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Why The SEC Needs to Allow Staking in Exchange-Traded Products

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For far too long, the U.S. has been falling behind the rest of the world on staking policy. Now, in just the first 30 days of the Trump Administration, staking has been mentioned in Congressional hearings, listed as a top priority by the SEC’s newly created crypto task force and is today the focus of a bipartisan letter from lawmakers challenging the previous SEC’s stance on its inclusion in exchange-traded products (ETPs). Many in the digital asset sector celebrated when the first spot ether ETFs were approved in September of last year. It was a giant leap forward for the second-largest cryptocurrency, achieving legitimacy in the eyes of U.S. regulators. But there has been one glaring omission within these financial products: the ability to stake the held assets and profit by doing so. 

Now a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) is leading the way to correct that. In a letter delivered to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, they are challenging the SEC’s directive to exclude protocol staking in ETPs, highlighting how this position could undermine both investor protections and the competitiveness of U.S. markets.

The SEC’s prohibition on staking within ETPs is based on a faulty understanding of how staking works on proof-of-stake networks like Ethereum. Staking is not an investment product in itself. Rather, it is a fundamental technical requirement for securing and validating transactions on proof-of-stake networks. When token holders stake their assets, they contribute to the network’s security, and in doing so earn rewards generated by the protocol itself — not from any centralized authority.

International competitiveness

The SEC’s directive to spot ether ETP issuers to exclude staking raises serious concerns about America’s competitive position in global digital asset markets. While the United States hesitates, other major financial centers including Switzerland, Canada, Germany and Australia have embraced staking in their digital asset ETPs, recognizing its integral role in network security and operational stability. Just last month, the U.K. issued a statutory instrument acknowledging that arrangements for qualifying crypto asset staking do not amount to a collective investment scheme, reinforcing its importance in securing and maintaining blockchain networks.

Because staking is essential for securing proof-of-stake networks, it also means that if there were no one staking their ether, then all of the assets within these ETPs would be at risk. This means that, perversely, the SEC has forced American investors into a position where their investments are only protected by assets held in other jurisdictions.

Crucially, the impact of these regulations extends beyond just the Ethereum blockchain, but applies to possible future ETPs of other networks that also use proof-of-stake such as Solana, Avalanche and Polkadot. As the digital asset sector grows, the impact of this misguided regulation will only deepen.

Getting this regulation wrong hurts both American investors and the U.S. economy. Either investors accept domestic products without staking and the associated rewards, limiting their financial returns, or they seek exposure through off-shore alternatives, driving capital offshore and out of U.S. stock exchanges. Without staking, ether ETP holders gradually lose their relative network ownership position due to the inflationary nature of staking rewards.

This economic reality makes U.S. products less competitive and less attractive to investors seeking comprehensive exposure to the Ethereum ecosystem. Even more troubling, this outcome appears to contradict the SEC’s core mission of investor protection, likely pushing investors toward investment vehicles in other jurisdictions that may not meet the investor protection standards available to investors in the U.S.

The technical risks associated with staking, when managed by sophisticated validators, are minimal and well-understood. The often-cited «slashing risk» — a penalty mechanism for dishonest validation attempts — has affected just 0.001 percent of staked ether to date. This data suggests that the SEC’s cautious stance may be disproportionate to the actual risks involved.

What’s at stake

As we await the SEC’s response to the important questions raised by Congress, American investors continue to be at a distinct disadvantage. The path forward requires a balanced approach that recognizes staking for what it is — a technical mechanism for network security — while ensuring there is appropriate oversight when it is offered within regulated investment products.

As the letter rightly points out, while only Congress can create a comprehensive regulatory framework, the SEC has the authority to permit staking in ETPs. Doing so would align with both the agency’s mandate to protect investors and the goal of maintaining U.S. leadership in global financial markets.

