The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that liquid staking tokens (such as stETH, rETH) are not considered securities, granting them legal acceptance and enhancing their opportunities in products like staking-related ETFs.
This regulatory clarification is a turning point in the Ethereum market, as it opens the door for the listing of ETF products containing staking gains. The growing demand for staking and the shrinking free supply are strong indicators of long-term growth.
Increased confidence of institutional investors.
Support for the expansion of decentralized finance (DeFi) products and ETFs.
Laws are still not officially drawn — the guidance is not a binding law.
Any leadership change in the SEC or policies could flip the landscape.
