Ahead of the July 6 SEC call, the investment giant has hired Don Verrilli, a former U.S. solicitor general as a senior legal contriver, working aboard its attorneys at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and its in-house counsel. 


Grayscale Investments has hired a former U.S. peace officer in preparation for a possible legal spat with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), should the regulator reject its application for a spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) on July 6. 

The company has been waiting on a decision from the SEC to convert its flagship $19.8 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into a spot-based ETF, since filing its application to the regulator on October 19, 2021. 

The SEC has pushed back its decision on multiple occasions, once in Dec and once more in Feb. A final judgment on the application is expected on July six. 

Jake Chervinsky, head of policy at the crypto support cluster Blockchain Association aforementioned adding such military capability to Grayscale’s legal team was a “strong move”, which the SEC would have very little probability of "surviving a legal challenge" if it set to set back approval currently. 

In March, Grayscale CEO archangel Sonnenshein told Bloomberg that his firm would consider a lawsuit below the executive Procedure Act (APA) ought to the application for its Bitcoin Spot ETF be denied by the financial regulator. 

He has been a vocal critic of the regulator, which approved crypto futures ETF product in October 2021 however is nevertheless to try to to thus for a spot ETF equivalent. 

Donald B. Verrilli son., the new rent, could be a former U.S. peace officer who served from 2011 to 2016 below Barack Obama’s administration. he's presently a partner in Californian house Munger, Tolles & Olson, and founded its Washington D.C. office in 2016. 

On Twitter, Grayscale explained that the professional person has been involved in additional than fifty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including many that dealt directly with body Procedure Act (APA) violations. 

He can function a senior legal deviser, operating aboard its attorneys at Davis polk & Wardwell LLP and its in-house counsel, together with Craig Salm, who is chief legal officer. 

Grayscale represented Verrilli united of the nation’s most intimate attorneys with “a deep understanding of legal theory, body procedure, and also the sensible matters of operating with the judiciary branch.” 

“We are excited that he's joining our team as we have a tendency to work towards a positive resolution for investors and also the general public.” 

Meanwhile citadel Securities, a market maker that would give liquidity for crypto ETFs like that planned by Grayscale on Tuesday said it was open to supporting crypto ETFs but won’t do so while not regulators' approval. 

“We are ready if and once those product square measure approved, but we are taking a measured approach,” said citadel ETF head Kelly Brennan aforesaid in said interview with Bloomberg. 

Market makers are key liquidity suppliers within the ETF system as they ensure continuous and efficient ETF trading.

( Felix NG, Cointelegraph, 2022 )