The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been longĀ criticizedĀ over its stern position toward theĀ cryptocurrency market, demonstrated partially in its hesitance to approve a spotĀ BitcoinĀ exchange-traded fund (ETF).
This opposition has become infamous in crypto circles, so much so that a new report commissioned by the Digital Chamber of Commerce is accusing the SEC of hurting U.S.Ā investorsĀ by denying them a trading vehicle already accessible in other countries,Ā CoinDeskĀ reportedĀ on September 12.
Specifically, the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy groupās report states that the governmentās securities agency regards the countryās public as still unprepared for such aĀ financialĀ product and that such a position is harming investors:
āIt has determined that the American public cannot yet handle the responsibility of familiar, cost-effective, liquid, transparent and regulated access to the Bitcoin markets. (ā¦) The SEC continues to force U.S. investors who wish to invest in this transformative asset class into unregulated or foreign alternatives.ā
Documenting the SECās treatment of crypto
Commenting on the report, the founder and CEO of the Digital Chamber of Commerce, Perianne Boring, called it āthe first comprehensive document to detail the arbitrary and capricious behaviorā of the agency in considering the spotĀ Bitcoin ETFĀ filings.
Highlighting its importance, she explained that:
āCapturing the historical record in one place is crucial to building awareness and accountability for not only these specific denials but the Commissionās treatment of the industry as a whole. (ā¦) A single denial may be viewed from one perspective, but when the SECās denials are viewed comprehensively, a pattern emerges that the agency must address or if they canāt address it, Congress should take action.ā
As a reminder, SEC has received numerousĀ applicationsĀ for a spot Bitcoin ETF, approving not a single one of them to date, stating its concern about potential market manipulation, despite some of the CommissionersĀ criticizingĀ this behavior.
Meanwhile, the agency is also engulfed in a legal battle against Ripple ā the largest litigation in the crypto space so far, during which the blockchain company has spentĀ more than $100 million on legal fees, asĀ FinboldĀ reported in July.