New funds will make investing in bitcoin easier. Here’s what you need to know

By KEN SWEET
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly a dozen new bitcoin funds began trading in U.S. markets for the first time Thursday, providing increased access to the cryptocurrency for everyday investors. ETFs give investors a way to get in on trading in oil, gold, corporate bonds and now bitcoin without actually having to own a barrel of oil, a bar of gold, or a bitcoin. That means you don’t have to find a place to store them. These funds closely track the price of bitcoin and provide an entry for smaller investors into the cryptocurrency, which now cost more than $47,000 each. Bitcoin rose 2% Thursday and trading in the bitcoin ETFs is mixed.