The takeaway
First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry and Digital Economy ETF shows a pronounced seasonal pattern over 5 years of data — strongest in October (+7.7%) and softest in August (−10.8%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 75% of years, averaging +15.7%, about +13.6 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry and Digital Economy ETF's most dependable month has been October, higher in 4 of 5 years; August has been its least reliable, up just 0% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | ||||||||||||
| Median return % | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in July (+13.6 pts); it has trailed the market most in August (−11.1 pts).
“vs S&P” is First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry and Digital Economy ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry and Digital Economy ETF’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, October has closed higher 80% of the time versus 80% across the last 5 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) October return and how often it rose — the last 5 years versus the last 5(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 5-year window even if you zoom the chart, so it never disagrees with the badges above.
In plain English
Dependability is the through-line here. October stands out, higher in 4 of 5 Octobers, but it heads a clutch of months that pull the year reliably upward.
Its average (+7.7%) and median (+7.4%) land within a hair of each other — the tell of steady, year-after-year gains rather than one outlier doing the work. It is among its calmest months, too, its returns swinging least from year to year (a 9.3% spread). Crucially, the gain is the fund's own rather than a rising tide's: October has cleared the S&P 500 by +6.7 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages October only about 53% of the time.
A few other months pull their weight: March, May, and June have also closed higher more often than not. On the other side of the ledger, August has been the soft spot — the weakest of 3 months that average a loss (−10.8%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in August, April, and December. Its roughest month on record was a −31.9% June in 2022 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
The takeaway is less about when to buy than what to expect: October aside, the fund's months offer little reliable tilt. With a short 5-year record and returns that swing hard year to year, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (October), its worst (August), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a pronounced degree. Since 2021 its best month (October, +7.7%) has run well ahead of its worst (August, −10.8%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
October has been the strongest, averaging +7.7% and closing higher in 4 of 5 years since 2021.
It's the weakest, averaging −10.8% — historically a soft spot, though it still varies from year to year.
Explore
These names have the strongest July track records on record — a starting point for comparison.
Before you trade