Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. The investment landscape is about to get a whole lot more crowded. Two landmark regulatory shifts by the Securities and Exchange Commission are poised to flood the market with thousands of new exchange-traded funds, fundamentally reshaping how both retail and institutional investors access everything from obscure cryptocurrencies to established mutual fund strategies. With around 4,100 ETFs already tradi ...

Core Insights - Recent decisions by the SEC are expected to lead to a surge in new crypto ETFs, as generic listing standards for spot crypto ETFs have been approved, allowing for quicker launches across various cryptocurrencies [1][2][9] Group 1: Crypto ETF Developments - The SEC's approval opens the door for a broader range of crypto ETFs beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum, enabling better representation of digital currencies with smaller followings [2][3] - Experts predict that within the next 60 to 90 days, a dozen new crypto-oriented products will be launched, tracking cryptocurrencies like Solana and XRP [3] - Current Solana and XRP ETFs have relatively low asset bases, with the Solana ETF holding $230 million and the Volatility Shares Trust XRP around $200 million [4] Group 2: Expansion of Investment Strategies - The scope of crypto-linked investment strategies is expanding beyond single-currency trades, with new products like Bitcoin income ETFs and crypto index ETFs being introduced [5] - Grayscale Investments has received SEC approval to convert a mutual fund to ETF status, indicating a shift towards more diversified crypto investment options [5] Group 3: Traditional Mutual Fund Companies - The SEC has granted approval for traditional mutual fund companies to offer their portfolios with an ETF share class, starting with Dimensional Fund Advisors [6] - Over 70 fund providers have pending applications, with expectations for rapid follow-up applications now that Dimensional has set a precedent [7] - The total number of ETFs could increase significantly, with estimates suggesting an addition of up to 3,000 more ETFs, expanding the current count of around 4,100 [7] Group 4: Market Implications - The introduction of new ETF products offers increased trading flexibility but also introduces new risks for investors, including the need to monitor a larger number of tickers [8] - The anticipated changes are seen as a major shift in the ETF market, with significant implications for both investors and fund providers [9]