ETH 10-Q
Grayscale Ethereum Staking Mini ETF (ETH)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
For the quarterly period ended
or
For the transition period from ______ to ______ |
Commission File Number
SPONSORED BY GRAYSCALE OPERATING, LLC AND GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
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(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
Number of Shares of the registrant outstanding as of April 28, 2025:
Grayscale® ETHEREUM MINI Trust ETF
Table of Contents
2
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” with respect to the financial conditions, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (the “Trust”). Statements preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify some of the forward-looking statements. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this Quarterly Report that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as changes in market prices and conditions, the Trust’s operations, the plans of Grayscale Investments, LLC (“GSI”), the sponsor of the Trust before January 1, 2025, Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”), the co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025, and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (“GSIS”), the co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025 and the sole remaining sponsor thereafter (each of GSI, GSO and GSIS, the “Sponsor”, as the context may require, and GSO and GSIS, together, the “Co-Sponsors”), and references to the Trust’s future success and other similar matters are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially from such statements. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 27, 2025 (our “Annual Report”) and in “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” herein. Forward-looking statements are made based on the Sponsor’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty or undertakes an obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, other than as required by applicable laws. Investors are therefore cautioned against relying on forward-looking statements.
Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “our” and “us” in this Quarterly Report refer to the Sponsor acting on behalf of the Trust.
A glossary of industry and other defined terms is included in this Quarterly Report, beginning on page 30.
INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA
Although we are responsible for all disclosure contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in some cases we have relied on certain market and industry data obtained from third-party sources that we believe to be reliable. Market estimates are calculated by using independent industry publications in conjunction with our assumptions regarding the Ethereum industry and market. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any market, industry or similar data presented herein, such data involves risks and uncertainties and is subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the headings “Forward-Looking Statements”, “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report and “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
3
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)
GRAYSCALE ETHEREUM MINI TRUST ETF
STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands, except Share and per Share amounts)
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March 31, 2025 |
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December 31, 2024 |
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Assets: |
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Investment in Ether, at fair value (cost $ |
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$ |
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$ |
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Total assets |
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$ |
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$ |
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Liabilities: |
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Sponsor’s Fee payable, related party |
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$ |
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$ |
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Total liabilities |
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Net assets |
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$ |
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$ |
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Shares issued and outstanding, |
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Principal Market NAV per Share |
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$ |
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$ |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
4
GRAYSCALE ETHEREUM MINI TRUST ETF
SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENT (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands, except quantity of Ether and percentages)
March 31, 2025 |
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Quantity of |
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Cost |
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Fair Value |
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% of Net |
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Investment in Ether |
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$ |
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$ |
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% |
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Total Investment |
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$ |
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$ |
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% |
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Net assets |
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$ |
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% |
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December 31, 2024 |
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Quantity of |
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Cost |
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Fair Value |
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% of Net |
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Investment in Ether |
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$ |
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$ |
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% |
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Total Investment |
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$ |
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Net assets |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
5
GRAYSCALE ETHEREUM MINI TRUST ETF
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands)
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Three Months Ended March 31, 2025(1) |
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Investment income: |
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Investment income |
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$ |
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Expenses: |
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Sponsor’s Fee, related party |
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Gross expenses |
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Sponsor’s Fee Waiver, related party |
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Net expenses |
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Net investment loss |
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Net realized and unrealized loss from: |
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Net realized loss on investment in Ether sold to pay expenses |
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Net realized loss on investment in Ether sold for redemption of Shares |
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Net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in Ether |
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Net realized and unrealized loss on investment |
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Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
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$ |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
6
GRAYSCALE ETHEREUM MINI TRUST ETF
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands, except change in Shares outstanding)
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Three Months Ended March 31, 2025(1) |
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Decrease in net assets from operations: |
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Net investment loss |
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$ |
( |
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Net realized loss on investment in Ether sold to pay expenses |
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( |
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Net realized loss on investment in Ether sold for redemption of Shares |
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Net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in Ether |
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Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
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Decrease in net assets from capital share transactions: |
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Shares issued |
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Shares redeemed |
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Net decrease in net assets resulting from capital share transactions |
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Total decrease in net assets from operations and capital share transactions |
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Net assets: |
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Beginning of period |
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End of period |
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$ |
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Change in Shares outstanding: |
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Shares outstanding at beginning of period |
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Shares issued |
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Shares redeemed |
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Net increase in Shares |
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Shares outstanding at end of period |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
7
GRAYSCALE ETHEREUM MINI TRUST ETF
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts in thousands)
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Three Months Ended March 31, 2025(1) |
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Cash provided by operating activities |
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Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
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$ |
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Adjustments to reconcile net decrease in net assets resulting from operations to net cash provided by operating activities: |
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Purchases of Ether(2) |
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Proceeds from Ether sold to pay redemptions(2) |
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Proceeds from Ether sold to pay expenses |
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Net realized loss |
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Net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in Ether |
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Change in operating assets and liabilities: |
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Sponsor’s Fee payable |
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Net cash provided by operating activities |
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$ |
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Cash used in financing activities |
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Proceeds from issuance of capital shares(2) |
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$ |
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Payments for capital shares redeemed(2) |
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Net cash used in financing activities |
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$ |
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Cash |
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Net increase (decrease) in cash |
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$ |
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Cash, beginning of period |
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Cash, end of period |
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$ |
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Supplemental disclosure of noncash operating activities |
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Transfer of Ether to pay for Sponsor’s Fee |
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$ |
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See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.
8
GRAYSCALE ETHEREUM MINI TRUST ETF
NOTES TO THE UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Organization
Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (the “Trust”) is a Delaware Statutory Trust that was formed on April 23, 2024 and commenced operations on July 23, 2024. In general, the Trust holds Ethereum tokens (“Ether”) and, from time to time, issues common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (“Shares”) in exchange for Ether. On July 18, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) approved an application under Rule 19b-4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) by NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) to list the Shares of the Trust, which began trading on NYSE Arca on July 23, 2024, following the effectiveness of the Trust’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-278878). As of July 23, 2024, the Trust is an SEC reporting company with its Shares registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act.
On May 31, 2024, Grayscale Investments, LLC (“Grayscale” or the “Sponsor”) purchased
On July 22, 2024, in connection with the approval of the 19b-4 Application on July 18, 2024 and the effectiveness of the registration statement on Form S-1, as amended, the Sponsor authorized the commencement of a redemption program. Effective July 23, 2024, the Trust creates and redeems Shares at such times and for such periods as determined by the Sponsor, but only in one or more whole “Baskets.” A Basket equals
Prior to July 23, 2024, the Trust had no operations other than matters relating to the sale, issuance and redemption of the Seed Shares.
The Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on Ether per Share) to reflect the value of the Ether held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities.
Grayscale Investments, LLC (“GSI”), the sponsor of the Trust before January 1, 2025, Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”), the co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025, and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (“GSIS”), the co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025 and the sole remaining sponsor thereafter (each of GSI, GSO and GSIS, the “Sponsor”, as the context may require, and GSO and GSIS, together, the “Co-Sponsors”) are each an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, Inc. (“DCG”). The Sponsor is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust pursuant to the provisions of the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor is responsible for preparing and providing annual and quarterly reports on behalf of the Trust to investors and is also responsible for selecting and monitoring the Trust’s service providers. As partial consideration for the Sponsor’s services, the Trust pays the Sponsor a Sponsor’s Fee as discussed in Note 7. The Sponsor also acts as the sponsor and manager of other single-asset and diversified investment products, each of which is an affiliate of the Trust. Information related to the affiliated investment products can be found on the Sponsor’s website https://www.grayscale.com/resources/regulatory-filings. Any information contained on or linked from such website is not part of nor incorporated by reference into these unaudited financial statements. Several of the affiliated investments products are SEC reporting companies with their shares registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). In addition, the following affiliated investment products are also SEC reporting companies with their shares registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act: Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF, Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF, and Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF.
