In a significant move that signals growing institutional interest in a broader range of digital assets, Grayscale Investments has submitted formal registration statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for two new spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The proposed funds would track the prices of Cardano (ADA) and Polkadot (DOT), offering investors a familiar, regulated vehicle to gain exposure to these major altcoins.
The filing, detailed in public documents, proposes the Grayscale Cardano Trust (GADA) to be listed on NYSE Arca and the Grayscale Polkadot Trust (DOT) for listing on the Nasdaq exchange. Both are structured as passive investment products, meaning they aim to directly mirror the performance of their underlying cryptocurrencies.
Inside the Proposed ETF Structures
According to the filings, the proposed ETFs would operate similarly to Grayscale’s existing products. The custody of the underlying ADA and DOT tokens would be handled by Coinbase Custody Trust Company, a leader in digital asset security. The Cardano ETF would track the price of ADA using the CoinDesk Cardano Index (ADX), while the Polkadot fund would follow the CoinDesk Polkadot Reference Rate.
A key detail for investors is that shares would be created in large blocks of 100,000 (a standard for ETFs known as “creation units”) rather than the 10,000 mentioned in some initial reports. Furthermore, Grayscale indicated that it may seek to stake the held assets in the future, potentially generating rewards for the funds and their shareholders.
A Wave of Altcoin Applications, Not Isolated Filings
As noted by Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst James Seyffart on social media platform X, these are not entirely new applications but a crucial next step in a process that began earlier. “Grayscale submits S-1s for both their Cardano and Polkadot ETFs. They had already submitted 19b-4s for each of these — so these aren’t brand new filings,” Seyffart clarified. This distinction is important; the 19b-4 is a filing with the exchange to list a new product, while the S-1 is the registration statement for the security itself with the SEC.
Grayscale’s push comes amidst a flurry of altcoin ETF applications from other major asset managers. This trend has accelerated following a shift in the U.S. regulatory and political landscape. The election victory of President Donald Trump, whose campaign has embraced crypto and whose family has ties to the industry, has fueled speculation of a more favorable environment. As reported by Reuters, this has kicked off a “filing craze” for funds based on everything from XRP and Solana to meme coins.
Market Reaction and Broader Context
The immediate market reaction to the news was muted. According to data from CoinGecko, ADA and DOT saw minimal price movement, aligning with broader market trends that have seen most major cryptocurrencies trade sideways or in the red over the past week.
The success of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, which have seen massive inflows, has clearly paved the way for this next wave of applications. However, the path to approval for altcoin ETFs remains uncertain. The SEC must still determine whether the markets for assets like ADA and DOT are sufficiently resistant to manipulation, a key criterion for approval. Investors and industry watchers will be closely monitoring the SEC’s reviews, as a green light for any of these altcoin funds would mark a monumental expansion of crypto access within traditional finance.
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