DWS is looking to launch its first cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs) by the end of this year.
According to its latest half-year report, the German asset manager said the new products could hit the market before Q4 as it continues to establish its ETC platform in Switzerland.
In April, DWS announced it was entering into a “strategic alliance” with digital asset manager Galaxy as it looks to develop a “comprehensive suite of ETPs”.
DWS said it was also lining up the launch of the Xtrackers MSCI World Momentum ESG UCITS ETF in H2 this year.
“We want to build on our positive flow across all regions, we aim to do this by expanding our thematic and ESG products,” Stefan Hoops, CEO of DWS, told analysts on a call.
“The financial economy is going to be tokenised in the future. We are setting up an ETC platform in Switzerland and are engaging with clients on roadshows which have been well-received.”
The move would make it the latest ‘traditional’ asset manager – following WisdomTree, Fidelity and Invesco – to enter the crypto ETP market.
It comes as the German asset manager posted €6.2bn net inflows into its passive asset management division in Q2, according to ETFGI, with its ETP and ETC products ranking it second in terms of flows in Europe over the quarter.
Hoops said it will continue to target its 12% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) by 2025 as it bids to overtake Amundi as Europe’s second-largest ETF issuer.
DWS currently has a 10.1% ETP market share in Europe with $163bn assets under management, according to ETFbook, behind Amundi’s $214bn and BlackRock’s $720bn.
