Big bitcoin-driven NAV drop for ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (Cboe: ARKB)
ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF reported a sharp decline in value for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as bitcoin prices fell. Net assets dropped from $3.31 billion to $2.39 billion, a 27.73% decrease, while the bitcoin price used for GAAP NAV fell about 22.56% over the period.
The Trust held 35,246.5837 bitcoins at quarter‑end, all classified as Level 1 fair value. Net decrease in net assets from operations was $(716.8) million, driven mainly by unrealized depreciation of bitcoin and realized losses on coins sold for redemptions and fees. The ETF delivered a Q1 total return of -22.61% at NAV, consistent with its passive objective to track bitcoin minus a 0.21% annual Sponsor Fee.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insights
Q1 shows large NAV drop driven by bitcoin weakness, not structure.
ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF is behaving as a pure bitcoin tracker. NAV fell from $3.31B to $2.39B as the GAAP bitcoin price declined from $87,515.28 to $67,772.92. Holdings ended at 35,246.5837 bitcoins.
Operating mechanics remain simple: a single asset, Level 1 fair value, and one recurring expense, the 0.21% annual Sponsor Fee, which produced $1.45M of costs this quarter. There is no borrowing, derivatives, or non‑routine expenses disclosed, so risk exposure is essentially bitcoin price plus operational counterparties.
Flows show 19.98M shares created and 27.53M redeemed, a net share decrease but continued primary‑market activity. For investors using ARKB as a proxy for bitcoin exposure, the key driver remains the underlying bitcoin market rather than fund‑specific developments, given unchanged strategy and fee structure.
Key Figures
Key Terms
Sponsor Fee financial
Creation Baskets financial
grantor trust regulatory
Pricing Benchmark financial
fair value hierarchy financial
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
For the quarterly
period ended
or
For the transition period from___________ to____________
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and
(2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation
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| ☒ | Accelerated Filer | ☐ | |||
| Non-Accelerated Filer | ☐ | Smaller Reporting Company | |||
| Emerging Growth Company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided in Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
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The registrant had
STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This quarterly report on Form 10-Q includes “forward-looking statements” that generally relate to future events or future performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this report that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as movements in the digital asset markets and indexes that track such movements, the operations of ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (the “Trust”), the plans of 21Shares US LLC (the “Sponsor”), as the sponsor of the Trust, and references to the Trust’s future success and other similar matters, are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor and ARK Investment Management LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) have made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances.
Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor and the Sub-Adviser’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the special considerations discussed in this report, general economic, market and business conditions, changes in laws or regulations, including those concerning taxes, made by governmental authorities or regulatory bodies, and other world economic and political developments. Consequently, all the forward-looking statements made in this report are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that actual results or developments the Sponsor and the Sub-Adviser anticipate to occur will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the expected consequences to, or have the expected effects on, the Trust’s operations or the value of its common shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”).
Should one or more of these risks discussed in “Risk Factors” herein or in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 2, 2026, for the period ended December 31, 2025 (the “Annual Report”), or other uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on the Sponsor’s and the Sub-Adviser’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made, and neither the Trust, the Sponsor nor the Sub-Adviser is under a duty or undertakes an obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, other than as required by applicable laws. Moreover, neither the Trust, the Sponsor, the Sub-Adviser, nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Investors are therefore cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF
Table of Contents
| Page | ||
| Part I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION | 1 | |
| Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited) | 1 | |
| Statements of Assets and Liabilities at March 31, 2026 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2025 | 1 | |
| Schedules of Investment at March 31, 2026 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2025 | 2 | |
| Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 (Unaudited) | 3 | |
| Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 (Unaudited) | 4 | |
| Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements | 5 | |
| Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | 13 | |
| Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk | 16 | |
| Item 4. Controls and Procedures | 16 | |
| Part II. OTHER INFORMATION | 17 | |
| Item 1. Legal Proceedings | 17 | |
| Item 1A. Risk Factors | 17 | |
| Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds | 19 | |
| Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities | 19 | |
| Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures | 19 | |
| Item 5. Other Information | 19 | |
| Item 6. Exhibits | 20 | |
| Signatures | 21 |
i
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)
ARK 21SHARES BITCOIN ETF
STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
(Amounts in thousands, except Share and per Share amounts)
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Investment in bitcoin, at fair value (cost $ | $ | $ | ||||||
| Capital shares receivable | – | |||||||
| Bitcoin sold receivable | – | |||||||
| Total assets | ||||||||
| Liabilities | ||||||||
| Capital shares payable | – | |||||||
| Bitcoin purchased payable | – | |||||||
| Sponsor Fee payable | ||||||||
| Total liabilities | ||||||||
| Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 8) | – | – | ||||||
| Net assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| Net assets consists of | ||||||||
| Paid-in-capital | $ | $ | ||||||
| Accumulated earnings (loss) | ||||||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
Shares issued and outstanding, no par value, unlimited amount authorized | ||||||||
| Net asset value per share | $ | $ | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
1
ARK 21SHARES BITCOIN ETF
SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENT
(Amounts in thousands, except quantity of bitcoin and percentages)
| March 31, 2026 (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
| Quantity of bitcoin | Cost | Fair Value | % of Net Assets | |||||||||||||
| Investment in bitcoin | $ | $ | % | |||||||||||||
| Total investments | $ | $ | % | |||||||||||||
| Liabilities in excess of other assets | ( | ) | ( | )% | ||||||||||||
| Net assets | $ | % | ||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
| Quantity of bitcoin | Cost | Fair Value | % of Net Assets | |||||||||||||
| Investment in bitcoin | $ | $ | % | |||||||||||||
| Total investments | $ | $ | % | |||||||||||||
