Key Highlights
- BlackRock introduced its iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) with a first-day trading volume of $15.5M
- The fund began operations with $106.7M in net assets, charging a 0.25% fee (discounted to 0.12% during the first year)
- Large Ethereum holders have accumulated approximately $480M in ETH throughout March, increasing profitable positions
- ETH maintains position above $2,080 with the $2,000 threshold acting as strong support
- Bulls are eyeing a potential rally to $2,800 if ETH successfully breaks through $2,150
The world’s largest asset manager has entered the staked Ethereum market with a new exchange-traded fund, providing institutional investors with another avenue for crypto exposure. Meanwhile, large-scale buyers continue to increase their Ethereum holdings, creating bullish momentum that traders are closely monitoring.
The iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) from BlackRock began trading on Nasdaq this Thursday. During its inaugural session, the product generated
$15.5 million in trading activity across 592,804 shares. Bloomberg’s ETF specialist James Seyffart described the launch as delivering “very, very solid” results for a first-day offering.
Vast majority of the trading is done and we are at $15.5 million in trading volume for the BlackRock staked Ethereum ETF — $ETHB. Very very solid for a day 1 ETF launch https://t.co/5f9VeA9ivq pic.twitter.com/MpwRqeHnwU
— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) March 12, 2026
However, the trading activity remained below two similar Solana-focused staking products. When Bitwise launched its Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) in October, it achieved $55.4 million in first-day volume, while the REX-Osprey SOL + Staking ETF (SSK) recorded $33.7 million during its July debut.
The new BlackRock fund started with $106.7 million in total assets, which are secured through Coinbase custody. The product allocates 80% to staked Ether and maintains 20% in regular Ether. Annual staking returns are projected at approximately 4%, with monthly distributions coming from validation services provided by Figment, Galaxy Digital, and Attestant.
BlackRock charges a 0.25% annual management fee, though this rate drops to 0.12% during the initial year for the first $2.5 billion in managed assets.
Expanding BlackRock’s Cryptocurrency Portfolio
The launch of ETHB expands BlackRock’s digital asset offerings. Since its 2024 introduction, the company’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) has accumulated more than $62.8 billion in total inflows. Meanwhile, the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA) has gathered $11.9 billion during the same timeframe.
Additionally, BlackRock is developing a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF designed to generate returns through covered call strategies on Bitcoin futures contracts.
Ethereum Price Movement and Large Holder Behavior
Over the past seven days, Ethereum has declined approximately 3%, though it continues trading above the $2,000 threshold. For the year, ETH has fallen roughly 30%.
Blockchain analytics from Santiment reveal that major holders have acquired around 240,000 ETH tokens since March began, representing about $480 million in value. During this accumulation period, the proportion of profitable ETH holdings increased from 39.8% to 42.3%.
Recent declines in trading activity suggest that downward pressure may be diminishing, according to market observers.
$ETH is still holding above the $2,000 level.
The macro uncertainty is still there, but Ethereum’s overall strength is good.
For a rally, ETH needs to reclaim the $2,150 level, and a 10%-15% quick rally could happen. pic.twitter.com/JmfoMv9lul
— Ted (@TedPillows) March 12, 2026
Ethereum is presently changing hands above $2,080, staying above its 100-hour Simple Moving Average. The nearest resistance zones are positioned near $2,135 and $2,150. Breaking decisively above $2,150 could trigger advances toward $2,220 and possibly $2,320.
Should prices slip below $2,050, traders would look to support at $2,000, followed by $1,950, with a critical base established around $1,920.
Technical indicators generated a buy signal on the hourly timeframe during Thursday’s U.S. session, though market watchers emphasize that a confirmed breakout of key resistance would strengthen the bullish case before considering aggressive long positions.
