Former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Jay Clayton, who served from May 4, 2017 to December 23, 2020, made comments about Spot Bitcoin ETFs. Clayton expressed his optimism about the possibility of Spot Bitcoin ETF applications receiving approval from the SEC. Additionally, Clayton stated in his evaluation of BTC that “It is clear that Bitcoin is not a security.”
Will Spot Bitcoin ETF Applications Receive Approval from the SEC?
Due to the SEC’s history of rejecting numerous Spot Bitcoin ETF applications in the past and negative statements made by SEC Chairman Gensler, there was not a strong expectation in the market that the SEC would give the green light to Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the near future.
However, the application by BlackRock caused a significant reversal in market expectations. Recent developments, in particular, have further strengthened the expectations that Spot Bitcoin ETFs could receive approval.
Asset management company Bernstein published a research report during the week, evaluating the Grayscale case and its potential impact on the markets. Bernstein analysts argued that winning the Grayscale case would increase the likelihood of Spot Bitcoin ETFs being approved.
Statements from the Former SEC Chairman
Former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton, who served as Chairman from May 4, 2017 to December 23, 2020, made comments on Spot Bitcoin ETFs, which have been the subject of ongoing public debate. Clayton expressed his optimistic thoughts about the possibility of Spot Bitcoin ETF applications receiving approval from the SEC.
The former SEC Chairman stated that individual investors are willing to access the cryptocurrency and that large institutions with oversight mechanisms like BlackRock want to offer the product to investors. Additionally, Clayton made an evaluation regarding the leading cryptocurrency BTC, stating that “It is clear that Bitcoin is not a security.”