All You Need to Know About Injective’s AINJ ETP on 21Shares

Prateek Tripathi
Coinmonks
7 min readJul 25, 2024

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The cryptocurrency landscape has witnessed a groundbreaking development with the launch of AINJ, an Exchange Traded Product (ETP) centered around Injective, a cutting-edge blockchain in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. This innovative financial instrument, offered by 21Shares, has an impact on both institutional and individual investors, providing a novel way to gain exposure to the Injective ecosystem. AINJ represents a significant step forward in bridging the gap between traditional finance and the rapidly evolving world of digital assets.

As we delve into the intricacies of AINJ, this article aims to shed light on its fundamental aspects and potential benefits. We’ll explore the structure of this Injective Staking ETP, unpack the advantages it offers to investors, and provide insights on how to invest in this unique product. By the end, readers will have a comprehensive understanding of AINJ and its role in the broader context of cryptocurrency investments and DeFi innovation.

Understanding AINJ: The Injective Staking ETP

What is AINJ?

AINJ, the Injective Staking Exchange-Traded Product (ETP), is a groundbreaking financial instrument launched by 21Shares in collaboration with Injective. This innovative product allows investors to gain exposure to INJ, the native asset of the Injective ecosystem, through major traditional finance exchange venues and brokerages while also capturing staking rewards.

An Exchange Traded Product (ETP) is a class of financial instruments traded on stock exchanges that provide exposure to various underlying assets without the need to own them directly 1. ETPs offer several advantages, including diversification, liquidity, transparency, and cost-effectiveness.

Key features of AINJ

  1. 100% Physically-Backed: AINJ is structured as a Physical ETP, fully backed by the underlying INJ tokens and stored in cold storage by an institutional-grade custodian.
  2. Staking Yield Capture: The ETP captures the staking yields generated by staking INJ to secure the Injective network. These rewards are then reinvested into the ETP, enhancing its performance.
  3. Regulated and Transparent: AINJ operates within a regulated framework, ensuring all transactions and holdings are clear and accessible.
  4. Convenience and Efficiency: Investors can easily buy and sell AINJ throughout the trading day on stock exchanges.
  5. Wide Accessibility: AINJ is supported by 25 different banks and brokerages, trading on both the Euronext Amsterdam (AINJ NA) and Euronext Paris (AINJ FP).

How AINJ works

AINJ offers a unique way to gain exposure to INJ in a regulated environment while benefiting from staking rewards. Here’s how it works:

  1. Asset Backing: The ETP is 100% physically-backed by INJ tokens, which are securely stored by an institutional-grade custodian.
  2. Staking Mechanism: AINJ captures the staking yields generated by staking INJ to secure the Injective network.
  3. Reinvestment: The captured staking rewards are reinvested into the ETP, compounding the returns and replicating on-chain staking participation in the traditional finance realm.
  4. Trading: Investors can buy and sell AINJ on stock exchanges throughout the trading day, providing liquidity and ease of access.
  5. Institutional Support: Major financial institutions such as Interactive Brokers, Saxo Bank, Swissquote, and eToro support AINJ, facilitating deeper integration between traditional and decentralized finance.

By combining the benefits of staking with the convenience and efficiency of an ETP, AINJ serves as a comprehensive and dynamic instrument for benchmarking INJ .This product represents a significant step forward in Injective’s commitment to integrating with traditional markets and institutions, bridging the gap between traditional finance and the world of digital assets .

Benefits of Investing in AINJ

Exposure to INJ

AINJ offers investors a unique opportunity to gain exposure to INJ, the native asset of the Injective ecosystem, through major traditional finance exchange venues and brokerages. This groundbreaking financial instrument allows investors to benefit from the performance of INJ without the need to directly own or manage the underlying asset.

Injective’s blockchain supports seamless interactions across major networks, enabling a diverse range of financial products and services 1. This interoperability sets Injective apart from typically siloed blockchain networks, potentially increasing the value and utility of INJ tokens.

Staking rewards

One of the key advantages of AINJ is its ability to capture staking yields. The ETP tracks the performance of INJ while also capturing the staking rewards, which are then reinvested into the ETP for enhanced performance. This feature allows investors to access staking yields with the benefit of professional risk management, avoiding the need to directly lock assets.

Staking with AINJ provides a simplified approach to participate in the Injective network’s security and governance. Investors can benefit from the network’s growing importance in decentralized finance (DeFi) without the technical complexities often associated with direct staking 1.

