Joining the ranks of several firms that have already initiated similar efforts, 21Shares has recently filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch an XRP ETF. This filing, submitted today, signals the firm’s intention to offer an investment product centered around Ripple’s native cryptocurrency.
21Shares Files For XRP ETF Amid Rising Demand
Today, 21Shares, a leading crypto asset manager, submitted an S-1 registration form to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a spot XRP ETF, aiming to establish the 21Shares Core XRP Trust.
This application comes amid similar filings by other companies, such as Canary Capital and Bitwise, indicating a growing interest in crypto ETFs. This trend has been hyped by recent successful approvals of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs earlier in the year.
This move comes just one week after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse mentioned to Bloomberg that an ETF for the token was “inevitable.”
It should be noted that 21Shares had earlier attempted to launch a Spot Solana ETF, an application that appears to have been rejected by the US SEC.
However, the chances for the XRP ETF might be more favorable. XRP has achieved regulatory clarity following a decision by Judge Analisa Torres, who ruled that XRP itself is not a security.
Furthermore, the US SEC did not challenge this ruling in its ongoing appeal against Ripple, suggesting an acceptance of XRP’s status as non-security. Notably, 21Shares’s ETF filing closely follows the Court of Appeals’ initial order in the XRP lawsuit.
It’s also important to highlight that 21Shares is well-acquainted with the XRP ecosystem. The asset manager already manages the 21Shares Ripple XRP ETP (AXRP), a crypto ETF based in Switzerland, which tracks the performance of XRP and offers investors exposure to the cryptocurrency.
XRP ETF Comes Amid US Elections
According to its S-1 filing, the 21Shares XRP ETF will be listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange and will aim to simply track the price of XRP. The filing also notes that Coinbase, a major cryptocurrency exchange, will be responsible for holding all of the XRP that the fund manages.
Although Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse is bullish, it’s still uncertain how the SEC will react to these new filings.
The upcoming U.S. presidential election might influence crypto regulation, with both candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, indicating plans to revise the existing regulations on cryptocurrencies. This could lead to clearer and possibly more favorable conditions for crypto assets in the future.
If these regulatory changes are implemented, they could not only facilitate the approval of new XRP ETF applications but also support the approval of other recent filings, including those for Solana and Litecoin.
