The firm unveils their second fund, the Superstate Crypto Carry Fund (USCC), offering yields through market-neutral strategies with tokenized or book-entry ownership
New York, USA, July 22, 2024 - Superstate, a leading asset management firm that is modernizing investing through tokenized financial products, today launches the Superstate Crypto Carry Fund (USCC). USCC (“The Fund”) provides compliant and convenient exposure to the crypto cash & carry trade for qualified purchasers with ownership represented in both tokenized and non-tokenized shares.
USCC takes advantage of price differences between spot and futures markets for Bitcoin and Ether and will optimize the portfolio for both yield and risk across basis opportunities, staking, and U.S. Treasury products relative to the Federal Funds Rate. By issuing USCC as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain, the Fund will, in the future, allow qualified investors to use it for peer-to-peer transactions, such as collateral or settlement, enhancing its utility.
“For years, the crypto cash and carry trade has been a scalable source of returns for sophisticated investors. At Superstate, we’re excited to tokenize this strategy, so that a new class of investors can access the opportunity without having to manage infrastructure and risk,” said Superstate CEO & Cofounder Robert Leshner.
Basis Opportunities, Challenges, and USCC
For years, the cash & carry trade, which involves buying Bitcoin and selling a Bitcoin future to lock in a predictable return, has consistently delivered attractive yields with minimal directional market exposure, both in absolute terms and relative to the Federal Funds Rate. These persistently high yields are mostly driven by demand for leverage expressed through futures. However, institutional investors often face barriers to implementing this strategy given volatility and operational complexities associated with executing and managing the trade. USCC addresses these challenges by offering a convenient, compliant, and actively managed approach:
Active Management: Professionally managed by Superstate, an Exempt Reporting Adviser, USCC investors benefit from deep crypto market expertise and a strong network of institutional partners. The fund will optimize the portfolio across basis opportunities, staking and U.S. Treasury products, only entering positions when yields are sufficient and preserving investor capital during periods of lower crypto basis.
Institutional Service Providers: USCC executes trades through top-tier U.S.-based prime brokers and trusted qualified custodians. Its strong institutional relationships ensure secure, compliant, and efficient management of the Fund.
Lower Fees: Unlike traditional hedge funds that charge high management and performance fees, USCC only charges a flat management fee of 0.75%.
High Transparency: Daily NAV calculations by a third-party calculation agent provide real-time transparency, unlike hedge funds that typically report on a monthly or quarterly basis. Underlying positions held in the fund are also publicly available on a weekly basis.
Flexible Liquidity: Unlike hedge funds that typically offer 30-day or quarterly redemptions, USCC offers liquidity each Market Day.
Regulatory Compliance: Unlike other crypto-native products, USCC offers a compliant solution tailored for qualified investors within a secure, tokenized structure. The Ethereum-based Allowlist enforces onchain ownership, transfer, and compliance between other KYC’d investors.
Bankruptcy Remoteness: USCC operates as a series of a Delaware Trust, legally separate from Superstate, which safeguards investor assets from any potential corporate insolvency of the management firm.
Dechert LLP provided legal advisory to Superstate on the launch of USCC. The California-led team was spearheaded by financial services partners Sonia Gioseffi and Neel Maitra, and included partner Brenden Carroll, counsel Audrey Wagner and associates Lucy Yang, Richard Chapman and Jannet Jassi; corporate partner En-Min Chua; and global tax partner Joseph Riley and associate Lixun Chen.
USCC is Superstate's second fund, following the February 2024 launch of USTB, a tokenized treasury fund. USCC demonstrates Superstate’s ongoing commitment to launching regulated, innovative investment products that enhance opportunities for institutions. For more information about the Fund, please consult the USCC information page.