At its core, a smart contract is nothing more than a piece of code that exists on a blockchain and is automatically executed as soon as predefined conditions are met - without intermediaries, without delays and without discretion. They form the building blocks of decentralized applications and enable everything from lending and borrowing to trading and beyond - in a permissionless and transparent way.

And they are growing. In the fourth quarter of 2025 $ETH (-0,98 %) set a record with 8.7 million newly implemented smart contracts - the highest quarterly figure in the history of the network. Today, around 43 percent of the total ETH supply is in smart contracts, a share that has risen steadily over the years. Staking accounts for a significant proportion of this, but DeFi activities are also a major contributor. DeFi (Decentralized Finance) refers to an ecosystem of blockchain-based financial applications that enables traditional financial services such as loans, trading or interest rate products without banks or central intermediaries. Ethereum currently holds 58 percent of the total capital locked in $DEFI (-0,53 %) locked capital (total value locked), which corresponds to around 55 billion US dollars.

Despite this growth, the use of smart contracts is still at a comparatively early stage. Much of what these platforms are intended to enable - from large-volume financial settlements to tokenized real-world assets - is still under construction. If the infrastructure continues to mature, future growth momentum could be significantly steeper than it has been to date.

$CSSC (+0,15 %)
$CETH (+0,91 %)

Why physically collateralized crypto ETPs are important

The global demand for regulated, transparent and simple ways to invest in cryptocurrencies is growing - especially in Germany. Many investors want to benefit from the performance of digital assets without having to deal with wallets, private keys or technical setup. This is exactly where CoinShares Physical ETPs come into play.

CoinShares is a European market leader in digital asset investments with offices in Switzerland, Jersey, the UK and Sweden. CoinShares Physical ETPs offer a simple, secure and transparent way to invest in assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and others - with the added benefit of physical collateralization that creates transparency and direct connection to the underlying asset.

What is an ETP and what does "physically backed" mean?

An ETP (Exchange Traded Product) is an exchange-traded financial product that tracks the price of an underlying asset - in this case cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.

A "physically backed" ETP means:

• Each ETP unit is directly backed by real crypto assets.
• The underlying coins are held in secure cold storage vaults.
• Investors have a claim to the underlying digital assets.

The main benefit: Investors receive direct price participation without having to hold or manage the assets themselves.

Why choose CoinShares Physical ETPs?

Security & custody

All coins backing the ETPs are stored in highly secure, institutional cold storage solutions. Custody is provided by reputable third-party providers such as Komainu - a joint venture between Nomura, Ledger and CoinShares.

Transparency

CoinShares publishes daily:

• The exact amount of cryptocurrencies held,
• The net asset value (NAV) of each ETP,
• The number of ETP units issued,
• The amount of staking income distributed to investors.

Investors can see what they own and how it is structured at any time.

Regulation & Structure

The CoinShares Physical ETPs:

• Are listed on European exchanges, including Xetra in Germany,
• Are issued in accordance with applicable EU financial regulation and are subject to ongoing supervision by competent authorities,
• Are domiciled in Jersey - a jurisdiction with strong financial control.

Physical Collateral & Coin Entitlement

Each ETP unit grants the holder an entitlement to a certain amount of cryptocurrency ("Coin Entitlement"). This amount is updated daily and published transparently on the CoinShares website. This means that investors are not only financially but also economically linked to the underlying crypto asset.

What products are currently available?

CoinShares offers a growing range of single asset ETPs, including:

• CoinShares Physical Bitcoin - $BITC (+0,75 %)
• CoinShares Physical Staked Ethereum - $CETH (+0,91 %)
• CoinShares Physical Litecoin - $CLTC (+0,38 %)
• CoinShares Physical XRP - $XRRL (+0,32 %)
• CoinShares Physical Staked Tezos - $XTZS (-1,69 %)
• CoinShares Physical Staked Polkadot - $CDOT (+0,25 %)
• CoinShares Physical Staked Cardano - $CSDA (+1,22 %)
• CoinShares Physical Staked Solana - $SLNC (+0,61 %)
• CoinShares Physical Staked Chainlink - $CCHA (+0,67 %)
• CoinShares Physical Uniswap - $CIWP
• CoinShares Physical Staked Cosmos - $COMS (-2,09 %)
• CoinShares Physical Staked Polygon - $CPYG (+3,57 %)
• CoinShares Physical Staked Algorand - $RAND (+0,55 %)
• CoinShares Physical Top 10 Crypto Market ETP - $CTEN (-0,52 %)
• CoinShares Physical Smart Contract Platform ETP - $CSSC (+0,15 %)

Advantages for investors in Germany

• Access via Xetra and brokers such as Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, ING etc.
• Transparent fee structure: no hidden costs - only a simple annual management fee
• Easy to declare for tax purposes thanks to treatment as a standard security
• Physically secured and held in institutional custody
• Staking rewards possible for selected ETPs

Conclusion: Simple, secure and regulated access to crypto

CoinShares Physical ETPs offer German investors one of the most trustworthy and transparent ways to invest in cryptocurrencies - without technical hurdles, without private keys, without wallet management. This means:

• Crypto as a portfolio component, just like shares or ETFs
• Ideal for long-term investors with a focus on security and regulation
• Available via leading German brokers and platforms