| Liabilities in excess of other assets | ( | ) | ( | )% | ||||||||||||
| Net assets | $ | % | ||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
2
ARK 21SHARES BITCOIN ETF
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in thousands)
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 | Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||
| Expenses | ||||||||
| Sponsor Fee | $ | $ | ||||||
| Total expenses | ||||||||
| Net investment loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Realized and change in unrealized gain (loss) | ||||||||
| Net realized gain (loss) on investment in bitcoin sold to pay Sponsor Fee | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net realized gain (loss) on investment in bitcoin sold for redemptions | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net realized gain on in-kind liabilities paid | - | |||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment in bitcoin | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net change in unrealized gain on Sponsor Fee payable | ||||||||
| Net realized and change in unrealized loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
3
ARK 21SHARES BITCOIN ETF
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
(Amounts in thousands, except change in Shares outstanding)
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 | Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||
| Net assets, beginning of period | $ | $ | ||||||
| Contributions for Shares issued | ||||||||
| Distributions for Shares redeemed | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net investment loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net realized gain (loss) on investment in bitcoin sold to pay Sponsor Fee | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net realized gain (loss) on investment in bitcoin sold for redemptions | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net realized gain on in-kind liabilities paid | - | |||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment in bitcoin | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net change in unrealized gain on Sponsor Fee payable | ||||||||
| Net assets, end of period | $ | $ | ||||||
| Shares issued and redeemed | ||||||||
| Shares issued | # | |||||||
| Shares redeemed | ( | ) | ( | )# | ||||
| Net increase (decrease) in Shares issued | ( | ) | # | |||||
| # |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
4
ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF
Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited)
| 1. | Organization |
The ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (the “Trust”) is a Delaware
statutory trust, formed on
The Trust is an exchange-traded fund that issues common shares of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets that trade on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”). The Shares were listed for trading on the Exchange on January 11, 2024, under the ticker symbol “ARKB”.
The Trust’s investment objective is to seek to track the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the performance of the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate—New York Variant (the “Pricing Benchmark”), adjusted for the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. CF Benchmarks Ltd. is the administrator for the Pricing Benchmark (the “Pricing Benchmark Provider”). The Pricing Benchmark is designed to reflect the performance of bitcoin in U.S. dollars. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust holds bitcoin at its Custodians and values its Shares daily based on the Pricing Benchmark.
ARK Investment Management LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) is the sub-adviser of the Trust and provides assistance in the marketing of the Shares. The Trust’s Shares are neither interests in nor obligations of the Sponsor, the Sub-Adviser, or the Trustee.
On December 12, 2023, the
Sponsor, in its capacity as seed capital investor (the “Seed Capital Investor”), subject to conditions, purchased six Shares
at a per-Share price of $
On January 9, 2024 (the “Seed Capital Purchase Date”),
the Seed Capital Investor purchased initial seed creation baskets comprising
Effective June 12, 2024, the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, entered into a Master Purchase and Sale Agreement for Digital Assets (“Agreement for Digital Assets”) with FalconX Bravo, Inc. (“FalconX Bravo”), a registered swap dealer and a subsidiary of FalconX. The Agreement governs spot purchase and sale transactions in digital assets conducted on a principal-to-principal basis. Transactions are executed at prevailing market prices and are subject to customary terms and conditions.
On June 2, 2025, the Trust
announced that the Sponsor approved a three (3)-for-one (1) share split (the “Share Split”) of all of the Trust’s outstanding
Shares. In connection with
The statements of assets and liabilities and schedules of investment on March 31, 2026, and the statements of operations, and changes in net assets for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, have been prepared on behalf of the Trust and are unaudited. In the opinion of management of the Sponsor of the Trust, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position and results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026, and for all interim periods presented. In addition, interim period results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full-year period.
The fiscal year-end of the Trust is December 31st.
5
| 2. | Significant Accounting Policies |
Basis of Accounting
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP” or “GAAP”).
The Trust qualifies as an investment company solely for accounting purposes and not for any other purpose and follows the accounting and reporting guidance under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies, but is not registered, and is not required to be registered, as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for bitcoin in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes.
Accounting Estimates
The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires the Trust to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ materially from such estimates as additional information becomes available or actual amounts may become determinable. Should actual results differ from those previously recognized, the recorded estimates will be revised accordingly with the impact reflected in the operating results of the Trust in the reporting period in which they become known.
Cash
Cash includes non-interest bearing, non-restricted cash maintained with one financial institution that does not exceed U.S. federally insured limits.
Investment Valuation
US GAAP defines fair value as the price the Trust would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Trust’s policy is to value investments held at fair value.
The Trust identifies and determines the bitcoin principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for GAAP purposes consistent with the application of the fair value measurement framework in FASB ASC 820 – Fair Value Measurement. A principal market is the market with the greatest volume and activity level for the asset or liability. The determination of the principal market will be based on the market with the greatest volume and level of activity that can be accessed. The Trust obtains relevant volume and level of activity information and based on initial analysis will select an exchange market as the Trust’s principal market. The NAV and NAV per Share will be calculated using the fair value of bitcoin based on the price provided by this exchange market, as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the measurement date for GAAP purposes. The Trust will update its principal market analysis periodically and as needed to the extent that events have occurred, or activities have changed in a manner that could change the Sponsor’s determination of the Trust’s principal market.
Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities. Inputs may be based on independent market data (“observable inputs”), or they may be internally developed (“unobservable inputs”). These inputs are categorized into a disclosure hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes. The level of a value determined for an asset or liability within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not considered to be active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means; and
6
Level 3: Unobservable inputs, including the Trust’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of investments, where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.
| Amount at | Fair Value Measurement Using | |||||||||||||||
| (Amounts in thousands) | Fair Value | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | ||||||||||||
| March 31, 2026 (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||||||||||
| Investment in bitcoin | $ | $ | $ | – | $ | – | ||||||||||
| Amount at | Fair Value Measurement Using | |||||||||||||||
| (Amounts in thousands) | Fair Value | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | ||||||||||||
| December 31, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||||||||||
| Investment in bitcoin | $ | $ | $ | – | $ | – | ||||||||||
The cost basis of the investment in bitcoin recorded by the Trust for financial reporting purposes is the fair value of bitcoin at the time of purchase. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of the corresponding Shares to investors.
Investment Transactions
The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of bitcoin for Share creations and the delivery of bitcoin for Share redemptions or for payment of expenses in bitcoin. The Trust records its investments transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments and the net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on Sponsor Fee payable. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses are recognized in connection with transactions including settling obligations for the Sponsor Fee and the in-kind liabilities paid in connection to the Sponsor Fee in bitcoin.
Calculation of NAV and NAV per Share
On each day other than when the Exchange is closed for regular trading (a “Business Day”), as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. ET, the NAV of the Trust is obtained by subtracting all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the fair value of the bitcoin and other assets held by the Trust based on the Pricing Benchmark price. The Administrator computes the NAV per Share by dividing the NAV of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding on the date the computation is made.
Federal Income Taxes
The Sponsor and the Trustee will treat the Trust as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Although not free from doubt due to the lack of directly governing authority, if the Trust operates as expected, the Trust should be classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes and the Trust itself should not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated as directly owning its pro rata Share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gain, losses and deductions will “pass through” to each beneficial owner of Shares. If the Trust sells bitcoin (for example, to pay fees or expenses), such a sale is a taxable event to shareholders of the Trust (“Shareholders”). Upon a Shareholder’s sale of its Shares, the Shareholder will be treated as having sold the pro rata share of the bitcoin held in the Trust at the time of the sale and may recognize gain or loss on such sale. The Sponsor has reviewed the tax positions as of March 31, 2026, and has determined that no provision for income tax is required in the Trust’s financial statements.
Segment Reporting
The Trust operates in
7
| 3. | Fair Value of bitcoin |
The following represents the changes in quantity and the fair value of bitcoin on the three months ended March 31, 2026 (Unaudited) and 2025 (Unaudited):
| (Amounts in thousands, except quantity of bitcoin) | Quantity of bitcoin |
Fair Value | ||||||
| Beginning balance as of January 1, 2026 | $ | |||||||
| Bitcoin purchased for contributions | ||||||||
| Bitcoin sold for redemptions | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
| Bitcoin sold to pay expenses | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
| Net realized (loss) on investment in bitcoin sold to pay Sponsor Fee | – |
( |
) | |||||
| Net realized (loss) on investment in bitcoin sold for redemptions | – |
( |
) | |||||
| Change in unrealized depreciation on investment in bitcoin | – |
( |
) | |||||
| Ending balance as of March 31, 2026 | $ | |||||||
| (Amounts in thousands, except Quantity of bitcoin) | Quantity of bitcoin |
Fair Value | ||||||
| Beginning balance as of January 1, 2025 | $ | |||||||
| Bitcoin purchased for contributions | ||||||||
| Bitcoin sold for redemptions | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
| Bitcoin sold to pay expenses | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
| Net realized gain on investment in bitcoin sold to pay Sponsor fee | – | |||||||
| Net realized gain on investment in bitcoin sold for redemptions | – | |||||||
| Change in unrealized depreciation on investment in bitcoin | – | ( |
) | |||||
| Ending balance as of March 31, 2025 | $ | |||||||
| 4. | Trust Expenses |
The Trust pays the unitary
Sponsor Fee of
The Sponsor Fee accrues daily
and is payable in bitcoin weekly in arrears. The Administrator calculates the Sponsor Fee on a daily basis by applying a
As partial consideration for
receipt of
8
The Sponsor will not, however,
assume certain extraordinary, non-recurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, taxes and governmental
charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust
to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders, any indemnification of the Custodians, Administrator or other agents, service providers
or counter-parties of the Trust, the fees and expenses related to the listing, and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any
legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively, “Additional
Trust Expenses”). Of the Sponsor-paid Expenses, ordinary course legal fees and expenses shall be subject to a cap of $
To the extent that the Sponsor does not voluntarily assume expenses, they will be the responsibility of the Trust. The Sponsor also pays the costs of the Trust’s organization and offering. The Trust is not obligated to repay any such costs related to the Trust’s organization and offering paid by the Sponsor.
| 5. | Creation and Redemption of Shares |
The Trust creates and redeems
Shares on a continuous basis but only in one or more Creation Baskets (other than in the case of the Initial Seed Shares) consisting of
Authorized Participants may purchase Shares in cash by depositing cash in the Trust’s account with the Cash Custodian. This will cause the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, to automatically instruct a designated third party, who may be an Authorized Participant or an affiliate of an Authorized Participant, and with whom the Sponsor has entered into an agreement on behalf of the Trust (each such third party, a “Bitcoin Counterparty”), to (i) purchase the amount of bitcoin equivalent in value to the cash deposit amount associated with the order and (ii) deposit the resulting bitcoin amount in the Trust’s accounts with the Custodians, resulting in the Transfer Agent crediting the applicable amount of Shares to an Authorized Participant. Authorized Participants may also purchase Shares in-kind. To purchase Shares in-kind, an Authorized Participant delivers, or arranges for the delivery by such Authorized Participant’s designee of, bitcoin to the Trust’s accounts with a Custodian in exchange for Shares.
