Interactive Brokers Launches Ethereum Staking for Eligible Clients

Brokerage adds ETH staking via zerohash partnership

On Oct. 13, Interactive Brokers announced it is offering Ethereum staking to eligible customers through its Client Portal. The service is powered by crypto infrastructure provider zerohash. Staking rewards are paid in ETH and can compound while the assets remain staked.

The launch allows investors who already trade stocks, bonds, futures and digital assets on the platform to earn rewards on their Ethereum without moving funds to a dedicated cryptocurrency exchange or staking provider.

At launch, the product supports only Ethereum. Availability depends on client eligibility, account affiliation and country of residence.

Staked Ethereum passes 43 million ETH

About 43.7 million ETH, or roughly 36% of the circulating supply, is now committed to validators, according to validatorqueue.com, which pulls data from blockchain explorer beaconcha.in. At an ETH price near $2,500, those holdings are worth approximately $110 billion.

Ethereum staking has continued to grow even as the asset lost about half its dollar value over the same period. Lido's first-half 2026 report showed staked ETH rose 19% to 43.1 million by June 30 from 36.3 million at the start of January, despite Ethereum shedding 47% of its dollar price.

Institutional platforms capture larger share

Lido reported that the institutional segment's share of staked Ethereum climbed to 35.3% from 25.9% during the first half of the year, signaling a shift toward regulated platforms.

Lido's own market share fell to 21.2% from 23.9%, even as the total amount deposited through its protocol increased, illustrating the broader move of capital toward institutional and custodial staking services.

What the company said

CEO Milan Galik compared the new staking service to Interactive Brokers' Stock Yield Enhancement Program, which lets customers earn income by lending eligible shares. "We want clients to earn more from the assets they hold," Galik said, according to the company's Oct. 13 announcement.

Fees and withdrawal delays remain unclear

Interactive Brokers has not disclosed a specific staking fee or guaranteed annual yield. Zerohash says each platform sets its own customer fees, which are deducted from staking rewards before customers receive their share. The brokerage's advertised cryptocurrency trading commissions of 0.12% to 0.18% are separate from staking charges.

Customers cannot immediately sell or transfer staked ETH. Withdrawals must pass through Ethereum's validator exit queue, which currently holds roughly 962,000 ETH and carries an estimated wait of nearly 17 days before an additional withdrawal-processing period. The duration fluctuates with network demand.

Interactive Brokers warns that cryptocurrency held through its crypto providers is outside the brokerage's custody and does not qualify for Securities Investor Protection Corp. coverage. The service also carries slashing risk, a penalty that can reduce staked ETH if a validator misbehaves on the network.

Why traditional brokers are entering staking

The move comes as institutional and custodial platforms increasingly capture share of Ethereum staking, a market historically dominated by crypto-native providers. Adding staking allows traditional brokerages to compete for client assets that might otherwise stay with specialized exchanges.

What remains uncertain

Interactive Brokers has not provided a guaranteed withdrawal deadline for the new staking service, and exact fee schedules have not been disclosed. Customers should expect variable rewards and potential delays when trying to access their holdings during periods of high network demand.

Sources

• CryptoSlate

Read also: VanEck Withdraws Application for Lido Staked Ether ETF