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On August 22, the US SEC disapproved rule changes requested by two exchanges – NYSE Arca and Cboe BZX – that would have allowed them to trade shares of various exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that go long and short bitcoin futures. Excitement had been growing in the crypto world that the arrival of such ETFs would herald a new era of widespread investment in cryptocurrencies, given the patina of respectability that comes with trading on regulated exchanges.
By turning down the exchanges’ attempts to list such vehicles, the SEC appears to have delivered a further body blow to cryptocurrency markets already reeling from precipitate price declines since the start of this year.
The US dollar price of bitcoin hit $20,001 on December 17. On August 28, 2018, it stood at $6,934. Anyone who bought at the top has lost 68% of their money, and even that assumes that the rest hasn’t been frozen, stolen in a bitcoin hack or eaten up in transaction costs.
There is considerable mainstream appetite to invest in crypto, but a lack of knowledge and understanding - Marieke Flament, Circle
In each case, the SEC decided that the exchanges had not met the requirement that a national securities exchange’s rules be designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices.
