BlackRock began trading its new staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund, the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB), with approximately $15.5 million in trading volume during its first day on the market. Data from Nasdaq shows that about 592,804 shares changed hands on Thursday, marking a solid debut for the newly listed crypto investment product.
The fund is designed to invest in and stake Ethereum, allowing the ETF to generate yield through blockchain validation rewards. These rewards are typically estimated at around 4% annually and are expected to be distributed to investors on a monthly basis.
Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart noting on X that ;
Structure and Staking Mechanism of the Ethereum ETF
The ETF allocates roughly 80% of its holdings to staked Ether while maintaining the remaining 20% in liquid Ether. Staking operations are handled by institutional validators including Figment, Galaxy Digital and Attestant.
At launch, the fund started with about $106.7 million in net assets. The underlying digital assets are held in custody by Coinbase.
Comparison With Solana Staking ETF Launches
Although the debut trading volume was considered strong, it trailed earlier staking ETF launches tied to Solana. The Bitwise Solana Staking ETF recorded $55.4 million in first-day volume, while the REX‑Osprey SOL + Staking ETF saw about $33.7 million on launch.
Expansion of BlackRock Crypto ETF Portfolio
The new product expands BlackRock’s growing lineup of crypto-linked funds, which already includes the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) and the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA). Since launching in 2024, the Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have attracted more than $62.8 billion and $11.9 billion in inflows respectively.
The sponsor fee for ETHB is set at 0.25%, with a one-year waiver lowering the cost to 0.12% on the first $2.5 billion in assets under management.
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.