BlackRock argues SEC has no grounds to treat crypto futures and spot ETFs differently

10 months ago

BlackRock questioned the SEC's penchant for the 1940 Act that oversees futures ETFs, and argued that it lacks relevancy to some crypto-spot and futures ETFs.

BlackRock argues SEC has nary  grounds to dainty  crypto futures and spot   ETFs otherwise

BlackRock has argued that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has nary morganatic crushed to dainty crypto futures exchange-traded funds otherwise from spot-crypto ETFs.

BlackRock’s program for a spot-Ether (ETH) ETF called the “iShares Ethereum Trust” was officially confirmed connected Nov. 9, aft Nasdaq submitted the 19b-4 exertion signifier to the SEC connected the firm’s behalf.

In its application, BlackRock called the SEC’s attraction of spot crypto ETFs into question, arsenic it asserted that the bureau based its justifications for continually denying these applications connected incorrect distinctions betwixt futures and spot ETFs.

BlackRock has argued that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lacks immoderate morganatic crushed to dainty crypto futures exchange-traded funds otherwise from spot-crypto ETFs.

“Given that the Commission has approved ETFs that connection vulnerability to ETH futures, which themselves are priced based connected the underlying spot ETH market, the Sponsor believes that the Commission indispensable besides o.k. ETPs that connection vulnerability to spot ETH.”

I took Scott's proposal and work Blackrock's statement for support of a spot ETH ETF.

It's precise compelling.

The statement flows from Grayscale's DC Circuit victory: the SEC can't lawfully o.k. ETH futures ETFs but not a spot ETH ETF. I agree.

Read here: https://t.co/7mwYNWDHRo https://t.co/fAgVBnOBZZ

— Jake Chervinsky (@jchervinsky) November 10, 2023

The SEC has yet to greenlight a azygous spot-crypto ETF application, but has approved a big of crypto futures ETFs,

The securities regulator has indicated that this is owed to crypto futures ETFs having supposedly superior regulation/consumer protections nether the 1940 Act arsenic opposed to the 1933 Act for spot crypto ETFs.

Additionally, the SEC besides appears to favour the regularisation and surveillance-sharing agreements implicit the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s (CME’s) integer plus futures market.

BlackRock argues, however, that the SEC’s penchant for the 1940 Act lacks relevance successful this area, arsenic the Act places “certain restrictions connected ETFs and ETF sponsors” and not the underlying assets of the ETFs.

“Notably, nary of these restrictions code an ETF’s underlying assets, whether ETH futures oregon spot ETH, oregon the markets from which specified assets’ pricing is derived, whether the CME ETH futures marketplace oregon spot ETH markets.”

“As a result, the Sponsor believes that the favoritism betwixt registration of ETH futures ETFs nether the 1940 Act and the registration of spot ETH ETPs nether the 1933 Act is 1 without a quality successful the discourse of ETH-based ETP proposals.”

Related: BlackRock iShares Ethereum Trust registered successful Delaware

BlackRock outlined that arsenic the SEC has approved crypto futures ETFs via the CME, it has “clearly determined that CME surveillance tin observe spot-market fraud that would impact spot ETPs.”

As specified successful the firm’s eyes it fundamentally leaves the SEC with nary justifiable crushed to cull the exertion nether its existent enactment of thinking.

I suggest speechmaking this 19b-4 filing closely, specifically the arguments presented successful the "Applicable Standard" conception (starting pg 12). Keep an oculus connected (1) '40 Act/'33 Act treatment and (2) important markets trial analysis.

It volition apt service you good successful the future. https://t.co/tlemiQzgbr

— Scott Johnsson (@SGJohnsson) November 9, 2023

It is mostly thought among crypto and ETF analysts that the archetypal SEC support of a spot crypto ETF — successful the signifier of a Bitcoin related 1 — is lone around the corner.

Bloomberg ETF analysts James Seyffart and Eric Balchunas foretell a 90% accidental of an approval sometime earlier Jan. 10 adjacent year.

Magazine: Crypto regularisation — Does SEC Chair Gary Gensler person the last say?

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