Spot ETF on Ethereum: trading has begun

Trading has just started for spot ETFs on Ethereum. Discover everything about these new financial instruments in the crypto world.

Spot ETFs on Ethereum approved exactly two months ago on May 23, are finally available on the market. After more than two months of discussions between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and American investment funds, these long-awaited financial instruments are tradeable from 12:30 PM UTC. 

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What are the main predictions for capital inflows in the coming months and the price of Ethereum? Find out in the article!

The launch of Ethereum ETFs 

The approval of spot ETFs on Ethereum, which seemed quite unlikely at the beginning of the year, came on Thursday, May 23, 2024, while the SEC gave the green light for trading today, Tuesday, July 23. The investment funds issuing them are BlackRock, Fidelity, VanEck, ARK Invest, 21 Shares, Grayscale, Hashdex, and Invesco. These players, already issuers of spot ETFs on Bitcoin, can now offer their clients these brand-new financial instruments as well.

Those following the issue would have noticed the differences compared to the launch of b instruments on BTC, which were immediately available after approval. The main reason behind these differences concerns the event’s credibility. Few expected the approval of Ethereum ETFs, while Bitcoin’s approval seemed almost certain before it was officially confirmed by the SEC.

Capital inflows and price impact

After the launch of Ethereum ETFs, we can confirm that 2024 marks a new era for the cryptocurrency sector, characterised by a radical change in perception compared to past years. Additionally, the time interval between the launch of Bitcoin ETFs and ETH ETFs allows us to analyse likely future developments and make data-supported predictions.

Bitcoin ETFs have attracted about $17 billion to the market since January 10, 2024, with Bitcoin’s price increasing by over 50% since the approval day. What will happen to Ethereum?

Of course, it is difficult to imagine this level of adoption for these financial instruments on Ethereum, but it is worth noting that the crypto’s market capitalisation is about one-third of Bitcoin’s. Therefore, the ETFs may significantly impact the price even if the inflows are lower.

In this regard, Crypto.com expressed its views in a report published a few days ago. The Exchange believes that if the performances of these two ETFs are similar, Ether could reach the $6,000 level within 60 days of trading.

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And the capital inflows? Various predictions have been made on this aspect. For example, Standard Chartered, one of the leading banks in the United Kingdom, predicts that Ethereum ETFs will record inflows between 52% and 155% compared to Bitcoin ETFs. Conversely, analysts from Bloomberg and JP Morgan are a bit more pessimistic, expecting inflows of 20%- 25% and 7%- 21%, respectively, compared to BTC ETFs.

Finally, suppose these reflect the difference in market capitalisation between the two cryptos. In that case, we will see inflows at a ratio of 1 to 3, meaning about $6 billion could flow into Ethereum over the next seven months.

Bitwise donates part of profits to Ethereum developers

We conclude this article with an interesting fact about Ethereum ETFs. Bitwise, one of the eight investment funds issuing a spot ETF on Ethereum, will donate 10% of the profits from trading these financial instruments to Ethereum developers.

According to the recent announcement, the donations will be divided between two organisations: Protocol Guild and PBS Foundation. Protocol Guild supports over 170 developers dedicated to Ethereum’s “research and development” segment. PBS Foundation is a non-profit organisation that funds Ethereum’s open-source development and related research.Today, it will be long remembered by enthusiasts in this sector. The first months of 2024 have kicked off a new chapter in the history of this innovative technology, also thanks to the arrival of Ethereum ETFs. Compared to last year, the status quo has completely changed: Ethereum is not a security, and for the first time, a crypto other than Bitcoin will be tested in the traditional investor market.