Solana has quickly grown into one of the most compelling Layer 1 blockchain platforms, with an ecosystem that spans decentralized finance (DeFi), real-world asset tokenization, payments, and high-frequency trading applications. However, navigating the options for exposure remains a complex decision for many investors, and as the diversity of participants continues to expand, the more it becomes clear that self-custody isn’t an optimal solution for all.
Our 3iQ Solana Staking ETF (SOLQ) combines Solana’s growth potential with a yield enhancement through staking, ultimately aiming to provide a superior vehicle for Solana exposure.
To better understand why this launch is a significant step forward, we must consider the fundamental role of ETFs in broadening access to digital assets.
Both professional investors and casual observers recognize that decentralization is one of crypto’s founding principles. Here, holding your own assets without relying on banks or brokers, also known as self-custody, sits at its core. But in practice, managing one’s own crypto isn’t always simple.
From complex wallet setups to the risks of lost keys and lack of recovery options, self-custody can be daunting. These challenges are especially relevant on networks like Solana, which, while less decentralized than Bitcoin or Ethereum, still require users to navigate similar hurdles.
These risk factors and responsibilities of managing crypto directly are often a step too far for many investors. This is where alternatives like ETFs start to offer a practical bridge.
Digital asset ETFs circumnavigate these challenges by enabling exposure on regular stock exchanges via standard brokerage accounts. They are prospectus-based, regulated financial products that allow digital asset investment without having to engage with the mechanics and risks of self-custody. In Canada, investors can hold eligible digital asset ETFs within their Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) and Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs), offering potential tax advantages on gains.
Unlike futures-based products, spot ETFs actually hold the underlying crypto asset. They’re part of a broader group known as exchange-traded products (ETPs), which also includes structures like ETNs and ETCs, more common in Europe due to different regulatory frameworks.
What makes spot digital asset ETFs so powerful is their ability to bridge two worlds: the innovation of digital assets with the accessibility and trust of traditional finance. For many investors, this convergence presents a compelling value proposition.
Spot digital asset ETFs maintain price tracking through a coordinated system of custody, trading, and rebalancing managed by financial institutions and market makers crucial for liquidity and price accuracy know as Authorized Participants (APs).
As with a Bitcoin or Ether ETF, the mechanics for a Solana ETF include:
Creation/redemption: APs create or redeem ETF shares in-kind using the underlying asset (SOL), helping maintain the ETF’s price in line with NAV (Net Asset Value).
Custody: A regulated custodian holds the SOL on behalf of the ETF. This is typically done using institutional-grade storage solutions with robust security protocols.
Liquidity and price tracking: Market makers help ensure trading liquidity, and the ETF trades like any other listed security on an exchange.
As outlined, APs create ETF shares by buying and delivering the underlying cryptocurrency to the issuer and redeem shares for the cryptocurrency, ensuring the ETF's price closely tracks its net asset value (NAV) and minimizing price discrepancies.
In more innovative ETFs designs staking is an additional yield mechanism which allows the crypto held by the ETF to be delegated to validators on the network, generating staking rewards. Those rewards can either enhance the fund’s net asset value over time or be passed through to investors in the manner of a total return fund.
Targeting superior Solana exposure, our 3iQ Solana Staking ETF (TSX: SOLQ, SOLQ.U) combines the asset's growth prospects with yield generated through staking. As one of the first Solana ETF in North America to integrate staking rewards into its structure, SOLQ reflects an industry shift from passive exposure to crypto assets to active participation in the economic activity of underlying blockchain networks. Its arrival also comes at a time when demand is growing for digital assets that go beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, particularly those offering both speed and capacity, as well as real-world utility.
That said, not all Solana ETFs are built the same. Key factors to evaluate include:
SOLQ stands out by offering staking exposure with no management fee for the first year (until 20th April 2026), Coinbase as sub-custodian, and early backing from institutions like SkyBridge Capital. It has also secured investment from one of the most influential asset managers in digital assets, ARK Invest, and quickly amassed over CAD $90 million in assets under management (AUM), making it Canada’s largest Solana ETF to date. For investors, this brings a familiar ETF structure to a new frontier: yield-generating digital assets.
Strategically, SOLQ is positioned at the forefront of two major trends:
Institutionalization of crypto: Investors expect compliant, secure products that fit within traditional portfolios.
Financialization of blockchains: Staking and on-chain rewards are becoming essential features of an asset’s investment profile—not just technical extras.
As the global hunt for yield intensifies, products like SOLQ show how next-gen ETFs will combine access, income, and regulatory clarity in one package.
Solana’s long-term success will depend on its ability to stay fast, reliable, and developer-friendly. With major upgrades like Firedancer on the horizon and growing demand for the fastest blockchain infrastructure, the outlook remains strong.
At the same time, access to Solana is evolving. The rise of staking-enabled ETFs like SOLQ brings institutional-grade tools to a network built for next-gen applications. By combining the simplicity of traditional finance with the rewards of onchain participation, these products democratise access to Solana's growth prospects for a larger investor base.
If you have any questions or would like to explore how 3iQ Solana Staking ETF (TSX: SOLQ, SOLQ.U) fits into your investment strategy, please contact us at info@3iq.io or by completing the form on our website.