When such an Authorized Participant
redeems its Shares in cash, the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust will direct a Custodian to transfer bitcoin to a Bitcoin Counterparty,
who will sell the bitcoin to be executed, in the Sponsor’s reasonable efforts, at the Pricing Benchmark price used to calculate
the Trust’s NAV, taking into account any spread, commissions, or other trading costs and deposit the cash proceeds of such sale
in the Trust’s account with the Cash Custodian for settlement with the Authorized Participant. Any slippage incurred (including,
but not limited to, any trading fees, spreads, or commissions), on a cash equivalent basis, will be the responsibility of the Authorized
Participant and not of the Trust or Sponsor. Authorized Participants may also redeem Shares in-kind.
| Three months ended March 31, 2026 | Three months ended March 31, 2025 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||
| Activity in Capital Shares: | ||||||||
| Shares issued | # | |||||||
| Shares redeemed | ( | ) | ( | )# | ||||
| Net Change in Capital Shares | ( | ) | # | |||||
| # |
9
| (Amounts in thousands) | Three months ended March 31, 2026 |
Three months ended March 31, 2025 |
||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||
| Activity in Capital Transactions: | ||||||||
| Contributions for shares issued | $ | $ | ||||||
| Distributions for shares redeemed | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
| Net Change in Capital Transactions | $ | ( |
) | $ | ||||
Bitcoin purchased payable represents the quantity of bitcoin purchased for the creation of Shares where the bitcoin has not yet settled. Generally, bitcoin is transferred within two Business Days of the trade date.
| (Amounts in thousands) | March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | ||||||
| (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| Bitcoin purchased payable | $ | $ | – | |||||
Bitcoin sold receivable represents the quantity of bitcoin sold for the redemption of Shares where the bitcoin has not yet been settled. Generally, bitcoin is transferred within two Business Days of the trade date.
| (Amounts in thousands) | March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | ||||||
| (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| Bitcoin sold receivable | $ | – | $ | |||||
| 6. | Related Parties |
The Sponsor is a related party to the Trust. The Trust’s operations are supported by its Sponsor, who is in turn supported by its parent company and affiliated companies and external service providers.
As of December 31, 2025, and
March 31, 2026, the Sponsor owned
The Sponsor arranged for the creation of the Trust and is responsible for the ongoing registration of the Shares for their public offering in the United States and the listing of Shares on the Exchange.
For the three months
ended March 31, 2026, the Trust engaged in digital asset trading activity with FalconX Bravo, which became an affiliated entity in November 2025,
consisting of purchases in the amount of $
10
| 7. | Financial Highlights |
| Per Share Performance (for a Share outstanding throughout the periods presented) | Three months ended March 31, 2026 | Three months ended March 31, 2025 | ||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||
| Net asset value per Share, beginning of period | $ | $ | # | |||||
Net investment income (loss) on investment in bitcoin(1) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net realized and change in unrealized gain (loss) on investment in bitcoin(2) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net change in net assets from operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Net asset value per Share, end of period | $ | $ | # | |||||
| Total return, at net asset value(3) | ( | )% | ( | )% | ||||
| Ratio to average net assets(4) | ||||||||
| Net investment income (loss) | ( | )% | ( | )% | ||||
| Gross expenses | % | % | ||||||
| Net expenses | % | % | ||||||
| # | |
| (1) | |
| (2) | The amount shown for a Share outstanding throughout the period may not agree with the change in the aggregate gains and losses for such period because of the timing of sales and repurchases of the Trust’s Shares in relation to fluctuating market value for the Trust. |
| (3) | |
| (4) |
| 8. | Commitments and Contingent Liabilities |
In the normal course of business, the Trust may enter into contracts that contain a variety of general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust which have not yet occurred and cannot be predicted with any certainty. However, the Sponsor believes the risk of loss under these arrangements to be remote.
| 9. | Concentration Risk |
Unlike other funds that may invest in diversified assets, the Trust’s investment strategy is concentrated in a single asset within a single asset class. This concentration maximizes the degree of the Trust’s exposure to a variety of market risks associated with bitcoin and digital assets. By concentrating its investment strategy solely in bitcoin, any losses suffered as a result of a decrease in the value of bitcoin can be expected to reduce the value of an interest in the Trust and will not be offset by other gains if the Trust were to invest in underlying assets that were diversified.
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| 10. | Indemnification |
The Sponsor will not be liable to the Trust, the Trustee or any Shareholder for any action taken or for refraining from taking any action in good faith, or for errors in judgment or for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of the sale of any bitcoin or other assets of the Trust. However, the preceding liability exclusion will not protect the Sponsor against any liability resulting from its own gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct.
