Cointime

Download App
iOS & Android

Grayscale met with SEC to discuss spot Bitcoin ETF details

Validated Individual Expert

Executives from crypto asset manager Grayscale have met with the Securities and Exchange Commission to discuss details of its flagship Bitcoin trust, which the firm wants to convert to a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

A Nov. 20 SEC memo disclosed Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein, legal chief Craig Salm, ETF head Dave LaValle and four other executives, along with five Davis Polk law firm representatives, met with the SEC’s division of trading and markets.

The memo said discussions “concerned NYSE Arca, Inc.’s proposed rule change to list and trade shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (BTC) under NYSE Arca Rule 8.201-E.”

Grayscale detailed that it had entered a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement with BNY Mellon, according to a filing shared by Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart.

The bank will act as the agent for its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), facilitating the issuance and redemption of shares and maintaining shareholder accounts.

In a Nov. 21 X (Twitter) post, Seyffart observed the trading and markets division is in charge of approving or denying 19b-4s — a form used to inform the SEC of a proposed rule change by a self-regulatory organization.

Seyffart added Grayscale’s agreement with BNY Mellon was “likely something that was always going to be required at some point” and isn’t an indicator that the GBTC will soon be converted.

In a Nov. 22 X post, ETF Store President Nate Geraci opined the “most substantive aspect of Grayscale’s SEC meeting yesterday is that GBTC ‘conversion’ is being referred to as an ‘uplisting.’”

“That doesn’t indicate any issues with conversion to ETF,” he said.

Grayscale has a real shot of dominating this ETF category if it can “uplist GBTC to NYSE Arca on the same day other issuers launch spot BTC ETFs,” and they make a concerted effort to compete on fees, Geraci added.

Geraci said Grayscale will enter the markets on day one with $20 billion in assets under management, even with BlackRock in the mix.

Related: US court issues mandate for Grayscale ruling, paving way for SEC to review spot Bitcoin ETF

Grayscale submitted an S-3 form registration statement with the SEC on Oct. 19, which showed its intention to list the shares of GBTC on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol GBTC.

In October, a U.S. appellate court issued a mandate for the SEC to review its decision to deny Grayscale’s bid to convert the GBTC to a spot ETF.

The firm is among other major asset managers, including BlackRock and Fidelity, seeking SEC approval for spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Seyffart maintained that “things are continuing to move forward” and his odds of approval — a 90% likelihood that an ETF is approved on or before Jan. 10, 2024 — remained the same.

ETF
Comments

All Comments

Recommended for you

  • Iranian Source: Breakthrough in Iran-US Negotiation Preparations Possible 'Tonight or Tomorrow'

    On April 23, an Iranian diplomatic source told RIA Novosti that preparations for negotiations between Iran and the United States in Pakistan may achieve a breakthrough 'tonight or tomorrow.' (Xinhua News Agency)

  • Anthropic's Secondary Market Valuation Reaches $1 Trillion, Surpassing OpenAI

    On April 23, Anthropic's valuation on private equity trading platforms like Forge Global has risen to around $1 trillion, surpassing OpenAI's $880 billion. It is reported that the valuation of this artificial intelligence startup has rapidly increased due to buyers competing to purchase the increasingly scarce secondary market shares of Anthropic. (Dongxin News Agency)

  • BTC Surpasses $78,000

    Market data shows that BTC has surpassed $78,000, currently priced at $78,000.81, with a 24-hour decline of 0.14%. The market is experiencing significant volatility, so please ensure proper risk management.

  • Bitmine Allegedly Acquires 100,000 ETH Worth $233.7 Million

    On April 23, according to monitoring by Lookonchain, three new addresses suspected to be associated with Tom Lee's Bitmine (0xB6a8...9c9E, 0xc2e0...2831, 0x4e5C...276c) received 100,000 ETH from BitGo, valued at $233.7 million.

  • Musk: AI Chip Shortage Expected in the Future

    On April 23, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated during an earnings call that the company initiated the Terafab chip factory project due to an anticipated severe shortage of AI chips in the future. He remarked, "In terms of industry growth rates, logic chips, and even more so storage chips, we expect to encounter bottlenecks if we do not manufacture chips ourselves. This is the reason for the birth of Terafab." (Dongxin News Agency)

  • US Spot Bitcoin ETF Sees Net Inflow of $331.9 Million Yesterday

    On April 23, according to monitoring by Trader T, the US spot Bitcoin ETF experienced a net inflow of $331.9 million yesterday.

  • US Spot Ethereum ETF Sees Net Inflow of $96.43 Million Yesterday

    On April 23, according to monitoring by Trader T, the US spot Ethereum ETF saw a net inflow of $96.43 million yesterday.

  • U.S. State Department Urges American Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately

    On April 23, the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the U.S. State Department posted on social media that, given Iran's announcement of partial airspace reopening, American citizens in Iran should leave immediately. The post advised U.S. citizens to stay informed about the situation through local media and to consult commercial airlines for information on flights departing Iran. Additionally, U.S. citizens can also travel by land to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan, but should avoid areas along the Iran-Afghanistan, Iran-Iraq, or Iran-Pakistan borders.

  • Tesla: Increasing Investment in AI Computing Power and Advancing New Battery and Material Factories

    On April 23, Tesla's official blog announced that the company is increasing its investment in AI computing power to advance the construction of new battery and battery materials factories. This move is also aimed at further preparing for the production of the third-generation Megapack energy storage system, the Tesla autonomous electric vehicle Cybercab, and the Tesla electric truck Semi.

  • USA: Deploying the Strongest Military Force in History to the Middle East

    On April 23, local time April 22, the U.S. Central Command announced that since the U.S. military began its blockade operations in the waters related to the Strait of Hormuz on April 14, it has requested 31 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of the blockade. The U.S. Central Command also stated that the military is currently deploying the most comprehensive and powerful military force ever seen across the Middle East.