The Bitwise
Solana
Staking ETF (BSOL) set a new record on its opening day at the New York Stock Exchange, attracting $69.5 million in investments, according to Farside Investors and as highlighted by
Cryptonews
. As the first spot Solana ETF listed in the U.S., this fund gives investors direct access to Solana (SOL) tokens and allows them to earn staking rewards, which are projected to yield around 7% annually, as
Cryptonewsland reported
. The launch represents a significant milestone for institutional involvement in altcoin-focused ETFs, following the SEC’s clarification on proof-of-stake (PoS) activities, which resolved previous regulatory ambiguities.
BSOL outperformed its nearest rival, the REX-Osprey Solana Staking ETF (SSK), which saw $12 million in trading volume on its first day, a comparison noted by
Coinotag's coverage
. This difference highlights growing institutional trust in Solana’s scalable blockchain and its potential for generating returns. “This is truly a landmark event,” commented Kyle Samani, managing partner at Multicoin Capital, pointing out that global institutional investors previously faced barriers to owning Solana.
The SEC issued a staff statement on May 29 clarifying that certain PoS activities, such as staking, are not considered securities offerings under U.S. law. This guidance, which was broadened in August to include liquid staking, paved the way for regulated staking products like BSOL. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas described the $222.8 million in assets before launch as “exceptionally high for a new crypto ETF,” a point also mentioned by
FinanceFeeds
.
BSOL stands apart from conventional spot ETFs by incorporating staking rewards directly into the fund. Bitwise stakes all its
SOL
tokens on-chain, with rewards automatically reinvested to boost returns—an approach also monitored by
Lookonchain
. The fund charges a 0.20% management fee, which is waived for the first three months, making it especially attractive to investors seeking yield. In comparison, SSK takes a diversified route, holding 54% in Solana directly and 43.5% in the CoinShares Physical Staked Solana ETP, with a higher expense ratio of 0.75%.
The ETF’s strong debut is in line with broader trends in crypto ETFs. U.S. spot
Bitcoin
ETFs drew tens of billions in 2024, and Ether ETFs gained momentum mid-year; these trends were discussed in industry analyses such as
Coinotag's analysis
. Analysts at JPMorgan estimate that Solana and
XRP
ETFs could attract between $3 billion and $8 billion in inflows within six months, following a path similar to Bitcoin’s, and Wall Street’s growing interest in Solana was noted by
CryptoFront News
.
Changes in regulations during the U.S. government shutdown also helped facilitate BSOL’s introduction. SEC procedural rules allowed the ETF’s S-1 registration to automatically become effective after 20 days, sidestepping delays caused by staff shortages—a situation described in a
Coinotag report
. This process has led to a surge in crypto ETF approvals, including upcoming products for
Litecoin
and
Hedera
from Canary Capital.
Grayscale’s Solana Trust (GSOL) is scheduled to convert to a spot ETF on October 29, broadening institutional access to Solana’s network. Kristin Smith, president of the Solana Policy Institute, emphasized the ETF’s significance in updating financial systems, citing Solana’s 99.9% uptime and $5 billion in DeFi total value locked.
As the sector develops, experts expect more innovation in staking-focused ETFs. Mercer Park’s acquisition of Cube Group and its plan to build a $500 million Solana treasury for yield generation were reported by
Cryptopolitan
, while Reliance Global Group’s recent move to add SOL to its digital asset holdings was covered by
CardanoFeed
. These developments point to a trend toward more diversified crypto portfolios, with Solana’s 7% staking returns offering an appealing alternative to traditional investments.