TAO rally lifts Grayscale Bittensor Trust (OTCQX: GTAO) NAV 47%
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Grayscale Bittensor Trust (TAO) reported a sharp increase in net assets to $11.7 million as of March 31, 2026, up from $8.0 million at year-end 2025. The gain was driven by a rebound in TAO, whose principal market price rose from $220.32 to $306.80.
The Trust held 38,289.59246269 TAO and 2,002,800 Shares outstanding, producing a Principal Market NAV per Share of $5.87 and a total return of 38.44% for the quarter. Operating activity remained simple, with no redemptions, a 2.5% annualized Sponsor’s Fee of $51,872, and net income from operations of $3.1 million.
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Insights
GTAO’s Q1 gains mainly mirror TAO’s price recovery.
Grayscale Bittensor Trust (TAO) saw net assets rise to $11.7M, primarily because TAO’s principal market price climbed from $220.32 to $306.80. Holdings increased modestly to 38,289.59246269 TAO, while Shares outstanding reached 2,002,800.
The Trust generated a net increase in net assets from operations of $3.06M after recognizing a $3.11M net realized and unrealized gain and a $51,872 Sponsor’s Fee, consistent with its 2.5% annual fee. With no leverage, derivatives, or redemptions, results closely track TAO’s market moves.
Over the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Principal Market NAV per Share rose from $4.24 to $5.87, a total return of 38.44%. Future performance will depend largely on TAO price behavior and ongoing primary creations rather than operational changes at the Trust.
Key Figures
Key Terms
Sponsor’s Fee financial
Incidental Rights financial
IR Virtual Currency financial
Digital Asset Trading Platform Market financial
grantor trust financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
FAQ
How did Grayscale Bittensor Trust (GTAO) perform in Q1 2026?
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l
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
For the quarterly period ended
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For the transition period from ______ to ______ |
Commission File Number
SPONSORED BY GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
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(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) 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 S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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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 pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
Number of Shares of the registrant outstanding as of May 4, 2026:
Grayscale® Bittensor Trust (tao)
Table of Contents
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Forward-Looking Statements |
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PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
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Item 1. |
Financial Statements (Unaudited) |
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Statements of Assets and Liabilities at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 |
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Schedules of Investment at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 |
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Statements of Operations for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 |
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Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 |
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Notes to the Unaudited Financial Statements |
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Item 2. |
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
14 |
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Item 3. |
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk |
20 |
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Item 4. |
Controls and Procedures |
20 |
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PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
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Item 1. |
Legal Proceedings |
21 |
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Item 1A. |
Risk Factors |
21 |
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Item 2. |
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds |
21 |
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Item 3. |
Defaults Upon Senior Securities |
21 |
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Item 4. |
Mine Safety Disclosures |
21 |
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Item 5. |
Other Information |
21 |
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Item 6. |
Exhibits |
22 |
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GLOSSARY OF DEFINED TERMS |
23 |
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SIGNATURES |
26 |
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2
Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” with respect to the financial conditions, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of Grayscale Bittensor Trust (TAO) (the “Trust”). Statements preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify some of the forward-looking statements. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this Quarterly Report that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as changes in market prices and conditions, the Trust’s operations, the plans of Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (the “Sponsor”), 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 from such statements. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor 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’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 12, 2026 (our “Annual Report”) and in “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” herein. Forward-looking statements are made based on the Sponsor’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor 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. Investors are therefore cautioned against relying on forward-looking statements.
Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “our” and “us” in this Quarterly Report refer to the Sponsor acting on behalf of the Trust.
A glossary of industry and other defined terms is included in this Quarterly Report, beginning on page 23.
This Quarterly Report supplements and where applicable amends the Memorandum, as defined in the Trust’s Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, for general purposes.
