Kazakhstan, a leading bitcoin mining nation in the world, has introduced the first spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in Central Asia. On August 13, 2025, the Fonte Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund OEIC (BETF) is to be listed on the Astana International Exchange (AIX).
The ETF allows investors to purchase shares that are backed by real bitcoin, and it is an easy and safe method of investing in the crypto without having to worry about digital wallets or private keys.
BETF is operated by Fonte Capital, which is an investment company registered in the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) in 2022. The company wants to provide a safe, transparent method to allow investors to add bitcoin to their portfolios.
Kazakhstan’s Rise as a Bitcoin Mining Powerhouse
Kazakhstan became a leading country in bitcoin mining following the ban of crypto mining in China in 2021. The nation appealed to businesses due to low-cost coal-generated power and friendly policies.
A spot bitcoin ETF does not represent bitcoin futures or notes, but real bitcoin. BitGo, a U.S.-regulated company, has custody and insures up to $250 million in assets and keeps bitcoin offline in secure vaults, which safeguard investors against hacks.
BETF is regulated by the AIFC, which offers legal protection to assets against international sanctions and minimizes dependence on foreign issuers. Its neighbors such as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have been more reserved, so Kazakhstan is the most open crypto market in the region.
When BETF was launched, bitcoin was trading at around $119,569 with an increase of 0.35%in the last 24 hours, and the trading volume is $7.39 billion and market cap $2.38 trillion, as per CoinMarketCap.
The structure of BETF provides low fees, in-kind settlements, and tight tracking of the bitcoin prices, which makes it a cheap, safe method of accessing bitcoin via traditional markets.
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