FINRA Approves Grayscale’s Public Quote for Crypto Fund Shares

New York-based digital asset management fund Grayscale Investments has received regulatory approval to publicly quote the shares of its diversified cryptocurrency fund.

First publicly-quoted diversified crypto fund

Grayscale was approved by the United States Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to publicly quote its Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund (GDLCF) on over-the-counter (OTC) markets, according to a press release on Oct. 14.

The recent approval purportedly enables the first publicly-quoted security based on a selection of digital currencies in the U.S., the firm stated. The shares will be available for purchase through investment accounts similar to other unregistered securities.

DTC-eligible shares

There will be no trading volume in the shares’ public quotation until they are eligible with the Depository Trust Company (DTC), one of the world's largest securities depositories. According to the press release, Grayscale is expected to get the shares DTC-eligible in the near future.

The GDLCF comprises of several different major cryptocurrencies.  As of Sept. 30, 2019, the fund was over 80% Bitcoin (BTC), 9.9% Ethereum (ETH), 5.8% XRP, while Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Litecoin (LTC) accounted for 2.2% and 1.8%, respectively. 

Grayscale added that DLC is not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not subject to disclosure and certain other requirements mandated by U.S. securities laws.

Grayscale is a subsidiary of major crypto venture capital company Digital Currency Group. The firm’s Grayscale’s Bitcoin Investment Trust, allegedly the sole Bitcoin investment trust in the U.S., reportedly surged 300% this year as of July.

On Oct. 9, Grayscale’s director of sales and business development Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary claimed that the interest of institutional investors in cryptocurrencies doubled in Q2 2019.