BlackRock just launched a new type of Ethereum fund that earns rewards for investors automatically. The iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF, trading under the ticker ETHB, recorded $15.5 million in volume on its first day on the Nasdaq exchange.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- BlackRock’s ETHB is a new Ethereum ETF that earns staking rewards, similar to earning interest on a savings account.
- The fund traded $15.5 million on day one and launched with $106.7 million in assets held by Coinbase.
- ETHB charges just 0.12% in fees for the first year (normally 0.25%), making it one of the cheapest Ethereum staking options available.
What Is a Staked Ethereum ETF?
To understand ETHB, you first need to know what “staking” means. When you stake Ethereum, you lock up your coins to help run the network. In return, the network pays you rewards, currently around 4% per year.
Think of it like a savings account. Your bank uses your deposit to make loans and pays you interest. Staking works the same way, but for a blockchain (a digital ledger that records transactions) instead of a bank.
Before ETHB, BlackRock already had an Ethereum ETF called ETHA. But ETHA just holds Ethereum without staking it. That is like keeping cash under your mattress instead of earning interest.
ETHB stakes about 80% of its Ethereum holdings and passes the rewards to investors. It is BlackRock’s third crypto ETF, following its Bitcoin fund (IBIT) and the original Ethereum fund (ETHA).
How Did ETHB Perform on Its First Day?
ETHB traded 592,804 shares worth $15.5 million on its Nasdaq debut. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart called that “very, very solid for a day 1 ETF launch.”
The fund started with $106.7 million in assets. Coinbase serves as custodian, while three validators, Figment, Galaxy Digital, and Attestant, handle the actual staking.
For comparison, the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) attracted $55.4 million in debut volume last October. ETHB started slower, but BlackRock’s reputation could drive much larger inflows over time.
Before the launch, Seyffart highlighted a notable change in BlackRock’s ETHB filing. The company reduced its staking fee from 18% to 10% of rewards.
UPDATED filing from BlackRock here on their Ethereum Staking ETF — $ETHB The main change ive noticed so far is a change to the Staking fee. Which will be 10% of rewards with a potential tiered discount. The last filing had the staking fee at “18% of Gross Staking” https://t.co/1FACv305nk pic.twitter.com/teL9AVKVDj
— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) March 6, 2026
Source: @JSeyff on X
What Does This Mean if You Own Ethereum?
Ethereum traded at $2,116 at press time, up about 3% over the past 24 hours. Despite the daily gain, the broader crypto market remains cautious. The Fear & Greed Index sits at 15, deep in “Extreme Fear” territory.
If you already hold Ethereum on an exchange like Coinbase, you might wonder why you need ETHB. The answer is convenience. ETHB lets you earn staking rewards through a regular brokerage account, like Fidelity or Schwab, without needing a crypto wallet.
Jay Jacobs, BlackRock’s head of U.S. equity ETFs, explained the thinking. Some investors who hold Ethereum directly “weren’t ready to move into an exchange-traded product because they would lose” their staking rewards. ETHB removes that trade-off.
The fees are beginner-friendly too. ETHB normally charges 0.25% per year, but BlackRock is waiving half that fee for the first year on the first $2.5 billion in assets. That brings the cost down to just 0.12%. A $1,000 investment would cost about $1.20 in annual fees during that period.
What to Watch Next
BlackRock’s crypto ETFs have already attracted massive institutional investment. Its Bitcoin fund (IBIT) has pulled in $62.8 billion since 2024. The original Ethereum ETF (ETHA) has drawn $11.9 billion, fueled in part by growing institutional demand for Ethereum.
Analysts expect some investors to shift money from ETHA to ETHB to capture the staking yield. Others who previously avoided Ethereum ETFs may see the added yield as a reason to get in. BlackRock captured roughly 95% of digital asset fund flows in 2025.
The fee waiver runs for one year or until ETHB reaches $2.5 billion in assets. That gives early investors a limited window to access one of the cheapest Ethereum staking options through a regulated, exchange-traded fund.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
