We continue to see strong performance results from the fund. After the impressive bull run in January, February proved a good test. Bitcoin was down 8% in the month of February, however, the fund was only down 1.2%. This brings the 2020 year-to-date returns to +16.8% compared to bitcoin which is up 19.5% over that time period. Importantly, the volatility over that period was just ⅓ of the volatility of bitcoin. Here is a link to our February Fund FactCard.

As a reminder, our fund seeks to earn returns that capture approximately 80% of the upside of the cryptocurrency market with just 40% of the downside, and with little to no correlation to the other major asset classes. YTD, the annualized volatility of the fund is approximately 24.5% compared to the volatility of bitcoin of over 74%. The upside capture is 86% and the downside capture was just 12.5%. Over longer market cycles, we feel we can achieve our targets, however, managing downside risk is paramount. …

Performance in January (as of 1/31/2020): +18.15%

Check out our Fact Card Here

Cryptocurrencies saw a strong start to the new year. The price of bitcoin rose 29.98% during the first month of 2020.

We are pleased to report that the fund’s models captured a significant portion of the move and avoided most of the 7% mid-month drawdown.

As we mentioned in our mid-month update, the fund management team upgraded fund’s models and systems at the end of November and we are pleased to see the early results delivering on expectations. …

“Core features[of blockchain technology], such as transparency and immutability, make blockchain technology especially attractive for business. Additionally, blockchain technology may be applicable for use in a wide range of sectors from finance to healthcare, with applications ranging from faster transaction times, fraud prevention, data integration, and even food safety…” View the entire publication on Forbes here.

Originally published at www.forbes.com on January 24, 2019.

“Last year was a wild ride for US investors, with domestic equities hit by higher volatility coupled with a precipitous drop in prices in the last quarter. A combination of factors including a deteriorating trade relationship with China and impending rising interest rates have negatively impacted the equity markets. Faced with increased uncertainty as they move into the new year, investors might need to analyze their existing portfolio and formulate new portfolio strategies to meet their financial goals for 2019…” To read the entire publication click here.

Originally published at www.forbes.com on January 15, 2019.

The Eightfold Path to Enlightened Crypto Investing

“As a new cryptocurrency investor, kicking off your shoes and taking your first steps along the Path of The Blockchain, you’ve probably found yourself asking the following questions: did the bitcoin bubble really burst, is it too late to get started, and what are the best tips to be successful in this newly emergent investment space?”…To read the original posting click here.

Originally published at www.forbes.com on December 10, 2018.

For the past five years, cryptoassets have outperformed all other asset classes and that is after a 70+% market correction from the peak earlier this year.

They did this with little to no correlation to the traditional investment categories of stocks and bonds.

Some are saying this category of assets could be one of the largest wealth creation events in history. Unlike the Internet, wealth will be created at the protocol level as well as in the equity of businesses built on or around the blockchain ecosystem.

The market is highly fragmented, driven primarily by the lack of solid trading infrastructure, information asymmetry, and a plethora of “alpha donors” trying to get rich quick. …

By: Eric Ervin

Blockchain. Cryptocurrency. Often, these two terms are interchangeably used when referring to currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and a slew of others that have leaped onto the fintech scene over the past decade. Do these terms mean the same thing?

While both concepts work together to make up the basic structure of a currency such as Bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency are distinct concepts. Here is a primer on the two technologies, their differences and whether or not they rely on each other.

Blockchain is the foundation of most digital currency

Conceptualizing virtual or digital currency is easy. On a fundamental level, a piece of code or a file contains information that one can exchange, like cash for goods or services. If someone possessed a code that represented $100, they could digitally send the code to a retailer, for example, and make a purchase. This transfer raises a simple risk — what if the code was sent to someone else? The risk of double dipping is high without some independent method of tracking transaction. …

Seven years ago I took a big chance leaving the comfort and stability of a great role at Morgan Stanley to create Reality Shares. …