Over 70 crypto ETF applications are under U.S. SEC review in 2025 alone

Bloomberg analyst Balchunas disclosed that roughly 72 crypto ETFs are awaiting U.S. SEC approval to list or “list options.” He pointed out that everything from XRP, Litecoin, and Solana to Penguins, Doge, and 2x Melania, as well as everything in between, would be included.

Bloomberg exchange-traded fund (ETF) analyst Eric Balchunas revealed that decisions on 72 crypto-related ETFs are currently pending at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), waiting for approval to either launch or offer options. He claimed that on this basis, 2025 would be “a very eventful year.”

There were roughly 33 crypto ETF applications before the U.S. SEC, doubling after Gensler’s exit.

Balchunas unveils 70+ crypto ETFs waiting for the U.S. SEC approval in 2025

There are now 72 crypto-related ETFs sitting with the SEC awaiting approval to list or list options. Everything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between. Gonna be a wild year. Great roundup from @JSeyff pic.twitter.com/IHTqqxeH35

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) April 21, 2025

Bloomberg’s Balchunas claimed that more than 70 crypto ETFs are under review by the U.S. SEC this year, covering a wide range of assets from altcoins to derivatives, as institutional interest in crypto grows, although adoption remains uncertain. The selection specifically ranges from established cryptocurrencies like XRP, Litecoin (LTC), and Solana (SOL), indicating an exciting year ahead for crypto investments.

The planned funds’ listings come as institutional investors have turned increasingly bullish on crypto as an asset class. A March report from Coinbase and EY-Parthenon revealed that up to 83% of institutional investors claimed they had plans to up crypto allocations in 2025. Notably, a significant majority of surveyed investors said they planned to allocate more than 5% of their AUM to crypto this year. 

“There are now 72 crypto-related ETFs sitting with the SEC awaiting approval to list or list options. Everything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between. Gonna be a wild year.”

–Eric Balchunas 

However, Balchunas explained that just because some crypto ETFs are approved for U.S. listings does not guarantee extensive adoption, especially for funds holding more obscure alternative crypto assets. He pointed out that having coins get “ETF-sized” is like being in a band and getting its songs added to all the music streaming services. It does not “guarantee listens” but it puts the band’s music where most of the listeners are.

Katalin expects altcoin ETFs to see cumulative inflows of up to $1B

Sygnum Bank’s research head Katalin Tischhauser said she expects altcoin ETFs to see cumulative inflows of several hundred million to $1 billion, far less than spot Bitcoin funds. However, she acknowledged that crypto ETFs using options and other derivatives to provide structured exposure to crypto assets like Bitcoin and Ether would likely see more institutional adoption.

Bloomberg Intelligence data revealed that the U.S. Bitcoin ETFs broke above $100 billion in net assets for the first time on November 21, 2024. Bryan Armour, the director of passive strategies research at Morningstar, said November’s surge in BTC ETF net assets reflected a more positive outlook for the future of Bitcoin after Trump’s election win, which boosted performance and brought over $5 billion of inflows.

On April 21, ARK Invest added exposure to staked Solana to two of its existing ETFs. The asset manager asserted that this marked the first time spot SOL is available to U.S. investors in an ETF. 

According to Balchunas, Bitcoin ETFs are now 97% of the way to passing Satoshi as the biggest holder and 82% of the way to passing gold ETFs. BTC ETFs managed approximately $104 billion as of November 21, 2024, and they are on track to surpass gold ETFs in net assets, which together hold approximately $120 billion in assets under management (AUM).

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