The U.S. is finally getting its first regulated crypto staking ETF, and it’s starting with Solana. The REX-Osprey SOL + Staking ETF (ticker: SSK) is set to launch July 2, and it’s kind of a big deal.

Why? Well, because it’s the first U.S.-listed fund that offers both Solana exposure and staking rewards, all wrapped inside a structure that regulators are actually okay with.

Around 80% of this ETF’s assets will sit in SOL, and half of that will be actively staked. That means investors could earn passive rewards, the same way people do when staking directly, but with fewer headaches and more regulation. The ETF is built under the 1940 Act, which means more protections and maybe a quicker path for approval compared to older fund structures.

This could open the door for more staking-based ETFs, not just for Solana, but also for Ethereum. Rex Shares has already filed for an ETH version, too.

Solana’s Still Down Anyway

While this ETF is launching, Solana’s price actually dropped nearly 8%. It fell from $157.42 to $145.08 just a day before the launch. That’s not what you’d expect with a major U.S. fund about to go live.

But if you look closer, support kicked in around $146.55 with high volume, which could mean traders are quietly loading up. Still, the price action was rough: constant selling pressure, a descending channel, and heavy rejection around $151.50.

The dip could be traders taking profits, or maybe they were expecting a bigger reaction to the launch news. Either way, the technicals look shaky, but the fundamentals? Still strong. This ETF could still bring long-term demand and more institutional interest to Solana.

What This Means for Crypto ETFs

This launch is about more than Solana. It’s about the evolution of crypto investing in the U.S., from hype and headlines to actual income-generating products that fit into traditional finance. If the SSK ETF holds up well, expect more yield-based ETFs to follow fast.

And yes, even if the price dropped today, this could be the start of something way bigger.