Authorized Participants of the Trust are the only entities who may place orders to create or redeem Baskets. The Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, and the Transfer Agent entered into Participant Agreements with a number of unaffiliated Authorized Participants in connection with the approval of NYSE Arca’s application under Rule 19b-4 of the Exchange Act, and the Trust has also since engaged other Authorized Participants. Additional Authorized Participants may be added at any time, subject to the discretion of the Sponsor.
Liquidity Providers facilitate the purchase and sale of Ether in connection with cash orders for creations or redemptions of Baskets. The Liquidity Providers with which GSIS, acting in its capacity as the “Liquidity Engager,” will engage in Ether transactions are third parties that are not affiliated with the Sponsor or the Trust and are not acting as agents of the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant, and all transactions will be done on an arms-length basis. Except for the contractual relationships between each Liquidity Provider and GSIS in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager, there is no contractual relationship between each Liquidity Provider and the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant. The Liquidity Engager may engage additional Liquidity Providers who are unaffiliated with the Trust in the future.
9
The Trust, the Sponsor and Coinbase, Inc., the prime broker of the Trust (“Coinbase” or the “Prime Broker”), on behalf of itself and as agent for Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (“Coinbase Custody” or the “Custodian”) and Coinbase Credit, Inc. (“Coinbase Credit” and, collectively with Coinbase and Coinbase Custody, the “Coinbase Entities”), entered into the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement governing the Trust’s and the Sponsor’s use of the Custodial and Prime Broker Services provided by the Custodian and the Prime Broker. The Prime Broker Agreement establishes the rights and responsibilities of the Custodian, the Prime Broker, the Sponsor and the Trust with respect to the Trust’s Ether which is held in accounts maintained and operated by the Custodian, as a fiduciary with respect to the Trust’s assets, and the Prime Broker (together with the Custodian, the “Custodial Entities”) on behalf of the Trust. The Custodian is responsible for safeguarding the Ether held by the Trust, and holding the private key(s) that provide access to the Trust’s digital wallets and vaults.
The transfer agent for the Trust (the “Transfer Agent”) is The Bank of New York Mellon. The responsibilities of the Transfer Agent are to (1) facilitate the issuance and redemption of shares of the Trust; (2) respond to correspondence by Trust shareholders and others relating to its duties; (3) maintain shareholder accounts; and (4) make periodic reports to the Trust. The co-transfer agent for the Trust (the “Co-Transfer Agent”) is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
The administrator for the Trust (the “Administrator”) is BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, a division of The Bank of New York Mellon. BNY Mellon Asset Servicing provides administration and accounting services to the Trust. The Administrator’s fees are paid on behalf of the Trust by the Sponsor.
The marketing agent for the Trust (the “Marketing Agent”) is Foreside Fund Services, LLC. The Marketing Agent provides the following services to the Sponsor: (i) assist the Sponsor in facilitating Participation Agreements between and among Authorized Participants, the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, and the Transfer Agent; (ii) provide prospectuses to Authorized Participants; (iii) work with the Transfer Agent to review and approve orders placed by the Authorized Participants and transmitted to the Transfer Agent; (iv) review and file applicable marketing materials with FINRA and (v) maintain, reproduce and store applicable books and records.
On July 18, 2024, the SEC approved an application under Rule 19b-4 of the Exchange Act by NYSE Arca to list the Shares of the Trust. Shares of the Trust began trading on NYSE Arca on July 23, 2024, following the effectiveness of the Trust’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-278878). The Trust’s trading symbol on NYSE Arca is “ETH” and the CUSIP number for its Shares is 38964R203.
On November 19, 2024, the Trust completed a Reverse Share Split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares. In connection with the Reverse Share Split, shareholders of record on November 19, 2024 received one Share of the Trust for every ten Shares held. The number of outstanding Shares and per-Share amounts disclosed for periods prior to November 20, 2024 have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the effects of the Reverse Share Split, as applicable.
The Trust may also receive Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency as a result of the Trust’s investment in Ether, in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement. Incidental Rights are rights to claim, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Trust’s ownership of Ether and arise without any action of the Trust, or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust; IR Virtual Currency is any virtual currency tokens, or other asset or right, received by the Trust through the exercise (subject to the applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement) of any Incidental Right. The Sponsor has committed to cause the Trust to abandon irrevocably for no direct or indirect consideration, effective immediately prior to each time at which the Trust creates or redeems Shares, all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which it would otherwise be entitled as of such time. In furtherance of that commitment, the Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Trust is abandoning irrevocably, for no direct or indirect consideration, effective immediately prior to each Creation Time and each Redemption Time, all Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency to which it would otherwise be entitled as of such time. The Sponsor has committed to cause the Trust not to take any Affirmative Action to acquire any Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, thereby irrevocably abandoning any Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust may become entitled in the future. Because the Sponsor has now committed to causing the Trust to irrevocably abandon all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust otherwise would become entitled in the future, and causing the Trust not to take any Affirmative Actions, the Trust will not receive any direct or indirect consideration for the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency and thus the value of the Shares will not reflect the value of the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency. In addition, in the event the Sponsor seeks to change the Trust’s policy with respect to Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, an application would need to be filed with the SEC by NYSE Arca seeking approval to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to distribute the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency in-kind to an agent of the shareholders for resale by such agent.
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2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
In the opinion of management of the Sponsor of the Trust, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 and results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2025 have been made. The results of operations for the period presented are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations expected for the full year. These unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 included in our Annual Report.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust:
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Trust qualifies as an investment company for accounting purposes pursuant to the accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for Ether in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.
The Trust conducts its transactions in Ether, including receiving Ether for the creation of Shares and delivering Ether for the redemption of Shares and for the payment of the Sponsor’s Fee. The Sponsor will determine the Trust’s net asset value (“NAV”) on each business day as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon thereafter as practicable.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Generally, the Trust does not intend to hold cash, except in connection with cash orders for creations or redemptions of Baskets. Cash includes non-interest bearing non-restricted cash with one institution. Cash in a bank deposit account, at times, may exceed U.S. federally insured limits. The Trust has not experienced any losses in such accounts and does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk on such bank deposits.
Principal Market and Fair Value Determination
To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value in accordance with U.S. GAAP (“Principal Market NAV”), the Trust follows ASC Topic 820-10, Fair Value Measurement, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for Ether in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that Ether is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.
The Trust only receives Ether in connection with a creation order from the Authorized Participant (or a Liquidity Provider) and does not itself transact on any Digital Asset Markets. Therefore, the Trust looks to market-based volume and level of activity for Digital Asset Markets. The Authorized Participant(s), or a Liquidity Provider, may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets (referred to as “Trading Platform Markets” in this Quarterly Report), each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary (collectively, “Digital Asset Markets”).
In determining which of the eligible Digital Asset Markets is the Trust’s principal market, the Trust reviews these criteria in the following order:
First, the Trust reviews a list of Digital Asset Markets that maintain practices and policies designed to comply with anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know-your-customer (“KYC”) regulations, and non-Digital Asset Trading Platform Markets that the Trust reasonably believes are operating in compliance with applicable law, including federal and state licensing requirements, based upon information and assurances provided to it by each market.
Second, the Trust sorts these Digital Asset Markets from high to low by market-based volume and level of activity of Ether traded on each Digital Asset Market in the trailing twelve months.
Third, the Trust then reviews pricing fluctuations and the degree of variances in price on Digital Asset Markets to identify any material notable variances that may impact the volume or price information of a particular Digital Asset Market.
Fourth, the Trust then selects a Digital Asset Market as its principal market based on the highest market-based volume, level of activity and price stability in comparison to the other Digital Asset Markets on the list. Based on information reasonably available to the Trust, Trading Platform Markets have the greatest volume and level of activity for the asset. The Trust therefore looks to accessible Trading Platform Markets as opposed to the Brokered Market, Dealer Market and Principal-to-Principal Markets to determine its principal market. As a result of the aforementioned analysis, a Trading Platform Market has been selected as the Trust’s principal market.
