VanEck has made significant updates to its filing for the Avalanche exchange-traded fund (ETF), designated VAVX, by incorporating a strategy focused on staking rewards designed to enhance income for investors. In an amended S-1 registration document submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the firm outlined its intention to stake as much as 70% of its AVAX holdings. This strategic move aims to generate yield for the fund, with Coinbase Crypto Services selected as the initial staking provider.
The structure of the fund stipulates that any rewards generated through staking, after applying a service fee of 4% charged by Coinbase, will accrue directly to the fund. These rewards will subsequently be reflected in the ETF’s net asset value, presenting an appealing proposition for investors looking for income-generating opportunities within the cryptocurrency space.
In terms of asset custody, AVAX will be securely held with regulated custodians, including Anchorage Digital and Coinbase Custody. Both custodians utilize cold storage methods to ensure that tokens are kept offline, enhancing security against potential cyber threats.
The fund’s investment strategy notably does not involve the use of leverage or derivatives, providing a more conservative approach to investment in the cryptocurrency market. Instead, VAVX will track the price of AVAX through the MarketVector Avalanche Benchmark Rate, which is a custom index based on data from major exchanges, thereby providing transparency and reliability in its pricing mechanism.
If the SEC grants approval, the fund is set to be traded under the ticker VAVX on the Nasdaq exchange, marking a significant step forward for VanEck in the cryptocurrency investment landscape. Notably, another firm, Bitwise, recently updated its own filing for a spot Avalanche ETF to enable yield generation, indicating a growing interest in incorporating staking strategies into investment products within the crypto sector.


