Form 485APOS Grayscale Funds Trust

Article

March 11, 2025 5:01 PM EDT

E-mail

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2025

File Nos.

333-271770

811-23876

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933			[X]

	Pre-Effective Amendment No.		[ ]

	Post-Effective Amendment No.	22	[X]

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940			[X]

	Amendment No.	30	[X]

GRAYSCALE FUNDS TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

290 HARBOR DRIVE, STAMFORD, CT 06902

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (212) 668-1427

David LaValle

Grayscale Advisors, LLC

290 Harbor Drive, 4^th Floor

Stamford, CT 06902

(Name and Address of Agent for Service of Process)

With Copy to:

J. Stephen Feinour, Jr., Esq.		Shawn A. Hendricks, Esq.
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP		Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
2005 Market Street, Suite 2600		2005 Market Street, Suite 2600
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7018		Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7018

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
[ ]	immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
[ ]	on [Date] pursuant to paragraph (b)
[ ]	60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[ ]	on [Date] pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[X]	75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
[ ]	on [Date] pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:
[ ]	This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

This Post-Effective Amendment to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A relates only to the prospectus and statement of additional information of the Grayscale Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure ETF, a new series of the Registrant, and does not otherwise delete, amend, or supersede any information relating to any other series of the Registrant.

Subject to Completion - dated March 11, 2025

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Grayscale Funds Trust

GRAYSCALE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INFRASTRUCTURE ETF
(Ticker: [ ])

Listed on [NYSE Arca, Inc.]

PROSPECTUS

[ ], 2025

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Grayscale Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure ETF Summary		1
	Investment Objective	1
	Fees and Expenses of the Fund	1
	Expense Example	1
	Portfolio Turnover	1
	Principal Investment Strategy	1
	Principal Investment Risks	3
	Performance	6
	Portfolio Management	6
	Purchase and Sale of Shares	6
	Tax Information	6
	Financial Intermediary Compensation	6

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND		7
	Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks	9

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION		12

MANAGEMENT		12
	Investment Adviser	12
	Sub-Adviser	12
	Portfolio Managers	13
	Manager of Managers Structure	13

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES		13
	Book Entry	13
	Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares	14
	Determination of NAV	14
	Fair Value Pricing	14
	Investments by Registered Investment Companies	14
	Delivery of Shareholder Documents - Householding	14

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES		15
	Dividends and Distributions	15
	Taxes	15
	Taxes on Distributions	15
	Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange	16
	Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units	16
	Foreign Taxes	16

DISTRIBUTION		17

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION		17

ADDITIONAL NOTICES		17

DISCLAIMERS		17

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS		17

Grayscale Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure ETF Summary

Investment Objective

The Grayscale Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure ETF (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that track the performance (before fees and expenses) of the VettaFi A.I. Infrastructure Index (the “Index”).

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Management Fees		[ ]%
Other Expenses^*		[ ]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		[ ]%
*	Estimated for the current fiscal year.

Expense Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year	3 Years
$[ ]	$[ ]

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund has not yet commenced investment operations, no portfolio turnover information is available at this time.

Principal Investment Strategy

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in the constituents that comprise the Index and in other instruments that have economic characteristics and provide investment exposure similar to the component securities of the Index. Other instruments that have economic characteristics and provide investment exposure similar to the component securities of the Index include depositary receipts (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”)). The Fund invests in equity securities (e.g., common stock) and depositary receipts of companies included in the Index. The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.

The Index seeks to track the performance of companies that are components of the artificial intelligence infrastructure ecosystem. To qualify for selection into the index, a constituent must be a leading player in at least one of the six segments crucial for the continued advancement of artificial intelligence.

To be eligible for inclusion in the initial investable universe, securities must be/have:

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Their listing either in a developed (including the U.S.) or emerging market based on the Index Provider’s country classification system, in the form of common stock or depositary receipt (American or global). As of March 2025, the list of developed markets and emerging markets include Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.

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A minimum total market capitalization of $200 million USD.

●

A three-month average daily turnover greater than or equal to $2 million.

●

All securities must have a minimum free float equivalent to 20% of shares outstanding.

In constructing the Index, the Index Provider selects companies that are leading players in at least one of the six infrastructure segments crucial for the continued advancement of artificial intelligence. Segments and definitions are as follows:

•	Big Data/Analytics – Companies at the forefront of extracting valuable insights from data using AI to help the user make informed decisions.

•	Cloud Providers – Companies providing access to AI processes and tools over the internet in addition to flexible and scalable data storage, platform, and application services.

•	Data Centers and Connectivity – Companies involved in managing physical facilities or providing the necessary components for IT infrastructure and data storage for AI compute needs.

•	Energy Powering AI – Companies offering specific solutions to support the increased energy usage needed to power data centers and cloud providers utilizing AI.

•	Network & Security – Companies safeguarding computer networks through AI-driven behavioral analytics to improve threat detection and limit vulnerabilities.

•	Semiconductor and Computing Systems – Companies designing, fabricating, or developing semiconductor chips or quantum computing systems for AI applications.

The Index is reconstituted and rebalanced quarterly on [calendar quarter month ends on the open of trading following the third Friday of the month (“Rebalance Date”) of each March, June, September, and December]. Reconstitutions and rebalances are based on data as of the close of the last trade date of the month preceding the reconstitution month (“Reference Dates”). Pricing used in share weights used for reconstitutions are based on data as of close of trading on the trade date preceding the [second Friday of the rebalance month (“Weight Date”)].

Constituents that comprise of the Index are float-market cap weighted. Segments weights are capped at 20% while individual constituent weights are capped at 5% with a minimum weight of 0.50% assigned to constituents. Excess weights are distributed proportionately.

The Fund generally employs a “passive management” investment strategy in seeking to achieve its investment objective and fully replicate the Index. However, under various circumstances, the Fund may use a representative sampling strategy, whereby the Fund would invest in what it believes to be a representative sample of the component securities of the Index. The Fund may use a representative sampling strategy when a replication strategy might be detrimental to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of securities to follow the Index; or, in certain instances, when a component security of the Index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid. The Fund may also use a representative sampling strategy to exclude less liquid component securities contained in the Index from the Fund’s portfolio in order to create a more tradable portfolio and improve arbitrage opportunities. To the extent the Fund uses a representative sampling strategy, it may not track the Index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire Index.

The Fund may invest in small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.

The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of the collateral received).

The Fund is “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), and therefore is not required to meet certain diversification requirements under the 1940 Act.

Concentration Policy. The Fund may concentrate its investments (i.e., invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. As of December 31, 2024, the Index had approximately [] Information Technology sector. The Fund’s portfolio holdings, and the extent to which it concentrates its investments, are likely to change over time.

Principal Investment Risks

The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks below are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objective. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND.”

●

Artificial Intelligence Technology Risk. Companies that are developing artificial intelligence technologies and or artificial intelligence infrastructure technologies that seek to disrupt or displace established industry solutions generally face competition from much larger and more established firms. Such companies may not be able to capitalize on their disruptive technologies if they face political and/or legal attacks from competitors, industry groups or local and national governments. Laws generally vary by country, creating some challenges to achieving scale. An artificial intelligence technology company may not currently derive any revenue, and there is no assurance that such company will derive any revenue from innovative technologies in the future. Additionally, artificial intelligence technology companies may be adversely impacted by potential rapid product obsolescence, cybersecurity attacks, increased regulatory oversight and disruptions in the technology they depend on.

●

Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies or in securities that provide exposure to such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money.

●

Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary Receipts involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries and changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies. Depositary Receipts listed on U.S. exchanges are issued by banks or trust companies and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares (“Underlying Shares”). When the Fund invests in Depositary Receipts as a substitute for an investment directly in the Underlying Shares, the Fund is exposed to the risk that the Depositary Receipts may not provide a return that corresponds precisely with that of the Underlying Shares.

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Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund may invest in companies organized in emerging market nations. Investments in securities and instruments traded in developing or emerging markets, or that provide exposure to such securities or markets, can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments or investments in more developed international markets. Such conditions may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares and cause the Fund to decline in value.

●

Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.

●

ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

○

Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable or unwilling to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

○

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

○

Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will generally approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of a security and the security’s last quoted price from the closed foreign market. This may result in premiums and discounts that are greater than those experienced by domestic ETFs.

○

Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.

●

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

●

Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax, or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Currency developments or restrictions, political and social instability, and changing economic conditions have resulted in significant market volatility.

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Index Methodology Risk. The Index may not include all artificial intelligence infrastructure companies around the globe because the Index includes only those companies meeting the Index criteria, including liquidity and market capitalization requirements. In addition, companies that would otherwise be included in the Index might be excluded from the Index if they omit disclosure of, or do not use key terms associated with, artificial intelligence infrastructure activities in regulatory filings or otherwise keep work related to such activities hidden from public (and the Index Provider’s) view.

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Index Provider Risk. There is no assurance that the Index Provider, or any agents that act on its behalf, will compile the Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, maintained, constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated accurately. The Adviser relies upon the Index Provider and its agents to compile, determine, maintain, construct, reconstitute, rebalance, compose, calculate (or arrange for an agent to calculate), and disseminate the Index accurately. Any losses or costs associated with errors made by the Index Provider or its agents generally will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders.

●

Market Capitalization Risk

○

Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.

○

Mid-Capitalization Investing. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies, but they may also be subject to slower growth than small-capitalization companies during times of economic expansion. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole, but they may also be nimbler and more responsive to new challenges than large-capitalization companies. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies.

○

Small-Capitalization Investing. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings.