The bipartisan Congressional letter to SEC Commissioners Uyeda and Peirce endorsing Protocol Staking in Digital Asset ETPs is a significant milestone for investors – both crypto native and institutional. With Uyeda having criticized what he has called the “weaponization” of the SEC’s enforcement functions and crypto advocate Paul Atkins being nominated to take over the role of SEC Chair, we have a rare opportunity to make progress on one of the most common sense issues in the digital asset landscape.

It’s beyond time for the SEC to assume a leadership position when it comes to protocol staking, which powers the digital asset sector. This befits the aspirations of the American economy and the Americans who rely on it.

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Bitcoin’s Breakout Signals BTC Potentially Rallying to $90K-$92K: Technical Analysis

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This is a daily technical analysis by CoinDesk analyst and Chartered Market Technician Omkar Godbole.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) recent range play resolved bullishly early Monday, shifting focus to the $90,000-$92,000 range, which was previously a strong support zone.

The leading cryptocurrency by market value rose past $87,000, convincingly breaking out of a week-long consolidation between $83,000 and $86,000. The renewed willingness among the bulls to lead the price action indicates the resumption of the recovery from the April 7 lows under $75,000.

It also means potential for a continued move higher to the $90,000-$92,000 range, which acted as the floor, arresting price drops from December to early February. The support zone was eventually breached in late February, spurring a rapid decline to under $75,000.

BTC's hourly and daily charts. (TradingView/CoinDesk)

The range breakout is seen on the hourly chart (left).

It follows the recent invalidation of the bearish trendline, characterizing the sell-off from record highs, as seen on the daily chart. BTC has also surpassed the 30-day exponential moving average (EMA) of price highs, indicating a bullish shift in momentum.

The focus, therefore, is on the $90,000-$92,000 range, the former support zone from early this year. Those tracking moving averages should note that the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) is now located at $88,245.

The bullish outlook risks invalidation should prices fall all the way back to $85K by the day’s end (UTC).

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Stablecoin Giant Circle Is Launching a New Payments and Remittance Network

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Circle, the firm behind the $60 billion USDC stablecoin, is launching a new payments and cross border remittance network on Tuesday — the company’s “next product move” — from its plush New York City headquarters, high on the 87th Floor of One World Trade Center.

The launch event is aimed at banks, fintechs, payment service providers, remittance providers and USDC strategic partners. It will feature Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire sharing his vision for the stablecoin giant’s next move within the payments space, according to an invite seen by CoinDesk.

New and incipient regulations around the globe are opening up the stablecoin space, where Circle has shared the limelight with larger rival Tether. It makes sense then that Circle — a firm that has successfully pivoted during its years in the crypto space — should look to consolidate its position and return to its roots as a payments company.

“Circle is launching a payments network that is initially targeting remittances but is ultimately aiming to rival Mastercard and Visa,» said a person familiar with the plans.

Stablecoins have reached an adoption level where the technology could disrupt global money transfers in a way similar to WhatsApp and international calls, VC firm Andreessen Horowitz said in recent report.

In a recent interview, crypto custody tech specialists Fireblocks pointed to billions being moved around by payments services providers doing things like cross border payments using stablecoins like USDC and USDT.

Circle was in the news most recently, after the firm announced plans to go public in the U.S., only to postpone the date of its IPO thanks to choppy and uncertain market conditions.

Circle did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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BNB, SOL, XRP Spike Higher as Bitcoin ‘Digital Gold’ Narrative Makes a Comeback

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Surging gold prices and bitcoin’s (BTC) relatively strong price action amid a global market sell-off have some traders revisiting the latter’s role as “digital gold” — a big narrative in bitcoin’s early years but one that has lost steam in recent times.

BTC zoomed above $87,000 in Asian morning hours, with Cardano’s ADA, BNB Chain’s BNB, XRP and ether (ETH) adding as much as 1.5%. The spike reversed all declines since Thursday, with tokens such as Solana’s SOL up 5.2% in the past week.

