Grayscale launches Lido DAO and Optimism Trusts to expand Ethereum investment offerings

Grayscale Investments has announced the launch of two new crypto investment vehicles, the Grayscale Lido DAO Trust and the Grayscale Optimism Trust, providing institutional and accredited investors with exposure to tokens central to the Ethereum ecosystem.

The trusts, launched Thursday, mark Grayscale’s continued expansion into Ethereum-related products, targeting governance tokens of Lido DAO and Optimism. These protocols address two critical areas for Ethereum’s growth: scalability and staking accessibility.

"Grayscale Lido DAO Trust and Grayscale Optimism Trust provide investors with exposure to protocols helping to increase Ethereum's efficiency, security, scalability, and adoption within the broader DeFi ecosystem,” Grayscale Head of Product & Research Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary said.

Investment opportunities for accredited investors

The new trusts are now available for daily subscriptions, offering eligible individual and institutional accredited investors exposure to LDO and OP tokens without directly holding the assets. The vehicles join Grayscale’s suite of single-asset investment products, which cater to institutional and high-net-worth investors seeking secure, regulated exposure to crypto assets.

The Lido DAO Trust is categorized under Grayscale’s “Financials Crypto Sector,” encompassing assets focused on financial transactions and services. Meanwhile, the Optimism Trust falls under the “Smart Contract Platforms Crypto Sector,” which targets protocols supporting decentralized transactions and applications.

Grayscale stated that the trusts will invest directly in both tokens on the investors' behalf. Grayscale clarified that these offerings are exclusively available to accredited investors, defined as individuals with a net worth of at least $1 million or a combined household income of $300,000.

Lido Institutional Contributor Kean Gilbert said Grayscale's Lido DAO Trust broadens access to LDO tokens. "This initiative reflects the vital role of the Lido DAO contributors in advancing tools like the Lido protocol that makes staking simple, secure, and decentralized," he said. "As staking sees wider institutional adoption, stETH, the liquid staking token powered by the Lido protocol, is poised to bridge the gap to traditional finance through ETFs and similar products, all while contributing to Ethereum’s strength and resilience."

Over the past 24 hours, the OP price has increased by over 11% in 24 hours to $2.58, while LDO increased by over 20% to $2.28, according to The Block's Prices Page.