Many investment firms have launched crypto exchange-traded funds, but so far, none has found favor with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Firms keep trying, though, and this past week, two more tendered applications for crypto ETF-like products — if not pure-play Bitcoin ETFs have emerged. WisdomTree, an asset manager and ETF specialist, filed an N-1A form registration statement on June 16 with the agency for an ETF that would invest up to 5% of its portfolio in cash-settled Bitcoin (BTC) futures contracts offered by Chicago Mercantile Exchange. WisdomTree was close to applying to the SEC in January for …

Editor’s note: The week has been remarkably active for policy, possibly as a result of economies showing signs of heading slowly back to normal. While crisis remains, it seems like everyone has gotten numb to crisis mode. Recent news has been quite kind to crypto all over the world. We may in fact be seeing a trend that many predicted back in March when COVID-19 lockdowns first took hold. Beyond the immediate importance that a disease that can be transmitted by cash gave to digital payments — or even the need to send money to hundreds of millions of people …

WisdomTree Investments, a New York-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) provider, has filed for an ETF that would invest up to 5% of its portfolio in cash-settled Bitcoin (BTC) futures contracts offered by Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). The application, which was filed on June 16, asserts that the proposed fund will invest in the futures markets of four commodity sectors spanning agriculture, industrial metals, precious metals and energy. No direct investments will be made in the underlying physical assets. Crypto ETFs have little luck among regulators Despite regulators having thus far rejected applications for Bitcoin ETFs, WisdomTree hopes that its "WisdomTree Enhanced …

Qiao Wang — Investor, analyst and head of product at crypto market data firm Messari — raised major criticism about the way in which the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, or GBTC, is set up. In a June 11 tweet, Wang cites Grayscale’s official website, according to which “Grayscale Bitcoin Trust does not currently operate a redemption program and may halt creations from time to time.” He suggested that the absence of a redemption mechanism can result in GBTC trading at a discount compared to the net asset value, or NAV, of the fund’s assets. “You are just donating your money to …

Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, have faced unfair pushback from U.S. regulators, according to VanEck director and digital asset specialist Gabor Gurbacs. "There's a persistent double standard against Bitcoin and digital assets, which I think is wrong," Gurbacs told host Max Keiser on a recent episode of the Keiser Report. Bitcoin ETF denials by the bushel In its simplest form, a Bitcoin ETF is a financial product traded officially on mainstream stock markets, with shares representing exposure to Bitcoin's price. A Bitcoin ETF might be cash-backed or BTC-backed, depending on the product. This avenue essentially allows folks Bitcoin investment …

Bitcoin (BTC) has only just completed its “hardening” — but fiat currency is already getting even “easier” as money after a historic move by the United States central bank. As the Federal Reserve confirmed in a press release on May 11, the bank is about to finally launch its corporate debt exchange-traded fund, or ETF, buying programs. ETF buys to start imminently Known as the Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility, or SMCC, and Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility, or PMCCF, the two vehicles will start work “in the near future.” Announced in March as markets tumbled over the coronavirus, the …

Gold’s history as a symbol of value dwarfs that of any other artifact. Used as money in both ancient Greece and the Roman empire, gold was also the preferred method of payment for goods along the Silk Road. When modern banking emerged during the Italian Renaissance, the concept of paper money convertible into gold was invented. This practice ended a half-century ago, but the value of gold remains timeless. Starting with England in 1717, modern nations began anchoring their national systems of money to gold in what became known as the “gold standard.” By the late 1800s, and until World …

Several investment firm executives have debated the likelihood of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) licensing a U.S.-based Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) during a CNBC broadcast on March 7. The discussion follows the SEC’s recent rejection of its last pending Bitcoin ETF application. Wilshire Phoenix had first filed the application for its proposed ‘United States Bitcoin and Treasury Investment Trust’ with the SEC during January 2019. Despite amending their application six times in 13 months, the SEC rejected Wilshire Phoenix’s ETF, citing concerns about manipulation of Bitcoin’s market, and limited investor protections. Bitcoin ETF May Come With Widespread …

Securities and Exchange Commissioner (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce has published a dissenting statement in response to the Commission’s rejection of Wilshire Phoenix’s Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund application. In her statement, Peirce slams the SEC for its biased treatment of Bitcoin-related products with the passion of a “Bitcoin maximalist.” Given that the commissioner’s term expires in a little over three months, at the beginning of June 5, it raises a question: Could Peirce be positioning herself for a life after the SEC? Anti-Bitcoin bias among regulators? In her latest statement, Commissioner Pierce claims the SEC’s handling of Bitcoin-related products is inconsistent …

Wilshire Phoenix, a New York-based asset management firm, has responded to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rejecting its proposed Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF). The firm states it is “very disappointed” by the SEC’s ruling, emphasizing that it went to great lengths to ensure compliance with the SEC’s expectations: “We made every effort to get the SEC’s attention on this important issue, including undertaking extensive analysis that was made available to the SEC staff, submitting key data, and offering to provide additional information to facilitate the listing of a much needed regulated bitcoin-related ETP in the United …

The US Securities and Exchange Commision has rejected New York based firm Wilshire Phoenix’s Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) application, citing ongoing concerns over market manipulation and a lack of surveillance-sharing agreements. Commissioner Hester ‘Crypto Mom’ Peirce has publicly disagreed with the rejection. NYSE Arca had submitted a proposed rule change to allow the listing and trade of Wilshire Phoenix's United States Bitcoin and Treasury Investment Trust. The proposal included both US Treasury Bonds and Bitcoin and hoped to address the SEC’s concerns over market manipulation by automatically rebalancing into bonds during periods of BTC price volatility. Explaining the reasons …

Daily trade volume for Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)’s bitcoin (BTC) futures produced a new low for 2020 on Feb. 21, with $118 million worth of contracts changing hands on Friday. The record low came just three days after CME daily volume exceeded $1 billion for just the third time in the market’s history, with CME bitcoin futures producing over 23,000 contracts or $1.1 billion worth of trade on Feb. 18. Daily trade volume for CME bitcoin futures. Source: Skew Despite the near-record spike in trade activity, CME bitcoin futures volume quickly faded, plummeting by nearly 55 percent the next day. …