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New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain a viable size. Accordingly, investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful, which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and/or at a time that may not be favorable to shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders.

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Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified under the 1940 Act, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. However, the Fund intends to satisfy the diversification requirements for qualifying as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

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Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed, and its sub-adviser would not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry, or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a reconstitution or rebalancing of the Index in accordance with the Index methodology.

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Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting each of these sectors.

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Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

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Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Additionally, the Fund will bear any loss on the investment of cash collateral it receives. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. As securities on loan may not be voted by the Fund, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to recall the securities in sufficient time to vote on material proxy matters.

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Tax Risk. To qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to a RIC, the Fund must satisfy, among other requirements described in the SAI, certain diversification requirements. Given the concentration of the Index in a relatively small number of securities, it may not always be possible for the Fund to fully implement a replication strategy or a representative sampling strategy while satisfying these diversification requirements. The Fund’s efforts to replicate or represent the Index may cause it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail to satisfy the diversification requirements, it could be eligible for relief provisions if the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the diversification requirements where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC for a tax year, and the relief provisions are not available, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In such case, distributions from earnings and profits its shareholders receive would be taxed as ordinary dividends, although corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends received deduction (subject to certain limitations) and individuals may be able to benefit from the lower tax rates available to qualified dividend income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC.

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Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.

Performance

As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund’s performance information will be accessible on the Fund’s website at https://etfs.Grayscale.com/[ ] and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.

Portfolio Management

Adviser	Grayscale Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”)
Sub-Adviser	Vident Asset Management, LLC (“Vident” or the “Sub-Adviser”)

Portfolio Managers	Austin Wen, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager of Vident, and Rafael Zayas, CFA, SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading of Vident, have each been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in [___].

To the extent that a reference in this prospectus refers to the Adviser, such reference should also be read to refer to the Sub-Adviser, where the context requires.

Purchase and Sale of Shares

Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for securities, assets or other positions and/or cash (which may include cash in lieu of certain securities, assets or other positions).

Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at https://etfs.Grayscale.com/[ ].

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

The Fund seeks investment results that track the performance (before fees and expenses) of the Index. The Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon prior written notice to shareholders.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in the constituents that comprise the VettaFi A.I. Infrastructure Index (the “Index”) and in other instruments that have economic characteristics and provide investment exposure similar to the component securities of the Index. Shareholders will be given at least 60 days’ advance notice of any change to the Fund’s 80% investment policy. Other instruments that have economic characteristics and provide investment exposure similar to the component securities of the Index include depositary receipts (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”)). The Fund invests in equity securities (e.g., common stock) and depositary receipts of companies included in the Index. The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.

The Index is designed by VettaFi LLC (the “Index Provider”) to consist of U.S. and non-U.S. equity securities of companies that have been classified by the Index Provider as providing exposure to companies that are components of the artificial intelligence infrastructure ecosystem. To qualify for selection into the index, a constituent must be a leading player in at least one of the six segments crucial for the continued advancement of artificial intelligence.

To be eligible for inclusion in the initial investable universe, securities must be/have:

●

A minimum total market capitalization of $200 million USD.

●

A three-month average daily turnover greater than or equal to $2 million.

●

All securities must have a minimum free float equivalent to 20% of shares outstanding.

•	Big Data/Analytics – Companies at the forefront of extracting valuable insights from data using AI to help the user make informed decisions.

•	Cloud Providers – Companies providing access to AI processes and tools over the internet in addition to flexible and scalable data storage, platform, and application services.

•	Data Centers and Connectivity – Companies involved in managing physical facilities or providing the necessary components for IT infrastructure and data storage for AI compute needs.

•	Energy Powering AI – Companies offering specific solutions to support the increased energy usage needed to power data centers and cloud providers utilizing AI.

•	Network & Security – Companies safeguarding computer networks through AI-driven behavioral analytics to improve threat detection and limit vulnerabilities.

•	Semiconductor and Computing Systems – Companies designing, fabricating, or developing semiconductor chips or quantum computing systems for AI applications.

As of [December 31, 2024], the [Information Technology] sector represented a significant portion of the Index.

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks

This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in the Fund Summary. The principal risks below are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and trading prices.

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ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

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Market Capitalization Risk

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PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at https://etfs.Grayscale.com/[ ]. A complete description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

MANAGEMENT

Investment Adviser

Grayscale Advisors, LLC, serves as the investment adviser and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Fund. The Adviser is a registered investment adviser with offices located at 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902, and arranges for sub-advisory, transfer agency, custody, fund administration, and all other related services necessary for the Fund to operate.

The Adviser provides oversight of the Sub-Adviser, monitoring of the Sub-Adviser’s buying and selling of securities for the Fund, and review of the Sub-Adviser’s performance. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a unified management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of [ ]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

Under the investment advisory agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for (i) the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, (ii) interest charges on any borrowings, (iii) dividend and other expenses on securities sold short, (iv) taxes, (v) brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, (vi) acquired fund fees and expenses, (vii) accrued deferred tax liability, (viii) litigation and litigation-related indemnification expenses, (ix) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (x) compensation payable to a party not affiliated with the Adviser in connection with the recovery of tax reclaims, and (xi) other extraordinary or non-routine expenses. The Adviser, in turn, compensates the Sub-Adviser from the management fee it receives.

[The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement will be available on the Fund’s website and filed on the Trust’s Form N-CSR for the fiscal period ending [ ], 2025].

Sub-Adviser

The Adviser has retained Vident, a registered investment adviser which is owned by Vident Capital Holdings, LLC, to serve as sub-adviser for the Fund. Vident is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Vident Capital Holdings, LLC is controlled by MM VAM, LLC, which is owned by Casey Crawford. Its principal office is located at 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. Vident is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. For its services, Vident is paid a fee by the Adviser, which fee is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of the Fund’s average daily net assets of [___].

[The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement will be available on the Fund’s website and filed on the Trust’s Form N-CSR for the fiscal period ending [ ], 2025.]

Portfolio Managers

The Fund is managed by Vident’s portfolio management team. The individual members of the team responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolios are listed below.

[Austin Wen, CFA, is a Senior Portfolio Manager for the Fund. Mr. Wen has over a decade of investment experience. At Vident, Mr. Wen specializes in portfolio management and trading of equity, derivative, and commodities-based portfolios, as well as risk monitoring and investment analysis. Previously, he was an analyst for Vident Financial, LLC, focusing on the development and review of various investment solutions. He began his career as a State Examiner for the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Mr. Wen obtained a BA in Finance from the University of Georgia and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation.]

[Rafael Zayas, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager for the Fund. Mr. Zayas has over 15 years of trading and portfolio management experience in global equity products and ETFs. He is SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading at Vident. Previously, Mr. Zayas focused on international equities, specializing in managing and trading developed, emerging, and frontier market portfolios. Prior to joining Vident, Mr. Zayas was a Portfolio Manager at Russell Investments for over $5 billion in quantitative strategies across global markets, including emerging, developed, and frontier markets and listed alternatives Before that, he was an equity Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon Asset Management, where he was responsible for $150 million in internationally listed global equity ETFs and assisted in managing $3 billion of global ETF assets. Mr. Zayas holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. He also holds the CFA designation.]

The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.

Manager of Managers Structure

The Adviser and the Trust may seek an exemptive order from the SEC that will allow the Fund to operate in a “manager of managers” structure whereby the Adviser, as the Fund’s investment adviser, at any time can appoint and replace both wholly owned and unaffiliated sub-advisers, and enter into, amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements with such sub-advisers, on behalf of the Fund, each subject to Board approval but without obtaining prior shareholder approval (the “Manager of Managers Structure”). The Fund will, however, inform shareholders of the hiring of any new sub-adviser within 90 days after the hiring. The SEC exemptive order will provide the Fund with greater efficiency and without incurring the expenses and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of sub-advisory agreements with such sub-advisers.

The use of the Manager of Managers Structure with respect to the Fund will be subject to certain conditions that will be set forth in the SEC exemptive order. Under the Manager of Managers Structure, the Adviser will have the ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, to oversee the sub-advisers and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. The Adviser will also, subject to the review and approval of the Board: set the Fund’s overall investment strategy; evaluate, select and recommend sub-advisers to manage all or a portion of the Fund’s assets; and implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure that each sub-adviser complies with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions. Subject to the review of the Board, the Adviser will allocate and, when appropriate, reallocate the Fund’s assets among sub-advisers and monitor and evaluate the sub-advisers’ performance.

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.

Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.

When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the bid-ask spread on your transactions. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.

Book Entry

Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.

Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and

other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. The majority of trading in Shares occurs on the secondary market and does not involve the Fund directly. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. With respect to purchases and redemptions effected in-kind, those transactions do not cause any of the harmful effects that may result from frequent trading. As such, the Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.

Determination of NAV

The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. The NAV is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.

In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If such information is not available for a security held by the Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).

Fair Value Pricing

The Board has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. Generally, when fair valuing a security, the Fund will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies included in the Board-adopted valuation procedures.

The Board has designated the Adviser to perform the Fund’s fair value determinations in accordance with valuation procedures and methodologies approved by the Board. The effect of using fair value pricing is that the Fund’s NAV will be subject to the judgment of the Adviser. The Adviser’s fair valuation process is subject to the oversight of the Board.

Investments by Registered Investment Companies

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in SEC rules or in other exemptive relief as applicable. In order for a registered investment company to invest in Shares of the Fund beyond the limitations of Section 12(d)(1), the registered investment company must generally enter into an agreement with the Fund.

