⚖️ ARKB vs BITB Comparison · Free & No Signup

ARKB vs BITB: Two Spot Bitcoin ETFs With Near-Identical Costs

ARKB and BITB both hold spot Bitcoin, approved by the SEC in January 2024. The fees are nearly identical. The real differences are issuer, AUM, and what you believe about each company's long-term role in the Bitcoin ecosystem.

💰 BITB is cheaper 🔬 Compare top 10 holdings → 💡 Plain-English verdict

🤝 BFF Take

Effectively Identical Products. BITB Has a Slight Cost Edge and Crypto-Native Credibility.

ARKB (ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF) and BITB (Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Trust) are both spot Bitcoin ETFs approved by the SEC in January 2024. Both hold physical Bitcoin in custody, both track the spot price of Bitcoin, and both expose investors to Bitcoin's full upside and downside without requiring a crypto wallet or exchange account. ARKB charges 0.21% and is managed jointly by ARK Invest (Cathie Wood's firm) and 21Shares, a Swiss crypto ETP specialist with years of European crypto ETF experience. BITB charges 0.20% and is managed by Bitwise Asset Management, a crypto-focused asset manager founded in 2017 with a longer U.S. crypto track record. The 1 basis point fee difference is negligible — on $100,000 that is $10 per year. The more meaningful considerations are AUM (iShares IBIT and Fidelity FBTC dominate the market; ARKB and BITB are smaller players) and your view on which issuer is more aligned with Bitcoin as an asset class. Both are legitimate options for Bitcoin exposure through a brokerage account. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Bitcoin is a high-risk, high-volatility asset — historical drawdowns of 70-80% have occurred.

📋 Quick Takeaways

₿Both ARKB and BITB hold spot Bitcoin approved by the SEC in January 2024. Performance tracks Bitcoin's price minus the small fee.

💰ARKB charges 0.21%, BITB charges 0.20%. The 1 basis point gap is $10/year on $100,000 — effectively identical.

⚠️Bitcoin has historically experienced drawdowns of 70-80%. Both ARKB and BITB will replicate those drawdowns. These are not diversifying assets.

📊 Data-Based Take: BITB has the lower fee

Whether the lower-cost fund suits your situation depends on your existing holdings, account type, tax situation, and how you use each fund. This is a cost comparison, not a personalized recommendation.

✓ Reviewed by a CFA® Charterholder · Data updated Jun 2026 · Educational only, not financial advice

ARKB

ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF

Expense Ratio

0.21%

1-Year Return

+68.0%

AUM

$4B

Holdings

BITB

Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Trust

Expense Ratio

0.20% ✓

1-Year Return

+68.2%

AUM

$4B

Holdings

📋 ARKB vs BITB — Key Facts Side by Side

Metric	ARKB	BITB
Fund Name	ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF	Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Trust
Issuer	ARK Invest / 21Shares	Bitwise Asset Management
Tracks Index	Spot Bitcoin (Physical)	Spot Bitcoin (Physical)
Expense Ratio	0.21%	0.20% ✓
Cost per $10K/yr	$21.00	$20.00
AUM	$4B	$4B
Holdings	1	1
Inception	2024	2024
1-Year Return	+68.00%	+68.20%
3-Year Return	—	—
5-Year Return	—	—
Avg Bid-Ask Spread	0.02%	0.02%

Data from ETF BFF database. Returns are annualised. Not investment advice.

📊 ARKB vs BITB — Annualised Returns

Annualised returns (trailing, price-based). Past performance does not guarantee future results.

🎯 Should You Buy ARKB or BITB?

Choose if...

ARKB

You already use ARK Invest / 21Shares and prefer staying within their fund family

Choose if...

BITB

You want the lowest fees — saves ~$1/yr per $10K vs ARKB
You already use Bitwise Asset Management and prefer staying within their fund family

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❓ ARKB vs BITB — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between ARKB and BITB?

Both ARKB and BITB hold spot Bitcoin approved by the SEC in January 2024. The primary differences are issuer (ARK Invest with 21Shares for ARKB; Bitwise Asset Management for BITB) and fee (0.21% vs 0.20%). Performance tracks Bitcoin's spot price nearly identically, with any divergence explained by the small fee difference. Both use Coinbase Custody as custodian. Choosing between them is largely a question of which issuer you prefer to work with.

Should I choose ARKB, BITB, IBIT, or FBTC?

IBIT (iShares, 0.25% standard / 0.12% promotional) and FBTC (Fidelity, 0.25%) are the largest spot Bitcoin ETFs by AUM, with $50B+ and $20B+ respectively. Larger AUM means tighter bid-ask spreads and higher liquidity. BITB and ARKB are smaller but offer lower standard fees. If you trade frequently in large size, IBIT and FBTC's liquidity advantage matters. For a buy-and-hold position in a standard brokerage account, the fee differences are small enough that any of the four is a reasonable choice.

Is BITB or ARKB safer than owning Bitcoin directly?

Both ARKB and BITB expose you to Bitcoin's full price volatility — they are not safer than owning Bitcoin in terms of investment risk. What they eliminate is the operational risk of managing a crypto wallet and the custody risk of holding Bitcoin at an exchange. Bitcoin held through a spot ETF is custodied by a regulated entity (Coinbase Custody in both cases). You still bear 100% of Bitcoin's price risk, including the possibility of drawdowns exceeding 70%.

What happens to ARKB and BITB if Bitcoin's price falls 80%?

Both ETFs would fall approximately 80% alongside Bitcoin. Spot Bitcoin ETFs track Bitcoin's price minus the fee — they do not hedge, use options, or hold any other assets. A Bitcoin bear market affects ARKB and BITB identically to any other Bitcoin product, including direct ownership. Historical Bitcoin drawdowns: 2011 (-93%), 2018 (-84%), 2022 (-77%). Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Can I hold ARKB or BITB in an IRA?

Yes. Both ARKB and BITB are exchange-traded products that can be held in IRAs, Roth IRAs, and 401(k) plans that offer brokerage windows, just like any equity ETF. Holding Bitcoin through a Roth IRA would mean any long-term capital gains compound tax-free — a meaningful advantage given Bitcoin's volatility and potential for large percentage moves. However, the IRS treats cryptocurrency and Bitcoin ETF gains as capital gains, subject to the same short-term vs. long-term treatment as other securities.

New to ETF investing? See answers to the most common ETF questions →

📄 ARKB & BITB Fact Sheets

ARKB Fact Sheet→ BITB Fact Sheet→

ℹ️ Data shown is for educational purposes and may not reflect the most current figures. Returns are trailing price-based and exclude dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. ETF BFF is not a licensed financial advisor — this is not personalized financial advice.