SEC in decision hot seat as Ark Investment BTC ETF final deadline approaches

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission must either greenlight or turn down Ark Investment’s spot bitcoin (BTC) ETF application by Jan. 10, 2024.

The Florida-based asset management firm reportedly has the second-nearest application expiry date, with Grayscale’s final deadline set for Jan. 1, 2024. Ark updated its S-1 filings with the financial watchdog on Dec. 2, 2023, according to recent records.

The Ark Invest Bitcoin ETF application is the first one to reach its final deadline. The SEC has to decide whether to accept or reject the ETF on January 10.
🔗https://t.co/sdb5SzjJME pic.twitter.com/MNlTmXnqrN

— IntoTheBlock (@intotheblock) December 9, 2023

The financial regulator initially postponed the verdict, seeking public opinion on the vulnerabilities of spot BTC ETFs, off the back of rejecting several applications. Gary Gensler and the SEC moved their decision date forward by a maximum of 240 days.

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After seeing the approval decision delayed in mid-August, Cathie Wood — who founded Ark Invest in 2014 — is seeking a positive answer from the SEC. Bloomberg analysts have put the odds of the watchdog approving spot ETFs at more than 60%.

The Ark21Shares Bitcoin ETF, stemming from a collaboration of the asset management firm with 21 shares, will follow the performance of bitcoin, utilizing data from multiple crypto exchanges as measured by the S&P Bitcoin Index, and will be listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Wood said the SEC’s approval will give spot bitcoin ETFs a “seal of approval that it didn’t have before.” She also emphasized that BTC’s price can go as high as $1 to $1.5 million in the future.

Ark offloaded about 102,672 Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) shares to acquire about $3.6 million on Friday. The asset management firm, which manages its holdings in Coinbase stocks, also sold over 200K COIN shares on Dec. 5.

Regardless of the recent sales, GBTC still holds the third-largest position in ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW), approximately 8.36% of the ETF’s overall portfolio.

ARK Invest, the investment firm led by Cathie Wood, has been actively managing its holdings in Coinbase (COIN) stock amidst a fluctuating cryptocurrency market. On December 5, 2023, ARK sold a substantial number of Coinbase shares, amounting to 237,572…

— Sampson Maureen (@MaureenSam8651) December 6, 2023

The sales indicate the bullish sentiment of the startup, which stocks up shares when the market experiences a downward trend and sells when there’s an upturn.

BTC’s price has been on an upward momentum in the final quarter of 2023. At press time, the leading cryptocurrency by market cap was trading at $43,924, more than a 16% rise from its values seen a month ago.

Read more: Experts explain why two ETF industry giants are sitting out Bitcoin-ETF race

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