Grayscale files for first US spot Worldcoin ETF

Grayscale Investments, a major digital asset manager, has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the first spot exchange-traded fund for the Worldcoin (WLD) token. The filing, submitted on July 20, 2026, seeks to list the Grayscale Worldcoin ETF on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol GWLD.

The proposed fund would provide investors with exposure to the WLD token without requiring them to directly purchase or store the cryptocurrency. According to the registration statement, the ETF would be a passive vehicle, holding WLD as its sole principal asset and tracking its value through the CoinDesk Worldcoin Benchmark Rate, minus fees and expenses. Key operational roles have been assigned: BitGo Bank Trust would serve as custodian for the WLD holdings, The Bank of New York Mellon would act as administrator and transfer agent, and CSC Delaware Trust Company would be the trustee.

The filing is preliminary, with several critical details left blank, including the management fee, the size of the initial seed investment, and the quantity of WLD represented by each share. These are expected to be specified in later amendments. The structure would allow...