Grayscale plans quarterly cash payouts for ETH and SOL staking

For crypto ETF investors, Grayscale's latest filing could make Ethereum and Solana staking easier to compare in plain dollar terms. The firm wants its Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF and Grayscale Solana Staking ETF to convert staking rewards into cash and distribute the proceeds to shareholders at least once every quarter, with the process expected to start around Aug. 7.

SEC filings dated July 17 say Grayscale plans to amend both trust agreements. Under the proposed setup, each trust would sell the ETH or SOL it receives from staking, cover expenses not paid by the sponsor, and then send the remaining cash to investors. The quarterly schedule is a minimum, not a promise of a fixed payment date or amount, and distributions could happen more often.

The move would extend a structure ETHE has already used. On Jan. 6, ETHE paid about $0.083 per share, or $9.39 million in total, from staking rewards earned between Oct. 6 and Dec. 31, 2025.

The filings also point to tax tradeoffs. Assuming the trusts keep grantor-trust treatment, U.S. holders would generally recognize staking rewards as taxable income when the trust receives them, even before cash is paid out later. Selling the rewards for cash can also create capital gains or losses.