Grayscale launches staking on ETHE, ETH and Solana trust GSOL

Grayscale Investments said on Monday, October 6, that it has activated staking for its U.S. listed spot Ethereum exchange-traded products ETHE and ETH and for its Solana trust GSOL, making the firm the first to offer staking rewards through U.S. spot crypto exchange-traded products. The move lets investors in those funds earn staking rewards while maintaining spot exposure to Ether and Solana through traditional brokerage accounts.

Grayscale said the funds will participate in staking passively by delegating assets through institutional custodians and a diversified network of validator providers. The firm indicated staking rewards will accrue to each fund's net asset value rather than being paid out separately, a structure it said supports tax efficiency and maintains the funds primary objective of providing spot exposure.

Staking is a core mechanism for proof-of-stake blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana. Users who stake tokens help validate transactions and secure the networks and receive token rewards in return. Grayscale said passive staking through custodians and professional validators removes the need for investors to self-custody assets or manage validator operations...