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In light of recent regulatory actions, JPMorgan analysts remain confident that the SEC's scrutiny of Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) Crypto will not impede the approval of spot Ethereum ETFs.
What Happened: This perspective comes even as the retail brokerage faces potential enforcement from the SEC for its dealings in what are alleged to be unregistered securities, The Block reported.
Earlier this week, Robinhood announced that it had received a Wells notice from the SEC, which suggests impending enforcement actions related to its cryptocurrency operations.
Robinhood Crypto allows trading in a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ether, among others.
According to Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou and his team at JPMorgan, this development reflects ongoing efforts by the SEC to assert that most cryptocurrencies, with the possible exceptions of Bitcoin and Ether, should be regulated as securities.
“In our opinion, it does not look like the Wells notice should pose an obstacle to an eventual approval by the SEC of spot Ethereum ETFs, although perhaps not as soon as this month,” stated Panigirtzoglou.
He further noted that similar to prior approvals for Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) related financial products, the path for Ethereum might follow a similar trajectory, potentially involving legal challenges if initial SEC approvals are denied.
Also Read: ‘Who Do I Sue?’ JPMorgan Exec Sees Public Blockchains As Inadequate For Large Transactions
Regarding the specific implications of the Wells notice on Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), Panigirtzoglou clarified, “No, we don’t think it is implied by the Wells notice to Robinhood.
Robinhood does not only facilitate trading on Bitcoin and Ethereum but also on 13 further tokens.
Eventually, the status of Ethereum is likely to be determined by legislation and as we argued previously (and as it was revealed in Hinman’s papers last June) there might be an eventually ‘middle’ category for Ethereum, neither commodity nor security but something in between.”
The market’s reaction to potential delays in the approval of a spot Ether ETF seems muted, as evidenced by the ongoing discount in the net asset value of the Grayscale Ethereum Trust.
The analysts believe that the market has tempered its expectations for immediate regulatory approvals.
In a strategic shift, Grayscale withdrew its application for an ether futures ETF, which according to Panigirtzoglou, might indicate a preference to focus on converting its existing Ethereum trust into a spot ETF.
This move is seen as part of a broader strategy to align with potential regulatory outcomes, with key decisions expected by May 23.
What’s Next: As the digital asset sector continues to evolve, the implications of these regulatory developments will be a key topic at Benzinga’s Future of Digital Assets event on Nov. 19.
This event will offer critical insights into how companies and investors can navigate the complex regulatory landscape, and what the future holds for mainstream cryptocurrency products such as Ethereum ETFs.
Read Next: Bitcoin ETF Issuer VanEck Launches ‘MEMECOIN’ Index, Includes DOGE, SHIB And 4 More Meme Coins
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