Grayscale CoinDesk Crypto 5 ETF (GDLC) belongs to the Cryptocurrency category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with GDLC. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to GDLC
GDLC charges 0.59% annually. There are 53 ETFs in the Cryptocurrency category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.14%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust | 0.14% | 392.19M | Apr 2026 | GDLC vs MSBT | |
| Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF | 0.15% | 3.71B | Jul 2024 | GDLC vs BTC | |
| Grayscale Ethereum Staking Mini ETF | 0.15% | 1.57B | Jul 2024 | GDLC vs ETH | |
| Franklin Bitcoin ETF | 0.19% | 354.69M | Jan 2024 | GDLC vs EZBC | |
| Franklin Crypto Index ETF | 0.19% | 14.11M | Feb 2025 | GDLC vs EZPZ |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to GDLC
GDLC has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 3. There are 38 ETFs in the Cryptocurrency category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayscale Zcash Trust (ZEC) | 96 | — | Oct 2017 | GDLC vs ZCSH | |
| CoinShares Bitcoin Miners ETF | 62 | 240.40M | Feb 2022 | GDLC vs WGMI | |
| ProShares Short Bitcoin ETF | 51 | 129.73M | Jun 2022 | GDLC vs BITI | |
| Proshares Ultrashort Bitcoin ETF | 45 | 176.54M | Apr 2024 | GDLC vs SBIT | |
| T-Rex 2X Inverse Bitcoin Daily Target ETF | 40 | — | Jul 2024 | GDLC vs BTCZ |
Top Performing GDLC Alternatives (YTD)
GDLC is at -30.16% YTD. There are 51 ETFs in the Cryptocurrency category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 43.06%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoinShares Bitcoin Miners ETF | 43.06% | 240.40M | Feb 2022 | GDLC vs WGMI | |
| Proshares Ultrashort Bitcoin ETF | 35.42% | 176.54M | Apr 2024 | GDLC vs SBIT | |
| T-Rex 2X Inverse Bitcoin Daily Target ETF | 30.29% | — | Jul 2024 | GDLC vs BTCZ | |
| ProShares Short Ether Strategy ETF | 29.49% | 16.03M | Nov 2023 | GDLC vs SETH | |
| ProShares UltraShort Ether ETF | 29.04% | 60.61M | Jun 2024 | GDLC vs ETHD |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to GDLC
GDLC has 49.03% 1-year volatility. There are 51 ETFs in the Cryptocurrency category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.95%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calamos Bitcoin Structured Alt Protection ETF - Oc... | 1.95% | — | Oct 2025 | GDLC vs CBOO | |
| Calamos Laddered Bitcoin 90 Series Structured Alt ... | 3.65% | — | Oct 2025 | GDLC vs CBOL | |
| Calamos Bitcoin 90 Series Structured Alt Protectio... | 6.48% | — | Oct 2025 | GDLC vs CBXO | |
| Calamos Bitcoin 80 Series Structured Alt Protectio... | 11.54% | — | Oct 2025 | GDLC vs CBTO | |
| FT Vest Bitcoin Strategy Floor15 ETF - October | 11.69% | 7.65M | Sep 2025 | GDLC vs BFOC |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to GDLC
GDLC has a 1-year max drawdown of -57.18%. There are 42 ETFs in the Cryptocurrency category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -14.02%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Kinetics Blockchain Development ETF | -14.02% | 23.25M | Aug 2022 | GDLC vs BCDF | |
| FT Vest Bitcoin Strategy Floor15 ETF - July | -21.27% | 3.44M | Jun 2025 | GDLC vs BFJL | |
| REX Crypto Equity Premium Income ETF | -22.47% | 111.94M | Dec 2024 | GDLC vs CEPI | |
| ProShares Short Bitcoin ETF | -25.28% | 129.73M | Jun 2022 | GDLC vs BITI | |
| Global X Bitcoin Trend Strategy ETF | -25.73% | 735.02K | Mar 2024 | GDLC vs BTRN |
Other ETFs from Grayscale
The 10 most viewed Grayscale ETFs shown here include GBTC, ETHE, GFOF and span 3 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $8B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -27.69% | 8.39B | Jan 2024 | GDLC vs GBTC | |
| Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 4 | -37.42% | 1.42B | Dec 2017 | GDLC vs ETHE | |
| Grayscale Future of Finance ETF | Blockchain, Technology Equities | — | — | 6.70M | Feb 2022 | GDLC vs GFOF | |
| Grayscale Litecoin Trust | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -45.85% | — | Aug 2020 | GDLC vs LTCN | |
| Grayscale Sui Staking ETF | Cryptocurrency | — | -48.67% | 21.64M | Feb 2026 | GDLC vs GSUI | |
| Grayscale Chainlink Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency, Blockchain | 3 | -33.13% | 85.22M | Feb 2021 | GDLC vs GLNK | |
| Grayscale Bitcoin Miners ETF | Blockchain | 28 | 21.32% | 12.09M | Jan 2025 | GDLC vs MNRS | |
| Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC) | Cryptocurrency, Blockchain | 1 | -48.20% | 141.12M | Apr 2017 | GDLC vs ETCG | |
| Grayscale Solana Staking ETF | Cryptocurrency | — | — | 95.45M | Nov 2021 | GDLC vs GSOL | |
| Grayscale Ethereum Covered Call ETF | Cryptocurrency | — | -34.33% | 3.99M | Sep 2025 | GDLC vs ETCO |
Often Compared With GDLC
Investors most often compare GDLC with BITW, IBIT, BTC-USD. These 20 comparison targets span 11 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare GDLC with Any Fund or Stock
Compare GDLC with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair GDLC with funds that move differently
Grayscale CoinDesk Crypto 5 ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to GDLC.
Explore GDLC Diversifiers