By
Chimamanda U. Martha
April 26th, 2024
The SEC’s decision to seek public comment on the proposed ETFs is a strategic move, as it allows the regulatory body to gather insights and address potential concerns regarding fraud, manipulation, and the intricacies of Ethereum’s transaction validation process
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again postponed its verdict on the applications for spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) proposed by financial giants BlackRock and Fidelity. This delay, announced on March 4, marks yet another chapter in the ongoing saga surrounding the potential approval of these hotly anticipated investment vehicles.
For those who are unfamiliar, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a type of investment fund that holds various assets like stocks, commodities, and, in this case, cryptocurrencies. ETFs are traded on exchanges, similar to individual stocks, which allows investors to buy and sell shares that represent a part of the fund’s holdings. The Ethereum ETFs proposed by BlackRock and Fidelity would allow investors to be involved with ETH, the second-largest cryptocurrency in the world, without needing to directly possess the digital asset.
The SEC’s decision to seek public comment on the proposed ETFs is a strategic move, as it allows the regulatory body to gather insights and address potential concerns regarding fraud, manipulation, and the intricacies of Ethereum’s transaction validation process—proof-of-stake. This validation method, which differs from Bitcoin’s proof-of-work consensus mechanism, has raised eyebrows among regulators, prompting a more cautious approach to the approval process.
Ethereum’s Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty
The delay in approving Ethereum ETFs might disappoint investors who are eager to invest in ETH through a regulated vehicle. However, it’s important to understand that the SEC has taken a cautious approach in the past. In January, they postponed their decision on these ETF applications after approving some Bitcoin ETFs. This approval was seen as a significant step towards cryptocurrencies becoming more widely accepted.
A top crypto analyst on the X, Borovik.eth, who is also a partner of the Rolbit project, shared his thoughts about the delay with his more than 150k users on the platform. He believes that the SEC will finally approve the ETH ETF, but it may not happen till the last minute, just like in the case of Bitcoin, where 11 BTC ETFs were approved at the same time on January 10.
The SEC just delayed the BlackRock spot $ETH ETF
This was expected. They will approve all the ETFs at the very last minute, like they did with Bitcoin!
Bullish!
— borovik.eth (@3orovik) March 4, 2024
Interestingly, the SEC’s indecision has not dampened the market’s enthusiasm for Ethereum. Over the past month, the cryptocurrency has surged by an impressive 60% at the time of writing, based on data from Coinmarketcap, with the price currently trading at around $3,700. This resilience underscores the growing confidence in ETH’s potential and its role in powering the growing decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.
As the drama unfolds, industry experts and enthusiasts alike are closely watching the SEC’s moves, with some optimistically pointing to May 23rd, the final deadline for VanEck’s spot Ethereum ETF application, as a potential turning point. Others, however, remain cautious, acknowledging the legal and policy complexities that could sway the SEC’s decision one way or another.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler recently made a statement to manage people’s expectations regarding cryptocurrency-based investment vehicles. He made it clear that the approval of Bitcoin ETFs by the SEC should not be seen as general approval for all other types of cryptocurrency investments.
As the crypto world anxiously awaits the SEC’s final verdict, one thing is certain: the regulatory landscape surrounding digital assets is evolving rapidly, and the approval (or rejection) of Ethereum ETFs could have far-reaching implications for the future of cryptocurrency investing.