In an interview, Matt Hougan, the Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise Asset Management, has alluded to this change in regulation in several public appearances, such as at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas. Though he did not confirm any particular SEC actions, Hougan said he is hopeful that with new leadership the SEC is “pointing in the right direction” and is now being “very constructive” in its dealings regarding crypto-based investment products.
Bitwise, which already lists spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, has applied to list XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin ETFs. Since the Bitcoin and Ether ETFs were authorized, investor costs have decreased, and security has grown, which led Hougan to argue that it would be tough to oppose the expansion of such frameworks to other digital assets. Why not let them have it in a safe, secure, low cost ETP format? he asked.
Hougan reiterated that not all crypto assets warrant an ETF, but the combination of increasing retail and institutional demand made it worthy to venture beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. “It is time that investors, who desire and must, get exposure to more assets,” he said in a conversation with CNBC Crypto World chat show.
This enforcement trend is part of a wider moment of movement in U.S. crypto policy, with bipartisan advances on the ‘GENIUS Act’, a stablecoin bill that Hougan believes has the potential to spark a multi-year crypto bull market. Its passage would provide a basis of legal certainty and further establish crypto as the centre of worldwide finance.
With the market dynamic changing and institutional adoption in the air, the SEC is now under the spotlight as it considers the next round of crypto ETF approvals. Provided such products ever make it to market, the year 2025 may be a defining year in the legitimacy of altcoins on Wall Street.
Also Read: Seyffart: Solana ETF Gets 90% Odds, XRP & LTC Close Behind
