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VanEck Avalanche ETF
VanEck Avalanche ETF — the first US ETF directly holding AVAX tokens, launched by Jan van Eck in 2023, tracking the Avalanche blockchain.
VanEck Avalanche ETF
VanEck, founded in 1955 by John C. van Eck, is a New York-based asset manager best known for its gold and emerging-markets ETFs. The firm entered digital assets early, launching VanEck Bitcoin Trust in 2021 and the Avalanche ETF two years later (per Bloomberg, 2023). Wealth origins trace to the van Eck family's early work in commodity investing. The VanEck Avalanche ETF directly holds AVAX tokens, providing institutional and retail investors passive exposure to the Avalanche network — a blockchain designed for speed and subnet scalability. Unlike broader crypto basket funds, this ETF isolates a single protocol. VanEck also manages a digital-assets research desk and deploys capital into private blockchain startups via co-investments, notably in Circle and Coin Metrics (per the firm, 2023). Geographic focus is global, with primary trading in US markets and backing from Asia-based venture arms. The firm runs over $100B in total AUM across 90+ funds (per VanEck, 2025). The digital-assets team includes eight specialists covering cryptocurrencies, DeFi, and tokenization. In September 2024, VanEck filed for a spot Solana ETF, signaling continued expansion beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum (per Reuters, 2024). Philanthropic structures include the VanEck Charitable Trust, separate from fund management. VanEck's structural differentiator is its dual status as a 70-year-old traditional asset manager with a dedicated digital-assets division that launches actively-managed token funds — a hybrid few peers replicate. This lets it bridge legacy ETF distribution with frontier crypto custody, a rare combination in regulated markets.
General information
Firm type
Exchange-Traded Fund
Year founded
2023
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Additional offices
Chicago · Los Angeles · Amsterdam · Sydney · Singapore · Frankfurt
Principals
Jan van Eck
CEO, VanEck
Matthew Sigel
Head of Digital Assets Research, VanEck
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What does the VanEck Avalanche ETF hold?
The fund directly holds AVAX tokens, the native cryptocurrency of the Avalanche network, and is passively managed to reflect token price movements (per VanEck fund prospectus, 2023). It does not use derivatives or synthetic exposure.
How does this ETF differ from VanEck's other crypto products?
VanEck's Avalanche ETF is a single-asset vehicle, unlike its Bitcoin and Ethereum futures ETFs, which track derivatives. It also differs from the VanEck Digital Assets ETF (DAPP), which holds equity in crypto-related companies.
Who manages investment decisions for the fund?
Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research, and the VanEck digital-assets team determine the fund's strategy, while asset allocation relies on the CBOE BZX exchange listing rules and token custody by Gemini Trust.
What is the expense ratio of the VanEck Avalanche ETF?
The fund carries an expense ratio of 1.50% per year (per SEC filings, 2023), in line with other actively-managed single-asset crypto ETFs.
Is the VanEck Avalanche ETF available for retirement accounts?
Yes, it trades on the CBOE BZX exchange and is available through most brokerage platforms that offer ETFs, including IRAs and taxable accounts, subject to the broker's crypto policy.
Does VanEck have any other single-blockchain ETFs?
As of 2025, the Avalanche ETF is VanEck's only standalone blockchain-specific fund. The firm has filed for a spot Solana ETF but it had not launched as of early 2025 (per Reuters, September 2024).
How does the fund handle token staking rewards?
The VanEck Avalanche ETF does not stake its AVAX holdings; it operates as a simple buy-and-hold vehicle, passing through token price changes but not generating staking yield (per fund documents, 2023).
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