SEC bitcoin ETF rejection shows market ‘not ready’ – Timo Lehes

• SEC has yet to o.k. a crypto spot exchange-traded fund
• The regulator’s enactment is to support investors
• Timo Lehes says the regulator’s determination to cull VanEck’s ETF exertion shows crypto marketplace is inactive not ready

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) erstwhile again rejected an exertion that sought to person a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded money (ETF).

The disapproval, announced connected Friday, shows that the marketplace is “not ready,” according to Timo Lehes, the co-founder of BaFin regulated Swarm Markets.

VanEck’s spot BTC money would person been physically-settled and seen investors straight way Bitcoin’s price. The SEC ruled the ETF connection did not conscionable each the requirements, pointing to issues astir the imaginable for “fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices.” 

“In essence, the regulator appears unwilling to exposure consumers to the marketplace due to the fact that it is inactive uncomfortable with however it tin beryllium gamed by almighty players,” Lehes said successful a connection shared with CoinJournal.

Despite the drawback, Lehes believes the SEC is good wrong its mandate arsenic it looks to fulfill its “primary function” of protecting investors.

SEC thinks the crypto marketplace is not ready

Last month, the SEC approved the archetypal Bitcoin futures-based ETFs successful the US, an eventuality that saw the marketplace cheer nonstop Bitcoin prices to caller all-time highs successful aboriginal November.

Approval for a crypto spot ETF would instrumentality the abstraction to the adjacent level. But does the US securities watchdog deliberation the marketplace is ripe for that leap?

According to Lehes, that’s a ‘no’.

“The operation of crypto assets and spot ETFs brings unneurotic 2 of the biggest innovations successful concern successful the past 30 years. But it is wide that the regulator thinks the marketplace is not acceptable for it,” helium noted. 

This outlook, helium explains, tin lone alteration if the crypto manufacture sought to enactment with the regulator. The SEC volition proceed to transportation retired its occupation of ensuring capitalist extortion and frankincense placing the onus of being acceptable for a spot ETF squarely connected the crypto industry.

“SEC seat Gary Gensler has made it abundantly evident that helium favours futures-based contracts implicit spot terms ETFs erstwhile it comes to bitcoin and crypto much widely. Working wrong the model it lays out, and listening to the concerns of the likes of Gensler, is yet the astir apt way to a palmy and sustainable marketplace,” helium concluded.

The marketplace volition proceed to hold for a BTC ETF successful the US marketplace and investors looking for vulnerability tin bash truthful via immoderate of the precocious approved ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) and Valkyrie Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BTF).