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    Qadir Ak is the founder of Coinpedia. He has over a decade of experience writing about technology and has been covering the blockchain and cryptocurrency space since 2010. He has also interviewed a few prominent experts within the cryptocurrency space.

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Ethereum ETF Approval Left Hanging as SEC Pushes Back BlackRock Proposal

Story Highlights
  • Only Bitcoin got ETF approval, dashing hopes for immediate Ethereum ETFs.

  • SEC facing lawsuits from Binance, Coinbase, and Ripple while staying silent on the court cases.

  • Garlinghouse criticizes the court-ordered path for Bitcoin ETFs, urging easier approval for future crypto ETFs.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair, gary gensler , recently clarified that the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs is limited to Bitcoin alone. Following the Bitcoin ETF approval, wild anticipations have arisen in hopes of spotting Ethereum ETFs. However, Gensler emphasized that the current focus is only on Bitcoin ETFs. 

Naturally, this has caused an uproar. Let’s dive in.

Gensler’s Highlights

Gary Gensler emphasized that the approval of Bitcoin ETFs doesn’t extend to the approval of other cryptocurrency ETFs like Ethereum. He affirmed that the improved disclosure and competition in the Bitcoin ETF market had benefited investors with lower fees. 

“As I said two weeks ago, what we did about bitcoin exchange-traded products is cabined to this one commodity non-security and shouldn’t be read to be anything other than that.โ€ โ€ฆ โ€œYou’ve seen some competition in which investors benefited from lower fees.โ€

Amidst the celebrations, the SEC finds itself entangled in legal battles with major crypto players like Binance, Coinbase, and Ripple. Gensler, maintaining a strategic silence, refrains from commenting on the ongoing court hearings involving these industry giants.

Timeline Extended

Following the media disclosure of Gensler, a court filing from the SEC on Wednesday announced the delay of its decision timeline on BlackRock’s proposal for a spot Ethereum exchange-traded fund to March.ย 

The filing revealed that the Nasdaq Stock Market filed a proposed rule change to list and trade shares of the iShares Ethereum Trust. For such a proposed rule change, the SEC is authorized to take 45-90 days to announce its decision.  

Hence, because of this need for sufficient time to consider the proposed rule change and related issues, the SEC has decided to extend the decision deadline to March 10, 2024.

Read More About This: BlackRockโ€™s Ethereum ETF: March 10th Deadline Could Be Make-or-Break!

Ripple CEO Speaks Out

Quoting Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, the approval of a Bitcoin ETF comes with a mix of emotions, driven by the SEC’s need for a court intervention. Garlinghouse warns against a repetitive journey for every ETF, highlighting the potential challenges.

โ€œThe sad part of that reality is we have a Bitcoin ETF only because a US court said to the SEC โ€œYou’re being arbitrary and capricious in your apply of your application of the lawโ€… What would be sad is if every ETF had to go through that same journey.” 

Also Read: BlackRock Decides to Stay Away from XRP ETFs; Hereโ€™s Why 

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