Story Highlights
- VanEck files for Avalanche (AVAX) ETF with SEC approval pending.
- The proposed AVAX ETF offers direct token ownership without derivatives.
- AVAX ranks among the top 20 cryptos with a $7.72B market cap.
VanEck has officially filed for an Avalanche (AVAX) exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States. The submitted filing on March 14 seeks to give investors direct access to AVAX. The proposed fund design maintains direct token ownership while following the AVAX price movements after deducting operational expenses.
This proposed ETF differs from derivatives-based or leveraged crypto ETFs since it operates as a passive fund. The fund would place AVAX tokens within approved third-party protected storage facilities, and its daily share prices would develop from exchange benchmark rates.
VanEck intends to issue ETF shares through the issuance of “Baskets.” Only authorized participants can execute transactions by either cash or through in-kind transfers. The proposed ETF will have the ticker symbol “AVAX” but the firm has not yet revealed the exchange platform for public listing. The SEC must first approve the proposed U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission application.
VanEck AVAX ETF Could Attract Institutional Investment
Analyst at Bloomberg James Seyffart declared that this SEC filing marks an official debut with the regulatory agency. However, Seyffart revealed that attention toward trust registration emerged before this week.
Several financial institutions have applied to the SEC for the approval of new cryptocurrency ETFs. The SEC reviews proposals to establish ETFs that trace Solana, XRP, Dogecoin, and Litecoin. The SEC authorized spot Bitcoin ETFs when it approved them in January 2024 and spot Ethereum ETFs in July 2025.
Avalanche (AVAX) maintains a market value of $7.6 billion, which positions it as one of the top twenty cryptocurrencies in mid-March 2025. The successful implementation of this ETF has the potential to draw additional institutional funding for AVAX. Layer-one blockchain platform Avalanche can gain greater institutional systemic support, which would boost its ecosystem thanks to its smart contract capabilities.
The SEC requires 45–90 days to review all S-1 filings. The process for approving crypto-related applications takes a longer duration than traditional applications. The regulatory approval status of VanEck’s AVAX ETF has become a focal point for investors and analysts.
