Mashreq Capital Launches Fund With U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETF Exposure

Mashreq Capital, a UAE-based asset manager incorporated in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), has announced the launch of a multi-asset exchange-traded fund that will provide investors with Bitcoin exposure via U.S.-listed ETFs.

The BITMAC ETF, designed to include equities, fixed income, gold, and bitcoin, is the first professionally managed multi-asset product of its kind made available to retail investors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Mashreq Capital Launches BITMAC ETF With Bitcoin Exposure for MENA Investors

According to the issuer, BITMAC offers retail investors an innovative, diversified, and systematically rebalanced investment portfolio. The fund’s unique design captures growth opportunities from both traditional and digital assets while maintaining a risk-managed structure. 

The product offers BTC exposure through an allocation in U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs, aiming to meet rising demand from clients in the UAE and other regional markets who have shown increased interest in regulated crypto products.

Since it is directed at retail investors, BITMAC requires a minimum investment of only $100, setting the benchmark for those seeking an institutional-grade exposure to bitcoin, while maintaining a balanced, professionally managed, and risk-controlled allocation alongside conventional asset classes like equities, fixed income, and gold.

The ETF will maintain a diversified allocation of 90% across global equities and fixed income, 5% in gold, and 5% in Bitcoin ETFs. Mashreq noted that BITMAC will be actively managed and its portfolio will be adjusted according to market conditions. Shareholders will receive periodic updates as their allocations evolve and as the performance of bitcoin ETFs influences the weight of their shares.

Philip Philippides, CEO of Mashreq Capital, said in a press release that retail investors are finding it increasingly challenging to balance their risk appetite and asset allocation choices within and across asset classes, which has become even more complex with the onset of digital assets that offer higher potential returns but at much higher risk.

He highlighted that BITMAC is one of the first ETFs in the world to include bitcoin in a basket that also contains traditional assets. Mashreq called the fund a “one-stop solution” within a simple Dubai Financial Services Authority-regulated (DFSA) structure that is professionally managed and systematically rebalanced to control risk. 

The ETF will be available to purchase through standard distribution channels, including the DFIC’s own platforms and other authorized participants within the UAE and the broader MENA region.

UAE Funds Gain Bitcoin Exposure Through BlackRock’s iShares ETF

Mashreq Capital now joins UAE sovereign wealth funds such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) and Mubadala as entities that have invested in U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs, particularly BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) – the world’s largest bitcoin ETF by net assets and trading volume.

Both ADIC and Mubadala have purchased more than 16 million IBIT shares. At the end of September, ADIC, which manages over $1.7 trillion in various assets, increased its holdings to almost 8 million shares, valued at about $518 million.

Meanwhile, in May, Mubadala, the parent company of ADIC, disclosed a $408.5 million stake in IBIT in its 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The sovereign fund reportedly owns 8.72 million shares in the ETF that manages $71.54 billion in bitcoin.

Increased bitcoin ETF exposure by Middle Eastern institutions reflects the changing perception around BTC and cryptocurrencies in general, especially after Donald Trump took office this year.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at 91,535 – down 1.83% in 24 hours.