In any event, who is to say that Fidelity won't have the same policy soon regarding the Bitcoin ETNs? I mean this is the reason Interactive Brokers gave for blocking US investors from the Bitcoin ETNs:
"As a background, these securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and, therefore, may not be held in an account of a resident of the United States."
I don't know what IB's real reason might be, but the reason they gave you is absolutely B.S. I have in the past owned at IB securities that trade ONLY in Norway and ONLY in London and ONLY in Paris. They were not registered under the 1933 Act but I could buy and hold them. If there are any restrictions on a U.S. person owning a foreign security, the restrictions have to come from the originating country/stock exchange.