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The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) annually and conducts a quarterly analysis to determine (i) if there have been recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s trading volume and level of activity in the trailing twelve months, (ii) if any Digital Asset Markets have developed that the Trust has access to, or (iii) if recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s price stability have occurred that would materially impact the selection of the principal market and necessitate a change in the Trust’s determination of its principal market.
The cost basis of the Ether received by the Trust in connection with a creation order is recorded by the Trust at the fair value of Ether at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the creation date for financial reporting purposes. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of the corresponding Shares to investors.
Investment Transactions and Revenue Recognition
The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of Ether for Share creations and the delivery of Ether for Share redemptions, or for payment of expenses in Ether. The Trust records its investment transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses are recognized in connection with transactions including settling obligations for the Sponsor’s Fee in Ether.
Fair Value Measurement
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the ‘exit price’) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
U.S. GAAP utilizes a fair value hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Trust. Unobservable inputs reflect the Trust’s assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:
The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary by investment. To the extent that valuations are based on sources that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Fair value estimates do not necessarily represent the amounts that may be ultimately realized by the Trust.
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Fair Value Measurement Using |
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(Amounts in thousands) |
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Amount at |
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Level 1 |
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Level 2 |
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Level 3 |
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March 31, 2025 |
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Assets |
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Investment in Ether |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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Fair Value Measurement Using |
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(Amounts in thousands) |
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Amount at |
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Level 1 |
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Level 2 |
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Level 3 |
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December 31, 2024 |
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Assets |
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Investment in Ether |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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12
Segment Reporting
The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor act as the Trust’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”). The Trust represents a single operating segment, as the CODM monitors the operating results of the Trust as a whole and the Trust’s passive investment objective is pre-determined in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement. The financial information in the form of the Trust’s total returns, expense ratios and changes in net assets (i.e., changes in net assets resulting from operations and capital share transactions), which are used by the CODM to assess the segment’s performance, are consistent with that presented within the Trust’s financial statements. Segment assets are reflected on the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities as Total assets and the only significant segment expense, the Sponsor’s fee, related party, is included in the accompanying Statement of Operations.
3. Fair Value of Ether
Ether is held by the Custodian on behalf of the Trust and is carried at fair value. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Trust held
The Trust determined the fair value per Ether to be $
The following represents the changes in quantity of Ether and the respective fair value:
(Amounts in thousands, except Ether amounts) |
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Quantity |
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|
Fair Value |
|
||
Balance at July 23, 2024 (the Commencement of the Trust’s Operations) |
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$ |
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Ether contributed |
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Ether contributed from Initial Distribution(1) |
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||
Ether redeemed |
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( |
) |
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( |
) |
Ether distributed for Sponsor’s Fee, related party |
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||
Net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in Ether |
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( |
) |
|
Net realized loss on investment in Ether sold to pay expenses |
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||
Net realized loss on investment in Ether sold for redemption of Shares |
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( |
) |
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Balance at December 31, 2024 |
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|
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|
$ |
|
||
Ether contributed |
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|
|
|
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||
Ether redeemed |
|
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( |
) |
|
|
( |
) |
Ether distributed for Sponsor’s Fee, related party |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
( |
) |
Net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in Ether |
|
|
|
|
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( |
) |
|
Net realized loss on investment in Ether sold to pay expenses |
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|
|
|
( |
) |
|
Net realized loss on investment in Ether sold for redemption of Shares |
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|
|
|
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( |
) |
|
Balance at March 31, 2025 |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
||
4. The Initial Distribution from the Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF
On July 8, 2024, the Sponsor of the Trust at the direction of its board of directors declared a pro rata distribution on the Shares of the Trust, pursuant to which each holder of Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF (“ETHE”) shares as of 4:00 PM ET on July 18, 2024 (the “Record Date”) was entitled to receive Shares of the Trust, in connection with its previously announced initial creation and distribution of Shares of the Trust (such transactions collectively, the “Initial Distribution”).
On July 23, 2024, ETHE completed its previously announced pro rata distribution of
13
5. Creations and Redemptions of Shares
At March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there were an unlimited number of Shares authorized by the Trust. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. The creation and redemption of Baskets on behalf of investors are made by the Authorized Participant in exchange for the delivery of Ether to the Trust or the distribution of Ether by the Trust. The amount of Ether required for each Creation Basket or Redemption Basket is determined by dividing (x) the amount of Ether owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date of a creation or redemption order, after deducting the amount of Ether representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust, by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time and multiplying the quotient obtained by 10,000. Each Share represented approximately
The cost basis of investments in Ether recorded by the Trust is the fair value of Ether, as determined by the Trust, at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of transfer to the Trust by the Authorized Participant, or Liquidity Provider, based on the Creation Baskets. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of each Share to investors. The Authorized Participant or Liquidity Provider may realize significant profits buying, selling, creating, and redeeming Shares as a result of changes in the value of Shares or Ether.
On May 21, 2024, NYSE Arca filed an application with the SEC pursuant to Rule 19b-4 under the Exchange Act to list the Shares of the Trust on NYSE Arca. On April 23, 2024, the Sponsor filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1, as amended through July 18, 2024, to register the Shares of the Trust under the Securities Act of 1933. On July 17, 2024, the SEC approved NYSE Arca’s 19b-4 application to list the Shares of the Trust on NYSE Arca as an exchange-traded product and on July 22, 2024, the Sponsor authorized the commencement of a redemption program once the registration statement on Form S-1, as amended, was declared effective.
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 |
|
|
Activity in Number of Shares Issued and Redeemed: |
|
|
|
|
Shares issued |
|
|
|
|
Shares redeemed |
|
|
( |
) |
Net Change in Number of Shares Issued and Redeemed |
|
|
( |
) |
(Amounts in thousands) |
|
Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 |
|
|
Activity in Value of Shares Issued and Redeemed: |
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|
|
|
Shares issued |
|
$ |
|
|
Shares redeemed |
|
|
( |
) |
Net Change in Value of Shares Issued and Redeemed |
|
$ |
( |
) |
14
Ether receivable represents the value of Ether covered by contractually binding orders for the creation of Shares where the Ether has not yet been transferred to the Trust’s account. Generally, ownership of the Ether is transferred within no more than two business days of the trade date.
|
|
As of March 31, |
|
|
(Amounts in thousands) |
|
2025 |
|
|
Ether receivable |
|
$ |
|
|
Ether payable represents the value of Ether covered by contractually binding orders for the redemption of Shares where the Ether has not yet been transferred out of the Trust’s account. Generally, ownership of the Ether is transferred within no more than two business days of the trade date.
|
|
|
|
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|
|
As of March 31, |
|
|
(Amounts in thousands) |
|
2025 |
|
|
Ether payable |
|
$ |
|
|
6. Income Taxes
The Sponsor takes the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, if the Trust is a grantor trust, each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated as directly owning its pro rata Share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.
If the Trust were not properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital assets, including forks, airdrops and similar occurrences for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be no assurance in this regard. If the Trust were classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax consequences of owning Shares generally would not be materially different from the tax consequences described herein, although there might be certain differences, including with respect to timing. In addition, tax information reports provided to beneficial owners of Shares would be made in a different form. If the Trust were not classified as either a grantor trust or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be classified as a corporation for such purposes. In that event, the Trust would be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (currently at the rate of
In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Trust has defined the threshold for recognizing the benefits of tax positions in the financial statements as “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable taxing authority and requires measurement of a tax position meeting the “more-likely-than-not” threshold, based on the largest benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current period. As of, and during the periods ended March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Trust did
The Sponsor of the Trust has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions related to federal, state and local income taxes existed as of March 31, 2025 or December 31, 2024.
