$1.68 Trillion T. Rowe Price Files for First Active Crypto ETF Holding BTC, ETH, SOL, and XRP

Rowe Price has filed for its first actively managed crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF). It is one of America’s most established investment giants with $1.68 trillion in assets under management.

Rowe Price ETF Targets Leading Crypto Assets Like BTC, ETH

The registration that was submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will be the company’s official introduction of the firm into the digital asset investment market.

The SEC filing confirms the name of the ETF to be the T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF. The fund aims to outperform the FTSE Crypto U.S. Listed Index. This index is a benchmark tracking the ten largest digital assets by market capitalization.

A similar benchmark-based approach was recently used by ProShares in its new index crypto ETF filing. This ETF also tracks Bitcoin and other major assets

According to the SEC prospectus, the ETF will trade on NYSE Arca. Also, it can hold between five and fifteen crypto assets at a time, based on market conditions and the fund’s active strategy.

The ETF will include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and XRP among its primary holdings. XRP’s growing institutional relevance is evident, with Ripple-backed Evernorth planning a $1 billion XRP treasury initiative.

Moreover, the T. Rowe Price crypto ETF can also add other top assets. These include Cardano (ADA), Avalanche (AVAX), Polkadot (DOT), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Chainlink (LINK).

ETF Uses Active Strategy Alongside a Stablecoin Flexibility Feature

The submission also permits the use of stablecoins like USDC for operating expenses and liquidity management. This fund will be an active fund unlike passive crypto ETFs, which simply track an index.

It will enable managers to adjust exposure based off valuation, and market trends. This flexibility comes as global interest in ETFs rises. Recently, Hong Kong approved the first Solana ETF in that region.

Also, this crypto ETF is the first direct investment product in cryptocurrencies for T. Rowe Price. The company has greater popularity in the mutual funds and retirement funds space. Its operations and custody will be handled by the T. Rowe Price Sponsor LLC. This means investors will not have the same protections as in standard mutual funds.

Bloomberg Analyst Calls Filing A Surprise

Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, called the move a “semi-shock.” He noted that T. Rowe Price is a top-five active fund manager and traditionally focused on mutual funds.

“Did not expect it but I get it,” Balchunas commented on X. “There’s gonna be a land rush for this space too.” His remarks highlight how rapidly the institutional ETF landscape is evolving, with traditional financial giants rushing to establish a foothold in crypto.