According to a report by JPMorgan managing director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, the approval of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States may not have a significant impact on crypto markets, but it could benefit the leading cryptocurrency.
Panigirtzoglou, based in London, is part of JPMorgan’s global market strategy team and believes that a Bitcoin ETF in the US would have a similar effect as those seen in Canada and Europe, where such ETFs have been available for some time.
The report reveals that Bitcoin ETFs have generally attracted little investor interest in other jurisdictions over the past two years.
They have also failed to benefit from investor outflows from gold ETFs.
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Despite this, Panigirtzoglou sees potential benefits if a Bitcoin ETF is approved in the US.
He suggests that it could bring more liquidity to Bitcoin markets and possibly lead to a shift in trading activity from BTC futures products.
Panigirtzoglou’s perspective differs from the high expectations surrounding the approval of a Bitcoin ETF in the United States. BlackRock’s CEO, Larry Fink, expressed during an interview on July 6 that investors might turn to Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and the devaluation of fiat currencies.
Fink emphasized that Bitcoin is an international asset, not tied to any specific currency, making it an alternative asset for people to consider.
The annual inflation rate for the US, as reported by the Labor Department, was 4.0% for the 12 months ending in May.
The success of BlackRock in filling ETFs has generated optimism that their attempt to launch a Bitcoin ETF might also succeed.
Data from Bloomberg Intelligence’s Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart indicates that only one out of the 550 funds filed by BlackRock has been rejected to date.
Following BlackRock’s application, other companies such as Invesco, Fidelity, WisdomTree, and ARK Invest have also submitted applications or refilings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
However, it’s worth noting that the SEC has previously denied several applications for Bitcoin ETFs.
In conclusion, while the approval of a Bitcoin ETF in the US may not be a game changer for crypto markets, it could have some positive implications for the leading cryptocurrency, such as increased liquidity and potential shifts in trading activity.
However, the overall impact might not be as significant as some anticipate, considering the historical investor interest in Bitcoin ETFs in other jurisdictions.
