"></iframe>
Perhaps we shouldn&#39;t be surprised, then, that the &quot;eat the bugs&quot; folks at World Economic Forum have taken an interest in Meta.&nbsp;
<iframe frameborder="0" height="604" src="https://seekingalpha.com/embed/17317" width="550"></iframe>
Investment Implications&nbsp;
Dystopia or not, a lot money is going to be pouring into making the Metaverse a reality. Nathan Roth suggested some companies and cryptocurrencies that could benefit from it.&nbsp;
<iframe frameborder="0" height="706" src="https://seekingalpha.com/embed/17319" width="550"></iframe>
A few of our recent top names are on that list. Nvidia, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and the Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>) were both top names of ours last spring.&nbsp;
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/4/29/131469-16197515324898014.png" />
Screen capture via <a href="https://portfolioarmor.com/">Portfolio Armor</a> on 4/29/2021.
NVDA was up nearly 67% since then, as of Friday&#39;s close, while BLOK lagged the SPDR S&amp;P 500 Trust ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/spy#NYSE">SPY</a>).&nbsp;NVDA was a top ten name of ours again in October.&nbsp;
<img src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/10/31/131469-16356665007221756.png" />
Coinbase Global, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/coin#NASDAQ">COIN</a>) was a top ten name of ours on Friday.&nbsp;
<img src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/10/31/131469-16356666685871863.png" />
Screen capture via Portfolio Armor on 10/29/2021.&nbsp;
If we had top pick one of those Metaverse-related names to buy, we&#39;d probably go with Nvidia, which has been a frequent Portfolio Armor top name since 2016. It also happens to be the top holding of the new Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/meta#NASDAQ">META</a>).&nbsp;
<img src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/10/31/131469-16356669970416834.png" />
META&#39;s most recent top holdings.&nbsp;
Safety First&nbsp;
As always, we suggest you consider hedging if you buy potentially volatile names like Nvidia. You can use our website or our iPhone app to scan for the optimal hedge given your risk tolerance and time frame.&nbsp;

Fintech news covering the emerging Financial Technology services sector

Fintech

NVDA

Welcome To The Metaverse: Investment Implications From Facebook's Transition To Meta.

Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLOK#NYSE">BLOK</a>) shares experienced unusual options activity on Wednesday. The stock price moved up to $43.09 following the option alert. 
<ul>
<li>Sentiment: BEARISH</li>
<li>Option Type: SWEEP</li>
<li>Trade Type: PUT</li>
<li>Expiration Date: 2021-09-17</li>
<li>Strike Price: $40.00</li>
<li>Volume: 848</li>
<li>Open Interest: 2264</li>
</ul>
<h2>Three Indications Of Unusual Options Activity</h2>
Extraordinarily large volume (compared to historical averages) is one indication of unusual options market activity. Volume refers to the total number of contracts traded over a given time period when discussing options market activity. The number of unsettled contracts that have been traded, but not yet closed, is called open interest. These contracts are not yet closed because a buyer has not purchased the contract, or a seller has not sold it.
Another sign of unusual activity is the trading of a contract with an expiration date in the distant future. Usually, additional time until a contract expires allows more opportunity for it to reach its strike price and grow its time value. Time value is important to consider because it represents the difference between the strike price and the value of the underlying asset. 
Contracts that are "out of the money" are also indicative of unusual options activity. "Out of the money" contracts occur when the underlying price is under the strike price on a call option, or above the strike price on a put option. These trades are made with the expectation that the value of the underlying asset is going to change dramatically in the future, and buyers and sellers will benefit from a greater profit margin. 
<h2>Understanding Sentiment</h2>
Options are "bullish" when a call is purchased at/near ask price or a put is sold at/near bid price. Options are "bearish" when a call is sold at/near bid price or a put is bought at/near ask price. 
Although the activity is suggestive of these strategies, these observations are made without knowing the investor's true intentions when purchasing these options contracts. An observer cannot be sure if the bettor is playing the contract outright or if they're hedging a large underlying position in a common stock. For the latter case, the exposure a large investor has on their short position in common stock may be more meaningful than bullish options activity. 
<h2>Using These Options Strategies</h2>
Unusual options activity is an advantageous strategy that may greatly reward an investor if they are highly skilled, but for the less experienced trader, it should remain as another tool to make an educated investment decision while taking other observations into account.
For more information to understand options alerts, visit <a href="https://pro.benzinga.help/en/articles/1769505-how-do-i-understand-options-alerts" title="https://pro.benzinga.help/en/articles/1769505-how-do-i-understand-options-alerts">https://pro.benzinga.help/en/articles/1769505-how-do-i-understand-options-alerts</a>

