Popular crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett reveals the final possible date the U.S. SEC must approve or disapprove XRP spot ETFs. 

Terrett made this known after discussing with Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart. This comes after the U.S. SEC delayed its decision on Franklin Templeton’s XRP ETF filing. 

SEC Delays Decision on Franklin’s XRP ETF 

The SEC, which was expected to decide the fate of Franklin Templeton’s XRP ETF application on May 3, delayed this decision until June 17, 2025. The postponement will give the SEC additional time to evaluate Franklin’s filing to ascertain whether to approve its spot XRP ETF product for launch. 

🚨NEW: The @SECGov has delayed making a decision on Franklin Templeton’s $XRP spot ETF until June 17.https://t.co/3EeRWBzBmg pic.twitter.com/BYfZJw5qWl

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) April 29, 2025

Last month, the SEC also postponed its decisions on multiple XRP ETF applications from VanEck, Canary, Grayscale, and 21Shares. Following the delayed decision, it set May 21 – 22 as the new date to reconsider these filings. 

Final Decision Deadline for XRP ETFs 

With the SEC now postponing its decision on Franklin Templeton’s application, Terrett characterized the early deadlines as ‘intermediate.’ She emphasized that the regulator would approve or disapprove several crypto-related ETFs, including those tied to XRP, in Q4 2025. 

For XRP ETFs, Seyffart told Terrett that the SEC’s final decision deadline for these products is around mid-October, specifically October 18, 2025. In his view, October 18 is the statutory deadline for the SEC to decide whether at least one XRP ETF will launch. 

This timeline falls within the 240-day ultimate decision countdown for most XRP ETFs. For context, the SEC typically has up to 240 days from the date the filing is published in the Federal Register to either approve or deny a potential issuer’s request to launch an ETF. 

SEC Might Issue Decision Earlier 

The applications for most XRP ETFs were filed earlier this year, potentially pushing the ultimate decision into the October-December 2025 timeframe. While each XRP ETF has its statutory deadline, the SEC might announce its decision for all of them on a particular date, just like it did for Bitcoin and Ethereum last year. 

Seyffart expects this to happen by October 18, 2025, 176 days or approximately six months from today. Meanwhile, Terrett suggests that the SEC might issue its decision on the multiple XRP ETFs sooner, similar to how it quickly approved dual Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs earlier this year. 

However, she believes an early decision hinges on how the SEC actively engages with the XRP ETF applications. If the SEC frequently raises back-and-forth questions and requests about the applications, the regulator would likely issue its decision earlier.

In the meantime, XRP enthusiasts remain confident that an ETF tied to XRP is coming to market this year. Data from Polymarket suggests a 78% chance that an XRP ETF would go live in the U.S. by the year’s end.