The NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF (BTCI): The Best Way to Own Bitcoin in Your Income-Focused Portfolio

This ETF Is My Favorite Way to Own Bitcoin. Here's Why

Building an income-focused portfolio can be tricky. Sometimes we have to choose between high-octane growth stocks with immense upside price potential and our desired income.

But what if there was a way to have the best of both worlds?

Well, lucky for us, over the last few years, the industry incumbents have introduced covered call option strategy ETFs for nearly every high-flying index out there — like the Nasdaq-100, Russell 2000, etc.

However, it wasn't until recently that an income-focused alternative to those high-flying spot Bitcoin ETFs came about.

As an income-focused investor, the NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF (BTCI) is my favorite way to own Bitcoin.

By offering its investors a 28% annual distribution yield, this ETF is the best way to own Bitcoin in your portfolio if you care about both monthly income and potential price appreciation in rising markets.

In this analysis, I'm going to…

Let's dig in!

BTCI's Investment Strategy

The NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF BTCI seeks to distribute monthly income generated from writing call options on Bitcoin via Bitcoin index options — which seems to be the first ETF to do so. Given Bitcoin's historically high volatility, the management team is able to write out-of-the-money call options that don't cover the entire value of the portfolio. This means BTCI's price has the opportunity to move up and down with the price of Bitcoin.

For example, as of 1/13/25 the fund left 22% of its notional value "uncapped." In this scenario, that means 22% of the fund's value can move freely alongside the price of Bitcoin — unburdened by the "cap" of the premium income generated by writing call options.

This specific strategy is important for two reasons:

But is this strategy actually working?

Let's analyze the fund's performance since inception and find out.

BTCI's Performance Since Inception

The NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF began trading on October 18, 2024. The fund began trading at $50 / share, while the price of Bitcoin was ~$68,000.

As of 1/13/25, the price of Bitcoin has appreciated by +39.7% to ~$95,000 per coin. During the same period of time, BTCI's total return was +31.5% — capturing nearly ~80% of Bitcoin's total return while paying their investors monthly income.

Since inception, the fund has paid investors $4.00 in cash distributions. $1.13 per share in October, $1.41 per share in November, and $1.46 per share in December. Assuming you purchased shares of BTCI at $50 / share — that's an 8% yield paid to investors in only 3-months time.

As of its most recent $1.46 per share distribution in December, the fund is offering investors a 28% annual yield — while simultaneously giving investors the opportunity to realize Bitcoin's price appreciation. The price of BTCI has already appreciated by +20% since inception in October.

As an income-focused investor, this ETF is exceeding expectations. If you're someone who's a bit intimidated by Bitcoin volatility, having that monthly income certainly helps. For example, the total return of BTCI during the month of December was -2.4%, compared to the total return of the price of Bitcoin being -4.3% — a +1.9% difference.

If you can stomach Bitcoin's volatility, more power to you!

Where BTCI Might Fit Inside of Your Income-Focused Portfolio

Being an income-focused investor has its perks — the names we usually hold inside of our portfolios tend to have resilience during market downturns, we get paid tax-efficient cash on a monthly / quarterly basis, and dividend growth stocks tend to outperform benchmark indices over a long enough time horizon.

However, this investment strategy also has its drawbacks — including the lack of high-octane investment opportunities.

With that being said, I'd argue two things are true:

Now that the team over at NEOS has introduced a covered call Bitcoin ETF whose strategy both offers high monthly income and price appreciation in rising markets, there's no excuse to stay on the sidelines.

Personally, I've been a Bitcoin investor since 2017.

Now as I shift my focus away from high-octane opportunities and instead toward income-focused ideas — BTCI is how I will continue to have a ~10% allocation to the evolving asset class throughout my wealth building journey.