Yigit Taha OZTURK 
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially delayed its decisions on exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications tied to XRP, Solana, Litecoin, and Dogecoin. In filings dated March 11, the SEC announced that it has “designated a longer period” to consider the proposed rule changes that would allow these ETFs to proceed.
Among the delayed applications are Grayscale’s XRP ETF and Cboe BZX Exchange’s spot Solana ETF. The SEC has postponed its decisions on these products until May.
Considered Standard Procedure
Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart commented on March 11 that the SEC’s delay in ruling on these altcoin ETFs is not a cause for concern. Seyffart described the delay as “standard procedure” and noted it does not negatively impact the probability of approval. He also mentioned that Paul Atkins, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the next SEC Chair, has yet to be confirmed. “This doesn’t change our (relatively high) odds of approval. Also, the final deadlines aren’t until October,” Seyffart said.
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Another Bloomberg ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, added that “everything is delayed,” including ETF filings featuring Ethereum staking and in-kind redemptions.
Expectations High Under Trump Administration
In December, President Trump nominated pro-crypto businessman and former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins to lead the agency. However, Atkins’ Senate confirmation hearings have yet to be scheduled.
The SEC has a history of delaying ETF decisions. On February 28, the agency extended its review period for Cboe Exchange’s application to list options tied to Ethereum ETFs. Many altcoin ETF filings followed Trump’s election and the resignation of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler.
During Gensler’s tenure, the SEC took an aggressive regulatory stance toward crypto, with over 100 crypto-related enforcement actions between 2021 and his resignation in early 2024. Since Gensler’s departure, several firms previously facing legal action from the SEC, including Gemini (February 26) and Cumberland DRW (March 4), have had their cases dismissed.
Meanwhile, acting SEC Chairman Mark Uyeda has proposed abandoning parts of a rule change that would have expanded the regulation of alternative trading systems to include crypto firms.
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