Grayscale Accepts Crypto Directly for 10 Funds, Entry Starts at $80,300

Grayscale is now accepting cryptocurrency directly in exchange for shares in 10 of its investment products, letting qualifying holders move tokens into fund positions without first selling for cash, News.bitcoin reported on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. The entry points are steep: minimum subscriptions range from about $80,300 to $364,800 as of Oct. 20, according to the asset manager.

The expansion covers bitcoin, ether, XRP, dogecoin, avalanche, chainlink, hyperliquid, solana, sui and zcash. News.bitcoin reported that Grayscale’s top executive on the matter, its head of index Steve Vanourny, described investors as looking for more secure and efficient ways to manage crypto holdings as the asset class matures, and pointed to possible uses of fund shares for collateral, margin arrangements and estate planning.

Also read: Grayscale Files ZCSH High-Income ETF Targeting Biweekly Payouts

Key facts

• The cheapest entry is the Grayscale Solana Staking ETF (GSOL) at roughly $80,300; the most expensive is the Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) at $364,800.
• Ten products are eligible, spanning bitcoin, ether, XRP, dogecoin, avalanche, chainlink, hyperliquid, solana, sui and zcash.
• Subscriptions must run through an authorized participant or an approved intermediary, with facilitator fees and other restrictions applying.
• Grayscale announced the expanded program on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, with minimums dated Oct. 20.
• Cryptobriefing reported the SEC approved in-kind creation and redemption for spot crypto ETPs on July 29, 2025, after which issuers had to rework custodian and trading-partner agreements.

What the entry prices look like

News.bitcoin published Grayscale’s full minimum table. Below the two largest figures sit the Zcash ETF (ZCSH) at about $322,600 and the Hyperliquid Staking ETF (HYPG) at about $282,600. The XRP Trust ETF (GXRP) is listed at roughly $257,000 and the Avalanche Staking ETF (GAVA) at about $235,800.

Once converted, the shares can at least in principle sit inside brokerage accounts, retirement portfolios and conventional lending arrangements, though eligibility varies. Holders give up direct custody in the process, and whether that trade-off is worth it turns on costs, taxes and how much an investor values control of the underlying coins.

Also read: Why Crypto ETF Liquidity Depends on More Than Bitcoin Trading Volume

How it compares with cash-only creation

Cryptobriefing reported that the rollout went live on Oct. 21, 2026, and that the mechanics run mainly through authorized participants, the large trading firms that create and redeem ETF shares in bulk. Under in-kind creation, a participant delivers the underlying crypto to the fund and receives shares; redemptions work in reverse. The fund therefore does not have to buy or sell the asset on the open market each time shares are minted or retired, which the research cited by Cryptobriefing links to possibly lower execution costs and tighter tracking of share prices to the value of the assets underneath.

Cryptobriefing also reported that amending agreements with trading firms including Jane Street and Virtu, along with custodian agreements, was part of the implementation, and that in one reported period the share of Bitcoin ETP activity handled in-kind rose from 28% in March to 62% by June.

Why it matters

US spot crypto ETPs historically worked on a cash-only basis, in contrast to gold and silver products, which long delivered the metal itself on creation and redemption. That gap narrowed when the SEC approved in-kind creation and redemption for spot crypto ETPs on July 29, 2025, a fact both outlets touch on, though only Cryptobriefing supplies the date. With fee pressure and a growing roster of competing products, the operational machinery behind a fund has become a selling point, and Grayscale’s 10-product spread is aimed at keeping it level with rivals.

For holders of large crypto positions, the offer is exposure through a regulated vehicle without a market sale. The drawback is that the minimum thresholds put the service out of reach for smaller investors, and the custody moves to the fund.

What to watch

Investors interested in subscribing have to line up an authorized participant or an intermediary tied to one before anything moves, and the fee schedules attached to those arrangements will shape the real cost. The other thing worth tracking is how the assets drawn in through these creations are reported in coming fund disclosures.

Reported by news.bitcoin.com.

Sources: Bitcoin.com News, Cryptobriefing