Plus, the “stunning success” of Bitcoin ETFs and why Michael Sonnenshein stepped down as CEO of Grayscale.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.Just when everyone thought that spot Ether ETFs were going to be denied on Thursday, news broke Monday that they are now likely to be approved, with Bloomberg analysts tripling their odds to a 75% chance of approval. Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, and Matt Hougan, CIO at Bitwise Asset Management, say this reversal definitely has to do with politics, citing the fight of Staff Accounting Bulletin 121, a rule that was unfriendly to financial institutions wanting to engage with crypto. Plus, they delve into the reasons why Michael Sonnenshein stepped down as CEO of Grayscale after 10 years (hint: it has to do with GBTC), what the 13F filings revealed about who’s been buying the spot bitcoin ETFs since the beginning of the year, and what Vanguard’s incoming CEO, Salim Ramji, who was instrumental to getting BlackRock to launch its Bitcoin ETF, could mean for crypto’s future at the asset management firm.Show highlights:Why Eric believes the ether ETFs will be approvedWhy Matt thinks the Bitcoin ETFs set off a "complete sea change in Washington around crypto"Whether the spot Ether ETFs will be approved with or without stakingWho the authorized participants and other behind-the-scenes players in the ether ETFs will beWhen the ETH ETFs could start trading and why Eric believes they won't be as successful as Bitcoin ETFsWhat the 13F filings revealed about the spot Bitcoin ETFs buyers and why their identities are  "stunning"Why Michael Sonnenshein stepped down as CEO of GrayscaleGrayscale’s new mini ETF, BTCWhether Vanguard's new CEO appointment could mean a change in attitude by the asset management firm towards cryptoWhat a buffered ETF is and why they could be significantMatt's prediction for the BTC priceTheir outlook on the future of ETFs and developments in the spaceVisit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.comThank you to our sponsors!  Polkadot  |  VaultCraftGuests:Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset ManagementPrevious appearances on Unchained: How Small Bitcoin ETF Issuers Will Compete With the Likes of BlackRockWhy a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg IntelligencePrevious appearances on Unchained:How, in 7 Weeks, Bitcoin ETFs Reached Inflows That Took Gold ETFs 3 YearsWhy Spot Bitcoin ETFs Are Likely to Finally Start Trading on ThursdayWill a Spot Bitcoin ETF Finally Get Approved?Links  | Ether ETFsUnchained: Analysts Up Odds of Spot Ether ETF to 75% as Prometheum Launches Product That Treats ETH as a SecurityCoinDesk: Ether ETFs Filing Process Sees Abrupt Progress, Though Approval Not Guaranteed: SourcesThe Block: Fidelity files amended S-1 registration statement, removing staking rewards from prospective Ethereum ETFSAB 121Bloomberg: As Bitcoin Rallies, Banks Are Pushing US Regulators to Change Crypto Guidance Unchained: Senate Votes to Kill SAB 121 Custody Bill: How Crypto Became So Political13F FilingsUnchained: Large Institutions Betting Big on Bitcoin ETFs Revealed in SEC FilingsLeadership changesCoinDesk: Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein Steps Down, to Be Replaced by TradFi VeteranWSJ: Meet Salim Ramji, Who Is Going to Oversee the Retirement Assets of Tens of Millions of Americans-Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC.  Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.