Notice2025-08922
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Order Instituting Proceedings To Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove a Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 2, To Amend the Rules Governing the Listing and Trading of Shares of the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF and the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF To Permit In-Kind Creations and Redemptions Under Rule 14.11(e)(4) (Commodity-Based Trust Shares)
Primary source
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Published
May 20, 2025
Issuing agencies
Securities and Exchange Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 96 (Tuesday, May 20, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 96 (Tuesday, May 20, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21531-21533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08922]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-103044; File No. SR-CboeBZX-2025-010]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Order
Instituting Proceedings To Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove a
Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by Amendment No. 2, To Amend the
Rules Governing the Listing and Trading of Shares of the ARK 21Shares
Bitcoin ETF and the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF To Permit In-Kind
Creations and Redemptions Under Rule 14.11(e)(4) (Commodity-Based Trust
Shares)
May 14, 2025.
I. Introduction
On January 27, 2025, Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (``BZX'' or the
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission''), pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act'') \1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ a
proposed rule change to amend the rules governing the listing and
trading of shares (``Shares'') of the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF
(``Bitcoin Trust'') and the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF (``ETH Trust''
and, together with the Bitcoin Trust, the ``Trusts'') under BZX Rule
14.11(e)(4). On February 5, 2025, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to
the proposed rule change, which replaced and superseded the original
filing in its entirety. On February 7, 2025, the Exchange filed
Amendment No. 2 to the proposed change, which replaced and superseded
the proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 1, in its
entirety. The proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 2, was
published for comment in the Federal Register on February 14, 2025.\3\
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\1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
\2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
\3\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 102381 (Feb. 10,
2025), 90 FR 9648 (``Notice''). Comments received on the proposed
rule change are available at: <a href="https://www.sec.gov/comments/sr-cboebzx-2025-010/srcboebzx2025010.htm">https://www.sec.gov/comments/sr-cboebzx-2025-010/srcboebzx2025010.htm</a>.
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[[Page 21532]]
On March 11, 2025, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act,\4\ the
Commission designated a longer period within which to approve the
proposed rule change, disapprove the proposed rule change, or institute
proceedings to determine whether to disapprove the proposed rule
change.\5\ This order institutes proceedings under Section 19(b)(2)(B)
of the Act \6\ to determine whether to approve or disapprove the
proposed rule change, as modified by Amendment No. 2.
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\4\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
\5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 102609, 90 FR 12409
(Mar. 17, 2025). The Commission designated May 15, 2025, as the date
by which the Commission shall approve or disapprove, or institute
proceedings to determine whether to disapprove, the proposed rule
change.
\6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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II. Summary of the Proposal, as Modified by Amendment No. 2
As described in more detail in the Notice,\7\ the Exchange proposes
to amend the rules governing the listing and trading of the Shares of
the Trusts under BZX Rule 14.11(e)(4).\8\ Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to amend certain representations regarding the Trusts'
creation and redemption processes in order to permit in-kind creations
and redemptions. According to the Exchange, except for these proposed
amendments, all other representations relied upon by the Commission in
approving the listing and trading of the Shares of the Trusts will
remain unchanged and will continue to constitute continued listing
requirements.
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\7\ See Notice, supra note 3.
\8\ BZX Rule 14.11(e)(4) governs the listing and trading of
Commodity-Based Trust Shares. The Commission approved the Exchange's
proposal to list and trade the Shares of the Bitcoin Trust on
January 10, 2024. See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 99306
(Jan. 10, 2024), 89 FR 3008 (Jan. 17, 2024). Separately, the
Commission approved the Exchange's proposal to list and trade the
Shares of the ETH Trust on May 23, 2024. See Securities Exchange Act
Release No. 100224 (May 23, 2024), 89 FR 46937 (May 30, 2024).
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III. Proceedings To Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove SR-
CboeBZX-2025-010 and Grounds for Disapproval Under Consideration
The Commission is instituting proceedings pursuant to Section
19(b)(2)(B) of the Act \9\ to determine whether the proposed rule
change, as modified by Amendment No. 2, should be approved or
disapproved. Institution of proceedings is appropriate at this time in
view of the legal and policy issues raised by the proposed rule change.
Institution of proceedings does not indicate that the Commission has
reached any conclusions with respect to any of the issues involved.
Rather, the Commission seeks and encourages interested persons to
provide comments on the proposed rule change.
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\9\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2)(B).
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Pursuant to Section 19(b)(2)(B) of the Act,\10\ the Commission is
providing notice of the grounds for disapproval under consideration. As
described above, the Exchange proposes to allow for in-kind creation
and redemption of the Trusts' bitcoin and ether. The Commission is
instituting proceedings to allow for additional analysis of the
proposed rule change's consistency with Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,
which requires, among other things, that the rules of a national
securities exchange be designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative
acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade,
to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open
market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect
investors and the public interest.\11\
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\10\ Id.
\11\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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IV. Procedure: Request for Written Comments
The Commission requests that interested persons provide written
submissions of their views, data, and arguments with respect to the
issues identified above, as well as any other concerns they may have
with the proposal. In particular, the Commission invites the written
views of interested persons concerning whether the proposal is
consistent with Section 6(b)(5) or any other provision of the Act, and
the rules and regulations thereunder. Although there do not appear to
be any issues relevant to approval or disapproval that would be
facilitated by an oral presentation of views, data, and arguments, the
Commission will consider, pursuant to Rule 19b-4, any request for an
opportunity to make an oral presentation.\12\
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\12\ Section 19(b)(2) of the Act, as amended by the Securities
Acts Amendments of 1975, Public Law 94-29 (June 4, 1975), grants the
Commission flexibility to determine what type of proceeding--either
oral or notice and opportunity for written comments--is appropriate
for consideration of a particular proposal by a self-regulatory
organization. See Securities Acts Amendments of 1975, Senate Comm.
on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs, S. Rep. No. 75, 94th Cong., 1st
Sess. 30 (1975).
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Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and
arguments regarding whether the proposed rule change should be approved
or disapproved by June 10, 2025. Any person who wishes to file a
rebuttal to any other person's submission must file that rebuttal by
June 24, 2025.
Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
Electronic Comments
<bullet> Use the Commission's internet comment form (<a href="https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml">https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml</a>); or
<bullet> Send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#285a5d444d054b4745454d465c5b685b4d4b064f475e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="99ebecf5fcb4faf6f4f4fcf7edead9eafcfab7fef6ef">[email protected]</span></a>. Please include
file number SR-CboeBZX-2025-010 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
<bullet> Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities
and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to file number SR-CboeBZX-2025-010. This
file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To
help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently,
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on
the Commission's internet website (<a href="https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml">https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml</a>). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all
written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are
filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to
the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other
than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for website viewing and
printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE,
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10
a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for
inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. Do not
include personal identifiable information in submissions; you should
submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. We
may redact in part or withhold entirely from publication submitted
material that is obscene or subject to copyright protection. All
submissions should refer to file number SR-CboeBZX-2025-010 and should
be submitted on or before June 10, 2025.
Rebuttal comments should be submitted by June 24, 2025.
[[Page 21533]]
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\13\
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\13\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(57).
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Sherry R. Haywood,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-08922 Filed 5-19-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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