The SEC has delayed its decision on whether to allow staking for Grayscale’s proposed Ethereum spot ETFs.
The ETFs in question—Grayscale Ethereum Trust and Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF—were filed by NYSE Arca on February 14, 2025. The filing included a rule change request to enable staking as part of their investment strategy.
SEC Pushes Back Grayscale Ethereum ETF Staking Deadline July
The SEC deadline for deciding on the original proposal was set to conclude on April 17. Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the SEC is authorized to extend this review period for up to 90 days.
The agency has now exercised that option. This now allows the SEC to decide on this filing by July 2025.
Staking would allow the ETFs to earn rewards by participating in Ethereum’s proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, a feature not yet approved for any US spot crypto ETF.
Grayscale has proposed that staking be conducted exclusively by the sponsor without commingling funds. Also, Coinbase Custody would continue safeguarding the ETH assets.
The SEC’s delay is part of a broader pattern of cautious regulatory scrutiny over crypto ETF innovations, including similar filings from other asset managers.
Cardano has faced a series of setbacks recently, with its price failing to break through key resistance levels and subsequently experiencing a decline.
These struggles have left traders and investors feeling uncertain and bearish. The combination of weak inflows and skepticism among traders has stalled Cardano’s recovery.
Cardano Needs To Find Strength
For the past week, Cardano’s funding rate has fluctuated between positive and negative values, reflecting the unstable sentiment in the market. This fluctuation indicates that traders are attempting to capitalize on the price decline by placing short contracts. At the time of writing, short contracts dominate long positions, signaling that traders remain cautious and expect further declines.
This bearish sentiment is reinforced by the fact that short positions are outpacing long positions. As a result, the market is under heavy downward pressure, and there is little indication that a strong recovery is imminent unless there is a significant shift in trader behavior.
Cardano’s macro momentum is also impacted by a lack of investor support, as shown by the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) indicator. The CMF has been stuck below the zero line for the past three weeks, indicating that money is flowing out of Cardano, not into it. This suggests that investor confidence is low, which is a major barrier to price growth.
Although the CMF recently showed a slight uptick, the broader trend of negative netflows remains intact. The lack of sustained inflows signals that investor sentiment has weakened, making it challenging for Cardano to break free from its current bearish trend.
Cardano’s price currently sits at $0.68, just under the crucial resistance level of $0.70. The altcoin appears to be on track for consolidation between $0.77 and $0.70. However, this consolidation could signal a lack of upward momentum and indicate a prolonged period of stability.
If ADA’s bearish sentiment persists, Cardano’s price could struggle to break the $0.70 barrier and instead slide further toward $0.62. This would mark a further decline and signal that the current price action is unlikely to result in a recovery without substantial shifts in market conditions or investor sentiment.
On the other hand, if investors begin to see the current price as an opportunity, Cardano could breach $0.70 and potentially rise beyond $0.77, towards $0.85. This would invalidate the bearish outlook, opening the door for a more significant price rally. However, without a notable increase in support, Cardano’s price is likely to remain under pressure.
The crypto market’s volatility has left altcoins in limbo, uncertain about potential gains or losses, and heavily reliant on external factors. These influences could determine whether a recovery rally occurs.
BeInCrypto has analyzed three key altcoins for investors to watch in the third week of March and what direction they could take.
Solana (SOL)
Solana’s price is currently at $129, positioning itself for a potential bullish breakout. On March 17, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) will launch SOL Futures, a significant event for the altcoin. As CME is one of the largest derivatives exchanges globally, this could drive substantial institutional inflows into Solana.
This development could inject bullish momentum into SOL, pushing the altcoin higher. The critical resistance level to watch is $161, which would require a 24% price surge. However, for this rally to materialize, SOL must first breach the $135 and $148 resistance levels, paving the way for continued gains.
If Solana fails to break through either $135 or $148, its price could retrace. A drop below these levels could send SOL back to $126 or lower to $118. This scenario would invalidate the bullish outlook, delaying any potential recovery and exposing the altcoin to further downside risk.
Mantle (MNT)
MNT price has surged 25% over the past week as anticipation builds for Mantle’s upcoming network upgrade. On March 19, the Mantle Network Mainnet will undergo a hard fork upgrade, activating EigenDA and ensuring compatibility with Ethereum’s future Pectra upgrade. This event is driving strong bullish sentiment for MNT.
In response to the upgrade, MNT is expected to see further gains, potentially reaching $1.00. Currently trading at $0.83, the altcoin needs to breach the $0.87 and $0.94 resistance levels to sustain its rally. A successful breakout above these levels could confirm the bullish trend.
However, failure to surpass $0.87 could keep MNT stuck in consolidation. If the altcoin loses support at $0.79, it risks falling further to $0.71. A drop to this level would invalidate the bullish outlook and shift market sentiment toward a bearish trend.
BNB
Another altcoin to watch in March, BNB’s price surged 19.5% this week, reaching $635 at the time of writing. The altcoin successfully broke through the key resistance block between $587 and $619. With bullish momentum building, BNB appears poised for further gains, provided market conditions remain favorable in the coming days.
One major catalyst is the upcoming Pascal hard fork on March 20. The upgrade will introduce EIP-7702 smart contract wallets, enhanced Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, and improved developer flexibility. These enhancements could drive investor confidence, pushing BNB above $647 and potentially toward the $686 mark.
However, if the anticipated rally fails to gain traction, BNB could retreat to $619. Losing this support level may trigger further declines, sending the altcoin back through the resistance block and potentially testing the $550 support level, which would invalidate the bullish outlook.