Fintech Nexus Newsletter (January 11, 2024): The SEC approves spot bitcoin ETFs…finally!

It has finally happened. More than a decade after receiving the first spot bitcoin ETF application the SEC gave its approval yesterday.

While this was widely expected, it wasn’t a slam dunk as demonstrated by the tight vote: 3-2 in favor with SEC Chair Gary Gensler providing the deciding vote.

In total, 11 spot Bitcoin ETF applications were approved, many from some of the biggest names in finance such as BlackRock, Fidelity and Invesco. All 11 ETFs have already started trading today.

This marks a major milestone for the mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrency. Love it or hate it, crypto is going to be around for a very long time and these ETFs provide the simplest way for everyday investors to hold bitcoin.

Interestingly, the price of bitcoin is up in the last 24 hours but Ethereum is up even more as crypto traders expect the next step is the acceptance of an Ethereum ETF.

But given the track record of the SEC that is likely not going to happen quickly.


SEC Approves Bitcoin ETFs for Everyday Investors

www.wsj.com 

The exchange-traded funds will allow investors to buy bitcoin as easily as stocks or mutual funds.


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The SEC makes the decision to approve a spot Bitcoin ETFThe SEC makes the decision to approve a spot Bitcoin ETF


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