In 2022, Melanion Capital achieved many remarkable milestones thanks to the dedication and hard work of our team. We are proud to share some of the major achievements we’ve accomplished throughout this last trip around the sun, whether they are directly related to our work and products, or even related to our dedication towards contributing to make the world a better place.
Partnerships and celebrations with Borsa Italiana
First things first, those who are familiar with the industry are well aware that the UCITS label is the highest European standard in fund regulation, and although there is no pure Bitcoin UCITS ETF in Europe yet, we are proud to be the first fully regulated ETF around the Bitcoin Thematic listed on Borsa Italiana.
We have set up an original methodology that allows investors to have a stake in the Bitcoin Thematic through stocks, and within the regulated framework of UCITS ETFs. We made sure that our ETF is designed to have clear investment constraints, diversification ratios, sound management of risk and investment limits, transparency of information, and the use of an independent depositary. These are the main and well-defined requirements given by the European Directive.
We came together in Milan during the Bell Ceremony to celebrate this innovative moment. We believe that the growth of the Italian ETF industry will play an important role in our expansion in Europe.
This past year, we also formed important partnerships with industry leaders for the distribution of our ETF, namely MFEX by Euroclear, one of the leading B2B fund platforms in the world. We also collaborated with other B2B and B2C companies.
Countless media appearances
We are also glad we could be part of numerous media appearances, such as 21 Millions, The Cryptonomist, Cointelegraph, and particularly on the BFM Crypto emission of BFM Business that tracks all blockchain, Bitcoin, and crypto news.
The managing director of Melanion Capital, Cyril Sabbagh, is frequently invited to discuss ETFs and the importance of regulation, to comment on the latest news regarding the crypto ecosystem and offer his input on the growing institutionnalisation.
Furthermore, we also focused on webinars during which we talked about the exposure to Bitcoin, and warned investors on the lack of protection when it comes to unregulated platforms. In addition to that, we had the chance to participate in various events like Patrimonia Lyon and many others.
Launching of the Nasdaq symbol
On top of this, we are proud to become the first European fund to launch the Nasdaq symbol on the Nasdaq Fund Network. We have chosen MBTCX as the unique 5-character symbol for the fund, making it searchable on one of the largest distribution networks and connecting it to brokerages and major market data vendors. This led the Chief Commercial Officer of Kneip, Jacob Koopmans, to qualify us as “innovators”.
“Solidarity with Ukrainians” initiative
2022 was the time for us to make a significant step into social responsibilities. We invited all our investors, partners, and service providers to join the call of the Melanion Foundation (non-profit association) to assist in raising funds for a good cause: more than 1.5 million Ukrainians have left their country due to the war. Melanion Capital supported the “Solidarity with Ukrainians” initiative, launched by the “Fondation de France”, by donating 100% of the revenues of 2022 of our Bitcoin Thematic ETF.
Signing of the Crypto Climate Accord agreement
Since demand for cryptocurrencies is on the rise, and the technology is growing in energy consumption, we were also well aware that we had to take responsibility for all sustainability-related topics. Therefore, we supported the Crypto Climate Accord by signing their agreement and participating in the “Climate Neutral Now” initiative.
Our aim was to accelerate the development of digital #ProofOfGreen solutions and set a new standard for other industries to follow. The CCA is a private sector initiative inspired by the Paris Climate Agreement and supported by more than 250 NGOs and companies involved in crypto and finance.
Our Bitcoin retirement plan (Plan d’Epargne Retraite)
We have also worked on facilitating the first solution in France to get exposure to the Bitcoin Thematic in a retirement plan, known as PER “Plan d’Epargne Retraite”.
Melanion Capital thus continues its “Bitcoin Transition” mission to bridge the gap between traditional finance and Bitcoin.
This solution is a supplement to the elderly to provide them with a diversification tool that could help them create additional income during their retirement. At closing, the savings are paid out in the form of annuity, capital, or a combination of both.
Be Satoshi campaign
On another note, it is necessary to remind the people that money should be the foundation for a better world. A world that empowers and connects the people that use it. Yet the impact that money has on our planet is more and more of a concern. Bitcoin reshapes our economy and ultimately builds a fairer system. It challenges our vision of the world and presents a new way to think about money.
Satoshi, the developer of Bitcoin, sees a world that is responsible and that values justice and equality. Therefore, we launched the “Be Satoshi” campaign to remind people on why and how Bitcoin came to be, and to stress on the fact that we should work together for a greener and better tomorrow.
Our referencing campaign at Patrimonia event
Finally, we launched a successful referencing campaign during our last participation in the Patrimonia event. Patrimonia is the largest gathering in France of professionals in the world of wealth advice: CPG, CGPi, Family Office, Private Managers, Chartered Accountants, Notaries, Brokers, Lawyers, and others.
The main objective of this campaign was to measure the desire of these professionals in seeing our ETF within life insurance contracts. We came out with extraordinary results: nearly 200 management professionals representing 10 billion Euros of assets have expressed the wish to have our product referenced by all insurers.
The demand for crypto-related products in life insurance is still very high, and it is our responsibility to bring a solution to the people who are interested.
Despite challenges in the crypto market, looking back on 2022, we are proud of our work and achievements, and we look forward to building on them during the upcoming year.
