DollarTrader · BTC ETF Tools

Bitcoin ETF Fee Drag

About This Calculator ▾

Every Bitcoin ETF charges an annual expense ratio — a percentage of your assets deducted each year. At first glance the differences look small (0.15% vs 1.50%), but compounded over years at high BTC returns, the gap in final portfolio value can be enormous.

Set your investment amount, expected BTC annual return, and time horizon. Select up to 4 ETFs to compare. The chart shows either cumulative fee drag in dollars or full portfolio value with a no-fee benchmark. The table ranks every available ETF by ending value at your chosen horizon.

Not sure which ETFs to compare? See them side by side first, or check live NAV and holdings in the ETF Calculator.

Scenario Inputs

Investment Amount

BTC Annual Return

30%

Time Horizon

10 years

Select up to 4 ETFs to Compare — sorted by expense ratio

Fee Drag Over Time

📉 Best Overall — BTC (Grayscale Mini) · 0.15%

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fee drag vs no-fee benchmark at year 10

📈 Worst Overall — GBTC (Grayscale) · 1.50%

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fee drag vs no-fee benchmark at year 10

Detailed Breakdown at Year 10

ETF	Fee	Ending Value	Fee Drag $	Fee Drag %	vs Cheapest

Methodology & limitations: Fee drag = Investment × ((1 + Annual BTC Return) × (1 − Expense Ratio))^Years. The No-Fee Benchmark assumes frictionless direct BTC exposure — actual direct ownership has custody, exchange, and tax costs not modeled here. Expense ratios are from fund filings and may change; verify at each fund's official website. ★ Strategy (MSTR) is a treasury company — it has no expense ratio but carries equity risk, leverage, share dilution, and management discretion not captured by this model; its inclusion is for reference only and is not a direct comparison to spot ETFs. BTC return assumptions are user-defined; historical BTC returns have been extreme in both directions and past performance does not predict future results. This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

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