SSK, the Solana staking exchange-traded fund (ETF) from REX-Osprey, surpassed $100 million in assets under management (AUM) since its launch on July 2. The fund is the first US-listed ETF to combine spot Solana (SOL) exposure with onchain staking rewards.
While most crypto ETFs are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, which doesn’t allow funds to distribute staking rewards, SSK is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. That structure permits the fund to pay out staking income like dividends, important to investors seeking yield, not just speculation on asset prices.
According to Rex-Opsprey founder and CEO REX-Osprey Greg King, the ETF’s growth shows investor demand for blockchain-native investment products in familiar formats. In a press release, he said SSK is “opening the door for mainstream investors to access the power of Solana staking through the familiar ETF wrapper.”
SOL traded above $200 per coin today and is up 25.3% over the last seven days, according to data from Coingecko.
Speaking with Cointelegraph, King said REX-Osprey aims to expand its ETF lineup to meet client demand. “We’ve also filed for similarly structured ETFs on XRP, DOGE, and ETH. And we’re looking at many more cryptos beyond those.”
He says the product “appeals to registered investment advisers (RIAs) and others who want both exposure to Solana and to receive monthly distributions in an entirely new way from the current ways of generating income.”
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Institutions shift toward staking income
SSK’s Solana fund is part of a broader trend: Institutional investors are warming to staking-based returns as an alternative or supplement to traditional fixed income.
With global interest rates plateauing, Bitcoin price gains slowing and regulatory clarity taking shape in the US, asset managers are turning to crypto yield strategies to boost returns.
In addition to SSK, platforms offering Ethereum staking and tokenized US Treasury products have seen steady inflows from institutional allocators.
While staking ETFs face regulatory hurdles, SSK’s debut could set a precedent for upcoming funds.
On June 13, Fidelity filed an S-1 registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a spot Solana ETF, joining other asset managers in line for staking-tied products including 21Shares, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, Bitwise and Canary Capital, according to ETF analyst James Seyffart.
Currently, no (ETH) ETFs offer onchain staking, though that could change with clearer SEC guidance and as fund issuers find compliant structures under regulatory frameworks.
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