 
 
BlackRock is seeking to go beyond simple Ether (ETH) exposure and participate in Ethereum’s proof-of-stake consensus system. This comes after a recent Delaware filing revealed the $13 trillion asset management giant’s intent to enter the yield-bearing Ethereum market.
BlackRock Moves Closer Toward Staked Ether ETF
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, registered a new Delaware statutory trust, the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF, on Nov. 19, as noted by Bloomberg Senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.
Delaware registrations are procedural first steps that have typically preceded formal exchange-traded fund applications with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Securities Act of 1933.
The next step will involve filing a registration statement with the SEC, which can be an S-1 or another form, depending on the structure of the Ether ETF, to put the product on track for regulatory approval.
If approved, the proposed staking fund would complement BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA), which has attracted nearly $11.5 billion in assets under management since going live on Wall Street in July 2024.
 
In July this year, BlackRock filed a rules-change request to add staking functionality to ETHA, a move that would allow the fund to earn rewards by validating transactions on the Ethereum network.
The registration comes as Ethereum staking ETFs have begun trading in the U.S. In October, Grayscale secured the greenlight to enable native staking for its U.S. Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHE) and Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (ETH) products, becoming the first spot-market funds registered under the Securities Act of 1933 to unlock staking rewards for holders.
More recently, REX-Osprey unveiled an ETH staking fund under the less common Investment Company Act of 1940.
The SEC under the Trump administration has been more open to new crypto exchange-traded products, and recently approved new generic listing standards facilitating quicker approvals, as each application no longer needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
BlackRock’s proposed staking-enabled Ethereum ETF could increase its appeal to yield-focused institutional investors who may have avoided ETH investment vehicles due to their lack of income.
Source: https://zycrypto.com/blackrock-registers-new-staked-ether-trust-etf-in-delaware-eyes-sec-approval/