Despite uncertainties, analysts see up to a 90% chance of approvals by year-end, potentially extending altcoin season.
In the second week of September, the global crypto community grew excited after Fidelity’s Solana ETF (FSOL), Canary’s HBAR ETF (HBR), and XRP ETF (XRPC) appeared on the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) website.
This development marks a notable step in bringing crypto ETFs to the US market. However, many questions remain about the likelihood of approval. What does this listing really mean?
DTCC is a leading post-trade processing institution in the US. It handles clearing and settlement for financial transactions, including ETFs.
According to market watcher Wu Blockchain, the appearance of FSOL, HBR, and XRPC on DTCC is part of the preparation process for launching new ETFs. Previously, VanEck’s VSOL ETF and Canary Capital’s Litecoin ETF also appeared on the DTCC list.
At the time of writing, all three altcoins — SOL, HBAR, and XRP — hit new highs for September today. The move reflects strong short-term trader sentiment toward these altcoins.
The development has raised investor hopes for coordinated efforts among ETF providers that could result in simultaneous approvals for several popular altcoins. Such approvals would benefit the tokens themselves and strengthen their ecosystems, as seen with Solana’s network. If these approvals occur in Q4, it could prolong the altcoin season.
However, a DTCC listing does not mean SEC approval or the completion of other regulatory procedures. It remains only a technical step.
“DTCC listing Fidelity’s Solana ETF and Canary’s XRP & HBAR ETFs doesn’t mean anything from a regulatory standpoint. It’s all on the SEC,” Nate Geraci, co-founder of The ETF Institute, said.
Eric Balchunas, Bloomberg’s ETF analyst, agreed with Geraci. He explained that many tickers are added but never launched — probably almost none of them.
The SEC recently delayed approval of Canary Capital’s HBAR ETF and also postponed decisions on Solana and XRP ETFs filed by Franklin Templeton. Still, the market places a high probability — up to 90% — on approval before year-end.
James McKay, founder of McKayResearch, estimated that more than 90 crypto ETFs are awaiting SEC approval. He predicted that at the current pace, ETFs for nearly every major cryptocurrency in the top 30-40 could exist within 12 months, even with delays.
