Securities and Exchange Commission
- [Release No. 34-103995; File Nos. SR-NASDAQ-2025-056; SR-CboeBZX-2025-104; SR-NYSEARCA-2025-54]
I. Introduction
Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) [1] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder (“Rule 19b-4”),[2] The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (“BZX”), and NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) (Nasdaq, BZX, and NYSE Arca, each an “Exchange,” and collectively, the “Exchanges”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) proposed rule changes to adopt generic listing standards for Commodity-Based Trust Shares.[3] Each of the foregoing proposed rule changes, as modified by its respective amendment is referred to herein as a “Proposal” and collectively as the “Proposals.” [4] The Proposals were subject to notice and comment.[5] This order approves the Proposals on an accelerated basis.[6]
II. Description of the Proposals
As described in more detail in the Proposals' respective amended filings,[7] each Exchange proposes to adopt substantially identical “generic” listing standards for Commodity-Based Trust Shares,[8] such that it would be permitted, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(e) under the Exchange Act (“Rule 19b-4(e)”), to list and trade Commodity-Based Trust Shares without first submitting a proposed rule change with the Commission pursuant to Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act (“Section 19(b)”).[9] An Exchange would continue to be required to submit a rule filing with the Commission when seeking to list and trade Commodity-Based Trust Shares that do not meet the proposed generic listing standards.[10]
A. Definition of Commodity-Based Trust Share
The Exchanges' proposed generic listing standards define the term “Commodity-Based Trust Share” as a security [11] that:
- Is issued by a trust, limited liability company, or other similar entity [12] (“Trust”) that, if applicable, is operated by a registered commodity pool operator pursuant to the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), and is not registered as an investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”), or series or class thereof; [13]
- Is designed to reflect the performance of one or more reference assets or an index of reference assets; [14]
- In order to reflect such performance, is issued by a Trust that holds (i) one or more commodities [15] or ( printed page 45415) commodity-based assets,[16] and (ii) in addition to such commodities or commodity-based assets, may hold securities, cash, and cash equivalents; [17]
- Is issued by a Trust in a specified aggregate minimum number in return for a deposit of (i) a specified quantity of the underlying commodities, commodity-based assets, securities, cash, and cash equivalents or (ii) a cash amount with a value based on the next determined net asset value [18] per Trust share; [19] and
- When aggregated in the same specified minimum number, may be redeemed at a holder's request [20] by a Trust which will deliver to the redeeming holder (i) the specified quantity of the underlying commodities, commodity-based assets, securities, cash, and cash equivalents or (ii) a cash amount with a value based on the next determined net asset value per Trust share.[21]
B. Eligibility Criteria for Generic Listing
Each Proposal sets forth eligibility criteria that the holdings of Commodity-Based Trust Shares must meet for the Commodity-Based Trust Shares to be listed and traded pursuant to the proposed generic listing standards. Specifically, each commodity held by a Trust, or commodity that underlies a commodity-based asset held by a Trust, must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- On an initial and continuing basis, the commodity trades on a market that is an Intermarket Surveillance Group (“ISG”) member, provided that the Exchange may obtain information about trading in such commodity from the ISG member; [22]
- On an initial and continuing basis, the commodity underlies a futures contract that has been made available to trade on a designated contract market (“DCM”) [23] for at least six months; provided that the Exchange has a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement (“CSSA”), whether directly or through common membership in ISG, with such DCM; [24] or
- On an initial basis only, an exchange-traded fund [25] (“ETF”) designed to provide economic exposure of no less than 40% of its net asset value to the commodity lists and trades on a national securities exchange.[26]
In addition, to the extent a Trust holds securities, (i) each equity security held by a Trust must meet the requirements set forth in the Exchange's rules for equity component securities underlying Managed Fund Shares generically listed on the Exchange; [27] (ii) each fixed income security held by a Trust must meet the requirements set forth in the Exchange's rules for fixed income component securities underlying Managed Fund Shares generically listed on the Exchange,[28] and (iii) if the security is a listed option, it must trade on an ISG market.[29]
Each Proposal also provides that, for generic listing and trading, a Trust may not seek, directly or indirectly, to provide investment returns that correspond to the performance of an index, benchmark, or reference value by a specified multiple, or to provide investment returns that have an inverse or multiple inverse relationship to the performance of an index, benchmark, or reference value, over a predetermined period of time.[30]
C. Disclosure of Information
To generically list and trade, each Proposal requires that a Trust must disclose prominently on its website, which is publicly available and free of charge, the following information: ( printed page 45416)
