skodonnell/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images The race to the first bitcoin (BTC-USD) ETF has heated up with Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest in partnership with 21 shares has thrown their name into the race. A physically-backed bitcoin ETF has yet to hit U.S. soil. However, countries such as Canada and Brazil have crypto-based exchange traded funds. As of yesterday, news that ARK Invest has submitted paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a bitcoin ETF will now place them among the twelve others who are all awaiting approval. Below is an outline of the thirteen issuers that have submitted a formal prospectus to the SEC for a physically-backed bitcoin exchange traded fund or traditional fund. While the United States does not have a traditional crypto-backed ETF, there are some ways investors can circumvent the regulators to gain some exposure to bitcoin and other crypto-assets inside an ETF wrapper. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), which