7. Related Parties
The Trust considered the following entities, their directors, and certain employees to be related parties of the Trust as of March 31, 2025: DCG, GSO, GSIS, and Grayscale Securities, LLC. As of both March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024,
In accordance with the Trust Agreement governing the Trust, the Trust pays a fee to the Sponsor, calculated as
15
As partial consideration for receipt of the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor is obligated under the Trust Agreement to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including marketing fees; administrator fees, if any; custodian fees; transfer agent fees; trustee fees; the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any secondary market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $
The Trust may incur certain extraordinary, non-recurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders, any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any secondary market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $
The Sponsor, from time to time, may temporarily waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee of the Trust in its discretion for stated periods of time. Effective July 23, 2024, the Sponsor determined to waive a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee for the first six months of the Trust’s operation, so that the fee was
On May 31, 2024, the Sponsor purchased
As previously described in Note 4, on July 23, 2024, ETHE completed its previously announced pro rata distribution of
8. Risks and Uncertainties
The Trust is subject to various risks including market risk, liquidity risk, and other risks related to its concentration in a single asset, Ether. Investing in Ether is currently highly speculative and volatile.
The Principal Market NAV of the Trust, calculated by reference to the principal market price in accordance with U.S. GAAP, relates primarily to the value of the Ether held by the Trust, and fluctuations in the price of Ether could materially and adversely affect an investment in the Shares of the Trust. The price of Ether has a limited history. During such history, Ether prices have been volatile and subject to influence by many factors, including the levels of liquidity. If Digital Asset Markets continue to experience significant price fluctuations, the Trust may experience losses. Several factors may affect the price of Ether, including, but not limited to, global Ether supply and demand, theft of Ether from global trading platforms or vaults, competition from other forms of digital currency or payment services, global or regional political, economic or financial conditions, and other unforeseen events and situations.
The Ether held by the Trust are commingled, and the Trust’s shareholders have no specific rights to any specific Ether. In the event of the insolvency of the Trust, its assets may be inadequate to satisfy a claim by its shareholders.
There is currently no clearing house for Ether, nor is there a central or major depository for the custody of Ether. There is a risk that some or all of the Trust’s Ether could be lost or stolen. There can be no assurance that the Custodian will maintain adequate insurance or that such coverage will cover losses with respect to the Trust’s Ether. Further, transactions in Ether are irrevocable. Stolen or incorrectly transferred Ether may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed Ether transactions could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
16
The SEC, at least under the prior administration, has stated that certain digital assets may be considered “securities” under the federal securities laws. The test for determining whether a particular digital asset is a “security” is complex and difficult to apply, and the outcome is difficult to predict. A number of SEC and SEC staff actions with respect to a variety of digital assets demonstrate this difficulty. For example, public though non-binding, statements by senior officials at the SEC have indicated that the SEC did not consider Bitcoin or Ether to be securities, and does not currently consider Bitcoin to be a security. In addition, the SEC appears to have implicitly taken the view that Ether is not a security (i) by not objecting to Ether futures trading on Commodity Futures Trading Commission-regulated markets under rules designed for futures on non-security commodity underliers and (ii) by approving the listing and trading of exchange-traded products (“ETPs”) that invest in Ether (i.e., approving the redemption of shares of the Trust) under the rules for commodity-based trust shares, without requiring these ETPs to be registered as investment companies. Likewise, in various courts filings and arguments the SEC has distinguished Ether from assets that it claimed were securities, and in judicial opinions, courts have accepted or even assumed that Ether is not a security. Moreover, in a recent settlement with another market participant relating to allegations that it acted as an unregistered broker-dealer for facilitating trading in certain digital assets, the SEC highlighted that the firm would cease trading in all digital assets other than Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ether—activity that, if the SEC believed Ether was presently a security—would continue to constitute unregistered brokerage activity. The SEC staff has also provided informal assurances via no-action letter to a handful of promoters that their digital assets are not securities. Moreover, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance has published statements that it does not consider, under certain circumstances, “meme coins” or some stablecoins to be securities. However, such statements may be withdrawn at any time without notice and comment by the Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC or the SEC itself. In addition, the SEC has brought enforcement actions against the issuers and promoters of several other digital assets on the basis that the digital assets in question are securities and has not formally or explicitly confirmed that it does not deem Ether to be a security. Even though the Trust only holds Ether, these developments demonstrate the difficulty in applying the federal securities laws to digital assets generally, including Ether. In January 2025, the SEC launched a crypto task force dedicated to developing a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for digital assets led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. Subsequently, Commissioner Peirce announced a list of specific priorities to further that initiative, which included pursuing final rules related to a digital asset’s security status, a revised path to registered offerings and listings for digital assets-based investment vehicles, and clarity regarding digital asset custody, lending, and staking. However, the efforts of the crypto task force have only just begun, and how or whether the SEC regulates digital asset activity in the future remains to be seen.
If Ether is determined to be a “security” under federal or state securities laws by the SEC or any other agency, or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it may have material adverse consequences for Ether. For example, it may become more difficult for Ether to be traded, cleared and custodied as compared to other digital assets that are not considered to be securities, which could, in turn, negatively affect the liquidity and general acceptance of Ether and cause users to migrate to other digital assets. As such, any determination that Ether is a security under federal or state securities laws may adversely affect the value of Ether and, as a result, an investment in the Shares.
In addition, if Ether is in fact a security, the Trust could be considered an unregistered “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which could necessitate the Trust’s liquidation. In this case, the Trust and the Sponsor may be deemed to have participated in an illegal offering of securities and there is no guarantee that the Sponsor will be able to register the Trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 at such time or take such other actions as may be necessary to ensure the Trust’s activities comply with applicable law, which could force the Sponsor to liquidate the Trust.
To the extent a private key required to access an address on the Ethereum Network holding Ether is lost, destroyed or otherwise compromised and no backup of the private keys are accessible, the Trust may be unable to access the Ether controlled by the private key and the private key will not be capable of being restored by the Ethereum Network. The processes by which Ether transactions are settled are dependent on the Ethereum peer-to-peer network, and as such, the Trust is subject to operational risk. A risk also exists with respect to previously unknown technical vulnerabilities, which may adversely affect the value of Ether.
The Trust relies on third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to its operations. Any disruptions to the Trust’s service providers’ business operations resulting from business failures, financial instability, security failures, government mandated regulation or operational problems could have an adverse impact on the Trust’s ability to access critical services and be disruptive to the operations of the Trust.
The Sponsor and the Trust may be subject to various litigation, regulatory investigations, and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business.
17
9. Financial Highlights Per Share Performance
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 |
|
|
Per Share Data: |
|
|
|
|
Principal Market NAV, beginning of period |
|
$ |
|
|
Net decrease in net assets from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss |
|
|
( |
) |
Net realized and unrealized loss |
|
|
( |
) |
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
|
|
( |
) |
Principal Market NAV, end of period |
|
$ |
|
|
Total return |
|
|
- |
% |
Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
Net investment loss |
|
|
- |
% |
Net expenses |
|
|
- |
% |
Ratios of net investment loss and expenses to average net assets have been annualized.
An individual shareholder’s return, ratios, and per Share performance may vary from those presented above based on the timing of Share transactions. The amount shown for a Share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the number of Shares issued in Creations occurring at an operational value derived from an operating metric as defined in the Trust Agreement.
Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Principal Market NAV at the beginning of the period and assuming redemption on the last day of the period.
10. Indemnifications
In the normal course of business, the Trust enters into certain contracts that provide a variety of indemnities, including contracts with the Sponsor and affiliates of the Sponsor, DCG and its officers, directors, employees, subsidiaries and affiliates, and the Custodian as well as others relating to services provided to the Trust. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these and its other indemnities is unknown. However, no liabilities have arisen under these indemnities in the past and, while there can be no assurances in this regard, there is no expectation that any will occur in the future. Therefore, the Sponsor does not consider it necessary to record a liability in this regard.
11. Subsequent Events
As of the close of business on
There are no known events that have occurred that require disclosure other than that which has already been disclosed in these notes to the financial statements.
18
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our unaudited financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The following discussion may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions we believe to be reasonable. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those set forth under “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report or in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” or other sections of our Annual Report.
