Investing

Bitcoin’s Brutal Pullback Has ARKB Investors Searching for Answers

The ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (CBOE:ARKB) offers investors a straightforward proposition: direct, regulated exposure to Bitcoin’s price with no leverage, no options mechanics, and a competitive 0.21% expense ratio. The problem it solves is access. Before spot Bitcoin ETFs launched…

By Austin Smith
Published February 25, 2026, 1:03pm ET · 1 min read

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A close-up of a digital screen displaying cryptocurrency names like Zcash, Ripple, Bitcoin, and Ethereum, against a blue background with a faint world map. Green and red triangular arrows indicating market trends are visible on the right side of the screen, suggesting price movements.
A digital screen displays popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ripple, and Ethereum, reflecting the dynamic nature of digital asset markets. © D-Keine / Getty Images

The ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (CBOE:ARKB) offers investors a straightforward proposition: direct, regulated exposure to Bitcoin’s price with no leverage, no options mechanics, and a competitive 0.21% expense ratio. The problem it solves is access. Before spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in January 2024, getting clean Bitcoin exposure inside a brokerage account meant dealing with futures-based products, trusts trading at premiums or discounts, or self-custody. ARKB removed all of that friction.

The fund’s recent performance reflects Bitcoin’s own sharp pullback. ARKB is down 22.6% year-to-date through February 20, nearly mirroring Bitcoin’s own 22.6% YTD decline. That tracking precision is the point of the fund, but it also means investors absorb every downside move without cushion. On Reddit, the mood around Bitcoin-adjacent names has turned decidedly negative. One post titled Gold Spiking vs. BTC tanking captured the sentiment well, with the author writing: “Gold spiking vs. BTC tanking”, a thread that drew 278 upvotes and 570 comments from investors wrestling with the divergence between the two assets.

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1INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).2The probability of a member receiving $3,000 is 0.028%. If you don’t make a selection in 45 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Members must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify. The probability percentage is subject to decrease. Members are only eligible for the Stock Award promotion upon opening their first brokerage account; subsequent cash brokerage accounts are ineligible for the promo, including for members with multiple accounts.

3Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.

4There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.

Austin Smith

Austin Smith is a financial publisher with over two decades of experience as an investor, analyst, and advisor. He covers stocks, ETFs, Artificial intelligence and personal finance for 24/7 Wall St. Previously, he spent over a decade at The Motley Fool as a senior editor for Fool.com, portfolio advisor for Millionacres, and launched The Ascent to help reader take control of their personal finances.

His work has been featured on Fool.com, NPR, CNBC, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, AOL, Marketwatch, and many other publications. He is as an advisor to private companies, and co-hosts The AI Investor Podcast with Eric Bleeker. 

When not looking for investment opportunities, he can be found skiing, running, or playing soccer with his children. Learn more about Austin's investment approach here.

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