Ethereum Jumped 8% After CBOE Staked Ether ETF Application
Ethereum prices rose somewhat following filings for staked ETH exchange-traded funds in the United States. On February 12, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange submitted a listing application on behalf of asset manager 21Shares for a spot-staked Ethereum ETF.
On February 12, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange submitted a listing application on behalf of asset manager 21Shares for a spot-staked Ethereum ETF.
“I believe this is the first ETF to file with the SEC and request the ability to permit staking,” said Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart. “The final deadline for this filing will be around the end of October,” he indicated.
Staking to Benefit Investors
The product will use “point-and-click staking,” with the ETH held in custody. Staking rewards will be recognised as income by the fund, which will use reputable staking providers.
There are significant distinctions from “Staking-as-a-Service.” The ETF will only stake ETH held by the Trust; it will not pool ETH from other entities, advertise staking services, promise specific returns, or subsidise risk-reduction measures.
“Not staking the Trust’s Ether would amount to waiving the Trust’s right to free additional Ether, an act analogous to an equity ETP refusing dividends from the companies it holds,” according to the document.
“Allowing the Trust to stake its Ether would benefit investors and help the Trust to better track the returns associated with holding Ether.”
The SEC established in January a new crypto task force to develop laws for the area, helmed by pro-crypto Commissioner Hester Peirce, who had previously intimated that staked ETH ETFs will be allowed under the new government.
Ethereum prices rose 8% in the 12 hours following the revelation, reaching an intraday high of $2,790 from a low of $2,565, according to CoinGecko.
The asset fell marginally during Thursday’s morning Asian trading session, reaching $2,720 at the time of writing. However, ETH remains bearish, having fallen 26% since its 2025 high of $3,700 in early January, and no recent news or positive fundamentals have been able to reverse that trend.
ETH ETF Latest
Institutional investors appear to be having cold feet about ETH, as US spot ETFs experienced their second outflow day of the month on Wednesday.
Greyscale (ETHE) lost $30 million and Fidelity (FETH) lost about $11 million, totalling $41 million. BlackRock’s ETHA fund got no inflows for the day.
Nonetheless, it was recently reported that Goldman Sachs has increased its Ethereum exposure and held about $500 million in Ethereum ETFs, split evenly between BlackRock and Fidelity.