Following the success of U.S. Bitcoin ETFs and a green signal from the SEC, coupled with Donald Trump’s victory, various altcoins are in the hope for an ETF approval that will spark a wild crypto market in 2025.
According to Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, around 14 altcoin-based ETFs are awaiting approval from the SEC, making the upcoming months “pretty wild” unless any unexpected collapse happens. ETF Store CEO Nate Geraci also mentioned the possibility of the SEC’s approval aligning with the bull run.
What is an Altcoin ETF?
As altcoin is a term for cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin, the characteristics of an Altcoin ETF are not distinct from a Bitcoin ETF. Basically, a crypto ETF is an exchange-traded fund that allows exposure to cryptocurrencies without the need to hodl them directly. ETFs can be traded in regular exchanges like stocks.
Usually, the ETF’s performance differs slightly in the market from the actual price. It works by splitting its fund into short-term futures contracts, half expiring in a certain month and the latter the following month. This process, called rollover, continues as the new funds replace the older ones nearing expiration.
Why Changes in Political Scenario are Important for Altcoins to Thrive?
The SEC was very critical of crypto-based ETFs. Starting from October 2021, the organization has approved around 11 Bitcoin futures ETFs so far. The first spot ETF was approved on January 2024. To date, around 16 Ethereum-based ETFs are also approved by the SEC.
SEC has not yet allowed cryptos other than ETH and BTC to create ETFs. It also didn’t approve any multi-crypto ETFs. The data shows that the SEC has turned away around 20 altcoin ETF proposals from 2018 to 2023 alone. The new administration under Trump is expected to put an end to this avoidance of Altcoin ETFs.
Will ETFs Approval Ignite Altcoin Bull Run? Expert Predictions
Eric Balchunas recently shared the list of altcoin ETFs waiting for approval in his X handle, expecting the list to triple the size in upcoming months. According to him, we can expect a wild run soon. Nate Geraci recently predicted the arrival of Cardano (ADA) and Avalanche (AVAX) spot ETFs soon. According to him, these two currencies offer unique features apt for ETF issuers. He stated that multiple issuers were prepared for the election results, and we can see that aggression in the charts.
According to James Seyffart, Bloomberg ETF analyst, the approval will not happen in two or three months, quoting Solana. He said that the SEC will approve Solana-related ETFs within the next two years. Research head of Galaxy Digital Alex Thorn thinks that Litecoin ETF filed by Canary has a high chance of approval within a short period.
All the predictions aside, the SEC’s position is still unclear. Since Gary Gensler is stepping down from the chairman’s role, the new candidate has not yet been announced. This makes it difficult for the investors to decide on an entry point.
List of Altcoins Awaiting Approval From SEC
The below list was shared by Eric Balchunas on X (Twitter). Apart from the altcoins, it contains multi-crypto assets like BTC & ETH and baskets filled with various cryptos. Also, the dates are estimated deadlines that may change according to the situation.
| Asset | Ticker (Issuer) | Company | Final Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTC & ETH | Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index | Hashdex | 2/27/25 |
| BTC & ETH | Franklin Crypto Index ETF | Franklin | 6/5/25 |
| Basket | Grayscale Digital Large Cap | Grayscale | 7/2/25 |
| Basket | Bitwise 10 Crypto Index | Bitwise | 8/1/25 |
| Solana | VanEck Solana Trust | VanEck | 8/8/25 |
| Solana | 21Shares Core Solana ETF | 21Shares | 8/8/25 |
| Solana | Canary Solana ETF | Canary | 8/8/25 |
| Solana | Bitwise Solana ETF | Bitwise | 8/8/25 |
| BTC & ETH | Bitwise Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF | Bitwise | 8/13/25 |
| XRP | Bitwise XRP ETF | Bitwise | N/A |
| XRP | Canary XRP ETF | Canary | N/A |
| XRP | 21Shares Core XRP Trust | 21Shares | N/A |
| Litecoin | Canary Litecoin ETF | Canary | N/A |
| HBAR | Canary HBAR ETF | Canary | N/A |