First Avalanche ETF hits US markets as VanEck launches AVAX fund

The first exchange-traded fund to track the Avalanche's native token, AVAX, and include staking rewards, debuted on Monday with the launch of the VanEck Avalanche ETF. 

The new fund began trading under the ticker symbol VAVX, which the investment management firm says is the "the first and currently the only (as January 26, 2026) U.S.-listed ETP focused on providing investors with exposure to the price return and potential staking rewards of Avalanche’s native token, AVAX."

Avalanche is an EVM-compatible blockchain launched by Ava Labs in 2020 with the primary goal of improving existing crypto scalability, interoperability, and usability. The platform is smart contract-capable, meaning it can execute contracts automatically when certain conditions are met.  

VanEck Director of Digital Assets Kyle DaCruz said Avalanche is unique in that it can link traditional finance and blockchain, in a statement. “Avalanche’s architecture is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the on-chain economy, focusing on verifiable, real-world utility,” DaCruz said.  

Avalanche's native token AVAX is ranked the 33rd-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, according to The Block's price page. 

VanEck said it is waiving sponsor fees for the fund’s first $500 million in assets or until Feb. 28, "whichever comes first." After that, the sponsor fee will be 0.20%, the firm said. 

The Avalanche ETF is the latest in VanEck's crypto ETF line-up. Over the years, the firm has also launched funds tracking bitcoin, Ethereum's ETH, and Solana's SOL.