Hargreaves Lansdown Launches Cryptocurrency ETNs for UK Investors

Cryptocurrency ETNs have become available on the Hargreaves Lansdown platform for a segment of British investors: the largest retail investment service in the country has added exchange-traded notes linked to Bitcoin and Ethereum. The launch began in September 2026 after the FCA lifted the ban on retail crypto ETNs, and the company had indicated plans to enter this segment nearly a year prior.

For Hargreaves Lansdown, this marks a significant shift beyond its usual product offerings: funds, stocks, and pension solutions. Now, clients can access digital assets through a regulated exchange instrument without directly purchasing cryptocurrency or dealing with a crypto wallet.

How Cryptocurrency ETNs Work on the Platform

An investor buys not the cryptocurrency itself, but a listed security that tracks the price of Bitcoin or Ethereum. An ETN, or exchange-traded note, operates as a debt instrument of the issuer: its value is tied to the underlying asset, but the note holder does not receive the actual coin. Such ETNs trade on the London Stock Exchange much like regular stocks, and the underlying assets are held by a regulated custodian. It is important not to confuse: here, ETN refers to a type of exchange instrument, not Electroneum (ETN).