- Before the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, for the Trust's commodities, commodity-based assets, securities, cash and cash equivalents, to the extent applicable: (i) ticker symbol; (ii) identifier; (iii) description of the holding; (iv) the quantity of each commodity, commodity-based asset, security, cash, and cash equivalents held; and (v) percentage weighting of the Trust's assets; [31]
- The Trust's current net asset value per share, market price,[32] and premium or discount,[33] each as of the end of the prior business day; [34]
- A table showing the number of days the Trust's shares traded at a premium or discount during the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year (or the life of the Trust, if shorter); [35]
- A line graph showing the Trust share's premiums or discounts for the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year (or the life of the Trust, if shorter); [36]
- The Trust share's median bid-ask spread, expressed as a percentage rounded to the nearest hundredth, computed by: (i) identifying the Trust share's national best bid and national best offer as of the end of each 10 second interval during each trading day of the last 30 calendar days; (ii) dividing the difference between each such bid and offer by the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer; and (iii) identifying the median of those values; [37]
- Liquidity risk policies and procedures (described further below); [38]
- The Trust's methodology for the calculation of its net asset value; [39]
- The Trust's trading volume for the previous day; [40] and
- The Trust's effective prospectus, in a form available for download.[41]
D. Liquidity Risk Policies and Procedures
The proposed generic listing standards for Commodity-Based Trust Shares generally provide that, if a Trust has on a daily basis less than 85% of its assets readily available to meet redemption requests, the Trust must have written liquidity risk policies and procedures reasonably designed to address the risk that it could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by the Trust without significant dilution of remaining shareholders' interest in the Trust.[42] Such policies and procedures must be periodically reviewed (with such review occurring no less frequently than annually) by the Trust and must address the following, as applicable:
- The Trust's investment strategy and liquidity of the Trust's assets during normal and stressed conditions, including holdings in derivatives and whether the investment strategy is appropriate for effective and efficient arbitrage; [43]
- Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements and other funding sources; [44] and
- Percentage and description of the Trust's assets that are segregated, pledged, hypothecated, encumbered, or otherwise restricted or prevented from being liquidated, sold, transferred, or assigned.[45]
For purposes of this proposed requirement, an asset is deemed not readily available to meet redemption requests if it is segregated, pledged, hypothecated, encumbered, or otherwise restricted or prevented from being liquidated, sold, transferred, or assigned within one business day.[46]
E. Initial and Continued Listing Criteria
Each Proposal sets forth initial listing requirements for the generic listing and trading of Commodity-Based Trust Shares. Specifically, on an initial basis, an Exchange must establish, as is required today, a minimum number of Commodity-Based Trust Shares required to be outstanding at the time of commencement of trading on the Exchange.[47] In addition, all Commodity-Based Trust Shares must have a stated investment objective, which must be adhered to under normal market conditions.[48]
Each Proposal also sets forth continued listing requirements for the generic listing and trading of Commodity-Based Trust Shares, and requires an issuer of Commodity-Based Trust Shares to promptly notify the Exchange of any non-compliance with any of the applicable continued listing standards set forth in the proposed rule.[49] Moreover, each Proposal requires the Exchange to maintain surveillance procedures for Commodity-Based Trust Shares and consider the suspension of ( printed page 45417) trading in and the delisting of Trust shares under certain circumstances.[50]
F. Trading Halts
The proposed generic listing standards set forth circumstances pursuant to which an Exchange will halt trading in Commodity-Based Trust Shares. In general, an Exchange may halt trading during the day in which there is an interruption to the dissemination of the underlying reference asset(s) or index value, the intraday indicative value,[51] the information required to be disclosed by the proposed generic listing standards,[52] or the net asset value.[53]
G. Market Maker Requirements
The proposed generic listing standards would retain the Exchanges' current rules that provide that registered market makers in Commodity-Based Trust Shares on an Exchange must file with the Exchange and keep current a list identifying all accounts for trading in each underlying commodity and commodity-based asset which the registered market maker may have or over which it may exercise investment discretion.[54] In addition, the Proposals continue to limit registered market makers in Commodity-Based Trust Shares from trading in an underlying commodity, commodity-based asset, or any other related commodity derivative thereon under certain circumstances.[55] Furthermore, the Proposals continue to require registered market makers in Commodity-Based Trust Shares to make available to the Exchange books, records or other information pertaining to trading the underlying commodity or commodity-based asset.[56]
H. Firewall Requirements
The proposed generic listing standards require the implementation and maintenance of firewalls and policies and procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material, non-public information and fraudulent or manipulative acts or practices in the following circumstances:
