Grayscale enables staking for its spot Ethereum ETFs in the US
Crypto asset manager Grayscale has enabled staking for its spot Ethereum exchange-traded fund products in the U.S., allowing investors to earn additional yields on their holdings.
"Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF (Ticker: ETHE) and Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (Ticker: ETH) have become the first U.S.-listed spot crypto ETPs to enable staking," the firm said in a statement on Monday.
Grayscale also announced that its Solana Trust (GSOL) — a closed-end vehicle offering SOL exposure via traditional brokerage accounts — has activated staking. Pending regulatory approval to convert into an exchange-traded product, GSOL could become one of the first spot Solana ETPs with staking.
By staking a portion of its Ethereum and Solana holdings, Grayscale gives investors exposure to ETH and SOL while earning network rewards. The firm will stake passively through institutional custodians and validator partners to help secure the protocols while supporting long-term network resilience, it said.
"Staking in our spot Ethereum and Solana funds is exactly the kind of first mover innovation Grayscale was built to deliver," Grayscale CEO Peter Mintzberg added. "As the #1 digital asset-focused ETF issuer in the world by AUM, we believe our trusted and scaled platform uniquely positions us to turn new opportunities like staking into tangible value potential for investors."
Grayscale said it plans to extend staking to additional products as the digital asset ecosystem evolves.
First spot staking ETPs in the US
In July, REX‑Osprey launched the first U.S. ETF offering SOL exposure with native staking rewards under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "'40 Act") as a workaround compared to the more common Securities Act of 1933 ('33 Act) route used by spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. While not a standard spot ETF under the 1933 Act, the SSK fund still holds actual SOL — at least 50% directly staked — with the rest allocated to staking vehicles such as exchange-traded products and liquid staking tokens.
Grayscale's Ethereum ETFs are, therefore, the first U.S. spot crypto ETFs under the '33 Act route to add staking, and its Solana product could also be one of the first upon approval and conversion via the same pathway.
Several issuers — including Grayscale, VanEck, Franklin Templeton, Fidelity, Invesco, Canary Capital, and Bitwise — have filed for spot Solana ETFs in the U.S., with the SEC largely expected to approve the products shortly after the resolution of the current government shutdown.
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