BlackRock Sidesteps the Solana ETF Showdown — Is It a Miss or Masterplan?

Core Insights - Fidelity is launching its Solana ETF (FSOL) on November 19, 2025, with a 25-basis-point fee, marking a significant entry of traditional asset managers into the Solana ETF market [1][2] - BlackRock, the largest asset manager globally, is not participating in the Solana ETF competition, focusing instead on Bitcoin and Ethereum products, raising questions about the future of altcoin-based funds [1][6] Group 1: Market Expansion - The Solana ETF market is rapidly expanding, with Bitwise's BSOL debuting with approximately $450 million in assets and VanEck's VSOL launching on November 18, 2025 [2] - Canary Capital is also entering the market with its Solana ETF (SOLC), which includes on-chain staking through a partnership with Marinade Finance [3][4] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Fidelity's FSOL is positioned to compete closely with other leading products due to its competitive fee structure [3] - Grayscale has added further competition in the Solana ETF segment, indicating a growing interest from institutional investors [4] Group 3: Institutional Interest - Open interest in SOL futures is increasing as the launch date approaches, signaling rising institutional interest in Solana exposure [5] - BlackRock's leadership has stated that the next-largest cryptocurrency after Ethereum accounts for only about 3% of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization, which is below their product launch thresholds [7][8]