Trust Overview
The Trust is a passive entity that is managed and administered by the Sponsor and does not have any officers, directors or employees. The Trust holds Ether and, from time to time on a periodic basis, issues Creation Baskets in exchange for deposits of Ether. On July 22, 2024, in connection with the approval of application under Rule 19b-4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on July 18, 2024 and the effectiveness of the registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-278878), the Sponsor authorized the commencement of a redemption program. Shares of the Trust began trading on NYSE Arca on July 23, 2024, following the effectiveness of the registration statement on Form S-1. The Trust issues Shares only in one or more blocks of 10,000 Shares (a block of 10,000 Shares is called a “Basket”) to certain Authorized Participants from time to time. Baskets are offered in exchange for Ether. Through its redemption program, the Trust redeems Shares from Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis. As a passive investment vehicle, the Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on Ether per Share) to reflect the value of the Ether held by the Trust, determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. While an investment in the Shares is not a direct investment in Ether, the Shares are designed to provide investors with a cost-effective and convenient way to gain investment exposure to Ether. The Trust will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar arrangements in seeking to meet its investment objective.
The Trust is not managed like a business corporation or an active investment vehicle.
On January 1, 2025, GSI consummated an internal corporate reorganization (the “Reorganization”), pursuant to which GSI, the Sponsor of the Trust prior to the Reorganization, merged with and into GSO, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of DCG, with GSO continuing as the surviving company (the “Merger”). As a result of the Merger, GSO succeeded by operation of law to all the rights, powers, privileges and franchises and became subject to all of the obligations, liabilities, restrictions and disabilities of GSI, including with respect to the Sponsor Contracts (as defined below), all as provided under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act. The Reorganization is not expected to have any material impact on the operations of the Trust.
In connection with the Reorganization, on January 1, 2025, and promptly following the effectiveness of the Merger, GSO assigned certain contracts pertaining to its role as Sponsor (as such term is defined in the Trust Agreement) of the Trust (such contracts, the “Sponsor Contracts”) to GSIS, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned direct subsidiary of GSO, whereby GSIS assumed all of the rights and obligations of GSO under the Sponsor Contracts. Other than the assumption of the Sponsor Contracts by GSIS, the Reorganization does not alter the rights or obligations under any of the Sponsor Contracts.
In connection with the Reorganization, on January 1, 2025, and promptly following the effectiveness of the Merger, GSO and GSIS executed a Certificate of Admission, pursuant to which GSIS was admitted as an additional Sponsor of the Trust under the Trust Agreement, by and among GSO (as successor in interest to GSI), the Trustee, and the shareholders from time to time thereunder, as amended from time to time. GSIS shall be subject to the rights and obligations of a Sponsor under the Trust Agreement.
On January 3, 2025, GSO voluntarily withdrew as a Sponsor of the Trust pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, and, effective May 3, 2025, GSIS shall be the sole remaining Sponsor of the Trust.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Investment Transactions and Revenue Recognition
The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of Ether by the Trust in connection with Share creations and the delivery of Ether by the Trust in connection with Share redemptions or for payment of expenses in Ether. The Trust records its investment transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses are recognized in connection with transactions including settling obligations for the Sponsor’s Fee in Ether.
19
Principal Market and Fair Value Determination
To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value in accordance with U.S. GAAP (“Principal Market NAV”), the Trust follows Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820-10, Fair Value Measurement, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for Ether in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that Ether is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.
The Trust only receives Ether in connection with a creation order from the Authorized Participant (or a Liquidity Provider) and does not itself transact on any Digital Asset Markets. Therefore, the Trust looks to market-based volume and level of activity for Digital Asset Markets. The Authorized Participant(s), or a Liquidity Provider, may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets (referred to as “Trading Platform Markets” in this Quarterly Report), each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary (collectively, “Digital Asset Markets”).
In determining which of the eligible Digital Asset Markets is the Trust’s principal market, the Trust reviews these criteria in the following order:
The Trust determines its principal market(or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) annually and conducts a quarterly analysis to determine (i) if there have been recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s trading volume and level of activity in the trailing twelve months, (ii) if any Digital Asset Markets have developed that the Trust has access to, or (iii) if recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s price stability have occurred that would materially impact the selection of the principal market and necessitate a change in the Trust’s determination of its principal market.
The cost basis of the Ether received by the Trust in connection with a creation order is recorded by the Trust at the fair value of Ether at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the creation date for financial reporting purposes. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of the corresponding Shares to investors.
Investment Company Considerations
The Trust is an investment company for U.S. GAAP purposes and follows accounting and reporting guidance in accordance with the FASB ASC Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for Ether in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act. U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.
20
Review of Financial Results (unaudited)
Financial Highlights for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
(All amounts in the following table and the subsequent paragraphs, except Share, per Share, Ether and price of Ether amounts, are in thousands)
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 |
|
|
Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in Ether |
|
$ |
(716,962 |
) |
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
|
$ |
(717,285 |
) |
Net assets(1) |
|
$ |
834,039 |
|
Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in Ether for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was ($716,962), which includes a realized loss of ($122) on the transfer of Ether to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, a realized loss of ($35,193) on the sale of Ether to meet redemptions, and net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in Ether of ($681,647). Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in Ether for the period was driven by Ether price depreciation from $3,340.40 per Ether as of December 31, 2024, to $1,827.33 per Ether as of March 31, 2025. Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations was ($717,285) for the three months ended March 31, 2025, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized loss on investment in Ether, plus the Sponsor’s Fee of $323. Net assets decreased to $834,039 at March 31, 2025, a 47% decrease for the three-month period. The decrease in net assets resulted from the aforementioned Ether price depreciation, the withdrawal of approximately 132 Ether to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee, and the redemption of approximately 41,456 Ether, with a value of $104,416 from the Trust, partially offset by the contribution of approximately 27,137 Ether with a value of $82,826 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period.
Cash Resources and Liquidity
The Trust only receives and holds cash in order to facilitate creations and redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders, and has not otherwise had or maintained a cash balance at any time since the completion of the Initial Distribution. When selling Ether in the Digital Asset Market to pay Additional Trust Expenses on behalf of the Trust, the Sponsor endeavors to sell the exact amount of Ether needed to pay expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than Ether. In addition, upon the consummation or deemed failure of a Cash Order to create or redeem Baskets, the Trust will promptly return any excess cash it continues to hold with respect to such Cash Order to the applicable counterparty. As a consequence, the Sponsor expects that the Trust will not record any cash flow from its operations and that its cash balance will be zero at the end of each reporting period. Furthermore, the Trust is not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Generally, the Trust does not intend to hold cash, except in connection with Cash Orders for creations or redemptions of Baskets. Cash includes non-interest bearing non-restricted cash with one institution. Cash in a bank deposit account, at times, may exceed U.S. federally insured limits. The Trust has not experienced any losses in such accounts and does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk on such bank deposits.
In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the period covered by this Quarterly Report was the Sponsor’s Fee.
21
The Sponsor, from time to time, may temporarily waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee of the Trust in its discretion for stated periods of time. Effective July 23, 2024, the Sponsor determined to waive a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee for the first six months of the Trust’s operation, so that the fee was 0% of the NAV of the Trust for the first $2.0 billion of the Trust’s assets. If the Trust’s assets exceeded $2.0 billion prior to the end of the six-month period, the Sponsor’s Fee charged on assets over $2.0 billion would have become 0.15%. Following the expiration date of the six-month waiver period on January 23, 2025 (the “Sponsor’s Fee Waiver Expiration Date”), the Sponsor’s Fee is 0.15%. For the period from the Sponsor’s Fee Waiver Expiration Date through March 31, 2025, the Trust incurred Sponsor’s Fees of $322,439.
The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs.
