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Traditional financial institutions<\/span><\/a> that have filed <\/span>crypto ETF applications<\/span><\/a> have focused on a particular market (spot or futures). However, a recent <\/span>NASDAQ application<\/span><\/a> suggests that the asset manager Hashdex is taking a different approach, which could be a game changer in the Ethereum ETF race.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to the application filed with the <\/span>US Securities and Exchange Commission<\/span><\/a> (SEC), the stock exchange plans to list and trade shares of the <\/span>Hashdex<\/span><\/a> Nasdaq Ethereum ETF, which will be managed and controlled by Toroso Investments LLC.<\/span><\/p>\n Interestingly, the fund will hold both Ether futures contracts and Spot Ether. This move from asset manager Hashdex is novel, considering that other asset managers have either applied to offer a <\/span>Spot Ether ETF<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Ether futures ETF<\/span><\/a> or filed applications to offer both separately. However, Hashdex wants to offer a fund holding both Ether futures contracts and a Spot Ethereum ETF.<\/span><\/p>\n The fund\u2019s sponsors believe that combining Ether Futures Contracts and Spot Ether will help mitigate the risk of market manipulation (a major concern of the SEC) and provide the market with a \u201cregulated product\u201d that tracks Ethereum\u2019s price. This fund will help US investors gain exposure to Spot Ether without relying on \u201cunregulated products, offshore regulated products, or indirect strategies such as investing in publicly traded companies that hold Ether.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In fulfillment of the requirement of having a surveillance-sharing agreement (SSA) for the proposed ETF, Nasdaq stated in the application that the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) will be used to track the price of Ethereum as the CME represents a \u201cregulated market of significant size.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, the fund is expected to hold physical Ether. However, the sponsors do not intend to purchase these tokens from \u201cunregulated ether spot exchanges\u201d but from the CME Market\u2019s Exchange for Physical (EFP) transactions.<\/span><\/p>\n This move is similar to <\/span>Hashdex\u2019s application<\/span><\/a> to combine a spot Bitcoin ETF with its existing Bitcoin futures ETF. Hashdex, in its application, stated that the CME will be used to track Spot Bitcoin\u2019s price and that all Bitcoin purchases will be from the CME\u2019s EFP.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Nasdaq\u2019s application mentions the phrase \u201cunregulated spot exchanges\u201d multiple times in what seems to be a direct attack on <\/span>Coinbase<\/span><\/a> and the applications of other asset managers. It is worth mentioning some of the other asset managers, including <\/span>Ark Invest<\/span><\/a>, who have filed to offer an Ethereum-related ETF, have chosen Coinbase as their custodian.<\/span><\/p>\n As such, Hashdex labeling Coinbase as an \u201cunregulated spot exchange\u201d doesn\u2019t seem right, as this could undoubtedly influence the SEC\u2019s decision when dealing with these applications.<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, asset managers like BlackRock picking Coinbase for their SSA and custodian had already sparked controversy as many had stated that the SEC would not be so inclined to approve an application in which Coinbase is directly or indirectly involved since it has an <\/span>ongoing lawsuit against the crypto exchange<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nNASDAQ Proposes To List Ethereum ETF<\/h2>\n
ETH kicks off Wednesday on a volatile note | Source: ETHUSD on Tradingview.com<\/a><\/pre>\n
Hashdex Throwing Other Asset Managers Under The Bus?<\/h2>\n