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TLDR VanEck filed a request with the SEC to withdraw its application for a Lido staked Ether ETF. The firm said it does not intend to proceed with selling shares of the fund. The fund’s S-1 registration statement was first filed on Oct. 16, 2025. The ETF would have held Lido staked Ether (stETH) and earned certain staking rewards. VanEck did not explain its decision or say if a replacement product is planned. Asset manager VanEck has asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to let it withdraw its application for a Lido staked Ether exchange-traded fund. The move shelves a product designed to give investors exposure to a liquid staking token.The request was made in a filing dated Oct. 14, 2026. In it, VanEck Digital Assets said it “does not intend to proceed with the planned distribution” of the trust’s shares.
The company did not explain what led to the decision. It also did not say whether it plans to pursue a replacement product.
What the Fund Was Meant to Do VanEck first filed the fund’s S-1 registration statement on Oct. 16, 2025. An S-1 is the form companies use to register new securities with the SEC.
The proposed fund would have held Lido staked Ether, known as stETH. This token represents Ether that has been staked through the Lido protocol.
According to the original filing, the fund expected to earn certain staking rewards through its ownership of stETH. Staking rewards are paid to users who lock up tokens to help secure a blockchain network.
The application was one of several new crypto ETF filings submitted in October 2025.
Details of the Withdrawal Request The withdrawal was filed as a Form RW, which is a request for withdrawal. It was made under Rule 477 of the Securities Act of 1933.
The letter was sent to the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance in Washington, D.C. It was signed by Matthew A. Babinsky, a vice president at VanEck Digital Assets.
VanEck asked the SEC to approve the withdrawal as of the filing date, or at the earliest practical date after that. The request covers the original registration statement, all later amendments and all exhibits.
The firm said its only reason for the withdrawal is that it no longer plans to distribute the trust’s shares. No other grounds were given in the letter.
VanEck also confirmed several facts about the fund’s status. The registration statement was never declared effective by the SEC.
The firm said no shares have been issued or sold under the registration statement, and none will be. It added that no preliminary prospectus for the fund was ever handed out.
The letter named two lawyers at the law firm Sidley Austin LLP as contacts for any questions. They are Cliff Cone and Etherial Edetan.
The registration statement carried SEC file number 333-290918. VanEck Digital Assets is based at 666 Third Avenue in New York City.
Cointelegraph reached out to VanEck Digital Assets for comment on the decision. The company has not yet publicly explained why it dropped the fund.