The Chicago Board Options Exchange’s (CBOE), along with investment firm VanEck and financial services company SolidX, has re-applied with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a rule change to list a Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF). VanEck digital asset strategy director Gabor Gurbacs announced the public filing on Jan. 31.
CBOE had initially withdrawn its request for a rule change to list a Bitcoin ETF on Jan. 23. A CBOE spokesperson told Cointelegraph that the decision to withdraw its request was the result of the U.S. government shutdown as the end of the review period approached. Some legal experts noted at the time that the SEC was operating on a limited basis due the shutdown, which was the result of a political impasse over a proposed wall on the U.S.–Mexico border.
ETFs are securities that track a basket of assets proportionately represented in the fund’s shares. They are seen by some as a potential step forward for the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies as a regulated and passive investment instrument.