Global asset management leader BlackRock officially submitted an application to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week, preparing to launch the "iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB)"—which is focused on a spot ETF for Ether that can participate in staking.
BlackRock completed the fund name registration in Delaware, USA a few weeks ago. According to the latest submitted S-1 registration statement, "This trust fund aims to reflect the performance of the price of Ether and the rewards obtained from staking a portion of the Ether in the trust."
If this new fund is approved for listing, investors will be able to participate in Ether staking directly through the ETF, without the need to operate, custody, or assess technical risks themselves.
This is not BlackRock's first foray into Ether ETFs; the company launched the 'iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA)' back in July 2024, when the SEC, led by former chairman Gary Gensler, reportedly required all issuers to remove references to 'staking' from their application documents, citing that staking services could be deemed unregistered securities offerings.
Under the leadership of new chairman Paul Atkins, the SEC's stance has softened, and several issuers are currently actively re-submitting or amending ETF documents to incorporate staking features into existing products, while BlackRock has chosen to launch a brand new fund.
BlackRock's ETHA currently has an asset management scale (AUM) of approximately $17 billion, making it the world's largest spot Ether ETF, which will operate independently from the staking Ether ETF.
"Aiming for a new wave of capital! BlackRock applies to launch the 'staking Ether ETF'" This article was first published on (Block客).