- If the value of a Commodity-Based Trust Share is based in whole or in part on an index that is maintained by a broker-dealer, the broker-dealer shall erect and maintain a “firewall” around the personnel responsible for the maintenance of such index or who have access to information concerning changes and adjustments to the index; [57]
- Any advisory committee, supervisory board, or similar entity that advises an index licensor or administrator or that makes decisions regarding the index composition, methodology, and related matters must implement and maintain, or be subject to, procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material, non-public information regarding the applicable index; [58] and
- If the Trust is affiliated with any entity that has the ability to influence the price or supply of a commodity, or a commodity underlying a commodity-based asset, held by the Trust, the Trust shall (i) implement and maintain a “firewall” between any such entity and the Trust, (ii) have written policies and procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material, non-public information regarding the Trust; and (iii) have written policies and procedures designed to prevent fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative acts, practices, or courses of business with respect to the Trust and such commodity.[59]
The Exchanges will consider the suspension of trading in, and the delisting of, Commodity-Based Trust Shares that do not continuously maintain these requirements.[60]
III. Discussion and Commission Findings
After careful review, the Commission finds that the Proposals are consistent with the Exchange Act and rules and regulations thereunder applicable to a national securities exchange.[61] In particular, the Commission finds that the Proposals are consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act,[62] which requires, among other things, that the Exchanges' rules be designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest and are not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers.
Rule 19b-4(e) provides that the listing and trading of a new derivative securities product by an SRO shall not be deemed a proposed rule change pursuant to Section (c)(1) of Rule 19b-4 [63] if the Commission has approved, pursuant to Section 19(b),[64] the SRO's trading rules, procedures, and listing standards for the product class that would include the new derivatives securities product, and the SRO has a surveillance program for the product ( printed page 45418) class.[65] The Exchanges are proposing to adopt generic listing standards for Commodity-Based Trust Shares, pursuant to which the Exchanges will be able to list and trade such shares under Rule 19b-4(e) without Commission approval of each individual proposal.[66]
The Proposals fulfill the intended objective of Rule 19b-4(e) by permitting shares that satisfy the proposed generic listing standards to commence trading without public comment and Commission approval.[67] The Exchanges' ability to rely on Rule 19b-4(e) to list and trade Commodity-Based Trust Shares that meet the applicable requirements and minimum standards will reduce the time frame for bringing the shares to market and thereby reduce the burdens on issuers and other market participants, while also promoting competition. The Proposals also require the Exchanges to maintain surveillance procedures for Commodity-Based Trust Shares, consistent with the requirements of Rule 19b-4(e).[68]
Moreover, the proposed eligibility requirements for commodities and commodity-based assets that may underlie Commodity-Based Trust Shares are reasonably designed to help prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and to protect investors and the public interest, and are therefore consistent with the requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act.[69] As described above, to be an eligible holding under the generic listing standards, the Proposals provide that, for each commodity, or commodity that underlies a commodity-based asset, the commodity may (1) trade on an ISG market; or (2) have futures traded for at least six months on a DCM that is an ISG market or with which an Exchange has a CSSA. Whether the Trust holds the commodity directly, or holds commodity-based assets, these eligibility requirements help to ensure the availability of information with respect to the commodity, or the commodity that underlies the commodity-based asset, necessary to detect and deter potential fraud and manipulation. The availability of this information can be reasonably expected to assist the Exchanges in surveilling for fraud and manipulation that may impact the Commodity-Based Trust Shares. The Commission has previously recognized that surveillance-sharing agreements assist in the detection and deterrence of fraudulent and manipulative activity.[70] The Commission also has stated that it considers two markets that are members of the ISG to have a CSSA with one another, even if they do not have a separate bilateral surveillance-sharing agreement.[71] Finally, the Commission has stated that these agreements, whether through an ISG membership or through a CSSA, should help to ensure the availability of information necessary to detect and deter potential manipulations and other trading abuses, thereby making the Commodity-Based Trust Shares less readily susceptible to manipulation.[72]
