Issuers of spot Ethereum-ETFs in the United States are hopeful for imminent approval from the SEC to include staking of the underlying asset. This was stated by ConsenSys founder Joe Lubin in an interview with Cointelegraph.
The Ethereum co-founder noted that exchange-traded product providers are interested in “better solutions” to address any technical challenges.
“I think it will be great for the technology and the ecosystem, as they rely on us as a foundational environment to do more sophisticated, reliable, and diversified work. I believe it will also lead to greater client diversity,” Lubin added.
According to the explorer Beaconchain, the total deposits of Ethereum validators amount to ~33.7 million ETH, or about 28% of the cryptocurrency’s market supply. U.S.-traded exchange-traded funds have accumulated just over 3% of the asset’s capitalization, according to SoSoValue.
In early December 2024, Bernstein analysts suggested that new SEC leadership might allow ETH-ETF investors to earn additional income from staking. Similar hopes regarding regulatory changes under President Donald Trump’s administration were expressed by YouHodler exchange executive Ruslan Lienha.
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, known as “crypto mom,” also hinted at a possible shift in the agency’s stance following a change in its composition during a December interview with Coinage.
“If the majority of the Commission members who don’t want something to happen are replaced by a majority with the opposite approach, then it will definitely be easier,” she said regarding the potential approval of “staking” ETFs.
On January 20, Gary Gensler resigned as the previous SEC chairman. Acting agency head Mark Uyeda established a cryptocurrency task force led by Peirce.
Back in the day, Trump nominated a digital asset-friendly lawyer, Paul Atkins, for the position of Commission chairman.