Solana News Today: Fidelity Bridges Crypto and Wall Street with Staking-Enabled Solana ETF

Fidelity has submitted a revised S-1 registration for its spot Solana ETF with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, eliminating a prior delay amendment to accelerate the approval process, according to a Coinotag report. This strategic move shifts the timeline for the ETF's effectiveness entirely to the SEC's discretion, signaling Fidelity's intent to expedite the launch of the fund, potentially as early as November. The filing also outlines plans to stake nearly 100% of the fund's Solana holdings with trusted validators, generating an estimated 7% annual yield for investors, as noted in a Cryptopolitan update.

The updated filing details a robust operational framework for the ETF, including the creation of a custom pricing index to track Solana's market value and a minimal allocation of liquid SOL tokens to manage daily operations, as Coinotag reported. Fidelity emphasized that staking will occur through institutional-grade custodians, addressing regulatory concerns around custody and market manipulation. The firm also highlighted Solana's high-performance blockchain, capable of processing 60,000 transactions per minute at a fraction of a cent per transaction, as a key differentiator compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum, noted by Cryptopolitan.

The regulatory landscape for Solana ETFs is rapidly evolving. A recent August 2025 SEC ruling clarified that liquid staking tied to protocol activities does not constitute securities offerings, effectively paving the way for staking-enabled ETFs, Coinotag reported. This development aligns with broader industry momentum, as firms like Bitwise and Grayscale have also updated their filings to include staking. Bitwise's Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) debuted with $69.5 million in net inflows, while Grayscale's GSOL ETF now stakes 74.89% of its holdings, according to Cryptopolitan. Fidelity's move positions it to capitalize on this growing market, offering investors direct exposure to Solana through traditional brokerage accounts with enhanced liquidity.

The competitive landscape has intensified, with VanEck recently filing its sixth S-1/a amendment for a Solana ETF, including fee waivers to attract investors, according to a Coinotag post. Meanwhile, the temporary federal government shutdown in early October inadvertently streamlined the approval process for pending ETFs, allowing non-Bitcoin products to advance without final SEC approval, Cryptopolitan reported. This regulatory shift has accelerated the launch timelines for multiple Solana ETFs, with Bitwise and Canary Capital confirming October 28 as a potential debut date, Coinotag noted.

Fidelity's expansion of Solana trading across its platforms—Fidelity Crypto, IRAs, Digital Assets, and Wealth Managers—further underscores its commitment to integrating crypto into traditional finance, as Coinotag reported. By broadening access to Solana, the firm aims to bridge the gap between institutional and retail investors, leveraging the blockchain's efficiency to drive adoption. Analysts note that the approval of Fidelity's ETF could catalyze a new wave of institutional capital into Solana, mirroring the success of Bitcoin ETFs, per Cryptopolitan.

As the SEC continues its review, investors are closely monitoring developments. The potential launch of Fidelity's Solana ETF, alongside competing offerings, marks a pivotal moment in the mainstreaming of altcoin investments. With staking yields, regulatory clarity, and infrastructure readiness in place, the stage is set for a significant expansion of the Solana ETF market, Coinotag reported.