Options

Unusual Options Activity Insight: Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF

Iron ore: not as pretty as gold, but in demand now. Photo&nbsp;by Peter Craven, Wikimedia Commons.&nbsp;
The Post-COVID Reflation Trade
Inflation and shortages seem to rival the weather now as elevator conversation. On Saturday, a neighbor seeing our cups of Starbucks&nbsp;cold brew, mentioned hearing about&nbsp;shortages at their stores, and mused about what their customers would do without&nbsp;Frappuccinos this summer. The combination of unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus over the past year, lots of production having been shut down, and pent demand due to lockdowns has been coming to a head.&nbsp;
One way investors have attempted to play the reflation trade has been to buy gold, but gold has been flat so far this year.&nbsp;
<img alt="Chart" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/6/13/saupload_8a7d947d19655ecbe6c5d5b6f819e428.png" style="height:366px; width:635px" />
Two other ways investors have attempted to play this have been industrial commodities and crypto. Our security selection system, which draws on investor sentiment expressed via the options markets, has picked up commodity and crypto names this year as well.&nbsp;
Industrial Commodities And Crypto Names
A good illustration of this was our top ten names from April 29th. The first four there were industrial commodities names: the VanEck Vectors Oil Services ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/oih#NYSE">OIH</a>), Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/clf#NYSE">CLF</a>), Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lpi#NYSE">LPI</a>), and United States Steel Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/x#NYSE">X</a>). Numbers 5 and 7 were crypto-related names, the Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>) and Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/riot#NASDAQ">RIOT</a>), and number 6 was a play on pent-up demand in home renovations RH, the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rh#NYSE">RH</a>).&nbsp;
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/4/29/131469-16197515324898014.png" />
Screen capture via&nbsp;<a href="https://portfolioarmor.com/" rel="nofollow">Portfolio Armor</a>&nbsp;on 4/29/2021.&nbsp;
Since then, as you can see, the industrial commodity names have led the pack, while the crypto names have sagged since Bitcoin corrected.&nbsp;
<a href="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/6/13/131469-16235721581549616_origin.png" rel="lightbox"><img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/6/13/131469-16235721581549616.png" /></a>
Cleveland-Cliffs A Top Name Again&nbsp;
What brought this to mind was the iron miner Cleveland-Cliffs appearing in our top ten again on Friday. If our system is right, CLF may have more room to run, and some of our goldbug readers may want to consider its shares as a complement to their gold holdings. That said, it&#39;s possible our system will end up being wrong about CLF this time. And whenever we see a stock that&#39;s up 40% in month and a half, we start thinking about downside protection. With that in mind, below is a way to invest in Cleveland-Cliffs while strictly limiting your downside risk.&nbsp;
A Hedged Bet On Our Top Iron Miner
Let&#39;s say you have a thousand shares of CLF and you want to limit your risk over the next several months to a drawdown of no more than 20% in the worst case. Here&#39;s a look at two ways of doing that.&nbsp;
Uncapped Upside - Expensive
CLF is pretty expensive to hedge with puts now. As of Friday&#39;s close, these were the optimal puts to hedge against a &gt;20% drop by mid-October.&nbsp;
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/6/13/131469-16235745953298047.jpg" style="height:588px; width:340px" />
This and subsequent screen captures are via the Portfolio Armor&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/portfolio-armor/id394951144" rel="nofollow">iPhone app</a>.&nbsp;
The cost was $4,300, or 17.59% of position value. To be conservative, that cost was calculated at the ask (you can often buy and sell options at some price between the bid and ask), but it was extremely high in any case.&nbsp;
Capped Upside - Negative Cost
If you were willing to cap your possible upside at 30%, this was the optimal collar to hedge 1,000 shares of CLF against a &gt;20% drop over the same time frame.&nbsp;
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/6/13/131469-16235748318663833.jpg" style="height:458px; width:340px" />
<img alt="" src="https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2021/6/13/131469-16235748425367017.jpg" style="height:398px; width:340px" />
Here, the cost was negative, meaning you would have collected a net credit of $240 when opening that hedge, assuming to be conservative, that you placed both trades at the worst ends of their respective spreads (buying the puts at the ask and selling the calls at the bid).&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Commodities

