May. 10, 2022
Hello SEC team My name is Brandon, I'm from Austin, Texas and I am in favor of approving the Form 19b-4 that NYSE Arca filed with you to convert Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (OTCQX: GBTC) into a Bitcoin Spot ETF. I moved to Texas so that I could have just a marginal increase in my freedom of choices. As an example, I choose to live in a neighborhood with no Homeowners Association (HOA) with its myriad of rules about what colors you can paint your house, how you can build, etc. Sometimes our neighbors build in ways that we don't all agree with or find particularly ugly, but we (mostly) respect their right to do so and can choose to move somewhere else if it's insufferable. We have our own energy grid that has amazing benefits in flexibility and competition. One week it failed spectacularly, and yet most of us stayed the course anyway. We're not completely free from local, state and federal governments' purviews and restrictions (marijuana laws, planned parenthood), but it's much less restrictive than in other jurisdictions. I think we all deserve the right to choose how we invest as well. I do not understand why the SEC would want to restrict approving a bitcoin-based ETF. Let us choose our own investment vehicle and live with both the benefits and any mistakes that may come with it. Best, Brandon