The tariff-driven trade wars have sparked fears of inflation and currency devaluation, prompting comparisons of the asset to gold’s historical role as a hedge.

“Although bitcoin has had a close correlation with U.S. equities, it seems to be changing with a stronger tie to the rise of the price of gold, which has been a safe haven while equities have plummeted,” Nick Ruck, director at LVRG Research, told CoinDesk in a Telegram message on Monday.

“Bitcoin crossed $87,000 as a sign of renewed investor confidence as the market continues to stabilize after panicking over tariffs. It’s also worth noting that Bitcoin’s digital gold narrative is taking off as both assets have grown in tandem,” Ruck said.

Gold set fresh highs Monday with a push above $3,380 per ounce, bringing year-to-date gains to 25%. Bitcoin has dropped more than 20% from a January peak of $108,000, though Monday’s push over $87,000 sent the asset to its highest level since Donald Trump’s “liberation day” in early April.

Pressure on the greenback has continued to grow as the dollar index (DXY) crashed to a three-year low, with some pointing out that most bad news has been “priced in” and that bitcoin could see upside in the coming days.

“Trump’s inclination to remove Jerome Powell as Fed Chair and force interest rate cuts is causing people to sell the U.S. dollar and U.S. government debt, moving to other safe haven assets such as gold, European bonds, and now, Bitcoin,” Jeff Mei, COO at BTSE, told CoinDesk in a Telegram message Monday.

“After all, when rates are cut, more money flows into the money supply, devaluing the U.S. dollar. In general, downward pressure on the US dollar is growing and this could be a driving catalyst for Bitcoin to become a safe haven asset,” Mei added.

Meanwhile, here’s a machine’s view of the markets today, powered by the CoinDesk Markets AI bot.

ADA Price Analysis

  • Cardano’s ADA is above 63 cents with strong technical indicators pointing to continued upward momentum despite macroeconomic headwinds.
  • Price action formed a clear ascending channel with strong support at $0.612, which successfully held during multiple retests.
  • Notable volume spike occurred on 2025-04-21 00:00 when volume reached 68M (3x average), propelling price through key resistance at $0.630.
  • Fibonacci extension levels suggest 64 cents as the next target, with an overall range of 0.031 (5.1%), indicating substantial volatility.
  • RSI remains below overbought territory despite the rally, suggesting potential for continued upward momentum.
  • Consolidation near previous resistance suggests accumulation rather than distribution.

XRP Price Analysis

  • XRP’s decisive breakout signals a potential end to months-long sideways trading, with technical indicators pointing to further gains ahead.
  • Fibonacci retracement levels suggest potential continuation toward $2.15, with the 61.8% extension pointing to $2.18 as the next target if bullish momentum persists.

SOL Price Analysis

  • SOL breaks decisively above $135 resistance, surging 10.2% to establish new support levels with strong volume confirmation
  • Key technical battle emerges between $129 support and $144 resistance zones, with on-chain data showing 5.75% of realized volume concentrated at these critical levels
  • Price action formed a clear ascending channel with higher lows and higher highs, particularly evident in the April 19-21 rally.
  • Volume significantly increased during upward movements, confirming the strength of the bullish trend.
  • The 48-hour momentum indicators show bullish divergence with price maintaining strength above the 20-hour moving average.

BNB Price Action

  • BNB breaks $600 barrier with 3.2% surge as large holders accumulate during market volatility.
  • Recent quarterly token burn removed 1.57 million BNB worth over $1 billion, supporting price momentum.
  • Open interest in BNB rose 3.3% to $760 million despite negative funding rates, with 68% of traders betting on continued price increases.
  • BNB broke out of its consolidation range with a 3.2% surge from $592.63 to $601.74.
  • Price action shows clear bullish momentum with increasing volume, particularly during the breakout candle where volume spiked to 55,661 units.
  • Fibonacci extension targets suggest potential continuation toward the $605-610 zone if current momentum persists.
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