Five U.S. asset managers have amended their applications to issue spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart shared this update late on May 21, 2024, via a post on his X account.
The asset managers involved in these 19b-4 filing adjustments include Fidelity, VanEck, Franklin Templeton, and joint applicants Galaxy/Invesco and ARK Invest/21Shares. Grayscale has also made similar amendments in its application, according to a recent proxy statement.
According to Seyffart, the changes primarily revolved around “removing the staking language and adding very clear language that the Fund’s ETH cannot be staked by anyone.”
Meanwhile, the filing adjustments have sparked a flurry of reactions from the crypto community and industry analysts. Adam Cochran, partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, highlighted the potential impact, stating,
“An approved spot Ether ETF without staking provisions could significantly boost staking returns, as it would increase demand for Ether without simultaneously increasing the supply of staked ETH.”
Ryan Berckmans, an Ethereum community member and investor, offered a different perspective. He sees the ETFs as a means to enhance Ethereum’s legitimacy in traditional financial markets while mitigating potential ETF-related risks by excluding staking provisions.
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The SEC is scheduled to make a decision on VanEck’s application by May 23, marking a critical date for the approval process.
According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Seyffart, the revised 19b-4 filings mean substantial progress, but there is still a potentially long way to go before any Ether ETFs can be launched. He noted that the applications will require signed-off S-1 registration statements before the ETFs can launch. Seyffart indicated that the listing of these ETFs could take several weeks or even longer.
Still a potentially long way from a launch. But these filings prove that all of the rumors and speculation and chatter have been accurate. Need to actually see SEC approval orders on all the 19b-4s AND THEN we need to see S-1 approvals. Could be weeks or more before ETFs launch
— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) May 21, 2024
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