( printed page 45419)The Proposals also provide that, if an ETF designed to provide economic exposure of no less than 40% of its net asset value to a commodity lists and trades on a national securities exchange, Commodity-Based Trust Shares issued by a Trust that holds the same commodity, or commodity-based assets with the same underlying commodity, can list and trade on an Exchange pursuant to the proposed generic listing standards. Allowing the generic listing and trading of Commodity-Based Trust Shares that provide exposure to commodities that already substantially underlie listed and traded ETFs ( i.e., at least 40% of the portfolio of such ETFs provide economic exposure to the same commodity) will promote just and equitable principles of trade, remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market, and help ensure that the Exchanges' rules are not designed to permit unfair discrimination between issuers.[73] Currently, ETFs that comply with Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act (“Rule 6c-11”) may list and trade their shares pursuant to Rule 19b-4(e) under the Exchanges' existing generic listing standards.[74] By consistently applying generic listing and trading across products with economic exposures to the same underlying commodities, the Proposals would level the playing field between the issuers of Commodity-Based Trust Shares and the issuers of Rule 6c-11 eligible ETFs, which would promote competition and would more readily afford investors greater investment options. Moreover, all national securities exchanges that list and trade ETFs are members of ISG. Accordingly, the Exchanges would be able to obtain information with respect to listed and traded ETFs that have exposure to the same underlying commodity, which should facilitate information sharing and help to ensure the availability of information necessary to aid in the detection and deterrence of potential manipulations and other trading abuses, thereby making the Commodity-Based Trust Shares less readily susceptible to fraud and manipulation.[75] Furthermore, it is appropriate for the Exchanges to apply this eligibility criteria only on an initial basis. Delisting Commodity-Based Trust Shares because the economic exposure to a commodity by the preceding ETF diminished to less than 40% could cause unnecessary market disruption.[76]
The Proposals require that each security held by a Trust meet the requirements set forth in the respective Exchange's rules for equity and fixed income securities underlying generically listed Managed Fund Shares or, if the security held by the Trust is a listed option, it must trade on an ISG market.[77] These requirements are reasonably designed to help prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices and to protect investors and the public interest, and are therefore consistent with the requirement in Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act.[78] The Commission previously found the Exchanges' generic listing standards for Managed Fund Shares consistent with the Exchange Act, including the requirements relating to component equity and fixed income securities underlying Managed Fund Shares.[79] Moreover, as discussed above, with respect to listed options, ISG membership and CSSAs help to ensure the availability of information necessary to detect and deter potential manipulations and other trading abuses, thereby making the Commodity-Based Trust Shares less readily susceptible to manipulation.[80]
In addition to the eligibility requirements, the Proposals specify that, in order to qualify under the proposed generic listing standards, the Commodity-Based Trust Shares must (1) be issued by a Trust that is not registered as an investment company pursuant to the 1940 Act; (2) be designed to reflect the performance of one or more reference assets or an index of reference assets; and (3) not seek to provide investment returns that correspond to the performance of a specified multiple, inverse, or multiple inverse of an index, benchmark, or reference value over a predetermined period of time.[81] Products that would be registered investment companies or seek leverage or inverse strategies may qualify to list and trade under the Exchanges' other existing generic listing standards, including Exchange-Traded ( printed page 45420) Fund Shares.[82] In addition, the proposed requirement that Commodity-Based Trust Shares reflect the performance of one or more reference assets or an index of reference assets is consistent with the current rule that requires Commodity-Based Trust Shares to hold and track one or more commodities.[83] Moreover, an Exchange seeking to list and trade Commodity-Based Trust Shares that do not meet these specifications can seek to do so by qualifying to list and trade under the Exchanges' other existing generic listing standards [84] or by submitting a proposed rule change to the Commission under Section 19(b).[85] Accordingly, the Exchanges' scope of qualifications for generically listed and traded Commodity-Based Trust Shares are reasonable and consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act.[86]
The Proposals stipulate other requirements for Commodity-Based Trust Shares. First, the Proposals would require a Trust issuing Commodity-Based Trust Shares to disclose prominently on its public website certain information relating to the Commodity-Based Trust Shares.[87] Previously approved listing rules for specific Commodity-Based Trust Shares have included similar disclosure requirements,[88] and Rule 6c-11 requires ETFs to disclose substantially similar information.[89] The website disclosure requirements are designed to provide investors with key metrics to evaluate their investment and trading decisions in a format that is easily accessible and frequently updated. The information required to be disclosed by the Proposals includes information that market participants can use to monitor the underlying commodity market and value the Commodity-Based Trust Shares and is consistent with the maintenance of fair and orderly markets and investor protection, as required by Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act.[90] The dissemination of this information will facilitate transparency with respect to the Commodity-Based Trust Shares and diminish the risk of manipulation or unfair informational advantage.