Selected Operating Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 |
|
|
|
|
(All Ether balances are rounded to the nearest whole Ether) |
|
|
Ether: |
|
|
|
|
Opening balance |
|
|
470,876 |
|
Creations |
|
|
27,137 |
|
Redemptions |
|
|
(41,456 |
) |
Sponsor’s Fee, related party |
|
|
(132 |
) |
Closing balance |
|
|
456,425 |
|
Accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee, related party |
|
|
- |
|
Net closing balance |
|
|
456,425 |
|
Number of Shares: |
|
|
|
|
Opening balance |
|
|
49,970,788 |
|
Creations |
|
|
2,880,000 |
|
Redemptions |
|
|
(4,400,000 |
) |
Closing balance |
|
|
48,450,788 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of March 31, 2025 |
|
|
Price of Ether on principal market(1) |
|
$ |
1,827.33 |
|
Principal Market NAV per Share(2) |
|
$ |
17.21 |
|
Index Price(3) |
|
$ |
1,826.41 |
|
NAV per Share(3) |
|
$ |
17.21 |
|
22
The Trust reflects creations and redemptions and the Ether for proceeds receivable or payable with respect to such creations and redemptions, respectively, on the business day following the receipt of a notification of a creation or redemption order by an Authorized Participant. Creation and redemption orders are settled on T+1 or T+2, as established at the time of order placement, and therefore the Ether for proceeds receivable or payable with respect to such creations and redemptions, respectively, are recorded as a receivable or payable until the Ether are delivered or removed from the Trust for settlement.
As of March 31, 2025, the Trust had a net closing balance of 456,425.17192874 Ether with a value of $833,619,498, based on the Index Price of $1,826.41 on March 31, 2025 (non-GAAP methodology). As of March 31, 2025, the total market value of the Trust’s Ether was $834,039,409, based on the price of one Ether in the principal market (Crypto.com) of $1,827.33 on March 31, 2025.
Historical NAV and Ether Prices
As movements in the price of Ether will directly affect the price of the Shares, investors should understand recent movements in the price of Ether. Investors, however, should also be aware that past movements in the Ether price are not indicators of future movements. Movements may be influenced by various factors, including, but not limited to, government regulation, security breaches experienced by service providers, as well as political and economic uncertainties around the world.
The following chart illustrates the movement in the Trust’s NAV per Share (as adjusted for the Reverse Share Split for periods prior to November 20, 2024) versus the Index Price and the Trust’s Principal Market NAV per Share (as adjusted for the Reverse Share Split for periods prior to November 20, 2024) from July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025. For more information on the determination of the Trust’s NAV, see “Item 1. Business—Overview of the Ethereum Industry and Market—Ether Value—The Index and the Index Price” in our Annual Report.
23
The following table illustrates the movements in the Index Price from July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025. During such period, the Index Price has ranged from $1,813.80 to $4,050.21, with the straight average being $2,819.26 through March 31, 2025. The Sponsor has not observed a material difference between the Index Price and average prices from the Constituent Trading Platforms individually or as a group.
|
|
|
|
|
High |
|
Low |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Period |
|
Average |
|
|
Index Price |
|
|
Date |
|
Index Price |
|
|
Date |
|
End of period |
|
|
Last business day |
|
|||||
July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025 |
|
$ |
2,819.26 |
|
|
$ |
4,050.21 |
|
|
12/6/2024 |
|
$ |
1,813.80 |
|
|
3/30/2025 |
|
$ |
1,826.41 |
|
|
$ |
1,826.41 |
|
The following table illustrates the movements in the Digital Asset Market price of Ether, as reported on the Trust’s principal market, from July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025. During such period, the price of Ether has ranged from $1,813.87 to $4,053.28, with the straight average being $2,819.22 through March 31, 2025.
|
|
|
|
|
High |
|
Low |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Period |
|
Average |
|
|
Digital Asset Market Price |
|
|
Date |
|
Digital Asset Market Price |
|
|
Date |
|
End of period |
|
|
Last business day |
|
|||||
July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025 |
|
$ |
2,819.22 |
|
|
$ |
4,053.28 |
|
|
12/6/2024 |
|
$ |
1,813.87 |
|
|
3/30/2025 |
|
$ |
1,827.33 |
|
|
$ |
1,827.33 |
|
24
The following chart sets out the historical closing prices for the Shares as reported by NYSE Arca from July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025 and the Trust’s NAV per Share from July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025.
ETH Premium/(Discount): ETH Share Price vs. NAV per Share (Non-GAAP) ($)
The following chart sets out the historical premium and discount for the Shares calculated as a percentage of the historical closing prices for the Shares as reported by NYSE Arca from July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025 divided by the Trust’s NAV per Share from July 23, 2024 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to March 31, 2025.
ETH Premium/(Discount): ETH Share Price vs. NAV per Share (Non-GAAP) (%)
25
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The Trust Agreement does not authorize the Trust to borrow for payment of the Trust’s ordinary expenses. The Trust does not engage in transactions in foreign currencies which could expose the Trust or holders of Shares to any foreign currency related market risk. The Trust does not invest in derivative financial instruments and has no foreign operations or long-term debt instruments.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor, and to the audit committee of the Sponsor, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Under the supervision and with the participation of the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor, the Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor concluded that the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There was no change in the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the Trust’s most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, these internal controls.
26
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION:
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
The Sponsor and an affiliate of the Trust, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (“Grayscale Bitcoin Trust”), are currently parties to certain legal proceedings. Although the Trust is not a party to these proceedings, the Trust may in the future be subject to legal proceedings or disputes.
On January 30, 2023, Osprey Funds, LLC (“Osprey”) filed a suit in Connecticut Superior Court against the Sponsor alleging that statements the Sponsor made in its advertising and promotion of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (“CUTPA”), and seeking statutory damages and injunctive relief. On April 17, 2023, the Sponsor filed a motion to dismiss the complaint and, following briefing, a hearing on the motion to dismiss was held on June 26, 2023. On October 23, 2023, the Court denied the Sponsor’s motion to dismiss. On November 6, 2023, the Sponsor filed a motion for reargument of the Court’s order denying the Sponsor’s motion to dismiss. On November 16, 2023, Osprey filed an opposition to the Sponsor’s motion for reargument, and on November 30, 2023, the Sponsor filed a reply in further support of its motion for reargument. On March 11, 2024, the Court denied the Sponsor’s motion for reargument. On March 25, 2024, the Sponsor filed an application for interlocutory appeal. On March 28, 2024, Osprey filed an opposition to the Sponsor’s application for interlocutory appeal. On April 1, 2024, the Court denied the Sponsor’s application for interlocutory appeal. On April 10, 2024, Osprey filed a motion to amend the complaint. The amended complaint went into effect on April 25, 2024. A scheduling order was entered by the Court with trial scheduled to begin on July 15, 2025. On July 31, 2024, the Sponsor filed a motion to strike the amended complaint. On August 30, 2024, Osprey filed an opposition to the Sponsor’s motion to strike the amended complaint. On October 11, 2024, the Court denied the Sponsor’s motion to strike. On November 22, 2024, the Sponsor filed a motion for summary judgment on the grounds that CUTPA does not apply to practices undertaken in connection with the purchase and sale of securities, and the Court granted the Sponsor’s motion for summary judgment on February 7, 2025. On February 10, 2025, Osprey filed a motion for reargument, and the Court denied Osprey’s motion for reargument on March 19, 2025. On March 31, 2025, Osprey filed a Notice of Appeal of the summary judgment decision and the Court’s denial of the motion for reargument to the Connecticut Appellate Court. The Sponsor and Grayscale Bitcoin Trust believe that judgment was properly granted in their favor and intend to vigorously defend against any attempts to overturn the judgment.
As of the date of this Quarterly Report, the Sponsor does not expect the foregoing proceedings to have a material adverse effect on the Trust’s business, financial condition or results of operations.