Instead Of Gold: Consider Iron. With Industrial Commodities In Demand, Here's A Hedged Bet On Our Top Iron Miner, Cleveland-Cliffs

Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) has been trending lower and over the weekend, Elon Musk made some comments that many investors took to be bearish. That has caused the downtrend momentum to accelerate.
Cryptocurrency funds&nbsp;are trending lower as well.
Unfortunately for the holders of these funds, they&#39;ve dropped more than the cryptos that they invest in. These funds include the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gbtc#OTC">GBTC</a>), the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ethe#OTC">ETHE</a>), and the Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>).
The funds have dropped more than the cryptos they follow because they were all trading at premiums. The market value of the fund exceeded the value of the cryptocurrencies that it holds. This was a result of the high demand for equity exposure to cryptos.
GBTC invests in Bitcoin and&nbsp;has dropped by 35% in&nbsp;one month.
<img alt="gbtc_0.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u344550/gbtc_0.png" style="height:400px; width:640px" />
ETHE invests in Ethereum and is&nbsp;down 10% in a week
<img alt="ethe_0.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u344550/ethe_0.png" style="height:400px; width:640px" />
BLOK invests its assets in the equity of companies that are involved in the development of blockchains and cryptocurrencies.
<img alt="blok.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u344550/blok.png" style="height:400px; width:640px" />
&nbsp;

ETHE

GBTC

As Bitcoin Drops, These Cryptocurrency Funds Follow

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/is-bitcoin-a-good-investment/">Bitcoin</a> backed off its recent highs, reminding investors it doesn&#39;t move up in a linear fashion. The good news is the largest digital currency and some of its cryptocurrency peers are proving there&#39;s legitimacy and staying power for the asset class.
What Happened: The bad news is, at least for investors in the U.S., that the timeline for the launch of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/20/12/18973940/vaneck-gives-bitcoin-etf-another-go">bitcoin exchange-traded fund</a> remains murky at best and those waters may be further muddied by some of President Biden&#39;s appointments.
As long as bitcoin is part of the everyday investment lexicon and until there&#39;s a related ETF, investors can revisit blockchain ETFs, such as the Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>). Pursuant to regulations set forth by the Securities and Exchange Commission several years ago, BLOK and its peers cannot use the term &ldquo;blockchain&rdquo; in titles, but that&#39;s what these funds are: Blockchain ETFs.
Why It&#39;s Important: Investors are taking note of BLOK&#39;s ties to the crypto universe. The actively managed ETF just turned 3 years old and celebrated by topping $500 million in assets under management.
&ldquo;Just over three years ago we launched the first actively-managed ETF focused on the dynamic market segment of blockchain-related stocks,&rdquo; says Christian Magoon, <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/01/20/2161367/0/en/BLOK-ETF-Celebrates-3-Year-Anniversary-Surpasses-500-Million-in-Assets.html">CEO of Amplify ETFs</a>. &ldquo;BLOK has provided investors with additional portfolio diversification through its unique portfolio makeup that includes the Bitcoin Investment Trust. We continue to see a bright future for blockchain technology and its many applications.&rdquo;
Making the milestone all the more impressive and relevant is BLOK&#39;s performance. The fund more than doubled over the past year and is up 11% to start 2021. Again, investors are taking note as BLOK&#39;s year-to-date inflows tally $144 million.
What&#39;s Next: Now home to $533 million in assets and 55 stocks, BLOK offers bitcoin exposure via a 5.80% weight to MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mstr#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), one of the more direct equity plays on the digital currency. Secondary plays, such as venues where consumers can purchase digital assets, including Square (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sq#NYSE">SQ</a>) and PayPal (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pypl#NASDAQ">PYPL</a>) combine for almost 8% of the fund&#39;s weight.
Over 41% of the fund&#39;s components are software names and another 17% are diversified financial services firms.
BLOK also offers some firepower via smaller stocks as mid- and small-cap names combine for over 42% of the fund&#39;s roster.

