BlackRock Registers Ethereum Trust in Delaware—ETH ETF Next?

Wall Street titan BlackRock has registered an iShares Ethereum Trust in Delaware.

The registration doesn't mean BlackRock has filed an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer an Ethereum ETF, but analysts today noted that the $8.5 trillion asset manager submitted a similar registration a week before its application for a Bitcoin ETF.

A BlackRock spokesperson told Decrypt in an email that the firm declines to comment on the registration.

Many companies choose to incorporate in Delaware because of its corporate-friendly environment, which includes tax benefits and legal protections. In fact, about 60% of Fortune 500 companies have been registered there.

When BlackRock filed its iShares Bitcoin Trust application in June, ETF experts pointed out that the asset manager has very rarely been rejected by the SEC. But that hasn't guaranteed an approval. Analysts yesterday noted that starting today, the SEC has a window of just over a week when it could hypothetically approve 12 Bitcoin ETF applications.

Meanwhile, there's mounting interest from potential issuers in getting an Ethereum ETF listed. Asset manager Grayscale, which is owned by Digital Currency Group, last month filed to convert its Grayscale Ethereum Trust into a spot ETF.

Early in October, the first Ethereum futures trusts began trading on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). So far, nine have been listed from investment firms ProShares, VanEck, Bitwise, Valkyrie, Kelly, and Volshares.

Meanwhile, Ethereum's price picked up some extra velocity on the news. On Thursday morning, the ETH price surpassed $2,000 for the first time since July, according to CoinGecko.