Decentralized ETFs Explained: A Beginner’s Guide to DETFs

yoanndefay
BullsFund
Published in
3 min readJul 4, 2024

In the evolving world of finance, Decentralized ETFs (DETFs) are revolutionizing how we think about investing. By leveraging blockchain technology, DETFs offer a new level of transparency, security, and efficiency. This article will break down the basics of DETFs, how they operate, and why they are becoming a game-changer in the investment landscape.

What is a DETF?

A Decentralized ETF (DETF) uses blockchain technology to automate fund management. This ensures high transparency and trust, making investing more accessible and secure for everyone.

Why Traditional ETFs Can Be Complex:

Creating and managing a traditional ETF involves navigating complex regulations, primarily focused on:

  1. Fund Custody: Ensuring the security and proper management of assets.
  2. Decision Making: Determining who decides what assets the fund invests in and when to buy or sell.

How DETFs Simplify This Process Using DeFi:

DETFs use Decentralized Finance (DeFi) principles to address these regulatory challenges:

1. On-Chain Fund Management:

Transparency: All funds are held on the blockchain, making transactions and holdings visible to everyone.

Security: The use of smart contracts (self-executing contracts with the terms directly written into code) ensures that funds are managed securely and automatically.

Efficient Asset Management: DETFs deploy capital using Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs) and liquidity pools, enabling efficient and automated trading. For assets not available on the same blockchain (e.g., SOL not on Polygon), synthetic tokens (representations of real assets) can be used to include these assets in the fund.

2. Automated Decision Making:

Smart Contracts: The investment rules are hard-coded into the smart contract. This means the fund automatically follows these rules without needing human intervention.

Community Voting: If changes to the investment strategy are needed, all fund holders can vote on the proposed changes through a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). This ensures that decisions are democratic and transparent.

Benefits of DETFs:

Transparency: All transactions and rules are visible on the blockchain.

Security: Smart contracts automate and secure fund management.

Community Control: Fund holders have a say in how the fund is managed through DAO voting.

  • Efficiency: Automated trading and fund management reduce costs, and instant share issuance and liquidity improve efficiency.

Use Cases: Who is DETF For?

1. Asset and Wealth Managers:

Asset and wealth managers can leverage DETFs to create customized funds tailored to specific investment strategies. By using blockchain technology, they can ensure high transparency and automate fund management, reducing operational costs and enhancing trust with their clients. The decentralized nature and smart contracts ensure that the fund management is efficient and transparent, providing clients with a modern and secure investment option.

2. Financial Influencers (Fundfluencers):

Influencers in the crypto sector can create and share their own DETFs with their followers. This allows them to monetize their expertise by earning management and performance fees while providing their audience with unique investment opportunities.

3. Crypto Traders:

Anyone who trades cryptocurrency and wants to share their investment strategy with friends can benefit from DETFs. By creating a DETF, they can easily share their portfolio with others and earn fees based on the fund’s performance.

How It Works

1. Visit Bulls.fund:

• Go to Bulls.fund to start creating your own DETF.

2. Create Your Own DETF:

Choose a Name: Pick a name for your fund.

Set Your Portfolio: Select up to 100 tokens to include in your DETF.

Earning Model: Decide how you want to earn — through performance fees, management fees, or both.

3. Share Your Fund:

• Share your fund with your community using a unique link.

4. Manage Your Fund:

• Use the admin dashboard to track your fund’s performance, latest investments, and trading volume. The dashboard provides real-time insights to help you manage your fund effectively.

Create your own DETF or invest in top-performing funds at Bulls.fund.

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