On Wednesday, BlackRock, Grayscale, and Bitwise submitted amended 9b-4 forms to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for their proposed spot ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The updated filings removed provisions for staking ether, addressing a significant regulatory roadblock.

According to BlackRock’s amended filing, “Neither the Trust, nor the Sponsor, nor the Ether Custodian […] nor any other person associated with the Trust will, directly or indirectly, engage in action where any portion of the Trust’s ETH becomes subject to the Ethereum proof-of-stake validation or is used to earn additional ETH or generate income or other earnings.”

Also read: Fidelity Reportedly Amends Ether ETF S-1 Filing, Removes ETH Staking

Staking involves locking specific cryptocurrencies for a period to support blockchain operations, offering rewards typically seen as passive income among crypto traders. As of Thursday, annualized yields on ether staking were nearly 3%, based on data from staking service Lido.

All ether ETF hopefuls have filed their amended proposals ahead of an anticipated SEC decision on Thursday. Fidelity, which had earlier dropped its staking plans, filed its amended S-1 forms this week. Following suit, VanEck, Franklin Templeton, Invesco Galaxy, and ARK 21Shares also removed staking from their proposals. Hashdex remains the only issuer yet to amend its Ethereum ETF.

Also read: SEC Chair Gensler Silent on Ether ETF Decision, Urges Observers to “Stay Tuned”

In a positive development, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) listed VanEck’s Ether ETF under the ticker symbol ETHV on its site. This move has been interpreted as a favorable sign by market participants.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart increased their approval odds for ether ETFs from 25% to 75%, sparking a market-wide rally. Ether surged over 17%, while bitcoin reclaimed the $71,000 mark for the first time since early April.

Market analysts view the SEC’s recent actions as a notable shift in tone. In an interview with Unchained, Seyffart remarked that the issue had become “political,” with decisions likely influenced by higher authorities, potentially including President Biden.