WisdomTree CEO: Blockchain Could Disrupt Financial Industry Like ETFs Did

Jonathan Steinberg says the ‘right regulation’ is needed to allow blockchain’s benefits

article-image

WisdomTree CEO Jonathan Steinberg

share

Blockchain technology can disrupt traditional financial services the way that ETFs have disturbed mutual funds, WisdomTree CEO Jonathan Steinberg said during an interview at Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit last month.     

“I do believe that this will prove to be the next wrapper that will transform not just asset management, but all of financial services,” he noted. 

Steinberg said that current regulatory issues around crypto will have to be solved in order to mainstream the space.

Though WisdomTree currently offers several exchange traded products in Europe that invest in cryptocurrencies, it awaits approval from the SEC for its proposed bitcoin ETF in the US. 

“The SEC is starting to understand that not approving a bitcoin [exchange traded product] is forcing investors into inferior structures and it is having negative consequences,” he noted.

Watch the full interview below and watch all of the panel videos from DAS here.


Are you a UK or EU reader that can’t get enough investor-focused content on digital assets? Join us in London on November 15th and 16th for the Digital Asset Summit (DAS) London. Use code ARTICLE for £75 off your ticket. Buy it now.


Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates (19).png

Research

Built on Solana, Loopscale is an orderbook-based lending protocol that pairs the efficiency of direct market matching with the flexibility and UX of modular protocols. We believe Loopscale can help scale NNAs in Solana DeFi and act as their foundational credit layer. Stablecoin deposits and select USD-pegged Loops on Loopscale are offering competitive yields, with an additional upside from farming the protocol and adjacent ecosystem projects (e.g., OnRe, Hylo) for potential future airdrops.

article-image

Could blockchain rails finally realize Ted Nelson’s non-linear, pro-creator “docuverse”?

article-image

What does Uniswap’s proposal to activate protocol fees and unify incentives mean for UNI token holders?

article-image

A recent mistrial illustrates how juries need more background information when it comes to judging complex systems like Ethereum

article-image

The Senate advanced a bipartisan funding package aimed at ending the shutdown, and bitcoin rose from its $100K bottom

article-image

The team is betting that a 20-minute hardware trust window beats a new alt-L1

article-image

To learn how to navigate the physical world, robots need visual data