The Sponsor and each of its shareholders, members, directors, officers, employees, affiliates, and subsidiaries will be indemnified by the Trust and held harmless against any losses, liabilities or expenses incurred in the performance of its duties under the Trust Agreement without gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct. The Sponsor may rely in good faith on any paper, order, notice, list, affidavit, receipt, evaluation, opinion, endorsement, assignment, draft, or any other document of any kind prima facie properly executed and submitted to it by the Trustee, the Trustee’s counsel or by any other person for any matters arising under the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor shall in no event be deemed to have assumed or incurred any liability, duty, or obligation to any Shareholder or to the Trustee other than as expressly provided for in the Trust Agreement. Such indemnity includes payment from the Trust of the costs and expenses incurred in defending against any indemnified claim or liability under the Trust Agreement.
The Trustee will not be liable or accountable to the Trust or any other person or under any agreement to which the Trust or any series of the Trust is a party, except for the Trustee’s breach of its obligations pursuant to the Trust Agreement or its own willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence. The Trustee and each of the Trustee’s officers, affiliates, directors, employees, and agents will be indemnified by the Trust from and against any losses, claims, taxes, damages, reasonable expenses, and liabilities incurred with respect to the creation, operation or termination of the Trust, the execution, delivery or performance of the Trust Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby; provided that the indemnified party acted without willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence.
11. Subsequent Events
The Trust has evaluated all subsequent events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the issuance of the financial statements and has noted no events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.
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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in Item 1 of Part I of this Form 10-Q. This Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, and such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this Form 10-Q that address activities, events or developments that may occur in the future, the Trust’s operations, the Sponsor’s plans and references to the Trust’s future success and other similar matters are forward-looking statements. Words such as “could,” “would,” “may,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “predict,” and variations on such words or negatives thereof, and similar expressions that reflect our current views with respect to future events and Trust performance, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control, and actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed therein. We express our estimates, expectations, beliefs, and projections in good faith and believe them to have a reasonable basis. However, we make no assurances that management’s estimates, expectations, beliefs, or projections will be achieved or accomplished. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about many important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. We do not intend to update any forward-looking statements even if new information becomes available or other events occur in the future, except as required by the federal securities laws.
Organization and Trust Overview
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust, formed on June 22, 2021, pursuant to the DSTA. The Trust operates pursuant to the Trust Agreement. The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act and is not a commodity pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act. The Trust is managed and controlled by the Sponsor. The Sponsor is a limited liability company formed in the state of Delaware on June 16, 2021, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of 21co Holdings Limited. The ultimate parent company of 21co Holdings Limited is FalconX. The Sponsor is not subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Trust, or a commodity trading advisor with respect to the Trust. The Trust is an exchange-traded fund that issues common shares of beneficial interest representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets that trade on the Exchange. The Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange under the ticker symbol “ARKB”.
The Trust’s investment objective is to seek to track the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the performance of the Pricing Benchmark, adjusted for the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. CF Benchmarks Ltd. is the Pricing Benchmark Provider. The Pricing Benchmark is designed to reflect the performance of bitcoin in U.S. dollars. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust holds bitcoin at its Custodians and values its Shares daily based on the Pricing Benchmark. The Trust is a passive investment vehicle and is not a leveraged product. The Sponsor does not actively manage the bitcoin held by the Trust.
The Trust issues Shares only in Creation Baskets of 5,000 or multiples thereof. Creation Baskets are issued and redeemed in exchange for cash or bitcoin. Individual Shares will not be redeemed by the Trust but are listed and traded on the Exchange under the ticker symbol “ARKB.” The Trust issues Shares in Creation Baskets on a continuous basis at the applicable NAV per Share on the creation order date.
The Trust pays the unitary Sponsor fee of 0.21% of the Trust’s NAV (the “Sponsor Fee”). The Sponsor agreed to waive the entire Sponsor Fee for (i) a nine-month period which commenced on January 11, 2024 (the day the Trust’s Shares were initially listed on the Exchange), or (ii) the first $1 billion of Trust assets, whichever came first. The Trust assets exceeded $1 billion in February 2024, at which time the waiver period ended. The Sponsor fee is paid by the Trust to the Sponsor as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor Fee accrues daily and is payable in bitcoin weekly in arrears. The Administrator calculates the Sponsor Fee on a daily basis by applying a 0.21% annualized rate to the Trust’s NAV, and the amount of bitcoin payable in respect of each daily accrual is determined by reference to the Pricing Benchmark.
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Computation of NAV
The NAV of the Trust is used by the Trust in its day-to-day operations to measure the net value of the Trust’s assets. The NAV is calculated on each day other than a day when the Exchange is closed for regular trading (a “Business Day”) and is equal to the aggregate value of the Trust’s assets less its liabilities based on the Pricing Benchmark price. In determining the NAV of the Trust on any Business Day, the Administrator calculates the price of the bitcoin held by the Trust as of 4:00 p.m. ET on such day. The Administrator also calculates the “NAV per Share” of the Trust, which equals the NAV of the Trust divided by the number of outstanding Shares.
In addition to calculating NAV and NAV per Share, for purposes of the Trust’s financial statements, the Trust determines the net asset value of the Trust determined on a GAAP basis (the “Principal Market NAV”) and net asset value of the Trust per Share determined on a GAAP basis (the “Principal Market NAV per Share”) on each valuation date for such financial statements. The determination of the Principal Market NAV and Principal Market NAV per Share is identical to the calculation of NAV and NAV per Share, respectively, except that the value of bitcoin is determined using the fair value of bitcoin based on the price in the bitcoin market that the Trust considers its “principal market” as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the valuation date, rather than using the Pricing Benchmark.
