Investors Can Now Invest in the Surging Tron Cryptocurrency Via an ETF. Here's What Crypto Investors Need to Know.

The universe of cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is increasingly, shall we say, adventurous, as issuers push beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, going further down the asset class's market-capitalization spectrum to introduce new products.

In fact, some of the most recent additions to the crypto ETF fray focus on digital currencies that rank near the bottom of the top 10 by market value. That includes the newly minted Canary Staked TRX ETF (NYSEMKT: TRXS). This rookie ETF is the first to focus on Tron (CRYPTO: TRX), the eighth-largest digital asset by market cap.

The first Tron-dedicated ETF is here. Image source: Getty Images.

Let's delve into some of the need-to-know facts about this baby ETF and how it may fit into crypto investors' portfolios.

Credit where it's due

Considering that Tron isn't a household crypto name a la Bitcoin and that Canary Capital isn't yet a big name among ETF sponsors, the Tron ETF's fast start is all the more impressive. The sixth ETF in the issuer's stable launched on Sept. 8 and reached $50.3 million in assets under management by Sept. 16. That's certainly commendable.

Also commendable is that this new ETF is easy to understand, a point that shouldn't be understated in the world of ETFs, particularly for crypto funds. Put simply, this fund has two objectives. The first is to provide exposure to, you guessed it, Tron. The second is to leverage the proof-of-stake process to earn more Tron by validating transactions on the Tron network.

When crypto investors stake their tokens, those assets are typically locked up for a period, but they can be sold when market participants decide it's time. It's not an overly complex process, but it's also one some investors don't want to do on their own. The new Canary ETF does the heavy lifting for end users, so that convenience may be appealing.

The rub is that, as with any other ETF, this fund has an annual fee. In this case, we're talking about 1.1%, or $110 on a $10,000 investment. That's high compared to the category average of 0.83%.

It's largely about the network

One way to think about Tron is that it's a representation of, or an investment in, the network of the same name. That network has a significant perch in the settlement of stablecoin transactions, particularly Tether (CRYPTO: USDT).

As Canary Capital points out, the Tron network's value story rests on three pillars: "Fast transaction finality, low transaction costs, and high network throughput." Put another way, the network is appealing to those engaging in many transactions and perhaps to institutions seeking efficient blockchain settlement.

Moving transactions quickly and at a fair price is appealing, particularly in developing countries and in e-commerce, so it's fair to say the Tron network has some stickiness and is a viable avenue for stablecoin settlement. But that also implies the network needs to grow to handle more transactions in order for this new ETF to really take off.

Todd Shriber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool recommends TRON. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.