VanEck Digital Assets has asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to withdraw the registration of its Lido Staked Ethereum ETF, shelving a proposed fund that would have offered investors exposure to Ethereum staking through Lido’s stETH token. The request, submitted in a Form RW filed with the SEC on October 14, 2026, came almost a year after the sponsor first registered the product and confirms the fund never reached effectiveness.
The withdrawal closes a regulatory path that began when VanEck filed for the Lido Staked ETH ETF in October 2025. The sponsor said it “does not intend to proceed with the planned distribution” of the Trust’s shares, adding that no shares had ever been sold.
What the Withdrawal Request States
Under Rule 477 of the Securities Act of 1933, VanEck Digital Assets asked the SEC to consent to withdrawing the Trust’s registration statement, effective October 14, 2026 or the earliest practicable date. The filing covers the Form S-1 initially submitted on October 16, 2025, together with its amendments and exhibits.
The sponsor confirmed the registration statement was never declared effective, that no securities have been or will be issued or sold under it, and that no preliminary prospectus was distributed. The request was signed by Matthew A. Babinsky, vice president of VanEck Digital Assets.
A Fund That Never Reached Effectiveness
The Lido Staked Ethereum ETF was proposed as a vehicle for exposure to Ethereum staking built on Lido’s stETH, a liquid staking token representing staked ETH. Unlike the spot crypto funds VanEck has already brought to market, the staking-linked product never advanced to an effective registration, and the withdrawal removes one of the more closely watched test cases for a staking-enabled exchange-traded product.
What It Means for Staking-Enabled ETFs
VanEck continues to operate spot crypto ETFs, including its Solana ETF, which launched in November 2025 without a staking component. A fund tied to staking rewards remained in registration for nearly a year before the sponsor pulled it.
The filing gives no reason for the withdrawal beyond the sponsor’s decision not to proceed, so it does not by itself establish why the product stalled. Whether other sponsors keep pursuing staking-enabled ETFs is the next signal to watch.
