Crypto ETF Approval Process Shifts to Rolling, Standards-Based Launches

In October 2025, 16 crypto ETFs faced final SEC deadlines, but a government shutdown froze decision-making, causing many to launch automatically after 20 days.

However, this disrupted the approval process, leading to a new framework in September 2025: generic listing standards for commodity-based trust shares, including crypto. This standard allows funds to list in roughly 75 days without individual SEC review.

As a result, most crypto ETFs launched under this new standard, bypassing the previous 240-day review process. By 2026, this mechanism had brought spot products for Litecoin, Hyperliquid, Solana, and XRP to market, with Solana ETF inflows topping $1.4 billion and XRP ETF inflows reaching $1.68 billion.

For October 2026, the SEC has a few concrete items on its calendar, including a Regulation Crypto Assets comment deadline on October 20, 2026, and ongoing generic-standard launches. However, some products, such as those involving staking mechanics, remain in individualized review.