A year since listing the region's first digital asset exchange traded product (ETP) on the Nasdaq Dubai, 21Shares secures Shariah approval for its market leading ETPs.

ZURICH/RIYADH, October 19 2023: 21Shares, the world's largest issuer of digital asset ETPs, continues its international expansion with Shariah approval of its 21Shares Bitcoin ETP (ABTC) and21Shares BOLD ETP (BOLD) from leading Saudi scholars.

Having launched the world's first crypto backed ETP in 2018, the company continues to lead the market with the expansion of its products and a catalogue of listings on major global exchanges.

Amidst sustained interest from Saudi investors, the recent Shariah compliance of the BOLD ETP is significant in that the product is at the forefront to become Saudi Arabia's first hybrid product. Rebalanced monthly, BOLD has a 25:75 Bitcoin to gold ratio, offering investors exposure to the traditional value of gold with the promising return rates of Bitcoin.

In the context of inflationary pressures, and heightened geopolitical risk, the products represent important risk and return diversifiers within both private and institutional portfolios.

As regional financial centres compete to provide the latest financial services products, 21Shares' announcement is an important step in the company's Saudi market entry. Under Vision 2030 Saudi Arabia is working to transform its financial services industry highlighted by increased digitalisation across the economy and the widespread adoption of Blockchain.

Ahead of the upcoming Future Investment Initiative, co–founder and CEO Hany Rashwan commented “Saudi Arabia presents exciting new market expansion opportunities for us. This milestone reflects our unwavering commitment to operating within the highest regulatory standards and providing a secure and transparent platform for our clients. Our tailored crypto investment solutions will resonate with Saudi investors. We look forward to partnering with local financial institutions, fostering trust, and contributing to the Kingdom's thriving fintech ecosystem.”

About 21.co
21.co is the world's leader in providing access to crypto through TradFi and DeFi. 21.co offers cryptocurrency exchange traded products (ETPs) via its 21Shares affiliate, as well as blockchain infrastructure technology. 21.co's products are built on its proprietary operating system, Onyx, which is also distributed to third parties. The company was founded in 2018 by Hany Rashwan and Ophelia Snyder. For more information, please visit www.21.co.

Press Contact
Nicole Cueto, press@21.co

Disclaimer
The information provided does not constitute a prospectus or other offering material and does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy securities or financial instruments in any jurisdiction, including the U.S. Some of the information published herein may contain forward–looking statements and readers are cautioned that any such forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Additionally, there is no guarantee as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or availability of the information provided and 21.co and its affiliated entities are not responsible for any errors or omissions. The information contained herein may not be considered as economic, legal, tax or other advice and viewers are cautioned not to base investment or any other decisions on the content hereof.

GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000864821)

21Shares' entry into the Middle East provides investors in the market with access to the rapidly–growing asset class through Nasdaq Dubai

DUBAI, UAE, October 12, 2022 "" 21Shares AG ("21Shares"), part of parent company, 21.co, and the world's largest issuer of cryptocurrency exchange traded products (ETPs), today announced its launch in the Middle East "" introducing the first physically–backed bitcoin ETP in the Middle East with the listing of 21Shares Bitcoin ETP (Ticker: ABTC) on Nasdaq Dubai. This marks 21Shares' first entry into the Middle East "" a key region on the company's global roadmap.

The 21Shares Bitcoin ETP is listed on Nasdaq Dubai, accompanied by a bell ringing ceremony, the region's international exchange, and trades in the same way as the 21Shares Bitcoin ETP in Europe. With the addition of Nasdaq Dubai, 21Shares lists 46 products across 12 exchanges in 9 countries.

"Our expansion into the UAE is a major milestone in 21Shares' international growth plans. Coming from the Middle East myself, the region is exceptionally important to me and, as a company, we are committed to providing regional investors with safe and secure access to cryptocurrency–backed products," said Hany Rashwan, CEO and co–founder of 21Shares. "Our partners Nasdaq Dubai and Dubai Financial Market share our vision to provide investors with access to new and exciting asset classes. 21Shares will continue to support the Middle East's ambitions to become a global crypto hub."

Today's news follows the recent appointment of Sherif El–Haddad, who joined 21Shares in August this year as Head of Middle East. Commenting on the listing, El–Haddad adds; "Cryptocurrencies are fast becoming the asset of the future for investors and wealth managers around the world, as global crypto adoption and investment levels continue to accelerate at pace "" and the Middle East is a major accelerator of this growth. The UAE, and broader GCC, is a market of significant strategic importance to our business, and we are excited about the opportunity this market opens to us."

Hamed Ali, CEO of Nasdaq Dubai and Dubai Financial Market (DFM), said "We are pleased that 21Shares has selected Nasdaq Dubai to list its ETP. This is another testament to Dubai's open, progressive, and innovation–first approach. Streamlining investors' access to diversified asset classes is a key pillar in Nasdaq Dubai's endeavor to attract further investments and stimulate active engagement from various market participants. Nasdaq Dubai's world–class infrastructure, broker network and regulatory–focused approach offers fund managers the right environment to bring their products to market."

Today's announcement follows the launch of 21Shares parent company, 21.co "" and its recent $25 million fundraising round which made the company Switzerland's largest crypto unicorn.

Investors interested in learning more about the 21Shares Bitcoin ETP can visit 21shares.com/en–AE.

About 21.co
21.co is the world's leader in providing access to crypto through simple and easy to use products. 21.co is the parent company of 21Shares, the world's largest issuer of cryptocurrency exchange traded products (ETPs) "" which is powered by Onyx, a proprietary technology platform used to issue and operate cryptocurrency ETPs for 21Shares and third parties "" in addition to Amun, a token provider focused on making the DeFi world more accessible. The company was founded in 2018 by Hany Rashwan and Ophelia Snyder. 21.co is registered in Zug, Switzerland with offices in Zurich and New York. For more information, please visit www.21.co.

About Nasdaq Dubai
Nasdaq Dubai is the international financial exchange serving the region between Western Europe and East Asia. It welcomes regional as well as global issuers that seek regional and international investment. The exchange currently lists shares, derivatives, Sukuk (Islamic bonds), conventional bonds and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS).

The majority shareholder of Nasdaq Dubai is Dubai Financial Market with a two–thirds stake. Borse Dubai owns one third of the shares. The regulator of Nasdaq Dubai is the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Nasdaq Dubai is located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Media Contact:
Arielle Sobel, Head of Global Communications, press@21.co
Megan Enright, Communications Manager, press@21.co

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