Crypto’s Audacious Power Play: ETFs Launch Under Regulatory Radar
Crypto just pulled off its most daring maneuver yet—launching ETFs while Washington sleeps at the wheel.
The Midnight Launch Strategy
While traditional finance regulators were drafting memos about potential frameworks, crypto exchanges executed the perfect end-run around bureaucratic delays. No waiting for committee approvals, no endless compliance reviews—just pure market-driven innovation hitting the streets while the SEC was still scheduling its next meeting.
Market Reaction vs Regulatory Inaction
Trading volumes exploded as these stealth ETFs went live, proving once again that demand waits for no government timetable. Institutional money flooded in through backdoors that regulators hadn't even finished building yet.
Wall Street's usual gatekeepers are now scrambling to catch up—classic case of the tortoise watching the hare cross the finish line while still debating racing protocols. The revolution isn't just being televised—it's being traded, whether the suits are ready or not.
Prior to the shutdown, the SEC had already cleared rule changes allowing certain exchanges to list commodity-based trust shares, paving the way for faster ETF approvals. This has dramatically shortened the timeline for digital asset funds to begin trading.
Recent filings show that Canary Capital is among the first movers, submitting paperwork for ETFs tracking Litecoin and HBAR. Meanwhile, Bitwise briefly hinted at a Solana-based staking ETF in a now-deleted post by Multicoin Capital’s Kyle Samani, though the firm declined to comment further.
Whether this week brings a full wave of crypto ETF launches remains to be seen. Much depends on how far along each issuer was before Washington went dark – and how confident they are in flying solo without the SEC’s full oversight.
