BlackRock Launches Ethereum Staking ETF (ETHB) With $15.5M in Day-One Volume

ETHB Debuts on Nasdaq With $15.5 Million in Trading Volume

BlackRock's iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) began trading on Nasdaq on March 12, marking the asset manager's first Ethereum ETF with built-in staking functionality. Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart reported that first-day trading volume reached $15.5 million.

«NEW: BlackRock is launching their Ethereum Staking ETF today — $ETHB. It will have the same fee as $ETHA at 0.25% bps but has a fee waiver down to 0.12% for the first year or first $2.5 billion in assets.» — James Seyffart (@JSeyff), original post

Investors purchased 621,705 shares during the inaugural session, with assets under management reaching $100 million at launch. Seyffart described these figures as a "pretty solid debut."

However, previously launched Solana-based staking funds outperformed ETHB's opening day. Bitwise's BSOL and REX-Osprey's SSK recorded $55.4 million and $33.7 million respectively.

Why This Matters

The launch of ETHB by the world's largest asset manager expands the suite of regulated products available to investors seeking passive yield from Ethereum without the complexity of running their own staking infrastructure. By packaging staking rewards into a familiar ETF wrapper, BlackRock is bridging traditional finance and DeFi yield mechanics — potentially drawing a new wave of institutional capital into the Ethereum ecosystem.

How ETHB Works

Unlike BlackRock's existing Ethereum funds that simply track the price of ETH, ETHB generates yield by staking between 70% and 95% of its holdings depending on market conditions. Approximately 82% of staking rewards are distributed to shareholders on a monthly basis — mirroring the structure of dividend-paying ETFs. The remaining 18% is allocated among the trust, custodians, and service providers.

The sponsor fee stands at 0.25%, matching BlackRock's standard Ethereum fund ETHA. To incentivize early adoption, a reduced fee of 0.12% applies to the first $2.5 billion in assets.

BlackRock is also preparing to launch a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF. This separate product will sell covered call options on Bitcoin futures, collecting premiums to generate additional yield for investors.

Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF Flows on March 12

Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded combined net inflows of $53.8 million on March 12, extending a positive streak to four consecutive trading days. Total assets under management across these products reached $90.4 billion.

BlackRock's IBIT led Bitcoin fund inflows at $46.1 million. Fidelity's FBTC attracted $15 million, while Grayscale's BTC brought in $4.9 million. Outflows were recorded by Grayscale's GBTC (-$9.8 million) and Bitwise's BITB (-$5.7 million).

Ethereum ETFs saw a combined inflow of $72.3 million on the day. Since their inception, cumulative inflows have reached $11.8 billion. Fidelity's FETH topped the segment with $52 million, followed by BlackRock's ETHA at $18.6 million.

Earlier in March, investment bank Morgan Stanley — managing $1.9 trillion in assets — filed an application to launch its own spot Bitcoin ETF, underscoring the growing appetite among major financial institutions for crypto-linked investment vehicles.