- SEC extends the review for BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust staking amendment to Oct 30.
- Franklin Templeton deadlines set for Nov 13 (ETH staking amendment) and Nov 14 (SOL and XRP ETFs).
- Extensions invoked under Exchange Act Section 19(b)</strong); notices do not indicate approval or denial.
- Filings were submitted to Nasdaq (BlackRock) and Cboe BZX (Franklin) earlier this year.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has pushed back decisions tied to staking features in proposals from BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust and Franklin Templeton, setting new review dates. The agency now targets Oct 30, Nov 13 and Nov 14 for the affected filings, rather than ruling sooner as initially expected.
According to the regulatory notices, the documents do not signal a leaning toward approval or denial; they only state that more time is needed. The Commission is using the longest extension windows permitted before taking final action under Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act.
Filing details and timeline
Franklin Templeton’s Ethereum staking amendment and its Solana (SOL) and XRP ETF proposals were submitted to Cboe BZX in mid-March, while Nasdaq filed BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust staking amendment on July 16.
Under Section 19(b)the maximum available timeframes.
- Oct 30: BlackRock iShares Ethereum Trust staking amendment.
- Nov 13: Franklin Ethereum staking amendment.
- Nov 14: Franklin Solana and XRP ETF proposals.
What the postponements imply
The extensions underscore the SEC’s careful review of how staking might be integrated into exchange-traded products, including handling of staking rewards, validator arrangements, operational controls, and investor-protection disclosures.
For issuers and market participants, the schedule change creates a planning window rather than a verdict. Interest from major asset managers remains evident, but these notices themselves provide no guarantee of outcome.
Scope of the current notices
The latest deferrals explicitly apply to BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust staking amendment and Franklin Templeton’s filings tied to ETH, SOL and XRP ETF proposals. Other crypto ETF applications are outside the scope of these particular orders.
Until the stated dates arrive, the Commission can choose among standard paths: approval, disapproval, or instituting proceedings that could extend the review further within the statute’s limits.
Key questions the SEC is weighing
Among the technical issues likely under examination are the classification and accounting of staking rewards within an ETF, the mechanics for delegating or pausing stake, potential conflicts with custody requirements, and disclosures around slashing and performance variability.
How the SEC addresses those points will determine how a staking-enabled ETF operates day to day, including liquidity considerations, tracking differences versus spot markets, and whether income is distributed or retained within the fund structure.
With firm dates on the calendar—Oct 30 for BlackRock and mid-November for Franklin—attention now turns to how the Commission frames staking within exchange-listed products and whether it will finalize guardrails or request still more time.