3
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)
GRAYSCALE BITTENSOR TRUST (TAO)
STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands, except Share and per Share amounts)
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March 31, 2026 |
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December 31, 2025 |
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Assets: |
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Investment in TAO, at fair value (cost $ |
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$ |
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$ |
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Total assets |
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$ |
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Liabilities: |
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Sponsor’s Fee payable, related party |
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$ |
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Total liabilities |
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Net assets |
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$ |
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Shares |
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Principal Market NAV per Share |
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$ |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
4
GRAYSCALE BITTENSOR TRUST (TAO)
SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENT (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands, except quantity of TAO and percentages)
March 31, 2026 |
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Quantity of TAO |
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Cost |
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Fair Value |
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% of Net |
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$ |
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Total Investment |
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$ |
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Net assets |
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December 31, 2025 |
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Quantity of TAO |
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Cost |
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Fair Value |
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% of Net |
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$ |
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Total Investment |
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Net assets |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
5
GRAYSCALE BITTENSOR TRUST (TAO)
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands)
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Three Months Ended |
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2026 |
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2025 |
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Investment income: |
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Investment income |
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$ |
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Expenses: |
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Sponsor’s Fee, related party |
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Net investment loss |
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Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from: |
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Net realized loss on investment in TAO |
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Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on Sponsor’s Fee payable |
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Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investment in TAO |
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Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment |
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Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
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$ |
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$ |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
6
GRAYSCALE BITTENSOR TRUST (TAO)
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands, except change in Shares outstanding)
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Three Months Ended |
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2026 |
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2025 |
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Increase (decrease) in net assets from operations: |
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Net investment loss |
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$ |
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$ |
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Net realized loss on investment in TAO |
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Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on Sponsor’s Fee payable |
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( |
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Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investment in TAO |
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( |
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Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
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Increase in net assets from capital share transactions: |
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Shares issued |
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Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions |
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Total increase in net assets from operations and capital share transactions |
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Net assets: |
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Beginning of period |
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End of period |
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$ |
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$ |
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Change in Shares outstanding: |
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Shares outstanding at beginning of period |
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Shares issued |
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Net increase in Shares |
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Shares outstanding at end of period |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
7
GRAYSCALE BITTENSOR TRUST (TAO)
NOTES TO THE UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Organization
Grayscale Bittensor Trust (TAO) (the “Trust”) is a Delaware Statutory Trust that was formed on April 30, 2024 and commenced operations on June 10, 2024. In general, the Trust holds Bittensor (“TAO”) and, from time to time, issues common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (“Shares”) (in minimum baskets of
Grayscale Investments, LLC (“GSI”) was the sponsor of the Trust before January 1, 2025, Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”) was the co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025, and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (“GSIS,” or the “Sponsor”) was the co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025 and is the sole remaining sponsor thereafter. GSI was, and each of GSO and GSIS are, a consolidated subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, Inc. (“DCG”). The Sponsor is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust pursuant to the provisions of the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor is responsible for preparing and providing annual and quarterly reports on behalf of the Trust to investors and is also responsible for selecting and monitoring the Trust’s service providers. As partial consideration for the Sponsor’s services, the Trust pays the Sponsor a Sponsor’s Fee as discussed in Note 6. The Sponsor also acts as the sponsor and manager of other single-asset and diversified investment products, each of which is an affiliate of the Trust. Information related to the affiliated investment products can be found on the Sponsor’s website at www.grayscale.com/resources/regulatory-filings. Any information contained on or linked from such website is not part of nor incorporated by reference into these unaudited financial statements.
Authorized Participants of the Trust are the only entities who may place orders to create or, if permitted, redeem Baskets. Grayscale Securities, LLC (“Grayscale Securities” or, in such capacity, an “Authorized Participant”), a registered broker-dealer and affiliate of the Sponsor, is the only Authorized Participant, and is party to a participant agreement with the Sponsor and the Trust. Additional Authorized Participants may be added at any time, subject to the discretion of the Sponsor. Liquidity Providers who are unaffiliated with the Trust may be engaged from time to time and at any time.
During the period from June 10, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 2025, the Sponsor acted as the Key Maintainer of the Trust (the “Key Maintainer”). In March 2025, the Sponsor engaged BitGo Trust Company, Inc., a third-party service provider (the “Custodian”), to serve as the custodian of the Trust’s TAO. As of March 12, 2025, all TAO held by the Trust was transferred to a segregated custody account controlled and secured by the Custodian. As a result, the Sponsor no longer serves as Key Maintainer of the Trust. The Custodian is responsible for safeguarding the TAO, Incidental Rights, and IR Virtual Currency held by the Trust, and holding the private key(s) that provide access to the Trust’s digital wallets and vaults.
The transfer agent for the Trust (the “Transfer Agent”) is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. The responsibilities of the Transfer Agent are to maintain creations, redemptions, transfers, and distributions of the Trust’s Shares which are primarily held in book-entry form.
On December 10, 2025, the Trust received notice that its Shares were qualified for public trading on the OTCQX Best Market® (“OTCQX”) of OTC Markets Group Inc. The Trust’s trading symbol on OTCQX is “GTAO” and the CUSIP number for its Shares is 38963B100.
The Trust may also receive Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency as a result of the Trust’s investment in TAO, in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement. Incidental Rights are rights to claim, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Trust’s ownership of TAO and arise without any action of the Trust, or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust; IR Virtual Currency is any virtual currency tokens, or other asset or right, received by the Trust through the exercise (subject to the applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement) of any Incidental Right.
8
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
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 as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 and results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 have been made. The results of operations for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations expected for the full year. These unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025 included in our Annual Report.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust:
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Trust qualifies as an investment company for accounting purposes pursuant to the accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for TAO in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.
The Trust conducts its transactions in TAO, including receiving TAO for the creation of Shares and delivering TAO for the redemption of Shares and for the payment of the Sponsor’s Fee. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. Since its inception, the Trust has not held cash or cash equivalents. The Sponsor will determine the Trust’s net asset value (“NAV”) on each business day as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon thereafter as practicable.
Principal Market and Fair Value Determination
To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value in accordance with U.S. GAAP (“Principal Market NAV”), the Trust follows ASC Topic 820-10, Fair Value Measurement, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for TAO in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that TAO is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.
The Trust only receives TAO in connection with a creation order from the Authorized Participant (or a Liquidity Provider) and does not itself transact on any Digital Asset Markets. Therefore, the Trust looks to market-based volume and level of activity for Digital Asset Markets. The Authorized Participant(s), or a Liquidity Provider, may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets (referred to as “Trading Platform Markets” in this Quarterly Report), each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary (collectively, “Digital Asset Markets”).
