Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein urged regulators to approve spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) choices in a press release on Feb. 5.
Sonnenshein wrote in a put up on X:
“… I feel it’s by no means been extra necessary … to advocate for the event of a strong listed choices marketplace for spot Bitcoin ETFs. Though GBTC has been within the public market since 2015, it was by no means accompanied by listed choices, as they aren’t a function of the OTC Market.”
Elsewhere, he stated that related merchandise must be handled equally, writing:
“The identical approach bitcoin futures ETFs and spot bitcoin ETFs ought to (and now are) handled the identical, so too ought to listed choices on these merchandise.”
He famous that the New York Inventory Change (NYSE) and different nationwide securities exchanges have lately submitted filings that might enable choices buying and selling on commodity-based ETFs like Grayscale’s personal GBTC fund.
The SEC should now take these functions into consideration. Sonnenshein famous that though Bitcoin futures ETF choices had been rapidly launched by means of an computerized approval course of, spot Bitcoin ETF choices should undergo an extended approval course of just like the method for every underlying fund.
Sonnenshein referred to as choices “good for buyers.” He stated that choices help worth discovery, enable for higher navigation of market situations, and generate earnings. He famous that this is applicable to each retail buyers and institutional buyers alike.
SEC might resolve on choices earlier than 12 months finish
The U.S. Securities and Change Fee is at present within the strategy of dealing with varied spot Bitcoin ETF functions. The company opened feedback on BlackRock’s Nasdaq-listed fund and varied Cboe BZX-listed funds on Jan. 19.
Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart has steered that a call may happen between February and September 2024. Separate studies from Reuters counsel {that a} resolution may happen as late as December 2024; that later date is partly because of the risk that each the SEC and the Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee (CFTC) might want to grant approval.
The SEC in any other case permitted varied underlying spot Bitcoin ETFs on Jan. 10. Grayscale was certainly one of a number of corporations to achieve approval at the moment.
Grayscale’s GBTC ETF, transformed from an present fund, had $20.5 billion in belongings beneath administration (AUM) as of Feb. 2. This makes it the spot Bitcoin largest ETF at current, although it additionally experiences appreciable outflows.
