The free ride for VanEck’s Bitcoin ETF is officially over after falling $1.4 billion short of growth target

VanEck's Bitcoin ETF ends its zero-sponsor-fee period today, July 31, with $1.076 billion in net assets, equal to 43.0% of the waiver's $2.5 billion asset threshold.The VanEck Bitcoin ETF, which trades as HODL, reported the asset figure as of July 30. It was about $1.424 billion below the threshold, meaning HODL remained fully covered by the waiver through its final day.The waiver's mechanics are more precise than a simple cap. VanEck waived the sponsor fee on the first $2.5 billion of trust assets through July 31. Had the fund grown beyond that level before the deadline, only assets above $2.5 billion would have incurred a 0.20% fee, producing a weighted sponsor fee.After July 31, the 0.20% sponsor fee applies to all trust assets, according to VanEck's latest fee-waiver filing. VanEck had not announced another extension by Friday morning, and the fund's SEC submissions feed contained no newer fee-waiver filing.What HODL's post-waiver fee changesAt HODL's July 30 asset level, a 0.20% annual sponsor fee would amount to about $2.15 million if assets remained unchanged. For an investor, the same rate equals $20 a year for every $10,000 invested before changes in the share price.That i...