The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally acknowledged the Canary Litecoin ETF. If approved, Litecoin would become the third cryptocurrency, following Bitcoin and Ethereum, to have a spot ETF in the United States.
Canary Capital initially filed its S-1 registration statement in October 2024, signaling its intent to launch a Litecoin-based investment product. Nasdaq later submitted the necessary 19b-4 filing on Jan. 16, 2025, marking a crucial step in the regulatory review. A 19b-4 filing is required for exchanges seeking approval of new financial products, particularly cryptocurrency ETFs.
The Canary Litecoin ETF is designed to provide traditional investors with exposure to the digital asset without the complexities of managing wallets and cryptographic keys. Instead, investors would be able to access Litecoin through conventional brokerage accounts, similar to existing Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
While Litecoin’s ETF application moves forward, the SEC is also reviewing proposals for other altcoins, including Solana (SOL) and XRP. However, these assets face heightened regulatory scrutiny, which could delay approvals. Despite a generally favorable stance on cryptocurrencies from the current administration, industry experts suggest that Litecoin has a stronger chance of approval ahead of other altcoin ETFs.