Investment manager VanEck has filed Form 8-A for its spot Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), bringing the ETF one step closer to live trading. This filing is a crucial step in the process towards the potential approval and launch of a spot Ethereum ETF.

According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, the 8-A filing suggests that a spot Ethereum ETF could be available for trading as early as July 2, 2024. Balchunas drew this prediction from VanEck's 8-A filing for its Bitcoin ETF, which was filed seven days before the fund's launch.

While SEC Chair Gary Gensler has expressed that the approval process for Ethereum ETFs could take months and may not happen until September 2024, the lack of significant commentary from SEC staff on the ETF applicants' filings suggests the regulator has not identified major issues, potentially expediting the listing process.

The approval of a spot Ethereum ETF in the U.S. is seen as a surprise by many and represents a shift in the current administration's policies, likely driven by the growing influence of pro-crypto voters, which are estimated to number around 52 million. This political tailwind has fueled initiatives to mobilize the crypto community ahead of the 2024 elections.