VanEck Files Delaware Trust for Lido Staked Ethereum ETF, Marking Early Step Toward U.S. Launch
VanEck has moved closer to introducing a staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF) by registering a statutory trust in Delaware, according to a public filing dated October 2.
The proposed fund, named the VanEck Lido Staked Ethereum ETF, aims to provide investors with exposure to Ether (ETH) that is staked through Lido, the dominant liquid-staking protocol on the Ethereum network. Lido enables users to earn staking rewards while maintaining liquidity through its derivative token, stETH.
This registration represents a preliminary step and does not yet qualify as a formal ETF application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Lido currently controls about $38 billion in staked ETH, representing roughly one-third of the total staked supply on Ethereum. Its protocol has become a cornerstone of the proof-of-stake ecosystem, offering an alternative to direct staking for users seeking flexibility and yield.
If approved, VanEck’s proposed ETF would function like a yield-bearing fund, with staked ETH as its core holding — a move that could allow institutional investors to gain exposure to staking rewards without navigating the technical requirements of blockchain participation.
Meanwhile, Lido’s native token, LDO, rose more than 3% over the past 24 hours, reflecting positive sentiment around potential institutional adoption.
Should regulators grant approval, the VanEck Lido Staked Ethereum ETF could become the first of its kind in the U.S., expanding the frontier of crypto-based investment products and signaling growing convergence between decentralized finance and traditional markets.
