Ether ETF approval could be sooner than you think

Ether ETF approval could be sooner than you think
SEC chair hints at a possible timetable for new crypto funds.
JUN 14, 2024

Final approval of exchange-traded funds linked to Ether, the world’s second-most popular digital asset, could come during the summer, Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler told lawmakers. 

“Individual issuers are still working through the registration process that’s working smoothly,” Gensler said during a Thursday hearing before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

Gensler’s remarks are yet another indication that the much-awaited launch of Ether ETFs could be getting closer. The SEC approved an initial round of applications last month from several exchanges to trade the products. 

Ultimate approval of the handful of issuer registration statements depends on the quality of disclosures to investors. The process is being handled at the staff level, he said. The agency cleared the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January.

Gensler was responding to questions from Senator Bill Hagerty, a Tennessee Republican and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. “Ether needs to be approved as well, completely,” Hagerty said of the ETF applications. 

Fund managers at companies including VanEck Associates, ARK Investment Management, BlackRock Inc. and Fidelity Investments would still need the SEC’s assent to make the new asset class a reality. 

Latest News

With executives leaving, Osaic’s Reid now in the spotlight
With executives leaving, Osaic’s Reid now in the spotlight

Shannon Reid, president of Osaic and the network’s number two executive, has plenty of challenges, industry executives said.

Investors sue crypto fund and platform, alleging $1.5 million never returned
Investors sue crypto fund and platform, alleging $1.5 million never returned

Auditors flagged the commingling. The COO allegedly knew. Investors kept getting the pitch

Wells Fargo nabs $1.7B RBC advisor team, loses two teams to LPL
Wells Fargo nabs $1.7B RBC advisor team, loses two teams to LPL

The advisors on the move include two brothers leading a family practice in Connecticut, and a husband-and-wife tandem working with business owners in the West Coast.

Most potential business successors think there's a plan – but owners say otherwise
Most potential business successors think there's a plan – but owners say otherwise

Business owners and their heirs may be making assumptions instead of having conversations, creating challenges for succession planning, according to new research.

Mariner adds caregiving support as advisors flag rising client need
Mariner adds caregiving support as advisors flag rising client need

The Kansas-based mega-RIA is giving clients access to dedicated care coaches as new surveys show caregiving duties are straining Americans' finances.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.