Delivery of Shareholder Documents - Householding

Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES

Dividends and Distributions

The Fund intends to pay out dividends from net investment income, if any, and distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

Taxes

The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

The Fund intends to elect and qualify each year for treatment as a RIC under the Code. If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).

Taxes on Distributions

The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long- term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non- corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.

Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.

Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from the Fund.

U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).

You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate

applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of your Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.

Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.

The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.

Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

The cost basis of Shares of the Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units

An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less.

The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.

Foreign Taxes

Interest and other income received by the Fund with respect to foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the close of a taxable year more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets consists of certain foreign stock or securities, the Fund will be eligible to elect to “pass through” to investors the amount of foreign income and similar taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund during that taxable year. This means that investors would be considered to have received as additional income their respective shares of such foreign taxes, but may be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction in calculating taxable income, or, subject to certain limitations, a credit in calculating federal income tax. If the Fund does not so elect, the Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction

for certain foreign taxes incurred by the Fund. The Fund (or its administrative agent) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.

DISTRIBUTION

The Distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 1000 Portland, ME 04101. The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.

No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Fund, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

Information regarding how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV per Share is available, free of charge, on the Fund’s website at https://etfs.Grayscale.com/[ ].

ADDITIONAL NOTICES

The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and the Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly. The Fund does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of the Index or the data included therein and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or Index calculation.

DISCLAIMERS

“VettaFi LLC” is a service mark of VettaFi LLC and has been licensed for use for certain purposes by the Adviser. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by VettaFi LLC. VettaFi LLC makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly. VettaFi LLC has no obligation to take the needs of the Adviser or the shareholders of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. VettaFi LLC is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing, amount or pricing of the Fund shares to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund shares are to be converted into cash. VettaFi LLC has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus and therefore does not have financial information.

Grayscale Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure ETF

Adviser	Grayscale Advisors, LLC 290 Harbor Drive 4th Floor Stamford, CT 06902	Index Provider	VettaFi LLC 1330 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 12C New York, NY 10019
Sub-Adviser	Vident Asset Management 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515 Alpharetta, Georgia 30009	Administrator and Transfer Agent	U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, LLC 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202
Custodian	U.S. Bank National Association U.S. Bank Tower, 425 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202	Distributor	Foreside Fund Services, LLC Three Canal Plaza, Suite 1000 Portland, ME 04101
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	[___] [___]	Legal Counsel	Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Investors may find more information about the Fund in the following documents:

Statement of Additional Information: The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Fund and certain other additional information. The SAI, incorporated into this Prospectus by reference, contains detailed information on the Fund’s policies and operations.

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the first annual and semi-annual reports for the Fund. In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance.

You can obtain free copies of these documents, request other information or make general inquiries about the Fund by contacting the Fund at Grayscale Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure ETF, c/o [ ] or by calling 866-775-0131.

Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund are available:

	●	Free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; or
	●	Free of charge from the Fund’s Internet website at https://etfs.Grayscale.com/[ ]; or
	●	For a fee, by e-mail request to [email protected].

(SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-23876)

Subject to Completion - dated March 11, 2025

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Grayscale Funds Trust

GRAYSCALE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INFRASTRUCTURE ETF
(Ticker: [ ])

Listed on [NYSE Arca, Inc.]

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

[ ]

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for the Grayscale Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Grayscale Funds Trust (the “Trust”), dated [ ], as may be supplemented from time to time (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used in this SAI that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge, by calling the Fund at 866-775-0131, visiting https://etfs.Grayscale.com/[ ] or writing to the Fund at [ ].

A copy of the Fund’s Annual Report (when available) may be obtained at no charge by contacting the Fund at the address or phone number noted above.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST		1

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS		1
	Non-Diversification	1
	General Risks	2
	Description of Permitted Investments	2
	Types of Equity Securities	3

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS		9

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING		10

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST		10

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP		14

CODES OF ETHICS		15

PROXY VOTING POLICIES		15

INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER		15

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS		16

THE DISTRIBUTOR		17

THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT		18

LEGAL COUNSEL		18

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM		18

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES		19

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES		19

LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY		20

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS		20

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE		21

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM		21

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS		22

DETERMINATION OF NAV		27

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS		27

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES		28

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS		33

APPENDIX A		A-1

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST

The Trust is an open-end management investment company consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to the Fund. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on May 3, 2023. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). Grayscale Advisors, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund, and Vident Asset Management (“Vident” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as sub-adviser to the Fund.

The Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of 10,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not individually redeemable.

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS

The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.

With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.

To the extent that a reference in this SAI refers to the Adviser, such reference should also be read to refer to the Sub-Adviser, where the context requires.

Non-Diversification

The Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act. A “non-diversified” classification means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its total assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. This means that the Fund may invest a greater portion of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. The securities of a particular issuer may constitute a greater portion of the Index and, therefore, those securities may constitute a greater portion of the Fund’s portfolio. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance or subject Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies. Moreover, in pursuing its objective, the Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). In particular, as the Fund’s size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other components in the Index.

Although the Fund is non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a “regulated investment company” (“RIC”) for purposes of the Code. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Code may limit the investment flexibility of the Fund and may make it less likely that the Fund will meet its investment objectives. To qualify as a RIC under the Code, the Fund must meet the Diversification Requirement described in the section titled “Federal Income Taxes” in this SAI.

General Risks

The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.

There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.

Cybersecurity Risk. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and their service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cybersecurity breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cybersecurity risk management purposes. Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.

Description of Permitted Investments

The following are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies.

Borrowing. Although the Fund does not intend to borrow money, the Fund may do so to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may borrow up to one-third (1/3) of its total assets. The Fund will borrow money only for short-term or emergency purposes. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the Fund promptly. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

Depositary Receipts. To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets, while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.

The Fund will not invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipts or any Depositary Receipt that the Sub-Adviser deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. In addition, all Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored. However, the Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the value of the Depositary Receipts. The use of Depositary Receipts may increase tracking error relative to the underlying Index.

Equity Securities. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of Shares to decline.

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate

(either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, or banking crises.

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

When-Issued Securities - A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.

When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.

Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.

Types of Equity Securities

Common Stocks - Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.

Preferred Stocks - Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.

Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.

Rights and Warrants - A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.

An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

Smaller Companies - The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger-capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established

companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses the Fund pays in connection with its own operations. The Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.

Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price the Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV.

Illiquid Investments. The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of its net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.

Investment Company Securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including money market funds and ETFs, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes the Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.

If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act (such as Rule 12d1-4) or as may be permitted by an exemptive order that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.

The Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 under the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows the Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) the Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Additionally, the Fund may rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in such other funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) if the Fund complies with the terms and conditions of such rule.

Non-U.S. Securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present in investments in U.S. securities. For example, non-U.S. securities may be subject to currency risks or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and a foreign issuer may or may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the U.S. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. Other risks of investing in such securities include political or economic instability in the country involved, the difficulty of predicting international trade patterns and the possibility of imposition of exchange controls. The prices of such securities may be more volatile than those of domestic securities. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of expropriation of assets or nationalization,

imposition of withholding taxes on dividend or interest payments, difficulty in obtaining and enforcing judgments against foreign entities or diplomatic developments which could affect investment in these countries. Losses and other expenses may be incurred in converting between various currencies in connection with purchases and sales of foreign securities. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

Non-U.S. stock markets may not be as developed or efficient as, and may be more volatile than, those in the U.S. While the volume of shares traded on non-U.S. stock markets generally has been growing, such markets usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Therefore, the Fund’s investment in non-U.S. equity securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, that increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to the Fund. The value of non-U.S. investments and the investment income derived from them may also be affected unfavorably by changes in currency exchange control regulations. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause the Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed.

Set forth below for certain markets in which the Fund may invest are brief descriptions of some of the conditions and risks in each such market.

Investments in Emerging Markets. Investments in securities listed and traded in emerging markets are subject to additional risks that may not be present for U.S. investments or investments in more developed non-U.S. markets. Such risks may include: (i) greater market volatility; (ii) lower trading volume; (iii) greater social, political and economic uncertainty; (iv) governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; (v) the risk that companies may be held to lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards than companies in more developed markets; (vi) the risk that there may be less protection of property rights than in other countries; and (vii) fewer investor rights and limited legal or practical remedies available to investors against emerging market companies. Emerging markets are generally less liquid and less efficient than developed securities markets.

Investments in Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union (“EU”), and many are also members of the European Monetary Union (EMU), which requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, and debt levels. Unemployment in certain European nations is historically high and several countries face significant debt problems. These conditions can significantly affect every country in Europe. The euro is the official currency of the EU. The Fund, through its investments in Europe, may have significant exposure to the euro and events affecting the euro. Recent market events affecting several of the EU member countries have adversely affected the sovereign debt issued by those countries, and ultimately may lead to a decline in the value of the euro. A significant decline in the value of the euro may produce unpredictable effects on trade and commerce generally and could lead to increased volatility in financial markets worldwide.

Investing in European countries may expose the Fund to the economic and political risks associated with Europe in general and the specific European countries in which it invests. The economies and markets of European countries are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one European country can have an adverse impact on other European countries. Changes in import or export tariffs, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and other currencies of certain EU countries which are not in the eurozone, the default or threat of default by an EU member state on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an EU member state may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other EU member states and their trading partners.

The European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns, government debt levels and the possible default of government debt in several European countries, including, but not limited to, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Ukraine. In order to prevent further economic deterioration, certain countries, without prior warning, can institute “capital controls.” Countries may use these controls to restrict volatile movements of capital entering and exiting their country. Such controls may negatively affect the Fund’s investments. In addition, the credit ratings of certain European countries were downgraded in the past. These events have adversely affected the value and exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the euro and non-EU member states. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks, and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not produce the desired results, may result in social unrest, and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other

unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets, and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely impact the value of the Fund’s investments in the region.

