The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is working on general listing standards that are expected to expedite the approval process for new exchange-traded products (ETPs) in the cryptocurrency market. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan believes this regulation could lead to the launch of several new cryptocurrency ETFs in the last quarter of the year.
Changes Brought by General Listing Standards
Currently, every new spot crypto ETP application in the U.S. undergoes separate evaluation by the SEC, a process that can take up to 240 days with no assurance of approval. For instance, while the first spot ETF application for Bitcoin 
$77,710 was made in 2013, approval was granted only in 2024. The general listing standards that the SEC is working on aim to expedite this process. Under the new rules, applications will be processed based on pre-determined criteria, influenced by whether the cryptocurrency is part of regulated futures markets in the U.S.
With the new system, the approval process could be completed in as little as 75 days. If expectations hold true, it might become possible for cryptocurrencies like Solana 
$86, XRP, Chainlink 
$9, Cardano 
$0.251786, Avalanche, Polkadot, Hedera, Dogecoin 
$0.097932, Shiba Inu, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash to enter the ETP market.
Anticipated Effects on the Crypto ETF Market
According to Hougan, changing the listing standards by the SEC could lead to significant growth in the crypto ETF market. A similar regulation for traditional ETFs was enacted in the U.S. in 2019, which saw the average number of new ETF launches rise from 117 to 370 annually. A similar impact is expected in the crypto ETF market.
The new regulation could lead to the rapid introduction of many crypto ETFs based on single assets or indexes. Additionally, not only crypto-focused managers but also traditional asset management companies are expected to enter this field.
However, the launch of new ETFs alone does not guarantee high capital influx. Spot Ethereum 
$2,317 ETFs that emerged in June 2024 began accumulating significant assets only with the increase in stablecoin demand. ETFs for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin Cash might not achieve strong inflows unless there is substantial investor interest. Nonetheless, these products are seen as facilitating the access of cryptocurrencies to a broader investor base.
