When you have a CREST account, the shares are in your name, i.e. are not in a nominee a/c, you can confirm your holding independently with Euroclear, get dividends paid directly to you to your bank a/c, get the annual report sent to you personally, get notified of changes to rules and can vote in AGMs/EGMs, etc. Because of the Morrogh stockbrokers case, in which the High Court decided that the receiver was entitled to be paid out of client assets held in nominee a/cs, i.e. the Court did not distinguish between the assets of W&R Morrogh and the clients’ assets, I think it would be prudent to settle your ETFs in a CREST a/c (I do so). AFAIK, all ETFs are dematerialized products so you cannot get paper certs.