SEC puts pause on alternative coin ETFs, but institutional investor interest remains

Altcoins are beginning to slowly recover amid Bitcoin’s (BTC) 5% gain on Friday. The United States financial regulator has delayed its decision on a spot altcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application, sparking concerns among traders.

Analysts at K33 Research said that the spot altcoin ETF applications submitted by asset management companies show that clients have interest and demand for alternative investments besides Bitcoin. This is a positive sign for the financial products and altcoin industry.

The report “This Week in Cryptocurrency Updates,” published on March 14, by K33 Research observed that while U.S. financial regulators have put the brakes on altcoin ETF applications, interest in the investment product is still growing.

The SEC’s delayed decision is not the end for ETF applicants. The report suggests that clients of the asset management giant that submitted the altcoin ETF application may be interested in the investment product, meaning that the delay will not negatively impact the likelihood of approval.

Standard SEC procedures allow for these delays, and analysts explained that consensus remains high while the agency awaits confirmation of Trump’s nominee for chairman. After following financial procedures and disclosing potential conflicts of interest, Paul Atkins' candidacy will proceed to Senate confirmation hearings.

Franklin Templeton, which has more than $1.5 trillion in assets, applied for spot XRP and Solana ETFs this week, with a total of 60 ETF proposals awaiting SEC approval.

In a recent conversation on the Thinking Crypto podcast with Tony Edwards, Bloomberg senior ETF analyst James Seifat calmed crypto traders’ concerns and commented on altcoin ETFs and their approval status.