The recent continuous increase of cryptocurrency prices had pushed the crypto market value back to $2 trillion with Bitcoin and Ether still in the lead. The price surges are being attributed to the inflows coming from new spot bitcoin Exchange-Traded-Funds (ETFs).
What Exactly are Spot Bitcoin ETFs
Inasmuch as the surge in prices of BTC is attributed to the large amount of money infused in new Spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded-Funds (ETFs), the proposed bill defines whether crypto money is to be treated as a security or an investment commodity.
The crypto market describes a spot bitcoin ETF as an actual amount of cryptocurrencies held as an investment fund, of which the value directly follows the current bitcoin prices. It stands in contrast to future-based exchange traded funds that base their value on contracts speculating the future price of the BTC.
House Committee Moves Forward with Proposed Cryptocurrency Bill
Lawmakers and traditional financial institutions like banks are pushing for legislations that clearly prescribe the regulatory guidelines that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) will follow in regulating the crypto industry. Actually, the House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee recently deliberated and approved a bill that establishes the conditions that would define crypto money as a security or investment commodity.
The bill outlines the extent of the oversight and regulatory responsibilities of the CFTC, while also clarifying the official power of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over the crypto industry. The clarification is considered important by the digital currency industry as many crypto advocates are complaining of the SEC’s tendency to overreach its jurisdiction.
