Gensler takes questions on spot Bitcoin ETFs, but keeps cards close to chest

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Gary Gensler spoke to Bloomberg about several pending spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs on Oct. 18.

In his interview, Gensler acknowledged that around ten Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) proposals are currently awaiting a decision from SEC staff.

He noted that he personally cannot pre-judge those proposals and declined to comment on widespread suggestions that the SEC might approve multiple spot Bitcoin ETFs at once. However, he confirmed that the SEC is currently doing work on “multiple filings” and said that various divisions are providing feedback to issuers.

When asked whether discussions between ETF issuers and the SEC have been productive, Gensler declined to provide any details on those conversations. He merely called the established approach a “time-tested process” that has been in place for decades.

Gensler comments on Grayscale

Gensler also touched upon recent developments concerning Grayscale’s effort to convert its GBTC fund into a Bitcoin spot ETF before he commented on ETFs in general. Grayscale won the right to have its application reviewed by the SEC in court in August.

The SEC was allowed to appeal that court decision no later than Oct. 13, but the agency apparently declined to do so as no filings materialized. Gensler confirmed this in the interview, saying: “We didn’t appeal last Friday … I think that’s accurate.” He declined to state whether Grayscale’s legislation is still ongoing and did not comment on the matter further.

Even if the SEC is compelled to review Grayscale’s application, the agency will not be required to approve the proposed fund. Furthermore, any decision that applies to Grayscale’s proposal will not necessarily apply to other spot Bitcoin ETF proposals.

Gensler’s comments come two days after an inaccurate report suggesting that the SEC had approved BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF proposal gathered attention on social media. Though the rumor proved inaccurate, the price of Bitcoin surged above $30,000 as the misinformation spread before crashing back to previous levels.

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