NAV and NAV per Share are not measures calculated in accordance with GAAP and are not intended as substitutes for Principal Market and Principal Market NAV per Share, respectively.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements relies on estimates and assumptions that impact the Trust’s financial position and results of operations. These estimates and assumptions affect the Trust’s application of accounting policies. Below is a summary of accounting policies on cash and investment valuation. There were no material estimates involving a significant level of estimation uncertainty that had or are reasonably likely to have had a material impact on the Trust’s financial condition used in the preparation of the financial statements. In addition, please refer to Note 2 to the Financial Statements included in this report for further discussion of the Trust’s accounting policies.
Cash
Cash includes non-interest bearing, non-restricted cash maintained with one financial institution that does not exceed U.S. federally insured limits.
Investment Valuation
The Trust’s policy is to value investments held at fair value. The Trust follows the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 provides guidance for determining fair value and requires increased disclosure regarding the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. ASC 820 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for bitcoin in a current sale, which assumes an exit price resulting from an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the assumption that bitcoin is sold in its principal market to market participants (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market).
The Trust utilizes an exchange traded price from the Trust’s principal market for bitcoin as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the Trust’s financial statement measurement date.
Results of Operations (Amounts in thousands, except price and quantity of bitcoin and Shares outstanding)
As of March 31, 2026, the Trust had a net closing balance of 35,246.5837 bitcoins with a value of $2,390,838, based on the Pricing Benchmark Price of $67,831.76 on March 31, 2026 (CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate – New York Variant, non-GAAP methodology). As of March 31, 2026, the total market value of the Trust’s bitcoin was $2,388,764, based on the price of a bitcoin in the principal market of $67,772.92 on March 31, 2026.
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For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
The Trust’s NAV decreased from $3,305,323 on December 31, 2025 to $2,388,670 on March 31, 2026, a 27.73% decrease. The decrease in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from a decrease in the price of bitcoin, which fell 22.56% from $87,515.28 on December 31, 2025 to $67,772.92 on March 31, 2026. The decrease in the Trust’s NAV was further amplified by a net decrease in outstanding Shares, which fell from 113,755,000 Shares on December 31, 2025 to 106,210,000 Shares on March 31, 2026, a result of 19,980,000 Shares being created and 27,525,000 Shares being redeemed during the quarter.
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was $(716,842), resulting from a net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in bitcoin of $(586,336), a net realized loss of $(128,899) from bitcoin sold for the redemption of Shares, a net realized loss of $(260) from bitcoin sold to pay the Sponsor Fee, a net realized gain of $90 from in-kind liabilities paid, a net change in unrealized and realized gain on sponsor fee payable of $8, and a net investment loss of $(1,445). Other than the Sponsor Fee of $1,445, the Trust had no expenses during the quarter.
For the Three Months Ended on March 31, 2025
The Trust’s NAV decreased from $4,352,288 on December 31, 2024 to $3,915,458 on March 31, 2025, a 11.16% decrease. The decrease in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from a decrease in the price of bitcoin, which fell 14.67% from $93,390.22 as of December 31, 2024 to $81,444.71 as of March 31, 2025. The decrease in in the Trust’s NAV was partially offset by an increase in the number of shares outstanding from 140,070,000 on December 31, 2024 to 142,815,000 on March 31, 2025.
Net realized and change in unrealized loss on investment in bitcoin for the period December 31, 2024 through March 31, 2025, was $(585,181) which includes a net realized gain on investment in bitcoin of $321,579 and a net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in bitcoin of $(907,296). Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in bitcoin for the period was driven by bitcoin price depreciation. Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations for the period ended March 31, 2025 was $(587,548), mainly attributed to a net decrease in the number of shares outstanding accompanied by the aforementioned net realized gain and change in unrealized depreciation on investment in bitcoin. The Trust’s expenses for the quarter were $2,367 relating to the Sponsor’s fees.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, commitments, events, or uncertainties that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs. The Trust’s only ordinary recurring expense is the fee paid to the Sponsor at an annual rate of 0.21% of the Trust’s total NAV. The Sponsor agreed to waive the entire Sponsor Fee for (i) a nine-month period which commenced on January 11, 2024 (the day the Trust’s Shares were initially listed on the Exchange), or (ii) the first $1 billion of Trust assets, whichever came first. The Trust assets exceeded $1 billion in February 2024, at which time the waiver period ended. In exchange for the Sponsor’s fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume the ordinary fees and expenses incurred by the Trust, including but not limited to the following: fees charged by the Sub-Adviser, Administrator, the Custodians, the Transfer Agent and the Trustee, the Marketing Fee, the Exchange’s listing fees, typical maintenance and transaction fees of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), U.S. Securities and Exchange (“SEC”) registration fees, printing and mailing costs, website fees, tax reporting fees, audit fees, license fees and expenses, up to $100,000 per annum in ordinary legal fees and expenses. The Sponsor bears expenses in connection with the Trust’s organization and initial offering costs.
