Cointelegraph Team
Cointelegraph
Grayscale has announced a legal challenge to the latest rejection of its application to convert the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into a spot-based Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
It announced that its Senior Legal Strategist, former U.S. Solicitor General, and partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. had filed a petition for review with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
According to a filing from the securities regulator on June 29, the application was disapproved “to protect investors and the public interest” because the proposal failed to demonstrate how it is “designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices.”
A similar decision was also made on Wednesday regarding Bitwise’s Bitcoin exchange-traded product (ETP) citing the same reasons.
Grayscale Investments, which has $12.92 billion of assets under management in its GBTC had been waiting on a decision from the SEC to convert its flagship Bitcoin trust into a spot-based ETF since filing its application to the regulator on October 19, 2021.
The decision comes out a full week before the July 6 deadline.
Earlier this month, Grayscale announced it had hired a former U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. in preparation for a potential legal spat with the SEC over its application should it be rejected.
Other attorneys in Grayscale’s legal line-up include attorneys at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and its in-house counsel, including Craig Salm, who serves as chief legal officer.
In March, Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein told Bloomberg that his firm would consider a lawsuit under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) should the application for its Bitcoin Spot ETF be denied by the financial regulator.
On Wednesday, James Seyffart, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence told his 19,400 Twitter followers that the SEC decision on both ETFs came earlier than he thought, but were both expected.
Wellp. There it is. Certainly earlier than I expected but the decision was as expected. BOTH @Grayscale's $GBTC and @BitwiseInvest's spot #Bitcoin ETF were "Disapproved" by the SEC today. https://t.co/9w8ouQuSfk pic.twitter.com/Irrrwznr5T
— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) June 30, 2022
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
Ripple on-chain metrics show bullish signs amidst legal struggle with SEC, XRP eyes recovery
Ripple made a comeback above $0.48 on Tuesday and hovers above that level in Wednesday’s European session. Ripple on-chain metrics such as transaction volume and Network Realized Profit/Loss have turned bullish, supporting a recovery in the altcoin.
Bitcoin price falls amidst German government transfers, miners activity
Bitcoin (BTC) extends correction on Wednesday and hovers around $61,000 after finding resistance near the $64,000 level on Monday. Recent on-chain data indicates heightened selling activity from Bitcoin miners early in the week.
Crypto Today: Bitcoin erases gains from end of June, Ethereum declines while Ripple holds
Bitcoin wipes out gains from the last week of June and falls below $60,000 on Wednesday. Ethereum and top altcoins ranked by market capitalization erased gains as the inflation outlook worsened. Ripple holds on to recent gains and hovers above $0.48 on Wednesday.
Three reasons why altcoins could shake off losses this week
On-chain data from Santiment shows that altcoins are currently in the opportunity zone, or generating buy signals. The top three altcoins in the buy zone are Basic Attention Token (BAT), Chromia (CHR), and Highstreet (HIGH), per Santiment.
Bitcoin: BTC price correction could end in July, according to seasonal data
Bitcoin (BTC) price appears poised for a decline this week, influenced by slight outflows in US spot ETFs, selling activity among BTC miners, and a combined transfer of 4,690.28 BTC to centralized exchanges by the US and German governments.