4 Years Of HODL’ing Down The Crypto Revolution: Happy Birthday, 21Shares!

At 21.co , we are proud to announce that we've reached a major milestone in our journey as the world’s leader in providing access to crypto through simple, easy-to-use products. Yesterday marked the four-year anniversary of when 21Shares , our crypto ETP issuer brand, launched the world’s first crypto ETP, HODL. Over the past four years, 21Shares has expanded its product suite globally and looks forward to helping more investors safely access this exciting new asset class for many years to come.

When 21Shares launched crypto ETPs (exchange-traded products) in 2018, crypto was still in its infancy. 

When 21Shares pioneered the launch of crypto ETPs (exchange-traded products) in 2018, cryptoassets were still young and the industry was niche. However, we were motivated to launch this type of product to help break down barriers to entry in the asset class for the wider investing community. 

HODL was born to provide access to an exciting new asset class safely – and it absolutely reached that goal. Today, HODL has $68M in assets under management, with over $0.5M in net new assets just last week. 

Looking back four years later, it is even more clear how important our role has been in helping to bring cryptocurrency into the mainstream.

Originally founded with the mission to build bridges into the crypto world, 21Shares has grown globally. Now, 21Shares offers 43 different products across 12 regulated exchanges available for purchase in 22 different countries. Investing efforts into making our proprietary world-class research free and accessible, putting our customers’ safety first always, and building a global team are all ways that we continue to align with this mission.

Our mission-driven commitment to innovation does not come at the expense of security, CEO and Co-Founder, Hany Rashwan shares, “We have to remember that it is possible to innovate outside of the central banks and still abide by all the laws and regulations that are put in place, to make our daily lives more comfortable.” Though we place research and innovation at the forefront of what we do, we do it in a safe, research-informed way that supports mainstream growth.

HODL, like all of our subsequent product offerings, is 100% physically-backed and clients' assets benefit from a multitude of safety measures such as being held in cold storage, off-chain, and divided between different wallets.

As pioneers in this industry, maintaining our edge means leading with research.

We proudly celebrate this milestone and look to the future with optimism! Here’s to another year of building bridges into the crypto world.

Happy birthday, HODL!