SEC postpones decision on Ethereum ETF options until December

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again delayed its decision on whether to allow options tied to spot Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to list on U.S. exchanges.

According to an October 11 filing, the SEC pushed back its ruling deadline to December 3, 2024.

The proposal to list options on several spot Ether ETFs, including BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF and Fidelity’s Ethereum Fund, was submitted by Cboe Exchange in August.

The SEC had previously delayed a similar request from Nasdaq in September regarding options on iShares Ethereum Trust.

This decision comes after the SEC approved the listing of Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) options tied to BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, iShares Bitcoin Trust, in September.

However, those options are still pending approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) before they can officially launch.

James Seyffart, an analyst from Bloomberg Intelligence, stated that while options tied to Bitcoin ETFs could launch by the end of this year, it is more likely to occur in the first quarter of 2025.

The delay in ruling on Ethereum ETF options has kept investors awaiting further developments in the crypto market, where the introduction of options could offer new strategies for managing risk and seizing investment opportunities.

According to Jeff Park, head of alpha strategies at Bitwise Invest, the listing of regulated crypto options is a “monumental advancement” for the market, opening up new possibilities for investors.

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price was $62,794.37.