Key Highlights
- This is the first-ever regulated product (an ETP) that allows investors to gain exposure specifically to Bittensor (TAO).
- The product (ticker: STAO) will be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange on November 19. You can easily buy and sell it using your normal bank or brokerage account, just as you would with a regular stock or ETF.
- The ETP is “staked,” meaning it is designed to capture the passive income (yield) that the Bittensor network pays out for securing its system.
- The ETP is fully backed by the actual TAO tokens, and because it trades on a major exchange (SIX Swiss Exchange), it operates under strict financial rules. This provides traditional investors with a secure and trusted way to access the crypto-AI market.
In a significant move that bridges the world of cutting-edge decentralized artificial intelligence (AI) with traditional finance, a new investment product is set to debut on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Cryptocurrency exchange Safello and European digital asset manager Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA) have joined forces to launch the Safello Bittensor Staked TAO ETP (Exchange Traded Product).
This listing is a landmark moment, as it will be the first-ever ETP focused on the Bittensor (TAO) network. It offers both everyday and professional investors a secure, regulated, and easily accessible way to gain exposure to the digital asset that sits at the intersection of two of the fastest-growing technology sectors: blockchain and AI.
What is the Product and What Does It Track?
This new investment is set to launch on November 19 on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the trading symbol STAO. As an ETP (Exchange-Traded Product), it’s designed to be simple for you to invest in. You can purchase and sell it using your existing brokerage account, just as you would with any normal stock.
Crucially, the Safello Bittensor ETP is physically backed by TAO tokens, which are held safely in cold storage by a regulated crypto custodian. This structure provides a layer of security and transparency that traditional investors prefer, knowing the product is fully collateralized by the underlying digital asset.
The management fee for the product is set at 1.49%.
The Power of “Staking”
The most innovative feature of the product is implied right in its name: “Staked”.
Staking is a core mechanism in many modern cryptocurrency networks, including Bittensor. When you “stake” a token, you essentially lock it up to help secure and validate transactions on the network. In return for this service, you are rewarded with newly minted tokens, a form of passive income or yield.
By tracking the Kaiko Safello Staked Bittensor Index (KSSTAO Index), the ETP allows investors to participate in this staking economy without dealing with the technical complexity of setting up a crypto wallet, managing private keys, or directly engaging in the staking process themselves. The ETP handles all the technical work, aiming to pass the potential staking rewards on to the product’s value. This is a massive leap in convenience, providing the benefits of holding the asset and earning a yield through a simple, exchange-traded instrument.
The Brains Behind the Listing: Bittensor and the Partnership
This new listing is significant because of the asset it tracks: Bittensor (TAO).
Bittensor is more than a typical digital coin; it’s an ambitious plan for an open, global market where different AI programs can share their intelligence with each other. Think of it as a global, open-source competition where different AI models are incentivized to produce the most valuable intelligence. The network’s users can connect to this collective intelligence and reward the best-performing models with TAO tokens.
As Emelie Moritz, CEO of Safello, noted, this launch is important because it increases accessibility to a network that is “one of the most exciting networks at the intersection of blockchain and AI.” By tokenizing and democratizing access to AI, Bittensor has captured significant attention, and this ETP now provides a familiar, institutional-grade vehicle for investors to gain exposure to this technological convergence.
A Strategic Alliance
The listing is the direct result of a strategic cooperation agreement between the two firms:
- Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA): As a leading European crypto asset manager and a specialist in issuing white-label ETPs, DDA is responsible for the product’s issuance and listing. They provide the necessary regulatory and structural expertise to bring the ETP to market on a traditional exchange.
- Safello: The Nordic-based crypto exchange lends its brand and crypto expertise to the product. While DDA handles the mechanics of the listing, the ETP is a Safello-branded offering, marking an expansion into a new business area for the company.
This partnership perfectly illustrates a growing trend where established digital asset firms collaborate with financial innovators to create regulated products that simplify crypto investing for the masses.
What This Means for You, the Investor
The new Safello Bittensor ETP offers investors some big advantages:
- It’s Safe and Official: Because the ETP trades on the SIX Swiss Exchange, a well-known financial market, it follows strict rules. This gives you high protection and clear visibility into what you own.
- It’s Easy to Buy: You can now invest in the TAO token and earn its staking rewards using your regular bank or brokerage account. You don’t need to deal with confusing things like setting up special crypto wallets or worrying about digital security codes.
- It Attracts Big Money: This official ETP format is exactly what large, professional money managers and institutions need. It lets them invest in the exciting, fast-growing world of AI and blockchain while still meeting all their corporate rules and requirements.
As digital assets become a more normal part of finance, new listings like this on the prominent SIX Swiss Exchange are a very important step forward. They make investing simpler and more accessible for everyone.They signal the growing mainstream acceptance of specialized and yield-generating digital assets, cementing the role of financial innovation in democratizing access to the future of technology.
