VanEck has announced the relaunch of its VanEck Digital Native Economy ETF, formerly known as the VanEck Gaming ETF (BJK), effective April 9, 2026, under the new ticker GENZ.
The fund will now seek to track the MarketVector Digital Native Economy Index (MVGENZTR), offering investors targeted exposure to companies central to how younger generations earn, spend, and engage digitally.
Nick Frasse, Product Manager at VanEck, stated, “Gen Z and younger millennials aren’t adapting to digital, they’re native to it. GENZ gives investors a way to own the infrastructure of their economic lives.”
The “Digital Native Economy” encompasses companies primarily serving individuals who have grown up entirely online, accustomed to digital financial services, ride-sharing, and online entertainment. This shift is notable given the gig economy’s growth, which is three times faster than the traditional workforce. Gen Z and millennials collectively represent the dominant U.
S. spending cohort, comprising approximately 145 million consumers, according to sources like Fortune/Ogilvy Consulting (2025) and the U.
S. Census Bureau (2024).
The MarketVector Digital Native Economy Index segments this economic opportunity into three primary areas: Millennial Finance, Gig Economy and Online Forums, and Digital Sports Betting and Gambling. Millennial Finance includes neobanks, digital payment platforms, and fintech companies that facilitate self-directed, mobile-first financial services, such as cash app platforms, buy-now-pay-later providers, and digital brokerage firms.
The Gig Economy and Online Forums segment covers platforms that enable on-demand work, creator monetization, and peer community commerce, reflecting a broader societal shift towards flexible, platform-driven income. The Digital Sports Betting and Gambling segment focuses on online betting operators and iGaming platforms, which have benefited from the rapid legalization in the U.
S. U.
S. sports betting revenue notably increased from $248 million in 2017 to $13.7 billion in 2024, as reported by the American Gaming Association (2025) and the Nevada Gaming Control Board (2017).
The GENZ fund is listed on Nasdaq and features a unitary fee structure of 0.50%. Michael Cohick, Director of Product Management at VanEck, commented on the change, saying, “The gaming lens that defined BJK no longer captures the full scope of the behavioral and economic transformation underway. GENZ is designed around a simple observation: one of the largest and fastest-growing consumer cohorts has built their entire financial life on platforms that didn’t exist 15 years ago. The companies serving them across payments, gig platforms, and online betting represent a structurally distinct and growing opportunity.”
This repositioning aligns with VanEck’s strategy of identifying structural market shifts and developing investment solutions. VanEck’s thematic ETF offerings also include the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH), VanEck Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ESPO), and VanEck Digital Transformation ETF (DAPP), providing diverse exposures to technology-driven economic transformations. As of February 28, 2026, VanEck managed approximately $224.5 billion in assets.
