Monochrome Asset Management
News & Updates
Find all our latest insights, reports and resources on digital asset investing here.

Landmark Regulator-Approved Retail Bitcoin Trust Becomes First Crypto-Asset Fund to Offer Legal Rights to Bitcoin Holdings
In an Australian first, Monochrome Asset Management has announced today the launch of the Monochrome Bitcoin Trust (IBTC), the only regulator-approved crypto-asset retail fund in Australia, providing investors with legal rights to their specific bitcoin holdings in the fund.

Monochrome Monthly Recap | January 2023 - February 2023
This month's edition of the Monochrome Recap covers: Binance SWIFT banking partner to ban USD transfers below $100K, Genesis crypto lending businesses file for bankruptcy protection, and 2023 Bitcoin year-to-date price performance and 2022 summary.

Monochrome Monthly Recap | December 2022 - January 2023
This month's edition of the Monochrome Recap covers: Hong Kong Bitcoin ETF launch, FTX Collapse update: Potential Australian regulatory changes, Queensland crypto-asset firm TrigonX goes into voluntary administration, Judge in Celsius Network bankruptcy case rules deposits belong to estate not users.

Monochrome Monthly Recap | September - October 2022
Topics covered in a new monthly edition of the Monochrome Recap include: RBA Publishes White Paper on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), SEC Claims All of Ethereum Falls Under US Jurisdiction and 8 US States File Cease-and-Desist Orders Against Nexo.

Monochrome Recap | 04 August - 19 August 2022
Topics covered in this fortnight's edition include; BlackRock partners with Coinbase to offer institutional investors access to Bitcoin. Popular crypto-mixer, Tornado Cash, sanctioned. What happened and potential implications. On-chain analysis examines the conditions on new bitcoin investors.

Monochrome Drives Investor Engagement With Breakthrough Crypto-Asset Licence Variation
Monochrome Asset Management became one of the first Australian asset managers to be authorised under an Australian financial services licence (AFSL) to offer retail investors fully regulated and direct insured exposure to crypto-assets, such as bitcoin and ether.

Craig Hobart Presents at Advisers Big Day Out 2022: Considering Crypto-Assets Post ASIC REP 705
Craig Hobart, Head of Distribution at Monochrome Asset Management, attended the Advisers Big Day Out (ABDO) conference to discuss the developments in the crypto-asset space relevant to financial advisers following ASIC REP 705.

Time Zone Considerations for Benchmark Selection in an Australian Passive Spot Bitcoin ETP
In this paper we look at the criteria for index selection in a spot bitcoin ETP, with particular focus on the timing of the index. In a recent article, CF Benchmarks have analysed the suitability of the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate (BRR) for the creation of regulated products and more recently performed analysis comparing this to a Sydney-based time period. We draw on that analysis in this paper and expand on it in the context of the impact on the performance, costs and market dynamics when used in a passive bitcoin ETP.

Bitcoin in an SMSF
Attention has recently been given to the addition of non-traditional investments such as bitcoin in SMSF portfolios. Before doing so, SMSF trustees should take steps to understand the asset class and most importantly obtain professional advice on how they can safely implement digital assets into portfolios to ensure they meet all their fiduciary obligations as SMSF trustees and that no issues arise during annual audits.

Bitcoin and “The Cult of Satoshi”
One of the most common criticisms of Bitcoin I hear is that it sounds like a cult or religion. I believe that the religious element of Bitcoin is a feature, not a bug. In fact, I would say the single final financial backstop that gives Bitcoin “value” is its religious adherents. To begin, however, we need to understand what religion means in the context of the True Bitcoin Believer.

Roads to an Australian Bitcoin ETF - Part 3
In the third part of Monochrome’s “The Roads to an Australian Bitcoin ETF” series, the team explores the intricacies of European exchange traded products (ETPs) holding crypto assets and the challenges faced by European regulators in bringing these products to market.

Roads to an Australian Bitcoin ETF - Part 2
In the second of Monochrome’s multi-part series on Bitcoin’s investment market evolution, the team delves deeper into Canadian markets and the court cases that defined them, the world’s first spot Bitcoin ETF and why not all first-mover advantages are equal.

Monochrome Joins Lonsec to Address Crypto-Assets and Questions Facing Advisers
Craig Hobart, Head of Distribution at Monochrome joined Lukasz de Pourbaix, Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer at Lonsec Investment Solutions to discuss crypto-assets and the questions financial advisers have regarding the asset class.

Monochrome Bitcoin Fund Approved by Praemium for Private Wealth Clients
Wealth management platform Praemium announces approval for Monochrome’s flagship product, providing wholesale investors leading access to a pure bitcoin fund via a platform in Australia, supported with complementary research and education.

Summary of ASIC Report REP 705 – Response to submissions on CP 343
Following the release of ASIC’s REP 705 on its much-anticipated response to submissions of Consultation Paper 343 regarding crypto-assets as underlying assets for ETPs. Monochrome Assethas prepared an 8 page summary of ASIC’s report REP 705.

Monochrome Launches Specialist Digital Asset Research Division
Monochrome Asset Management today announced the formation of Monochrome Research, a specialist division focused on providing expert-led research and insights to guide institutional investors and financial services professionals as they navigate and evaluate the digital asset industry.

Australia’s Leading Investment-Grade Bitcoin Fund Secures BNY Mellon Executive and eFX Expert Jeff Leal for COO
Monochrome Asset Management, the torchbearer for investment-grade access to digital assets in Australia, today announced the appointment of BNY Mellon executive and foreign exchange veteran Jeff Leal as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Digital Markets.

“And Yet, Bitcoin Lives On” - A Short Investors Summary of Bitcoin
In sync with Bitcoin passing 700,000 blocks, Monochrome Asset Management delved into some of the key moments for investors that have defined the nascent asset’s evolution from niche cryptography project to flourishing digital store of value.

Monochrome Announces Series A to Accelerate Institutional Digital Asset Adoption
Monochrome Asset Management, the torchbearer of investment-grade access to digital assets in Australia, announced a USD $1.8 million (approx. AUD $2.4 million) private Series A funding, valuing the company at around $20 million AUD.

Meet Monochrome | Q&A with David Hobart, Chief Investment Officer
We are excited to present the first of our “Meet Monochrome” series, introducing the team behind Monochrome Asset Management, the torchbearer of institutional-grade access to digital assets in Australia. Featuring David Hobart, Monochrome’s Chief Investment Officer.

Australia’s First Investment-Grade Bitcoin Fund Welcomes Craig Hobart as Head of Distribution
Following the launch of the Monochrome Bitcoin Fund, Monochrome Asset Management, the Brisbane-based digital asset management firm founded by former Binance Australia CEO Jeff Yew, today announced the appointment of two additional industry experts - Derek Vladimir Henningsen and Craig Hobart.

Blockchain Australia Welcomes Monochrome as New Member
Monochrome Asset Management is thrilled to announce it has joined Blockchain Australia as a member, Australia’s peak industry body that represents businesses and individuals implementing and encouraging the potential for blockchain technology to improve the nation’s economy and society.

Monochrome Adds Senior Leaders to Australia’s First Institutional-Grade Bitcoin Fund
Monochrome Asset Management, the Brisbane-based investment manager of the Monochrome Bitcoin Fund, announced the appointment of two well-known names in the Australian alternative investment industry - David Hobart and Kevin Saunders.