Litecoin, HBAR ETFs Could Come Before XRP, Solana: Here's Why

Zinger Key Points
  • Litecoin and HBAR are strong ETF candidates due to cleaner regulatory status, while Solana and XRP face hurdles.
  • Growing institutional demand and improving regulatory clarity could drive ETF approvals, accelerating mainstream adoption of digital assets.

A wave of cryptocurrency ETFs is expected to hit the market in 2025, with Litecoin LTC/USD and HBAR HBAR/USD possibly getting approved ahead of Solana SOL/USD and Ripple XRP/USD, according to Bloomberg Intelligence ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.

What Happened: Balchunas noted in a post on X on Tuesday that while dual Bitcoin BTC/USD and Ethereum ETH/USD spot ETFs are likely to be approved first, Litecoin, as a fork of Bitcoin, may avoid regulatory hurdles since it is generally viewed as a commodity.

Similarly, HBAR has not been classified as a security, positioning it as a candidate for faster approval.

For that reason Balchunas sees SOL and XRP ETFs possibly facing delays, given their ongoing legal and regulatory challenges.

Both tokens have been labeled securities in pending lawsuits, complicating their approval process.

"First out is likely the BTC + ETH combo ETFs, then prob Litecoin (bc its fork of BTC = commodity), then HBAR (bc not labeled security), and then XRP/Solana," Balchunas said, referencing his colleague James Seyffart‘s outlook.

Also Read: XRP Price Up 4% As Ripple Announced RLUSD Launch For Tuesday

Why It Matters: The comments reflect growing optimism for broader cryptocurrency ETF adoption, particularly as regulatory clarity improves in the United States.

With Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs already approved this year, industry analysts expect a new wave of products to meet rising investor demand for diversified exposure to digital assets.

As institutional interest in cryptocurrencies strengthens, analysts anticipate ETF approvals to play a key role in accelerating mainstream adoption.

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