Grayscale Ether (ETH) staking ETF delayed by the SEC until June

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed its decision on whether to permit Ether staking

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed its decision on whether to permit Ether staking within two of Grayscale's Ethereum funds, further delaying a process that has been closely followed by crypto market participants and asset managers.

According to a notice dated April 14, the SEC will defer its ruling on the Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF and the Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF until June 1.

The final ruling deadline is set for late October. The delay comes two months after the New York Stock Exchange filed a proposed rule change on Grayscale's behalf. It would allow Ether ETF investors to stake their holdings, locking up cryptocurrency to support the network's operations in exchange for yield.

Staking yields have become an important feature for potential Ether ETF investors. Coinbase currently offers an estimated 2.4% annual yield on staked Ether, while rates on Kraken range between 2% and 7%.

In contrast to Bitcoin ETFs, which have seen a total of $35.4 billion in net inflows since the beginning of the year, according to Sosovalue, Ether ETFs have seen comparatively modest demand, with only $2.28 billion in net inflows.

Grayscale is not alone in its pursuit; BlackRock's 21Shares iShares Ethereum Trust also filed for staking permissions in February and awaits SEC approval.

The deferral highlights persistent regulatory caution surrounding staking services in publicly traded products, even as other facets of crypto ETFs advance. On April 9, the SEC approved options trading for multiple spot Ether ETFs, including those from BlackRock, Bitwise, and Grayscale. This move allows these funds to offer derivatives exposure, broadening their appeal to institutional players but still not addressing the core issue of yield generation through staking.

Ether's market performance has lagged relative to peers in the current bull market. As of April 14, the token trades below $2,000, a stark contrast to its 52-week high of $4,112 and still above its November 2021 all-time high of $4,866.

This underperformance stands in contrast to other digital assets like XRP and Solana, both of which have seen triple-digit percentage gains in the latest rally.

The muted demand for Ether ETFs compared to their Bitcoin counterparts, alongside Ether's relatively weak price action, reflects investor hesitancy amid regulatory ambiguity and market volatility. The SEC's actions are unfolding against the backdrop of a broader crypto market downturn, further complicating the approval process.