Spot ETFs
In January 2024, the United States approved spot bitcoin exchange traded funds. An ETF holds real bitcoin with a custodian and sells shares on the stock market. Investors get price exposure through a brokerage account, with no keys to manage.
The trade off is the old one: an ETF share is a claim on a fund, not bitcoin. You cannot withdraw it to your wallet, send it to someone, or use it outside market hours. The fund's coins sit with a small number of large custodians.
Corporate treasuries
Since 2020, some public companies hold bitcoin on their balance sheet as a reserve asset, the best known being the software company formerly called MicroStrategy, now Strategy. Their shareholders are exposed to bitcoin through the company, along with its debts and decisions.