Jay Clayton, the previous chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), recently vocalized his conviction that the sanction of a Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) spot is essentially “a matter of time.”
In a new interview with CNBC, Clayton pointed to a substantial possibility of the Bitcoin ETF spot approval materializing, notwithstanding the SEC’s ongoing hesitations in green-lighting Bitcoin ETF proposals.
An approval of a Spot #Bitcoin ETF is inevitable. - Jay Clayton, former SEC Chair pic.twitter.com/hcAIxJBiKb
— Michael Saylor⚡️ (@saylor) September 1, 2023
Thus far, a myriad of firms including BlackRock, Ark Invest, Bitwise, WisdomTree, VanEck, and Invesco have lodged applications proposing ETFs focused on spot Bitcoin. The SEC resolved to prolong the review span by an extra 45 days this Friday, allotting additional time for a thorough exploration of the anticipated regulatory alterations.
This prolongation grants the regulatory agency until October 2023 to arrive at a conclusive verdict – either sanctioning, dismissing, or proposing further discussion on the matter.
Clayton aired his favorable outlook merely a few days subsequent to a judicial verdict that branded the SEC’s dismissal of Grayscale’s ETF proposition as ‘unfounded and whimsical.’ Regardless of the conflicting stances between the SEC and the judiciary, Clayton maintains a buoyant perspective concerning the trajectory of Bitcoin ETFs. He underscored a pair of crucial aspects that hint at the imminent approval of a Bitcoin ETF – the burgeoning interest from institutional investors and the mounting demand for Bitcoin accessibility.
He elucidated that there is a conspicuous appetite among institutional investors for a channel to Bitcoin through an ETF, underscoring the escalating endorsement of digital currencies in the financial domain. Moreover, he pointed out that the ratification of a spot Bitcoin ETF would facilitate more straightforward entry for retail investors into the crypto sphere.
Clayton staunchly adhered to his viewpoint, anticipating that the SEC is set to authorize a Bitcoin ETF, albeit refraining from pinpointing an exact timeframe for this development.
A Beacon of Hope for Retail Investors Eyeing Easy Bitcoin Accessibility
For the crypto community who are eagerly anticipating regulatory approval, Clayton’s remarks serve as a beacon of hope. The U.S. endorsement of a Bitcoin ETF would signify a paramount landmark in the broader acceptance of digital currencies.
With the financial landscape undergoing transformations, the sanctioning of a spot Bitcoin ETF is perceived more as a ‘when’ rather than an ‘if’. This sentiment, strongly echoed in Clayton’s statements, affirms that such an endorsement is indeed “inevitable.”
