Bitget App
Trade smarter
Buy cryptoMarketsTradeFuturesEarnAISquareMore
SEC rethinks ETF approval process to avoid picking winners

SEC rethinks ETF approval process to avoid picking winners

CryptobriefingCryptobriefing2026/07/01 21:03
By:Cryptobriefing

The SEC is tired of playing favorites. On June 30, the agency kicked off a 60-day public comment period aimed at building a consistent regulatory framework for novel exchange-traded funds, including those tied to crypto assets and other non-traditional strategies.

The goal: stop approving ETFs one at a time and start applying uniform rules across the board.

From gatekeeper to rule-maker

SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins framed the new initiative as a necessary evolution. The ETF market has grown from roughly $4 trillion in assets in 2019 to over $12 trillion by the end of 2025. That kind of growth makes a case-by-case approval system look less like careful oversight and more like a bottleneck.

Advertisement
window.sevioads = window.sevioads || []; var sevioads_preferences = []; sevioads_preferences[0] = {}; sevioads_preferences[0].zone = "de1434f5-fa9e-44a6-93c3-4c2439763717"; sevioads_preferences[0].adType = "banner"; sevioads_preferences[0].inventoryId = "c5700508-581b-472c-8fdd-a931cdbfc8e1"; sevioads_preferences[0].accountId = "1e47efc1-ec2d-4fca-a8b9-354e249e5095"; sevioads.push(sevioads_preferences);

The comment period explicitly covers ETFs focused on crypto assets and alternative holdings under existing investment company laws.

In 2025, the SEC introduced generic listing standards that slashed the average approval timeline for crypto ETFs from 240 days to about 75 days. The new initiative goes further. Instead of just speeding up individual approvals, the SEC is asking whether it should create a blanket regulatory framework that treats novel ETFs under a single, predictable set of rules.

Why crypto ETF issuers are paying attention

A uniform framework would change that calculus significantly. If the SEC establishes clear criteria for what qualifies as an approvable novel ETF, issuers can design products to meet those criteria from day one.

The SEC’s Division of Investment Management has emphasized that investor protection remains central to the initiative.

What this means for investors

For retail investors, the most immediate impact could be more options, faster. If the SEC moves from approving novel ETFs individually to regulating them categorically, the pipeline of available products could accelerate meaningfully.

The 60-day comment period means the SEC won’t finalize anything until at least late August. But the direction is clear: the agency wants to get out of the business of deciding which ETFs deserve to exist and into the business of setting the rules by which all of them must play.

0
0

Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

Understand the market, then trade.
Bitget offers one-stop trading for cryptocurrencies, stocks, and gold.
Trade now!

You may also like

Overnight US Stock Market | Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points as Expected, All Three Major Indexes Close Lower, SpaceX (SPCX.US) Rises Over 5%

At market close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 630.56 points, or 1.21%, to 51,462.55 points; the S&P 500 Index dropped 33.51 points, or 0.44%, to 7,552.22 points; and the Nasdaq Composite Index declined 3.15 points, or 0.01%, to 25,978.42 points.

智通财经2026/09/16 22:41
Overnight US Stock Market | Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points as Expected, All Three Major Indexes Close Lower, SpaceX (SPCX.US) Rises Over 5%

Overseas investors reduced their holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds by $50.4 billion in July; both Japan and China cut holdings, while the UK increased holdings against the trend

Data released by the U.S. Treasury on Wednesday shows that in July, the amount of U.S. Treasury bonds held by overseas investors significantly decreased, dropping by $50.4 billion from June to $9.25 trillion, marking the lowest level since October last year.

智通财经2026/09/16 22:41
Overseas investors reduced their holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds by $50.4 billion in July; both Japan and China cut holdings, while the UK increased holdings against the trend

Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time in three years! Waller sends a hawkish signal, another 25 basis point hike possible this year

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.75%-4.00% on Wednesday, marking the first rate hike since July 2023.

智通财经2026/09/16 22:36
Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time in three years! Waller sends a hawkish signal, another 25 basis point hike possible this year