BLOK vs STCE

BLOKBAmplify Blockchain Technology ETF

STCEASchwab Crypto Thematic ETF

In short

BLOK Launched in January 2018, one of the first blockchain ETFs out of the gate, and still an active stock picker: about 50 global companies chosen by a manager rather than an index, plus limited digital-asset exposure through a wholly owned subsidiary.

STCE Crypto exposure without owning a coin. STCE holds about 40 global companies tied to digital assets and blockchain, chosen by Schwab's own index, at a price that undercuts most thematic funds.

Stated mandate

BLOK The Fund seeks total return through active investment in equity securities of companies involved in developing and using blockchain technologies. It may invest in non-U.S. equities and obtain limited digital-asset exposure through a wholly owned subsidiary.

STCE The fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, an index providing global exposure to companies that may benefit from developing or using cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, or from business activities tied to blockchain and distributed-ledger technology.

Why people hold it

• BLOK Actively managed rather than index-bound: the team picks roughly 50 blockchain-linked companies worldwide and can reshuffle as the industry's cast changes.
• A January 2018 launch that grew into a billion-dollar-plus fund, and one of the stronger implementations in its blockchain-equity peer group.
• Scale shows up at the screen: among the easier funds in this corner of the market to get in and out of, and spread across a broad basket instead of two or three names.

• STCE Charges 0.30% a year, roughly half the typical fund in its global thematic group. Schwab billed it as the lowest-cost crypto-related ETF when it launched in 2022.aboutschwab.com
• Stocks, not coins: the index targets companies worldwide that may benefit from cryptocurrencies, digital assets and distributed-ledger technology.schwabassetmanagement.com
• Cheap, straightforward and liquid enough for a niche theme, which puts it in the top quartile of its global thematic peer group.

Worth knowing

• BLOK 0.70% a year, essentially the category median but above index-tracking rivals such as BKCH at 0.50%. Active stock selection is what the extra buys.
• Companies, not coins. Any direct digital-asset exposure is limited and routed through a wholly owned subsidiary, so the ride follows blockchain equities, not a coin price.
• Distributions land once or twice a year, so this is an equity growth vehicle rather than an income sleeve.

• STCE Crypto-linked equities move violently, and with roughly 40 non-diversified names, a stumble at one holding is felt across the fund.aaii.com
• It owns crypto-adjacent businesses, not bitcoin, so its path can diverge from the coins themselves in either direction.aaii.com
• Modest asset base by ETF standards and distributions land only once or twice a year, so this is a theme sleeve rather than an income holding.

Full BLOK profile⁠

Full STCE profile⁠