Finland welcomes first crypto ETP on Nasdaq Helsinki by Virtune

Finnish investors gain regulated access to crypto ETPs as Virtune launches five euro-denominated products on Nasdaq Helsinki.

Virtune, a Swedish crypto asset manager, has launched Finland’s first crypto exchange-traded products on Nasdaq Helsinki, making it easier for Finnish investors to invest in crypto directly in euros.

The launch includes five different ETPs, all physically backed and fully collateralized, the asset manager said in a Jan. 20 press release. The products are available through major Nordic brokers like Nordnet.

Virtune chief executive Christopher Kock called the launch a “crucial milestone,” saying, the firm is “thrilled to introduce Finland’s first crypto ETPs and to be the pioneer in bringing secure and regulated crypto ETPs to the Nordic markets.”

The ETPs offer exposure to top cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) with staking rewards, XRP (XRP), and Solana (SOL) with staking benefits. There’s also an altcoin index tracking 10 big altcoins.

“ETN products provide access to alternative investments while maintaining the transparency of a regulated marketplace, and we are happy to launch this new segment at Nasdaq Helsinki with Virtune as the first issue.”

Henrik Husman, president of Nasdaq Helsinki

Virtune’s ETPs also mark the largest simultaneous crypto ETP launch in Nordic history as they open Finland’s €20.5 billion ETP market to crypto, allowing investors to use their existing brokerage accounts.

In early January, Offchain Labs, the team behind Arbitrum, hired Ira Auerbach, the former head of digital assets at Nasdaq, to lead its new venture capital arm called Tandem. In his new role as head of Tandem, Offchain Labs’ partner studio and VC arm, Auerbach will help identify and support promising blockchain projects. He joins Offchain Labs from Nasdaq, where he oversaw the digital assets division.