"21Shares files SEI ETF with U.S. SEC…staking rewards also included"

Global crypto asset manager 21Shares has submitted an application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a SEI-based exchange-traded fund (ETF). The fund includes a plan to reflect staking rewards, drawing attention to the regulator's decision.

According to crypto-focused media The Block on the 29th (local time), 21Shares said in its S-1 filing to the SEC, "it intends to reflect rewards generated by staking some SEI tokens held by the fund." However, the SEC has not yet approved any staking structures within ETFs. On the same day, the SEC delayed a decision on a request to add a staking option to Grayscale's spot Ethereum ETF.

Currently, Grayscale, BlackRock, 21Shares and others are attempting to include staking structures in spot Ethereum ETFs, but they have not yet been allowed. Since the SEC stated in May that some blockchain staking activities do not constitute the issuance of securities, the industry is watching the possibility of regulatory easing.

Meanwhile, numerous ETF applications based on various altcoins—Litecoin (LTC), Solana (SOL), Dogecoin (DOGE), XRP (XRP), among others—are already pending with the SEC.

Nate Jerasi, CEO of NovaDius Wealth, said, "The SEC is gradually getting closer to allowing staking within ETFs," and "This review will be an important watershed."