Grayscale, the top digital asset management firm, has reached a landmark achievement in the digital asset investment sector of the United States. Specifically, Grayscale Ethereum ETF ($ETHE) has become the earliest U.S.-based Ethereum ETP distributing staking rewards. As Grayscale mentioned in its latest press release, this milestone indicates the wider shift in the market. Hence, the blockchain-based yield mechanisms are increasingly being integrated into regulated investment initiatives.
Today, Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF (Ticker: $ETHE) became the first U.S. Ethereum ETP to distribute staking rewards back to investors.
Note: $ETHE is trading ex-dividend today as of the open.
Read the press release: https://t.co/oDOSk9B2pG
— Grayscale (@Grayscale) January 5, 2026
Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF Makes History as Earliest U.S. ETP Disseminating Staking Rewards
Grayscale Ethereum ETF ($ETHE) is now the first Ethereum ETP in the U.S. to disseminate staking rewards among the ETF investors. Hence, the present $ETHE shareholders will get a $0.083178 in per-share distribution. The respective distribution will come from the staking reward sale of old staking rewards that were generated from October 6 to December 31 in 2025.
Additionally, the ETF is reportedly trading ex-dividend and will determine the payout eligibility in line with share ownership. This move denotes the earliest instance where a US crypto ETP has effectively monetized as well as dispensed staking rewards. Apart from that, Grayscale has confirmed several fund name changes to improve alignment with staking-enabled strategies.
Thus, it has been renamed $ETHE from Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF. Along with that, $ETH is now Grayscale Ethereum Staking Mini ETF. The respective changes deliver clearer positioning of the products for investors. Simultaneously, the platform stressed that $ETH and $ETHE serve as exchange-traded products (ETPs) and are not registered under 1940’s Investment Company Act. As a result, their category is not in which mutual funds or conventional ETFs are classified.
Driving Staking Adoption at Wide Scale and Innovation in Digital Asset Sector
While discussing this, Peter Mintzberg, the CEO of Grayscale, labeled the development as a key moment for the platform and the entire Ethereum ecosystem. According to him, providing investors with staking rewards reaffirms the company’s leading status in offering cutting-edge digital asset features. Moreover, Grayscale intends to broaden staking operations across more products. Ultimately, the company is poised to give greater confidence to the investors as they look for exposure to diverse yield-generating opportunities within the rapidly evolving crypto industry.