Grayscale Seeks SEC Approval for First U.S. Worldcoin ETF

• The proposed fund would hold WLD tokens directly and seek a Nasdaq listing under the ticker GWLD.
• Grayscale chose Nasdaq’s generic listing standards, a route that could shorten the regulatory review process.
• The filing highlights regulatory scrutiny surrounding World Network and concentration risks within the token’s supply.
• WLD rose following the announcement but remains well below its historical peak.

ETF Would Track Worldcoin Price Directly According to the S-1 registration statement, the proposed ETF would passively hold Worldcoin (WLD) and track its performance using the CoinDesk Worldcoin Benchmark Rate, excluding fees and expenses. The fund would not use leverage, derivatives or active portfolio management. If approved, the product would rely on several established financial institutions:

• Ticker: GWLD
• Exchange: Nasdaq
• Custodian: BitGo Bank & Trust
• Administrator and transfer agent: BNY Mellon
• Trustee: CSC Delaware Trust Company

Grayscale established the underlying Delaware statutory trust on July 10 before submitting its formal registration statement to the SEC on July 20. Rather than pursuing a bespoke exchange rule change, the asset manager filed under Nasdaq’s generic listing standards, an approach that could reduce the time required for regulatory review. The preliminary prospectus leaves several details to be finalized through future amendments, including the management fee, seed capital and the share-to-token ratio. Prospectus Details Risks Facing World Network The registration statement devotes significant attention to risks associated with the World Network ecosystem.
Among them is ongoing regulatory scrutiny of the project’s biometric identity verification system, which uses Orb devices to scan users’ irises. The filing notes that authorities in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Hong Kong, Kenya and Indonesia have imposed restrictions, launched investigations or temporarily suspended aspects of the project. Grayscale also points to token concentration as a potential risk. According to the prospectus, roughly 90% of circulating WLD is controlled by a relatively small group of wallets, while scheduled token unlocks for early investors and project contributors are expected to continue through mid-2028, increasing future supply. The filing arrives as issuers continue broadening the range of crypto investment products available to U.S. investors following the approval of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. A successful Worldcoin ETF would mark another step toward bringing smaller digital assets into regulated investment vehicles. Technical Picture Improves, but Resistance Remains The ETF filing helped trigger a short-term recovery in WLD, with the token climbing roughly 3.5%–4.5% to trade around $0.38.

Source: TradingView

The move lifted the price back above its 20-period moving average on the four-hour chart, a level that has recently acted as near-term support. Momentum indicators also strengthened. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) rebounded to around 55, recovering from oversold conditions seen earlier in the week and signaling renewed buying interest without yet entering overbought territory. Despite the rebound, the broader technical picture remains mixed. WLD continues to trade below its 50-period moving average near $0.389, while the 100-period ($0.394) and 200-period ($0.448) moving averages remain significantly higher. Those levels could act as resistance if the rally extends. A sustained move above the 50-period moving average would be the first indication that short-term momentum is shifting in buyers’ favor. Breaking above the 100-period average could strengthen that view, while reclaiming the 200-period average would signal a broader trend reversal after weeks of downward price action. For now, the recent bounce appears to reflect improving sentiment following the ETF filing rather than a confirmed change in the longer-term trend. Price remains well below the levels where WLD traded earlier this year, leaving buyers with several technical hurdles before a broader recovery can be established.