In a bombshell filing, the SEC is prepared to allow generic listing standards for crypto ETFs. This would permit ETF listings without a specific case-by-case approval process.
The filing’s language rests on cryptoassets that are commodities, not securities. However, the Commission is reclassifying many such assets, theoretically enabling an XRP ETF alongside many other new products.
Why Generic Listing Standards Matter
The SEC has been tacitly approving new crypto ETFs like XRP and DOGE-based products, but there hasn’t been an unambiguously clear signal of greater acceptance. Huge waves of altcoin ETF filings keep reaching the Commission, but there hasn’t been a corresponding show of confidence.
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Until today, that is, as the SEC just took a sweeping measure to approve generic listing standards for crypto ETFs:
“[Several leading exchanges] filed with the SEC proposed rule changes to adopt generic listing standards for Commodity-Based Trust Shares. Each of the foregoing proposed rule changes… were subject to notice and comment. This order approves the Proposals on an accelerated basis,” the SEC’s filing claimed.
The proposals came from the Nasdaq, CBOE, and NYSE Arca, which all the ETF issuers have been using to funnel their proposals. In other words, this decision on generic listing standards could genuinely transform crypto ETF approvals.
A New Era for Crypto ETFs
Specifically, these new standards would allow issuers to tailor-make compliant crypto ETF proposals. If these filings meet all the Commission’s criteria, the underlying ETFs could trade on the market without direct SEC approval. This would remove a huge bottleneck in the coveted ETF creation process.
“By approving these generic listing standards, we are ensuring that our capital markets remain the best place in the world to engage in the cutting-edge innovation of digital assets. This approval helps to maximize investor choice and foster innovation by streamlining the listing process,” SEC Chair Paul Atkins claimed in a press release.
The SEC has already been working on a streamlined approval process for crypto ETFs, but these generic listing standards could accomplish the task. This rule change would rely on considering tokens as commodities instead of securities, but federal regulators have been reclassifying assets like XRP.
If these standards work as advertised, ETFs based on XRP, Solana, and many other cryptos could be coming very soon. This quiet announcement may have huge implications.