WisdomTree’s Delaware Fund Filing Puts Top 20 Cryptocurrencies in the Spotlight

Asset management giant WisdomTree just dropped a regulatory bombshell—filing for a new cryptocurrency fund in Delaware that zeroes in on the market's 20 most significant digital assets.

The Institutional Play

This isn't some decentralized pipe dream. We're talking about a traditional finance heavyweight strategically positioning itself to capture institutional flows. The Delaware filing signals serious intent—bypassing regulatory ambiguity through established corporate channels.

Market Implications

Watch for ripple effects across exchanges. When traditional finance players enter the crypto space, they don't dip toes—they bring tidal waves of capital. The selected 20 cryptocurrencies represent the blue-chip foundation for what could become a standardized institutional portfolio.

Regulatory Chess Move

Filing in Delaware isn't accidental. The state's business-friendly courts and well-defined corporate governance structures provide the legal predictability that makes Wall Street comfortable. It's the perfect bridge between traditional finance's need for structure and crypto's disruptive potential.

The selection criteria for these 20 cryptocurrencies will likely become the new industry benchmark—whether the crypto purists like it or not. Another case of traditional finance finally realizing digital assets matter, about five years after everyone else.

WisdomTree has registered its CoinDesk 20 Fund in Delaware, designed to track the top 20 cryptocurrencies by liquidity and market capitalization. It marks an important step toward bringing diversified, institutional-grade crypto products, including XRP, Solana, and Cardano, closer to mainstream financial markets. 

WisdomTree Registers with Delaware

The renowned asset manager, WisdomTree, registered its CoinDesk 20 Fund with the State of Delaware, not just as a business entity, but specifically as a fund. It wants to leverage the flexible and business-friendly environment of Delaware. 

The US state has been a common choice for major investment funds because it boasts a legal system renowned for its predictability and responsiveness to corporate needs. This MOVE could trigger fund inflows into the top 20 coins, driving modest price rebounds. However, regulatory uncertainties remain, with SEC approval still variable. 

How is the SEC’s Generic Listing Standards Related to This?

Due to the SEC’s new “generic listing standards,” funds and stocks are allowed to list directly, streamlining approval to 75 days without seeking prior FORM requirements for ETF approval. This move makes it quicker and easier for funds like WisdomTree to go public. 

However, it is important to understand that it is not an official ETF filing, but it indicates WisdomTree’s intent to potentially launch such a product in the future. For that, it may file an S-1 registration with the SEC, and will require direct approval from the agency on that. So, this is just a foundational, legal, and administrative step for establishing the WisomTree before it seeks further approvals or begins operations.

WisdomTree’s XRP ETF

Besides the upcoming ETF, WisdomTree has already filed for an XRP ETF application with the S-1 form to track the price of the token. SEC approved the application in February, but the deadline for the final decision has been delayed to October 25, 2025.