BlackRock and VanEck Update Their S-1 Bitcoin ETF Forms

• BlackRock and VanEck updated their S-1 forms for a spot Bitcoin ETF application. 
• Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas explained that the updates to the documents were based on comments from the SEC yesterday. 
• The fast turnaround time in the ETF applications raises speculation that approval may be inches away.

BlackRock and VanEck have updated their Bitcoin spot Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) S-1 document today, details on the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) official website reveal.

In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas stated that the document update is based on the last-minute comments the regulator gave yesterday. “The unheard 24-hour turnaround time between filing, comments, and re-filing tells us all parties aiming to get this show on the road pronto,” he tweeted. 

Indeed, the recent update follows days of several meetings between the SEC and institutions looking to offer spot Bitcoin ETFs. Expectations are that the Wall Street regulator will greenlight an approval in the coming days. 

In particular, crypto experts predict approval could come on January 10. But the general expectation is that the SEC will greenlight a spot Bitcoin ETF application before the end of the week. 

The ETF-fueled optimism has already sent Bitcoin prices higher than its peak in 2023. With the latest update, speculations have grown as to whether an ETF approval has inched closer. 

Despite the slew of positive expectations that have trailed the ETF applications, experts caution that a delay by the SEC could cause a flash crash in Bitcoin’s price. Last week, fears of a possible SEC rejection wiped $4k off Bitcoin’s value, with hundreds of millions lost in liquidation. 

It bears mentioning that a spot Bitcoin ETF is an investment vehicle that lets people buy shares in a fund that tracks the price of Bitcoin. Thus, an ETF approval is expected to boost liquidity in Bitcoin. Experts also predict that the launch will drive digital assets higher this year, alongside the halving. 

Yesterday, the bitcoin price rallied after institutions in the ETF race unveiled their fees. At the time of press, the token’s upward surge has cooled, but the price remains well above the $46K level, according to data from CoinMarketCap.