Securities exchange Cboe BZX is seeking permission from US regulators to incorporate staking into Fidelity’s Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to a March 11 filing.
The filing marks Cboe’s latest attempt to support staking for the Ether (ETH) funds traded on its US exchange.
Cboe’s proposed rule change would allow Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH) to “stake, or cause to be staked, all or a portion of the Trust’s ether through one or more trusted staking providers,” the filing said.
The Fidelity Ethereum Fund is among the most popular Ether ETFs, with nearly $1 billion in assets under management, according to data from VettaFi.
In February, Cboe asked permission to add staking to another Ether ETF, the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF.
Staking Ether enhances returns and involves posting ETH as collateral with a validator in exchange for rewards.
As of March 11, staking Ether yields approximately 3.3% APR, denominated in ETH, according to Staking Rewards.
Other popular cryptocurrencies, including Solana (SOL), also feature staking mechanisms.
Staking rewards by asset type. Source: Staking Rewards
Related: SEC seeks comment on in-kind redemptions for Bitcoin, Ether ETFs
Proposed rule changes
The US Securities and Exchange Commission must still approve Cboe’s proposed rule changes before staking can commence.
In February, the SEC acknowledged more than a dozen exchange filings related to cryptocurrency ETFs, according to records.
The SEC’s acknowledgments highlight how the agency has softened its stance on crypto since US President Donald Trump started his second term on Jan. 20.
In addition to staking, the filings, submitted by Cboe and other exchanges, addressed proposed rule changes concerning options, in-kind redemptions and new types of altcoin funds.
Cboe has also asked permission to list Canary and WisdomTree’s proposed XRP (XRP) ETFs and support in-kind creations and redemptions for Fidelity’s Bitcoin (BTC) and ETH ETFs, among other proposed changes.
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