In determining which of the eligible Digital Asset Markets is the Trust’s principal market, the Trust reviews these criteria in the following order:
First, the Trust reviews a list of Digital Asset Markets that maintain practices and policies designed to comply with anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know-your-customer (“KYC”) regulations, and non-Digital Asset Trading Platform Markets that the Trust reasonably believes are operating in compliance with applicable law, including federal and state licensing requirements, based upon information and assurances provided to it by each market.
Second, the Trust sorts these Digital Asset Markets from high to low by market-based volume and level of activity of TAO traded on each Digital Asset Market in the trailing twelve months.
Third, the Trust then reviews pricing fluctuations and the degree of variances in price on Digital Asset Markets to identify any material, notable variances that may impact the volume or price information of a particular Digital Asset Market.
Fourth, the Trust then selects a Digital Asset Market as its principal market based on the highest market-based volume, level of activity and price stability in comparison to the other Digital Asset Markets on the list. Based on information reasonably available to the Trust, Trading Platform Markets have the greatest volume and level of activity for the asset. The Trust therefore looks to accessible Trading Platform Markets as opposed to the Brokered Market, Dealer Market and Principal-to-Principal Markets to determine its principal market. As a result of the aforementioned analysis, a Trading Platform Market has been selected as the Trust’s principal market.
The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) annually and conducts a quarterly analysis to determine (i) if there have been recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s trading volume and level of activity in the trailing twelve months, (ii) if any Digital Asset Markets have developed that the Trust has access to, or (iii) if recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s price stability have occurred that would materially impact the selection of the principal market and necessitate a change in the Trust’s determination of its principal market.
9
Investment Transactions and Revenue Recognition
The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of TAO for Share creations and the delivery of TAO for Share redemptions or for payment of expenses in TAO. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. The Trust records its investment transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. 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’s Fee in TAO.
Fair Value Measurement
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the ‘exit price’) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
U.S. GAAP utilizes a fair value hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Trust. Unobservable inputs reflect the Trust’s assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:
The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary by investment. To the extent that valuations are based on sources that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Fair value estimates do not necessarily represent the amounts that may be ultimately realized by the Trust.
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Fair Value Measurement Using |
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(Amounts in thousands) |
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Amount at |
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Level 1 |
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Level 2 |
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Level 3 |
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March 31, 2026 |
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Assets |
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Investment in TAO |
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$ |
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December 31, 2025 |
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Assets |
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Investment in TAO |
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$ |
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$ |
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Segment Reporting
The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor act as the Trust’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”). The Trust represents a single operating segment, as the CODM monitors the operating results of the Trust as a whole and the Trust’s passive investment objective is pre-determined in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement. The financial information in the form of the Trust’s total returns, expense ratios and changes in net assets (i.e., changes in net assets resulting from operations and capital share transactions), which are used by the CODM to assess the segment’s performance, are consistent with that presented within the Trust’s financial statements. Segment assets are reflected on the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities as Total assets and the only significant segment expense, the Sponsor’s Fee, related party, is included in the accompanying Statements of Operations.
3. Fair Value of TAO
TAO is held by the Custodian on behalf of the Trust and is carried at fair value. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Trust held
The Trust determined the fair value per TAO to be $
10
The following represents the changes in quantity of TAO and the respective fair value:
(Amounts in thousands, except TAO amounts) |
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Quantity |
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Fair Value |
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Balance at December 31, 2024 |
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TAO contributed |
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TAO distributed for Sponsor’s Fee, related party |
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( |
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Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investment in TAO |
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Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on Sponsor’s Fee payable |
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( |
) |
|
Net realized loss on investment in TAO |
|
|
|
|
|
( |
) |
|
Balance at March 31, 2025 |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
(Amounts in thousands, except TAO amounts) |
|
Quantity |
|
|
Fair Value |
|
||
Balance at December 31, 2025 |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
||
TAO contributed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
TAO distributed for Sponsor’s Fee, related party |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
( |
) |
Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investment in TAO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net realized loss on investment in TAO |
|
|
|
|
|
( |
) |
|
Balance at March 31, 2026 |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
||
4. Creations and Redemptions of Shares
The Trust creates (and, should the Trust commence a redemption program, redeems) Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets issued to the Authorized Participant in exchange for the delivery of TAO to the Trust or the distribution of TAO by the Trust. The amount of TAO required for each Creation Basket or redemption Basket is determined by dividing (x) the amount of TAO owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date of a creation or redemption order, after deducting the amount of TAO representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust, by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time and multiplying the quotient obtained by 100. Each Share represented approximately
At this time, the Trust is not operating a redemption program and is not accepting redemption requests. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program.
5. Income Taxes
The Sponsor takes the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, if the Trust is a grantor trust, 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, gains, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.
If the Trust were not properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital assets, including forks, airdrops and similar occurrences for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be no assurance in this regard. If the Trust were classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax consequences of owning Shares generally would not be materially different from the tax consequences described herein, although there might be certain differences, including with respect to timing. In addition, tax information reports provided to beneficial owners of Shares would be made in a different form. If the Trust were not classified as either a grantor trust or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be classified as a corporation for such purposes. In that event, the Trust would be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (currently at the rate of
In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Trust has defined the threshold for recognizing the benefits of tax positions in the financial statements as “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable taxing authority and requires measurement of a tax position meeting the “more-likely-than-not” threshold, based on the largest benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized. Tax positions deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are recorded as a tax benefit in the current period. As of, and during the periods ended March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Trust did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax amounts. However, the Sponsor’s conclusions concerning its determination of “more-likely-than-not” tax positions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, further implementation guidance, and ongoing analyses of and changes to tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.
