A traditional broker adds on-platform staking

Interactive Brokers has launched cryptocurrency staking for eligible clients of its U.S. brokerage entity, beginning with Ethereum. The company announced the service on October 13 and said crypto infrastructure provider zerohash will handle the staking function. Eligible Interactive Brokers LLC clients can use a new Staking Dashboard in the broker's Client Portal to submit stake or unstake requests and monitor pending activity. Rewards, when earned, are credited as additional staked cryptocurrency and can compound while the position remains staked. The launch moves the broker's digital-asset offering beyond trading, funding and transfers into participation in Ethereum's proof-of-stake system.

What clients can do at launch

The first version supports Ethereum only. Interactive Brokers did not announce support for other proof-of-stake assets or provide a timetable for adding them. The dashboard is designed to keep staking controls alongside the securities, derivatives and crypto tools already available through the broader platform. The Block independently reported that the service is limited to ETH at launch and that rewards are paid as additional staked ETH. The structure gives eligible brokerage clients a single interface for the request process, but zerohash remains the named service provider behind the staking operation.

Related reporting: Ether and Solana ETFs End the Week With Broad Outflows

Part of a wider digital-asset expansion

Interactive Brokers said its platform currently supports trading in 20 digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP and several decentralized-finance tokens. The broker also offers stablecoin funding using USDC, RLUSD and PYUSD, plus transfers to eligible custodial and non-custodial wallets. Those features have gradually connected its conventional multi-asset brokerage with crypto market infrastructure. Staking adds a different function: rather than simply buying or moving a token, a client commits eligible assets to a network process that helps validate transactions and may generate protocol rewards. The company compared the concept with its stock-yield program, while keeping the products operationally distinct.

Important details remain undisclosed

The announcement did not specify an annual reward rate, the share of protocol rewards retained by the client, any service fee, a minimum stake or the expected time needed to complete an unstaking request. Those terms can materially affect access to funds and the net return from staking. Interactive Brokers also noted that product availability varies by affiliate and country of residence. Crypto assets remain exposed to market volatility, while staking can add operational, liquidity and network risks that differ from holding an unstaked balance. The launch therefore expands functionality, but it does not turn staking rewards into a fixed or guaranteed return.

Why the rollout matters

For established brokers, staking is becoming another test of how crypto services can be integrated without forcing clients into a separate specialist application. Interactive Brokers already places digital assets beside stocks, options, futures, bonds and funds; adding staking extends that unified-account strategy into a blockchain-native activity. It also places more responsibility on the brokerage interface to explain request status, reward accounting and access limitations clearly, because those mechanics differ from an ordinary securities order. The immediate scope is narrow, covering eligible clients and Ethereum through zerohash. Adoption, service terms and any expansion to additional assets will show whether staking becomes a routine brokerage feature or remains a limited add-on for clients who already hold proof-of-stake tokens.

Sources

AI-generated editorial image; not a photograph of the reported event. Prepared with AI assistance and source verification.