The SEC has approved a rule change Thursday that would pave the way for ETFs that buy and hold ether , one of the world's largest cryptocurrencies. The decision comes less than six months after the Securities and Exchange Commission approved bitcoin ETFs. Many of the companies that sponsor bitcoin ETFs — including BlackRock, Bitwise and Galaxy Digital — have also started the process of the launching an ether fund. Specifically, the SEC's order approves applications from various exchanges to list eight different ether funds. Ether ETFs are expected to be smaller, at least initially, than their bitcoin counterparts.

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Persons: FactSet, Richard Kerr, Kerr, Ethereum, Steven Lubka, Swan, Lubka Organizations: SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Galaxy, Swan Locations: BlackRock, Bitwise, U.S