Grayscale Launches Investment Funds for Lido and Optimism Tokens

Grayscale Investments, one of the largest cryptocurrency asset managers globally, has expanded its portfolio with two new investment funds focused on Lido and Optimism, two prominent Ethereum-based protocols. The Grayscale Lido DAO Trust and the Grayscale Optimism Trust, launched on December 12, offer investors exposure to the native tokens of Lido (LDO) and Optimism (OP), respectively.
These new funds reflect Grayscale's ongoing commitment to providing targeted investment opportunities in the growing Ethereum ecosystem. Lido is the largest decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol by total value locked (TVL), facilitating liquid staking for Ethereum, while Optimism is a widely used layer-2 (L2) scaling solution that enhances Ethereum’s scalability.
Exposure to Key Ethereum Ecosystem Protocols
The Grayscale Lido DAO Trust provides exposure to Lido’s LDO token, which represents a stake in Ethereum’s largest liquid staking token protocol. Lido’s platform enables users to stake Ether (ETH) while maintaining liquidity, a key feature that has contributed to its nearly $40 billion in TVL, making it the dominant player in the Ethereum staking space.
On the other hand, the Grayscale Optimism Trust gives investors access to Optimism’s OP token, which powers one of Ethereum’s most popular layer-2 solutions. Optimism significantly improves Ethereum’s scalability and transaction efficiency, making it a critical part of Ethereum’s infrastructure. With approximately $800 million in TVL, Optimism is helping Ethereum scale to compete with newer, faster blockchains. Optimism’s technology is also used by other L2 networks, including Coinbase’s Base and Uniswap’s Unichain, creating a growing "superchain" of interconnected networks.
Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary, Grayscale’s head of product and research, emphasized the strategic importance of these protocols: “Lido is helping to democratize staking on Ethereum, and Optimism is critical in allowing Ethereum to scale to compete with newer, faster layer 1 blockchains,” she said.
Expanding Grayscale’s Crypto Product Suite
These new trusts are part of Grayscale's broader expansion of its single-asset cryptocurrency products. In October, the firm launched an investment fund for Aave’s governance token, AAVE, and has been actively considering other assets for future funds. This includes 35 additional altcoins, such as Dogecoin (DOGE), Worldcoin (WLD), Pyth (PYTH), and Rune (RUNE), which may be added to Grayscale’s portfolio.
Grayscale, with nearly $35 billion in assets under management as of December 11, is the world’s largest crypto fund manager. The firm has made a name for itself with its popular Bitcoin and Ethereum funds, including the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) and Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE).
In addition to these new token-specific trusts, Grayscale is exploring the potential for a spot Bitcoin ETF and is also awaiting approval for its Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund (GDLC), which holds a diverse range of major cryptocurrencies. The firm’s expansion into more targeted investment vehicles, like those for Lido and Optimism, reflects its strategy to capture emerging trends and provide investors with exposure to some of the most innovative projects in the crypto space.
Qualified Investors Only
As with its other investment products, the Lido and Optimism trusts are available only to qualified investors, maintaining Grayscale’s focus on institutional and accredited individual clients. This approach aligns with the firm’s long-standing position as a leader in providing regulated investment opportunities in the crypto space.
With the launch of these two funds, Grayscale continues to broaden its offerings, positioning itself as a key player in the development and growth of the Ethereum ecosystem and the broader digital asset market.
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