International Crypto Fund Q&A with Wholesale Investor
Christopher Evans of Parkworth Investments and the International Crypto Fund, talks Questions and Answers with Wholesale Investor
Can you please explain what the company is, and the function it performs?
Parkworth Investments is an Australian private company licensed and regulated Fund Manager for the International Crypto Fund.
What did you see in the market or general population that motivated you to work on this company as a solution?
Parkworth Investments founded the International Crypto Fund (ICF) to fill a large gap in the Australian wholesale market, enabling wholesale and institutional investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum without the security risks associated with new technologies and blockchain including custodial wallets and exchanges.
Can you give me a deeper understanding of the clear value add-in from the company’s offer, the specific benefits across the process?
Whilst completing our due diligence on digital assets in the last 3 years we established 5 key elements that were essential:
1. Security
2. Fees
3. Access
4. Liquidity
5. Regulation
I will start with number 1 being:
Security
Investing via online exchanges may be risky, holding digital assets on an exchange platform may be vulnerable to hacking, loss of seed keys, local government laws, regulation are a few risks associated with this type of arrangement. We mitigate this risk by securing the funds’ assets offline with a regulated licensed and insured custodian.
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Fees
Accessing digital assets via some exchanges can be costly they generally have high buy and sell fees, minimal buying power. Several Crypto funds have likewise high entry costs and generally high minimum investment say $100K including performance fees and long lock up periods We have kept our fee structure simple and competitive with no performance fee.
Access
Wholesale Investors can now have easy access to institutional grade digital asset via a registration form online and directly invest in the fund via a unit trust.
Liquidity
Compared to many other asset classes, Bitcoin/Ethereum can be considered very liquid most of the time.
Regulation
Parkworth Investments was ahead of its time regulating the fund in Australia via a licenced unregistered wholesale managed investment scheme (MIS) meeting all current regulatory requirements.
Competitive advantage above other companies in the industry?
It is a combination of advantages and in line with the 5 key elements I mentioned prior which underlines our investment strategy that sees transparent and vigorous implementation procedures to minimise spreads and follow a publicly auditable bitcoin/Ethereum benchmark rate. The fund does not engage in derivatives, leverage, or short selling, and has embraced a strictly passive ‘buy and hold’ strategy medium to long term alongside a regulated secured and licensed custodian. Competitive fee structure and no performance fee.
Can you talk about the skills the current team brings to the business?
CEO Parkworth
Christopher Evans finance and corporate banking since 2001. Prior roles include as a commercial Banker with Bankwest/HBOS, National Distribution Manager for First Rock Mortgage Centre Aggregation, Head of Sales, and Distribution for Capel Court Financial Services subsidiary of RESIMAC. Crypto currency trader and analyst. Director of Tribe Digital Ventures – Security Token Offering funds management and consulting.
Chairman of Compliance Committee
Robert Payne is the Managing Director of Guildford’s Funds Management, the Trustee of the Fund. Robert has over 20 years of experience in corporate governance and financial licensing, where he has specialised in managed investment schemes, trustee services and compliance management.
Robert has occupied senior management roles in global and international firms, both in the pharmaceutical and industrial sector and through Guildford’s Funds Management he has consulted to major funds management companies in corporate governance and financial services licensing.
What does the roadmap look like over the next 6-12 months, what milestones are you anticipating?
- To be the first-choice digital asset fund
- Increase our presence in global markets
Christopher Evans
CEO
www.parkworthinvestments.com.au
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