Bitwise donates $233K to Bitcoin developers using ETF profits

Crypto asset manager Bitwise has donated $233,000 to organizations supporting Bitcoin developers, using profits generated from its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

The contribution, announced Wednesday, is the firm’s second annual donation funded through revenue from its Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB), which allocates 10% of gross profits to developers working to maintain and secure the Bitcoin network.

The latest donation brings Bitwise’s total contributions to $383,000 since the initiative began in 2024.

Bitwise channels ETF profits to Bitcoin developers

Bitwise said the $233,000 payment was funded through profits generated by its Bitcoin ETF, which charges investors a 0.2% management fee on assets under management.

The firm had previously donated $150,000 in February 2025 following BITB’s first full year of operation.

“Bitwise is proud to donate $233,000 to support the unsung heroes maintaining and securing the Bitcoin network,” the company said in a post on X announcing the contribution.

Around the launch of BITB in January 2024, Bitwise pledged to allocate 10% of the fund’s gross profits to Bitcoin developers, recognizing their role in maintaining the infrastructure behind the digital asset network.

“As $BITB continues to grow, so too does our contribution. Bitcoin is changing the world, and Bitwise will always strive to do our part to be a good steward of this incredible ecosystem.”

The size of the donation implies the ETF generated about $2.33 million in gross profits during its second year.

Bitwise earns revenue from BITB through its management fee on assets held in the ETF.

Donations directed to three developer organizations

The funds will be distributed through three nonprofit organizations that support Bitcoin development.

Bitwise said Bitcoin Brink, OpenSats, and the Human Rights Foundation’s Bitcoin Development Fund will allocate the funds to developers working on the network.

The same organizations also received the firm’s earlier $150,000 donation in 2025.

“Open-source developers are the unsung heroes of Bitcoin, donating their time to secure the network and uphold its integrity,” Bitwise Asset Management co-founder and chief technology officer Hong Kim told Decrypt.

“We believe that as the industry grows, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of this ecosystem—just as any financial institution invests in its own internal infrastructure, we must invest in the independent developers who maintain, protect, and help the protocol evolve,” he added.

Kim said the firm selected the three organizations because of their “deep-rooted commitment to the Bitcoin network and protocol.”

BITB remains among leading Bitcoin ETFs

BITB has attracted approximately $2.2 billion in inflows since launching in January 2024, according to data from Farside Investors.

That places the ETF third among spot Bitcoin funds by cumulative inflows, behind BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund.

The BlackRock fund has drawn about $62.4 billion in inflows, while Fidelity’s fund has gathered roughly $11 billion.

BITB currently manages more than $2.7 billion in assets.

Despite a broader slowdown in ETF flows across the cryptocurrency market at the start of 2026, BITB has continued to see modest growth.

Its inflows increased slightly from $2.17 billion to $2.21 billion during the first nine weeks of the year.

Bitwise has also expanded its crypto investment offerings beyond Bitcoin.

The firm manages more than 40 investment products, including exchange-traded funds linked to Ethereum and other digital assets such as XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin.

According to the company, it had roughly $15 billion in assets under management at the start of the year.

Bitcoin itself has risen more than 7.5% in the past 24 hours, trading near $73,210.

The cryptocurrency remains below its October peak of $126,080, though Bitwise expects the asset to reach a new all-time high in 2026 as market dynamics evolve.