The Biggest Bitcoin ETF Threat No One Is Talking About
A majority of bitcoin ETF issuers have chosen Coinbase as a custodian, which is a concentration of risk. Even if that is the safest option, new cybersecurity standards are needed for making crypto custody truly safe.
As I waited with the rest of the world for the first bitcoin ETF to be approved, one thing has been gnawing at me: With a handful of exceptions including Fidelity and VanEck, nearly every applicant for a spot bitcoin ETF intends to use Coinbase as its custodian.
As a cybersecurity leader focused on blockchains, this concentration of risk along with the inherently high-risk nature of crypto custodianship and the still-evolving nature of security best practices gives me pause.
It’s not Coinbase itself that worries me here. The firm has never been hit by a known hack, which explains why so many traditional institutions trust its know-how. However, there is no such thing as an unhackable target – anything and anyone can be compromised, given enough time and resources, which is a lesson I've learned over a career at the intersection of cybersecurity and asset management.
What worries me is the extreme asset concentration in a single custodian. And given the cash-like nature of crypto assets, that makes the situation inherently concerning.