- Cathie Wood's Ark Invest and 21Shares have submitted a joint application to the SEC for ETF consideration.
- Though joint, one will be just ETH futures, while the other will be both BTC and ETH futures.
- Experts say firms are using ETF for recognition as firms race for the repute of being crypto proponents.
Ark Invest and 21Shares have resolved to a double-chance bet, hoping to get a greenlight from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this time. It comes after the financial regulator delayed a decision in their previous applications, days before doing the same for Grayscale Investment's application to have its GBTC converted to an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF).
Also Read: SEC delays decision on Grayscale's GBTC to ETF conversion after Ark Invest remission
Ark Invest, 21Shares opt for a double chance in ETF applications
Ark Invest is giving it a second go, this time standing side by side with 21Shares to submit two joint Ethereum futures ETF applications to the US SEC. The financial regulator had delayed a decision on the firm's spot BTC ETF application, which was due on August 13. September is the next date of interest where BlackRock, Bitwise, VanEck, WisdomTree, Invesco, Fidelity, and Valkyrie will be on the waitlist awaiting decisions for their own submissions. Global X will have to wait until October.
The SEC delayed a decision on ArkInvest's #Bitcoin Spot ETF last Friday.
— Jelle (@CryptoJelleNL) August 14, 2023
The next (7) deadlines are all in the first week of September -- where the SEC has to comment on ETFs by BlackRock, VanEck, Fidelity & Valkyrie, among others.
What do you expect? pic.twitter.com/WUag17nXOJ
Meanwhile, Ark Invest has decided not to wait for its third deadline on November 11 and has instead teamed up for better odds. The partnership between Cathie Wood's investment management firm (Ark Invest) and the world's largest issuer of exchange-traded products (21Shares) is intended to increase their odds for approval and market themselves as firms offering exposure to cryptocurrency.
The two products submitted for consideration on August 24 are:
- ARK 21Shares Active Ethereum Futures ETF (ARKZ)
- ARK 21Shares Active Bitcoin Ethereum Strategy ETF (ARKY)
We have two more filings for ETFs with Ethereum Futures. This pair is from the @ARKInvest/@21Shares partnership. One will be just ETH futures. The other will be both #Bitcoin& Ethereum futures.
— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) August 24, 2023
h/t @NateGeraci pic.twitter.com/mgS9QzCdPX
With more applications coming in, it is no longer surprising to see more issuers expressing interest to offer a crypto-based ETF. Meanwhile, investors have pegged their hope on this mania to provide impulse in the market, potentially driving Bitcoin price to the level above the psychological $30,000. If this happens, altcoins will follow easily.
Continue to be amazed by number of issuers tossing hat in ring here...
— Nate Geraci (@NateGeraci) August 24, 2023
Total btc futures ETF market is < $1.5bil AUM.
Roundhill already coming in at 19bps on ether futures strategy.
Spot ETFs potentially right around corner.
Not sure what I'm missing (maybe the spot part??).
James Seyffart, a renowned commentator on matters of crypto and an ETF research analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, believes that ETFs have become the new way for institutional players to market themselves as firms offering cryptocurrency exposure.
I’m 90% with you on this. Only reasoning that makes sense to me is that if you are going to be known as a firm offering crypto exposure. You kinda just need to have an option on the menu for this… Even if it’s not a money maker (at least to start)
— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) August 24, 2023
Meanwhile, crypto market participants and issuers continue to wait on the SEC, which has shown that it is in no rush to approve ETF applications. The laxity has seen Europe beat the US after it premiered its first spot BTC ETF, steered by Jacobi Asset Management on the exchange Euronext Amsterdam.
Although issuers are not relenting, former SEC chair Jay Clayton articulated that efficacy was the main consideration for the SEC in determining whether to approve or reject an ETF. He said, "It would be difficult to deny approval of spot Bitcoin ETF if efficacy is demonstrated."
At the same time, John Reed Stark, a former official at the SEC, attributed the current stall in BTC spot ETF approvals to the current government regime. In his opinion, a Republican president taking office in the 2024 US Elections would bode well for the filings, giving a chance for a Republican to temporarily lead the SEC as chief commissioner. Stark's bet is on Hester Pierce, otherwise called the "crypto mom," considering she is the oldest serving commissioner in the five-person team of commissioners.
The current team of commissioners comprises current chair Gary Gensler (2021), Hester Pierce (2018), Caroline Crenshaw (2020), Mark Uyeda (2022), and Jaime Lizárraga (2022).
Cryptocurrency prices FAQs
How do new token launches or listings affect cryptocurrency prices?
Token launches like Arbitrum’s ARB airdrop and Optimism OP influence demand and adoption among market participants. Listings on crypto exchanges deepen the liquidity for an asset and add new participants to an asset’s network. This is typically bullish for a digital asset.
How do hacks affect cryptocurrency prices?
A hack is an event in which an attacker captures a large volume of the asset from a DeFi bridge or hot wallet of an exchange or any other crypto platform via exploits, bugs or other methods. The exploiter then transfers these tokens out of the exchange platforms to ultimately sell or swap the assets for other cryptocurrencies or stablecoins. Such events often involve an en masse panic triggering a sell-off in the affected assets.
How do macroeconomic releases and events affect cryptocurrency prices?
Macroeconomic events like the US Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates influence risk assets like Bitcoin, mainly through the direct impact they have on the US Dollar. An increase in interest rate typically negatively influences Bitcoin and altcoin prices, and vice versa. If the US Dollar index declines, risk assets and associated leverage for trading gets cheaper, in turn driving crypto prices higher.
How do major crypto upgrades like halvings, hard forks affect cryptocurrency prices?
Halvings are typically considered bullish events as they slash the block reward in half for miners, constricting the supply of the asset. At consistent demand if the supply reduces, the asset’s price climbs. This has been observed in Bitcoin and Litecoin.
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