VanEck Continues Aggressive Expansion of Its Global Digital Assets-Focused ETF Lineup With Launch by Investo of Fund “BLOK11” in Brazil

VanEck, in partnership with leading Brazilian asset manager Investo, today announced the launch by Investo of a new crypto-focused Exchange Traded Fund on the B3 in Brazil.

The Investo VanEck ETF MVIS Crypto Compare Smart Contract Leaders Brazil Fundo de Índice - Investimento no Exterior (ticker: BLOK11), which focuses on smart contract exposure, begins trading on [Date TBD].

BLOK11 seeks to track the performance of the MVIS CryptoCompare Smart Contract Leaders Brazil Index (MVSCBR), providing exposure to the largest and most liquid smart contract¹ assets globally, which are open-source blockchain software protocols that enable instant, permissionless 365/24/7 global value transfer. This index considers Brazilian trading parameters.

This fund marks the latest expansion of VanEck’s product lineup in Brazil, closely following the mid-March launch of four ETF BDRs. “We’re very pleased that these new funds are available to the Brazilian marketplace, providing compelling solutions for those investors looking for ways to add targeted, differentiated exposures to the digital assets universe,” said Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck.

"We are living in an age of rapid technology development that demands us to be up-to-date at all times on the new applications leveraging cutting-edge technology around the world. Therefore, Investo is proud to accompany this evolution with the launch of BLOK11. With this ETF, we bring to life a simple and intelligent way to invest in the smart contracts sector in a diversified manner," says Cauê Mançanares, CEO of Investo.

This fund is also part of an ongoing effort by VanEck to deliver exposure to digital assets to investors in major markets around the globe. For example, in January, VanEck’s European arm launched an Exchange Traded Note (ETN) on the Deutsche Borse Xetra and SIX Swiss Exchange that allows investors to invest in a selected basket of the largest cryptocurrencies with the greatest liquidity, including bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The firm also now offers ETNs to European investors that provide exposure to the spot prices of crypto assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, and more.

About VanEck

VanEck has a history of looking beyond the financial markets to identify trends that are likely to create impactful investment opportunities. We were one of the first U.S. asset managers to offer investors access to international markets. This set the tone for the firm’s drive to identify asset classes and trends – including gold investing in 1968, emerging markets in 1993, and exchange traded funds in 2006 – that subsequently shaped the investment management industry.

Today, VanEck offers active and passive strategies with compelling exposures supported by well-designed investment processes. As of May 31, 2022, VanEck managed approximately $78.3 billion in assets, including mutual funds, ETFs and institutional accounts. The firm’s capabilities range from core investment opportunities to more specialized exposures to enhance portfolio diversification. Our actively managed strategies are fueled by in-depth, bottom-up research and security selection from portfolio managers with direct experience in the sectors and regions in which they invest. Investability, liquidity, diversity, and transparency are key to the experienced decision-making around market and index selection underlying VanEck’s passive strategies.

Since our founding in 1955, putting our clients’ interests first, in all market environments, has been at the heart of the firm’s mission.

Important Disclosures

Cryptocurrency is a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, or a store of value, but it does not have legal tender status. Cryptocurrencies are sometimes exchanged for U.S. dollars or other currencies around the world, but they are not generally backed or supported by any government or central bank. Their value is completely derived by market forces of supply and demand, and they are more volatile than traditional currencies. The value of cryptocurrency may be derived from the continued willingness of market participants to exchange fiat currency for cryptocurrency, which may result in the potential for permanent and total loss of value of a particular cryptocurrency should the market for that cryptocurrency disappear. Cryptocurrencies are not covered by either FDIC or SIPC insurance. Legislative and regulatory changes or actions at the state, federal, or international level may adversely affect the use, transfer, exchange, and value of cryptocurrency.

Investing in cryptocurrencies comes with a number of risks, including volatile market price swings or flash crashes, market manipulation, and cybersecurity risks. In addition, cryptocurrency markets and exchanges are not regulated with the same controls or customer protections available in equity, option, futures, or foreign exchange investing. There is no assurance that a person who accepts a cryptocurrency as payment today will continue to do so in the future.

Investors should conduct extensive research into the legitimacy of each individual cryptocurrency, including its platform, before investing. The features, functions, characteristics, operation, use and other properties of the specific cryptocurrency may be complex, technical, or difficult to understand or evaluate. The cryptocurrency may be vulnerable to attacks on the security, integrity or operation, including attacks using computing power sufficient to overwhelm the normal operation of the cryptocurrency’s blockchain or other underlying technology. Some cryptocurrency transactions will be deemed to be made when recorded on a public ledger, which is not necessarily the date or time that a transaction may have been initiated.

• Investors must have the financial ability, sophistication and willingness to bear the risks of an investment and a potential total loss of their entire investment in cryptocurrency.
• An investment in cryptocurrency is not suitable or desirable for all investors.
• Cryptocurrency has limited operating history or performance.
• Fees and expenses associated with a cryptocurrency investment may be substantial.

There may be risks posed by the lack of regulation for cryptocurrencies and any future regulatory developments could affect the viability and expansion of the use of cryptocurrencies. Investors should conduct extensive research before investing in cryptocurrencies.

Information provided by Van Eck is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as financial, tax or legal advice. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell an interest in cryptocurrencies.

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. As with any investment strategy, there is no guarantee that investment objectives will be met and investors may lose money. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The products mentioned in this press release are not registered in the U.S. and not available for purchase by U.S. investors.

¹ A smart contract is a self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code. The code and the agreements contained therein exist across a distributed, decentralized blockchain network. The code controls the execution, and transactions are trackable and irreversible.

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