Grayscale Becomes First U.S. Issuer to Pay ETH Staking Rewards

• Grayscale became the first U.S. issuer to distribute Ethereum staking rewards to ETP investors.
• ETHE paid $9.4M in cash from staking income without reducing ETH holdings.
• The move could accelerate the adoption of yield-bearing Ethereum ETFs in U.S. markets.

Grayscale marked an important milestone as the first cryptocurrency issuer to list on US exchanges to distribute Ethereum staking rewards to its clients. The milestone also marks better US market participation in blockchain-based yield.

In a Jan. 5 announcement, Grayscale confirmed that its Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF (ETHE) completed its first-ever distribution tied to on-chain staking activity. The payout represents the first successful pass-through of Ethereum staking income from a U.S.-listed spot crypto exchange-traded product.

First staking payout from a U.S. Ethereum ETP

According to Grayscale, ETHE distributed 0.083178 per share to eligible shareholders. This distribution represented the reward gained between Oct. 6 and Dec. 31, 2025, which was about $9.4 million. The distribution took place on Jan. 6 after a record date on Jan. 5.

Instead of distributing Ether directly, Grayscale converted the accumulated staking rewards into cash. The firm sold the staking proceeds while keeping the fund’s underlying Ethereum holdings unchanged. ETHE began trading ex-dividend on Jan. 5.

This structure allows investors to receive staking income without diluting the ETF’s ETH exposure. As a result, ETHE now combines spot price tracking with a yield component derived from Ethereum’s proof-of-stake mechanism.

A structural shift for Ethereum ETFs

Grayscale activated staking for its Ethereum products in October 2025, making ETHE and its companion product, the Ethereum Staking Mini ETF (ticker: ETH), the first U.S.-listed ETPs to enable staking. It wasn’t until early January that the company officially changed both products’ names to reflect the new capability.

This development is being closely followed by market participants in both crypto and traditional finance. So far, U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs exposed the price alone. Staking rewards add a yield dimension that might reshape the way institutions think about ETH allocations within the portfolios of a fund.

As ETHE is not registered as an Investment Company Act of 1940 investment company, it is more flexible than traditional ETFs. At the same time, the flexibility creates more risks. Simulator performance, lock-up periods in staking, disruptions, or smart contract issues may all affect the returns on the staked Ether.

Competitive pressure builds

Despite these challenges, experts consider the reward a game-changer with regard to fully-regulated cryptocurrency products. The reward shows that blockchain economic systems can work in concert with exchange-traded products without undermining regulatory requirements.

Other major issuers have already taken notice. BlackRock and Fidelity have filed proposals or amendments related to Ethereum staking within ETF structures. However, none have yet completed a reward distribution.

Grayscale plans to expand staking across more of its crypto product lineup. At the same time, the firm emphasized that transparency and investor education will remain central to its approach. The future allocations will be dependent on the performance of staking, the network, and the markets, and will not be on a predetermined schedule.

Ethereum’s role continues to evolve

The successful distribution of the fund demonstrates the ever-increasing importance of the Ethereum network as a source of yields for institutional investors. The use of ETH, therefore, is not strictly limited to the speculative market but provides institutional investors with a regulated means of accessing yields on the blockchain.

With the continued growth of crypto ETFs to more complex uses than just tracking prices, Grayscale sets a trend that is expected to boost the adoption of yielding Ethereum products among U.S. markets.

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