VanEck Files Lido Staked Ethereum ETF Registration in Delaware, Seeks SEC Approval for ETH Staking Fund

VanEck has initiated preliminary steps to launch a staked Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF) by registering a statutory trust for the product in Delaware, according to an October 2 public filing. The proposed VanEck Lido Staked Ethereum ETF would provide investors with exposure to ether (ETH) staked through Lido, a decentralized protocol enabling users to earn staking rewards without locking assets directly. This trust registration represents a procedural first step and does not constitute a formal ETF application with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yet. Lido dominates Ethereum staking with approximately $38 billion in ETH locked—about one-third of all staked ether—serving as a key player in Ethereum's proof-of-stake ecosystem by allowing users to earn yield while maintaining liquidity via stETH derivative tokens. In traditional finance terms, the ETF would function similarly to a fund holding interest-bearing assets, but with staked ETH instead of bonds or cash, making staked cryptocurrency accessible to institutional investors preferring the ETF structure and eliminating direct staking technical barriers. Lido's governance token, LDO, has risen over 3% in the past 24 hours. If approved, VanEck's product could become the first staked ETH ETF in the U.S., intensifying competition among issuers launching crypto-based funds.