Nasdaq exchange seeks to list a 21Shares exchange-traded fund (ETF) holding the popular memcoin Dogecoin

The move follows 21Shares' April 10 filing of its initial proposal to launch its Dogecoin ETF, shortly after similar applications from rivals Bitwise and Grayscale.

The United States exchange Nasdaq has asked regulators for permission to list a 21Shares exchange-traded fund (ETF) holding the popular memcoin Dogecoin (DOGE), according to regulatory filings on Monday.

Nasdaq's request must be approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before the fund can be listed and traded on the exchange.

The request marks a step in the regulatory process that could determine whether Dogecoin becomes accessible to a broader range of investors through an ETF structure.

Earlier this month, 21Shares filed for the spot Dogecoin ETF on April 10, following similar applications from rivals Bitwise and Grayscale. It is also seeking permission to list ETFs holding other cryptocurrencies, including Solana (SOL), XRP (XRP), and Polkadot (DOT).

Fund issuers have applied to launch dozens of altcoin ETFs after U.S. President Donald Trump instructed the SEC to take a friendlier stance toward cryptocurrencies following the start of his second term in January.

As of Friday, more than 70 crypto ETFs were pending approval from the SEC. The list includes layer-1 (L1) native tokens, such as SOL and Sui (SUI), as well as memecoins such as Bonk (BONK) and Official Trump (TRUMP).

While exchanges are pushing to list more crypto ETFs, they are also calling for greater regulatory oversight of digital assets. In an April 25 comment letter, Nasdaq urged the SEC to hold digital assets to the same regulatory standards as securities if they constitute "stocks by any other name."

Dogecoin is a popular memecoin with a market capitalization of nearly $26 billion as of Sunday, according to CoinGecko.

It is distinct from most other memecoins because it is the native token of the Dogecoin network, a proof-of-work blockchain network designed as a faster, cheaper alternative to Bitcoin (BTC) for peer-to-peer payments. It processes more than 40,000 transactions on average each day, according to data from Bitinfocharts.com.

In September 2024, blockchain developers QED Protocol and Nexus tipped plans to launch a layer-2 (L2) scaling solution designed to bring smart contracts to Dogecoin.