11
The Sponsor of the Trust has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions related to federal, state and local income taxes existed as of March 31, 2026 or December 31, 2025.
6. Related Parties
The Trust considered the following entities, their directors, and certain employees to be related parties of the Trust as of March 31, 2026: DCG, GSO, GSIS, and Grayscale Securities. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025,
In accordance with the Trust Agreement governing the Trust, the Trust pays a fee to the Sponsor, calculated as
As partial consideration for receipt of the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor is obligated under the Trust Agreement to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including marketing fees; administrator fees, if any; custodian fees; transfer agent fees; trustee fees; the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any secondary market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $
The Trust may incur 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 (including in connection with any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any secondary market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $
For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Trust incurred Sponsor’s Fees of $
7. Concentration Risk
The Trust’s investment portfolio is concentrated in TAO, and its net asset value and results of operations are directly affected by the price of TAO, which has historically been highly volatile. As a result, the Trust may experience significant fluctuations in net asset value, including periods of substantial losses. This concentration also exposes the Trust to risks specific to TAO and its supporting infrastructure, including market liquidity constraints and operational or cybersecurity risks associated with the custody and transfer of TAO.
12
8. Financial Highlights Per Share Performance
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2026 |
|
|
2025 |
|
||
Per Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Principal Market NAV, beginning of period |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net investment loss |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
( |
) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
|
|
|
|
|
( |
) |
|
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
|
|
|
|
|
( |
) |
|
Principal Market NAV, end of period |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Total return |
|
|
% |
|
|
- |
% |
|
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net investment loss |
|
|
- |
% |
|
|
- |
% |
Expenses |
|
|
- |
% |
|
|
- |
% |
Ratios of net investment loss and expenses to average net assets have been annualized.
An individual shareholder’s return, ratios, and per Share performance may vary from those presented above based on the timing of Share transactions. The amount shown for a Share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the number of Shares issued in Creations occurring at an operational value derived from an operating metric as defined in the Trust Agreement.
Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Principal Market NAV at the beginning of the period and assuming redemption on the last day of the period.
9. Indemnifications
In the normal course of business, the Trust enters into certain contracts that provide a variety of indemnities, including contracts with the Sponsor and affiliates of the Sponsor, DCG and its officers, directors, employees, subsidiaries and affiliates, and the Custodian as well as others relating to services provided to the Trust. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these and its other indemnities is unknown. However, no liabilities have arisen under these indemnities in the past and, while there can be no assurances in this regard, there is no expectation that any will occur in the future. Therefore, the Sponsor does not consider it necessary to record a liability in this regard.
10. Subsequent Events
As previously disclosed, on October 22, 2025, GSOIH consummated an internal corporate reorganization (the “Management Reorganization”). As a result of the Management Reorganization, as of October 22, 2025, (i) Grayscale Investments, Inc. (“Grayscale Investments”) is the sole managing member of GSO, the sole member of the Sponsor and (ii) the Board of Directors of Grayscale Investments became responsible for managing and directing the affairs of the Sponsor, and consists of Barry Silbert, Mark Shifke, Simon Koster, Peter Mintzberg and Edward McGee.
On May 4, 2026, a Board of Managers of Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC was created to manage and direct the affairs of the Sponsor, under authority delegated by the board of Grayscale Investments. While the board of Grayscale Investments retains overall oversight of Grayscale Investments and its subsidiaries as a whole, including the Sponsor, the Board of Managers of the Sponsor consists of Peter Mintzberg, Edward McGee, and Craig Salm. Mr. Mintzberg, Mr. McGee, and Mr. Salm are granted authority to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Sponsor under the amended and restated limited liability company agreement of the Sponsor.
The Sponsor has evaluated all subsequent events through the issuance of the financial statements and has noted no other events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements other than the item noted above.
13
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our unaudited financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The following discussion may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions we believe to be reasonable. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those set forth under “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report, or in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” or other sections of our Annual Report.
Trust Overview
The Trust is a passive entity that is managed and administered by the Sponsor and does not have any officers, directors or employees. The Trust holds TAO and, from time to time on a periodic basis, issues Creation Baskets in exchange for deposits of TAO. As a passive investment vehicle, the Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on TAO per Share) to reflect the value of the TAO held by the Trust, determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. While an investment in the Shares is not a direct investment in TAO, the Shares are designed to provide investors with a cost-effective and convenient way to gain investment exposure to TAO. To date, the Trust has not met its investment objective and the Shares quoted on OTCQX have not reflected the value of the TAO held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, but instead have traded at premiums to such value, which at times have been substantial. The Trust is not managed like a business corporation or an active investment vehicle. The Trust will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar arrangements in seeking to meet its investment objective.
Prior to March 6, 2026, the Trust valued the TAO held by the Trust for operational purposes by reference to the Coin Metrics Real-Time Rate for Bittensor. As of March 6, 2026, the Index is the CoinDesk Bittensor Benchmark Rate which is used to calculate the NAV and NAV per Share. Prior to March 6, 2026, references to the “Index” in the Trust’s filings with the SEC, including this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, refer to the Coin Metrics Real-Time Rate for Bittensor. From and after March 6, 2026, references to the “Index” in the Trust’s filings with the SEC are to the CoinDesk Bittensor Benchmark Rate.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Investment Transactions and Revenue Recognition
The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of TAO by the Trust in connection with Share creations and the delivery of TAO by the Trust in connection with Share redemptions or for payment of expenses in TAO. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. The Trust records its investment transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. 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’s Fee in TAO.
