Interactive Brokers Taps Zerohash to Offer Ethereum Staking

Interactive Brokers has launched Ethereum staking for eligible US clients at Interactive Brokers LLC, letting them earn rewards on ETH inside the same account they use for traditional markets. The service runs through a dedicated dashboard in the broker's Client Portal, with crypto infrastructure firm zerohash handling the staking operations.

Clients can submit stake and unstake requests and monitor pending activity without leaving the platform. Rewards, when earned, are credited as additional staked ETH, allowing the position to compound while it remains staked. Interactive Brokers said no further staking assets are supported at launch.

"Similar to how our Stock Yield Enhancement Program allows clients to earn additional income on shares they own, staking gives clients an opportunity to earn rewards on the cryptocurrency they own," CEO Milan Galik said. "We want clients to earn more from the assets they hold."

Infrastructure behind the launch

Zerohash announced its Staking-as-a-Service infrastructure in June, naming Interactive Brokers, Public and BitMart as initial partners. The setup lets financial institutions offer staking without operating validators themselves or building the blockchain accounting systems needed to distribute rewards. Zerohash oversees validator infrastructure, staking operations, rewards accounting and compliance, while the brokerage controls the customer-facing experience. That division mirrors Interactive Brokers' wider crypto model, which has relied on regulated providers such as zerohash and Paxos for execution and custody rather than a vertically integrated exchange.

Staking differs materially from earning interest on cash or lending securities. Ethereum rewards come from proof-of-stake validation and are not guaranteed. Zerohash's customer agreement notes that rewards vary with network conditions and that past payouts are not necessarily indicative of future returns. Validator penalties can reduce rewards or, in some cases, expose staked assets to slashing. Unstaking requests can take several hours to several weeks to complete, leaving ETH prices free to move before a request settles, and staked balances receive no FDIC deposit insurance or SIPC protection.

The launch extends a digital-asset expansion that began with crypto trading in 2021. Interactive Brokers now supports 20 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Cardano and Dogecoin, after adding nine tokens and two-way stablecoin transfers earlier this year. Clients can also move supported coins between the brokerage and external custodial or self-custody wallets. The broker introduced 24/7 stablecoin account funding in January, initially with USDC, and now supports USDC, RLUSD and PYUSD for eligible funding and transfers.

Peers are pursuing similar ground. Morgan Stanley has applied for a national trust bank charter that could cover digital-asset custody, trading and staking for investment clients. Zerohash has previously flagged Solana as another asset planned for its staking infrastructure, though Interactive Brokers has not said whether or when additional staking assets will be offered.