The new CTON ETP offers exposure to Toncoin, which is the native cryptocurrency of Telegram’s The Open Network (TON). The product provides a 2% annual staking yield and targets investors looking for regulated access to one of the fastest-growing ecosystems bridging social media and blockchain technology.
In addition to this, Nordic exchange Safello partnered with Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA), a firm backed by Deutsche Bank, to introduce the first-ever Bittensor (TAO) ETP, which reinvests staking rewards and provides exposure to Bittensor’s decentralized AI infrastructure. Both launches prove that there is a broader institutional shift toward investment products that blend blockchain innovation with real-world applications in communication, finance, and artificial intelligence. It also reflects the accelerating convergence of these growing sectors.
CoinShares Launches Toncoin ETP
CoinShares, one of Europe’s leading digital asset managers, expanded its portfolio with a new investment product centered on Toncoin, the native token of The Open Network (TON), and closely tied to the popular messaging app Telegram. The launch is another major step toward integrating mainstream finance with the crypto ecosystem built around social platforms.
The new exchange-traded product (ETP) is called CoinShares Physical Staked Toncoin (CTON), and it officially began trading on Switzerland’s primary stock exchange, SIX, on Tuesday. The product offers investors direct exposure to Toncoin while automatically generating a 2% annual staking yield from network validation rewards. CoinShares said that trades will be available in US dollars to provide accessibility for both institutional and retail investors in regulated European markets.
CoinShares is specifically attracted to Toncoin’s unique position in the blockchain landscape, as well as Telegram’s massive user base of over 900 million. The TON blockchain’s impressive throughput capacity—reportedly exceeding 104,000 transactions per second, is also a big plus.
The firm described TON as combining “technical performance with existing market reach,” and suggested that the project’s deep integration with Telegram could give it a competitive advantage when it comes to driving blockchain adoption at scale.
Toncoin has had a volatile year, with its market cap dropping by close to 50% over the past year to around $5.7 billion. However, the CTON listing and the excitement around Telegram’s ecosystem provided a modest price boost as TON rose about 5% to $2.30 on the day of the announcement.
TON’s market cap over the past year (Source: CoinMarketCap)
CoinShares’ new Toncoin ETP joins its growing lineup of crypto-based investment vehicles, including the CoinShares Altcoins ETF (DIME), which offers exposure to assets like Solana, Polkadot, Cardano, and Cosmos. The launch also coincides with developments in the Telegram ecosystem, where the “Wallet in Telegram” app recently introduced tokenized stocks and ETFs through its xStocks platform, offering users fractional access to traditional equity markets.
Safello Launches First Bittensor ETP
Meanwhile, Nordic crypto exchange Safello is also expanding into the ETP market with the launch of the first-ever Bittensor (TAO) ETP. It was developed in collaboration with Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA), a crypto asset manager backed by Germany’s Deutsche Bank.
The new product is called the Safello Bittensor Staked TAO ETP (STAO), and it is set to debut on Switzerland’s SIX Exchange on Nov. 19. This will be Safello’s first venture into the regulated investment space.
Part of the announcement from Safello
According to the announcement, the ETP will carry a 1.49% management fee and provide investors with direct exposure to Bittensor’s native token, TAO. The product is issued by DDA ETP AG and fully backed by tokens held in cold storage with a regulated custodian.
In addition to price exposure, holders will benefit from automatic staking rewards that are reinvested into the fund, boosting its Net Asset Value over time. Safello CEO Emelie Moritz said that the launch represents a major milestone for the company and will “increase accessibility to Bittensor – one of the most exciting networks at the intersection of blockchain and AI.”
Bittensor is a decentralized, open-source machine-learning protocol that makes it possible for developers to build, share, and monetize artificial intelligence models across specialized subnets. Each subnet functions as an independent marketplace for a specific AI use case, with contributors rewarded in TAO tokens. This architecture allows Bittensor to function as a decentralized layer for AI development, similar to how Bitcoin established a decentralized foundation for financial systems. Chris Miglino of DNA Fund described Bittensor as a key driver of the next wave of AI and blockchain convergence.
The launch comes during a surge in new crypto ETP and ETF products globally. This week alone, Bitwise introduced its Solana Staking ETF (BSOL). Some other products tied to Litecoin, Hedera, and Solana are also entering the market.
