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Investment firm Viridi Funds has launched an environmentally friendly, crypto mining-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF). The fund aims to invest in crypto mining firms using cleaner sources of energy.
Viridi Funds’ New RIGZ ETF
The ETF dubbed the Viridi Cleaner Energy Crypto-Mining and Semiconductor ETF will trade on the New York Stock Exchange's Arca platform under the symbol 'RIGZ.' According to the announcement, Viridi Funds will serve as a sub-adviser to the fund, with Alpha Architect creating the fund's infrastructure. The ETF, which has an expense ratio of 0.9%, was first filed by Viridi in April this year. Viridi said 80% of the fund's investment would go to publicly traded miners, while 20% would go towards semiconductors that take advantage of clean energy. The fund would only invest in miners who have switched to nuclear or renewable energy sources or are working on offsetting their carbon emissions with carbon credits. According to the CEO of Viridi Funds, Wes Fulford, the firm would use an internal proprietary screening algorithm to select the companies based on their current and planned energy source. Viridi Funds is backed by several investors, including CoinShares, Alameda Ventures, Luxor Technology, Fundamental Labs, and Mechanism Capital. Fulford commented on the recent movement of miners from China to North America. He said this was good news as North American miners have access to renewable energy sources.
"We believe that based on recent developments within the Chinese mining sector, North American miners that have access to sustainable low-cost power, large fleets of new-generation rigs, and access to capital are well-positioned to generate higher returns during the months and years ahead."
With the migration of Chinese miners to North America, the country now accounts for nearly 17% of all global Bitcoin mining, CNBC reports.
Viridi's ETF Amid Calls For Clean Energy
Viridi's new product launch is part of the growing efforts of institutions in focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Several partnerships have been formed lately by US crypto mining firms to make Bitcoin mining more environmentally friendly. Last week, Bitcoin miner Cleanspark partnered with ESG focused miner Coinmint to increase scalability. Other companies like Hut 8 and Hive Blockchain have also signed deals recently purchasing new machines to increase their hashrate. For months, all the buzz has been about Bitcoin exchange-traded funds. While countries like Canada and Brazil have already listed Bitcoin ETFs in their stock exchanges, the US is yet to approve any. Viridi's ETF differs because it will not invest directly in cryptocurrencies but will likely have indirect exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies. This is because many publicly listed miners have these assets on their balance sheets.