Overview

• SEC acknowledged Nasdaq’s July 16 proposal to amend BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust prospectus to allow direct or delegated staking of its Ether holdings.
• The amendment would remove a prior restriction and add a new staking provision authorizing the fund to earn rewards via trusted third-party providers.
• Following Federal Register publication, the SEC has up to 45 days, extendable to 90 days, to approve, disapprove, or institute proceedings and has invited public comment.
• Rival asset managers—including Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, Invesco Galaxy, 21Shares, Bitwise, and Grayscale—have submitted comparable staking amendment filings.
• Spot Ethereum ETFs have drawn $9.4 billion in net inflows since their July 2024 debut, underscoring investor appetite for yield-enhanced crypto products.