Hashdex to Halt DEFI Bitcoin ETF Trading on Aug. 17

Hashdex will stop trading its DEFI spot Bitcoin ETF after the market close on Aug. 17 and liquidate the fund, with cash proceeds to be paid to remaining investors by Aug. 28.

An SEC filing gives investors until the close of trading on Aug. 17 to sell shares. Shares still held when trading ends will be sold and investors will receive a cash distribution based on the fund’s net asset value after the sale of its Bitcoin and deduction of transaction and closing costs. The timetable calls for liquidation proceeds to be paid by Aug. 28.

The fund’s assets and share count fell in the days before the announced shutdown. Hashdex data show DEFI held about $8.7 million and 134.95 BTC on Aug. 11, down from $11.77 million and 180.26 BTC on Aug. 7. Shares outstanding dropped to roughly 120,000 from 160,000 over the same three-day period, a 25% decline.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs overall recorded substantial inflows earlier in August, with the group attracting $865.3 million in net new money between Aug. 3 and Aug. 7. One large product accounted for about $693.5 million of that total.

DEFI converted from a futures-based structure to a spot Bitcoin ETF on March 27, 2024. Since that conversion the fund has registered inflows on six days and outflows on three days.

In 2025 the fund issued $2.14 million of shares and redeemed $4.61 million, a net capital outflow of $2.47 million that left about $11.90 million in net assets at year-end. Activity slowed in early 2026: the fund reported no creations or redemptions in the first quarter, management fee receipts fell to $6,453 from $20,385 a year earlier, and its annualized gross expense ratio declined to 0.25% from 0.56%, according to its quarterly report.

Hashdex continues to operate other U.S. products and manages more than $200 million in offerings available to American investors, according to its filings. The liquidation will finalize investor gains or losses based on Bitcoin’s price moves between the end of trading and the sale of the fund’s holdings, after fees and closing expenses are applied. Remaining shareholders should expect a cash distribution reflecting the final net asset value by Aug. 28.