Renowned for its financial prowess, the city of London is gearing up for a significant influx of crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs), heralding a new chapter in the city’s financial landscape.
With giants like CoinShares, WisdomTree, and ETC Group setting their sights on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), the stage is set for a dynamic evolution in the crypto investment sphere.
London’s Crypto ETP Landscape: Regulatory Shift, Institutional Focus
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently relaxed some rules, which set the stage for this change. Even though people in the industry have praised the move, it could be criticized because retail investors still can’t buy crypto ETPs on the LSE.
Bradley Duke, chief analyst of Europe’s crypto fund, ETC Group, discussed how important the LSE market was and how hopeful he was that the retail ban would be lifted soon.
Despite the FCA’s restriction to “professional investors only,” the European crypto ETP market, with a combined sum of $14.2 billion, continues to attract major players. While VanEck, CoinShares, and WisdomTree have shown keen interest in exploring listing opportunities, some issuers, like 21Shares, have adopted a cautious approach. Mandy Chiu, head of financial product development at 21Shares, hailed the approval of crypto ETPs on the LSE as “encouraging” but stated the firm’s intent to monitor the situation before committing to U.K.-listed products.
The London Stock Exchange announced earlier that it will start accepting applications for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs) in the second quarter of 2024. However, only investment firms, credit institutions, pension funds, and insurance companies can view the information.
This is an essential development for the FCA because it means that crypto ETPs will no longer be banned entirely, which is different from what other countries are seeing. London’s decision to match its rules with those in Europe, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the U.S. shows that it is determined to change with the times when it comes to cryptocurrencies.
