Jito has announced a filing for an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that focuses entirely on Solana liquid staking tokens in collaboration with VanEck.
As per an announcement on Aug. 22, this filing results from several months of regulatory collaboration between Jito and VanEck, starting with early discussions with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in February.
The collaboration seeks to integrate Solana exposure with staking rewards in a regulated framework that is accessible to traditional investors.
Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at VanEck, referred to the filing as selective yet essential.
He noted on X:
“This year, we’ve been very discerning with our single-token ETF filings, but today’s S-1 for the VanEck JitoSOL ETF is significant. If it gets listed, it would create a new piece of market infrastructure bridging DeFi innovation with TradFi accessibility.”
Regulatory Clarity
The filing builds on SEC staff guidance issued on Aug. 5, clarifying that liquid staking activities don’t qualify as securities transactions when appropriately structured.
This guidance effectively eliminated the final regulatory barrier for staking-enabled crypto ETFs.
Jito prepared by submitting a March 2025 securities classification report that explains why JitoSOL is a decentralized infrastructure rather than a security.
The company engaged in regulatory comment periods in the summer of 2025, providing insights on the safe utilization of liquid staking tokens in exchange-traded products.
Operational Advantages
The announcement highlighted that the JitoSOL structure presents significant benefits for institutional investors. Liquid staking tokens remove unbonding delays, enabling daily ETF creation and redemption while continuing to earn staking rewards.
This model offers regulatory clarity through standard ETF accounting practices, allowing investors to access staked Solana yields without operational difficulties.
Staking yields can either offset or surpass expense ratios on networks like Solana, potentially enhancing long-term returns. The structure supports network security by decentralizing stake across validators, contributing to blockchain health.
Jito Foundation Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Uhm collaborated with ETF issuers, custodians, and exchanges to set up infrastructure for VanEck’s product launch. This initiative received backing from Multicoin Capital, the Solana Foundation, and VanEck.
Additionally, VanEck and Jito join Canary Capital and Marinade in partnering with liquid staking protocols. Canary modified its Solana ETF filing in May 2025 to designate Marinade Select as its staking provider.
The S-1 filing starts a review process prior to a potential market listing, positioning Jito to propel institutional crypto adoption through regulated on-chain finance products.