The UK formally exited from the EU on January 31, 2020 (known as “Brexit”), and effective December 31, 2020, the UK ended a transition period during which it continued to abide by the EU’s rules and the UK’s trade relationships with the EU were generally unchanged.

Following this transition period, the impact on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, potentially lower economic growth on markets in the UK, Europe, and globally, and changes in legal and regulatory regimes to which certain Fund assets are or become subject, any of which may adversely affect the value of Fund investments.

The effects of Brexit will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets, including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. Brexit could lead to legal and tax uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations, as the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate. The extent of the impact of the withdrawal negotiations in the UK and in global markets, as well as any associated adverse consequences, remain unclear, and the uncertainty may have a significant negative effect on the value of Fund investments. If one or more other countries were to exit the EU or abandon the use of the euro as a currency, the value of investments tied to those countries or the euro could decline significantly and unpredictably.

Investments in Japan. Economic growth in Japan is heavily dependent on international trade, government support, and consistent government policy. Slowdowns in the economies of key trading partners such as the United States, China, and countries in Southeast Asia could have a negative impact on the Japanese economy as a whole. The Japanese economy has in the past been negatively affected by, among other factors, government intervention and protectionism and an unstable financial services sector. While the Japanese economy has recently emerged from a prolonged economic downturn, some of these factors, as well as other adverse political developments, increases in government debt, changes to fiscal, monetary or trade policies, or other events, such as natural disasters, could have a negative impact on Japanese securities. Japan also has few natural resources, and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on Japanese securities.

Other Short-Term Instruments. In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Sub-Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.

In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the

Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.

Securities Lending. The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers, including the Fund’s securities lending agent. Loans of portfolio securities provide the Fund with the opportunity to earn additional income on the Fund’s portfolio securities. All securities loans will be made pursuant to agreements requiring the loans to be continuously secured by collateral in cash, or money market instruments, or money market funds at least equal at all times to the market value of the loaned securities. The borrower pays to the Fund an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on loaned securities. The Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. Lending portfolio securities involves risks of delay in recovery of the loaned securities or in some cases loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Furthermore, because of the risks of delay in recovery, the Fund may lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. The Fund will generally not have the right to vote securities while they are being loaned.

Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.

U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years. As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.

The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008-2009 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt limit to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. In August 2011, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. In explaining the downgrade at that time, S&P cited, among other reasons, controversy over raising the statutory debt limit and growth in public spending. An increase in national debt levels may also necessitate the need for the U.S. Congress to

negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt ceiling to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. Government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. Future downgrades could increase volatility in domestic and foreign financial markets, result in higher interest rates, lower prices of U.S. Treasury securities and increase the costs of different kinds of debt. Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the statutory debt ceiling negotiations may impact the U.S. long-term sovereign credit rating and may cause market uncertainty. As a result, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Fund has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies. These restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

The Fund may not:

Concentrate its investments (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets) in any industry or group of related industries, except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that the Index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of related industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, registered investment companies, and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

Issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This shall not prevent the Fund from investing in (i) issuers that invest, deal, or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, (ii) real estate investment trusts or (iii) securities or other instruments that are secured by real estate or interests therein.

Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

Underwrite securities issued by other persons. This restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities, regardless of whether the Fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act.

If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.

With respect to the Fund’s fundamental restrictions related to borrowing and senior securities, the 1940 Act limits the Fund’s ability to borrow money, except that the Fund may borrow from any bank provided that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings by the Fund and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, the Fund shall, within three days thereafter or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to such an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%. In addition to borrowings that are subject to 300% asset coverage and are considered by the SEC to be permitted “senior securities,” the Fund is also permitted under the 1940 Act to borrow for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of its total assets at the time when the loan is made. A loan will be presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed.

With respect to the Fund’s fundamental restriction related to loans, the Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other persons, including other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC. This limitation shall not apply to (i) the purchase of debt securities, other debt instruments, loan participations and/or engaging in direct corporate loans in accordance with the Fund’s investment policies, (ii) repurchase agreements to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan or (iii) the lending of portfolio securities, provided that no such loan of portfolio securities may be made by the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s assets.

With respect to the Fund’s fundamental restriction related to commodities, the Fund does not consider currencies or other financial commodities or contracts and financial instruments to be physical commodities (which include, for example, oil, precious metals and

grains). Accordingly, the Fund interprets its fundamental restriction regarding purchasing and selling physical commodities to permit the Fund (subject to the Fund’s investment objective and investment policies as stated in the Fund’s prospectus and SAI) to invest directly in foreign currencies and other financial commodities and to purchase, sell or enter into foreign currency futures contracts and options thereon, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency options, currency, commodity- and financial instrument-related swap agreements, hybrid instruments, interest rate, securities-related or foreign currency-related futures contracts or other currency-, commodity- or financial instrument-related derivatives, subject to compliance with any applicable provisions of the federal securities or commodities laws. The Fund also interprets its fundamental restriction regarding purchasing and selling physical commodities to permit the Fund to invest in exchange-traded products, pooled investment vehicles or other entities that invest in physical and/or financial commodities, subject to the limits described in the Fund’s prospectus and SAI.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restriction

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.

The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business.

The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, their investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of the Fund’s management including risk management.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser and receives information about those services at its meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, and the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser, the Board or its designee meets with the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s and the Sub-Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions, compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and compliance with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance including its premiums, discounts and bid-ask spreads.

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund, Adviser, or Sub-Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser. The report, among other matters, addresses, since the date of the last report, the operation of the policies and procedures of the

Trust and each service provider, any material changes to the policies and procedures, any material changes expected to such policies and procedures, and any material compliance matters.

The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operations and risks related to, among other matters, the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. In this regard, annually, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on areas of risk for the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. In connection with this oversight function, the Board receives reports on Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its financial statements is accurate. The Board also reviews the reports from the Audit Committee and/or the independent registered public accountant in relation to the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting that are designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost- effective to eliminate or mitigate all risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. In addition, the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and other service providers. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

Members of the Board. There are five members of the Board, three of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). The Independent Trustees have appointed a lead Independent Trustee. The lead Independent Trustee serves as a liaison between the Adviser and the Independent Trustees and leads the Independent Trustees in all aspects of their oversight of the Trust. Among other things, the lead Independent Trustee reviews and approves, with the Chairman, the agenda for each Board and Committee meeting and facilitates intra-quarter communication among the Trust’s Independent Trustees. The Trustees believe that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate given the characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trustees also believe that this structure facilitates the exercise of the Board’s independent judgment in fulfilling its oversight function.

Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

Name and Year of Birth	Position Held with the Trust	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee	Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years
Independent Trustees
James E. Farmer III Born: 1967	Trustee	Indefinite term; since 2024	Chief Operating Officer of Morningstar (2025-present); Chief of Index Administration, Morningstar (2023-2024); Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Capital Markets, S&P Down Jones Indices (2006 – 2021).	1	N/A
Richard M. Goldman Born: 1961	Lead Independent Trustee	Indefinite term; since 2024	Managing Member, Becket Capital, LLC (2012 – present).	1	Marblegate Acquisition Corporation (2022 – Present)
Donna Milia Born: 1974	Trustee	Indefinite term; since 2024	Senior Advisor (2019-2022) and CFO, Galaxy Digital (2017 – 2019); CFO, BlackRock Capital Investment Corp, (2015 – 2017).	1	HPS Funds 2

Name and Year of Birth	Position Held with the Trust	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee	Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years
Interested Trustees
David LaValle* Born: 1977	Chairman and Trustee	Indefinite term; since 2024	Global Head of ETFs at Grayscale Operating, LLC (2025-present); Global Head of ETFs at Grayscale Investments, LLC (2021-2024); Chief Executive Officer at Alerian and S-Network Global Indices (2019 - 2021).	1	N/A
Edward McGee* Born: 1983	Trustee	Indefinite term; since 2024	Chief Financial Officer, Grayscale Operating, LLC (2025-present); Chief Financial Officer, Grayscale Investments, LLC (2019 -2024); Vice President for Accounting Policy, Goldman, Sachs & Co. (2014 – 2019).	1	N/A

* Messrs. LaValle and McGee are treated as Interested Trustees because of their professional roles held with the Adviser.

As of December 31, 2024, none of the Independent Trustees or members of their immediate families, beneficially owned or owned of record securities representing interests in the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or Distributor of the Trust, or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such persons.

Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills as described below.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Farmer should serve as a Trustee because of his extensive knowledge and expertise in the financial services industry. Mr. Farmer is the Chief of Administration for the Indexes business at Morningstar. He also serves on the board of two of Morningstar’s European affiliates. Prior to his time at Morningstar, Mr. Farmer worked as the Global Head of Capital Markets at S&P Dow Jones Indices. Before that, he held various other positions at S&P Dow Jones Indices and worked at Susquehanna International Group. He received his B.S. in Marketing from Drexel University.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Goldman should serve as the Lead Independent Trustee because he has extensive experience in the investment management business, including serving as Managing Member of Becket Capital, LLC, which is an advisory services firm for investment management companies. Prior to that, Mr. Goldman served as the Chief Operating Officer of Guggenheim Investments and was the Chief Executive Officer at Rydex Investments, and a member of the Rydex Funds’ Board of Trustees. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College.

