The crypto community is eagerly awaiting the launch of Spot Ethereum ETFs following the approval of 19b-4s for eight such funds. Industry experts have shared their insights on the potential timeline for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to approve the S-1 forms, which could lead to a delay of several weeks before the actual launch of these investment products.

Nate Geraci, host of the ETF Prime podcast, recently expressed his expectation that the S-1 approvals could come within the next few weeks, with a maximum delay of 2-3 months. Geraci believes that the approval process for Spot Ethereum ETFs could be expedited due to the swift approval of ETFs for Bitcoin in the past. He argues that the SEC has already done much of the "heavy lifting" with the approval of Spot Bitcoin ETFs and Ethereum futures ETFs, and it may just be "a matter of how long SEC wants to string this out."

Eric Balchunas, a senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, proposed a potential timeline around July 4, 2024, for the Ether ETF S-1 approval. Geraci agreed with this timeframe, stating that it feels like a good over/under and that he would take the "under" option.

The delay in the launch of Spot Ethereum ETFs is due to the difference between SEC approval and the actual ETF launch. While the 19b-4 filings for eight Spot Ethereum ETFs were approved on May 23, the next critical step involves the approval of the S-1 forms, which might take longer. Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart emphasized that the SEC's approval of these forms typically involves a minimum time gap before the actual launch of the products, and this process requires bi-directional communication between the regulator and the applicants.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the timeline for the approval and subsequent launch of Spot Ethereum ETFs, the optimism shared by experts like Geraci and Balchunas suggests that the financial community could see significant progress in the coming months. As Geraci noted, the SEC has already navigated the complexities of similar ETF approvals, which might streamline the current process for Ethereum.