Long Ideas

Sector ETFs

PYPL

Bitcoin Rally, Crypto Boom Provide Epic Sparks For Blockchain ETF

Bitcoin&#39;s 2020 ascent is extending into the new year with the largest digital currency by market value ascending above $33,000 on Jan. 2.
What Happened: After more than quadrupling last year, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/is-bitcoin-a-good-investment/">bitcoin&#39;s</a> market value last weekend was hovering around $610 billion. Said differently, if the cryptocurrency were a publicly-traded domestic company, it would be&nbsp;the seventh-largest component in the S&amp;P 500.
All that enthusiasm made its way to blockchain exchange-traded funds, a group of thematic ETFs that debuted several years ago around the time of bitcoin&#39;s initial epic surge, one that results in a similarly epic slide. One member of that group is the Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>).
Why It&#39;s Important: Until <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/20/12/18973940/vaneck-gives-bitcoin-etf-another-go">a dedicated bitcoin ETF</a> is approved in the U.S., funds like BLOK can give investors some synthetic crypto exposure. Data confirm BLOK is responsive to bitcoin moves as the Amplify ETF surged 86.56% last year and its trough-to-peak move was nearly a triple.
&ldquo;BLOK is an actively managed ETF that seeks to provide total return by investing at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of companies actively involved in the development and utilization of blockchain technologies,&rdquo; <a href="https://amplifyetfs.com/blok">according to the issuer.</a>
Data suggest some investors are embracing the notion of BLOK as something of a bitcoin proxy. In mid-December, Amplify put out a press release stating the ETF <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/12/17/2146789/0/en/BLOK-ETF-Surpasses-250-Million-in-Assets.html">topped $250 million</a> in assets under management. Now, just a few days shy of its third birthday, BLOK is a $361.55 million ETF.
&ldquo;As applications using blockchain technology continue to expand, we believe BLOK offers investors an attractive way to participate in this growing market segment,&rdquo; &nbsp;said Amplify CEO Christian Magoon. &ldquo;From food safety, to cryptocurrency to the issuance of sovereign debt, blockchain technology is impacting the lives and portfolios of investors around the world each day. We believe BLOK&rsquo;s unique set of holdings and actively managed approach will continue to distinguish it in the marketplace in terms of assets under management and shareholder returns.&rdquo;
What&#39;s Next: Investors should note that BLOK is NOT a bitcoin ETF. It&#39;s an equity-based fund, though some of its holdings, such as Square (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sq#NYSE">SQ</a>) and PayPal (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pypl#NASDAQ">PYPL</a>), are increasingly levered to the crypto trade.
Overall, BLOK holds 54 stocks, roughly 42% of which are technology names and nearly 23% of which hail from the financial services sector. None of those holdings exceed weights of 4.93%.

