Bitwise CIO Predicts Solana Staking ETF Will Be ‘Huge’ As First Day Volume Hits $56M

Following the recent launch of multiple crypto ETFs, Bitwise Asset Manager’s CIO has forecasted a bright future for the firm’s Solana Staking Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF), as investors show strong initial interest in the investment product.

Bitwise Solana Staking ETF Sees Strong Start

On Tuesday, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan predicted that the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) could attract significant institutional interest and become one of the leading investment products based on digital assets.

Hougan argued that Solana is “one of the most exciting crypto investment opportunities that exists today,” as it records “the most revenue of any blockchain.” He explained that institutional investors “love” both ETFs and revenue, which suggests that these investors will “love Solana ETFs.”

Bitwise’s CIO previously pointed out that there must be fundamental reasons for investors’ interest in investment vehicles such as ETFs and Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs), signaling that Solana has them. Therefore, he has “a feeling the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF, BSOL, is gonna be huge.”

Ahead of the launch, ETF Expert Eric Balchunas predicted that the first day volume for Bitwise’s Solana ETF could surpass the $50 million mark. Notably, the firm’s spot Bitcoin ETF (BITB) and spot Ethereum ETH (ETHW) recorded $237.9 million and $204 million on their first day, respectively.

Hougan has highlighted that Solana’s market capitalization is 1/20th the size of BTC and less than 1/4th the size of ETH. Based on this, the volume for an SOL ETF is expected to be smaller than that of ETFs based on the two leading crypto assets.

According to data shared by Balchunas, BSOL recorded an impressive volume of $10 million in the first 30 minutes of trading, hinting at initial demand. This amount surged to approximately $33 million by the half-day mark and hit $56 million by the end of its first trading day.

According to the analyst, BSOL had a strong start, noting that its “$56m is the MOST of any launch this year.. More than XRPR, SSK, Ives and BMNU.”

Crypto ETFs Launch Amid Government Shutdown

BSOL was among the crypto ETFs launched on October 28 despite the US government shutdown. As reported by NewsBTC, Bitwise, for its Solana Staking ETF, and Canary Capital, for its spot Litecoin (LTC) and Hedera (HBAR) ETFs, filed 8-A forms on Monday to launch the investment products this week despite the government shutdown.

Notably, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was set to approve over a dozen altcoin ETFs between October and November after delaying the decision deadline and releasing new generic listing standards for the products.

However, investors expected that the long-awaited green light would be delayed until the end of the government shutdown. Journalist Eleanor Terret explained that the launch was possible because an open government isn’t required and the 8-A filings are “just as important” as the S-1 forms, as they formally register ETF shares under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

As a result, after the NYSE certified all the filings for the ETFs, they could start trading on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Grayscale’s Solana Trust (GSOL) will convert into an ETF on Wednesday.