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The original was posted on /r/cryptocurrency by /u/trucker-123 on 2024-01-18 12:15:54+00:00.
So I was reading the prospectus for the Blackrock BTC ETF. And I noticed the following excerpts.
From page 82, it seems the maximum amount that Blackrock can recover from Coinbase in a case of hacking/theft of BTC is only $100 million:
the Bitcoin Custodian’s aggregate liability in respect of each cold storage address shall not exceed $100 million;
From page 81, it seems that Coinbase has a maximum insurance of $320 million among all its customers (I assume not just ETF customers, but also regular people who have opened a Coinbase account):
Coinbase Global maintains a commercial crime insurance policy of up to $320 million ... ... The insurance maintained by Coinbase Global is shared among all of Coinbase’s customers,
And on page 33, it seems that even if an internal Blackrock employee went rogue and stole all the Bitcoins, Blackrock won't insure against that either:
Although the Trust’s transfers of bitcoin will regularly be made to or from the Trust’s account at the Bitcoin Custodian, it is possible that, through computer or human error, or through theft or criminal action, the Trust’s bitcoin could be transferred from the Trust’s account at the Bitcoin Custodian in incorrect amounts or to unauthorized third parties, or to uncontrolled accounts ... ... To the extent that the Trust is unable to seek a corrective transaction with such third-party or is incapable of identifying the third-party which has received the Trust’s bitcoins through error or theft, the Trust will be unable to revert or otherwise recover incorrectly transferred bitcoins. The Trust will also be unable to convert or recover its bitcoins transferred to uncontrolled accounts. To the extent that the Trust is unable to seek redress for such error or theft, such loss could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
The general idea I get about the Blackrock BTC ETF prospectus is that there really isn't any insurance, and if there is any hacking/theft of Bitcoin and the ETF collapses, there is no protection against you losing everything. If this is the case, this is a shame, since I was hoping there was more protection mechanisms to hold a BTC ETF over holding BTC yourself (if I pass away and I hold a BTC ETF, at least my BTC ETF can be left for my family members through inheritance, but if I hold BTC and my family members don't know my private key, my BTC is lost forever).
