Grayscale Investments, a leading crypto asset management firm, revealed a list of 39 cryptocurrencies under consideration for future investment products. This announcement is fueling excitement across the crypto community, sparking notable price movements for various digital assets. Among the 39 contenders are well-known altcoins such as Dogecoin (DOGE), Binance Coin (BNB), Hedera (HBAR), Kaspa (KAS), Aptos (APT), and others that have been attracting considerable trader attention.
A Diverse Crypto Selection
Grayscale’s extensive list of cryptocurrencies spans a range of projects, from established coins like TRX and TON to innovative newcomers like Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Ai16z. The inclusion of projects such as KAS, APT, ARB, and HBAR signals Grayscale’s growing interest in emerging trends within the crypto space. This diversified selection includes assets linked to decentralized finance (DeFi), Web3, and layer-2 solutions, marking a shift toward broader exposure in the market.
Price Action Post-Announcement
The news quickly impacted the market, with several cryptocurrencies on Grayscale’s list experiencing significant price surges. Ai16z led the rally, climbing 15% in just 24 hours, reaching $1.62. DOGE followed suit with a 5% increase, trading at $0.3339 as whales showed renewed support. Hedera (HBAR) saw a 3% jump, with its price reaching $0.285, despite low trading volumes. The potential approval of an HBAR ETF by the U.S. SEC under incoming Chairman Paul Atkins is also a factor driving market optimism.
The increased trading volumes, especially for Ai16z, signal growing trader interest and confidence in these assets. As the market reacts to Grayscale’s announcements, many traders are closely monitoring the prices and upcoming developments, anticipating further momentum for these cryptocurrencies.
In conclusion, Grayscale’s consideration of these 39 cryptocurrencies reflects a promising future for digital asset investment products, and the resulting market movements show the strong potential of these coins in the evolving crypto landscape.
Solana has emerged as a powerful presence in the crypto industry. Since its inception in 2020, the network has dominated the market, demonstrating remarkable levels of user engagement and practical utility, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi). Many in the industry view it as the next natural contender to receive an ETF approval in the United States.
However, others are more cautious in their evaluations. BeInCrypto spoke with representatives from Gravity, Variant, and OKX to understand the areas where Solana is still lacking. Industry leaders referred to centralization, network reliability, and excessive regulation as points of contention for Solana’s ETF approval.
Bitcoin and Ethereum’s Precedent
The availability of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for prominent cryptocurrencies has grown over the past year. These funds offer investors diversified investment opportunities and act as a bridge between traditional finance and the increasingly mainstream cryptocurrency market.
Meanwhile, the deadline for some filings, including Grayscale’s, was extended until October. Nonetheless, posts on X and some analytical reports suggest yesterday’s deadline as a date of interest for an initial or consolidated SEC response to several applications.
2025 Predictions and Market Expectations
The tentative approval of a Solana ETF has generated much debate across social media platforms. ETF President Nate Geraci formally predicted that 2025 would be the year of crypto ETFs and that Solana would receive its approval this year.
Per previous reports, former Trump White House Secretary Anthony Scaramucci expressed that, with a Trump reelection, Solana ETFs could gain approval during Q1 of 2025. According to his predictions, Solana would receive the SEC’s green light during the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, the prediction market Polymarket estimates an 82% chance that a Solana ETF will get approved in 2025.
According to a Polymarket poll, Solana has an 82% chance of getting an ETF approval in 2025. Source: Polymarket
Several factors make an imminent Solana ETF approval seem plausible. Less than five years after the network launched, Solana quickly became a major player in the crypto industry, attracting users for its high transaction speeds and low gas fees.
“From a network perspective, Solana’s performance has been remarkable, now driving nearly 50% of all global DEX volume– a dominance that fundamentally reshapes the DeFi landscape. The blockchain is not just handling unprecedented transaction volumes… it’s transforming our understanding of blockchain scalability at scale,” Lennix Lai, Global Chief Commercial Officer at OKX told BeInCrypto.
Solana has established itself as a dynamic force in the crypto industry following a successful 2024.
A Messari report detailed particular growth in Solana’s final quarter across DeFi, liquid staking, NFTs, and institutional involvement. The total value locked (TVL) in Solana’s DeFi sector increased substantially, growing by 64% to $8.6 billion, which placed it behind Ethereum as the second-largest network based on TVL.
Solana’s positive performance, coupled with Donald Trump’s reelection to the US presidency, further amplified the crypto industry’s optimism over an ETF approval.
However, some industry experts have expressed more tempered expectations.
