Grayscale pays for staking in Ethereum ETF and marks a new step in the US.

• Ethereum ETF distributes staking rewards to shareholders.
• Grayscale leads innovation in cryptocurrency ETFs in the US.
• Ethereum staking increases institutional attractiveness.

Grayscale has begun distributing staking rewards to investors in its Ethereum ETF, a move that reinforces the evolution of cryptocurrency-linked products in the traditional financial market. The asset manager reported that the Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF has become the first Ethereum ETF to directly distribute staking income to shareholders, setting a new precedent for this type of structure in the United States.

According to a statement released on Monday, the payments refer to rewards accumulated between October 6 and December 31. Each shareholder will receive “US$0,083178 per share held,” with settlement scheduled for January 6. The initiative positions staking as an effective part of the investor experience in Ethereum ETFs, something that has been anticipated since the approval of these products.

Peter Mintzberg, CEO of Grayscale, highlighted the relevance of the announcement for the industry.

“Distributing staking rewards to ETHE shareholders is a historic moment, not only for Grayscale, but for the entire Ethereum community and ETPs in general,”

He stated. He added that, by distributing these rewards, the company expands access to functionalities typical of the Ethereum ecosystem within the exchange-traded fund format.

The enabling of staking in Ethereum ETFs initially occurred in October, when Grayscale included the feature in two of its spot products, later renamed Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF and Grayscale Ethereum Staking Mini ETF. Since then, other asset managers have launched Ethereum ETFs with similar offerings, indicating a growing competition for investors interested in passive income via staking.

This advancement comes amidst greater regulatory openness for cryptocurrencies in the US. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first Ethereum ETFs in 2024, attracting billions of dollars in assets under management and expanding the institutional presence of the asset. Under the administration of current US President Donald Trump, new crypto ETFs have entered the market, including products linked to DOGE, Solana, and XRP, some also offering staking capabilities.

With the distribution of rewards, Grayscale's Ethereum ETF now offers an additional layer of return aligned with the network's operation, bringing traditional investors closer to the core characteristics of Ethereum and consolidating staking as a relevant element in the structure of cryptocurrency ETFs.