Principal Market and Fair Value Determination
To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value in accordance with U.S. GAAP (“Principal Market NAV”), the Trust follows Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820-10, Fair Value Measurement, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for TAO in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that TAO is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.
The Trust only receives TAO in connection with a creation order from the Authorized Participant (or a Liquidity Provider) and does not itself transact on any Digital Asset Markets. Therefore, the Trust looks to market-based volume and level of activity for Digital Asset Markets. The Authorized Participant(s), or a Liquidity Provider, may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets (referred to as “Trading Platform Markets” in this Quarterly Report), each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary (collectively, “Digital Asset Markets”).
In determining which of the eligible Digital Asset Markets is the Trust’s principal market, the Trust reviews these criteria in the following order:
14
The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) annually and conducts a quarterly analysis to determine (i) if there have been recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s trading volume and level of activity in the trailing twelve months, (ii) if any Digital Asset Markets have developed that the Trust has access to, or (iii) if recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s price stability have occurred that would materially impact the selection of the principal market and necessitate a change in the Trust’s determination of its principal market.
Investment Company Considerations
The Trust is an investment company for U.S. GAAP purposes and follows accounting and reporting guidance in accordance with the FASB ASC Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for TAO in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act. U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.
Review of Financial Results (unaudited)
Financial Highlights for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 and 2025
(All amounts in the following table and the subsequent paragraphs, except Share, TAO and price of TAO amounts, are in thousands)
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2026 |
|
|
2025 |
|
||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment in TAO |
|
$ |
3,110 |
|
|
$ |
(4,311 |
) |
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
|
$ |
3,058 |
|
|
$ |
(4,345 |
) |
Net assets(1) |
|
$ |
11,747 |
|
|
$ |
5,004 |
|
Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in TAO for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was $3,110, which includes a realized loss of ($30) on the transfer of TAO to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investment in TAO of $3,140. Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in TAO for the period was driven by TAO price appreciation from $220.32 per TAO as of December 31, 2025, to $306.80 per TAO as of March 31, 2026. Net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $3,058 for the three months ended March 31, 2026, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized gain on investment in TAO, less the Sponsor’s Fee of $52. Net assets increased to $11,747 at March 31, 2026, a 47% increase for the three-month period. The increase in net assets resulted from the aforementioned TAO price appreciation and the contribution of approximately 2,323 TAO with a value of $715 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period, partially offset by the withdrawal of approximately 226 TAO to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.
Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in TAO for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was ($4,311), which includes a realized loss of ($2) on the transfer of TAO to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the Sponsor’s Fee payable of ($2), and net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investment in TAO of ($4,307). Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in TAO for the period was driven by TAO price depreciation from $444.19 per TAO as of December 31, 2024, to $222.27 per TAO as of March 31, 2025. Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations was ($4,345) for the three months ended March 31, 2025, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized loss on investment in TAO, plus the Sponsor’s
15
Fee of $34. Net assets increased to $5,004 at March 31, 2025, a 14% increase for the three-month period. The increase in net assets resulted from the contribution of approximately 12,717 TAO with a value of $4,953 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period, partially offset by the aforementioned TAO price depreciation and the withdrawal of approximately 118 TAO to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.
Cash Resources and Liquidity
The Trust has not had a cash balance at any time since inception. When selling TAO, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency in the Digital Asset Market to pay Additional Trust Expenses on behalf of the Trust, the Sponsor endeavors to sell the exact amount of TAO, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency needed to pay expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than TAO. As a consequence, the Sponsor expects that the Trust will not record any cash flow from its operations and that its cash balance will be zero at the end of each reporting period. Furthermore, the Trust is not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements.
In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the periods covered by this Quarterly Report was the Sponsor’s Fee. The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs.
Selected Operating Data
|
|
As of March 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2026 |
|
|
2025 |
|
||
Price of TAO on principal market |
|
$ |
306.80 |
|
|
$ |
222.27 |
|
Principal Market NAV per Share(1) |
|
$ |
5.87 |
|
|
$ |
4.36 |
|
Principal Market NAV(1) |
|
$ |
11,747,247 |
|
|
$ |
5,004,383 |
|
Index Price |
|
$ |
306.77 |
|
|
$ |
222.12 |
|
NAV per Share(2) |
|
$ |
5.86 |
|
|
$ |
4.35 |
|
NAV(2) |
|
$ |
11,746,098 |
|
|
$ |
5,001,006 |
|
For accounting purposes, the Trust reflects creations and the TAO receivable with respect to such creations on the date of receipt of a notification of a creation but does not issue Shares until the requisite amount of TAO is received. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval from the SEC and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program.
16
Historical NAV and TAO Prices
As movements in the price of TAO will directly affect the price of the Shares, investors should understand recent movements in the price of TAO. Investors, however, should also be aware that past movements in the TAO price are not indicators of future movements. Movements may be influenced by various factors, including, but not limited to, government regulation, security breaches experienced by service providers, as well as political and economic uncertainties around the world.
