BlackRock Doubles Down: Staked Ethereum ETF Filing Signals Major Crypto Acceleration
BlackRock just placed another massive bet on crypto's future—and this one pays interest.
The asset management titan filed paperwork for a staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund, a move that doesn't just track the asset but actively participates in its blockchain network. It's a direct play on Ethereum's proof-of-stake mechanics, where investors earn rewards for helping secure the network. Forget passive holding; this is crypto with an income stream.
Why This Filing Is Different
This isn't BlackRock's first crypto rodeo, but it's arguably its most sophisticated. A staked ETF goes beyond simple price exposure. It means the fund's Ethereum holdings would be 'staked,' locking them up to validate transactions and, in return, generating yield for shareholders. It turns a speculative asset into a potential income-producing one—a narrative Wall Street understands intimately.
The Institutional On-Ramp Gets a Turbocharger
BlackRock's move effectively builds a bridge between traditional finance and crypto's native economies. For institutional and retail investors wary of navigating wallets, private keys, and validator nodes, this offers a familiar, regulated wrapper. They get the potential upside of ETH plus staking rewards, all through their brokerage account. It's convenience at scale, and scale is what BlackRock does best.
A Calculated Power Play
The filing signals a deep, not just superficial, commitment to crypto infrastructure. By embracing staking, BlackRock is betting on the long-term viability of Ethereum's blockchain itself, not just its token price. It's a vote of confidence in the network's utility and security model from the world's largest asset manager. Other firms will now face pressure to follow suit or risk being left behind in the yield chase.
Of course, in traditional finance, creating a new fee-generating product is often just as important as the innovation itself—some things never change. BlackRock's latest push proves one thing: crypto isn't knocking on finance's door anymore. It's setting up a revenue-generating subsidiary in the lobby.
BlackRock’s structure excludes leverage, derivatives, and lending
According to the filing, the fund is designed to track the price of Ethereum while also collecting staking yields. The structure excludes leverage, derivatives, and lending. It will operate as a simple, passive investment vehicle. Coinbase Custody will serve as the primary custodian, while Anchorage Digital is listed as an alternative to diversify risk and improve operational security.
The ETF’s shares will trade on Nasdaq under the ticker ETHB once approved. Only authorized participants will be allowed to create or redeem shares in large blocks. The filing also outlines details on custody, staking arrangements, issuance, redemption, and administrative roles.
Before, the SEC, which was run by Chair Gary Gensler at the time, told companies to take out certain parts from their filings. The agency had said that staking services offered by sites like Kraken and Coinbase could be considered unregistered securities offers. But with Paul Atkins as the pro-crypto Chair, the rules are less strict.
BlackRock and VanEck are now among several issuers resubmitting or amending ETF filings to include staking. While others are modifying their existing products, BlackRock opted to launch an entirely new fund separate from the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA).
ETHA currently holds about $11 billion in ETH. It will remain separate from the staking version. The staked fund, if approved, WOULD provide investors with exposure to Ethereum’s yield-generating mechanism without requiring them to stake their own assets.
BlackRock’s ETHA shoulders nearly the entire weekly decline
The first week of December saw Ether and Bitcoin’s exchange-traded funds (ETFs) lose ground after a mix of heavy mid-week reversals. Ether ETFs shed $75.21 million in a week. BlackRock’s ETHA was responsible for nearly the entire weekly decline.
The total net inflow pulled back to $12.88 billion.BlackRock is responsible for this entire amount. Of the nine funds, none recorded inflows.
Bitcoin ETFs were a bit better. The US BTC spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw $54.79 million in positive flows. The total net inflow is now at $54.79 billion.
Of the twelve BTC ETFs, five recorded inflows, and one saw outflows. BlackRock accounts for the entirety of the negative flows, letting go of $32.49 million. On the other hand, Ark&21Shares added $42.79 million, followed by Fidelity’s $27.29 million.
Ethereum jumps 13%
Ethereum is up approximately 13.7% in the last 7 days. However, although the price has gone up, it remains stuck in a rough band that won’t budge. ETH recently hit resistance between $3,165 and $3,550 and slid back. However, support remains in place between $2,745 and $2,917.
For now, Ethereum is stuck between these levels. Experts are keeping an eye on $3,169 as the level that needs to be broken for a bigger MOVE up. Meanwhile, the coin is up nearly 3% in the last 24 hours, trading at $3116.91.
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