Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein urged regulators to approve spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) choices in an announcement on Feb. 5.

Sonnenshein wrote in a publish on X:

“… I feel it’s by no means been extra vital … to advocate for the event of a sturdy 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 mentioned that comparable merchandise must be handled equally, writing:

“The identical manner 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 Alternate (NYSE) and different nationwide securities exchanges have not too long ago submitted filings that might permit 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 have been shortly launched by way of an computerized approval course of, spot Bitcoin ETF choices should undergo an extended approval course of much like the method for every underlying fund.

Sonnenshein known as choices “good for buyers.” He mentioned that choices help worth discovery, permit for higher navigation of market circumstances, and generate revenue. He famous that this is applicable to each retail buyers and institutional buyers alike.

SEC could resolve on choices earlier than yr finish

The U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee is at the moment within the technique 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 prompt that a call may happen between February and September 2024. Separate experiences from Reuters counsel {that a} determination may happen as late as December 2024; that later date is partly as a result of 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 accepted varied underlying spot Bitcoin ETFs on Jan. 10. Grayscale was one in every of a number of corporations to realize approval at the moment.

Grayscale’s GBTC ETF, transformed from an present fund, had $20.5 billion in belongings below administration (AUM) as of Feb. 2. This makes it the spot Bitcoin largest ETF at current, although it additionally experiences appreciable outflows.