The following chart illustrates the movement in the Trust’s NAV per Share versus the Index Price and the Trust’s Principal Market NAV per Share from June 10, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2026. For more information on the determination of the Trust’s NAV, see “Item 1. Business—Overview of the TAO Industry and Market—TAO Value—The Index and the Index Price” in our Annual Report.
17
The following table illustrates the movements in the Index Price from June 10, 2024 to March 31, 2026. The Sponsor has not observed a material difference between the Index Price and average prices from the Constituent Trading Platforms individually, or as a group.
|
|
|
|
|
High |
|
Low |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Period |
|
Average |
|
|
Index Price |
|
|
Date |
|
Index Price |
|
|
Date |
|
End of period |
|
|
Last business day |
|
|||||
June 10, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust's operations) to March 31, 2025 |
|
$ |
400.74 |
|
|
$ |
709.06 |
|
|
12/6/2024 |
|
$ |
219.59 |
|
|
7/7/2024 |
|
$ |
222.12 |
|
|
$ |
222.12 |
|
Twelve months ended March 31, 2026 |
|
$ |
316.83 |
|
|
$ |
505.98 |
|
|
11/1/2025 |
|
$ |
146.45 |
|
|
2/11/2026 |
|
$ |
306.77 |
|
|
$ |
306.77 |
|
June 10, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust's operations) to March 31, 2026 |
|
$ |
354.34 |
|
|
$ |
709.06 |
|
|
12/6/2024 |
|
$ |
146.45 |
|
|
2/11/2026 |
|
$ |
306.77 |
|
|
$ |
306.77 |
|
The following table illustrates the movements in the Digital Asset Market price of TAO, as reported on the Trust’s principal market, from June 10, 2024 to March 31, 2026.
|
|
|
|
|
High |
|
Low |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Period |
|
Average |
|
|
Digital Asset Market Price |
|
|
Date |
|
Digital Asset Market Price |
|
|
Date |
|
End of period |
|
|
Last business day |
|
|||||
June 10, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust's operations) to March 31, 2025 |
|
$ |
400.73 |
|
|
$ |
708.85 |
|
|
12/6/2024 |
|
$ |
219.48 |
|
|
7/7/2024 |
|
$ |
222.27 |
|
|
$ |
222.27 |
|
Twelve months ended March 31, 2026 |
|
$ |
317.04 |
|
|
$ |
506.06 |
|
|
11/1/2025 |
|
$ |
146.45 |
|
|
2/11/2026 |
|
$ |
306.80 |
|
|
$ |
306.80 |
|
June 10, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust's operations) to March 31, 2026 |
|
$ |
354.44 |
|
|
$ |
708.85 |
|
|
12/6/2024 |
|
$ |
146.45 |
|
|
2/11/2026 |
|
$ |
306.80 |
|
|
$ |
306.80 |
|
18
The following chart sets out the historical closing prices for the Shares as reported by OTCQX and the Trust’s NAV per Share from December 12, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
GTAO Premium: GTAO Share Price vs. NAV per Share (Non-GAAP) ($)
The following chart sets out the historical premium for the Shares calculated as a percentage of the historical closing prices for the Shares as reported by OTCQX divided by the Trust’s NAV per Share from December 12, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
GTAO Premium: GTAO Share Price vs. NAV per Share (Non-GAAP) (%)
19
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
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 Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor, and to the audit committee of the Sponsor, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Under the supervision and with the participation of the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor, the Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor concluded that the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There was no change in the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the Trust’s most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, these internal controls.
20
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION:
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
There have been no material changes to the Legal Proceedings last reported under “Part I, Item 3. Legal Proceedings” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (our “Annual Report”).
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes to the Risk Factors last reported under “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our Annual Report.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None during the quarter ended March 31, 2026.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Item 5.
Board of Managers
As previously disclosed, on October 22, 2025, GSOIH consummated an internal corporate reorganization (the “Management Reorganization”). As a result of the Management Reorganization, as of October 22, 2025, (i) Grayscale Investments, Inc. (“Grayscale Investments”) is the sole managing member of GSO, the sole member of the Sponsor and (ii) the Board of Directors of Grayscale Investments became responsible for managing and directing the affairs of the Sponsor, and consists of Barry Silbert, Mark Shifke, Simon Koster, Peter Mintzberg and Edward McGee.
On May 4, 2026, a Board of Managers of Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC was created to manage and direct the affairs of the Sponsor, under authority delegated by the board of Grayscale Investments. While the board of Grayscale Investments retains overall oversight of Grayscale Investments and its subsidiaries as a whole, including the Sponsor, the Board of Managers of the Sponsor consists of Peter Mintzberg, Edward McGee, and Craig Salm. Mr. Mintzberg, Mr. McGee, and Mr. Salm are granted authority to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Sponsor under the amended and restated limited liability company agreement of the Sponsor
Peter Mintzberg and Edward McGee are members of the Board of Directors of Grayscale Investments and we hereby incorporate by reference into this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q each of their biographies in the section, “Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Craig Salm has been the Chief Legal Officer of Grayscale since 2022. Before serving as Chief Legal Officer, Mr. Salm was Director, Legal since January 2020 and Associate, Legal since January 2018. Prior to joining Grayscale, Mr. Salm was a corporate associate at Paul Weiss and a member of its Capital Markets & Securities Group—primarily focused on representing issuers, private equity sponsors, investment banks, hedge funds and other stakeholders in corporate finance transactions, as well as advising on securities law and corporate governance matters. Mr. Salm earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan and his Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Mr. Salm serves as a member of the Blockchain Association and a member of the Crypto Ratings Council (CRC).