The Trust has concluded that Ms. Milia should serve as a Trustee because of her extensive knowledge and experience in the accounting, financial services, and investment management industries. Ms. Milia served as a Senior Advisor of Galaxy Digital (TSX: GLXY) from 2019 to 2022. From 2017 to 2019, she served as the Chief Financial Officer of Galaxy Digital. In this capacity, Ms. Milia created and built the accounting and reporting infrastructure of the company and supported the initial public offering of the company. Prior to joining Galaxy Digital, she was a Managing Director at Blackrock and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation, a publicly-listed business development company (NASDAQ: BKCC). Prior to BlackRock, she worked, among other things, as an auditor at Grant Thornton LLP. She holds a B.S. in Accounting from Lehigh University and is a CPA.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. LaValle should serve as Trustee because he has extensive knowledge of and experience in financial services and investment management with particular expertise in the ETF industry having been in leadership positions spanning indexing, trading, exchanges and asset management. Mr. LaValle serves as Global Head of ETFs at Grayscale Operating, LLC, and previously served in the same capacity at Grayscale Investments, LLC from 2021 to 2024. Prior to that, he served as Chief Executive Officer at Alerian and S-Network Global Indices.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. McGee should serve as Trustee because he has extensive knowledge of and experience in the financial services and investment management industries, including serving as Chief Financial Officer of Grayscale Operating, LLC where he oversees daily financial activities for the company and previously serving in the same capacity at Grayscale Investments, LLC from 2019 to 2024. Prior to that, Mr. McGee served as Vice President of Accounting Policy at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and held an auditor position at Ernst & Young, where he provided assurance services to publicly listed companies.

Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:

Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its

engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit; reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any; and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit-related matters. The Audit Committee meets at least semi-annually.

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating and Governance Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating and Governance Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating and Governance Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating and Governance Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating and Governance Committee is also responsible for, among other things, reviewing and making recommendations regarding Independent Trustee compensation and the Trustees’ annual “self-assessment.” The Nominating and Governance Committee meets periodically, as necessary.

Principal Officers of the Trust

The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:

Name and Year of Birth	Position(s) Held with the Trust	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
David LaValle Born: 1977	President	Indefinite term; since 2024	Global Head of ETFs at Grayscale Operating, LLC (2025-present); Global Head of ETFs at Grayscale Investments (2021-2024); Chief Executive Officer at Alerian and S-Network Global Indices (2019-2021).
Allison Roberts Born: 1986	Chief Compliance Officer	Indefinite term; since 2024	Chief Compliance Officer at Grayscale Operating, LLC (2025-present); Chief Compliance Officer at Grayscale Investments (2023-2024); Vice President Compliance at Grayscale Investments (2021-2022); Senior Compliance Officer at Horizon Kinetics, LLC (2015-2021).
Craig Salm Born: 1988	Secretary	Indefinite term; since 2024	General Counsel at Grayscale Operating, LLC (2025-present); General Counsel at Grayscale Investments, LLC (2022-2024); Director, Legal at Grayscale (2020-2021); and Associate, Legal at Grayscale (2018-2019).
Edward McGee Born: 1983	Treasurer	Indefinite term; since 2024	Chief Financial Officer at Grayscale Operating, LLC (2025-present); Chief Financial Officer at Grayscale Investments, LLC (2019-2024); Vice President Accounting Policy at Goldman, Sachs & Co. (2014-2019).

Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“1934 Act”).

As of the date of this SAI, no Trustee owned Shares or shares of any other series of the Trust.

Board Compensation. Other than Mr. Farmer, the Independent Trustees each receive an annual trustee fee of $20,000 for attendance at the four regularly scheduled quarterly meetings. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.

The following table shows the compensation estimated to be earned by each Trustee for the Fund’s fiscal year ending December 31. Independent Trustee fees are paid by the Adviser and not by the Fund. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.

Name	Aggregate Compensation From Fund	Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees
Interested Trustee
David LaValle	$0	$0
Edward McGee	$0	$0
Independent Trustees
Richard A. Goldman	$20,000	$20,000
James E. Farmer III	$0	$0
Donna Milia	$20,000	$20,000

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP

A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund. The Fund is new and, as of the date of this SAI, no person owned of record more than 5% of the outstanding Shares. As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned none of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.

CODES OF ETHICS

The Trust, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. The Distributor (as defined below) relies on the principal underwriters exception under Rule 17j-1(c)(3), specifically where the Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, or the Sub-Adviser, and no officer, director, or general partner of the Distributor serves as an officer, director, or general partner of the Trust, the Adviser, or the Sub-Adviser.

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and guidelines for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and has engaged a third-party proxy solicitation firm to assist with voting proxies in a timely manner and making voting recommendations under guidelines adopted by the Adviser. A copy of the Proxy Voting Policies is set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been adopted by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of the Fund.

The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.

When available, information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 866-775-0131 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER

Investment Adviser

Grayscale Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company located at 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser was founded in 2021 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grayscale Operating, LLC, which is indirectly controlled by Barry E. Silbert by virtue of his indirect ownership of more than 25% of the outstanding equity interests in an entity which controls the Adviser.

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the oversight of the Board. The Adviser is also responsible for arranging transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other related services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Adviser administers the Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services. Under the Advisory Agreement, in exchange for a single unitary management fee, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for (i) the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, (ii) interest charges on any borrowings, (iii) dividend and other expenses on securities sold short, (iv) taxes, (v) brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, (vi) acquired fund fees and expenses, (vii) accrued deferred tax liability, (viii) litigation and litigation-related indemnification expenses, (ix) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, (x) compensation payable to a party not affiliated with the Adviser in connection with the recovery of tax reclaims, and (xi) other extraordinary or non-routine expenses. For services provided to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a unified management fee at an annual rate of [X]% based on the Fund’s average daily net assets.

The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares. The

Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.

The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.

Because the Fund is new, the Fund has not paid any management fees to the Adviser with respect to the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

Sub-Adviser

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser have retained Vident, to serve as sub-adviser for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser was established in 2016.

Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), the Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Sub-Adviser is compensated by the Adviser from the management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser.

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Sub-Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund, on not less than 30 days’ nor more than 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser, or by the Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.

Because the Fund is new, the Adviser has not paid any management fees to the Sub-Adviser with respect to the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Fund is managed by Rafael Zayas, CFA and Austin Wen, CFA for the Sub-Adviser (the “Portfolio Managers”).

Other Accounts. In addition to the Fund, the Portfolio Managers managed the following other accounts as of December 31, 2024, none of which were subject to a performance-based management fee:

	Registered Investment Companies		Other Pooled Investment Vehicles		Other Accounts
Portfolio Managers	Number of Accounts	Total Assets in the Accounts	Number of Accounts	Total Assets in the Accounts	Number of Accounts	Total Assets in the Accounts
Rafael Zayas, CFA	43	$6,301 million	14	$2,081 million	0	$0
Austin Wen, CFA	43	$5,809 million	14	$2,081 million	0	$0

Portfolio Managers Fund Ownership. The Fund is required to show the dollar range of its portfolio managers’ “beneficial ownership” of Shares as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. Because the Fund is new, the portfolio managers did not own any Shares as of the date of this SAI.

Portfolio Managers Compensation. The Portfolio Managers receive a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus that are not tied to the performance of the Fund.

Description of Material Conflicts of Interest. The Portfolio Managers’ management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have similar investment objectives as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another

potential conflict could include a Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby such Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, the Sub-Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the Sub-Adviser manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

THE DISTRIBUTOR

The Trust and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 1000 Portland, ME 04101.

Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA.

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).

The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.

Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser and Sub-Adviser periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.

If you have any additional questions, please call 866-775-0131.

Distribution and Service Plan. The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan are expected to be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this SAI. Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Fund under the Plan may only be imposed after approval by the Board.

Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding Shares. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.

The Plan provides that the Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the FINRA rules concerning sales charges. Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, the Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of the Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of the Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of the Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of Shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to shareholder accounts; and (vii) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.

THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202, serves as the Fund’s transfer agent, administrator, and index receipt agent.

Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Fund Services, Fund Services provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services, and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, Fund Services does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Fund, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays Fund Services a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. Fund Services also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses.

Because the Fund is new, the Adviser has not paid any amount to Fund Services for administrative services rendered to the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, U.S. Bank National Association (the “Custodian” or “U.S. Bank, N.A.”), U.S. Bank Tower, 425 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202, serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.

LEGAL COUNSEL

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, located at 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as legal counsel for the Trust.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

[___], located at [___], serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Trust’s Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. The Trust’s portfolio holdings information will be provided to the Distributor or other agents for dissemination through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants that have been authorized to purchase and redeem large blocks of shares pursuant to legal requirements, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming creation units or trading shares in the secondary market. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to the Trust in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC. From time to time, information concerning portfolio holdings other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to the Trust in the ordinary course of business including providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting, financial printing, legal similar services. Such entities are required to keep such information confidential.

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

The Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.

The Declaration of Trust provides that each shareholder, by virtue of having become a shareholder of the Trust, shall be bound by the terms of the Declaration of Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides a detailed process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders for claims other than U.S. federal securities law claims beyond the process otherwise required by law. This process is intended to permit legitimate inquiries and claims while avoiding the time, expense, distraction, and other harm that can be caused to the Fund or its shareholders as a result of spurious shareholder demands and derivative actions. Prior to bringing a derivative action, a demand by the complaining shareholder must first be made on the Board of Trustees. The Declaration of Trust details conditions that must be met with respect to the demand. Following receipt of the demand, the Board of Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider and investigate the demand. The Declaration of Trust provides that, for derivative actions for claims other than claims arising under the U.S. federal securities laws, the Board of Trustees will be entitled to retain counsel or other advisors in considering the merits of the request and shall require an undertaking by the shareholders making such request to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any such advisors in the event that the Board of Trustees determine not to bring such action. This provision does not apply to claims arising under the U.S. federal securities laws. The Trust’s process for bringing derivative suits may be more restrictive than other investment companies. The process for derivative actions for the Trust also may make it more expensive for a shareholder to bring a suit than if the shareholder was not required to follow such a process.

