Central Asia’s first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) has launched on the Astana International Exchange in Kazakhstan. The Astana International Exchange (AIX) announced the development on Wednesday through an official blog post.Â
According to the exchange, the fund, Fonte Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund (BETF) is launched by Fonte Capital, a renowned asset manager registered with the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). Like Fonte Capital, AIX is a stock exchange that operates within Astana AIFC regulation.
AIX launched in 2017 and has today grown into a global organization. As of July 2025, the platform oversees about $130 million in monthly sales.
Fonte Capital disclosed that the new BETF offers indirect investment exposure to Bitcoin. Furthermore, the asset manager said the ETF is available to the broader investing community including retail investors.
Underlining its credibility, AIX said the BETF is physically backed by Bitcoin entrusted to BitGo Trust. By working with the renowned custodian, Fonte Capital has positioned BETF to gain market trust as the BitGo Trust offers BTC custody to top Bitcoin ETF issuers such as Ark Invest and 21Shares.
Growing crypto adoption in Kazakhstan
More so, BitGo Trust confirmed the launch on its official page on X. The company went on to confirm that it will use a secure US-regulated cold storage to protect the assets.
Additionally, in the statement, the firm narrated how Kazakhstan is advancing to a new era for virtual assets. The words of BitGo underlines how cryptocurrency adoption has been gaining traction in Kazakhstan and fast extending to the whole of Central Asia.
In May 2025, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev disclosed his intention to launch a pilot zone where citizens can make payments for goods and services with cryptocurrency.
As per Binbits, the president intends to test crypto adoption in a streamlined society. Further, Kazakhstan in recent times has relaxed its tough approach towards the cryptocurrency sector.
Similarly, Binance collaborated with the Kazakhstan State Organization to launch a blockchain technology education program in December 2022. With the initiative, Binance hopes that by 2026, about 40,000 citizens of the country will be equipped with the needed blockchain education.
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