A commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) believes a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) will ultimately be approved.
Robert J. Jackson Jr., in an interview published by government-focused news source Roll Call on Wednesday, said:
âEventually, do I think someone will satisfy the standards that weâve laid out there? I hope so, yes, and I think so.â
A number of bitcoin ETF proposals have filed for SEC approval, but none has yet got the green light.
Jay Clayton, chairman of the SEC) has said he doesnât see a pathway to a cryptocurrency ETF approval until concerns over market manipulation are addressed.
The SEC has to date rejected at least 10 such proposals. Last August, it turned down seven filings from ProShares, Direxion and GraniteShares. A day later, though, the regulator said it would review the proposals.
In July, the SEC for the second time rejected Cameron and Tyler Winklevossâ proposal to list a bitcoin ETF on the Bats BZX Exchange.
Discussing the Winklevossâ proposal with Roll Call, Jackson said it was ânot a difficult case,â but the risk of manipulation and harm to investors was âenormous,â while the market has a âvery seriousâ liquidity problem.
He continued:
âIâm happy to say market participants have begun to come in with ideas. Whether or not weâre going to find one that really protects investors I donât know, but I do know that that [Winklevoss] case wasnât especially close.â
Another SEC commissioner has been even more pragmatic over the possibility of a bitcoin ETF. Back in July, Hester Peirce said that the Winklevossâ proposed rule change âsatisfies the statutory standard and that we should permit BZX to list and trade this bitcoin-based exchange-traded product (âETPâ).â
âFrom my perspective, we need to be mindful of what our role is, and itâs not to be the ones who decide which innovations and which technologies get through and which ones donât,â Peirce told CoinDesk soon after.
Today, Peirce tweeted that she looks forward to working with Jackson âto open the doors to innovation.â
The SECâs rejections have clearly not deterred all from trying to make the ETF breakthrough.
Last month, due to the U.S. government shutdown, Cbeo withdrew its proposed rule change that, if approved, would clear the way for a bitcoin ETF backed by VanEck and SolidX. Days later it refiled.
Also in January, Bitwise Asset Management announced its plan to launch a bitcoin ETF.
R. J. Jackson Jr. image via YouTube/CECP