Regulated and transparent structure

AINJ offers a regulated and transparent way to invest in the Injective ecosystem. As a 100% physically-backed ETP, AINJ is fully backed by the underlying INJ tokens, which are stored in cold storage by an institutional-grade custodian 1 2. This structure offers greater protection than custody options available to individual investors 1.

The regulated nature of AINJ provides several benefits:

  1. Enhanced security: The underlying assets are stored by professional custodians, reducing the risk of loss or theft.
  2. Transparency: All transactions and holdings are clear and accessible, providing investors with a high level of visibility into their investments.
  3. Ease of access: AINJ is supported by 25 different banks and brokerages, trading on both the Euronext Amsterdam (AINJ NA) and Euronext Paris (AINJ FP).
  4. Simplified investment process: Investors can buy and sell AINJ throughout the trading day on stock exchanges, eliminating the need for complex wallet management or direct interaction with blockchain technology.

By combining these benefits, AINJ serves as a comprehensive and dynamic instrument for benchmarking INJ, bridging the gap between traditional finance and the world of digital assets 1 3.

How to Invest in AINJ

Supported exchanges and brokerages

AINJ, the groundbreaking Exchange Traded Product (ETP) that offers exposure to INJ while capturing staking rewards, is widely accessible through various financial platforms. The ETP is supported by 25 different banks and brokerages, providing investors with multiple options to purchase and trade AINJ 1. Notably, it is available on both the Euronext Amsterdam (AINJ NA) and Euronext Paris (AINJ FP) exchanges .

Some of the world’s leading traditional finance institutions have embraced AINJ, including:

  • Interactive Brokers (IBKR)
  • Saxo Bank
  • Swissquote
  • eToro

This broad support from major financial players underscores the growing institutional adoption of AINJ and its potential to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset space.

Steps to purchase AINJ

Investing in AINJ is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help investors get started:

  1. Choose a platform: Select from the list of supported bank or broker platforms that offer AINJ.
  2. Determine the investment amount: Decide on the number of ETP shares you wish to purchase.
  3. Specify the order type: Choose between market orders, limit orders, stop loss, or other available order types. It’s important to note that market orders execute at the current market price, while limit orders allow investors to set a specific price for buying or selling the ETP 4.
  4. Review and confirm: Carefully review your order details to ensure accuracy before confirming the trade.
  5. Monitor your investment: After the ETP order is executed, you can track the performance of your AINJ investment through your brokerage account.

Considerations for investors

When investing in AINJ, there are several factors that investors should keep in mind:

  1. Market volatility: Like all ETPs, the price of AINJ fluctuates throughout the trading day, reflecting market conditions and investor sentiment.
  2. Regulatory environment: AINJ operates within a regulated framework, offering transparency and security to investors.
  3. Underlying asset: AINJ is 100% physically backed by INJ tokens, which are stored in cold storage by an institutional-grade custodian.
  4. Staking rewards: AINJ captures staking yields from the Injective network, which are reinvested into the ETP, potentially enhancing its performance.
  5. Liquidity: While AINJ is traded on major exchanges, investors should be aware that liquidity can vary, which may affect buying and selling prices.
  6. Investment strategy: Consider how AINJ fits into your overall investment portfolio and aligns with your risk tolerance and financial goals.

By understanding these considerations and following the steps outlined above, investors can make informed decisions about investing in AINJ and gaining exposure to the Injective ecosystem through a regulated and transparent financial product.

Conclusion

AINJ, the Injective Staking ETP, represents a significant step forward in bridging the gap between traditional finance and the world of digital assets. This innovative financial instrument offers investors a regulated and transparent way to gain exposure to INJ, the native asset of the Injective blockchain, while also capturing staking rewards. The ETP’s structure as a 100% physically-backed product, combined with its wide accessibility through major exchanges and brokerages, makes it an attractive option for both institutional and individual investors.

As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to evolve, products like AINJ play a crucial role in making digital assets more accessible to a broader range of investors. By providing a familiar investment vehicle that combines the benefits of blockchain technology with the security and oversight of traditional financial markets, AINJ paves the way for increased adoption and integration of digital assets into mainstream finance. This groundbreaking product not only offers a new way to invest in the Injective ecosystem but also sets a precedent for future innovations in the crypto investment space.

References

[1] — https://blog.injective.com/en/injective-etp-launch/
[2] — https://www.21shares.com/en-eu/product/ainj
[3] — https://www.altcoinbuzz.io/cryptocurrency-news/injective-unveils-ainj-a-new-crypto-etp/

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Prateek Tripathi
Coinmonks

Introducing Prateek Tripathi, a tech-savvy individual with a passion for all things crypto, blockchain, and coding.