NYSE, Nasdaq Move Forward With Solana, Litecoin, Hedera Spot ETFs Despite Ongoing U.S. Government Shutdown

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq are pushing ahead with listings for four new spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs), even as the U.S. government shutdown continues to constrain regulatory operations.

Both exchanges posted listing notices on Monday, confirming that trading could begin as early as Tuesday. The new products include the Bitwise Solana Fund, Canary Capital Litecoin and HBAR Fund, and the Grayscale Solana Trust, with the latter set to debut on Wednesday.

The filings caught many market participants off guard, as ETF issuers had anticipated delays from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during the shutdown. The regulator has been operating with a reduced workforce—only essential employees remain on duty, and even they are currently working without pay.

The ETFs had faced final decision deadlines earlier this month, but the government shutdown appeared to have postponed the process. The sudden publication of listing notices suggests that issuers may be relying on newly established generic listing standards or similar regulatory mechanisms that allow funds to go live without explicit SEC approval.

Spot ETFs offer investors direct exposure to cryptocurrencies without requiring them to hold the underlying assets. These new funds mark the first spot ETF launches tied to alternative crypto assets since the rollout of spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) ETFs in 2024. Several of the newly listed funds also feature integrated staking components, a growing trend among crypto investment products.

Meanwhile, other issuers have filed applications to launch similar Solana-linked and multi-asset spot ETFs across the NYSE, Nasdaq, and rival exchange Cboe. However, the timing of those approvals remains uncertain as the SEC continues to operate under shutdown conditions.