Blackrock, the world's largest asset manager, has made updates to its S-1 registration statement for the Ishares Ethereum Trust, which will now be listed as "ETHA." The update reveals that the fund's "Seed Capital Investor" has acquired 'Seed Creation Baskets'. Additionally, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation's (DTCC) catalog of ETFs now includes several spot ether exchange-traded fund (ETF) applicants with their respective tickers listed.
Blackrock has made revisions to its registration statement for the spot ether fund with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It states that on May 21, an affiliate of the fund's sponsor purchased 'Seed Creation Baskets' consisting of 400,000 shares at $25 per share.
The amendment to Blackrock's ETHA registration follows the SEC's approval of several spot ether 19b-4 ETF filings last week. Bloomberg's senior ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, sees this as a positive development. He comments, "Good sign. [Probably] see rest roll in soon. Then [probably] one more round of fine-tune comments from staff. End of June launch a legit possibility altho keeping my o/u date as July 4th." Balchunas' colleague, James Seyfarrt, also believes that this engagement from the SEC is a step towards the launch of spot ethereum ETFs.
In addition to Blackrock's updated registration statement, Fidelity Investments' spot ether fund, known as "FETH," has been included in the DTCC list of ETFs. FETH will join other tickers from sponsors such as Franklin Templeton, Blackrock, and Vaneck on the DTCC list.
These recent developments, including Blackrock's revised S-1 registration statement and the inclusion of various spot ether exchange-traded funds in the DTCC's catalog, mark a significant progression towards the expected launch of these investment products, potentially in late June or early July.
What are your thoughts on Blackrock's amendment and the DTCC listings? Share your opinions in the comments section below.