The Declaration of Trust also requires that actions by shareholders against a fund be brought only in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware to the extent there is subject matter jurisdiction in such court for the claims asserted or, if not, in the Superior Court of Delaware (the “Exclusive Jurisdictions”), and that the right to jury trial be waived to the fullest extent permitted by law. Other investment companies may not be subject to similar restrictions. In addition, the designation of Exclusive Jurisdictions may make it more expensive for a shareholder to bring a suit than if the shareholder was permitted to select another jurisdiction. Also, the designation of Exclusive Jurisdictions and the waiver of jury trials limit a shareholder’s ability to litigate a claim in the jurisdiction and in a manner that may be more favorable to the shareholder. A court may choose not to enforce these provisions of the Declaration of Trust.

Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.

LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY

The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Sub-Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Sub-Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

The Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Sub-Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.

Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units-Creation Transaction Fee” and “-Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.

The Sub-Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Adviser and the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower

brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.

The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.

Because the Fund is new, it has not paid any brokerage commissions as of the date of this SAI.

Directed Brokerage. Because the Fund is new, the Fund has not paid any commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to the Adviser as of the date of this SAI.

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically. Because the Fund is new, the Fund has not paid brokerage commissions to any registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or the Distributor as of the date of this SAI.

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares. Because the Fund is new, the Fund did not hold any securities of its “regular broker dealers” as of the date of this SAI.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services. Because the Fund is new, portfolio turnover data is not available with respect to the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial

Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS

The Trust issues and redeems Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Transfer Agent, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.

Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for a Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s Index. The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of Index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject Index being tracked by the Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.

Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Transfer Agent to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.

All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund on the next Business Day must be submitted as a “Future Dated Trade” for one or more Creation Units between 4:00 p.m. Eastern time and 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on the prior Business Day and in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The Business Day following the day on which such an order is submitted to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Transfer Agent will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Transfer Agent by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Transfer Agent or an Authorized Participant.

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities), and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the first Business Day after the Order Placement Date (except as otherwise agreed by the Fund and an Authorized Participant). All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable,

will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Transfer Agent, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.

The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.

Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI (or as otherwise agreed by the Fund and an Authorized Participant), Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Transfer Agent and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the first Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent (except as otherwise agreed by the Fund and an Authorized Participant). However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the first Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below (or as otherwise agreed by the Fund and an Authorized Participant). In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Transfer Agent plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Transfer Agent with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub- custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Transfer Agent shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting

on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.

All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund is $300, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to a maximum of 2% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the Trust from their account for their order.

Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund is $300, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to a maximum of 2% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.

Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account for their order.

Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. Orders to redeem Creation Units on the next Business Day must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent as a “Future Dated Trade” for one or more Creation Units between 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time and 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the prior Business Day in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected. The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within one Business Day of the trade date.

However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds with respect to the Fund may take longer than one Business Day after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.

The Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust

could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”), as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.

Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares, or to purchase or sell Shares on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of Shares or determination of the NAV of Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

Custom Baskets. The Fund may utilize custom creation or redemption baskets consistent with Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act. A custom order may be placed when, for example, an Authorized Participant cannot transact in an instrument in the in-kind creation or in-kind redemption basket and therefore has additional cash included in lieu of such instrument. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of baskets, including heightened requirements for certain types of custom baskets. These policies and procedures provide detailed parameters for the construction and acceptance of custom baskets that are in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders, including the process for any revisions to, or deviations from, those parameters, and specify the titles or roles of the individuals who are required to review each custom basket for compliance with the parameters.

DETERMINATION OF NAV

NAV per Share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV is calculated by Fund Services and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.

In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes.”

General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by the Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to improve index tracking for the Fund or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.

The Fund makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, local or foreign taxes.

Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As such, the Fund should not be subject to federal income taxes on its net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that it timely distributes such income and capital gains to its shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short- term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).

It may not be possible for the Fund to fully implement a replication strategy or a representative sampling strategy while satisfying the Diversification Requirement. The Fund’s efforts to satisfy the Diversification Requirement may affect the Fund’s execution of its investment strategy and may cause the Fund’s return to deviate from that of the Index, and the Fund’s efforts to represent the Index using a sampling strategy, if such a strategy is used at any point, may cause it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the Diversification Requirement.

To the extent the Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.

Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute its capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the Fund level rather than at the Trust level.

If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, and if a penalty tax is paid with respect

to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.

The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.

If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.

Taxation of Shareholders - Distributions. The Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.

The Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which, subject to certain limitations and requirements, is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.

Qualified dividend income includes, in general and, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF, an underlying fund taxable as a RIC, or a qualified real estate investment trust (“REIT”) may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund, or REIT. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.

Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid. Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.

In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from REITs and other RICs are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares. Since the Fund invests primarily in securities of non-U.S. issuers, it is not expected that a significant portion of the dividends received from the Fund will qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.

U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment. To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.

Taxation of Shareholders - Sale, Redemption, or Exchange of Shares. A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund Shares for shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any

amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Fund may limit the tax efficiency of the Fund. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.

Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.

Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues. The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the Qualifying Income Requirement described above if such gains are not directly related to the Fund’s business of investing in stock or securities. Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of the Fund’s non- U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing the Fund’s status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time the Fund accrues income or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund

actually collects such income or receivables or pays such expenses or liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, on disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency and on disposition of certain other financial instruments (such as forward currency contracts and currency swaps), gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of settlement or disposition are also treated as ordinary gain or loss. The gains and losses may increase or decrease the amount of the Fund’s income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income. The Fund may elect out of the application of Section 988 of the Code with respect to the tax treatment of each of its foreign currency forward contracts to the extent that (i) such contract is a capital asset in the hands of the Fund and is not part of a straddle transaction and (ii) the Fund makes an election by the close of the day the contract is entered into to treat the gain or loss attributable to such contract as capital gain or loss.

Foreign Investments. Dividends and interest received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. The Fund does not expect to satisfy the requirements for passing through to its shareholders any share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund, with the result that shareholders will not include such taxes in their gross incomes and will not be entitled to a tax deduction or credit for such taxes on their own tax returns.

If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets at the close of any taxable year consists of stock or securities of foreign corporations, which for this purpose may include obligations of foreign governmental issuers, the Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat any foreign income or withholding taxes paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. For any year that the Fund is eligible for and makes such an election, each shareholder of the Fund will be required to include in income an amount equal to his or her allocable share of qualified foreign income taxes paid by the Fund, and shareholders will be entitled, subject to certain holding period requirements and other limitations, to credit their portions of these amounts against their U.S. federal income tax due, if any, or to deduct their portions from their U.S. taxable income, if any. No deductions for foreign taxes paid by the Fund may be claimed, however, by non-corporate shareholders who do not itemize deductions. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability. Foreign taxes paid by the Fund will reduce the return from the Fund’s investments.

Foreign tax credits, if any, received by the Fund as a result of an investment in another RIC (including an ETF or underlying fund which is taxable as a RIC) will not be passed through to you unless the Fund qualifies as a “qualified fund-of-funds” under the Code. If the Fund is a “qualified fund-of-funds” it will be eligible to file an election with the IRS that will enable the Fund to pass along these foreign tax credits to its shareholders. The Fund will be treated as a “qualified fund-of-funds” under the Code if at least 50% of the value of such Fund’s total assets (at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year) is represented by interests in other RICs.

If the Fund holds shares in a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”), it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

The Fund may be eligible to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”) under the Code in which case, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund will be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts will be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. To make this election, the Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, the Fund may make a mark-to-market election that will result in such Fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased its PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any gains resulting from such deemed sales as ordinary income and would deduct any losses resulting from such deemed sales as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund and, once made, is effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, the Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. The Fund may have to distribute this excess income to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. To distribute this income and avoid a tax at the fund level, the Fund might be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss. Amounts included in income each year by the Fund arising from a QEF election, will be “qualifying income” under the Qualifying Income Requirement (as described above) even if not distributed to the Fund, if the Fund derives such income from its business of investing in stock, securities or currencies.

Backup Withholding. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding;” or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts

withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the United States.

Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.

For foreign shareholders to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, described above, the foreign shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign shareholders in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund if, for example, (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.

Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, has not produced financial statements. Once produced, a copy of the Annual Report to Shareholders may be obtained without charge by calling 866-775-0131.

APPENDIX A

GRAYSCALE ADVISORS, LLC

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

Introduction

SEC Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisors Act (the “Proxy Rule”) requires SEC-registered investment Advisors that exercises voting authority with respect to client securities to: (i) adopt written policies reasonably designed to ensure that the investment Advisor votes in the best interest of its clients and addresses how the investment Advisor will deal with material conflicts of interest that may arise between the investment Advisor and its clients; (ii) disclose to its clients information about such policies and procedures; and (iii) upon request, provide information on how proxies were voted. The Advisor has retained Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), a third-party industry leader in proxy services, to facilitate their proxy voting, record keeping and reporting services. ISS on behalf of the Advisor is responsible for receiving copies of proxies on behalf of the Advisor.

