As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 26, 2025

Registration No. 333-286374

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Amendment No. 4

to

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware

6221

87-6771043

(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)

(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

 

c/o Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC
290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor
Stamford, Connecticut 06902
(212) 668-1427

 

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Edward McGee

Chief Financial Officer

Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC
290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor
Stamford, Connecticut 06902
(212) 668-1427

 

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

 

Joseph A. Hall
Daniel P. Gibbons
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
(212) 450-4000

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer

 

 

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

 

 

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

 

 

 

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. □

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 


The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

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Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

 

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) (the “Trust”) is a Delaware statutory trust that issues common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (“Shares”), which represent ownership in the Trust. In connection with the effectiveness of this registration statement and the listing of the Shares on NYSE Arca, the Sponsor intends to rename the Trust as Grayscale Solana Trust ETF by filing a Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the DSTA. The Trust’s purpose is to hold “SOL”, which are digital assets based on an open source cryptographic protocol existing on the Solana Network, comprising units that constitute the assets underlying the Trust’s Shares. The Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of SOL held by the Trust, as determined by reference to the Index Price (as defined herein), less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. While an investment in the Shares is not a direct investment in SOL, the Shares are designed to provide investors with a cost-effective and convenient way to gain investment exposure to SOL. Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC and Grayscale Operating, LLC are the co-sponsors of the Trust (each, a “Sponsor” or the “Co-Sponsors”). Prior to May 3, 2025, all references herein to the “Sponsor” shall be deemed to include both Sponsors unless the context otherwise requires, and on or after May 3, 2025, all references herein to the “Sponsor” shall refer only to Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC. CSC Delaware Trust Company is the trustee of the Trust (the “Trustee”), The Bank of New York Mellon is the transfer agent of the Trust (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) and the administrator of the Trust (in such capacity, the “Administrator”), Coinbase, Inc. is the prime broker of the Trust (the “Prime Broker”), Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC is the custodian of the Trust (the “Custodian”) and Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. (the “Additional Custodian”) is an available alternative custodian of the Trust.

The Shares are currently quoted on OTCQX under the ticker symbol “GSOL” and following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the Trust intends to list the Shares on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) under the symbol “GSOL.” The Trust intends to issue Shares on a continuous basis and is registering an indeterminate number of Shares. It is expected that the Shares will be sold to the public at varying prices to be determined by reference to, among other considerations, the price of SOL and the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca at the time of each sale.

The Shares may be purchased from the Trust only in one or more blocks of 10,000 Shares (a block of 10,000 Shares is called a “Basket”). The Trust issues Baskets of Shares to certain authorized participants (“Authorized Participants”) on an ongoing basis as described in “Plan of Distribution.” In addition, the Trust redeems Shares in Baskets on an ongoing basis from Authorized Participants. The Trust is currently able to accept Cash Orders (as defined herein), pursuant to which an Authorized Participant will deposit cash into, or accept cash from, the Cash Account in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets, and a third party (a “Liquidity Provider”) that is not an agent of, or otherwise acting on behalf of, such Authorized Participant will obtain or receive SOL in exchange for cash in connection with such order. However, the Trust is not at this time able to create and redeem shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants. Although the SEC recently approved orders to permit in-kind creations and redemptions by authorized participants for certain spot digital asset exchange-traded product (“ETP”) shares, it is not yet clear whether or how market participants, including registered broker-dealers, will adjust their activities to account for the new orders. In light of the new orders, NYSE Arca may seek the necessary regulatory approval to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to do so (the “In-Kind Regulatory Approval”). Subject to NYSE Arca seeking and obtaining In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future the Trust may also create and redeem Shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants or their designees (any such designee, an “AP Designee”) in exchange for SOL. There can be no assurance as to when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain such regulatory approval, if at all. See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.” Some of the activities of the Authorized Participants will result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which would render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus-delivery and liability provisions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). See “Plan of Distribution.”

Investing in the Shares involves significant risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors described in “Risk Factors” starting on page 15 before you invest in the Shares.

