The first U.S.-listed spot Solana ETF that includes staking rewards has officially made its debut, and according to Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas, it’s off to a lively start.
Launched Wednesday at market open, the "REX-Osprey Solana + Staking ETF" racked up around $33 million in trading volume by the end of its first day, utperforming Solana and XRP futures ETFs..
This reflects early interest from investors seeking exposure to SOL and passive income through staking, all wrapped in a regulated investment vehicle.
A new chapter for staking in ETFs
Balchunas noted the fund closed its debut session with roughly $1 million in assets under management (AUM), but that number could climb quickly.
Based on the day-one trading activity, he estimated the AUM might hit $10 million on day two.
While most U.S. staking ETFs are still stuck in regulatory limbo, the REX-Osprey fund got a green light thanks to its registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, a more stringent regulatory framework that allows ETFs to offer enhanced investor protections, including the requirement to custody assets with a qualified third party.
That’s where Anchorage Digital enters the scene.
As the only federally chartered bank currently allowed to both custody and stake crypto assets, Anchorage was tapped as the ETF’s exclusive custodian and staking provider.
The firm’s CEO Nathan McCauley said in a statement that staking represents “the next chapter” for crypto ETFs, positioning Anchorage as a key infrastructure player for institutions looking to enter the space with confidence.
Institutional interest and what comes next
The launch of the REX-Osprey ETF arrives at a time when institutional interest in crypto is gradually evolving from passive exposure to more yield-oriented strategies.
Unlike derivatives or futures-based products, this spot ETF actually holds the underlying SOL tokens and distributes staking rewards to shareholders, bringing the ETF model closer to crypto-native mechanics.
While it’s still early days, the fund’s strong opening suggests there's a growing appetite for crypto products that bridge traditional finance structures with blockchain-native features.