Second, the Proposals would require a Trust that has less than 85% of its assets readily available to meet redemption requests daily to maintain and review written liquidity risk policies and procedures to address the risk that it could not meet redemption requests without signification dilution of remaining shareholders.[91] This provision is consistent with the requirement of Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act that an Exchange's rules be designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and to protect investors and the public interest.[92] The requirement promotes effective liquidity risk management for issuers of Commodity-Based Trust Shares, thereby reducing the risk that a Trust that encumbers a significant portion of its assets will be unable to meet its redemption obligations, and is consistent with the maintenance of fair and orderly markets. In addition, because a Trust is required to publicly disclose its liquidity risk policies and procedures on its website free of charge,[93] this provision should help to ensure that investors have relevant information that will allow them to adequately assess the characteristics and risks of trading Commodity-Based Trust Shares issued by a Trust that encumbers more than 15% of its assets.
Third, the proposed generic listing standards will have certain initial and continued listing requirements [94] and include provisions allowing an Exchange to halt trading in Commodity-Based Trust Shares in certain circumstances, including in circumstances where information relating to the Commodity-Based Trust Shares and/or the underlying reference asset or index is not being disseminated as required.[95] The initial and continued listing standards are adequate to ensure transparency of key values and information [96] regarding the Commodity-Based Trust Shares and will help ensure that a minimum level of liquidity [97] exists for the initial and continued trading of Commodity-Based Trust Shares. Transparency of key values and information and a minimum level of liquidity will help facilitate a fair and orderly market for the Shares, as well as help to ensure that the Shares are not susceptible to manipulation.[98] In addition, the Exchanges will have the ability to delist Commodity-Based Trust Shares or to halt trading if circumstances warrant such action. Moreover, an issuer of Commodity-Based Trust Shares must notify the Exchange of any non-compliance with any of the continued listing standards,[99] and if the Commodity-Based Trust Shares do not satisfy the requirements set forth in the rule, the Exchange may suspend trading and initiate delisting proceedings.[100] Accordingly, consistent with the requirement of Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act [101] that an Exchange's rules be designed to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market, the initial and continued listing standards and trading halt provisions are reasonably designed to promote fair disclosure of information that may be necessary to price the Trust shares appropriately, to prevent trading when a reasonable degree of transparency ( printed page 45421) cannot be assured, and to ensure fair and orderly markets for the Commodity-Based Trust Shares.
Fourth, the Proposals would impose obligations on registered market makers in the Commodity-Based Trust Shares, including limitations on certain trading activities in the underlying commodities and commodity-based assets and requirements to file with, and make available to, the Exchanges certain records of transactions by such market makers in the underlying commodities and commodity-based assets.[102] These proposed requirements should deter potential manipulation and other misconduct by registered market makers in the Commodity-Based Trust Shares and should assist the Exchanges in identifying situations potentially susceptible to manipulation. These requirements are therefore consistent with the requirement in Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act that the Exchanges' rules be designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, and to protect investors and the public interest.[103]
Fifth, the Proposals include requirements to erect firewalls; to have procedures to prevent the use and dissemination of material, non-public information relating to the Commodity-Based Trust Shares and the underlying commodities and/or related indexes; and to have procedures designed to prevent fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative acts, practices, or courses of business with respect to Commodity-Based Trust Shares and the underlying commodities.[104] These requirements provide additional protections against the potential misuse of material, non-public information relating to Commodity-Based Trust Shares and are designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices with respect to the Commodity-Based Trust Shares, and their underlying commodities and related indexes, consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act.[105]
The comment letters received on the Proposals were generally supportive.[106] While expressing general support for the proposed generic listing standards, some commenters believe that the Proposals should be expanded to, among other things: (i) add an alternative route to eligibility for underlying commodities based on quantitative liquidity measures; (ii) contemplate actively-managed Commodity-Based Trust Shares; (iii) contemplate generic listing and trading of multi-asset Commodity-Based Trust Shares that hold at least 85% of their portfolio in assets that meet the proposed eligibility requirements; (iv) treat liquid staking tokens as economically equivalent to the underlying staked asset for purposes of eligibility and liquidity provisions of the proposed rules; (v) allow Commodity-Based Trust Shares to utilize custom baskets; (vi) for purposes of the liquidity risk policies and procedures, allow a Trust to (a) assess “readily available” assets based on the Trust's stated settlement cycle rather than based on one business day, and (b) consider liquid staking tokens as “readily available” to meet redemption requests; and (vii) include stablecoins in the definition of “cash equivalent.” [107] In addition, one commenter states that, while the proposed eligibility for the underlying commodity based on whether it trades on an ISG market is appropriate today, if the ISG were to change its membership requirements in the future, the prong could admit illiquid or marginally liquid assets.[108] The commenter suggests that, in the future, the Exchanges should replace the ISG-traded eligibility standard with an asset qualification standard or limit it to highly liquid commodities.[109] However, these additional recommendations are not before the Commission in the Proposals being considered and therefore are outside the scope of this order.
