Canada's financial regulator approved the first publicly traded bitcoin ETF in North America, according to records published Thursday.

The Purpose Bitcoin ETF will seek to replicate the performance of the price of bitcoin, minus the ETF's fees and expenses, according to a fact sheet posted by Canada-based asset manager Purpose Investments. It will trade on the Toronto stock exchange under the ticket "BTCC." 

"The Fund has been created to buy and hold substantially all of its assets in long-term holdings of Bitcoin and seeks to provide holders of ETF Units ("Unitholders") with the opportunity for long-term capital appreciation," the company prospectus reads.

Cidel Trust Company will be the custodian of the ETF while Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss' Gemini Trust Company will be the sub-custodian. Ernst and Young will be the auditor of the ETF.

The ETF announcement raises hopes that the US Securities and Exchange commission could be one step closer to approving a US bitcoin ETF. Several firms have filed and failed to gain approval for a bitcoin ETF in the past, with the SEC typically citing security concerns.

"It's another step towards an ETF being authorized in the US," Sui Chung, CEO of CF Benchmarks told Insider.

While the Canadian bitcoin ETF is a  "significant"  move forward that demonstrates how regulators in North America have gotten more familiar with the crypto landscape, it's unclear how quickly the US will follow suit, especially given the differences between Canadian and US financial regulations, Chung added.

Despite pushback from the SEC, demand for bitcoin-based investments has soared during bitcoin's 2021 rally. The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust that follows bitcoin has gained 272% in the last twelve months. It's similar to an ETF but it's physically backed by bitcoin.

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