21shares files for Solana ETF in the US, calls a necessary step

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Following a move by VanEck on Thursday, asset manager 21Shares filed for a Solana (SOL) exchange-traded fund (ETF) today titled “21Shares Core Solana ETF.” Additionally, 21Shares went to X to share they are “excited by the potential for an exchange-traded product (ETP) in the US that provides access to the Solana ecosystem.”

The asset management firm stated that this is a necessary step for the crypto industry and it holds the company’s mission to make financial products easily accessible through crypto. Additionally, 21Shares praised Solana’s speed and cost efficiency as VanEck did yesterday.

“The Solana ecosystem evolved quickly, boasting unparalleled speeds and cost efficiency. On June 28, 2021, exactly three years ago to the day, 21Shares, through its affiliate 21Shares AG, announced the launch of the world’s first Solana ETP. The 21Shares Solana Staking ETP (ASOL) has over $950mn in assets under management as of May 31, 2024 and represents our largest product in the European market.”

Notably, the firm highlighted that any future Solana ETP registered under the Securities Act of 1933 is not an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or a commodity pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act. “Shares of any 33 Act trust are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds.”

Moreover, 21Shares filed for an S-1 form, an initial registration required by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before a security can be publicly traded.

A part of the crypto community is skeptical about the approval of a spot SOL ETF, as SOL doesn’t have a regulated futures market in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) as Bitcoin and Ethereum have.

Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck, called “stupid” the focus on a “regulated market of significant size.” “There are already commodity ETFs on shipping, uranium & power where futures market is immaterial for price formation. Surveillance sharing agreements w/ spot crypto exchanges can obviate need for CME futures,” Sigel added.

Although SOL leaped 10% within an hour after the VanEck filing for an ETF became public yesterday, the 21Shares news didn’t have the same impact today. At the time of writing, SOL went up by just 0.3% in the last hour and down by 3.5% over the previous 24 hours.

This is a developing story: We’ll give updates on the situation as we learn more.

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