Data as of .
BTCI vs DFII: which paid, and which earned it?
Over the year BTCI paid 18.6% of its price in cash against DFII’s 11.5%, and returned more with it reinvested.
ETFIQ Return Stability Score: BTCI scores higher
Was the payout funded by returns, or by your own capital?
A percentile among the 173 income ETFs writing on an index or proxy. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All income ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, BTCI and DFII hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in BTCI | Only in DFII |
|---|---|
| United States Treasury Bill 11/03/2026 58.93% | 2026-09-30 S&P 500® Mini Index P 2,997.64 1283.75% |
| CBTX US 10/16/26 C1390 22.94% | US Dollar 0.98% |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF 17.31% | 2026-09-30 iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF C 49.94 0.46% |
| VanEck Bitcoin ETF/US 2.01% | 2026-09-30 S&P 500® Mini Index C 2,810.29 0.01% |
| CBTX US 10/16/26 P1390 -0.18% | 2026-09-30 S&P 500® Mini Index C 2,997.64 -0.01% |
| CBTX US 10/16/26 C2060 -0.37% | 2026-09-25 iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF C 46.02 -0.36% |
| CBTX US 10/16/26 C1980 -0.63% | 2026-09-30 iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF P 49.94 -8.84% |
| 2026-09-30 S&P 500® Mini Index P 2,810.29 -1175.99% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 18, 2026 and Sep 21, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTCI | DFII | BTCI | DFII | BTCI | DFII | |
| 3 months | +22.3% | +23.6% | 7.0% | 4.7% | −6.9 pts | −5.6 pts |
| 6 months | +11.9% | +10.5% | 12.7% | 8.4% | −3.8 pts | −5.2 pts |
| 1 year | −29.1% | −32.5% | 18.6% | 11.5% | +2.0 pts | −1.5 pts |
| Since launch | +15.5% | −5.6% | 54.4% | 24.3% | −5.5 pts | −4.4 pts |
| BTCI NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF Option income on IBIT, paying monthly | DFII FT Vest Bitcoin Strategy & Target Income ETF Option income on IBIT, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | NEOS | First Trust |
| Strategy | option income | option income |
| Benchmark | Bitcoin (IBIT) | Bitcoin (IBIT) |
| Pays | monthly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 26.3% | 17.4% |
| Expense ratio | 0.99% | 0.85% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 18.6% | 11.5% |
| Price change, 1 year | −47.0% | −43.7% |
| Total return, 1 year | −29.1% | −32.5% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | −31.1% | −31.1% |
| Ahead or behind | +2.0 pts | −1.5 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 94% | not published |
| Age | 701 days | 533 days |
| Net assets | $1.3bn | $21m |
BTCI in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, BTCI paid 18.6% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 47.0%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −29.1%. Bitcoin (IBIT) returned −31.1% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 2.0 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 26.3%, paid monthly. NEOS estimates that 94% of the distribution paid Jun 18, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
DFII in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, DFII paid 11.5% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 43.7%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −32.5%. Bitcoin (IBIT) returned −31.1% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 1.5 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 17.4%, paid monthly.
Questions people ask
- Which paid more, BTCI or DFII?
- Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, BTCI paid 18.6% of its starting price in cash and DFII paid 11.5%, so BTCI paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
- Which returned more once distributions are counted, BTCI or DFII?
- With every distribution reinvested, BTCI returned −29.1% and DFII returned −32.5% over the year to Sep 18, 2026, so BTCI returned more.
- Which is cheaper, BTCI or DFII?
- BTCI charges 0.99% a year and DFII charges 0.85%, so DFII is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, BTCI against DFII, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/btci-vs-dfii Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.