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BlackRock filed a Delaware name registration for the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust
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Filing signals a new ETF with staking rewards is in development
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Nasdaq previously filed to add staking to ETHA earlier this year
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SEC has approved only a small number of staking enabled ETFs so far
A First Signal of BlackRock’s Next Ethereum Product
BlackRock has filed a Delaware name registration for a new iShares Staked Ethereum Trust, indicating an upcoming ETF that would offer staking rewards to investors. The registration was submitted by the same BlackRock executive who filed the firm’s earlier Ethereum products.
A Delaware filing is typically the first public sign that a new ETF is being prepared.
Building on the Success of ETHA
BlackRock’s existing Ethereum ETF, ETHA, is the largest ETH fund in the U.S., holding nearly 11.5 billion dollars. Nasdaq filed paperwork in July to add staking to ETHA, but approval has not yet been granted. A dedicated staking ETF would give BlackRock a more direct path to offer rewards through a new structure.
Other asset managers, including 21Shares and Grayscale, have already submitted staking related proposals for their own Ethereum funds.
A Slow but Shifting Regulatory Environment
Although the SEC has become more open to crypto products during the current administration, only a few staking ETFs have been allowed into the market. Grayscale received approval in October to add staking to two of its ETH products, becoming the first firm in the U.S. to offer staking under a spot ETF framework.
More recently, REX Osprey launched both Solana and Ethereum staking ETFs using the 1940 Act structure.
Expectations for a Formal Filing Soon
BlackRock’s digital assets chief has stated previously that ETH staking approval is likely to be a next phase in ETF development. Analysts expect a formal filing for the staked Ethereum ETF shortly.
