Crypto ETF issuers are jumping on every opportunity, hoping to take advantage of a more crypto-friendly SEC.

This year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will have its hands full with ETF applications.

Crypto ETF issuers are hoping to take advantage of a more crypto-friendly SEC, and the agency will certainly have its hands full this year. By Monday, April 21, 72 crypto exchange-traded funds were still pending approval, according to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas.

There are now 72 crypto-related ETFs sitting with the SEC awaiting approval to list or list options. Everything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between. Gonna be a wild year. Great roundup from @JSeyff

The list includes altcoins, NFT tokens, memecoins, as well as a leveraged fund that bets on the Melania Trump token. The Melania 2x fund is one of ten leveraged memecoin and altcoin funds by Turtle Capital, registered in the Cayman Islands. Due to the number of these filings, Balchunas predicted a “wild year” for crypto.

“There are now 72 crypto-related ETFs applying to list or list options. Everything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between. Gonna be a wild year.”

XRP leads the way with ETF filings

While the list of ETF filings is diverse to say the least, there are clear leaders in the space. Notably, altcoins like XRP (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Litecoin (LTC) are in the lead when it comes to the number of individual filings.

Specifically, by April 15, there were 10 individual filings for XRP and five for Solana. As some of the biggest altcoins on the market, they have attracted attention from institutional investors. At the same time, Litecoin and Dogecoin (DOGE) were tied in third place, with three prospective issuers. Both of these tokens benefit from their decentralization, while Doge also gained attention from its association with Elon Musk.

ETFs are becoming a key narrative for crypto adoption as they provide an easier way for both retail and institutional investors to gain exposure to digital assets. Rather than holding the assets directly, the fund will hold the underlying assets and will also be subject to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) regulatory requirements over its custody.