Interactive Brokers has launched Ethereum staking for eligible clients through Zerohash. Clients can request unstaking at any time, but network waiting periods apply, and the agreement caps combined fees at 30% of rewards.
Interactive Brokers launched Ethereum staking in partnership with Zerohash, which provides the service. The brokerage, which manages over $900 billion in clients' assets, starts with ETH and adds staking to a crypto lineup that already includes trading in up to 20 assets.
How the Staking Dashboard works
Eligible Interactive Brokers LLC clients can stake Ethereum through the Staking Dashboard in the Client Portal, where they submit stake or unstake requests and monitor pending activity. Rewards are credited as additional staked cryptocurrency and can compound while the position remains staked.
CEO Milan Galik compared the product to the broker's Stock Yield Enhancement Program for shares. According to Interactive Brokers, he said: "We want clients to earn more from the assets they hold."
Fees, custody and withdrawal limits
Under the client agreement supplement, Interactive Brokers and Zerohash together cannot charge more than 30% of staking rewards, which leaves clients at least 70%. Fees apply only when rewards are generated, and rewards are not guaranteed.
The crypto sits in a client-named account at Zerohash, outside the brokerage account. Zerohash's user agreement allows the provider to use third-party validators and to batch assets into a pooled onchain wallet, while clients keep ownership of their staked assets. Assets in that account, including staked crypto, do not receive the SIPC protections that apply to the securities brokerage account, according to the IBKR agreement.
Clients can request unstaking at any time, but network lockup or unbonding periods apply. Zerohash may also impose an additional limited waiting period before returning assets.
Availability and stock reaction
Product availability varies by affiliate and country of residence, and the announcement gives no country-by-country eligibility list. Zerohash's general staking FAQ says it restricts the service in California, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington.
IBKR shares were trading at around $87, down over 1% on the day of the launch, according to TradingView data cited by CoinGape.
Sources: CoinGape, The Defiant
Trading involves risk.