The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued final instructions to asset managers preparing to launch ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs). According to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas, the Commission ordered issuers to file their final S-1 forms by July 16, with the aim of launching the new funds on July 23. The final forms were to contain the fees issuers planned to charge for their new cryptocurrency funds. On May 23, the agency cleared the issuers’ Form 19-b, which suggested changes to the rules that would allow investment vehicles created from cryptocurrencies. From that point on, asset managers needed approval of their initial securities registration S-1 forms. 

Some of the major financial institutions, such as BlackRock, Grayscale, Fidelity, ARK 21Shares, Invesco Galaxy, VanEck, Hashdex, and Franklin Templeton, were vying for approval and the launch of Ether ETFs. n response to regulatory concerns, issuers such as ARK Investments and Fidelity suspended their Ether ETF plans in recent weeks.

ETF fee structure

Ether ETFs would feature a variety of fee structures. Invesco and Galaxy had set management fees of 0.25%, slightly higher than VanEck and Franklin Templeton, which reported fees of around 0.20% and 0.19%, respectively. These fees were significantly lower than the 2.50% management fees of Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust. Grayscale was planning to launch a new spot Ether ETF but had not yet disclosed the proposed fees.

Approval process and investment predictions

The SEC approval process for Ether ETFs was expected to be similar to that for Bitcoin ETFs. Analysts predicted that Ether ETFs could generate significant investor interest, attracting as much as $10 billion in new flows in the months following the launch. “We saw $15 billion in flows for Bitcoin. I think we’ll probably see $5 billion to $10 billion for Ethereum,” Tom Dunleavy, managing partner at cryptocurrency investment firm MV Global, previously told Cointelegraph.

The SEC’s delivery of final instructions is a crucial step towards the launch of Ether ETFs, something that could open up new investment opportunities and spark considerable interest in the cryptocurrency market. With several major financial institutions vying for approval, the coming months will be critical for the development of these investment products.