Cboe BZX Exchange files 19b-4 to list and trade spot XRP ETFs for several issuers

Cboe BZX Exchange filed 19b-4s on behalf of Bitwise, 21Shares and Canary Capital to list and trade a spot exchange-traded product that tracks XRP, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.

A 19b-4 filing is the second part of a two-step process for proposing a crypto ETF to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Once acknowledged by the SEC, the filing will be published in the Federal Register, initiating the agency's approval process.

Bitwise first filed a registration for a spot XRP ETF in October, while 21Shares filed an S-1 registration statement for an XRP ETF with the SEC in November.

The SEC approved the listing of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024 and spot Ethereum ETFs last summer. Given the pro-crypto embrace from President Donald Trump, issuers have flooded the zone with spot crypto ETF filings in recent weeks.

"[SEC acting] Chair Mark Uyeda picked fellow Republican Commissioner Hester Peirce to lead a crypto task force. Peirce said she plans to work on distinguishing which 'crypto assets' are securities, potentially changing ways for firms to register, and work on providing clear statements when approving or disapproving exchange-traded products," The Block's Sarah Wynn previously reported.

WisdomTree filed with the SEC for spot XRP ETF in December, while NYSE Arca on Jan. 30 posted a 19b-4 filing to convert Grayscale’s XRP trust to a spot crypto ETF. CoinShares also filed registration statements for a "CoinShares XRP ETF" last month.

Purpose Investments on Jan.31 filed a preliminary prospectus with Canadian regulators for an XRP ETF, with hopes to become the world’s first XRP ETF issuer.

The price of XRP was down 2.5% to $2.34 at publication time, according to The Block's price data.