Bitcoin and Ethereum are the most popular cryptocurrencies in the world.
After the first Bitcoin ETFs launched in February of this year, retail investors got their first chance to add Bitcoin to their portfolios using an exchange-traded product.
They now have that opportunity with Ethereum as well, following the launch of four Ether ETFs in April alone.
In this article, I summarise the best Canadian Ether ETFs listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and how to buy them.
Best Ether ETFs in Canada
Ether is the token or digital currency that facilitates transactions on the Ethereum blockchain.
The top four Ethereum ETFs in Canada are:
- CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF (ETHX)
- Purpose Ether ETF (ETHH)
- Evolve Ether ETF (ETHR)
- 3iQ CoinShares Ether ETF (ETHQ)
1. CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF (ETHX)
ETHX trades on the TSX under two ticker symbols:
- ETHX.B (CAD unhedged)
- ETHX.U (USD unhedged)
The key facts for this fund (ETHX.B) as of July 14, 2023, are:
- Inception date: April 16, 2021
- Assets under management: $317.67 million
- Management fee: 0.40%
- Eligible accounts: RRSP, RRIF, TFSA, RESP, RDSP, DPSP
- Listing currency: USD and CAD
- Cold storage: 100%
- Risk rating: High
ETHX Fees and Returns
The return for ETHX over the last one year was 93.9% as of June 2023.
You can expect to pay a management fee (MER) of up to 0.81%.
How To Buy ETHX in Canada
CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF can be purchased using a self-directed brokerage account.
If you want to minimize your transaction fees, Questrade and Wealthsimple Trade are great choices.
Questrade offers free ETF purchases and competitive trading fees when you sell. You can get $50 in free trades when you deposit at least $1,000.
In addition to ETFs, Questrade also supports FX, GICs, precious metals, stocks, and mutual fund trading.
Questrade
Trade stocks, ETFs, options, FX, bonds, CFDs, mutual funds, etc.
Get $50 trade credit with $250 funding
Low and competitive trading fees
No quarterly inactivity fees
Access to advanced tools and trading data
Top platform for advanced traders
Transfer fees waived
2. Purpose Ether ETF (ETHH)
ETHH is an Ether ETF offered by Purpose Investments.
The fund is available as:
- ETHH (CAD Hedged)
- ETHH.B (CAD non-hedged)
- ETHH.U (USD non-hedged)
Its key facts as of July 14, 2023, are:
- Inception date: April 19, 2021
- Assets under management: $250 million
- Management fee: 1.00%
- MER: Up to 1.50%
- Eligible accounts: Registered and non-registered accounts
- Cold storage: 100%
- Listing currency: CAD and USD
- Risk rating: High
ETHH Fees and Returns
The performance of ETHH in the last year was 82.82% as of June 2023.
It has a 1% management fee, and the management Expense Ratio (MER) may be up to 1.50%.
How To Purchase ETHH in Canada
You can purchase ETHH using any of the readily available stock trading platforms. My top choices are Questrade and Wealthsimple Trade.
Questrade does not charge trading fees to purchase ETHH; however, you pay $4.95 to $9.95 per trade when you sell.
3. Evolve Ether ETF (ETHR)
ETHR is offered by Evolve ETFs, an investment firm with more than $1.7 billion in assets under management.
This fund is available in Canadian dollars (ETHR) and in U.S. dollars (ETHR.U). Both versions are unhedged.
Fund facts for ETHR as of July 14, 2023, are:
- Inception date: April 20, 2021
- Assets under management: $51.9 million
- Management fee: 0.75%
- MER: Not provided
- Eligible accounts: Registered and non-registered accounts
- Cold storage: 100%
- Listing currency: CAD and USD
- Risk rating: High
- Shares per ETH: 287.0092
- Reference Index: CME CF Ether-Dollar Reference Rate
ETHR Fees and Performance
ETHR’s performance in the last year was 77.91% as of June 2023. Its management fee is 0.75% plus applicable sales taxes.
How To Buy ETHR in Canada
Like ETHX and ETHH, you can also purchase ETHR using a discount brokerage account.
Options include Questrade, Wealthsimple Trade, and these bank brokerage accounts.
3iQ offers a few Bitcoin and Ether funds.
The Ether ETF is available in Canadian and U.S. dollars as follows:
- ETHQ (CAD)
- ETHQ.U (USD)
Key facts for ETHQ as of July 14, 2023, are:
- Inception date: April 19, 2021
- Assets under management: $30 million
- Management fee: 1.00%
- MER: Up to 1.52%
- Eligible accounts: Registered and non-registered accounts
- Cold storage: 100%
- Risk rating: High
- Units per ETH: 246.27
ETHQ Fees and Performance
ETHQ has a 1% management fee, and its MER is up to 1.52%.
The fund’s return over the last 1 year is 85.72% as of June 30, 2023.
How To Purchase ETHQ in Canada
Like all the other ETH ETFs on this list, you can purchase ETHQ using a self-directed brokerage account.
Related: Best Trading Platforms in Canada.
Ether ETF vs. Ether
When you hold an Ether ETF, you are directly invested in Ether; however, you don’t need to worry about buying a cold wallet to secure your private keys.
Also, an ETF makes it possible to hold digital currencies in your RRSP and TFSA without running afoul of the rules (i.e. prohibited investments).
Some investors may find it easier to gain exposure to Ether or Bitcoin via an ETF than buying it directly on a cryptocurrency exchange.
Lastly, ETH ETFs are traded on exchanges regulated by the federal government.
This means your assets are likely protected by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) if the brokerage service becomes insolvent.
On the flip side, you can avoid paying anyone a management fee by purchasing Ethereum directly through a crypto platform such as NDAX or Coinsmart.
And, if you plan on dabbling with various tokens in the hope that they will do well, ETFs currently exist for only ETH and BTC.
How To Purchase Ethereum Directly in Canada
If you’d like to purchase the ‘physical’ Ether and be responsible for its safekeeping (i.e., by using a cold wallet like Ledger or Trezor), the following platforms are some of the most popular:
| Features | CoinSmart | NDAX | Bitbuy | Wealthsimple Crypto |
| Coins Offered | BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, BCH, XLM, ADA, EOS, SOL, AVAX, etc. (now Bitbuy) | BTC, ETH, XLM, LTC, EOS, LINK, USDT, DOGE, ADA, XRP, and more | BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, XLM, EOS, AAVE, and more | BTC, ETH, UNI, DOGE, LTC, ADA, and several others |
| Funding options | Interac e-Transfer, bank wire, bank draft, credit/debit card | Interac e-Transfer, bank draft, and bank wire | Interac e-Transfer; bank wire | Electronic fund transfer |
| Fees | 0.20% trading fees; some on deposits/withdrawals | 0.20% trading fee, free deposits; flat-rate fee for withdrawals | Up to 1.50% trading fee; some fees for deposits and withdrawals | 2% trading fee |
| CIPF/CDIC insurance | No | No | No | No |
| Security | 95% cold storage; 2FA | 95% cold storage; 2FA | 95% cold storage; 2FA | Coin held with a regulated custodian – Gemini |
| Referral program | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Learn more | Visit ($50 bonus) | Review | Review | Review |
