VanEck and Jito file the first liquid staking-backed Solana ETF

Jito announced the filing of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) based entirely on Solana liquid staking tokens in a partnership with VanEck.

According to an Aug. 22 announcement, the filing represents months of collaborative regulatory outreach between Jito and VanEck, beginning with initial meetings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in February. 

The partnership aims to combine Solana exposure with staking rewards in a regulated wrapper accessible to traditional investors.

Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at VanEck, described the filing as selective but significant. 

He stated via X:

“We’ve been very selective with our single-token ETF filings this year, but today’s S-1 for the VanEck JitoSOL ETF matters. If listed, it would represent a new piece of market infrastructure that bridges DeFi innovation with TradFi accessibility.”

Regulatory clarity

The filing builds on SEC staff guidance issued on Aug. 5, which clarified that liquid staking activities do not constitute securities transactions when properly structured. 

This guidance essentially removed the final regulatory hurdle for staking-enabled crypto ETFs.

Jito’s preparation included a March 2025 securities classification report explaining why JitoSOL operates as a decentralized infrastructure rather than a security. 

The company participated in regulatory comment periods during the summer of 2025, providing feedback on the safe use of liquid staking tokens in exchange-traded products.

Operational benefits

The announcement noted that the JitoSOL structure offers key advantages for institutional investors. Liquid staking tokens eliminate unbonding delays, allowing daily ETF creation and redemption while maintaining staking reward accrual. 

The approach provides regulatory clarity through standard ETF accounting methods, giving investors access to staked Solana yields without operational complications.

Staking yields can offset or exceed expense ratios on networks like Solana, potentially improving long-term returns. The structure supports network security by decentralizing stake across validators, meaning investors contribute to blockchain health.

Jito Foundation Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Uhm worked with ETF issuers, custodians, and exchanges to establish infrastructure enabling VanEck’s product launch. The effort received support from Multicoin Capital, the Solana Foundation, and VanEck.

Further, VanEck and Jito join Canary Capital and Marinade in the group of issuers partnering with liquid staking protocols. Canary amended its Solana ETF filing in May 2025 to name Marinade Select as its staking provider.

The S-1 filing initiates a review process before potential market listing, positioning Jito to advance institutional crypto adoption through regulated on-chain finance products.

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