Policy

The Advisor has delegated responsibility for the administration of proxy voting to ISS, a Delaware Corporation. Responsibilities of ISS:

process all proxies received in connection with underlying portfolio securities held by the Advisor’s clients;

apply ISS’ proxy voting procedures, which the Advisor has reviewed and determined to be consistent with the views of the Advisor on the various types of proxy proposals;

maintain appropriate records of proxy voting that are easily-accessible by appropriate authorized persons of ISS; and

in cases where ISS cannot provide a recommendation, they will notify the Advisor, or otherwise will vote “No.”

Responsibilities of the Advisor:

The Advisor, as appropriate, will authorize and instruct each Client’s custodian to forward all proxy statements and ballots directly to ISS, who votes the proxies. The Advisor reviews and updates ISS’ Client list on a periodic basis.

When ISS does not provide a recommendation, ISS notifies the Advisor. The CCO, their designee or the COO will determine whether the Advisor should vote the proxy. In determining whether to vote a particular proxy, the Advisor will consider a variety of factors and will apply the following guidelines, as applicable:

●	The Firm will attempt to consider all aspects of the vote that could affect the value of the issuer or that of the Client, including the costs associated with voting;

●	The Firm may choose not to vote securities where it determines the issues being voted on are immaterial to the value of the issuer;

●	The Firm will vote in a manner that it believes is consistent with the Client’s stated objectives; and

●	The Firm will generally vote in accordance with the recommendation of the issuing company’s management on routine and administrative matters, unless the Firm has a particular reason to vote to the contrary.

Conflicts of Interest related to Proxy Voting

ISS issues voting recommendations and casts proxy votes strictly in accordance with pre-determined proxy voting guidelines, which the Advisor believes is in the best interests of their clients. The adherence to pre- determined proxy voting guidelines by the Advisor and ISS helps reduce conflicts of interests and helps ensure that proxy votes are cast in accordance with the best interests of the Advisor’s clients. If a proxy proposal were to create a conflict of interest between the interests of a client and those of the Advisor, the proxy will be voted strictly in conformity with the recommendation of ISS.

To the extent that ISS has a conflict of interest as it relates to the recommendation of a proxy proposal, the Advisor has established measures reasonably designed to identify and address ISS’ conflict of interest. The Advisor has contractually agreed with ISS such that ISS is required to immediately notify the Advisor if ISS believes there exists a conflict with its own obligation to issue proxy proposal recommendations. Such notice shall contain a disclosure which shall enable the Advisor to understand the relationship or interest and the steps taken by ISS to mitigate the conflict and to make an assessment of the reliability or objectivity of the recommendation. The Advisor shall also periodically review the ISS report detailing the reasoning behind particular proposal recommendations and in instances where the Advisor determines the reasoning is biased or otherwise inconsistent with ISS’ obligations, the Advisor shall review and vote such proxy proposals without regard to ISS, with a goal of identifying any material relationships with publicly traded companies

A-1

that may create potential conflicts of interest in the future. The Advisor will memorialize instances where they were conflicted and instances where the Advisor or ISS determine that ISS is conflicted.

To monitor compliance with these procedures, any proposed or actual deviation from a recommendation of ISS must be reported to the CCO of the Advisor. The CCO of the Advisor would then provide guidance concerning the proposed deviation and whether this deviation presents any potential conflict of interest.

In the case of the Fund, the Advisor shall report each deviation from an ISS recommendation regarding a proxy received in connection with underlying portfolio securities held by a Portfolio to the ESS Trust at the next formal meeting of the Board.

Voting Information and Recordkeeping

Under the Books and Records Rule, the Firm must retain: (i) its voting policies and procedures; (ii) corporate action and proxy statements received; (iii) records of votes cast; (iv) records of its Clients’ requests for voting information; and (v) any documents prepared by the Firm that were material to making a decision on how to vote. All votes will be documented and maintained by the CCO.

Further, Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act requires registered investment companies to file their complete proxy voting records on Form N-PX for the 12-month period ended June 30^th by August 31^st of each year. As it relates to the Fund, the Advisor will review all reports on Form N-PX and will cooperate with U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC in preparation and filing of such reports.

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GRAYSCALE FUNDS TRUST

File Nos. 811-23876 & 333-271770

PART C

Other Information

Item 28. Exhibits.

The following exhibits are filed herewith, except as noted:

(a)	Articles of Incorporation.

(i)

Certificate of Trust dated May 3, 2023 is incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 9, 2023.

(ii)

Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated August 21, 2024, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(a)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on October 11, 2024.

(b)

Bylaws.

(i)

By-Laws effective as of May 3, 2023 is incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 9, 2023.

(c)	Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders. None other than those contained in Exhibits (a)(i) and (a)(ii).

(d)	Investment Advisory Contracts.

(i)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Grayscale Advisors, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(d)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on July 29, 2024.

(ii)

Amended Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(d)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

(iii)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Grayscale Advisors, LLC, the Registrant and Vident Asset Management is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(d)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on July 29, 2024.

(iv)

Amended Schedule A to the Sub-Advisory Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(d)(iv) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

(e)	Underwriting Contracts.

(i)

Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(e)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(ii)

Amended Exhibit A to the Distribution Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(e)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

(iii)

Form of Authorized Participant Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(e)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(f)	Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts. Not applicable

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(g)	Custodian Agreements.

(i)

Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, National Association is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(g)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(ii)

Amended Exhibit A to the Custodian Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(g)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

(h)	Other Material Contracts.

(i)

Fund Administration Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(h)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(ii)

Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Administration Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(h)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

(iii)

Fund Accounting Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(h)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(iv)

Amended Exhibit A to the Fund Accounting Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(h)(iv) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

(v)

Transfer Agent Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(h)(iii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(vi)

Amended Exhibit A to the Transfer Agent Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(h)(vi) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

(vii)

Index Sublicense Agreement between the Registrant and Grayscale Advisors, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(h)(iv) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(viii)

Amended Exhibit A to the Index Sublicense Agreement is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(h)(viii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

(i)	Legal Opinion.

(i)

Opinion and Consent of Counsel with respect to Grayscale Privacy ETF is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(i)(i) to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(ii)

Opinion and Consent of Counsel with respect to Grayscale Bitcoin Miners ETF is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(i)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 27, 2025.

(j)	Other Opinions.

(i)

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm by Cohen & Company, Ltd. is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(j)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 11, 2024.

(k)	Omitted Financial Statements. Not Applicable.

(l)	Initial Capital Agreements.

(i)

Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and Grayscale Advisors, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(l)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on July 29, 2024.

(m)	Rule 12b-1 Plan.

(i)

Distribution Plan (12b-1 Plan) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(m)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(ii)

Amended Schedule A to the Distribution Plan (12b-1 Plan) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(m)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on January 27, 2025.

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(n)	Rule 18f-3 Plan. Not Applicable.

(o)

Reserved.

(p)	Code of Ethics.

(i)

Code of Ethics for the Registrant is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(p)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(ii)

Code of Ethics for Vident Asset Management is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(p)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 26, 2024.

(iii)

Code of Ethics for Grayscale Advisors, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 28(p)(iii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 11, 2024.

(q)

Other.

(i)

Power of Attorney dated January 23, 2024 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 28(q)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on February 20, 2024.

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund

None

Item 30. Indemnification

The Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”) provides that any person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee or other agent, including the underwriter, of such Trust shall be liable to the Trust and its shareholders only for (1) any act or omission that constitutes a bad faith violation of the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing, or (2) the person’s own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person (such conduct referred to herein as Disqualifying Conduct) and for nothing else. Except in these instances and to the fullest extent that limitations of liability of agents are permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (the “Delaware Act”), these Agents (as defined in the Declaration) shall not be responsible or liable for any act or omission of any other Agent of the Trust or any investment adviser or principal underwriter. Moreover, except and to the extent provided in these instances, none of these Agents, when acting in their respective capacity as such, shall be personally liable to any other person, other than such Trust or its shareholders, for any act, omission or obligation of the Trust or any trustee thereof.

The Trust shall indemnify, out of its property, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, any of the persons who was or is a party, potential party, or non-party witness, or is threatened to be made a party, potential party, or non-party witness to any Proceeding (as defined in the Declaration), or is otherwise involved in a Proceeding, because the person is or was an Agent of such Trust. These persons shall be indemnified against any Expenses (as defined in the Declaration), judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in

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connection with the Proceeding if the person acted in good faith or, in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that the conduct was unlawful. The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not in itself create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful. There shall nonetheless be no indemnification for a person’s own Disqualifying Conduct.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Trust pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Trust has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Trust of expenses incurred or paid by a Trustee, officer or controlling person of the Trust in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with securities being registered, the Trust may be required, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, to submit to a court or appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

Grayscale Advisors, LLC - this information is included in Form ADV filed with the SEC by Grayscale Advisors, LLC (Registration No. 801-122921) and is incorporated by reference herein.

