S-1/A 1 iset20260305_s1a.htm FORM S-1/A iset20260305_s1a.htm

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 6, 2026.

 

Registration Statement No. 333-291992

 



 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

AMENDMENT NO.3

TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

iSHARES® STAKED ETHEREUM TRUST ETF

SPONSORED BY iSHARES DELAWARE TRUST SPONSOR LLC

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware

6221

41-2865343

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

c/o iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC

400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 670-2000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrants principal executive offices)

 

iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC

iShares Product Research & Development

(415) 670-2000

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copies to:

Jason D. Myers, Esq.

Jefferey LeMaster, Esq.

Tae Ho Cho, Esq. 
Jesse Overall, Esq. 

Clifford Chance US LLP

375 9th Avenue

New York, NY 10001

Marisa Rolland, Esq.

Adithya Attawar, Esq.

BlackRock, Inc.

400 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box: ☒

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

 

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.

 

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer    ☐

 

Non-accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company  ☒

 
   

Emerging growth company  ☒

 

 

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 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ☒

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF is filing this Amendment No. 3 (this “Amendment”) to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-291992) (the “Registration Statement”) as an exhibit only filing. Accordingly, this Amendment consists only of the facing page, this explanatory note, Part II of the Registration Statement, the exhibit index, the signature page to the Registration Statement and the filed exhibit. The preliminary prospectus is unchanged and has therefore been omitted.

 

 

PART IIINFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13.                  Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.*

 

The Trust shall not bear any expenses incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered. These expenses shall be paid by the Sponsor. Except for NASDAQ Listing Fee, all such expenses are estimated:

 

Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee

 

**

NASDAQ Listing Fee

$

4,000

Printing and engraving expenses

$ 6,823

Legal fees and expenses

$ 510,000

Accounting fees and expenses

$ 17,160

Total

$ 537,983

 

*

Subject to revision upon completion of the offering.

**

An indeterminate number of the securities is being registered as may from time to time be sold at indeterminate prices. In accordance with Rules 456(d) and 457(u), the Trust is deferring payment of all of the registration fee and will pay the registration fee subsequently on an annual basis.

 

 

Item 14.                  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Section 5.11(a) of the Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor shall indemnify the Trustee, its directors, employees, delegees and agents against, and hold each of them harmless from, any loss, liability, claim, cost, expense or judgment of any kind whatsoever (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) that is incurred by any of them and that arises out of or is related to (1) any offer or sale by the Trust of Baskets (as defined in the Trust Agreement), (2) acts performed or omitted pursuant to the provisions of the Trust Agreement, (A) by the Trustee, its directors, employees, delegees and agents or (B) by the Sponsor or (3) any filings with or submissions to the SEC in connection with or with respect to the Shares, except that the Sponsor shall not have any obligations to pay any indemnification amounts incurred as a result of and attributable to (x) the willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith of, or material breach of the terms of the Trust Agreement by, the Trustee, (y) information furnished in writing by the Trustee to the Sponsor expressly for use in the registration statement, or any amendment thereto, filed with the SEC relating to the Shares that is not materially altered by the Sponsor or (z) any misrepresentations or omissions made by a Authorized Participant (other than the Sponsor) in connection with such Authorized Participant’s offer and sale of Shares.

 

Section 5.11(b) of the Trust Agreement provides that the Trustee shall indemnify the Sponsor, its directors, employees, delegees and agents against, and hold each of them harmless from, any loss, liability, claim, cost, expense or judgment of any kind whatsoever (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) (1) caused by the willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith of the Trustee or (2) arising out of any information furnished in writing to the Sponsor by the Trustee expressly for use in the registration statement, or any amendment thereto or periodic report, filed with the SEC relating to the Shares that is not materially altered by the Sponsor.

 

Section 5.11(d) of the Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor and its shareholders, directors, officers, employees, affiliates (as such term is defined under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) and subsidiaries and agents shall be indemnified from the Trust and held harmless against any loss, liability, claim, cost, expense or judgment of any kind whatsoever (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) arising out of or in connection with the performance of their obligations under the Trust Agreement or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement and incurred without their (1) willful misconduct, gross negligence or bad faith or (2) reckless disregard of their obligations and duties under the Trust Agreement.

 

Item 15.                  Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

 

None.

 

 

Item 16.         Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No

Description

1.1

Amended and Restated Seed Capital Investor Agreement**

3.1

Certificate of Trust of iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF**

3.2

Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust of iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF**

4.1

Amended and Restated Trust Agreement**

4.2

Form of Authorized Participant Agreement**

5.1

Opinion of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP as to legality**

8.1

Opinion of Clifford Chance US LLP as to tax matters**

10.1

Third Amended and Restated Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement**

10.2 Amendment to the Third Amended and Restated Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement**

10.3

Joinder and Amendment to the Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement**

10.4

Coinbase Custody Custodial Services Agreement (included in Exhibit 10.1)**

10.5

Staking Addendum to Coinbase Custody Custodial Services Agreement*

10.6

Services Agreement with Bank of New York Mellon, as cash custodian and trust administrator**

10.7

Amendment to the Services Agreement with Bank of New York Mellon, as cash custodian and trust administrator**

10.8

ETF Services Agreement with BRIL**

10.9

Master Custody Service Agreement with Anchorage Digital Bank N.A.**

10.10

First Amendment to Master Custody Service Agreement with Anchorage Digital Bank N.A.**

23.1

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP**

23.2

Consent of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)**

23.3

Consent of Clifford Chance US LLP (included in Exhibit 8.1)**

24.1

Power of Attorney**

107

Filing Fee Tables**

 


*

Filed herewith.

**

Previously filed.

 

 

Item 17.                  Undertakings.

 

(a)         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)         To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i)         To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

(ii)         To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Filing Fee Tables” or “Calculation of Registration Fee” table, as applicable in the effective registration statement; and

 

(iii)         To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

 

Provided, however, That:

 

Paragraphs (1)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-1 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; and

 

(2)         That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3)         To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4)         That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

 

(i)         If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B:

 

(A)         Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(B)         Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or

 

(ii)         If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

 

(5)         That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

 

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i)           Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

(ii)          Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(iii)         The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(iv)         Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b)        The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)        Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets the requirements for filing on Form S-1 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Francisco, California, on March 6, 2026.

 

 

iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC

Sponsor of iShares Staked Ethereum Trust*

     
 

By:

/s/ Bryan Bowers

   

Bryan Bowers

   

Director and Chief Financial Officer

   

(Principal financial and accounting officer)

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities* and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

 

Title

 

Date

         
**  

Director, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

March 6, 2026

Shannon Ghia

 

(Principal executive officer)

   
         

/s/ Bryan Bowers

 

Director and Chief Financial Officer

  March 6, 2026

Bryan Bowers

 

(Principal financial and accounting officer)

   
         

**

 

Director

  March 6, 2026

Philip Jensen

       
         

**

 

Director

  March 6, 2026

Peter Landini

       
         

**

 

Director

  March 6, 2026

Lindsey Haswell

       
         
/s/ Bryan Bowers  

Director

  March 6, 2026

**Bryan Bowers, Attorney-in-fact

       

 

 


*

The Registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers or directors of iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, the sponsor of the Registrant.