Asset management giants revise ETH and SOL ETF applications, the era of "stake" returns has arrived.

The latest documents from the SEC show that Bitwise and 21Shares have added staking provisions in the revised S-1 statement, with Ethereum and Solana ETFs expected to shift from passive holding to an active income model, opening a new era of staking rewards for investors with an annualized return of 3%-8%.

Bitwise and 21Shares are taking the lead in staking features

In a revised filing submitted to the SEC this week, two major digital asset management giants, Bitwise and 21Shares, explicitly mentioned for the first time the possibility of incorporating staking mechanisms in ETH and SOL ETFs. This groundbreaking change will allow funds to earn staking rewards by participating in proof-of-stake (PoS) network validations, fundamentally altering the limitations of U.S. cryptocurrency ETFs, which could only passively hold assets in the past.

Industry analysts point out that while the inclusion of terms does not equal formal approval from the SEC, it reflects that the regulatory agency is seriously evaluating this proposal, especially under the pressure of overseas competitors who have already offered on-chain yield products.

The Impact of ETF Staking Returns on Investment Returns

(Source: CryptoSlate)

If the staking feature is approved for implementation, it will bring significant additional returns to ETF holders:

Ethereum ETF: Annual staking rewards 3%-4%

Solana ETF: Annual staking reward 7%-8%

ETF management fee: usually 0.20%-0.30%

Net income potential: staking rewards can fully cover or even exceed management fees

This revenue structure will fundamentally change the competitive landscape for ETF issuers. In the future, when investors choose products, they will no longer only compare expense ratios and liquidity; “net yield” will become the core indicator for evaluating the performance of cryptocurrency ETFs.

Regulatory Attitude Shift Opens Up Integration of DeFi and Traditional Finance

The SEC's consideration of staking terms marks a potential softening of the U.S. regulatory stance on cryptocurrency staking. This move not only allows regulated ETF products to compete with DeFi native yield mechanisms, but more importantly, it opens up a compliant channel for traditional financial investors to participate in the on-chain economy.

If the staking feature is ultimately approved, it will create a win-win situation: investors will gain additional passive income, while the Ethereum and Solana networks will also receive more staking support from the ETF funding pool, strengthening blockchain security.