Grayscale, the world’s largest digital asset management firm, has won a lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to allow its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) to convert to a spot Bitcoin ETF.
In a landmark decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on Tuesday that the SEC’s rejection of Grayscale’s application to convert GBTC to a spot ETF was arbitrary and capricious.
The court found that the SEC had not adequately explained its reasons for rejecting Grayscale’s application. The court also found that the SEC had failed to provide a rational basis for its concerns about market manipulation and the lack of a regulated market for Bitcoin futures.
The ruling is a major victory for the cryptocurrency industry and could lead to the approval of other spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States.
The ruling is expected to have a significant impact on the cryptocurrency market. Spot Bitcoin ETFs would allow investors to buy and sell Bitcoin directly, rather than through futures contracts. This could make Bitcoin more accessible to a wider range of investors and could lead to increased demand for the cryptocurrency.
The SEC has not yet commented on the ruling. It is unclear whether the SEC will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
