The Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe) officially submitted a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list the Canary Capital Staked INJ ETF, a proposed exchange-traded fund staking the native Injective Protocol (INJ) token.
The ETF is designed to give traditional investors direct, regulated access to the Injective ecosystem through a yield-bearing, staking-enabled fund structure. Unlike conventional ETFs that simply track the price of a digital asset, the Staked INJ ETF would actively stake its holdings on an “approved staking platform,” generating rewards that boost overall returns for its shareholders.
This means investors could benefit from both price appreciation and ongoing staking yields without holding tokens themselves or navigating the technical risks of direct staking.
Canary Capital first proposed the ETF at the start of July before Cboe submitted its 19b-4 listing application, a required step for new ETF listings, to the SEC. The SEC must now formally acknowledge the filing, at which point a review process with key deadlines will begin; an initial response may come as early as September, but the process could extend until March 2026, given the agency’s statutory review timeline of up to 240 days.
The regulatory path for staking-enabled crypto ETFs has become much more viable after a pivotal SEC clarification in May 2025. The SEC concluded that certain blockchain staking activities do not constitute securities offerings, removing a critical obstacle and providing long-awaited clarity for both fund issuers and the broader industry.
Why INJ? A Fast-Rising DeFi Chain Attracts ETF Spotlight
Injective Protocol stands out as a rapidly growing blockchain tailored for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, well known for its fast transaction speeds and robust interoperability. As interest in specialized blockchain ecosystems grows, a spot ETF backed by Injective gives U.S. investors regulated exposure to a rising star in the crypto space, while also capturing attractive staking yields.
If approved, the Staked INJ ETF would join Solana (SOL) and Ether in a new generation of crypto ETFs combining price exposure with passive yield. The SEC’s review in the coming months will determine whether Injective becomes the next major staking-enabled asset accessible through conventional brokerage accounts.
READ MORE: Will the Crashing Metaplanet Stock Price Recover?
