Amendment of Ether ETF Filings

Asset management companies VanEck and 21Shares have updated their S-1 filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to seek approval for listing and trading shares of a spot Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF).

In recent filings dated July 8, VanEck revised its Form S-1 registration statement in order to secure final consent from the SEC for its Ethereum ETF. Likewise, 21Shares submitted a similar revised form for its Core Ethereum ETF. Although neither submission specified a definitive launch date on U.S. exchanges, they indicated a launch would occur 'as soon as practicable after the effective date' of the registration.

The modified filings represent the concluding phase of approvals mandated by the SEC before asset management firms can introduce shares of spot Ether ETFs. Bitwise also submitted its amended registration on July 3, foreshadowing potential similar actions from other entities in the following week.

When Can We Expect ETF Launches?

As of May 23, the SEC endorsed spot Ether ETF 19b-4 filings from eight asset managers, including VanEck, 21Shares, and Bitwise. Industry experts anticipate final approvals to materialize in July. During a June Senate Banking Committee session, SEC Chair Gary Gensler hinted that the commission might sanction the S-1 filings 'over the course of this summer,' without specifying a precise date.

VanEck initiated the application process for a spot Ether ETF back in January after the SEC greenlit the listing and trading of spot Bitcoin ETF shares. The advancement of the approval procedure may have been impeded amid speculations that the SEC was deliberating on categorizing ETH as a security. Notably, Consensys' legal team disclosed in June that the commission had terminated its investigation on this matter.