Experts Offer Tempered Expectations
A few days before Trump assumed the presidency, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart said Solana ETFs may not be launched in the US until 2026. He cited the SEC’s precedent of taking a lot of time to review filings as the cause for delay.
In another post, Bloomberg Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said that ETF approvals for other cryptocurrencies were more likely to occur before Solana.
“We expect a wave of cryptocurrency ETFs next year, albeit not all at once. First out is likely the BTC + ETH combo ETFs, then prob Litecoin (bc its fork of btc = commodity), then HBAR (bc not labeled security) and then XRP/Solana (which have been labeled securities in pending lawsuits),” Balchunas said.
Balchunas further explained that complex legal issues around Solana, relating to its status as a security, need to be resolved before it can gain ETF approval. Consequently, he deemed the approval of Litecoin or Hedera ETFs more likely.
Uncertainty over whether Solana classifies as a security is a major driver fueling doubts over its ETF approval.
Security Classification Concerns
Martins Benkitis, co-founder and CEO of Gravity, explained that Solana’s regulatory classification complicates its path to approval.
“It’s no secret there’s currently a lack of precedent for Layer-1 blockchains beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum in the ETF space, this suggests cautious optimism but with higher regulatory hurdles. Bitcoin, being a commodity in the SEC’s eyes, and Ethereum’s gradual transition to PoS had different legal considerations. Solana, on the other hand, faces concerns over potential classification as a security due to its token distribution and foundation’s involvement,” Benkitis told BeInCrypto.
The SEC identified Solana as a security in lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase over the past two years, although these lawsuits have since been dropped. The SEC argued that these tokens could be considered investment contracts under the Howey Test.
While some interpreted the SEC’s lawsuit withdrawal as a softening stance on Solana’s security classification, others quickly challenged this assumption.
“There is no reason to think [the] SEC has decided SOL is a non-security. That they don’t want to do discovery on a dozen tokens in the Binance case appears to be a litigation tactic, not a change in policy,” said Jake Chervinsky, Chief Legal Officer at Variant, following the Binance lawsuit withdrawal in July 2024.
Others believe that a pro-crypto administration should be enough to influence the SEC to consider Solana as a non-security. Lai disagrees.
“The changing political landscape, particularly with Trump’s victory and pro-crypto stance, could create a more constructive environment for innovative blockchain platforms like Solana. However, the technical and market structure considerations will remain crucial regardless of administration changes,” he said.
In the meantime, there are several other requirements Solana must meet.
On his part, Lai added other aspects to the list of considerations.
“While Polymarket shows high odds for 2025 approval, several critical factors suggest a more complex pathway: Solana’s technological architecture presents unique challenges with its PoS mechanism; The absence of CME futures raises liquidity and risk management concerns; Historical network downtime incidents need addressing; Centralization questions relative to BTC and ETH remain unresolved; Institutional interest hasn’t matched BTC and ETH levels despite the network driving 48% of global DEX volume; [and] the temporary nature of trending themes suggests caution in using current volumes as primary indicators,” Lai told BeInCrypto.
Concerns about centralization and scalability have long been discussed regarding Solana, even outside of discussions over an ETF approval.
Since 2021, Solana has suffered over a dozen network outages varying in severity. These outages have jeopardized the network’s reputation as stable and reliable– two strongly considered characteristics during the ETF approval process.
“From a market making standpoint, network reliability is crucial as any downtime or congestion can significantly impact trading operations and order execution,” Benkitis affirmed.
However, Solana has successfully curbed the number of outages it has experienced. Once notorious for the frequency of its shutdowns, the last time Solana experienced one was in February 2024.
Meanwhile, developers designed Solana’s upcoming Firedancer validator client to improve network stability and transaction processing. Its distinct codebase offers greater resilience against widespread outages and will enhance Solana’s performance.
Yet, Solana must also mitigate centralization concerns to improve its chances of obtaining ETF approval.
Centralization Concerns
Solana’s validator node requirements, which demand significant hardware investments, can create barriers to entry. These obstacles can potentially concentrate power within the network among those capable of affording the necessary infrastructure.
In turn, the protocol’s limited number of validators compared to other networks raises concerns over centralization. For context, while Solana currently has around 2,000 active validators, Ethereum passed the one million benchmark last year—the largest number recorded by any blockchain network.
Though Solana’s hardware reliance speeds up the network, it also raises decentralization concerns. Benkitis factored this aspect into his evaluation of an ETF approval.
Its currently underdeveloped futures market infrastructure further complicates Solana’s viability as an ETF candidate.
Its filings were unprecedented because the network did not have a previously established futures market. This factor was crucial in determining an ETF approval for Bitcoin and Ethereum.
