Crypto investors can have it ether way. Last week, BlackRock launched a long-awaited version of its Ethereum ETF that adds the benefits of staking, where the digital asset network’s proof-of-stake validation can offer some yields to investors. The new iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB) is now offered alongside the company’s $6.5 billion Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA), which is currently the largest ethereum fund on the market. “By bringing together spot ether exposure and staking rewards in an exchange-traded product, ETHB provides investors with an important new avenue to participate in the ecosystem’s evolution,” BlackRock’s global head of digital assets Robert Mitchnick said in a statement.
After suffering brutal price declines that started in late 2025, the big digital assets, such as bitcoin and ethereum, have inched up slightly. Ethereum was up about 8% last week, and there has been speculation that the price plunge is mostly over. Values have remained unstable as some investors have been in profit-taking mode after institutional selling last year. ETHB has surpassed $100 million in assets and charges a 25-basis-point fee, with a one-year waiver bringing it down to 12 bps on the first $2.5 billion in assets.
Staking rewards go back to investors as income, though 18% go to iShares and Coinbase. There are two risks that come with staking: slashing and liquidity, said Don Friedman, CEO of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals. The first happens if a validator acts dishonestly and loses a portion of its staked ethereum, while the second relates to ethereum being locked up and potentially trading at a discount. “With a non-staked ethereum ETF, you avoid these risks, and the investor is simply hoping for capital appreciation,” Friedman added.
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