ARK 21shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) vs iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB)

How ARK 21shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) vs iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB) compare on our ratings, crypto etf specs, funding, pros and cons.

Feature
Ratings
Our score4.0/54.4/5
User ratingNo reviews yetNo reviews yet
Fees4.54.5
Size & liquidity4.04.5
Issuer & custody4.55.0
Structure & tracking4.04.0
Extras (staking, options)2.54.0
Specs
TickerARKBETHB
Issuer21sharesBlackRock
HoldsBitcoinEther
StructureSpot ETFSpot ETF
Expense ratio0.21%0.25%
Fee waiverNot disclosed0.12% for the first 12 months on the first $2.5B in assets
Assets under management$2.5B$1.18B
Listed onCboe BZXNasdaq
Launch date2024-01-102026-02-18
CustodianAnchorage Digital Bank N.A., BitGo Bank & Trust, N.A., Coinbase Custody International, LtdCoinbase Prime
Stakes its holdings No Yes
MarketUnited StatesUnited States
Company
Founded20242026
Headquarters—United States
InvestorsNot disclosedNot disclosed
Strengths and weaknesses
Pros
  • Annual expense ratio is 0.21%
  • Assets split across Anchorage, BitGo, and Coinbase Custody
  • Net assets under management exceed $2.5B
  • Trades directly through standard US brokerage and IRA accounts
  • Sponsor fee waived to 0.12% on the first $2.5B in assets
  • Generates validator staking rewards without requiring manual validator hardware or pooling
  • Pays staking rewards through scheduled monthly cash distributions
  • Backed by institutional custody via Coinbase Prime
Cons
  • No option for retail shareholders to redeem underlying bitcoin directly
  • Not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940
  • Undergoing a ticker and fund name change in December 2026
  • Trading access limited to US market participants
  • Shares cannot be redeemed for physical ether tokens
  • Subject to validator slashing penalties and Ethereum unstaking lockup periods
  • Sponsor fee rises to 0.25% once initial waiver conditions conclude
  • Concentrated counterparty custody risk with a single custodian
Best forUS brokerage account holders, Retirement and IRA allocators, Investors seeking multi-custodian spot exposureRetirement account crypto exposure, Investors seeking ether staking yields, US brokerage account holders

Highlighted cells show the stronger value in each row. Data comes from each provider's site and public sources; check details before you sign up.