As a researcher with experience in the financial sector and a keen interest in digital assets, I find Gary Gensler’s recent statement at the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the impending approval of Ethereum-based ETFs intriguing. The process for these funds seems to be progressing smoothly, with initial approvals having already been granted. Gensler’s confirmation that final registration requirements are currently being handled at the staff level is encouraging news for those eagerly anticipating easy access to ethereum through exchange-traded funds.


As a researcher studying the regulatory landscape of cryptocurrencies, I have come across recent developments regarding the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on Ethereum‘s ether (ETH). In a budget hearing on Thursday, SEC Chair Gary Gensler shared his expectation that the final approvals for these ETFs would be completed this summer.

As a researcher following the developments in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), I can tell you that in a recent hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton, or Gensler as he was previously known, shared some updates on the agency’s budget and the status of exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications. He mentioned that the initial approvals have been granted, but now the final registration requirements – commonly referred to as S-1 filings – are being processed at the staff level within the SEC.

As a researcher, I would explain it this way: After the regulatory approval process is completed for these new Ether Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), they will become available for listing. This expansion of offerings will enable investors to access easy-to-trade funds that directly hold ether, similar to how Bitcoin spot ETFs came into existence and allowed investors to invest in actual bitcoin.

When queried specifically about ETH being classified as a commodity, Gensler didn’t provide a definitive answer, sticking to the ambiguous stance of his regulatory body. In contrast, at the same hearing, CFTC chairman Rostin Behnam affirmed, “Yes, it is.”

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2024-06-13 18:33