IBIT and ETHA Charge the Same. The Similarities End There.

The article compares iShares’ two single-asset crypto ETFs — the Bitcoin-focused IBIT and the Ether-focused ETHA — and finds ETHA materially outperformed IBIT over the trailing year but with higher volatility and a much smaller asset base. Both charge the same 0.25% expense ratio and offer similar operational convenience versus holding crypto directly, but IBIT has far greater institutional adoption (AUM ~$63.7B vs ETHA ~$7.6B). The performance gap reflects divergent Bitcoin and Ether price moves rather than fund structure. Investors should weigh ETHA’s stronger recent returns against its deeper drawdowns and shorter track record.