- Ethereum ETFs will likely begin trading soon after BlackRock filed its updated S-1 application.
- Vanguard won’t offer Ethereum ETFs on its platform.
- Ethereum investors may be reallocating capital to benefit from the potential larger upside of smaller-cap DeFi tokens.
Ethereum (ETH) price shows neutrality despite positive updates of BlackRock’s spot ETH ETF updated S-1 application and the Securities & Exchange Commission’s (SEC) engagement with issuers. A key reason for the price lag may be a potential capital reallocation from investors to DeFi tokens in hopes of a larger upside if the launch of spot ETH ETFs spurs a rally.
Daily digest market movers: BlackRock S-1 filing, Vanguard says no to Ethereum
BlackRock filed an updated S-1 for its spot Ethereum ETF on Wednesday, according to updates on the SEC’s website. The recent filing comes after the SEC approved 19b-4 applications of eight issuers — including BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust — on May 23.
National exchanges like the NASDAQ or the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) submit 19b-4 filings to the SEC to seek approval for listing new products on their trading platforms. On the other hand, S-1 refers to the initial registration form detailing how a fund would be managed and how it would track the underlying asset’s price.
The SEC must approve S-1 applications before the ETFs can launch officially.
Read more: Ethereum slightly tilts toward bears, may only see 20% of Bitcoin ETF flows following silver comparison
The filing revealed the iShares Ethereum Trust’s ticker as ETHA and mentioned key details about its seed capital investor.
“On May 21, 2024, the Seed Capital Investor, an affiliate of the Sponsor, subject to conditions, purchased the Seed Creation Baskets, comprising 400,000 Shares at a per-Share price equal to $25.00,” said BlackRock in its filing.
Additionally, BlackRock updated the APs for the ETF, replacing JP Morgan with BMO Capital Markets Corp.
An AP is a financial institution — often a bank — that provides liquidity to facilitate the creation and redemption of ETF shares.
According to Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart, BlackRock’s latest filing confirms that the SEC and issuers are working toward spot ETH ETF launches.
Although several analysts have expressed that an S-1 approval usually takes months after 19b-4 approvals, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas suggested that spot ETH ETFs may only take weeks.
“Good sign. Prob see rest roll in soon. Then prob one more round of fine-tune comments from Staff. End of June launch a legit possibility altho keeping my o/u date as July 4,” said Balchunas.
Also read: Ethereum may continue outperforming Bitcoin as ‘programmable money’ may be ETH’s new slogan
He also noted that BlackRock may update its S-1 again as it lacks information on fees and other key data. So far, Van Eck and BlackRock are the only issuers to have submitted updated S-1 filings to the SEC.
The Block also reported that two sources confirmed that the SEC asked issuers to turn in their updated S-1 filings by Friday after which the SEC will give its first round of comments before further amendments.
Meanwhile, Vanguard has said it won’t offer spot ETH ETFs on its brokerage platform, according to Blockworks. “While we continuously evaluate our brokerage [offering] and evaluate new product entries to the market, spot ether ETFs will not be available for purchase on the Vanguard platform,” a Vanguard spokesperson told Blockworks. The company also declined to offer Bitcoin ETFs on its platform when it launched.
Crypto was able to shift the stance of some in the highest rungs of government but not Vanguard, who maintains their platform ban for Ether ETFs which are “not aligned” with building a well-balanced, long term portfolio. https://t.co/0JjiWzvxBX
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) May 30, 2024