“The lack of CME futures and institutional frameworks comparable to BTC/ETH could influence [the SEC’s] evaluation,” Lai said.
He added that the proliferation of meme tokens minted on Solana could present themselves as a potential roadblock.
“Market reactions reflect Solana’s emergence as the primary driver of this cycle, with DEX volumes exceeding $100 billion and dominating major aggregators. However, I believe the temporary nature of trending themes suggests continued volatility. While technological advancement and growing institutional adoption may provide stronger foundations, we need to maintain perspective on the cyclical nature of crypto trends,” Lai said.
This more recent development in Solana’s attraction also brings its set of downsides.
Meme Coin Influence and Regulatory Concerns
The expanding meme coin market on Solana partially explains its popularity. Platforms like Pump.fun allow anyone to launch their tokens, and this design has even led to celebrities launching their tokens on the platform.
More recently, political figures like Donald Trump and Argentine president Javier Milei have also launched meme tokens on Solana platforms. Yet, these activities have proven to be high-risk. In many cases, meme coin investments have caused smaller retailers millions of dollars in losses.
Benkitis said that the SEC might frown upon the speculative nature of these trading activities.
“While an ETF approval could unlock liquidity opportunities, the market’s heavy dependence on speculative sentiment calls for a measured and cautious approach,” he said.
With so many considerations, approving a Solana ETF in 2025 is far from guaranteed. The SEC’s eventual decision will be a defining moment for the network and the broader crypto industry.
Blockchain gaming network Immutable is charging ahead after the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) closed its investigation into the platform’s native token, IMX, in late March.
Co-founder Robbie Ferguson shared key milestones on X (Twitter), signaling a turning point for the company and the broader Web3 gaming industry.
Immutable’s Ferguson Highlights Network’s Growth
Immutable executive Ferguson revealed that the blockchain-based gaming platform has made commendable strides despite a regulatory clampdown.
“Despite the SEC inquiry, this last year we’ve onboarded 5 million wallet users, partnered with 3 multi-billion dollar companies, and doubled our signed games to 500+. Now the investigations over, so lock in, because we’re only accelerating from here,” Ferguson wrote.
High-profile collaborations with firms such as Tencent and Temasek reinforce the company’s momentum, signaling growing institutional confidence in the Web3 gaming model. Its flagship tools, like Immutable Passport, simplify onboarding for mainstream users, allowing seamless access to decentralized game economies.
According to Ferguson’s post, Immutable’s ecosystem may be on track to become one of the most expansive in the space. With over 500 games now in development or live on its platform, it holds one of the largest libraries of blockchain-enabled titles.
Beyond volume, this growth reflects a shift in how games are built and played. By leveraging NFTs (non-fungible tokens), players gain actual ownership of their in-game assets. This represents a stark departure from major publishers’ traditional walled-garden approach.
Immutable’s Treeverse Season 1 Reward Campaign Starts April 19
A key part of this ecosystem is Treeverse, one of the most anticipated Web3 titles launching on Immutable. Backed by the END token and boosted by additional IMX and MON rewards, the game’s first season emphasizes merit-based progression and asset utility.
“Treeverse officially launched on all stores (iOS, Android & Windows) on March 18th. Almost a month later we are finally launching Season 1, beginning with a 30-day reward campaign…on 19th April [4 PM GST/1 PM BST/12 PM UTC/7 AM CT] Season 1 will commence,” a campaign breakdown on Endless Clouds articulated.
Treeverse rewards genuine engagement with NFT-based multipliers, exclusive gear, and a transparent reward model for real gamers.
“2 days until Treeverse Season 1 launches! – 2.76% of END token supply – Bonus IMX & MON token rewards – Packs, Boosts, and Exclusive Crowns available – Holder multipliers – up to 1.75x for NFTrees. Treeverse rewards real gamers on Immutable,” the network shared in a Thursday post.
Based on Ferguson’s highlights, industry voices are pushing back against the controversial crypto nemesis.
“Saw Gary Gensler’s talk today and how he was talking about 10-15k tokens besides Bitcoin not having fundamental value. When asked what he thinks about SEC charges being dropped, him still trying to go at it like every coin they pressed on had no fundamental value. Was some clown takes,” commented Meta Alchemist.
Alchemist urged builders like Ferguson to keep pushing forward. In the same tone, Jason, CEO and founder of the Genome Protocol, lauded Web3 gaming.
Immutable’s resurgence comes when the Web3 gaming sector is poised for explosive growth. It is projected to expand from $4.6 billion in 2022 to nearly $65.7 billion by 2027.
With its regulatory hurdles cleared and infrastructure battle-tested, Immutable may be poised to go beyond just keeping pace.
