Grayscale Investments, which runs the largest spot bitcoin ETF, wants to launch a "mini ethereum" trust, a spinoff of its Ethereum Trust, as U.S. regulators delay spot ether ETF approval and pessimism grows.
Grayscale's micro ETH trust filing coincided with the New York firm's prospectus for transforming ETFE into an ETF. In a blog post, the company's chief legal official said the two vehicles, which would contain spot Ethereum rather than Ethereum futures contracts, would work together. If trusts become ETFs, the tiny version will too.
Grayscale Chief Legal Officer Craig Salm stated April 23 that ETHE and ETH would "spin-off" a fixed percentage of the Ether underlying ETHE shares to "seed" the new Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust. He stated ETH shares "would be distributed proportionally to ETHE shareholders, so that ETHE shareholders maintain their same exposure to Ether—though spread between two products, ETHE and ETH, instead of just ETHE."
The submission comes as the SEC again delayed Grayscale and Franklin Templeton's spot ether ETF filings until June. Despite the regulator approving ten unique spot bitcoin ETFs in mid-January, experts and executives doubt the file will be approved this spring.
Grayscale has filed for a Mini Bitcoin Trust with a 0.15% charge, undercutting spot bitcoin ETFs. The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) holders will not pay taxes on the Mini Bitcoin Trust to encourage them to switch to the younger, cheaper vehicle rather than switching to competitors. Daily outflows have plagued GBTC since its early January inception. Salm claims ETHE holders would benefit greatly from the small ETH vehicle's tax benefits.
Find Ether Problems Analysts and executives are gloomy about the SEC approving a flurry of spot Ethereum ETF filings in May. Regulators have not worked with issuers on paperwork like they did before the spot bitcoin launch.
Sumit Roy of etf.com says the Grayscale Ethereum Trust's discount indicates investor negative attitude toward acceptance.
"Given that the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) is currently trading at a hefty 25% discount to its net asset value—a significant increase from 8% in March the market is implying that the odds of a spot ether ETF approval by May aren't very high," he said.