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Canary Capital files for Litecoin ETF after recent XRP ETF filing

  • Canary Capital has filed for a spot Litecoin ETF.
  • The ETF aims to offer institutional investors exposure to Litecoin’s value.
  • Regulatory challenges may arise, especially regarding market infrastructure and liquidity.

Canary Capital, a notable name in the world of cryptocurrency investment, has filed for a spot Litecoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

This recent filing comes just days after the company submitted a similar registration for a spot XRP ETF.

The latest filings signal the firm’s ambitious expansion plans in the digital asset investment landscape, targeting institutional investors seeking reliable cryptocurrency exposure.

Aiming to tap into the potential of Litecoin (LTC)

The newly filed S-1 registration statement outlines Canary Capital’s objective to provide investors with exposure to the value of Litecoin (LTC) held by the trust.

According to the filing, the ETF will track the price movements of Litecoin, although specifics about the custodian or administrator for the fund were not disclosed.

Canary Capital aims to position Litecoin as a compelling choice for institutional investors looking for exposure to a “time-tested and reliable cryptocurrency.”

In a statement, the firm emphasized Litecoin’s prominent role in the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem. The digital currency is recognized as one of the longest-running blockchains, boasting 100% uptime since its inception in 2011.

This impressive track record of security and reliability, along with significant enterprise use cases, has positioned Litecoin as an attractive asset for potential investors.

Canary Capital’s move to file for a spot Litecoin ETF is based on the belief that the cryptocurrency’s resilience and long-standing history make it a unique and appealing investment option.

Navigating regulatory hurdles

James Seyffart, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg, weighed in on the filing, noting that while there are existing exchange-traded products that include Litecoin, such as those from CoinShares in Switzerland and a Grayscale trust in the US, gaining approval from the US SEC will not be without challenges.

However, Seyffart highlighted the possibility that Litecoin could be treated similarly to Bitcoin in terms of regulatory classification. Since Litecoin originated as a fork of Bitcoin, it shares some of Bitcoin’s decentralized and commodity-like characteristics.

The approval of Bitcoin ETFs earlier this year set a potential precedent that could work in favour of Litecoin’s case, given their shared history and similar characteristics.

However, Seyffart cautioned that despite this similarity, Litecoin would still need to meet the SEC’s stringent requirements for market infrastructure and liquidity.

The current regulatory environment under the SEC requires a sizable and liquid futures market that is federally regulated in the United States, which Litecoin presently lacks. This absence of a regulated futures market could complicate the approval process for the ETF, especially under the current administration’s regulatory framework.

Nonetheless, the upcoming US presidential election could significantly influence the SEC’s stance on cryptocurrency ETFs. Former President Donald Trump, who has been viewed as more favourable toward the cryptocurrency industry, has previously expressed his intention to dismiss current SEC Chair Gary Gensler if he were to return to the office.

Should there be a shift in leadership at the SEC, it could create a more accommodating regulatory environment for cryptocurrency products, including the potential approval of spot crypto ETFs such as those for Litecoin and XRP.

Seyffart pointed out that the filing for a spot Litecoin ETF could be seen as a strategic move in anticipation of a potential change in the SEC’s leadership.

Nevertheless, a 19b-4 filing, which would be submitted by exchanges on behalf of the issuer, is still required to start the official approval process. Once this document is filed, it will trigger a specific timeline for the SEC to review and respond to the ETF application.

Canary Capital’s broader crypto ETF strategy

Canary Capital’s decision to file for a spot Litecoin ETF comes shortly after its S-1 registration statement filed on Tuesday for a spot XRP ETF, reflecting the firm’s broader strategy to bring multiple cryptocurrency ETFs to the market.

The company has expressed confidence in the growth potential of both Litecoin and XRP, which are recognized as significant players in the digital currency space. If approved, these ETFs would provide institutional investors with new avenues for diversifying their portfolios through direct exposure to the respective cryptocurrencies.

The SEC has yet to approve a spot XRP ETF, and the application may face additional scrutiny due to the agency’s ongoing legal battle with Ripple Labs, the company behind XRP. The SEC has accused Ripple of conducting an unregistered securities offering worth $1.3 billion, a legal dispute that could complicate the approval process for a spot XRP ETF.

The post Canary Capital files for Litecoin ETF after recent XRP ETF filing appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Bitcoin firm Blockstream secures $210m to drive layer-2 growth

  • Blockstream will use the $210 million debt funding to boost adoption of its layer-2 solutions
  • The company will also utilise the funds to add to its mining operations and treasury.

Blockstream, a Bitcoin infrastructure company founded by industry OG Adam Back, has announced it raised $210 million to fund various aspects of the company’s business.

Firm eyes L2 growth, mining and Bitcoin treasury

Blockstream said in a press release on Oct. 15 that the convertible note round, led by venture capital firm Fulgur Ventures, will help to fast-track the adoption of its layer-2 platforms. Blockstream will also use part of the funding to boost its mining operations ahead of “the next Bitcoin market cycle.”

In August 2023, the firm raised $125 million that it used to expand its mining as the market looked to the 2024 Bitcoin halving that happened in April.

