Asset management firm Valkyrie has filed for an Ether (ETH) futures exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. According to Aug. 16 documents, the application is an addition to the company’s previous move to change its investment strategy for a Bitcoin (BTC) futures ETF in line with the regulator.
As per the application, the fund will not directly invest in Ether but will seek to purchase a number of ETH futures contracts. Ether is the native coin of the Ethereum blockchain, used for peer-to-peer transactions within the decentralized network.
“Ether may be regarded as a currency or digital commodity depending on its specific use in particular transactions. Ether may be used as a medium of exchange or unit of account,” reads the document, which adds that “although a number of large and small retailers accept ether as a form of payment in the United States and foreign markets, there is relatively limited use of ether for commercial and retail payments. Similarly, ether may be used as a store of value, […] although it has experienced significant periods of price volatility.”
Valkyrie just filed for an Ether Futures ETF, which is in addition to their 497 filing to do name/strategy of $BTF to Bitcoin + Ether Futures to get out early. Perhaps this is sign SEC not letting them do the ‘ole $MJ maneuver, not sure.. ht @NateGeracipic.twitter.com/OeyGuyJP3y
In addition to the investments in Ether futures, the ETF will invest its remaining assets directly in cash, cash-like instruments or high-quality securities, which include bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. government, along with money market funds and corporate debt securities.
According to Valkyrie’s application, the ETF investment in Ether futures contracts will be limited to 8,000 contracts per month, in compliance with position limits established by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Futures contracts are standardized agreements to buy or sell an asset at a future point at a specific price. If approved, investors will be able to wager on future prices of Ether through the ETF.
Cointelegraph previously reported that at least six other major asset managers have similarly filed to offer an Ether futures ETF to U.S.-based customers, including Grayscale, VanEck, Bitwise, Volatility Shares, ProShares and Round Hill Capital. The wave of applications follows high expectations that U.S. authorities will soon approve a spot Bitcoin ETF in the country, with multiple investment firms seeking a regulatory green light, including Wall Street giants BlackRock and Fidelity.
David Lammy has confirmed there will be an independent investigation into the accidental release of a migrant jailed for sex offences, as he blamed “human error” for the incident.
The deputy prime minister and justice secretary told MPs he was “livid” on behalf of Hadush Kebatu’s victims and he would be deported back to Ethiopia “as quickly as possible”.
Kebatu, who was found guilty in September of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, was freed in error from HMP Chelmsford in Essex on Friday instead of being handed over to immigration officials for deportation.
Image: Migrant sex offender found and arrested after manhunt
His accidental release sparked widespread alarm and a manhunt that resulted in him being found and arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the Finsbury Park area of London at around 8.30am on Sunday.
Addressing MPs in the House of Commons, Mr Lammy said the mistake should not have happened as he sought to lay part of the blame on to the Conservatives over the state of the prison system over the past 14 years.
He said “there must and there will be accountability” for the mistaken release of Kebatu from prison.
“I’ve been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable,” he said.
“We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm.”
Mr Lammy said he ordered an “urgent review” into the checks that take place when an offender is released from prison, and new safeguards have been added that amount to the “strongest release checks that have ever been in place”.
The justice secretary said the investigation would be led by former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens, who also used to lead the National Crime Agency.
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Witness describes confusion outside prison
He also said the investigation would have the same status as high-profile probes into other prison incidents, including the attack on three prison officers at HMP Franklin in April of this year and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023.
‘Calamity Lammy’
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick referred to a report by Sky News which detailed how a witness present at the prison observed Kebatu appearing “confused” upon his release.
The witness said Kebatu had in fact tried to go back into the prison several times, but was instead guided to Chelmsford station, where he caught a train to London.
Mr Jenrick claimed the case was proof “the only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK”.
“Dear oh dear,” he said. “Where to begin? This justice secretary could not deport the only small boat migrant who wanted – no – who tried to be deported.
“Having been mistakenly released, Hadush Kebatu came back to prison asking to be deported not once, not twice, but five times, but he was turned away.”
He went on: “The only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK.
“His officials, briefing the press, called it the mother of all – yeah, they’re not wrong, are they?”
Mr Jenrick, who served as immigration minister under the previous Conservative government, branded his opposite number “calamity Lammy”.
“It’s a national embarrassment and today the justice secretary feigns anger at what happened.”
Continuing with his attack, Mr Jenrick asked Mr Lammy whether he would resign if Kebatu was not deported “by the end of the week” – to which he received no reply.
But asked later by an MP whether he was considering his position, Mr Lammy replied: “A ridiculous question, the answer is no.”
The new checks announced by Mr Lammy on Monday involve five pages of instructions and require more senior prison staff to sign off a release, according to documents obtained by Sky News.