The Sponsor and/or the Trust may be subject to additional legal proceedings and disputes in the future.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes to the Risk Factors last reported under “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our Annual Report.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Although the Trust does not purchase Shares directly from its shareholders, in connection with its redemption of Baskets, the Trust redeemed 440 Baskets (4,400,000 Shares) during the three months ended March 31, 2025:
Period |
|
Total Number of Shares of ETH Redeemed |
|
|
Average Price Paid per Share of ETH(1) |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
January 1, 2025 - January 31, 2025 |
|
|
1,760,000 |
|
|
$ |
29.79 |
|
February 1, 2025 - February 28, 2025 |
|
|
290,000 |
|
|
|
24.41 |
|
March 1, 2025 - March 31, 2025 |
|
|
2,350,000 |
|
|
|
18.29 |
|
Total |
|
|
4,400,000 |
|
|
$ |
23.29 |
|
27
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Item 5.
The Sponsor may make payments to certain financial intermediaries or broker-dealers for certain services relating to the Trust, including in respect of marketing/sales support and data services. Fees under such arrangements are generally expected to be calculated based on a percentage of the aggregate value of Shares of the Trust held by clients through such financial intermediary or broker-dealer, in an amount up to 0.15% of the aggregate value of such Shares on an annual basis. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a broker-dealer, financial intermediary or other financial advisor may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive for recommending Shares of the Trust over other investments. Shareholders should consult their respective broker-dealer or financial intermediary with respect to any arrangements it may have with the Sponsor or any of its affiliates. The Sponsor may make payments with respect to the Trust in larger amounts or on a different basis from that described above when dealing with certain financial intermediaries. Any such amounts are paid by the Sponsor from its own resources and not from the assets of the Trust.
28
Item 6. Exhibits
Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
31.1 |
|
|
|
31.2 |
|
|
|
32.1 |
|
|
|
32.2 |
|
|
|
101.INS* |
Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. |
|
|
101.SCH* |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema with Embedded Linkbase Documents. |
|
|
104 |
Cover Page Interactive Data File—The cover page interactive data file does not appear in the interactive data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the inline XBRL document. |
* |
Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, these interactive data files are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are deemed not filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise are not subject to liability under those sections. |
29
GLOSSARY OF DEFINED TERMS
“Actual Exchange Rate”—With respect to any particular asset, at any time, the price per single unit of such asset (determined net of any associated fees) at which the Trust is able to sell such asset for U.S. dollars (or other applicable fiat currency) at such time to enable the Trust to timely pay any Additional Trust Expenses, through use of the Sponsor’s commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the highest such price.
“Additional Trust Expenses”—Together, any expenses incurred by the Trust in addition to the Sponsor’s Fee that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, (i) taxes and governmental charges, (ii) expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders, (iii) any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, (iv) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $600,000 in any given fiscal year and (v) extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters.
“Administrator”—The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York corporation authorized to conduct banking business.
“Administrator Fee”—The fee payable to any administrator of the Trust for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay such administrator as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“AML”—Anti-money laundering.
“AP Designee”—An Authorized Participant’s designee in connection with In-Kind Orders (to the extent In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained).
“Authorized Participant”—Certain eligible financial institutions that have entered into an agreement with the Trust and the Sponsor concerning the creation or redemption of Shares. Each Authorized Participant (i) is a registered broker-dealer and (ii) has entered into a Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future any Authorized Participants creating and redeeming Shares through In-Kind Orders must also own, or their AP Designee (as defined above) must own, an Ether wallet address that is known to the Custodian as belonging to the Authorized Participant or its AP Designee and maintain an account with the Custodian.
“Basket”—A block of 10,000 Shares.
“Basket Amount”—On any trade date, the amount of Ether required as of such trade date for the creation or redemption of a Basket, as determined by dividing (x) the amount of Ether owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date, after deducting the amount of Ether representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (converted using the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one Ether (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 10,000.
“Basket NAV”—The U.S. dollar value of a Basket calculated by multiplying the Basket Amount by the Index Price as of the trade date.
“Blockchain” or “Ethereum Blockchain”—The public transaction ledger of the Ethereum Network on which transactions in Ether are recorded.
“Cash Order”—An order for the creation or redemption of Shares pursuant to procedures facilitated by the Transfer Agent and pursuant to which a Liquidity Provider is engaged to facilitate the purchase or sale of Ether. A Cash Order may be executed as either a Variable Fee Cash Order or an Actual Execution Cash Order. Unless the Sponsor determines otherwise in its sole discretion based on market conditions and other factors existing at the time of such Cash Order, all creations and redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders are expected to be executed as Variable Fee Cash Orders
“Coinbase”—Coinbase, Inc.
“Coinbase Credit”—Coinbase Credit, Inc.
30
“Creation Basket”—Basket of Shares issued by the Trust upon deposits of the Basket Amount required for each such Creation Basket.
“Custodial and Prime Broker Services”—The services of the Custodian and the Prime Broker that provide for: (i) holding of the Trust’s Ether in the Vault Balance and the Settlement Balance; (ii) transfer of the Trust’s Ether between the relevant Vault Balance and the Settlement Balance; (iii) the deposit of Ether from a public blockchain address into the respective account or accounts in which the Vault Balance or the Settlement Balance are maintained; and (iv) the withdrawal of Ether from the Vault Balance to a public blockchain address the Trust controls.
“Custodian”—Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC.
“Custodian Fee”—Fee payable to the Custodian and the Prime Broker for services they provide to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay to the Custodian as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“CUTPA”— The Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
“DCG”—Digital Currency Group, Inc.
“Digital Asset Market”—A “Brokered Market,” “Dealer Market,” “Principal-to-Principal Market” or “Exchange Market” (referred to as “Trading Platform Market” in this Quarterly Report), as each such term is defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Master Glossary.
“Digital Asset Trading Platform”—An electronic marketplace where trading platform participants may trade, buy and sell Ether based on bid-ask trading. The largest Digital Asset Trading Platforms are online and typically trade on a 24-hour basis, publishing transaction price and volume data.
“Digital Asset Trading Platform Market”—The global trading platform market for the trading of Ether, which consists of transactions on electronic Digital Asset Trading Platforms.
“DSTA”—The Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as amended.
“Ether”—Ethereum tokens, which are a type of digital asset based on an open-source cryptographic protocol existing on the Ethereum Network, comprising units that constitute the assets underlying the Trust’s Shares.
“Ethereum Network”—The online, end-user-to-end-user network hosting the public transaction ledger, known as the Ethereum Blockchain, and the source code comprising the basis for the cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the Ethereum Network. See “Item 1. Business—Overview of the Ethereum Industry and Market” in our Annual Report.
“ETHE”—Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF, another Delaware Statutory Trust whose purpose is to hold Ether and which is sponsored by the Sponsor.
“Exchange Act”—The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“FINRA”—The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., which is the primary regulator in the United States for broker-dealers, including Authorized Participants.
“Grayscale Securities”—Grayscale Securities, LLC, a wholly owned direct subsidiary of GSO.
“GSI”—Grayscale Investments, LLC, the Sponsor of the Trust until December 31, 2024.
“GSIS”—Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, the Sponsor of the Trust from and after January 1, 2025 and a wholly owned direct subsidiary of GSO.
“GSO”—Grayscale Operating, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of DCG.
31
“Incidental Rights”—Rights to acquire, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Trust’s ownership of Ether and arise without any action of the Trust, or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust.
“Index”—The CoinDesk Ether Price Index (ETX).
“Index License Agreement”—The license agreement, dated as of February 1, 2022, between the Index Provider and the Sponsor governing the Sponsor’s use of the Index for calculation of the Index Price, as amended from time to time.
“Index Price”—The U.S. dollar value of an Ether derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are reflected in the Index, calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day. See “Item 1. Business—Overview of the Ethereum Industry and Market—Ether Value—The Index and the Index Price” in our Annual Report for a description of how the Index Price is calculated. For purposes of the Trust Agreement, the term Ether Index Price shall mean the Index Price as defined herein.
“Index Provider”—CoinDesk Indices, Inc., a Delaware corporation that publishes the Index.
“In-Kind Order”—An order for the creation or redemption of Shares pursuant to which the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) will deliver or receive Ether directly from the Trust’s Vault Balance. Because In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained, at this time Shares will not be created or redeemed through In-Kind Orders.
