U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler is signaling a pathway for approving a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, a move that crypto enthusiasts say is crucial for taking tokens to the mainstream.
Gensler said that an ETF that complies with the SEC's strict rules for mutual funds could provide investors with necessary protections.
Speaking in his first major speech on cryptocurrencies, Gensler also signaled an openness to an ETF focused exclusively on Bitcoin futures, which are offered by CME Group Inc. and require that investors put down substantial margin to trade.
"Given these important protections, I look forward to the staff's review of such filings, particularly if those are limited to these CME-traded Bitcoin futures," he said in Tuesday remarks prepared for the Aspen Security Forum.
The SEC under Gensler and his predecessor Jay Clayton has repeatedly balked at green-lighting a crypto ETF, with the agency raising concerns over transparency and potential for manipulation in the Bitcoin cash market.
Most pending ETF applications have been filed under 1930s laws that allow stock exchanges to list products. Gensler is hinting that he'd like to see a filing that seeks approval through a 1940 law that governs mutual funds.