As well as the L2 initiatives, which includes the Liquid Network sidechain launched in 2018, Blockstream is eyeing further growth by using the funding to purchase more BTC. The company is one of the largest holders of Bitcoin.

“This latest fundraise represents a defining moment for Blockstream as we embark on a critical new phase of growth to further bridge the gap between Bitcoin and the wider world of finance,” said Blockstream co-founder and CEO Adam Back.

As well as the debt funding, Blockstream announced that it had expanded its leadership with a new appointment. Michael Minkevich will now steer the company’s next growth phase as the chief operations officer. The new COO formerly worked at publicly-traded firm Luxoft as a product engineer lead.

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Stripe partners with Paxos to launch stablecoin payments platform

  • Stripe partners with Paxos to launch a stablecoin payments platform.
  • Paxos’ platform supports PYUSD, USDC, and USDP for instant conversions.
  • The initiative aims to cut costs and expand businesses’ global reach.

Stripe has taken a significant step toward enhancing global payment solutions by partnering with Paxos, a blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform, to integrate Paxos’ new stablecoin payments platform into its “Pay with Crypto” product.

This collaboration aims to simplify the process for businesses to accept stablecoin payments, offering a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional payment methods.

Making it easy for businesses to transact in stablecoins

The newly launched stablecoin payments platform by Paxos provides a comprehensive solution stack for onboarding, pay-ins, conversions, and pay-outs.

By leveraging this platform, Stripe is enabling businesses to receive payments in stablecoins and convert them instantly to fiat currency, or vice versa. This approach allows merchants to settle transactions quickly, reduce payment processing costs, and expand their international reach by tapping into a broader customer base.

The platform supports conversions between USD and various stablecoins, including PayPal’s PYUSD, Circle’s USDC, and Paxos’ USDP. PYUSD and USDP are compatible with both Solana and Ethereum networks, while USDC can be used on Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, and other chains. This wide range of blockchain support provides flexibility for businesses and their customers to choose the most suitable network for their transactions.

John Egan, Head of Crypto at Stripe, emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating, “We’re always looking for ways to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to accept payments from their customers worldwide. Partnering with Paxos, we’re excited to enable stablecoin payments for our users with our Pay with Crypto product.”

Paxos’ Head of Product, Ronak Daya, expressed optimism about the future of stablecoin payments, describing them as a revolutionary advancement in global money movement. “Adoption and utility will continue to grow as enterprises recognize how stablecoins provide instant, safe, and low-cost settlement globally; all meaningful improvements relative to legacy payment rails,” Daya explained.

The partnership between Stripe and Paxos marks a significant milestone in the evolution of digital payments, as businesses increasingly look for innovative ways to handle global transactions and reduce reliance on traditional payment methods.

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Coinbase pushes for court intervention to obtain SEC documents on crypto regulations

  • Coinbase seeks SEC documents on crypto regulations through a court ruling.
  • The focus is on Ether’s security status and past closed investigations.
  • SEC delays document release, citing a three-year review process.

Coinbase, a leading US cryptocurrency exchange, has intensified its legal efforts to access crucial documents from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The crypto exchange has asked the US District Court for the District of Columbia for permission to file a motion for partial summary judgment, seeking clarity on how securities laws apply to cryptocurrencies.

The move follows a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed in June against both the SEC and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Probing what the SEC has on crypto

The requested documents involve internal and external communications concerning the SEC’s investigations into whether specific digital assets, particularly Ether, should be classified as securities.

The classification of Ether (ETH) remains a contentious issue within the industry, with significant implications for the regulatory landscape.

This debate resurfaced when Consensys, a blockchain software firm, filed a lawsuit against the SEC in April, challenging an investigation into “Ethereum 2.0.” The investigation aimed to scrutinize activities involving ether trading, though it was subsequently closed.

Coinbase’s FOIA request also seeks records regarding two completed SEC investigations. One case involved the 2020 settlement with Enigma MPC, a data encryption startup accused of issuing unregistered securities.

The other case concerned Ether Delta, a trading platform established by Zachary Coburn, who reached a settlement with the SEC in 2018 after the platform was deemed to be operating as an unregistered exchange.

Speculation about the SEC concealing discrepancies

Coinbase alleges that the SEC has been uncooperative, first claiming FOIA exemptions and more recently suggesting it would need three years to review the documents. This timeline has been criticized by Coinbase and its consultant, History Associates Inc., for causing undue delays.

The SEC’s reluctance to release documents has fueled speculation about potential discrepancies in how it applies regulatory standards to different entities and projects.

Additionally, Coinbase’s FOIA requests target the FDIC’s “pause letters,” which were issued to financial institutions from March 2022 to May 2023, urging them to halt the expansion of crypto-related activities. The FDIC’s Office of Inspector General had noted these letters in a 2023 report, raising questions about possible coordinated regulatory pressure on the crypto industry, informally dubbed “Operation Choke Point 2.0.”

A judge’s decision on whether Coinbase can proceed with the motion is expected soon, with a ruling potentially coming by year’s end.

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