October 2025 is becoming a major month for the crypto market as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) faces the final deadline for 16 Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) applications. Unlike past waves, many of these proposals go beyond Bitcoin and ether, targeting altcoins such as Solana, XRP and Litecoin.
This week’s Byte-Sized Insight explores what makes this round of filing differently, how the SEC stance is changing, and what potential approvals mean for both investors and the broader crypto market.
New Second Era
On September 17, the SEC approved a set of “generic listing standards” of exchange-sold products tied to spot products, including digital assets. Analysts say the move could dramatically simplify the ETF approval process and reduce the need for case-by-case rules changes, which have long slowed Crypto’s path to mainstream financial products.
This change is contrary to a different political background from the previous year. Zach Pandle, director of research at Grayscale, told Cointelgraf in the episode that the arrival of the Trump administration created momentum for clarity in regulations.
“President Trump and the Trump administration took office on mandate from voters to bring clarity on regulations to the US crypto industry,” Pandle said. “It was really a government-wide effort. Whether it’s the White House, Congress or the SEC, it’s just responding to a message from voters.”
Related: The US government will be closed on day one. Is the SEC still working?
He added that bipartisan support has given both businesses and investors the confidence that the crypto would “stay very here to stay for the long term in the US.”
Requests beyond Bitcoin
The key question is how much demand exists for Altcoin ETFs. Bloomberg Intelligence ETF Analyst James Seyfert pointed out in the episode that Solana and XRP stand out for the existing futures market, but warned that they hope for a Bitcoin-level inflow.
“They’ll be fine as long as the flow and AUM goes,” Seyfert said.
Pandl repeated that sentiment, pointing to Grayscale’s latest diversified index fund. “As well as bringing these single asset ETPs to the market, we are also encouraged by the first diversified index-based Crypto ETP, a kind of one-stop-shop solution for crypto exposure in our portfolio,” he said.
What’s coming next?
Seyffart said approvals could open the lock for rapid product expansion, adding:
“It’s going crazy, like staking Solana ETFs, covering ETFs, covering leverage and reversed products.
Whether October brings immediate market inflows or simply setting a stage of growth, analysts agree that the regulatory landscape has changed. For the first time, Altcoin ETFs are closer than ever to the mainstream US market.
Listen to the complete episode of “Byte-Sized Insight” for a complete interview with Cointelegraph’s podcast page, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And don’t forget to check out the full lineup of other shows on Cointelegraph!
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