Canary Capital files for a spot XRP exchange-traded fund with the SEC

Crypto investment firm Canary Capital filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a spot XRP exchange-traded fund, marking the second firm vying for that product this month.

The Canary XRP ETF gives investors "the opportunity to access the market for XRP through a traditional brokerage account without the potential barriers to entry or risks involved with acquiring and holding XRP directly," the firm said in an S-1 registration statement filed on Tuesday. A custodian or administrator is not yet named for the ETF.

"We're seeing encouraging signs of a more progressive regulatory environment coupled with growing demand from investors for sophisticated access to cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum–specifically investors seeking access to enterprise-grade blockchain solutions and their native tokens such as XRP," said Canary Capital founder Steven McClurg in a statement.

McClurg also previously founded Valkyrie Funds, which has other spot crypto ETFs.

Canary Capital's move comes after Bitwise filed its S-1 registration statement last week. A spot XRP ETF has not been approved by the SEC before, and if it does, it could face challenges. The SEC has been embroiled in a legal fight with Ripple after the agency accused the company of raising $1.3 billion through the sale of XRP, which it views as an unregistered security.