The US Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday approved part of an application for a novel exchange-traded fund that would track the two largest cryptocurrencies.

Bitwise's product, launched with the New York Stock Exchange, gives investors exposure to both spot bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH), weighted by market capitalization. NYSE Arca filed a 19b-4 form with the SEC last November.

The Bitwise Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF from Bitwise Asset Management would seek to provide investors with a balanced exposure to the two digital assets, weighted by their market capitalization. The structure of the fund will be similar to existing ETFs that hold either Bitcoin or Ether directly.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has given initial approval to Bitwise Asset Management’s exchange-traded fund tracking the price of Bitcoin and Ethereum. The regulator on Jan. 30 approved the fund’s form 19b-4 — the first step in the process that would allow the ETF to start trading.

The Bitwise fund's asset allocation reflects market capitalization proportions, comprising 83% Bitcoin and 17% Ethereum.

The SEC's “accelerated approval” grants NYSE Arca to list and trade shares of the hybrid Bitwise's Bitcoin and Ethereum fund.

The SEC has expedited the approval of Bitwise's combined $BTC and $ETH ETF, marking a stark contrast from the Gensler SEC's waiting period for approving similar offerings.