Grayscale has announced a staking reward payout for its Ethereum Staking exchange-traded fund (ETF). This is the primary time a US-listed spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded product (ETP) has scheduled a payout tied to on-chain staking activity.
According to a press release issued on Monday, Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHE) shareholders will receive roughly $0.08 per share from the proceeds from the sale of staking rewards. The payout is scheduled for Tuesday and relies on the holdings recorded at market close on Monday.
Grayscale enabled staking for its Ethereum products on October 6, with staking occurring through institutional custodians and third-party validation providers. With this move, ETHE and Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (ETH) became the primary US-listed spot crypto ETPs to maneuver closer to Ether staking.
Staking involves locking cryptocurrency on a proof-of-stake blockchain to validate transactions and secure the network in exchange for normal rewards. In the case of Grayscale's Ethereum Trust ETF, rewards are converted into money and distributed to investors in dollars, moderately than being paid out in Ether (ETH).
Grayscale's funds operate outside the Investment Company Act of 1940, the most important law governing U.S. ETFs, a structure that enables staking but offers different regulatory protections than traditional U.S. ETFs.
Founded in 2013, Grayscale Investments is a digital asset manager that sponsors crypto investment products, with roughly $31 billion in assets under management, the corporate said.
According to data from Yahoo Finance, the ETF gained about 2% in early trading.
Source: Yahoo Finance
US discovers Ether ETFs and push for staking
While Grayscale is currently the one U.S.-traded fund issuing payouts related to Ether staking, several spot Ether ETFs from major asset managers are awaiting regulatory approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
In March, Cboe BZX filed a proposed rule change with U.S. regulators searching for approval so as to add a stake to the Fidelity Ethereum Fund. The proposal would allow the fund to speculate some or all of Ether through third-party providers and follows an analogous application filed in February for the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF.
In November, BlackRock registered an Ethereum stakeholder exchange-traded fund in Delaware, a primary step toward launching a staking-ready product that might sit alongside its existing spot Ether ETF. Its iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA), launched in July 2024, doesn’t currently include staking.
Assets under management of Spot Ether ETFs. Source: CoinMarketCap
U.S. spot Ether ETFs began trading in July 2024, making 2025 the primary full calendar yr they were available to investors. During the yr, the funds saw inflows of $9.6 billion.
According to data from CoinMarketCap, US spot Ether ETFs collectively manage about $18 billion in assets.
BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA) is the most important by market cap at around $11.1 billion, followed by Grayscale's ETHE at around $4.1 billion and the Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF at around $1.5 billion.
The five best Ether ETFs by market capitalization. Source: CoinMarketCap