21
Item 6. Exhibits
Exhibit Number
|
Exhibit Description
|
31.1 |
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to the Trust’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. |
|
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31.2 |
Certification of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to the Trust’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. |
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32.1 |
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, with respect to the Trust’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. |
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32.2 |
Certification of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, with respect to the Trust’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31 2026. |
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101.INS* |
Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. |
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101.SCH* |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema with Embedded Linkbase Documents. |
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104 |
Cover Page Interactive Data File—The cover page interactive data file does not appear in the interactive data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the inline XBRL document. |
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Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, these interactive data files are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are deemed not filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise are not subject to liability under those sections. |
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Glossary of Defined Terms
“Actual Exchange Rate”—With respect to any particular asset, at any time, the price per single unit of such asset (determined net of any associated fees) at which the Trust is able to sell such asset for U.S. dollars (or other applicable fiat currency) at such time to enable the Trust to timely pay any Additional Trust Expenses, through use of the Sponsor’s commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the highest such price.
“Additional Trust Expenses”—Together, any expenses incurred by the Trust in addition to the Sponsor’s Fee that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, (i) taxes and governmental charges, (ii) 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 (including in connection with any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), (iii) any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, (iv) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $600,000 in any given fiscal year and (v) extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters.
“Administrator Fee”—The fee payable to any administrator of the Trust for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay such administrator as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“Authorized Participant”—Certain eligible financial institutions that have entered into an agreement with the Trust and the Sponsor concerning the creation of Shares. Each Authorized Participant (i) is a registered broker-dealer, (ii) has entered into a Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and (iii) owns a digital wallet address that is known to the Custodian as belonging to the Authorized Participant or a Liquidity Provider.
“Basket”—A block of 100 Shares.
“Basket Amount”—On any trade date, the amount of TAO required as of such trade date for each Creation Basket, as determined by dividing (x) the amount of TAO owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date, after deducting the amount of TAO representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (converted using the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one TAO (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 100.
“Bittensor” or “TAO”—Bittensor tokens, which are a type of digital asset based on an open source cryptographic protocol existing on the Bittensor Network, comprising units that constitute the assets underlying the Trust’s Shares.
“Bittensor Network”—A set of smart contracts deployed on a decentralized public transaction ledger known as the blockchain. The Bittensor Network leverages the cryptographic and algorithmic protocols of the underlying blockchain to govern its application. See “Item 1. Business—Overview of the TAO Industry and Market” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
“Blockchain”—The public transaction ledger of the Bittensor Network on which transactions in TAO are recorded.
“Board”—Board of Managers of the Sponsor, which, as of May 4, 2026, manages and directs the affairs of the Sponsor, through authority delegated from the board of directors of Grayscale Investments. Prior to January 1, 2025, any references to the “Board” refer to the board of directors of Grayscale Investments, LLC, the former Sponsor of the Trust. From January 1, 2025 to, but not including, October 22, 2025, any references to the “Board” refer to the board of directors of GSOIH. From October 22, 2025 to May 4, 2026, any references to the “Board” refer to the board of directors of Grayscale Investments. From and after May 4, 2026, any references to the “Board” refer to the board of managers of the Sponsor, unless the context otherwise requires.
“Coinbase”—Coinbase, Inc.
“Creation Basket”—Basket of Shares issued by the Trust upon deposits of the Basket Amount required for each such Creation Basket.
“Custodial Services”—The Custodian’s services that (i) allow TAO to be deposited from a public blockchain address to the Trust’s Digital Asset Account and (ii) allow the Trust and the Sponsor to withdraw TAO from the Trust’s Digital Asset Account to a public blockchain address the Trust or the Sponsor controls pursuant to instructions the Trust or the Sponsor provides to the Custodian.
“Custodian”—BitGo Trust Company, Inc.
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“Custodian Agreement”—The BitGo Custodial Services Agreement, dated as of March 12, 2025, by and between the Trust and the Sponsor and Custodian that governs the Trust’s and the Sponsor’s use of the Custodial Services provided by the Custodian as a fiduciary with respect to the Trust’s assets.
“Custodian Fee”—Fee payable to the Custodian for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay to the Custodian as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“DCG”—Digital Currency Group, Inc.
“Digital Asset Account”—A segregated custody account controlled and secured by the Custodian to store private keys, which allow for the transfer of ownership or control of the Trust’s TAO on the Trust’s behalf.
“Digital Asset Market”—A “Brokered Market,” “Dealer Market,” “Principal-to-Principal Market” or “Exchange Market” (referred to as “Trading Platform Market” in this Quarterly Report), as each such term is defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Master Glossary.
“Digital Asset Trading Platform”—An electronic marketplace where trading platform participants may trade, buy and sell TAO based on bid-ask trading. The largest Digital Asset Trading Platforms are online and typically trade on a 24-hour basis, publishing transaction price and volume data.
“Digital Asset Trading Platform Market”—The global trading platform market for the trading of TAO, which consists of transactions on electronic Digital Asset Trading Platforms.
