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In a strategic expansion into crypto, Michigan’s state pension fund acquired $11 million in Ethereum via ETH ETFs, positioning itself among Grayscale’s largest Ethereum ETF shareholders and underscoring its confidence in digital assets.
Michigan's Bold Move into Ethereum ETFs Marks Crypto Milestone
X contributor Matthew Sigel said in an X post that Michigan spent $10 million on Ethereum via the ETH ETFs. He said that the pension fund has told the SEC about its Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF) holdings.
According to the document, Michigan has more than $11 million worth of Ethereum (ETH) held by the state in the form of 460,000 shares in Grayscale's Ethereum Trust ETF and another 460,000 shares in Grayscale's Ethereum Mini Trust, Coingape points out.
State of Michigan Among Top Grayscale Ethereum ETF Holders
The State of Michigan is among the top five holders of Grayscale’s ETH and ETHE ETFs, according to Sigel, thanks to these ETH holdings. Additionally, they are the pioneers in investing in Ethereum ETFs since their introduction in July with their ETH acquisition.
Keep in mind that the Michigan Pension Fund has been around for a while in the cryptocurrency world. The state pension fund invested $6.6 million in Bitcoin earlier this year through Ark Invest's BTC ETF.
Florida’s Crypto Initiatives Highlight Broader Trend in Pension Funds
Relatedly, this news comes days after Jimmy Patronis, the chief financial officer of the state of Florida, urged pension funds to assess crypto assets.
Additionally, he said that the state had $800 million invested in cryptocurrency and hinted that they would raise their exposure in the event that Donald Trump is elected president of the United States. Some see Donald Trump, who is pro-crypto, as the best candidate due to his recent pledge to put an end to Kamala Harris' war on Bitcoin.
Ethereum Gains Boost Amid Underperformance Relative to Bitcoin
According to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas, this is fantastic news for Ethereum, which is now in dire need of one. He was referring to the Michigan Pension Fund's $11 million in ETH holdings as opposed to its $6 million in BTC holdings when he made this statement.
According to Balchunas, the state pension fund has a larger holding in Ethereum (ETH) than Bitcoin (BTC), even if the price of Ethereum is in the "gutter." Since the beginning of the year, the flagship cryptocurrency has been performing better than the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
Year-to-Date Gains Reflect Bitcoin's Outperformance Over Ethereum
Bitcoin's YTD increase is 60% and Ethereum's gain is a pitiful 6% since the beginning of the year. Due to Ethereum's underperformance compared to Bitcoin, the ETH/BTC trading pair has reached its lowest level since April 2021.
