BlackRock announced the launch of the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF, a new exchange-traded product that provides investors with exposure to ether while generating potential income through staking. The product expands the firm’s digital asset investment suite as institutional interest in cryptocurrency-linked investment vehicles continues to grow.
The ETF, trading under the ticker ETHB on Nasdaq, offers investors spot ether exposure while staking a portion of the trust’s ether holdings to earn rewards from the Ethereum network. The launch builds on BlackRock’s existing crypto exchange-traded products, including the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF and the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF, which together manage tens of billions of dollars in assets.
According to the company announcement, the new product is intended to combine digital asset exposure with income potential by allowing the trust to stake some of its ether holdings. Staking enables investors to participate indirectly in securing the Ethereum network while receiving potential rewards generated through the protocol’s proof-of-stake mechanism.
BlackRock said the iShares Trusts are not registered as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and therefore are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds or ETFs registered under the act.
The firm noted that ether represents exposure to the expanding economic activity occurring on the Ethereum blockchain, including decentralized applications, tokenization initiatives, and stablecoin infrastructure. Through the new offering, investors can choose between direct ether exposure through the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF or a staked option designed to generate additional income.
The ETF carries a 0.25% sponsor fee, with a temporary waiver reducing the fee to 0.12% on the first $2.5 billion in assets under management for the first year following launch. If the fund exceeds that threshold during the waiver period, assets above $2.5 billion will incur the full sponsor fee.
BlackRock said it currently oversees roughly $130 billion in assets across cryptoasset exchange-traded products, tokenized liquidity funds, and stablecoin reserve management. The firm added that iShares products captured approximately 95% of industry flows into digital asset ETPs in 2025.
KEY QUOTES:
“Investors are increasingly allocating to digital assets as part of their strategic portfolio construction, and ETHB provides access to income and exposure to the asset in a convenient, transparent way. We continue to innovate to meet client demand and expand access, while providing the transparency and risk management clients expect from BlackRock.”
Jessica Tan, Head Of Americas For Global Product Solutions At BlackRock
“As the world’s second-largest digital asset, Ethereum plays a central role in the long-term growth of blockchain adoption and the expansion of decentralized applications, including tokenization and stablecoin use cases. By bringing together spot ether exposure and staking rewards in an ETP, ETHB provides investors with an important new avenue to participate in the ecosystem’s evolution.”
Robert Mitchnick, Global Head Of Digital Assets At BlackRock
