On the heels of the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs, U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler is exercising warning on Ethereum.
In an interview with CNBC, Gensler addressed the potential for a spot Ethereum ETF gaining SEC approval sooner or later. Whereas acknowledging the approval of Bitcoin ETFs, he emphasised that this was particular to Bitcoin as a non-security commodity token.
He rigorously shunned offering additional insights on an Ethereum ETF however hinted at a distinction between Bitcoin’s commodity standing and the potential classification of different cryptocurrencies, together with Ethereum (ETH), as securities.
Gensler has lengthy maintained Bitcoin’s standing as a commodity, outdoors the SEC’s direct purview, whereas the company has but to formally decide Ethereum’s safety standing.
Legal filings point out the SEC’s inclination to view Ethereum transactions below its jurisdiction. If Ethereum have been categorised as a safety, it may face elevated regulatory scrutiny, probably making the approval of a spot Ethereum ETF more difficult than that of Bitcoin (BTC).
Regardless of Gensler’s reservations, latest authorized judgments, together with a federal appeals court decision ordering the SEC to evaluate a Bitcoin ETF utility, might affect the regulatory panorama for crypto ETFs. This authorized shift may have implications for Ethereum, particularly contemplating the SEC’s prior approval of an Ethereum futures ETF.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon additionally appeared on CNBC to debate the crypto business’s newest developments. The 67-year-old financial institution boss doubled down on his assertion that Bitcoin is utilized for illicit actions equivalent to intercourse trafficking, tax avoidance, cash laundering, and terrorism financing.
In the meantime, the tweet comes as JPMorgan is listed as an authorized participant for spot Bitcoin ETFs, elevating questions on whether or not Dimon’s ideas on the matter maintain water.