SEC Slams Brakes on Grayscale’s Crypto ETF Dream – What’s Next for Bitcoin Investors?

The Securities and Exchange Commission just threw a wrench into Grayscale’s high-stakes plan to convert its Bitcoin Trust into a spot ETF—sending shockwaves through crypto markets.

Here’s why regulators hit pause:

The SEC’s move exposes the brutal reality of crypto’s regulatory purgatory—where even Wall Street’s favorite workaround (the trust-to-ETF shuffle) gets ambushed by bureaucracy. Meanwhile, TradFi brokers keep collecting fees on the existing product like nothing happened.

Key takeaways for traders:

- Immediate price volatility as arbitrageurs unwind positions
- Long-term ETF approval odds now in question
- Grayscale’s premium/discount to NAV could swing wildly

This isn’t just about one fund. It’s a litmus test for whether crypto can play by Wall Street’s rules—or if the SEC will keep moving goalposts until the industry runs out of venture capital.

One cynical footnote: The same regulators who greenlighted leveraged oil ETFs and reverse-mortgage securities suddenly develop risk aversion when Bitcoin’s involved. Funny how that works.

The Latest Updates on Cryptocurrencies

Yesterday, the Grayscale digital large cap fund (GDLC), which Grayscale had initiated long ago, received approval for conversion into an ETF. This fund, which holds approximately 8% in ADA, XRP, and SOL, was poised to become one of the first altcoin ETFs. Investors were excited as it represented the first ETF product for ADA and XRP. However, the anticipation was tempered by the negative update from James Seyffart.

The SEC had granted approval for the ETF but did not permit its conversion, resulting in a temporary halt. Although the ETF will not be launched, at least not for now, the hold still raises questions. Previously, Fox News had reported that a standard was being developed for cryptocurrency tokens, and on the same day, the SEC approved GDLC, citing the presence of dominant assets (over 90%) and existing approval for Bitcoin$109,534.

“Grayscale obtained permission to convert GDLC into an ETF yesterday. However, an accompanying letter stated that the conversion is currently suspended. You can find this letter on the SEC website. We have some theories as to why this might be the case.

The first scenario suggests that the SEC might want official approval or a framework for crypto assets within the ETF package before allowing anything to be launched under the 19b-4 process. We’ve published several articles about this potential framework. GDLC’s deadline was July 2, and the SEC didn’t want to reject it, so they granted approval but froze the conversion due to any potential readiness issues.

The second scenario suggests that the SEC might have something specific it wants to address regarding GDLC’s structure or another aspect. The approval order under 19b-4 came from the Trading & Markets division, indicating that perhaps another division hasn’t completed their review to permit the conversion yet.”

In conclusion, while the trust has not yet been converted into an ETF, it is expected to happen eventually. However, the timeline and the conditions under which the SEC will lift the “waiting” order remain uncertain.