Overview
- Trading under ticker ETHB, the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust recorded roughly $15.5 million in first-day volume, or about 592,804 shares, a level analysts called a solid debut.
- BlackRock launched the fund with about $106.7 million in assets and an initial mix of roughly 80% staked ether and 20% liquid ether to support redemptions and operations.
- According to the prospectus, the trust intends to stake 70%–95% of its holdings and pays investors about 82% of gross staking rewards via monthly cash distributions.
- The sponsor fee is 0.25%, with a one-year waiver that lowers the cost to 0.12% on the first $2.5 billion in assets to encourage early adoption.
- Coinbase is custodian and primary staking operator, with validators Figment, Galaxy Digital and Attestant, as observers note slashing, liquidity and tax considerations for investors.