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CoinShares
CoinShares was founded in 2013 by high-profile former financial institution executives who saw crypto as a viable asset class early.
CoinShares
CoinShares was founded in 2013 by high-profile former financial institution executives who saw crypto as a viable asset class early. The firm launched the world's first regulated bitcoin fund in 2014, then acquired XBT Provider in 2016, the issuer of the first Bitcoin-based security listed on a regulated exchange. Its founding team came from traditional asset management, trading, and technology backgrounds, and the company went public on Nasdaq Stockholm. The firm's core business is regulated crypto ETPs — physically backed products for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Sei, and others, many with staking rewards. CoinShares also runs systematic active strategies via its quantitative team, provides crypto and equity indices, and operates a Capital Markets division that handles trading technology and treasury management. Portfolio holdings include CoinShares Physical Bitcoin ETP and CoinShares Physical Ethereum ETP, alongside staking products for Solana and Sei. Geographic footprint covers Europe and the US after its 2024 acquisition of Valkyrie, which brought a US ETF. CoinShares established Komainu in 2018 — a joint-venture digital asset custodian with Nomura and Ledger, now an independent regulated entity serving institutional clients. The firm employs over 40 professionals across offices in Saint Helier (HQ), New York, Stamford, and Bogota, according to its website. In 2024, CoinShares acquired Valkyrie and launched its first US ETF, marking a direct push into the American market for digital asset products. CoinShares is structured as a publicly listed company (Nasdaq Stockholm), not a traditional family office or private partnership — a governance model rare among crypto-native asset managers. Its product suite spans regulated ETPs, active strategies, and custody infrastructure, a vertical integration that lets it capture revenue across issuance, management, and trading services. The firm does not disclose AUM or deploy capital from a proprietary balance sheet; its revenue derives from management fees and spreads on products.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2013
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Jersey
City
Saint Helier
Corporate office
Saint Helier, Jersey
Additional offices
New York · Stamford · Bogota
Principals
Jean-Marie Mognetti
Chief Executive Officer
Richard Nash
Chief Financial Officer
Lisa Avellini
Group General Counsel
Pierre Porthaux
Head of Quantitative Research & Development
Benoît Pellevoizin
Head of Marketing & Communications
Annabel Giles
Head of People
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions at CoinShares?
CoinShares is led by CEO Jean-Marie Mognetti, who joined in 2020 alongside executives from ETF Securities and WisdomTree. The management team includes CFO Richard Nash, Group General Counsel Lisa Avellini, and Head of Quantitative Research & Development Pierre Porthaux (per the firm's website). Product strategy is driven by the quantitative research team, while the Capital Markets desk manages treasury and trading operations.
How does CoinShares source its crypto exposure?
CoinShares issues physically backed ETPs, meaning it holds the underlying digital assets in institutional-grade custody with Komainu — the joint-venture custodian created with Nomura and Ledger in 2018 (per CoinShares). For staking products, the firm delegates staking to validators and passes rewards to investors.
Is CoinShares a family office or an asset manager?
CoinShares is a publicly listed asset manager on Nasdaq Stockholm, not a family office. It manages third-party capital through regulated ETPs, active strategies, and index products. Unlike a family office, it does not deploy proprietary wealth or manage a single family's assets.
What investment stages does CoinShares target?
CoinShares focuses on liquid digital asset investments, not venture or private equity stages. Its products provide exposure to cryptocurrencies through exchange-traded securities, with no direct investment in early-stage blockchain startups or private token rounds.
Which sectors does CoinShares explicitly avoid?
CoinShares does not disclose any explicit avoidance of specific sectors beyond digital assets. The firm's product range is entirely crypto-focused — it does not offer traditional equities, bonds, or commodities exposure, aside from a gold index.
How is CoinShares related to Komainu?
CoinShares co-founded Komainu in 2018 as a joint venture with Nomura and Ledger. Komainu acts as a regulated digital asset custodian, used by CoinShares for safekeeping the underlying assets of its ETPs. The entity operates independently and also serves external institutional clients (per CoinShares).
What is CoinShares' known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
CoinShares does not engage in co-investments alongside external general partners. Its business model is product-driven — issuing ETPs and managing strategies for retail and institutional investors via public exchanges and brokerage platforms.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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