Grayscale Investments has filed a preliminary proxy statement with plans to add staking capabilities to its proposed spot Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded fund (ETF). This development, aimed at mitigating inflationary pressures from Ethereum’s proof-of-stake protocol, intends to preserve the trust’s value for ETHE shareholders.
According to the statement, the proposal includes four items, emphasizing a creation and redemption process that involves cash and the ability for the trust to stake Ethereum.
This move by Grayscale comes as part of its ongoing efforts to convert the Grayscale Ethereum Trust into a spot ether ETF, in collaboration with NYSE Arca. The proposal follows a similar strategy applied to its Bitcoin trust, which successfully transitioned into a spot bitcoin ETF after receiving approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in January.
Other firms to integrate spot ether ETF proposal
Other firms are also integrating staking into their spot ether ETF proposals, with Fidelity Investments updating its application to include staking provisions. These developments indicate a growing trend among investment firms to incorporate staking as a key feature in their cryptocurrency ETF products.
Despite these advancements, the outlook for regulatory approval of spot ether ETFs remains uncertain. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart has expressed skepticism regarding the SEC’s likelihood of approving such products by May 23. Seyffart noted a shift in his perspective due to a lack of engagement from the SEC on the specifics of Ethereum, contrasting with the prior dialogue around Bitcoin ETFs. This situation points to potential challenges ahead for firms seeking to launch Ethereum-based investment products in the current regulatory environment.
The news follows the report of the SEC postponing its decision on the approval of the Hashdex Nasdaq Ethereum ETF to May 30, 2024, and the ARK 21Shares Ethereum ETF to May 24, 2024.
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