LINK ETF confirmed for 2025? XRP and SOL launches move up Chainlink timeline

By the time Chain link briefly appeared on a DTCC reference list, the crypto industry jumped to claim a “confirmed ETF LINK”.

Actually, as with XRP and BitcoinThis was just a routine update of the DTCC, which was preparing for potential ETFs long before the SEC signed off. LINK had done in the establishment system, not passed the approval door.

However, it is usually a good sign. Most crypto ETFs that appear on the list eventually go live within 6 months. Bitcoin ETFs were listed in October 2023 and finally went live in January 2024, while Canary Capital’s XRP ETF appeared on DTCC this month and went live today.

However, the distinction matters because it helps ground you in reality, as DTCC’s role begins where speculation usually ends. It is a post-trading clearing house, not a regulator, and its data reflects operational readiness, not political blessing. Bitcoin, ethereumand also XRP they underwent a cycle of similar rumours.

The difference between BTC and ETH was that these came after formal filings were already underway, including exchange rule changes and registration statements that form the backbone of ETF approval. Without both, a ticker on the DTCC website is just scaffolding: an empty door with no home behind it.

The real guardians

To reach day trading for a crypto ETF, two main approvals are required in a specific order. First, the exchange seeking to list the ETF must obtain approval for a Rule 19b-4 filing. This filing requires SEC permission to change an exchange rule to list the new product.

This step has often been a stumbling block for crypto ETFs. The SEC assesses whether there is a “market of significant size” to detect and prevent manipulation, or whether an alternative surveillance arrangement exists that achieves the same goal.

This standard was the problem in the case of Grayscale, forcing the SEC to clarify the criteria. That led to the approval of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in 2024.

The SEC order said the oversight deals with markets such as CME address manipulation. For Ethereum, exchanges could use correlation analysis to show that futures and spot prices move together.

Once the 19b-4 approval is in hand, the ETF issuer must file an S-1 registration statement detailing the fund’s structure, custodian, pricing, risks and fees. The SEC reviews this document and may ask follow-up questions, as was the case with the Ether ETF. No trading can begin until the S-1 has been declared effective.

In summary, the exchange must first obtain listing approval (19b-4), and the issuer must obtain offering approval (Form S-1). Only when both approvals are granted an ETF debut.

In 2025, the SEC introduced a generic listing framework designed to make these two approval steps simpler for digital asset ETFs that closely resemble previously approved products. While it has certainly shortened the timeline, exchanges still need to demonstrate the liquidity of the underlying market and the reliability of prices. For tokens like LINK, meeting both approval requirements remains a challenge.

Why this matters

If a LINK ETF eventually clears all these steps, it could reshape how both crypto natives and everyday investors gain exposure to digital assets.

For the average person, that means buying LINK in the same brokerage account where you hold Apple stock or an S&P 500 fund.

No wallet setup, no seed phrases, no learning curve. Tax reporting would also be simpler: 1099 forms instead of the patchwork spreadsheets most self-employed users struggle with every April.

However, the convenience comes with trade-offs. ETF holders pay management fees and may face tracking differences, the small but persistent gap between the price of the ETF and the real market value of the currency. In principle, the spreads can be wide if the trading volume is thin.

There is also a conceptual cost: ETF investors will not use LINK in DeFi, staking it (yet), or vote on governance proposals. They will be exposure, not utility.

Advisors most likely see altcoin ETFs as a niche asset class in a diversified portfolio, allocating perhaps only a few percentage points of total assets, balanced against riskier volatility.

Liquidity and the underlying mechanics

ETFs use authorized participants and market makers to keep prices in line with their net asset value. For LINK, thinner markets mean large creations or redemptions could affect prices or DeFi liquidity.

If an ETF holds a significant amount of LINK, it could reduce liquidity on exchanges and staking pools, leading to more pronounced price swings in stressed markets. That is why the SEC reviews custody and creation-redemption processes closely.

Staking adds complexity. If an ETF stake LINK, the SEC would probably require more disclosures about risks similar to BSOL, so that would be more difficult, but entirely plausible.

DTCC’s role is operational, managing settlement and record keeping. When LINK appeared in their data, it only meant that a potential ETF was ready for possible approval.

The reading of the true says

To distinguish the real progress of the ETF from the noise, focus on the official steps of the process: the actual regulatory filings, not screenshots, indicate a significant movement towards an ETF launch.

• A 19b-4 approval on the SEC website or Federal Register means that an exchange can legally list the product.
• An S-1 going live on EDGAR means that the issuer can actually offer shares to the public.
• The DTCC and NSCC lists indicate that the back office is prepared if both events occur, but not before.
• Any SEC discussion of surveillance or correlation analysis, such as those mentioned in the Ethereum approval order, reveals where the agency’s thinking is headed.

The market now has a clear model, thanks to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and now XRP; However, every new asset has to face its liquidity and integrity tests. What matters most to investors is that the structure to make altcoin exposure mainstream is now in place. The next phase will determine who will go through it.

DTCC tickers may cause excitement, but they are only one step in the ETF process. The process only concludes when the two SEC approvals, 19b-4 and S-1, are officially granted.

When this happens, it will be evident through formal files, not screenshots, that mark the actual beginning of the ETF timeline.

The probability that a Chainlink ETF will be active in 2025 has been around 30%, but after today’s launch of XRPC by Canary Capital, the timeline could be moved.

So, keep an eye out for any of the documents mentioned above if you want to buy an ETF LINK.