The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of the listing and trading of a number of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in the United States marks a big win for the cryptocurrency industry and allows everyday investors to readily purchase and sell bitcoins, regulatory attorneys said Thursday. 

The SEC’s decision, announced Wednesday, will allow retail investors to purchase and sell bitcoin ETFs instead of trading on crypto exchanges. The industry has been working for more than a decade to get the agency to approve spot Bitcoin ETFs, making this decision significant for those in the crypto space, said attorney David Adams, a member at Mintz.