The CEO of Osprey Funds — the issuer of over-the-counter Bitcoin trust OBTC —isn’t holding his breath for a Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval in the United States this year. Speaking to Yahoo Finance’s Jared Blikre and Seana Smith on July 19, Greg King said he believes that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the leadership of Gary Gensler has so many things on its plate in 2021 that a BTC ETF approval is unlikely to make the cut. King recalled the hype in the crypto industry surrounding Gensler’s appointment, who, while fairly noncommittal in his statements …

The head of crypto investment giant Grayscale believes that only a “couple of maturation points” separate the United States from its first Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF). Speaking to CNBC on July 19, Michael Sonnenshein reiterated that a U.S. ETF is a matter of “not ‘if,’ but ‘when.’” Sonnenshein: “If, not when” for U.S. Bitcoin ETF Regulators currently have 13 ETF applications under consideration, and the U.S. lags behind neighboring Canada when it comes to giving them the green light. Years of applications and rejections have gone by, and some believe that an ETF would ultimately create bearish price pressure …

On July 13, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, pushed back its decision on Wisdom Tree’s Bitcoin ETF with a request for public feedback. This request will allow members of the public to communicate their position on whether the trust should be approved or denied. The SEC’s notice stated: “The Commission requests that interested persons provide written submissions of their views, data and arguments with respect to the issues identified above, as well as any other concerns they may have with the proposal.” Public comments are required to be submitted to the Federal Register within 21 days, and rebuttals …

Brazil’s Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM), the country’s securities regulator, has approved an Ether (ETH) exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to an announcement by QR Capital, the holding company of QR Asset Management. The fund, which trades under the ticker QETH11, will trade on Brazil’s highly reputable B3 stock exchange, which operates as a regional exchange and serves customers worldwide. QETH11 will use the same Ether index as that used by CME Group and will use institutional custodial services provided by the Winklevoss twins’ Gemini. In its announcement, the fund’s issuer pitches the product as “a simple, safe and regulated option …

The bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon), America’s oldest bank, has signed an agreement with cryptocurrency asset manager Grayscale Investments to provide a set of services to its flagship Bitcoin (BTC) investment product. Grayscale officially announced Tuesday that it selected BNY Mellon as an asset servicing provider for Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), a major digital currency investment product providing indirect exposure to Bitcoin. BNY Mellon is also expected to provide transfer agency and exchange-traded fund-related services for the GBTC upon its conversion to an exchange-traded fund, or ETF, Grayscale noted. As part of the agreement, BNY Mellon will provide …

Timothy Massad, who served as Chair of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission between 2014 and 2017, has laid out the reasons why he thinks regulators should approve a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund. In an opinion piece published on Bloomberg Wednesday, Massad said the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, should approve a Bitcoin ETF in a manner that would enhance the transparency and integrity of the nascent cryptocurrency industry. This way, investors can access the digital asset without having to buy it off exchanges or worry about self-custody. Massad said the ideal path for approving a Bitcoin ETF would …

European digital asset manager CoinShares announced it is acquiring the exchange-traded fund (ETF) index business from crypto firm Elwood Technologies for $17 million. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second week of July, according to the announcement. Elwood, which is owned by billionaire hedge fund manager Alan Howard, is known for its partnership with Invesco to launch the Invesco Elwood Global Blockchain Equity UCITS ETF, or the Invesco Blockchain ETF in short. By providing exposure to internationally listed companies in the blockchain business, the index has amassed over $1 billion in assets since its inception in 2019. …

Digital asset manager and Bitcoin (BTC) ETF proponent Valkyrie Investments recently concluded a $10 million Series A funding round, once again highlighting growing investor interest in crypto-focused firms. In addition to Charlie Lee, who is a well-known entrepreneur in the cryptocurrency industry, the funding round also saw participation from XBTO, BTC Media, UTXO Management, Consolidated Trading and 10X Capital. Interestingly, former Major League Baseball pitcher CJ Wilson was also among the investors, as was Tron founder Justin Sun. Valkyrie CEO and World Bank veteran Leah Wald said her firm is focused on broadening investor access to cryptocurrencies in a “managed, …

The Australia Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is seeking public feedback on on crypto-asset exchange-traded products (ETPs), stating that it is aware of rising interest and demand in their launch on regulated Australian markets. In a consultation paper released June 30, the regulator said its top priority was to assess whether the “unique and ever evolving features” of crypto-asset ETPs could meet existing regulatory obligations in a consistent fashion. Given this complexity and the fast pace of change in the industry, ASIC notes it deems it necessary to consult widely in order to assess the two key issues at stake: …

Ark Investment Management has become the latest firm to file for a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). According to a June 28 filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) submitted in partnership with European exchange-traded product issuer, 21Shares, the ETF would be listed on the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s (CBOE) BZX Exchange and trade under the ticker ARKB. The ETF would also track the S&P BTC index, with the trust underpinning the ETF also holding BTC directly. The filing has received praise from the crypto industry. The great folks over at @21Shares_ just filed for a Bitcoin ETF …

The world’s first regulated Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) actually benefited from the recent price dip, data shows. As on-chain analytics service Glassnode noted on Thursday, the Purpose Bitcoin ETF continued to add to its assets under management throughout the second half of May. Purpose ETF crosses 20,000 BTC In an unusual success story from the past few weeks, Canada’s Purpose did not see a significant reduction in holdings or demand after BTC/USD hit $30,000 and under. Beginning May 15, an average of 86.15 BTC per day entered the ETF for a total of 3,446 BTC between then and Thursday. …

The Brazil Stock Exchange, or B3, has launched the trading of another Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund, marking the growing acceptance of the crypto industry in the country. Brazilian asset manager QR Asset Management started trading its Bitcoin ETF with the ticker QBTC11 on the Sao Paulo-based B3 exchange on Wednesday, Cointelegraph Brasil reported. The listing comes several months after the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission approved QR’s Bitcoin ETF in March alongside another crypto-based ETF by Latin American crypto investment firm Hashdex. In contrast to Hashdex’s crypto ETF product, which offers a diversified portfolio to several cryptocurrencies, QR’s ETF product …