The SEC introduced a delay in deciding on the Bitcoin and Ether ETFs from Hashdex and Grayscale, stating that it wants extra time.
The US Securities and Trade Fee (SEC) has formally delayed making a call on the spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) utility submitted by crypto asset administration agency Hashdex. The corporate had submitted an utility to the SEC to transform its Bitcoin futures ETF right into a spot providing.
SEC Delays Hashdex and Grayscale
The SEC additionally delayed an utility submitted by Grayscale Investments for an Ether futures ETF in September, the identical month Hashdex filed for a spot Bitcoin ETF. Though each functions had a deadline of November 17, the SEC has published a discover to increase the deadline and has introduced a brand new date subsequent 12 months. The publication revealed:
“The Fee finds it acceptable to designate an extended interval inside which to take motion on the proposed rule change in order that it has ample time to think about the proposed rule change and the problems raised therein. Accordingly, the Fee…designates January 1, 2024, because the date by which the Fee shall both approve or disapprove, or institute proceedings to find out whether or not to disapprove, the proposed rule change.”
The SEC just lately held extensive discussions with Hashdex about its proposal involving bodily Bitcoin ETFs. In a latest memorandum, Hashdex argues that the crypto market is mature and that the Chicago Mercantile Trade (CME) is developed sufficient to deal with bodily Bitcoin ETF. In accordance with Hashdex, the market is much less susceptible to market value manipulation as a result of the CME Bitcoin futures market has climbed about 50% since 2022. Hashdex believes that the rising open curiosity suggests excessive retail and institutional curiosity in Bitcoin, making the market much less prone to manipulation.
Anticipation for Spot Bitcoin ETF Approval
Thus far, the Fee has but to approve any proposal for a spot Bitcoin ETF because the Winklevoss Brothers’ Gemini trade submitted the primary utility in 2013. The SEC has repeatedly rejected all proposals, citing issues with fraud and market manipulation. Basically, the Fee believes that no proposal adequately addresses the chance of value manipulation.
The SEC’s latest delays come because the market anticipates an approval someday quickly. The Fee has up to now obtained at the least 12 functions this 12 months for spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Latest proposals have tried to handle the SEC’s fears about market manipulation. In June, the Cboe BZX Trade updated its proposal for the ARK 21Shares ETF to incorporate a surveillance sharing settlement (SSA). The Cboe’s modification adopted an identical one from big asset supervisor BlackRock Inc (NYSE: BLK), additionally including particulars of an SSA.
The market is presently extremely optimistic that the SEC will quickly approve one of many proposals it’s reviewing. A bullish prediction just lately got here from Bloomberg ETF analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart, who consider that the Fee will approve various proposals by November 17. Sadly, this forecast could have been somewhat too optimistic.
A crypto ETF knowledgeable Stuart Barton believes that the SEC will approve all spot BTC ETF functions concurrently. In accordance with Barton, the SEC set this priority earlier than, when it permitted all ETH futures-based ETF it was reviewing, together with one from Barton’s firm Volatility Shares.