RegulationBitcoinEthereum
|3 min ReadSEC opens generic path for crypto ETFs beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum
Maya Chen
Senior Analyst
Published
Jan 16, 2026
The door just swung open
The SEC approved new generic listing standards for commodity trusts. This is the lane many crypto ETFs needed. No separate Commission order if you meet the rules. No leveraged or inverse funds on this path. Clean spot or commodity style only. This is how products move faster.
“It was expected, but big, because it’s gonna mean that about 12 to 15 coins are good to go,” said Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “You start getting the coins coming in waves.” Right now only two crypto spot ETFs live under the 33 Act. That is about to change.
What changed and who qualifies
Nasdaq, Cboe BZX, and NYSE Arca got the standards approved. Trusts that qualify can list more quickly. The SEC says the rules help prevent fraud and manipulation. They push transparency and investor protection. They aim to perfect a free and open market system.
To qualify, the underlying asset must trade on regulated, surveilled markets. Or it must have a futures history. Or it must already back an ETF with significant exposure. Trusts must publish daily holdings, net asset value, and liquidity policies. Market makers face trading limits and firewalls to block misuse of non-public information.
Balchunas pointed to the Securities Act of 1933, the ’33 Act. It governs offers and sales of securities and demands full, fair disclosure in a prospectus. It has long been the right place for commodity-style funds like SPDR Gold Shares and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust. “It’s going to be real nice for investors to have 33 Act spot ETFs with reasonable fees and low trading spreads in the ETF wrapper, which has been vetted by the SEC. It’s a beautiful thing,” he said. See the statute here: Securities Act of 1933.
Analysts see waves of approvals
A rush of filings hit the SEC. Applications spanned Avalanche infrastructure to Bonk. The lineup included Bitwise’s spot Avalanche ETF and a Stablecoin & Tokenization ETF. It also included Defiance ETFs built around Bitcoin and Ethereum basis trades. Tuttle filed “Income Blast” funds for Bonk, Litecoin, and Sui. T-Rex filed a 2x Orbs ETF. One analyst called this “wild” territory. These are filings, not approvals. The new standards set the bar. Issuers must clear it.
Momentum is building on the trading side too. Dogecoin jumped about 20 percent over the last week. Price recently hit $0.2543, the highest since August 13, per CoinGecko. Fresh catalysts help when issuers line up products. Flow follows narrative. Narrative follows rules.
What to watch next
Balchunas expects the broadest expansion since spot Bitcoin ETFs launched last year. He sees Solana and Litecoin leading the next wave. “You’re not going to see everything on one day,” he said. Solana and Litecoin could arrive within a month. Dogecoin could follow soon after. An XRP ETF may lag. Its futures are not yet six months old, which is a criterion.
This is the blueprint. Clear standards. Surveilled markets. Daily disclosure. Reasonable fees. Low spreads. Under the 33 Act. The pipeline is real. The first movers will set the tone. If you have been waiting for a green light, this is it.
Disclaimer: This document is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed in this document are not, and should not be taken as, investment advice or recommendations. Recipients should do their own due diligence, taking into account their specific financial circumstances, investment objectives and risk tolerance, which are not considered here, before investing. This document is not an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets mentioned.