STBQ vs STCE

STBQCAmplify Stablecoin Technology ETF

STCEASchwab Crypto Thematic ETF

In short

STBQ Most crypto-equity funds chase miners or blockchain generalists. STBQ narrows in on stablecoin plumbing: the issuers, payment rails and wallet tech behind digital dollars, plus a sleeve of digital asset ETPs, in one concentrated basket.

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

STBQ The fund seeks to track the MarketVectorTM Stablecoin Technology Leaders Index, which targets companies involved in stablecoin technology and infrastructure, along with digital asset exchange-traded products.

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

• STBQ A dedicated stablecoin theme, not a broad crypto grab bag. The index targets companies that issue stablecoins or run the payments, wallets and infrastructure the transactions ride on.amplifyetfs.com
• Two sleeves, one ticker: stablecoin-linked equities alongside digital asset exchange-traded products. The fund itself does not buy tokens directly.amplifyetfs.com
• Concentrated on purpose. Roughly 30 positions from a rules-based screen, so the core stablecoin names carry real weight instead of being diluted by dozens of tangential ones.
• The 0.69% fee lands right at the median for crypto-equity basket funds, so the narrower mandate does not come at a premium price.

• 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

• STBQ Broader crypto-equity exposure comes cheaper. BKCH charges 0.50% against this fund's 0.69%, so the tighter theme costs a bit more per year.
• It launched in December 2025, so there is no track record across a full crypto cycle, and trading has been thin since then, which can mean wider bid-ask spreads.
• The ETP sleeve passes crypto price swings straight through, and the fund is non-diversified, so a stumble at one large holding is felt across the portfolio.amplifyetfs.com

• 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 STBQ profile⁠

Full STCE profile⁠