One comment letter opposes the Proposals and states that ETPs holding digital assets are “relatively new,” novel products that pose unique risks and that the Exchanges should be required to seek Commission approval to list and trade each such new product to minimize investor harm.[110] The Commission disagrees. First, contrary to the commenter's assertion that ETPs holding digital assets are “novel,” the Commission has been engaged with digital asset products since 2013.[111] And although the Commission did not approve under Rule 19b-4 an ETP with exposure to digital assets until 2022,[112] the Commission has since reviewed and approved 27 additional proposals to list and trade ETPs either holding or having economic exposure to digital assets.[113] Moreover, the proposed generic listing requirements apply not just to Commodity-Based Trust Shares with exposure to digital assets but to those holding other commodities, as well as commodity-based assets. With respect to the latter, the first ETP to hold commodities was approved by the Commission in 2004,[114] and in 2006, the Commission approved ETPs providing exposure to futures on commodities.[115]
( printed page 45422)Second, the Commission disagrees with the commenter's statement that, rather than “circumvent” the Rule 19b-4 process, each new product should be considered separately to minimize investor harm.[116] The Proposals establish rules-based criteria for qualifying Commodity-Based Trust Shares, designed to protect investors and the public interest and to be consistent with the Exchange Act. As discussed above, many of these criteria are consistent with previously approved listing requirements for specific Commodity-Based Trust Shares approved by the Commission and/or the Exchanges' existing listing standards for Commodity-Based Trust Shares.[117] Moreover, for each applicable commodity, or commodity that underlies a commodity-based asset, the Proposals establish objective eligibility requirements that are, for reasons discussed above, consistent with the Exchange Act.[118] Finally, the Proposals include additional requirements tailored for generically-listed Commodity-Based Trust Shares and are intended to address concerns related to fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices and to protect investors and the public interest including, for example, the proposed firewall requirements and requirements relating to liquidity risk policies and procedures.[119] Accordingly, having considered the commenter's concerns relating to investor protection in the broader context of whether the Proposals meet the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act, including the requirements in Section 6(b)(5),[120] for reasons described above, the Commission determines that the Proposals meet such requirements.[121]
In conclusion, the Proposals contain adequate rules and procedures to govern the listing and trading of Commodity-Based Trust Shares on the Exchanges pursuant to Rule 19b-4(e). All Commodity-Based Trust Shares listed under the proposed generic listing standards will be subject to the rules and procedures of each Exchange that currently govern the trading of equity securities on the Exchange.[122] For the reasons discussed above, the Commission finds that the Proposals are consistent with Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act.[123]
IV. Accelerated Approval of the Proposals
The Commission finds good cause to approve the Proposals prior to the 30th day after the date of publication of notice of the Exchanges' amended filings [124] in the Federal Register . The amended filings clarify the definitions set forth in, and the requirements of, the proposed generic listing standards. These changes are technical in nature and do not materially alter the substance of the proposed rule changes or raise any novel regulatory issues. Further, the changes assist the Commission in evaluating the Proposals and in determining that they are consistent with the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to a national securities exchange, as discussed above. Accordingly, the Commission finds good cause, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Exchange Act,[125] to approve the Proposals on an accelerated basis.
V. Conclusion
This approval order is based on all of the Exchanges' representations and descriptions in their respective amended filings, which the Commission has evaluated as discussed above. For the reasons set forth above, the Commission finds, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Exchange Act,[126] that the Proposals are consistent with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder applicable to a national securities exchange, and in particular, with Section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act.[127]
It is therefore ordered, pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Exchange Act,[128] that the Proposals (SR-NASDAQ-2025-056; SR-CboeBZX-2025-104; SR-NYSEARCA-2025-54), as modified by amendments thereto, be, and hereby are, approved on an accelerated basis.
By the Commission.
Stephanie J. Fouse,
Assistant Secretary.