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ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF to Undergo Stock Split Amid Retail Appeal Push

In a bid to attract more retail investors, the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) will carry out a 3-for-1 stock split later this month.

The split announced by the fund’s issuer 21Shares is scheduled for June 16. It aims to make ARKB’s shares “more accessible to a broader base of investors and enhance trading efficiency,” according to the company’s June 2 statement. Despite the move, the ETF’s strategy of tracking Bitcoin’s price remains unchanged, with its underlying Bitcoin holdings and total net asset value staying intact.

A 3-for-1 split means each existing share will convert into three, reducing the price per share without altering the fund’s overall value. With ARKB closing at $104.25 on June 2, post-split shares would be priced just under $35, making the ETF more approachable for individual investors who may have been discouraged by higher price points.

The ETF, a joint effort between 21Shares and ARK Invest, has recently faced headwinds. It recorded six consecutive trading days of outflows totalling $430 million — including a $74 million withdrawal on June 2 alone — making it the worst performer among the 11 U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs in terms of recent outflows, according to CoinGlass data.

Still, ARKB holds its ground as the third-largest spot Bitcoin ETF in terms of cumulative inflows, having attracted $2.37 billion since inception. It currently manages $4.8 billion in assets with a year-to-date return of 7.35%.

Meanwhile, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs collectively saw net outflows of $1.2 billion over the past three trading days, coinciding with a 4% drop in Bitcoin’s price — from over $108,000 to below $104,000 on June 2, according to CoinGlass data. Despite this retreat, Glassnode data revealed that last week marked the seventh straight week of net inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, totaling over 6,100 BTC — a sign of ongoing, albeit moderated, investor demand.

Notably, in April 21Shares officially filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a spot ETF based on Dogecoin.

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