Bitcoin Surge Renews Enthusiasm For Blockchain ETF

Mark Yusko, CEO and CIO of Morgan Creek Capital Management and Morgan Creek Digital, and notorious bitcoin bull discussed his outlook for cryptocurrencies during an appearance on Benzinga&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v024CnU-o6o">PreMarket Prep</a> show this week.
The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (OTCQX: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gbtc#OTC">GBTC</a>) is up 118.8% year-to-date in 2020, but Yusko said he sees even more upside ahead for bitcoin.
&ldquo;Clearly bitcoin crushed the S&amp;P in 2019, it has crushed the S&amp;P again this year. This is an asset that most people don&rsquo;t understand,&rdquo; Yusko said.
&ldquo;What people just haven&rsquo;t come to grips with is that bitcoin is the first use case of the operating system of the internet of everything.&rdquo;
Long-Term Value Of Bitcoin: Yusko compared bitcoin to iOS and Android operating systems for smartphones.
&ldquo;When everything in the world is connected in the future, it will all run on blockchain. Bitcoin is the gas, it&rsquo;s the fuel for that network expansion,&rdquo; Yusko said.
Yusko said back when the internet was first getting started, many people didn&rsquo;t understand what it was or how it would eventually change the world. He said bitcoin needs to hit an inflection point in mainstream usage to unlock its true power.
&ldquo;What bitcoin is is money or value over internet protocol, and it will do to financial services the same thing that the internet did to the media. All the asset value in traditional media now exists in streaming companies and tech companies,&rdquo; Yusko said.
How To Invest: For investors looking to get into bitcoin as it&rsquo;s making its big run, Yusko discussed the safest ways to own the cryptocurrency.
&ldquo;To own exposure to blockchain, it&rsquo;s really mostly in the private markets now,&rdquo; Yusko said. &ldquo;The safest, easiest way to buy [bitcoin] is to buy the ticker GBTC or the ticker ABTC.&rdquo;
GBTC is the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, which owns and stores bitcoin offline in a closed-end fund. Yusko said the biggest risk to the GBTC is that it trades at a premium to the underlying price of the bitcoin it owns, creating downside risk if the SEC ever approves a bitcoin ETF to list on a major U.S. exchange.
ABTC is a swiss-listed fund that doesn&rsquo;t have the same premium problem as GBTC.
Yusko said investors can also own bitcoin directly through companies like Coinbase or the Square Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sq#NYSE">SQ</a>) Cash App. He also recommended Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amd#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) as plays on Ethereum and bitcoin mining.
Blockchain ETFs: Yusko wouldn&rsquo;t recommend the blockchain ETFs Reality Shares Nasdaq NexGen Economy ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blcn#NASDAQ">BLCN</a>) and Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blok#NYSE">BLOK</a>).
&ldquo;The blockchain ETFs are not really that great because there&rsquo;s not that many companies that are directly involved in blockchain and particularly in crypto, so the problem with those things is they&rsquo;re highly correlated to the S&amp;P because they own Microsoft and Intel,&rdquo; Yusko said.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re not horrible things to own, but they&rsquo;re not as directly correlated to the growth.&rdquo;
Watch to the full interview with Mark in the clip below, or listen to the podcast <a href=""> here</a>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v024CnU-o6o?start=2010" width="560"></iframe>
PreMarket Prep is a daily trading show hosted by prop trader Dennis Dick and former floor trader Joel Elconin.&nbsp;You can watch PreMarket Prep&nbsp;live every day from 8-9 a.m. ET&nbsp;<a href="http://benzinga.com/premarket-prep">Benzinga&#39;s YouTube channel</a>, and the podcast is on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Qu3m5WpYlUwTeLvSh2QoG">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/premarket-prep/id915782694">iTunes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Id2myc5nfdgd4pry47sjss2n2my">Google Play</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://soundcloud.com/bztv">Soundcloud</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/benzinga-morning-show">Stitcher</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/PreMarket-Prep-p1122264/">Tunein</a>.

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