When the world’s largest asset manager shifts over half a billion dollars from a passive Bitcoin ETF into staking-enabled positions, institutional investors pay attention. On June 2, 2025, BlackRock redirected $561 million of client assets from its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) toward products like the Grayscale Ethereum Trust, a move that aligns with growing appetite for blockchain infrastructure strategies offering more than just price exposure.
For institutions, this isn’t just a portfolio rebalancing, it’s a signal. The hunt is on for yield, utility, and long-term alignment with blockchain protocol economics. And staking is emerging as a core theme.
BlackRock’s move isn’t isolated. As of early August 2025, the firm held around 3.5 percent of all Bitcoin, valued at nearly $85 billion, making any reallocation deeply strategic. Just weeks earlier, BlackRock purchased $916 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum over a 16-day period, reinforcing its conviction in not only holding crypto assets, but actively participating in the infrastructure that powers them. Together, these actions signal a larger pivot: institutions aren’t waiting on the sidelines, they’re building exposure to the core layers of blockchain consensus.
Institutional demand is shifting from passive exposure to active participation
ETFs have been the entry point. But the focus is evolving: from holding assets like Bitcoin to participating in the infrastructure that underpins blockchains. Ethereum, with its proof-of-stake consensus, offers institutional players something Bitcoin doesn’t: the ability to earn protocol-native rewards for helping secure the network.
BlackRock’s move underscores this transition. By increasing exposure to staking-enabled assets, institutions are not just betting on price, they’re backing blockchain infrastructure itself. The question now is not whether staking belongs in institutional portfolios, but how to access it securely and operationally at scale.
Staking infrastructure must match institutional-grade expectations
While staking promises rewards, it also introduces operational complexity and risks that institutions can’t afford to ignore. Downtime penalties, misconfigured validators, or insufficient monitoring can erode returns and trust. That’s why choosing the right staking infrastructure provider is no longer optional, it’s mission-critical.
Finoa Consensus Services (FCS) offers staking solutions built for the standards institutions demand. With 24/7 monitoring and German bare-metal servers, FCS ensures institutions can engage in staking with confidence, without compromising on control, transparency, or operational assurance.
Institutional staking infrastructure built for security and control
FCS enables secure participation across leading proof-of-stake protocols, including Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon. We specialize in:
- Validator management: Run by our expert team, hosted on secure infrastructure, and monitored around the clock.
- In-custody staking: Integration with trusted custody providers for seamless, non-disruptive staking workflows.
- Protocol-native alignment: We partner directly with protocol foundations and core teams to stay ahead of roadmap changes and optimize performance.
This isn’t staking-as-a-service. It’s infrastructure-as-strategy, built for institutions, by specialists who understand their needs.
The numbers are compelling and growing
Institutional capital is flowing into staking. As of mid-2025, over $124 billion in assets are staked across the top 10 proof-of-stake networks, with institutional participation climbing steadily quarter over quarter. Ethereum alone sees over 32 million ETH staked,roughly 26 percent of supply, with more entities seeking secure, auditable staking pathways.
With BlackRock entering the conversation, the directional signal is clear: staking is no longer niche. It's foundational.
Institutional staking has entered its next phase
BlackRock’s recent reallocation reflects a deeper institutional trend: a pivot from speculative exposure to strategic infrastructure alignment. Staking is not just a yield mechanism, it’s a statement of intent, a commitment to blockchain’s foundational logic.
Finoa Consensus Services is here to make that commitment operationally possible, institutionally robust, and strategically valuable.
If your team is exploring staking, make your next move count. Learn how Finoa Consensus Services can help you build a secure, scalable staking strategy tailored to your operational needs.
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or an offer of any product or service. Always do your own research.