Vident Asset Management, LLC - this information is included in Form ADV filed with the SEC by Vident Asset Management, LLC (Registration No. 801-114538) and is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 32. Principal Underwriters

(a)	Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

1.	AB Active ETFs, Inc.
2.	ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
3.	Absolute Shares Trust
4.	ActivePassive Core Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
5.	ActivePassive Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
6.	ActivePassive International Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
7.	ActivePassive U.S. Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
8.	Adaptive Core ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
9.	AdvisorShares Trust
10.	AFA Multi-Manager Credit Fund
11.	AGF Investments Trust
12.	AIM ETF Products Trust

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13.	Alexis Practical Tactical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
14.	AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund
15.	American Century ETF Trust
16.	Amplify ETF Trust
17.	Applied Finance Dividend Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
18.	Applied Finance Explorer Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
19.	Applied Finance Select Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
20.	ARK ETF Trust
21.	ARK Venture Fund
22.	Bitwise Funds Trust
23.	Bluestone Community Development Fund
24.	BondBloxx ETF Trust
25.	Bramshill Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
26.	Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
27.	Brinker Capital Destinations Trust
28.	Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc.
29.	Build Funds Trust
30.	Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund
31.	Calamos Convertible Opportunities and Income Fund
32.	Calamos Dynamic Convertible and Income Fund
33.	Calamos ETF Trust
34.	Calamos Global Dynamic Income Fund
35.	Calamos Global Total Return Fund
36.	Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund
37.	Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund
38.	Cascade Private Capital Fund
39.	Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund
40.	Clifford Capital Focused Small Cap Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust

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41.	Clifford Capital International Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
42.	Clifford Capital Partners Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
43.	Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund
44.	Cliffwater Enhanced Lending Fund
45.	Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund, Inc.
46.	Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
47.	CornerCap Small-Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
48.	CrossingBridge Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
49.	Curasset Capital Management Core Bond Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
50.	Curasset Capital Management Limited Term Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
51.	CYBER HORNET S&P 500® and Bitcoin 75/25 Strategy ETF, Series of ONEFUND Trust
52.	Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
53.	Defiance Daily Short Digitizing the Economy ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
54.	Defiance Hotel, Airline, and Cruise ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
55.	Defiance Israel Bond ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
56.	Defiance Next Gen Connectivity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
57.	Defiance Next Gen H2 ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
58.	Defiance Quantum ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
59.	Denali Structured Return Strategy Fund
60.	Direxion Funds
61.	Direxion Shares ETF Trust
62.	Dividend Performers ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
63.	Dodge & Cox Funds
64.	DoubleLine ETF Trust
65.	DoubleLine Income Solutions Fund
66.	DoubleLine Opportunistic Credit Fund
67.	DoubleLine Yield Opportunities Fund
68.	DriveWealth ETF Trust

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69.	EIP Investment Trust
70.	Ellington Income Opportunities Fund
71.	ETF Opportunities Trust
72.	Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
73.	Exchange Listed Funds Trust
74.	FlexShares Trust
75.	Forum Funds
76.	Forum Funds II
77.	Forum Real Estate Income Fund
78.	Goose Hollow Enhanced Equity ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
79.	Goose Hollow Multi-Strategy Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
80.	Goose Hollow Tactical Allocation ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
81.	Grayscale Future of Finance ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
82.	Guinness Atkinson Funds
83.	Harbor ETF Trust
84.	Horizon Kinetics Blockchain Development ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
85.	Horizon Kinetics Energy and Remediation ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
86.	Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
87.	Horizon Kinetics Medical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
88.	Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
89.	IDX Funds
90.	Innovator ETFs Trust
91.	Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
92.	Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
93.	John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
94.	LDR Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
95.	Mairs & Power Balanced Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
96.	Mairs & Power Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

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97.	Mairs & Power Minnesota Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
98.	Mairs & Power Small Cap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
99.	Manor Investment Funds
100.	Milliman Variable Insurance Trust
101.	Mindful Conservative ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
102.	Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
103.	Mohr Growth ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
104.	Mohr Industry Nav ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
105.	Mohr Sector Nav ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
106.	Morgan Stanley ETF Trust
107.	Morningstar Funds Trust
108.	Mutual of America Investment Corporation
109.	NEOS ETF Trust
110.	Niagara Income Opportunities Fund
111.	North Square Investments Trust
112.	OTG Latin American Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
113.	Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
114.	Overlay Shares Foreign Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
115.	Overlay Shares Hedged Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
116.	Overlay Shares Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
117.	Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
118.	Overlay Shares Short Term Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
119.	Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
120.	Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
121.	Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC
122.	Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
123.	Perkins Discovery Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
124.	Philotimo Focused Growth and Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust

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125.	Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
126.	PMC Core Fixed Income Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
127.	PMC Diversified Equity Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
128.	Point Bridge America First ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
129.	Preferred-Plus ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
130.	Putnam ETF Trust
131.	Rareview Dynamic Fixed Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
132.	Rareview Systematic Equity ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
133.	Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
134.	Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
135.	Reynolds Funds, Inc.
136.	RiverNorth Enhanced Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
137.	RiverNorth Patriot ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
138.	RMB Investors Trust
139.	Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
140.	Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
141.	Roundhill Alerian LNG ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
142.	Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
143.	Roundhill Cannabis ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
144.	Roundhill ETF Trust
145.	Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
146.	Roundhill S&P Global Luxury ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
147.	Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
148.	Roundhill Video Games ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
149.	Rule One Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
150.	Securian AM Real Asset Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
151.	Six Circles Trust
152.	Sound Shore Fund, Inc.

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153.	SP Funds Trust
154.	Sparrow Funds
155.	Spear Alpha ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
156.	STF Tactical Growth & Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
157.	STF Tactical Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
158.	Strategic Trust
159.	Strategy Shares
160.	Swan Hedged Equity US Large Cap ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
161.	Syntax ETF Trust
162.	Tekla World Healthcare Fund
163.	Tema ETF Trust
164.	Teucrium Agricultural Strategy No K-1 ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
165.	Teucrium AiLA Long-Short Agriculture Strategy ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
166.	Teucrium AiLA Long-Short Base Metals Strategy ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
167.	The 2023 ETF Series Trust
168.	The 2023 ETF Series Trust II
169.	The Community Development Fund
170.	The Finite Solar Finance Fund
171.	The Private Shares Fund
172.	The SPAC and New Issue ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
173.	Third Avenue Trust
174.	Third Avenue Variable Series Trust
175.	Tidal ETF Trust
176.	Tidal Trust II
177.	TIFF Investment Program
178.	Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
179.	Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
180.	Timothy Plan International ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan

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181.	Timothy Plan Market Neutral ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
182.	Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
183.	Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Core Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
184.	Timothy Plan US Small Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
185.	Total Fund Solution
186.	Touchstone ETF Trust
187.	TrueShares Eagle Global Renewable Energy Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
188.	TrueShares Low Volatility Equity Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
189.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (April) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
190.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (August) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
191.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (December) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
192.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (February) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
193.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
194.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (July) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
195.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (June) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
196.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (March) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
197.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (May) ETF, Listed Funds Trust

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198.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (November) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
199.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (October) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
200.	TrueShares Structured Outcome (September) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
201.	TrueShares Technology, AI & Deep Learning ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
202.	U.S. Global Investors Funds
203.	Union Street Partners Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
204.	Vest Bitcoin Strategy Managed Volatility Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
205.	Vest S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats Target Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
206.	Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
207.	Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer Strategies VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
208.	Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
209.	Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer Strategies VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
210.	VictoryShares Core Intermediate Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
211.	VictoryShares Core Plus Intermediate Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
212.	VictoryShares Corporate Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
213.	VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
214.	VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
215.	VictoryShares Emerging Markets Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
216.	VictoryShares Free Cash Flow ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
217.	VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
218.	VictoryShares International Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

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219.	VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
220.	VictoryShares NASDAQ Next 50 ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
221.	VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
222.	VictoryShares THB Mid Cap ESG ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
223.	VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
224.	VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
225.	VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
226.	VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
227.	VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
228.	VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
229.	VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
230.	VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
231.	VictoryShares US Small Mid Cap Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
232.	VictoryShares US Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
233.	VictoryShares WestEnd US Sector ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
234.	Volatility Shares Trust
235.	West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
236.	Wilshire Mutual Funds, Inc.
237.	Wilshire Variable Insurance Trust
238.	WisdomTree Digital Trust
239.	WisdomTree Trust
240.	WST Investment Trust
241.	XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust

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(b)	The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

Name	Address	Position with Underwriter	Position with Registrant
Teresa Cowan	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	President/Manager	None
Chris Lanza	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Vice President	None
Kate Macchia	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Vice President	None
Nanette K. Chern	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer	None
Kelly B. Whetstone	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Secretary	None
Susan L. LaFond	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Treasurer	None
Weston Sommers	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Financial and Operations Principal and Chief Financial Officer	None

(c)	Not applicable.

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained at the following locations:

Records Relating to:	Are located at:
Registrant’s Fund Administrator, Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC d/b/a U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Registrant’s Custodian	U.S. Bank, National Association 1555 N. Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

- 14 -

Registrant’s Principal Underwriters	Foreside Fund Services, LLC Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 Portland, Maine 04101

Registrant’s Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser	Grayscale Advisors, LLC 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor Stamford, Connecticut 06902	Vident Asset Management, LLC 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515 Alpharetta, Georgia 30009

Item 34. Management Services

There are no management-related service contracts not discussed in Part A or Part B.

Item 35. Undertakings

Not applicable.

- 15 -

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Stamford and the State of Connecticut, on the 11^thday of March, 2025.

	GRAYSCALE FUNDS TRUST
	(Registrant)

	By:	/s/ David LaValle
		David LaValle
		Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

Signature	Title	Date

/s/ David LaValle
David LaValle	Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer	March 11, 2025

/s/ Edward McGee
Edward McGee	Trustee, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer	March 11, 2025

/s/ James E. Farmer III*
James E. Farmer III	Trustee	March 11, 2025

/s/ Richard M. Goldman*
Richard M. Goldman	Trustee	March 11, 2025

/s/ Donna M. Milia*
Donna M. Milia	Trustee	March 11, 2025

/s/ Craig Salm
Craig Salm	Secretary	March 11, 2025

	*By:	/s/ Craig Salm
		Craig Salm
		Attorney-in-Fact (Pursuant to Power of Attorney dated January 23, 2024, filed with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 4 on February 20, 2024)

GRAYSCALE FUNDS TRUST

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

EXHIBITS INDEX

There are no exhibits to be filed with this Registration Statement.

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