BlackRock begins acquiring ETH for upcoming Ethereum staking ETF
BlackRock purchased seed shares for its iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF, signaling a move toward launching a yield-generating fund.Summary
BlackRock has taken a concrete step toward launching a yield-generating Ethereum fund in the U.S., the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ticker ETHB), by purchasing 4,000 seed shares for $100,000. This new ETF plans to stake 70%–95% of the trust's Ether under normal conditions to generate yield, distinguishing it from BlackRock's existing spot Ethereum ETF which only tracks price. The filing estimates historical annualized staking rates around 3% but cautions that past performance does not guarantee future results. The fund will have a sponsor fee of 0.25%, temporarily waived to 0.12% for the first $2.5 billion in assets under management for the first year. BlackRock and execution agent Coinbase Prime will take an 18% cut of gross staking rewards, with the remainder accruing to shareholders.
(Source：The Block)