Lawyer Says United States SEC In A Tight Spot If They Approve Spot Ethereum ETFs

As a researcher with a background in law and finance, I find the potential approval of spot Ethereum ETFs by the United States SEC to be an intriguing development. The possibility of this regulatory move has already ignited significant excitement in the crypto market, with Ethereum’s price steadily climbing above $3,700 and bulls slicing through resistance levels.


As a researcher studying the cryptocurrency market, I can confirm that Ethereum holds a prominent position among the top ten most valuable coins. Currently, ETH is experiencing significant growth, with a remarkable increase of over 30% and maintaining a steady value above $3,700. Bulls have successfully breached immediate resistance levels, indicating a bullish trend for Ethereum at this time.

As an analyst, I’m keeping a close eye on developments with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A significant event on the horizon is their potential approval of the first spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) within the next few days or possibly even this week.

Why The United States SEC Approving Spot Ethereum ETFs Will Be Huge

As a researcher examining the cryptocurrency market, I’ve noticed an escalating anticipation among traders for potential price increases, potentially surpassing $4,100 and reaching new all-time highs. This excitement stems from the pending approval of an ETH derivative product. However, this development has sparked a contentious legal debate regarding the categorization of Ethereum itself.

Jake Chervinsky, a well-known lawyer in the crypto space, made a compelling argument on X platform that if the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were to approve an ETH product, it would imply that all unstaked Ether in circulation is considered commodities, just like Bitcoin.

As a researcher studying regulatory developments in the cryptocurrency space, I’ve observed that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has traditionally been cautious in labeling assets other than Bitcoin as commodities. Chervinsky’s analysis suggests that acknowledging another digital asset as a commodity represents a significant shift from the SEC’s previous stance.

As a crypto investor, I believe proposing approval for spot Ethereum trading is effectively putting the Commission’s stamp of recognition on Ethereum as a commodity, comparable to Bitcoin.

Just like with Bitcoin ETFs from companies such as ProShares and Fidelity, this new product is designed to follow the price movement of unstaked Ethereum.

Lawyer Says United States SEC In A Tight Spot If They Approve Spot Ethereum ETFs

Based on reports from regulators, interested parties seeking to launch ETH ETFs are advised to make revisions to their application submissions. Analysts find this development noteworthy.

As an analyst, I’ve been observing the latest 19b-4 filings made to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States. Notably, applicants such as Grayscale have categorized their shares under the “Commodity-Based Trust Shares” classification. This means that these securities are treated as investment companies that hold commodities or interests in commodities, rather than traditional equity or debt securities.

Furthermore, Fidelity’s software clearly states that it does not support staking for its Ethereum offering. This decision to exclude staking may be an intentional approach aimed at addressing regulatory scrutiny over the possible securities implications.

ETH Staking A Problem For Regulators

The SEC in the United States has reportedly been hesitant to classify Ethereum as a security due to its proof-of-stake mechanism. This is because the potential rewards from staking could potentially be seen as guaranteed profits or income, which is a characteristic often associated with securities.

If this characteristic causes ETH to meet the requirements of the Howey Test, then it will be classified as a security. Consequently, registration with the regulatory body would be mandatory.

Despite some arguments that the Howey Test is outdated, given the emergence of Ethereum and other digital assets as new investment classes.

On May 21, Representative Tom Emmer spoke out on the issue to bring clarification, explaining that there are ongoing initiatives underway to provide legal clarity through the Securities Clarity Act. The purpose of this proposed legislation is to make it clear that merely being a token does not automatically classify it as a security.

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2024-05-22 22:11