iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB) vs Osprey Bitcoin Trust (OBTC)

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

Feature
Ratings
Our score4.4/52.8/5
User ratingNo reviews yetNo reviews yet
Fees4.52.5
Size & liquidity4.52.5
Issuer & custody5.03.5
Structure & tracking4.04.0
Extras (staking, options)4.02.0
Specs
TickerETHBOBTC
IssuerBlackRockOsprey Funds
HoldsEtherBitcoin
StructureSpot ETFGrantor trust
Expense ratio0.25%0.49%
Fee waiver0.12% for the first 12 months on the first $2.5B in assetsNot disclosed
Assets under management$1.18B$61.8M
Listed onNasdaqNasdaq
Launch date2026-02-182025-12-19
CustodianCoinbase PrimeNot disclosed
Stakes its holdings Yes No
MarketUnited StatesUnited States
Company
Founded20262019
HeadquartersUnited StatesUnited States
InvestorsNot disclosedNot disclosed
Strengths and weaknesses
Pros
  • 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
  • Trades directly on Nasdaq under ticker OBTC
  • Backs shares with 100% spot Bitcoin rather than futures contracts
  • Eligible for tax-advantaged US retirement accounts like IRAs
  • 0.49% total annual expense ratio
Cons
  • 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
  • Modest fund size of about $61.8M compared to larger spot Bitcoin ETFs
  • Median 30-day bid-ask spread of 0.42% increases trading friction
  • No option for shareholders to withdraw physical Bitcoin directly
  • Exempt from protections provided by the Investment Company Act of 1940
Best forRetirement account crypto exposure, Investors seeking ether staking yields, US brokerage account holdersUS brokerage account holders, Retirement account crypto allocations, Investors seeking spot Bitcoin tracking

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