The intense loyalty to specific cryptocurrencies, known as tribalism, has long defined the digital asset space. From Bitcoin maximalists to Ethereum evangelists, communities have often been divided by technical and ideological debates. However, the rise of Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) is fundamentally reshaping this landscape by standardizing access and integrating crypto into traditional finance.
ETPs are rewiring how investors gain exposure. They consolidate custody, distribution, and access under regulated frameworks. For a growing number of investors, buying Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana is now as simple as a click in a brokerage app, moving the decision from ideological allegiance to portfolio strategy. These diverse assets now flow through the same financial pipes—the same custodians, authorized participants, and clearinghouses like the DTCC.
This infrastructure convergence is driving market correlation. Data shows a high average correlation between major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, not because their fundamentals have merged, but because capital moves through shared channels. As global crypto ETPs accumulate billions in assets, the narrative is expanding from pure speculation to include income generation through mechanisms like staking.
While passionate communities will always exist, the ETF era is prompting a pivotal shift. The question for a new wave of institutional and retail investors is becoming less "Which chain is best?" and more "What is my overall allocation to digital assets?" The era of tribalism served to organize a speculative frontier, but the next chapter may be defined by unified infrastructure that supports the entire asset class, allowing participants to advance together.
