Overview
- BlackRock named Galaxy Digital an approved validator for its iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) Thursday, adding it to a roster that includes Figment and Attestant.
- ETHB, which launched last month as BlackRock’s first ETF built to earn staking rewards, holds Ether, stakes it through vetted providers, and pays those rewards to shareholders each month.
- The fund reported more than $435 million in assets as of April 8, with about $339 million already staked through institutional validators.
- Galaxy said BlackRock chose it for its systems, scale, and accountability, highlighting a buildout that reached $5 billion in staked assets across Ethereum, Solana, and other networks by the end of 2025.
- Galaxy’s recent integrations and products—custody links with BitGo, Zodia, Fireblocks, and Coinbase Prime, the Liquid Collective initiative, staking on GalaxyOne, and on-chain proxy voting with Broadridge on Avalanche—help explain its selection and point to broader institutional use of staking.