BlackRock is signaling plans to expand its Ethereum offerings with a new staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to a Delaware name registration submitted Wednesday. The filing, under the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF, was submitted by Daniel Schweiger, BlackRock managing director, who previously registered the firm’s first iShares Ethereum fund in late 2023.
Early Signals of a New ETF
A Delaware name registration is one of the first public indications that an ETF may be in development. Senior Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted that a BlackRock filing for the ETH staking fund is “coming soon.”
In July, Nasdaq filed an updated 19b-4 to allow staking on BlackRock’s existing iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA). Competitors like 21Shares and Grayscale have also submitted proposals to add staking capabilities to their Ethereum products.
ETHA: Market Leader
The iShares Ethereum Trust ETF remains the largest Ethereum fund by assets under management, with nearly $11.5 billion in holdings as of November 17, according to SoSoValue. The fund has experienced $165 million in outflows amid a broader market pullback.
While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has become more permissive under recent administrations regarding crypto-related ETFs, few funds offering staking rewards have been approved. In October, Grayscale became the first spot-market Ethereum ETF registered under the Securities Act of 1933 to enable staking rewards for its ETHE and ETH Mini Trust ETF products.
Growing Staking ETF Market
Other issuers have also entered the space. REX‑Osprey launched a staking Solana ETF in October using the less common Investment Company Act of 1940, and later introduced an ETH staking fund in September under the same framework.
BlackRock’s Head of Digital Assets, Robert Mitchnick, previously indicated that SEC approval for ETH staking is expected as a “next phase” for the market.
This move highlights growing institutional interest in staking Ethereum, offering investors potential yield on top of price exposure and broadening the appeal of Ethereum ETFs.