Hashdex Adds Staking Income Structure to Nasdaq CME Crypto Index ETF
Key Takeaways
- •Hashdex introduced a staking structure for its Nasdaq CME Crypto Index ETF that allows the firm to keep the initial portion of staking income.
- •A July 23, 2026 prospectus supplement says Hashdex receives net staking income up to 0.25% of the fund’s common-share net asset value before sharing additional rewards.
- •Any staking income above that threshold will be split 60% to shareholders and 40% to Hashdex.
- •Coinbase Cloud will act as the initial staking provider when the program begins.
- •Hashdex plans to stake between 10% and 20% of the fund’s net asset value, while its holdings included Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano as of July 26, 2026.
Crypto asset manager Hashdex has introduced a staking structure for its Nasdaq CME Crypto Index ETF (NCIQ) that allows the firm to retain the first portion of staking income before distributing additional rewards to investors. The move comes as crypto ETFs are increasingly being built not just for asset exposure, but for yield features that can help them stand out in a crowded market.
The development follows a similar step taken a week earlier by another major crypto asset manager, Grayscale, which introduced quarterly cash distributions from staking rewards on its Ethereum and Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs). That approach marked one of the clearest efforts yet to position crypto ETFs as income-generating products rather than instruments for price exposure alone.
Under a prospectus supplement filed on July 23, 2026, staking provider fees are deducted first. Hashdex then receives all remaining net staking income up to an annual threshold equal to 0.25% of the fund’s common-share net asset value through a Sponsor Share. Any staking income above that threshold is split, with 60% going to shareholders and 40% retained by Hashdex.
Coinbase Cloud will serve as the initial staking provider once the program becomes operational.
Hashdex plans to stake between 10% and 20% of the fund’s net asset value. As of July 26, 2026, Ethereum accounted for 11.75% of the ETF’s holdings, Solana represented 3.17%, and Cardano made up 0.49%, although not all of those assets will necessarily be staked.
Provider commissions vary by network, including 8% on Ethereum and Solana staking rewards and 5% for Cardano.
The move comes as institutional crypto products increasingly compete on staking yield rather than management fees alone. After U.S. regulators opened the door to staking-enabled crypto ETFs, fund issuers began passing validator rewards through to shareholders, turning staking income into a key selling point alongside price exposure. Hashdex’s structure differs in that it allows the asset manager to capture an initial portion of staking returns before investors participate, reflecting how product design is becoming part of the competition among issuers offering similar underlying crypto exposure.