“In-Kind Regulatory Approval”—The necessary regulatory approval to permit NYSE Arca to list the Shares of the Trust utilizing a structure that allows the Trust to create and redeem Shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants or their AP Designees in exchange for Ether. In common with other spot digital asset exchange-traded products, the Trust is not at this time able to create and redeem shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants, and there has yet to be definitive regulatory guidance on whether and how registered broker-dealers can hold and deal in Ether in compliance with the federal securities laws. To the extent further regulatory clarity emerges, the Sponsor expects NYSE Arca to seek the necessary regulatory approval to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to create and redeem Shares through In-Kind Orders. There can be no assurance as to when such regulatory clarity will emerge, or when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain such regulatory approval, if at all.
“Initial Distribution”—The contribution by ETHE of 292,262.98913350 Ether to the Trust, in exchange for 31,015,850 newly created Shares of the Trust (retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-10 Reverse Share Split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares completed on November 19, 2024), which were distributed on July 23, 2024 to ETHE shareholders as of the Record Date, pro rata based on a 1:1 ratio.
“Investment Company Act”—Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
“IR Virtual Currency”—Any virtual currency tokens, or other asset or right, acquired by the Trust through the exercise (subject to the applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement) of any Incidental Right.
“KYC”—Know-your-customer.
“Liquidity Engager”—Until December 31, 2024, GSI, and on or after January 1, 2025, GSIS, in each case acting other than in its capacity as Sponsor, and in its capacity to engage one or more Liquidity Providers.
“Liquidity Provider”—One or more eligible companies that facilitate the purchase and sale of Ether in connection with creations or redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders. The Liquidity Providers with which GSIS, acting in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager, will engage in Ether transactions are third parties that are not affiliated with the Sponsor or the Trust and are not acting as agents of the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant, and all transactions will be done on an arms-length basis. Except for the contractual relationships between each Liquidity Provider and GSIS in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager, there is no contractual relationship between each Liquidity Provider and the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant.
“Marketing Agent”—Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
“Marketing Agent Agreement”—An agreement entered into by the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, dated May 14, 2024, with Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
32
“Marketing Fee”—Fee payable to the marketer for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay to the marketer as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“Merger”—The merger of GSI with and into GSO, with GSO continuing as the surviving company.
“NAV”—The aggregate value, expressed in U.S. dollars, of the Trust’s assets (other than U.S. dollars or other fiat currency), less its liabilities (which include estimated accrued but unpaid fees and expenses), a non-GAAP metric, calculated in the manner set forth under “Item 1. Business—Valuation of Ether and Determination of NAV” in our Annual Report. See also “Item 1. Business—Investment Objective” in our Annual Report for a description of the Trust’s Principal Market NAV, as calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
“NAV Fee Basis Amount”—The amount on which the Sponsor’s Fee for the Trust is based, as calculated in the manner set forth under “Item 1. Business—Valuation of Ether and Determination of NAV” in our Annual Report.
“NYSE Arca”—NYSE Arca, Inc.
“Participant Agreement”—An agreement entered into by an Authorized Participant with the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent that provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets via a Liquidity Provider.
“Prime Broker”—Coinbase, Inc.
“Prime Broker Agreement”—The Prime Broker Agreement, dated as of May 22, 2024, by and among the Trust, the Sponsor and the Prime Broker, on behalf of itself, the Custodian and Coinbase Credit, that governs the Trust’s and the Sponsor’s use of the Custodial and Prime Broker Services provided by the Custodian and the Prime Broker.
“Principal Market NAV”—The net asset value of the Trust determined on a U.S. GAAP basis.
“Record Date”—July 18, 2024, the record date for the Initial Distribution.
“Redemption Basket”—Basket of Shares redeemed by the Trust upon distribution or disposition of the Basket Amount required for each such Redemption Basket.
“Redemption Time”—With respect to the redemption of any Shares by the Trust, the time at which the Trust redeems such Shares.
“Reorganization”—The internal corporate reorganization of GSI consummated on January 1, 2025.
“Reverse Share Split”—A 1-for-10 reverse Share split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares, which was effective on November 19, 2024 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 19, 2024.
“SEC”—The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Secondary Market”—Any marketplace or other alternative trading system, as determined by the Sponsor, on which the Shares may then be listed, quoted or traded, including but not limited to, NYSE Arca, Inc.
“Securities Act”—The Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Seed Shares”—10,000 Shares at a per-Share price equal to $10, delivered on May 31, 2024 in exchange for $100,000 in proceeds to the Trust. The Seed Shares were redeemed for cash in connection with, and immediately prior to the consummation of, the Initial Distribution.
“Settlement Balance”—An account controlled and maintained by the Custodian to which cash and digital assets of the Trust are credited on the Trust’s behalf.
“Shares”—Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in, and ownership of, the Trust.
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“Sponsor” or “Co-Sponsor”—The sponsor of the Trust. GSI was the sponsor of the Trust before January 1, 2025, GSO is a co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025, and GSIS is a co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025 and will be the sole remaining sponsor thereafter.
“Sponsor Contracts”—Certain contracts assigned by GSO pertaining to its role as Sponsor (as such term is defined in the Trust Agreement) of the Trust to GSIS in connection with the Reorganization.
“Sponsor-paid Expenses”—The fees and expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs that the Sponsor is obligated to assume and pay, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the Marketing Fee, (ii) the Administrator Fee, (iii) the Custodian Fee and fees for any other security vendor engaged by the Trust, (iv) the Transfer Agent Fee, (v) the Trustee fee, (vi) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $600,000 in any given fiscal year, (vii) ordinary course, legal fees and expenses, (viii) audit fees, (ix) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, (x) printing and mailing costs, (xi) costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and (xii) applicable license fees, provided that any expense that qualifies as an Additional Trust Expense will be deemed to be an Additional Trust Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“Sponsor’s Fee”—A fee, payable in Ether, which accrues daily in U.S. dollars at an annual rate of 0.15% of the NAV Fee Basis Amount of the Trust as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each day; provided that for a day that is not a business day, the calculation of the Sponsor’s Fee will be based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount from the most recent business day, reduced by the accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fee for such most recent business day and for each day after such most recent business day and prior to the relevant calculation date. The Sponsor has determined to waive a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee for the first six months of the Trust’s operation, from July 23, 2024 through January 23, 2025, as described in more detail under “Item 1. Business—Expenses; Sales of Ether” of the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.
“Sponsor’s Fee Waiver Expiration Date”—The expiration date of the six-month Sponsor’s Fee waiver, effective January 23, 2025.
“Transfer Agent”—The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York corporation authorized to conduct banking business.
“Transfer Agent Fee”—Fee payable to the Transfer Agent for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay to the Transfer Agent as a Sponsor-paid Expense.
“Trust”—Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF, a Delaware statutory trust, formed on April 23, 2024 under the DSTA and pursuant to the Trust Agreement.
“Trust Agreement”—The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, dated as of July 17, 2024, between the Trustee and the Sponsor establishing and governing the operations of the Trust, as amended by Amendment No. 1 and No. 2 thereto, and as the same may be further amended from time to time.
“Trustee”—CSC Delaware Trust Company (formerly known as Delaware Trust Company), a Delaware trust company, is the Delaware trustee of the Trust.
“U.S.”—United States.
“U.S. dollar” or “$”—United States dollar or dollars.
“U.S. GAAP”—United States generally accepted accounting principles.
“Vault Balance”—A segregated custody account controlled and secured by the Custodian to store private keys, which allow for the transfer of ownership or control of the Trust’s Ether on the Trust’s behalf.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned in the capacities* indicated, thereunto duly authorized.
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Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC as Sponsor of Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF |
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By: |
/s/ Peter Mintzberg |
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Name: |
Peter Mintzberg |
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Title: |
Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)* |
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By: |
/s/ Edward McGee |
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Name: |
Edward McGee |
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Title: |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)* |
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Date: May 2, 2025
* The Registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of Grayscale Operating, LLC, the sole member of Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.
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