21Shares head of distribution for EMEA Isabell Moessler has said the use cases for different digital assets remain abstract to investors with more education needed to develop the space.
Speaking to ETF Stream ahead of the virtual event Crypto 2025, Moessler said the early stages of the asset class means they are focused on making it easier for investors to understand the numerous use cases – or protocols – of the various coins and blockchains.
She said: “There is still a lot of education needed and the industry is still at such an early stage that when new developments and protocols emerge investors are not sure exactly how to evaluate the opportunities.”
It is no secret the issuer has ambitious plans. 21Shares already houses the largest number of crypto ETPs in Europe with roughly €1.7bn in assets under management (AUM) across 28 products while its CEO Hany Rashwan has been vocal about its plans to double its product range this year.
The firm has already launched seven ETPs this year, from those tracking single coins, such as the 21Shares Terra ETP (LUNA) to those with a focus on specific sectors such as the metaverse, with the launch of the 21Shares Decentraland ETP (MANA).
Moessler said new products launched this year will continue to be as diversified.
“You have seen a lot of single asset ETPs coming to the market and we will continue with those, but we will also come up with more solutions, more baskets and more groupings of assets,” she said.
She added the crypto ETP specialist had been focused on the building blocks of Web3 – a new iteration of the internet based on blockchain on technology – as a means of expanding its product range.
“If you look at the developments in the whole space we are focused on Web3 and all the different components,” Moessler said. “You have to start with the hardware and then carve out every building block that ventures into Web3.
“You have to look at it from an investor's perspective, what problem is the product trying to solve and why should they be interested?
“We are focusing on the investment case, it is where the evolution will come from. More investors will start understanding and say, ‘this is why I should be using this coin’, at the moment it is still a bit abstract for some.”
However, she added the wider adoption by institutional investors – even by those who do not fully understand the technology – shows the power of crypto.
She said: “A lot of investors understand all the ins and outs, but as we have seen, particularly with more institutional adoption, a wider audience now believe there is something there even if they do not understand all of the details yet. It is here and it is here to stay.”
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