BlackRock has officially launched the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) for trading on NASDAQ on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The launch marks a major shift for crypto ETFs, introducing a structure that not only tracks the price of Ethereum but also integrates on-chain staking rewards — something previous spot crypto ETFs did not offer.
The product allows investors to gain exposure to ETH through a traditional ETF structure, while the fund can stake a portion of its Ethereum holdings to generate on-chain yield.
BlackRock Debuts Staked ETH ETF
On Thursday, March 12, 2026, BlackRock officially launched the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) on NASDAQ, marking the first yield-bearing crypto fund from the world’s largest asset manager. The fund is designed to directly hold Ethereum while staking a portion of its assets to generate yield from the blockchain network.
📣We are officially staked📣
ETHB combines ether exposure and monthly income potential through the convenience of an exchange-traded product, offering investors a familiar way to get exposure to crypto and potentially benefit from staking rewards.
Learn more about ETHB ⏩… pic.twitter.com/41iKKaDqoD
— iShares (@iShares) March 12, 2026
According to iShares, the fund was established on February 18, 2026, and launched with approximately 4 million shares outstanding, representing more than $100 million in initial net assets. BlackRock applies a standard sponsor fee of 0.25% per year. However, a fee waiver applies, lowering the cost to 0.12% for the first $2.5 billion in assets during the first 12 months starting from March 12, 2026.
If the fund’s assets exceed the $2.5 billion threshold during the promotional period, the portion above that level will be charged the standard 0.25% fee. After the fee reduction program ends, the entire fund will revert to the regular sponsor fee.
iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF. Source: iShares
Previously, BlackRock launched the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), a spot Ethereum ETF that does not integrate staking and provides exposure to ETH through a traditional ETF structure.
What Makes ETHB Different From Previous ETFs
What sets ETHB apart is the fund’s ability to stake the ETH it holds, thereby generating yield directly from on-chain rewards.
Under this mechanism, a portion of the Ethereum held by the fund may be staked through staking service providers to earn rewards from the network. This allows the fund to generate annual staking yields, which typically range between 3–5% depending on network conditions and the number of active validators. As a result, ETHB investors can benefit not only from potential ETH price appreciation but also from additional rewards generated through staking.
In comparison, existing Bitcoin ETFs only provide exposure to the price of Bitcoin and do not generate any on-chain yield. Even previous spot Ethereum ETFs primarily track the price of ETH without integrating staking.
Because of this structure, ETHB could transform Ethereum into a yield-generating asset within an ETF framework—an element many analysts believe could make the asset more attractive to traditional investors seeking income-generating investments.
Could ETHB Help ETH Outperform BTC?
The launch of the staking-enabled Ethereum ETF comes at a time when Ethereum is attempting to improve its performance relative to Bitcoin. After the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) officially began trading on NASDAQ, the price of Ethereum recorded a short-term positive reaction.
ETH/BTC Price Chart. Source: Tradingview
Within roughly 24 hours, ETH price rose from around $2,020 to nearly $2,147 before trading around $2,128 on the afternoon of March 13. During the same period, the ETH/BTC pair also increased from approximately 0.0289 to nearly 0.0299 before pulling back to around 0.0293.
The launch of ETHB has immediately revived the long-standing debate between Ethereum and Bitcoin over which asset can attract more institutional capital in the next market cycle, a hot topic on CoinMarketCap.
However, while ETHB may create a new narrative for Ethereum, whether ETH can truly outperform BTC will still depend on multiple factors such as ETF inflows, macroeconomic conditions, and the market’s long-term adoption. For now, Bitcoin ETFs continue to dominate the majority of global crypto ETF capital flows.
A New Phase for Crypto ETFs
The launch of the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) by BlackRock signals that crypto ETFs are entering a new phase, where traditional financial products not only provide price exposure to digital assets but also begin integrating on-chain yield sources such as staking.
If this model proves successful, it could pave the way for the next generation of crypto ETFs, where staking and other forms of on-chain rewards are integrated into traditional finance.
