Grayscale Adds Staking Rewards To Ethereum And Solana Trust ETFs In Major Industry First

Grayscale has debuted staking to its Ether and Solana investment products, becoming the first-ever crypto fund issuer to feature staking rewards via U.S.-listed spot crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs).

Grayscale Ether, Solana Investment Products First In US To Enable Staking

Grayscale announced on Monday that it has introduced staking functionality to its Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHE), the second-biggest such fund on Wall Street with $4.82 billion in net assets, as well as its Ethereum Mini Trust ETF ($ETH), describing the development as “another first-mover milestone” for the company.

“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 company said in a Monday announcement.

Staking has also been enabled for the Grayscale Solana Trust (GSOL), which is awaiting regulatory approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to be converted into an exchange-traded fund. If approved, GSOL could become one of the first spot Solana ETPs with staking.

Staking is key to how proof-of-stake blockchains like Ethereum and Solana function. Users help validate transactions and keep the network secure by staking their funds and earning tokens in return.

By activating staking, Grayscale gives investors exposure to $ETH and $SOL, while earning rewards from the blockchain networks without directly holding or managing the underlying assets.

Grayscale indicated that it will stake assets passively via institutional custodians and a diversified network of validator partners, aiming to help secure the protocols while supporting long-term network resilience.

In a statement, Grayscale CEO Peter Mintzberg said staking in the $ETH and $SOL funds was “exactly the kind of first-mover innovation” that the company was designed to deliver.

“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,” Mintzberg added.

Grayscale plans to roll out staking to additional products “as the digital asset ecosystem evolves.” The key selling point could help Grayscale close the gap with BlackRock, whose Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs currently dominate the flourishing sector.