Cryptocurrency Mentions in SEC Filings Reach Record High

In April, the number of mentions of “cryptocurrencies” in reports to the SEC surged to a record 786. This figure rose by 38% month-on-month and 8% year-on-year, according to The Block.

From January 2024 to March 2025, the average monthly figure was 457.

The publication suggests this spike indicates increased federal agency attention to digital assets. Journalists also highlighted efforts to clarify regulatory frameworks for the crypto industry.

In addition to cryptocurrencies, references to stablecoins have also increased. From January 2024 to January 2025, these tokens were mentioned an average of 48 times per month, rising to 103 from February to April 2025 — 81 in February, 124 in March, and 104 in April.

This growth reflects heightened regulatory interest in the reserve standards of “stablecoins” and consumer protection. Should these measures be formalized, trust and adoption of cryptocurrencies would increase, The Block noted.

SEC Decisions on ETFs

On May 5, the Commission extended the review period for the application to launch a Litecoin-based ETF by Canary.

The agency requested public comments, including on the topic of “preventing fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices.”

According to Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart, the LTC-ETF has the best chance of approval, but only after some time.

The @CanaryFunds Litecoin ETF filing is due for a decision (possibly a delay) by Monday 5/5. SEC went early & delayed a bunch of filings but not this. If any asset has a chance of early approval it’s Litecoin IMO. Personally think a delay is more likely but def something to watch pic.twitter.com/FilnUcMtUH

— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) May 4, 2025

On May 2, investment firm VanEck submitted a proposal for listing and trading an exchange-traded fund based on BNB with a staking option.

Currently, the regulator is reviewing over 70 applications for launching ETFs based on various altcoins.

In January, CBOE on behalf of ARK Invest and 21Shares submitted a proposal to amend the structure of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs to allow for the redemption of assets in kind.

In February, the SEC accepted for review an application from NYSE Arca to include Ethereum staking in an ETF by Grayscale. In the same month, a similar proposal was submitted to the agency by the Chicago Board Options Exchange for a product by 21Shares.

In January, ConsenSys founder Joe Lubin noted that issuers of spot ETH-ETFs in the U.S. are counting on “imminent” approval of staking by the Commission.