BlackRock has filed for a staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund. The firm submitted an S-1 registration statement to the SEC, beginning the review process for the proposed iShares Ethereum Staking Trust. A separate 19b-4 filing from the listing exchange will be required before regulators face a formal approval deadline.
The move reflects a material shift in SEC posture under Chair Paul Atkins. Under previous leadership, the agency pushed ETF issuers to exclude staking features, citing concerns that staking services could resemble unregistered securities offerings. The updated climate has encouraged several issuers to revisit their earlier filings.
BlackRock already manages an $11 billion Ethereum fund, which will remain distinct from the new product. If approved, the staked version would allow investors to access Ethereum’s yield-generating mechanism without directly participating in staking operations.
