VanEck Seeks SEC Approval to Withdraw Lido Staked Ethereum ETF Application

Asset manager VanEck has requested permission from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to withdraw its proposed Lido Staked Ethereum ETF. The company submitted the withdrawal request on October 14, 2026, ending plans for an investment product linked to Lido’s liquid staking token, stETH. VanEck Digital Assets confirmed that it no longer intends to proceed with the planned share offering.

VanEck initially submitted its S-1 registration statement on October 16, 2025. The proposed ETF would have held stETH, allowing investors to gain indirect exposure to Ethereum while benefiting from staking rewards. Lido’s liquid staking protocol enables users to stake Ether and receive transferable tokens representing their deposits and accumulated rewards. The fund aimed to track stETH’s price performance after expenses.

However, the SEC never declared the registration statement effective, and VanEck confirmed that no shares were issued or sold. The company also stated that it had not distributed a preliminary prospectus to prospective investors. Consequently, the proposed trust has no shareholders affected by the withdrawal. VanEck did not disclose why it abandoned the application or whether it plans to introduce a replacement product.