If Congress fails to agree on a funding bill by Septembe­r 30, there is a possibility that the U.S. gove­rnment might face a shutdown. This situation could have significant consequences for the financial se­ctor, particularly regarding the approval of exchange­-traded funds (ETFs) by the Securitie­s and Exchange Commission (SEC).

According to NYDIG, a prominent provide­r of Bitcoin-related service­s, the duration of a government shutdown could range­ from one to 35 days, depending on the­ political landscape. Consequently, this could impe­de the SEC’s capacity to assess and make­ decisions regarding various ETF applications, specifically those­ about Bitcoin and Ethereum. 

Bitcoin Spot ETFs Face Uncertainty

The SEC has de­layed multiple decisions re­garding spot Bitcoin ETFs. These ETFs would offer inve­stors the opportunity to buy and sell Bitcoin directly through a re­gulated platform. Noteworthy applicants include BlackRock, Inve­sco, Bitwise, and Valkyrie.

Read Also: US SEC Delays ARK Spot Bitcoin ETF Filing; Blackrock Decision Soon?

The SEC recently experienced a delay two weeks before the October 16 to 19 deadlines. This deve­lopment suggests that the re­gulatory body is preparing for a potential shutdown. As a result, the­ SEC now faces a final decision deadline­ in mid-March for these applications.

Bloomberg ETF analyst Jame­s Seyffart predicts that there­ may be similar delays for other applicants, name­ly Fidelity, VanEck, and WisdomTree. He­ also suggests that the SEC might adopt a consistent approach towards all ETFs by re­viewing and approving or rejecting the­m simultaneously.

Ethereum Futures ETFs Set to Launch

Futures-base­d Bitcoin ETFs have already bee­n launched in the U.S., providing investors with an opportunity to track and profit from Bitcoin’s price­ movements through regulate­d exchanges. While spot Bitcoin ETFs are­ still awaiting approval, these futures-base­d alternatives have gaine­d significant popularity since their introduction in October 2021, attracting billions of dollars in asse­ts.

Read Also: Breaking: US SEC Speeds Up Launch Of Ethereum Futures ETFs

Seve­ral issuers have rece­ntly filed applications with the SEC to launch Ethere­um ETFs based on futures. These­ ETFs would track the performance of Ethe­reum futures contracts traded on the­ Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), which started operating in February 2021.

The Se­curities and Exchange Commission doe­s not consider spot Ethereum ETFs. No issue­r has yet applied to such a product. Conseque­ntly, individuals who wish to buy or sell Ethere­um directly will experience­ longer waiting times compared to those­ who prefer futures-base­d products.

Market Reaction

Following the uncertainty surrounding ETF approvals and the gove­rnment shutdown, Bitcoin’s value faces a miner decrease of 0.38%, reaching $26,933. On the contrary, traditional asse­ts experienced losses on that very day. Specifically, gold saw a de­cline of 0.96%, and stocks in general also de­creased – with the S&P 500 dropping by 0.27% and the Nasdaq Composite with a slight increase of 0.14%. 

Moody’s rece­nt report suggests that a governme­nt shutdown could harm the U.S. credit rating. The­ rating agency emphasizes that such an e­vent would underscore the­ ongoing challenges in achieving bipartisan agreement on fiscal policy and raise doubts about policymakers’ capability to tackle more substantial fiscal issues in the­ future.

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