The iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (NASDAQ:ETHA) offers institutional investors exposure to Ethereum without requiring an exchange account, thanks to its clean wrapper and deep liquidity. However, ETHA does not allow staking, which means holders miss out on the native yield generated by the Ethereum network.
This gap has become particularly painful during the current drawdown, with ETHA down 40.39% year-to-date through July 13, 2026. In contrast, direct ether staking can earn investors around 3-4% annually. To bridge this gap, some investors may consider switching to Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (NYSEARCA:BSOL), which combines spot crypto price exposure with a live staking program.
BSOL stakes nearly 100% of its Solana holdings and passes the rewards through to shareholders, generating staking revenue and earning approximately 93,965 SOL in staking rewards in Q1 2026. The fund's fee side is competitive at 0.20% annual, with a waiver for three months on the first $1 billion of assets.
However, selling ETHA to buy BSOL means swapping Ethereum exposure for Solana, which carries its own set of risks and differences in developer ecosystems and validator economics. Investors should carefully consider their reasons for holding either fund and whether they prioritize yield or underlying asset exposure.