The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again postponed its decision on Truth Social's proposed Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF). The application for Truth Social, a social media platform owned by Trump Media & Technology Group, was initially submitted in June. According to the SEC's official statement, the new deadline has been set as October 8, 2025. Furthermore, with its latest move, the SEC will also postpone decisions on DOGE, LTC, and XRP ETFs.
Truth Social's ETF application sparks controversy
While Truth Social's Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF may seem like an ordinary application in the crypto world, its political connections have generated significant buzz. The fact that former US President Donald Trump is behind the application makes the approval process even more controversial. Trump has recently been in the news for his cryptocurrency projects. The DeFi and stablecoin initiative World Liberty Financial, in particular, and the TRUMP and MELANIA-themed memecoins have increased the Trump family's influence in the crypto world.
Therefore, some argue that a potential approval could lead to a trust issue in the markets. Caroline Ciccone, president of Accountable.US, a nonprofit that pushes government transparency, said, “If the SEC approves this ETF, it will raise questions in the minds of Americans. Is this decision made in the best interests of the country, or is it serving the President’s business?”
Other crypto ETF applications also postponed: XRP, DOGE, LTC affected
Similar decisions were made for other crypto ETFs alongside the Truth Social application. The SEC announced that it will announce decisions on the CoinShares Litecoin ETF, CoinShares XRP ETF, and 21Shares Core XRP ETF later in October. It was also reported that investigations into the staking permissions of the Canary XRP Trust, Grayscale XRP Trust, and 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF are ongoing.
The SEC's list of postponements is quite extensive. The institution postponed not only the Trump family-linked Bitcoin + Ether ETF but also several XRP-focused applications. Grayscale, CoinShares, Canary Capital, Bitwise, and 21Shares all postponed XRP ETF filings to October 19th, while Franklin Templeton’s spot XRP ETF was moved to November 5th. Grayscale’s Dogecoin ETF and CoinShares’ Litecoin ETF were also extended; the Litecoin ETF decision date is October 23rd, while the Dogecoin ETF is slated for a flexible timeframe between late 2025 and early 2026. Furthermore, the proposal to add staking functionality to the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF is under review, but this filing doesn’t specify a specific deadline. Last week, the SEC similarly postponed applications for the Solana ETF by VanEck, 21Shares, and Bitwise, as well as 21Shares's request for a Dogecoin ETF.
The SEC's approach to crypto ETFs has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. During the Biden administration, influenced by court decisions, first spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved, followed by spot Ethereum ETFs. With the Trump administration, more flexible measures have been taken. For example, in July, the SEC accepted in-kind creations and redemptions of crypto ETFs by "authorized participants."
This change is leading to speculation that it could pave the way for more products in the crypto market. However, the situation is more sensitive when it comes to the Trump-linked Truth Social ETF, as this approval is directly linked not only to market dynamics but also to politics.
