Michael Saylor, founder of MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) and a prominent Bitcoin (BTC) advocate, recently stated that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is likely to classify major cryptocurrencies like Ethereum (ETH) as securities, not commodities. He anticipates that this classification will result in the denial of all spot Ethereum ETF applications this summer.
Saylor’s comments extended beyond Ethereum, predicting a similar future for other prominent cryptocurrencies such as Binance Coin (BNB), Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP), and Cardano (ADA). This announcement was made during his speech at the MicroStrategy World 2024 conference on Thursday.
“Ethereum is deemed to be a crypto asset security, not a commodity. After that, you’re gonna see that Ethereum, BNB, Solana, Ripple, Cardano, everything down the stack is just crypto-asset securities unregistered”
Michael Saylor on BNB, SOL, and XRP ETFs
His remarks reflect a broader skepticism about the potential for these assets to gain mainstream financial products such as spot ETFs, which are often seen as a bridge to institutional investment.
“None of these tokens will ever be wrapped by a spot ETF, none of them will be accepted by Wall Street, none of them will be accepted by mainstream institutional investors as crypto assets,” Saylor added.
Contrasting sharply with his views on Ethereum and others, Saylor reaffirmed Bitcoin’s status as the premier cryptocurrency, uniquely recognized as an institutional-grade asset.
According to Saylor, Bitcoin stands as the “one universal” crypto asset that has achieved full institutional acceptance. This distinction highlights the potential for Bitcoin to remain largely unaffected by the regulatory challenges that might beset other cryptocurrencies.
Diminishing prospects for Ethereum ETF
The prospects for an Ethereum ETF are currently bleak, as evidenced by recent developments and expert opinions.
Justin Sun, the CEO of Tron (TRX), voiced a similar sentiment regarding the challenges ahead for Ethereum’s acceptance by regulators, emphasizing the need for “long-term education with regulators.”
This aligns with the cautious stance of the SEC, which recently postponed its decision on Franklin Templeton’s proposed spot Ethereum ETF to June 11, 2024.
James Seyffart, an analyst from Bloomberg Intelligence, also indicated skepticism, noting that the current batch of Ether ETF applications might ultimately be rejected.
The public comment period initiated by the SEC in April, seeking opinions on proposals from various firms, including Bitwise Ethereum Trust and Fidelity Ethereum Fund, further underscores the regulatory uncertainties surrounding Ethereum.
Despite the prevailing pessimistic outlook, some industry figures like Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, remain optimistic. Fink suggested that an Ethereum ETF might still be feasible even if ETH is classified as a security, with BlackRock actively exploring the possibility of launching such a product.
The forthcoming SEC decision on May 23, which includes considerations for VanEck’s ETF proposal among others, will be crucial in determining the future landscape for Ethereum and potentially setting a precedent for how other cryptocurrencies are perceived and regulated.
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