21Shares Expands Crypto ETP Line-Up with Direct Exposure to NEAR, Ondo, Pyth, and Render Tokens

21Shares has introduced four new world-first crypto ETPs providing directly backed exposure to various altcoins.

21Shares has expanded its lineup of digital asset investment products with four new world-first crypto ETPs.

These ETPs provide directly backed exposure to the native tokens underpinning the NEAR, Ondo, Pyth, and Render networks.

Listed on Euronext Amsterdam in euros, the new ETPs are:

– 21Shares NEAR Protocol Staking ETP (NEAR NA)

– 21Shares Ondo ETP (ONDO NA)

– 21Shares Pyth Network ETP (PYTH NA)

– 21Shares Render ETP (RNDR NA)

Each ETP comes with an expense ratio of 2.50% and is carbon neutral with 21Shares offsetting the ETPs’ carbon footprints through various green initiatives.

Investors can now gain exposure to some of the world’s most innovative blockchain protocols and their native cryptocurrencies with these ETPs. Here's a closer look at each network:

NEAR Protocol stands out as one of the few blockchain platforms integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its ecosystem. It is ambitiously working to develop the world’s largest open-source AI model, aiming to make advanced AI capabilities accessible to a global audience. This innovation not only broadens the use cases for blockchain but also positions NEAR as a trailblazer in bridging AI and decentralized technology. At the heart of this platform is NEAR, its native cryptocurrency, which fuels transactions and network operations. With a market capitalization of $8.4 billion, NEAR ranks as the 20th largest cryptocurrency globally.

Ondo is revolutionizing traditional finance by tokenizing securities such as OUSG (tokenized US government bonds) and USDY (yield-generating tokenized assets). By converting these assets into digital tokens on the blockchain, Ondo aims to enable more efficient, transparent, and accessible methods for trading and investment. These tokenized assets integrate seamlessly into decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, opening new opportunities for investors to benefit from liquidity, programmability, and automated financial services. For example, tokenized government bonds can now be used in DeFi lending pools, unlocking yield potential for previously static assets. With a market capitalization of $1.7bn, ONDO, the network’s native token, ranks as the 64th largest cryptocurrency globally.

Pyth serves as vital infrastructure for the blockchain ecosystem, delivering real-time, institutional-grade market data to blockchains that otherwise lack access to external information. By connecting traditional financial markets with decentralized networks, Pyth enables more sophisticated smart contracts, fuels decentralized finance (DeFi) innovations, and enhances blockchain interoperability. Supported by industry leaders such as Jane Street and Flow Traders, Pyth ensures its data is reliable and secure, which is critical for powering financial applications and smart contract automation. With a market capitalization of $1.8bn, the PYTH token is the 62nd largest crypto asset globally.

Render has been designed to unlock the untapped potential of decentralized GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) resources by creating a distributed network for rendering tasks. Traditionally, centralized data centers have dominated industries requiring high-performance computing, but they face limitations such as scalability challenges and high operational costs. Render addresses these issues by enabling individuals and organizations to contribute idle GPUs, creating a decentralized network that is both cost-effective and highly scalable. This network supports demanding applications in fields like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and 3D animation, where large-scale rendering power is crucial. The RENDER token acts as the backbone of this ecosystem, serving as a payment method for rendering services, an incentive for GPU operators, and a governance tool for network development. With a market cap of $4.5bn, RENDER ranks as the 32nd largest cryptocurrency.

Each ETP offers investors easy access to its underlying digital asset through a liquid, regulated vehicle without the technical challenges of setting up private keys or crypto wallets.

They use full direct, ‘physical’ replication with each ETP share being 100% collateralized by a corresponding investment in the underlying crypto which is stored using an institutional-grade cold-storage custody solution.

The NEAR ETP also earns a passive return attributable to ‘staking’ income generated by the underlying NEAR tokens.

Staking is a way of earning rewards for holding certain cryptocurrencies that work on a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. Proof-of-stake mechanisms put their underlying cryptocurrency to work in verifying and securing transactions on the blockchain. Investors who choose to take part in this process ‘stake’ their cryptocurrency holdings and earn rewards for doing so.

Staked coins do not move from the secure custodian where they are stored, and the NEAR ETP remains 100% physically backed at all times.