Several prominent applicants seeking approval for a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States are revising their applications to conform to the cash redemption model mandated by securities regulators.
Investment management giant BlackRock and ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, have both made updates to their S-1 registration statements for a proposed spot Bitcoin ETF, which have been submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
These amendments, filed on December 18, primarily pertain to the creation and redemption process for proposed spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Both BlackRock and ARK have chosen to embrace the cash redemption system, as opposed to in-kind redemptions, which involve non-monetary assets like Bitcoin.
ARK’s registration statement hinted that its ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF would exclusively facilitate cash creations and redemptions.
The document did, however, mention the possibility of authorized participants being able to engage in in-kind transactions for creating and redeeming shares, pending regulatory approval.
Similarly, BlackRock filed a comparable update, emphasizing that in-kind transactions could occur, but only if approved by regulators.
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These transactions would still involve cash exchanges, but may also involve Bitcoin if approved by the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Eric Balchunas, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg, suggested that ARK and its ETF partner, 21Shares, initially sought alternatives to cash creations and had creative solutions for in-kind redemptions.
However, their shift to cash redemption indicates the SEC’s inflexibility on this matter, potentially indicating a resolution to the ongoing debate and a favorable outlook for approval in January.
The SEC’s insistence on a “cash-only” requirement implies that authorized participants will only be able to acquire additional ETF shares by providing the corresponding amount of cash, as noted by investor and consultant Vance Harwood.
Harwood further explained that the SEC’s stance is understandable, as it ensures transparency regarding the source of the ETF’s underlying Bitcoin holdings, which are expected to be purchased from reputable exchanges.
WisdomTree, a global ETF provider, also submitted an S-1 amendment for its spot Bitcoin ETF, the WisdomTree Bitcoin ETF, on December 18.
Notably, WisdomTree has opted to retain the option of in-kind creation and redemption.
In summary, several key players in the race for a U.S. Bitcoin ETF are adjusting their applications to comply with the SEC’s cash redemption model, indicating a potential resolution to regulatory hurdles and increasing the likelihood of approval in the near future.
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