Notice2025-11289
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Order Instituting Proceedings To Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove a Proposed Rule Change To Amend the Rules Governing the Listing and Trading of Shares of the Franklin Ethereum ETF To Permit Staking Under Rule 14.11(e)(4) (Commodity-Based Trust Shares)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 20, 2025
Issuing agencies
Securities and Exchange Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 117 (Friday, June 20, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 117 (Friday, June 20, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26376-26377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11289]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
[Release No. 34-103259; File No. SR-CboeBZX-2025-036]
Self-Regulatory Organizations; Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.; Order
Instituting Proceedings To Determine Whether To Approve or Disapprove a
Proposed Rule Change To Amend the Rules Governing the Listing and
Trading of Shares of the Franklin Ethereum ETF To Permit Staking Under
Rule 14.11(e)(4) (Commodity-Based Trust Shares)
June 16, 2025.
I. Introduction
On March 10, 2025, Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (``BZX'' or
``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 Franklin Ethereum ETF (``Trust'')
under BZX Rule 14.11(e)(4). The proposed rule change was published for
comment in the Federal Register on March 18, 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. 102632 (Mar. 12,
2025), 90 FR 12611 (``Notice''). Comments received on the proposed
rule change are available at: <a href="https://www.sec.gov/comments/sr-cboebzx-2025-036/srcboebzx2025036.htm">https://www.sec.gov/comments/sr-cboebzx-2025-036/srcboebzx2025036.htm</a>.
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On April 29, 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.
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\4\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(2).
\5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 102948, 90 FR 19040
(May 5, 2025). The Commission designated June 16, 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 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 Trust under BZX Rule 14.11(e)(4).\8\ Specifically, the Exchange
proposes to amend certain representations regarding the Trust in order
to permit staking of the ether held by the Trust. 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 Trust 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 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-2025-036 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 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 staking of the Trust's
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 July 11, 2025. Any person who wishes to file a
rebuttal to any other person's submission must file that rebuttal by
July 25, 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#e795928b82ca84888a8a82899394a7948284c9808891"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6f1d1a030a420c0002020a011b1c2f1c0a0c41080019">[email protected]</span></a>. Please include
file number SR-CboeBZX-2025-036 on the subject line.
[[Page 26377]]
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-2025-036. 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-2025-036 and should
be submitted on or before July 11, 2025. Rebuttal comments should be
submitted by July 25, 2025.
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. 2025-11289 Filed 6-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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