Dogecoin ETF Debut Fails To Impress, Taking In Only $1.4 Million

[Ben Graham]

According to trading records and company filings, Grayscale’s new spot Dogecoin ETF — ticker GDOG — opened quietly, pulling in just $1.4 million in trading volume on its first day on NYSE Arca.

Muted Debut On NYSE Arca

Reports have disclosed that the debut fell well short of some public forecasts. Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas had suggested the fund might see roughly $10–12 million in opening-day volume, a target that the actual figures did not meet.

That gap has drawn quick commentary from traders and analysts, who say the launch exposure was smaller than expected for a high-profile first spot product.

Grayscale’s paperwork shows the ETF began life with holdings of about 11 million DOGE and roughly 94,700 shares outstanding, with assets under management reported at roughly $1.7 million at the time the fund started trading.

The sponsor set a management fee of 0.35%, but that charge is being waived — the fund will carry a 0% expense ratio either until it reaches $1 billion in assets or for the first three months, whichever happens first.

$GDOG (first Doge ETF) saw $1.4m volume on Day One.. solid for an avg launch but low for a ‘first-ever spot’ product. Not too surprising tho, we actually made a rhyme a while ago predicting this: ‘The further away you get from BTC, the less asset there will be.’ pic.twitter.com/ermlOcID1J

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) November 25, 2025

Market Shifts To Other Altcoins

Based on reports from market trackers, other recent altcoin ETFs saw stronger early demand, leaving GDOG’s debut looking muted by comparison.

Some XRP and Solana vehicles drew faster inflows during their openings, and that contrast has been used to explain why meme-coin exposure did not attract as much fresh cash on day one.

Traders say that where money goes now may reflect a preference for certain tokens over meme-style names in regulated wrappers.

What Investors Are Watching Next

Observers note a few things to watch: whether the fee waiver helps the fund gather assets in the coming weeks, how DOGE’s market price behaves as more products list, and whether competing Dogecoin ETFs — including a product from Bitwise — change the flows.

Some analysts are watching short term creation and redemption activity and the order books around the ETF to judge real demand versus headline interest.

Dogecoin’s spot market showed mild movement after the listing, trading near $0.15 as the ETF opened. That price action suggests traders reacted but did not rush in, and it leaves the question of long-term institutional appetite open.

Based on the data so far, GDOG’s quiet first day is a clear signal that listing alone does not guarantee big capital flows.

The next few weeks — when the fee waiver is still active and competing listings arrive — will be key to see whether the fund can widen its reach or remain a subdued debut in a busy ETF calendar.

Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView