Solana Staking ETF Marks Institutional Entry Point
Wall Street finally gets skin in the game with first Solana staking ETF—900M reasons why institutions are dabbling in crypto yields.
TRON's regulatory headache becomes the elephant in the room as tradfi players tip-toe into DeFi.
Bonus jab: Because nothing says 'serious investment' like chasing 8% yields while pretending not to notice the SEC's side-eye.
First US staking ETF with Solana access
REX Shares and Osprey Funds are launching the SSK ETF today, an innovative US exchange-traded product that, for the first time, combines Solana exposure with native staking yields in a regulated format. This allows investors to benefit not only from price movements but also from ongoing network returns of approximately 8% per annum.
Following the announcement, SOL briefly surged to around $160 – a gain of roughly six percent – before giving up most of its intraday gains. Despite the move, the token remains approximately 46% below its all-time high. Still, experts view the new ETF as a potential catalyst for increased institutional capital flows seeking diversification beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Structure and Regulatory Framework
The ETF is built on a C-Corporation structure with a Cayman Islands vehicle and includes not only direct SOL holdings but also shares in existing Solana ETPs from Canada and Europe. The regulatory setup was deliberately chosen to enable staking under SEC-compliant conditions.
This is not a traditional spot ETF in the BlackRock style, but rather a hybrid structure combining a US ETF wrapper with offshore staking exposure-a functional compromise between regulatory feasibility and on-chain performance. As early as May, the SEC signaled that staking components could be permitted in ETFs-the REX-Osprey model is the first realization of this possibility in a US product.
Expanding Access: Altcoins and Regulated Yield Strategies
The new ETF signals a widening of the regulatory corridor for altcoins-especially those with economically relevant network functions. Products based on SOL, XRP, and other Layer-1s are now being traded with high approval probability. The REX-Osprey vehicle could serve as a blueprint for structured altcoin products with integrated yield models. Staking, which has so far been largely retail-driven, gains institutional legitimacy through this structure-embedded within a regulated security.
Solana’s Role in the Emerging On-Chain Financial Architecture
That Solana is the first to underpin a US staking ETF highlights the network’s growing institutional relevance. With extremely high transaction capacity, low fees, and expanding DeFi, NFT, and payment activity, Solana is increasingly seen as a viable Layer-1 alternative to Ethereum.
Moreover, Solana is also emerging as the platform of choice for the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) and the integration of regulated stablecoins. The growing integration of tokenized assets and digital payment flows on a blockchain basis further underscores Solana’s increasing importance as infrastructure for the institutional capital market.
