Grayscale adds staking to Ethereum and Solana investment products in US first

What to know

• Grayscale has added staking to its ether and solana investment products, allowing investors to earn rewards while participating in the security of these networks.

• The update applies to Grayscale's Ethereum Trust ETF, Ethereum Mini Trust ETF, and Solana Trust, which collectively manage $8.25 billion in assets.

• By offering staking through its exchange-traded products (ETPs), Grayscale becomes the first firm to provide this feature in the U.S., the firm said.

Grayscale has introduced staking to its ether and solana investment products, becoming the first firm to offer staking through U.S.-listed spot crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs).

The update applies to the Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHE), Ethereum Mini Trust ETF, and Grayscale Solana Trust (GSOL), which were already available to investors.

Grayscale’s ETHE has an estimated $4.82 billion in net assets, while its mini trust has $3.31 billion. Its GSOL trust has $122.5 million in assets under management.

By adding staking, Grayscale gives investors a way to earn rewards from blockchain networks without directly holding or managing the underlying assets.

Staking is central to how proof-of-stake blockchains like Ethereum and Solana operate. Users who stake their funds help validate transactions and keep the network secure, and earn tokens in return.

Grayscale says it will stake assets passively through institutional custodians and a network of validator providers, aiming to maintain network support while meeting fund objectives. ETHE and ETH offer exposure to ether, while GSOL holds solana and is currently traded over-the-counter.

GSOL could become one of the first listed Solana ETPs with staking if approved for exchange trading, as the firm has filed to convert the fund.