See below for an excerpt from a recent Crypto Long & Short newsletter from CoinDesk, featuring insights from Adam Guren (Founder and CIO of RDC investor Hunting Hill Global Capital) on the growing convergence of traditional finance and digital assets. The piece spotlights depositary receipts (DRs) as a key financial product bridging the gap between TradFi and crypto, offering institutions a regulated and familiar way to access digital assets.
Please note: RDC is not the author of this article and is not responsible for the content and accuracy of the information contained therein.
Financial products driving convergence
Institutional adoption is further fueled by products that mirror traditional markets while leveraging blockchain advantages. Today’s institutional offerings include spot & derivatives markets, yield-bearing products, ETFs & in-kind redemptions and depositary receipts — all designed with similar underwriting logic and performance expectations.
The expansion of futures, options and structured products in crypto mirrors the mechanics of TradFi derivatives. These instruments provide price discovery, risk hedging and speculative capabilities that align with institutional mandates. Yield-bearing products like staking, crypto lending and tokenized fixed-income are being designed with yield profiles resembling TradFi. These structures provide fixed or floating returns while incorporating risk metrics familiar to institutions.
One of the most popular products has been spot bitcoin ETPs. Nasdaq’s proposed in-kind redemptions for BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF further align crypto ETFs with traditional counterparts, boosting efficiency and liquidity. Additionally, crypto depositary receipts enable institutions to access digital assets without direct custody, bridging traditional markets and crypto in a regulated, familiar structure.
Institutional investors are engaging through structures that blend traditional and digital techniques: hybrid funds, separately managed accounts (SMAs) and bespoke mandates. These tailor exposure while maintaining operational familiarity, providing institutions with regulated pathways to participate in this evolving ecosystem.
Read the full newsletter here.