The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed its decision on options for spot Ethereum ETFs, marking the second delay in recent months. In a filing on Friday, the SEC indicated it would extend the review period to allow additional analysis and public feedback on the proposed options. The delay aims to assess whether the options align with the Securities Exchange Act, particularly Section 6(b)(5), which addresses issues like market manipulation, investor protection, and fair trading.
In August, NYSE American LLC, Grayscale, and Bitwise proposed rule changes to list and trade options for several Ethereum products, including Bitwise’s Ethereum ETF, the Grayscale Ethereum Trust, the Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust, and any trust holding ether. This review also covers BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), which is discussed in a separate SEC filing. The agency has set a new decision deadline for November 10.
The SEC’s extended review will help ensure that Ethereum ETFs meet rigorous standards for investor safety and market stability. While the agency approved eight Ethereum ETFs earlier this year, the addition of options could introduce new complexity and risk. Despite this, the Ethereum ETFs have seen strong demand, reporting $79.74 million in net inflows on Thursday and a trading volume spike to $466.39 million, well above average.
