The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has greenlit new standards aimed at accelerating spot crypto ETF approvals, allowing multiple applications to move forward without individual review.
Key points:
- The SEC has approved generic listing standards under Rule 6c-11, allowing multiple spot crypto ETF applications to move forward without individual review, cutting approval timelines.
- The Commission also greenlit the Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund and p.m.-settled options on the Cboe Bitcoin U.S. ETF Index, expanding the range of tradable digital asset products.
- Analysts say the move provides regulatory clarity, reduces uncertainty, and could spur broader retail and institutional participation in U.S. crypto markets while maintaining investor protections.
A September 17 filing with exchanges including Nasdaq, NYSE Arca, and Cboe BZX outlines that the SEC’s decision will streamline the process under Rule 6c-11, cutting approval timelines that previously took several months.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins emphasized that the approval of these generic listing standards aims to keep U.S. capital markets at the forefront of digital asset innovation globally. “This approval helps to maximize investor choice and foster innovation by streamlining the listing process and reducing barriers to access digital asset products within America’s trusted capital markets,” Atkins stated in a separate statement.
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Alongside greenlighting generic listing standards for Commodity-Based Trust Shares, the SEC approved the Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund, which tracks spot digital assets via the CoinDesk 5 Index. The Commission also authorized trading of p.m.-settled options on the Cboe Bitcoin U.S. ETF Index and the Mini-Cboe Bitcoin U.S. ETF Index, covering third Friday, nonstandard, and quarterly index expirations.
The SEC faces looming deadlines from October onward to rule on a wave of spot ETF applications, including Solana, XRP, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, as well as other digital assets like Avalanche, Chainlink, Polkadot, and BNB, all awaiting official approval.
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“The Commission’s approval of the generic listing standards provides much needed regulatory clarity and certainty to the investment community through a rational, rules-based approach to bring products to market while ensuring investor protections,” Division of Trading and Markets Director Jamie Selway stated.
Market analysts anticipate that the SEC’s approval of generic listing standards could trigger a wave of new crypto investment products in the United States. By providing a clearer, rules-based framework, the decision is expected to reduce uncertainty for both retail and institutional investors, encouraging broader participation in digital asset markets.
