BTC ETF :
Any time between August 10th — August 20th is the date to closely watch for the approval or disapproval of the ETF. Over the past few years, 2 separate proposals have been attempted to launch a bitcoin ETF and rejected by SEC.
Reasons for past rejections were mainly due to the fact that
BTC is highly volatile and liquidated; lacks insurance around cryptocurrencies.
BTC as a digital asset, was not regulated properly.
Evidently, as of July 2018, the global cryptocurrency market has a rigid regulatory framework in place pertaining to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policies and standards of security. Overseas markets like Japan and South Korea arguably have better regulatory frameworks than the US, with Japan leading the G20 in creating an international standard for crypto regulation.
Hence, the issues mentioned by the SEC in latest BTC ETF rejection is now irrelevant, and with the Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe) filing with the SEC for a Bitcoin ETF equipped with full insurance, the lack of insurance in the crypto market has also become a non-issue.
Coinbase :
a) Coinbase says it has green light to list coins deemed “Securities” [latest update on 18th July 2018 >> https://bcfocus.com/news/coinbase-takes-u-turn-on-security-coins-listing-announcement/18659/}
U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has reportedly received regulatory approval to acquire several securities firms — a move that could eventually see it supporting trading in tokens deemed as securities.
b) Coinbase teases new cryptocurrency assets for which it’s exploring support [ source : https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-exploring-cardano-basic-attention-token-stellar-zcash-and-0x-9e44f0eb823f ]
Coinbase is taking a look at some new cryptocurrencies to add to its exchange. The list is kind of a pre-announcement, with the startup saying that it’s “exploring” adding the assets and is working with local banks and regulators to make them happen.
On the watch-list are :
(1) Cardano
(2) Basic attention token
(3) Stellar
(4) Zcash
(5) 0x