The Volatility Shares 2x Ether Strategy ETF (ETHU) is scheduled to become the first leveraged Ethereum ETF trading on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) by June 4, as stated on its website.

Leveraged trading enables investors to control larger positions than their initial deposits, thereby amplifying their exposure to price fluctuations. The platform provider loans the difference between the trade value and the investor’s margin deposit.

In the US, several Ethereum futures ETFs already exist, such as ProShares’ Ether Strategy ETF (EETH), VanEck’s Ethereum Strategy ETF (EFUT), and Bitwise’s Ethereum Strategy ETF (AETH). Initially slow to gain traction, these ETFs saw increased trading volumes following unexpected approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for eight spot ETH ETFs under 19b-4 filings last week.

The approval of leveraged Ethereum futures ETFs has reignited speculation about the launch timing for recently approved ETFs. Nate Geraci, President of ETF Store, anticipates that registration statements for spot Ethereum ETFs could be approved within a few weeks or up to a few months. He emphasized that with groundwork laid out from spot Bitcoin and Ethereum futures ETFs, the timing primarily depends on the SEC's decision-making process:

"My expectation would be the next few weeks or 2-3 months maximum. The heavy lifting has been done following the spot BTC ETFs and ETH futures ETFs. It's just a matter of how long the SEC wants to proceed."

James Seyffart, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg, echoed this view, noting that the timeline remains uncertain due to required S-1 filing approvals, which include crucial risk disclosures.

JPMorgan, a major bank, has predicted that these ETFs could start trading before the US November elections.