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The Sponsor is not required to pay any extraordinary or non-routine expenses. Extraordinary expenses are fees and expenses which are unexpected or unusual in nature, such as legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs or indemnification or other unanticipated expenses. Extraordinary fees and expenses also include material expenses which are not currently anticipated obligations of the Trust. The Trust will be responsible for the payment of such expenses to the extent any such expenses are incurred. Routine operational, administrative, and other ordinary expenses are not deemed extraordinary expenses. The Trust will sell bitcoin on an as-needed basis to pay the Sponsor’s fee.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Trust does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risks
The Trust Agreement does not authorize the Trust to borrow for payment of the Trust’s ordinary expenses. The Trust does not engage in transactions in foreign currencies which could expose the Trust or holders of Shares to any foreign currency related market risk. The Trust does not invest in derivative financial instruments and has no foreign operations or long-term debt instruments.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The duly authorized officers of the Sponsor performing functions equivalent to those a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Trust would perform if the Trust had any officers, have evaluated the effectiveness of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, and have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of the Trust were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Trust files or submits under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the applicable rules and forms, and that it is accumulated and communicated to the duly authorized officers of the Sponsor performing functions equivalent to those a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Trust would perform if the Trust had any officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
During the quarter ended March 31, 2026, there have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II – OTHER INFORMATION:
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
From time to time, the Trust may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. As of March 31, 2026, the Trust was not subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, are any material legal proceeding threatened against the Trust.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
You should carefully consider the risk factors discussed below as well as the risk factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. Other than as described herein, there have been no material changes in our risk factors from those disclosed in our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The risks described below and in our Annual Report are not the only risks facing the Trust. You should also consider any risks and uncertainties described under the caption “Risk Factors” in any applicable prospectus, prospectus supplement, registration statement or other document that we file with the SEC before or after the date of this prospectus that is incorporated by reference herein. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results.
Any name change and any associated rebranding initiative of bitcoin may not be favorably received by the digital asset community, which could negatively impact the value of bitcoin and the value of the shares.
From time to time, digital assets may undergo name changes and associated rebranding initiatives. For example, Bitcoin Cash may sometimes be referred to as Bitcoin ABC in an effort to differentiate itself from any Bitcoin Cash hard forks, such as Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision, and in the third quarter of 2018, the team behind ZEN rebranded and changed the name of ZenCash to “Horizen.” The Sponsor cannot predict the impact of any name change and any associated rebranding initiative on bitcoin. After a name change and an associated rebranding initiative, a digital asset may not be able to achieve or maintain brand name recognition or status that is comparable to the recognition and status previously enjoyed by such digital asset. The failure of any name change and any associated rebranding initiative by a digital asset may result in such digital asset not realizing some or all of the anticipated benefits contemplated by the name change and associated rebranding initiative, and could negatively impact the value of bitcoin and the value of the Shares.
The Trust Agreement includes a provision restricting Shareholders’ right to bring a derivative action.
Under Section 7.4 of the Trust Agreement, Shareholders’ statutory right under Delaware law to bring a derivative action (i.e., to initiate a lawsuit in the name of the Trust in order to assert a claim belonging to the Trust against a fiduciary of the Trust or against a third-party when the Trust’s management has refused to do so) is restricted. Under Delaware law, a shareholder may bring a derivative action if the shareholder is a shareholder at the time the action is brought and either (i) was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue or (ii) acquired the status of shareholder by operation of law or the Trust’s governing instrument from a person who was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue. Additionally, Section 3816(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act specifically provides that a “beneficial owner’s right to bring a derivative action may be subject to such additional standards and restrictions, if any, as are set forth in the governing instrument of the statutory trust, including, without limitation, the requirement that beneficial owners owning a specified beneficial interest in the statutory trust join in the bringing of the derivative action.” In addition to the requirements of applicable law and in accordance with Section 3816(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Trust Agreement provides that no Shareholder will have the right, power or authority to bring or maintain a derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Trust unless two or more Shareholders who are eligible to bring such derivative action under the Delaware Trust Statute and who (i) are not “Affiliates” (as defined in the Trust Agreement and below) of one another and (ii) collectively hold at least 10% of the outstanding Shares join in the bringing or maintaining of such action, suit or other proceeding. “Affiliate” means (i) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of such Person, (ii) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote by such Person, (iii) any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by or under common control of such Person, (iv) any employee, officer, director, member, manager or partner of such Person, or (v) if such Person is an employee, officer, director, member, manager or partner, any Person for which such Person acts in any such capacity; and “Person” means any natural person and any partnership, limited liability company, statutory trust, corporation, association, or other legal entity.
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In addition to the 10% ownership threshold described above, the Trust Agreement imposes the following further procedural conditions on any Shareholder seeking to bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust: (1) prior to bringing any such action, two or more non-affiliated Shareholders collectively holding at least 10% of the outstanding Shares must first make a pre-suit demand upon the Sponsor to bring the subject action, unless an effort to cause the Sponsor to bring such an action is not likely to succeed (a demand shall only be deemed not likely to succeed, and therefore excused, if the Sponsor has a personal financial interest in the transaction at issue, and the Sponsor shall not be deemed interested in a transaction or otherwise disqualified from ruling on the merits of a Shareholder demand by virtue of the fact that the Sponsor receives remuneration for his or her service as Sponsor of the Trust or as a trustee or director of one or more trusts that are under common management with or otherwise affiliated with the Trust); and (2) unless a demand is excused pursuant to clause (1) of this paragraph, the Sponsor must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such Shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim and the Sponsor shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisors in considering the merits of the request, and the Sponsor shall require an undertaking by the Shareholders making such request to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any such advisor in the event the Sponsor determines not to take action. Any decision by the Sponsor to bring, maintain, or compromise (or not to bring, maintain, or compromise) any such court action, proceeding or claim, or to submit the matter to a vote of Shareholders, shall be made by the Sponsor in good faith and shall be binding upon the Shareholders. In addition to claims that must be brought derivatively under applicable law, the Trust Agreement requires that any claim affecting all Shareholders of the Trust proportionately, based on their number of Shares of the Trust, must also be brought as a derivative claim subject to these conditions, regardless of whether such claim involves a violation of a Shareholder’s rights under the Trust Agreement or any other alleged violation of contractual or individual rights that might otherwise give rise to a direct claim (and regardless, in each case, of whether such claims sound in tort, fraud or otherwise, or are based on common law, statutory, equitable, legal or other grounds).
