Dogecoin ETF Launch Tomorrow May Kickstart Meme Coin ETF Era

A Dogecoin ETF (exchange-traded fund) is set to debut tomorrow, potentially ushering in a wave of meme coin ETFs in the US.

The REX-Osprey Dogecoin ETF (DOJE) is expected to launch on Sept. 11, offering investors direct exposure to Dogecoin through a structure designed for faster SEC approval under the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act.

Multiple other Dogecoin ETF applications are already under review by the Securities and Exchange Commission including filings from Bitwise, Grayscale and 21Shares.

Canary has submitted a proposal for the PENGU ETF, which would provide indirect exposure to the Solana-based meme coin Pudgy Penguins (PENGU), while Tuttle Capital has filed for 2x leveraged ETFs for BONK, TRUMP and MELANIA meme coins.

“Meme coin ETF era about to kick off it looks like with $DOJE slated for a Thursday launch,” said Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas in a post on X. “Pretty sure this is first-ever US ETF to hold something that has no utility on purpose.”  

Anticipation for the DOGE ETF launch has already fueled an 11% surge in the Dogecoin price over the past week, enabling it to outperform all other top ten cryptocurrencies by market cap, according to CoinMarketCap.

Dogecoin price performance (Source: CoinMarketCap) 

DOGE trades at $0.2397 as of 1:40 a.m. EST. 

REX Shares And Osprey Dogecoin ETF Progresses As Bitwise Decision Delayed

The REX-Osprey Doge ETF (DOJE) was filed under the Investment Company Act of 1940. This is a different framework from the Securities Act of 1933, which usually governs grantor trusts that hold physical commodities or derivatives. 

DOJE will offer its investors exposure to Dogecoin through investments in a subsidiary organized in the Cayman Islands called the REX-Osprey DOGE (Cayman) Portfolio S.P., according to the prospectus for the new ETF. 

The filing under the 1940 Act allows for a faster launch because the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has long-standing procedures for these applications, while ETFs filed under the 1933 Act are still treated as novel products. 

This is not the first time REX Shares and Osprey have opted for this approach. Earlier this year, the same structure was used to fast-track the approval of the REX-Osprey SOL + Staking ETF with the ticker “$SSK.” The fund was launched on July 2. 

Balchunas noted that there’s still “a big group” of applications under the 1933 Act that are still waiting for a decision from the SEC on their respective Dogecoin ETF applications. 

One of those applications is from asset manager Bitwise. The SEC recently decided to push back the decision on the Bitwise Dogecoin ETF, which was filed in March and published in the Federal Register on March 17, to Nov. 12.

In a filing, the SEC said that it needed a “longer period” before deciding on whether to approve or deny a proposed rule change that would clear a way for Bitwise to list an ETF tracking the meme coin.

Other asset managers including Grayscale and 21Shares are among the bidding Dogecoin ETF issuers who are waiting for approval from the SEC for their applications.

At Least 92 Other Crypto ETFs In The Pipeline

Following the successful launch of spot Bitcoin and spot Ethereum ETFs in the US last year, which has seen billions of dollars flow into these funds since they hit the market, numerous fund managers are racing to launch similar products for other top cryptos. 

Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart said last month that there are 92 proposals for ETFs that track cryptos such as Solana (SOL), XRP, and Litecoin (LTC).

The tsunami of new ETF applications comes as the Trump Administration forges ahead with pro-crypto policies.

Even the Trump family, through Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), has partnered with exchange Crypto.com to launch a series of “Made in America” crypto ETFs.

These include the Truth.Fi Bitcoin Plus ETF that was trademarked by TMTG in February, and the Truth.Fi Crypto Blue Chip ETF that was filed with the SEC in the middle of the year.