“DSTA”—The Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as amended.
“Grayscale Investments”—Grayscale Investments, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a consolidated subsidiary of DCG.
“Grayscale Securities”—Grayscale Securities, LLC, a consolidated subsidiary of GSO.
“GSI”—Grayscale Investments, LLC, the Sponsor of the Trust until December 31, 2024.
“GSIS”—Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a consolidated subsidiary of Grayscale Operating, LLC.
“GSO”—Grayscale Operating, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a consolidated subsidiary of DCG.
“GSOIH”—GSO Intermediate Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a consolidated subsidiary of DCG.
“Incidental Rights”—Rights to acquire, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Trust’s ownership of TAO and arise without any action of the Trust, or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust.
“Index”—Prior to March 6, 2026, the Coin Metrics Real-Time Rate for Bittensor. As of March 6, 2026, the Index is the CoinDesk Bittensor Benchmark Rate.
“Index License Agreement”—The license agreement, dated as of February 1, 2022, between the Index Provider and the Sponsor governing the Sponsor’s use of the Index for calculation of the Index Price, as amended from time to time.
“Index Price”—The U.S. dollar value of a TAO derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are reflected in the Index, calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day. See “Item 1. Business—Overview of the TAO Industry and Market—TAO Value—The Index and the Index Price” in our Annual Report for a description of how the Index Price is calculated.
“Index Provider”—CoinDesk Indices, Inc., a Delaware corporation that publishes the Index.
“IR Virtual Currency”—Any virtual currency tokens, or other asset or right, acquired by the Trust through the exercise (subject to the applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement) of any Incidental Right.
“Liquidity Provider”—A service provider that facilitates the purchase of TAO in connection with the creation of Baskets.
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“Marketing Fee”—Fee payable to the marketer for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay to the marketer as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“NAV”—The aggregate value, expressed in U.S. dollars, of the Trust’s assets (other than U.S. dollars or other fiat currency), less its liabilities (which include estimated accrued but unpaid fees and expenses), a non-GAAP metric, calculated in the manner set forth under “Item 1. Business—Valuation of TAO and Determination of NAV” in our Annual Report. See also “Item 1. Business—Investment Objective” in our Annual Report for a description of the Trust’s Principal Market NAV, as calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
“NAV Fee Basis Amount”—The amount on which the Sponsor’s Fee for the Trust is based, as calculated in the manner set forth under “Item 1. Business—Valuation of TAO and Determination of NAV” in our Annual Report.
“OTCQX”—The OTCQX Best Market® of OTC Markets Group Inc.
“Participant Agreement”—An agreement entered into by an Authorized Participant with the Sponsor that provides the procedures for the creation of Baskets and for the delivery of TAO required for Creation Baskets.
“Principal Market NAV”—The net asset value of the Trust determined on a U.S. GAAP basis.
“Secondary Market”—Any marketplace or other alternative trading system, as determined by the Sponsor, on which the Shares may then be listed, quoted or traded, including but not limited to, the OTCQX Best Market® of OTC Markets Group Inc.
“Shares”—Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in, and ownership of, the Trust.
“Sponsor” or “Co-Sponsor”—The sponsor of the Trust. GSO was a co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025, and GSIS was a co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025 and is the sole remaining sponsor thereafter.
“Sponsor-paid Expenses”—The fees and expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs that the Sponsor is obligated to assume and pay, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the Marketing Fee, (ii) the Administrator Fee, (iii) the Custodian Fee and fees for any other security vendor engaged by the Trust, (iv) the Transfer Agent Fee, (v) the Trustee fee, (vi) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $600,000 in any given fiscal year, (vii) ordinary course legal fees and expenses, (viii) audit fees, (ix) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, (x) printing and mailing costs, (xi) costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and (xii) applicable license fees, provided that any expense that qualifies as an Additional Trust Expense will be deemed to be an Additional Trust Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“Sponsor’s Fee”—A fee, payable in TAO, which accrues daily in U.S. dollars at an annual rate of 2.5% of the NAV Fee Basis Amount of the Trust as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each day; provided that for a day that is not a business day, the calculation of the Sponsor’s Fee will be based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount from the most recent business day, reduced by the accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fee for such most recent business day and for each day after such most recent business day and prior to the relevant calculation date.
“Transfer Agent”—Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a Delaware corporation.
“Transfer Agent Fee”—Fee payable to the Transfer Agent for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay to the Transfer Agent as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“Trust”—Grayscale Bittensor Trust (TAO), a Delaware statutory trust, formed on April 30, 2024 under the DSTA and pursuant to the Trust Agreement.
“Trust Agreement”—The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement between the Trustee and the Sponsor establishing and governing the operations of the Trust, as amended from time to time.
“Trustee”—CSC Delaware Trust Company (formerly known as Delaware Trust Company), a Delaware trust company, is the Delaware trustee of the Trust.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned in the capacities* indicated, thereunto duly authorized.
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Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC as Sponsor of Grayscale Bittensor Trust (TAO) |
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By: |
/s/ Peter Mintzberg |
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Name: |
Peter Mintzberg |
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Title: |
Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)* |
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By: |
/s/ Edward McGee |
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Name: |
Edward McGee |
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Title: |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)* |
Date: May 8, 2026
* The Registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.
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