These provisions apply to any derivative actions brought in the name of the Trust other than derivative claims brought under the federal U.S. securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. The enforceability of Section 7.04’s derivative action threshold and procedural requirements under applicable federal or state law has not been definitively established. The 10% ownership threshold and procedural requirements represent contractual restrictions on derivative actions authorized by Section 3816(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, which expressly permits trust instruments to modify or restrict the rights of beneficial owners to bring derivative actions. However, the application of such a threshold in the context of a registered exchange-traded product has not been comprehensively addressed by the courts. Accordingly, it is possible that a court could decline to enforce the Trust’s 10% threshold and procedural requirements.
A Shareholder wishing to bring a derivative action on behalf of the Trust must satisfy both the 10% ownership threshold and the pre-suit demand process described above before commencing any such action, suit or other proceeding, further limiting the ability of a Shareholder to seek redress in the name of the Trust. Due to these additional requirements, a Shareholder attempting to bring or maintain a derivative action in the name of the Trust will be required to locate other Shareholders with which it is not affiliated and that have sufficient Shares to meet the 10% threshold based on the number of Shares outstanding on the date the claim is brought and thereafter throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding. Shareholders wishing to satisfy this ownership threshold would need to identify and coordinate with other Shareholders of the Trust. Because the Trust’s Shares are held in book-entry form through the DTC and beneficial ownership information is not publicly available, individual investors may face substantial difficulty in locating other Shareholders. There is no mechanism established by the Trust to facilitate such shareholder coordination, and the Trust is not required to assist Shareholders in identifying one another. Accordingly, even Shareholders who believe they have a legitimate derivative claim may, as a practical matter, be unable to satisfy the 10% threshold and bring an action. Even if successful, this may be difficult and may result in increased costs to a Shareholder attempting to seek redress in the name of the Trust in court.
Moreover, if Shareholders bringing a derivative action, suit or proceeding pursuant to this provision of the Trust Agreement do not hold 10% of the outstanding Shares on the date such an action, suit or proceeding is brought, or such Shareholders are unable to maintain Share ownership meeting the 10% threshold throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding, such Shareholders’ derivative action may be subject to dismissal. As a result, the Trust Agreement limits the likelihood that a Shareholder will be able to successfully assert a derivative action in the name of the Trust, even if such Shareholder believes that he or she has a valid derivative action, suit or other proceeding to bring on behalf of the Trust.
Because the Trust’s Shares are held in book-entry form through DTC, the beneficial owners of Shares are generally not reflected on the Trust’s share register. Accordingly, any shareholder or group of Shareholders seeking to establish that they collectively hold at least 10% of the outstanding Shares must provide documentary evidence of their beneficial ownership as of the date of the derivative demand. Acceptable evidence may include broker statements, DTC participant confirmations, account statements from a registered broker-dealer or bank that is a DTC participant, or such other documentation as the Trust may reasonably require.
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Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
| a) | None. |
| b) | Not applicable. |
| c) | The Trust does not purchase Shares directly from its Shareholders. In connection with its redemption of Creation Baskets held by Authorized Participants, the Trust redeemed 5,505 Creation Baskets (comprising 27,525,000 Shares) during the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The following table summarizes the redemptions of Shares by Authorized Participants during the period: |
| Period | Total Shares Redeemed | Average Price Per Share | Maximum number of shares that may yet be purchased | |||||||
| January 1, 2026 - January 31, 2026 | 10,675,000 | $ | 29.80 | N/A | ||||||
| February 1, 2026 – February 28, 2026 | 12,430,000 | $ | 22.92 | N/A | ||||||
| March 1, 2026 - March 31, 2026 | 4,420,000 | $ | 23.15 | N/A | ||||||
Market Information
The Shares are listed on the Exchange under the symbol “ARKB” and have been listed since January 11, 2024.
Holders
As of March 31, 2026, there was approximately one DTC participating shareholder of record of the Trust. Because most of the Trust’s Shares are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of shareholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of shareholders represented by these record holders.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Item 5. Other Information
No officers or directors of
the Sponsor have
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Item 6. Exhibits.
Listed below are the exhibits, which are filed as part of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q (according to the number assigned to them in Item 601 of Regulation S-K):
| Exhibit Number |
Description of Document | |
| 3.1(2) | Trust Agreement of ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF | |
| 3.2(1) | Amended and Restated Trust Agreement | |
| 3.3(2) | Certificate of Trust | |
| 31.1(1) | Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
| 31.2(1) | Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
| 32.1(1) | Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
| 32.2(1) | Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
| 101.INS | XBRL Instance Document. | |
| 101.SCH | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. | |
| 101.CAL | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. | |
| 101.DEF | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. | |
| 101.LAB | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document. | |
| 101.PRE | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101) |
| (1) | Filed herewith. |
| (2) | Incorporated by reference to the Trust’s Amendment No. 4 to Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed on December 18, 2023. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF
By: 21Shares US LLC, its Sponsor
| By: | /s/ Russell Barlow | |
| Russell Barlow | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
| (Principal Executive Officer) | ||
| Date: May 8, 2026 | ||
| By: | /s/ Duncan Moir | |
| Duncan Moir | ||
| President (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | ||
| Date: May 8, 2026 | ||
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