In a significant development for the cryptocurrency investment landscape, Grayscale has become the first U.S. issuer to offer staking exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Ethereum (ETH ($3,191.57)) and Solana (SOL ($132.97)). This move, initiated in October, positions Grayscale as a pioneer in providing staking ETFs in the United States.

Staking allows ETH and SOL holders to earn additional returns on their investments by participating in the network’s consensus mechanism. Prior to this, U.S. crypto ETF shareholders could only gain exposure to the underlying assets without the added benefit of staking. This created a disparity between owning ETH or SOL directly and through an ETF.

According to a presentation by Grayscale to the SEC’s Crypto Task Force in March 2025, spot ETH ETFs missed out on approximately $61 million in staking benefits from their launch through February 2025. The introduction of staking ETFs aims to bridge this gap, offering investors a familiar financial instrument that includes staking rewards.

Impact on Institutional Investment and Network Security

The arrival of staking ETFs is expected to bolster the economic security of proof-of-stake networks by activating large pools of institutional capital for consensus participation. This development makes crypto staking accessible through a widely adopted investment structure, potentially encouraging deeper engagement from institutions and regulators in the intersection of crypto and traditional finance.

Coinbase Institutional, a leading provider of institutional ETH staking services, plays a crucial role in this new landscape. As the primary custodian for eight of the nine spot ETH ETFs approved last July, Coinbase is working closely with issuers to deliver secure and robust staking services. Their platform, Coinbase Prime, offers integrated custody and staking services, simplifying the complexities of blockchain and staking for institutional investors.

For more details on this development, visit the official announcement here.

Why This Matters: Impact, Industry Trends & Expert Insights

Grayscale’s launch of the first U.S. staking ETFs for Ethereum and Solana marks a pivotal moment in the cryptocurrency investment landscape, offering investors the opportunity to earn staking rewards through a regulated financial instrument.

Recent industry reports indicate that staking ETFs have significantly boosted institutional investment in crypto by enabling institutions to earn compliant on-chain yield while using familiar investment structures. This aligns with the introduction of Grayscale’s staking ETFs, which offer a regulated and accessible way to participate in staking rewards.

As per insights from a report by ETF Express, experts view Grayscale’s launch of staking-enabled ETFs as a groundbreaking innovation, expanding access beyond native crypto platforms and enhancing returns through yield. This supports the impact of Grayscale’s ETFs in accelerating institutional staking adoption in the U.S. market.

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