Last week, the cryptocurrency market was revolutionized when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved about a dozen bitcoin (BTC) ETF investment funds; since then, the price of the cryptocurrency has dropped 10% in value. Something almost no one had in mind, the unexpected 10% drop in Bitcoin’s value post-ETF approval, could also be interpreted as a market stabilization signal, indicating a more settled and mature market environment.

On Friday, the cryptocurrency created by Satoshi Nakamoto lost about 4% of its value. Although this currency was not the only one to record downward numbers during the day, other cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum or Solana, also experienced similar declines.

The decline in Bitcoin’s price since the SEC’s approval may indicate waning enthusiasm for Bitcoin ETFs and a return to market normalization. However, there is also the expectation that this trend could reverse in the coming weeks, and Bitcoin could return to positive numbers, as many analysts expect.

Bitcoin ETFs and their influence on the market

Basically, ETFs are investment funds that are traded on stock exchanges, and their price is indexed to that of Bitcoin. The decline in Bitcoin’s price since the SEC’s approval may indicate waning enthusiasm for Bitcoin ETFs and a return to market normalization.

The SEC has approved ETF applications from prominent players in the crypto asset management sector, including Grayscale – one of the world’s largest, U.S.-based digital asset firms like Bitwise and Hashdex, as well as established investment companies such as BlackRock, among others.

This was very well received in the cryptocurrency industry because these instruments are thought to boost and increase interest among traditional investors, some of whom have been very cautious for some time now.

With this scenario and great expectations for the launch of this tool, in addition to the possibility of a less restrictive monetary policy by the Federal Reserve (Fed), during 2023, BTC rose almost 160% in value.

However, the market is now in a stage of analysis about how much investor money ETFs will actually attract.

Finally, it is worth noting that IShares Bitcoin Trust, the fund created and promoted by BlackRock, received money from funds for nearly USD 1 billion, becoming the first to reach this figure in five days, while Grayscale, created in 2013 as a compact structure before being reconverted into an ETF, announced an outflow of USD 1.6 billion.

Nasdaq and Cboe Set Sights on Trading Bitcoin ETF Options

On January 19, the SEC acknowledged proposals from both Nasdaq and Cboe to start trading options on bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Nasdaq made a rule change request to allow it to list and be able to trade option. BTC ETFs began trading on Nasdaq and Cboe on January 11, after receiving SEC approval a day earlier.