It’s set to be a historic week in crypto, with the SEC widely expected to finally approve a spot Bitcoin ETF, although it’s not a 100% certainty. Two Bloomberg analysts who have followed all the developments closely since the beginning, James Seyffart and Eric Balchunas, join Unchained to discuss the final filings, the likely schedule, and whether all the applications are likely be approved on the same day. Then they dive into the real action: the cutthroat wars that have already begun, why Grayscale might be keeping its fees on the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust so high, and who the likely winners in what has traditionally been a “winner take most” category will be.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Show highlights:
What the recent 19b-4 and S-1 filings say about how close the ETFs are to approvalWhether Hashdex's existing futures ETF impacts its treatment in the spot Bitcoin ETF processThe likely timeline for trading to start post-ETF approvalThe possibility of simultaneous launches for all approved ETF issuersThe SEC's concerns about ensuring a fair launch, informed by the BITO experienceEric’s surprise at JP Morgan's involvement as an Authorized ParticipantWhy the SEC is approving the ETF despite Gensler’s stance against cryptoWhat extreme cases Eric believes might cause the ETF not to be approved How BlackRock's low fees set a challenging benchmark for competitorsThe potential for an issuer to offer even lower fees than current playersHow issuer margins are thin due to marketing fees, and the impact of waiversJames’ theory about why Grayscale might be keeping the fee on GBTC so highPredictions about which issuer(s) will gain the bulk of assets under managementThe rumor about BlackRock introducing substantial liquidity on the ETF's first dayEric and James's expectations for ETF inflows and market dynamicsThank you to our sponsors!
Arbitrum FoundationPopcorn NetworkJames Seyffart, Research analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence
Previous appearances on Unchained:Why the SEC May Want Cash Creation of Spot Bitcoin ETFsWhy It Looks Like BlackRock Could Win America’s First Spot Bitcoin ETFWhy a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence
Previous appearances on Unchained:Will a Spot Bitcoin ETF Finally Get Approved?Previous coverage of Unchained on spot Bitcoin ETFs:The 4 Factors That Will Determine Which Spot Bitcoin ETFs Win Market ShareHow Much Money Will Flow Into Bitcoin ETFs? Here’s One ProjectionThe Chopping Block: Are We Back? The ‘Low IQ’ Response to the Potential Spot Bitcoin ETFUnchained: Fee Competition Heats Up Among BlackRock and Other Spot Bitcoin ETF ApplicantsCaitlin Long’s tweet warning about no feesFidelity set their fee to .39%Invesco/Galaxy chose to waive feesUnchained: Goldman Sachs Could Take Vital Role in BlackRock, Grayscale Spot Bitcoin ETFs: ReportThe Block: Nasdaq to meet with SEC today to discuss spot bitcoin ETFs: SourceReuters: BlackRock, VanEck among asset managers that submitted updated filings for spot bitcoin ETFCoinDesk: BlackRock, Valkyrie Name Authorized Participants Including JPMorgan for Bitcoin ETFBetter Markets’ letter: The SEC Must Follow the Law and Reject Spot Bitcoin ETPs Which Will Inflict Massive Investor HarmFXSTREET: BlackRock might be on track to create history with $2 billion inflows in spot Bitcoin ETF in a weekEleanor Terrett of Fox News’ tweet on Better Markets’ letter
Scott Johnson of Van Buren Capital’s estimate
Unchained: Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work?Why The Spot Bitcoin ETF Is a Big DealDeciding on Bitcoin: Should New Investors Jump In Now or Wait for an ETF?
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