 

The Trust is an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act and will therefore be subject to reduced reporting requirements. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The Shares are neither interests in nor obligations of the Sponsor or the Trustee.

The U.S. dollar value of a Basket of Shares at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the trade date of a creation or redemption order is equal to the “Basket Amount”, which is the amount of SOL required to create or redeem a Basket of Shares, multiplied by the “Index Price,” which is the U.S. dollar value of an SOL derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms (as defined herein) that are reflected in the CoinDesk SOL CCIXber Reference Rate (the “Index”), calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day. The Index Price is calculated using non-GAAP methodology and is not used in the Trust’s financial statements.

 

The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) and is therefore not subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act. Furthermore, the Sponsor believes that the Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the “CEA”), as administered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and that neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares— Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act or the protections afforded by the CEA.”

The date of this prospectus is , 2025.

 


 

table of contents

 

 

 

Page

Forward-Looking Statements

 

ii

Prospectus Summary

 

1

The Offering

 

9

Risk Factors

 

20

Use of Proceeds

 

63

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

64

Business

 

71

Key Personnel of the Sponsor

 

109

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

 

111

Description of the Shares

 

112

Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares

 

117

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

 

123

ERISA and Related Considerations

 

129

Plan of Distribution

 

131

Legal Matters

 

133

Experts

 

134

Where You Can Find More Information

 

135

Glossary of Defined Terms

Index to Financial Statements

 

136

F-1

 

 

Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor has authorized anyone to provide you with any information other than that contained in this prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Trust. Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor takes any responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any information that others may give you. Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is making an offer to sell any security or soliciting any offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information appearing in this prospectus or any free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates on the front of such documents. The Trust’s business, assets, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell, or an invitation on behalf of the Trust or the Sponsor, to subscribe to or purchase any securities, and may not be used for or in connection with an offer or solicitation by anyone, in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation.

Authorized Participants may be required to deliver a prospectus when making transactions in the Shares. The information contained in the section captioned “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market” is based on information obtained from sources that the Sponsor believes are reliable. This prospectus summarizes certain documents and other information in a manner the Sponsor believes to be accurate. In making an investment decision, you must rely on your own examination of the Trust, the SOL industry, the operation of the SOL market and the terms of the offering and the Shares, including the merits and risks involved. Although the Sponsor believes this information to be reliable, the accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed and has not been independently verified.

See “Glossary of Defined Terms” for the definition of certain capitalized terms used in this prospectus.

i


 

Forward-Looking Statements

This prospectus contains “forward-looking statements” with respect to the Trust’s financial conditions, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. Statements preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify some of the forward-looking statements. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this prospectus that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as changes in market prices and conditions, the Trust’s operations, the Sponsor’s plans and references to the Trust’s future success and other similar matters are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially from such statements. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances. You should specifically consider the numerous risks described in “Risk Factors” in this prospectus. Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including:

recent developments in the digital asset economy which have led to extreme volatility and disruption in digital asset markets, a loss of confidence in participants of the digital asset ecosystem, significant negative publicity surrounding digital assets broadly and market-wide declines in liquidity;
the extreme volatility of trading prices that many digital assets, including SOL, have experienced in recent periods and may continue to experience, which could cause the value of the Shares to be volatile and/or have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares;
the recency of the development of digital assets and the uncertain medium-to-long term value of the Shares due to a number of factors relating to the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies and to the fundamental investment characteristics of digital assets;
the value of the Shares depending on the acceptance of digital assets, such as SOL, which represent a new and rapidly evolving industry;
the value of the Shares relating directly to the value of SOL then held by the Trust, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a number of factors;
the risk that validators may suffer losses due to Staking (as defined herein), or Staking may prove unattractive to validators, which could adversely affect the Solana Network;
a temporary or permanent “fork” or a “clone”, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares;
the largely unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Digital Asset Trading Platforms, which may adversely affect the value of digital assets and, consequently, the value of the Shares;
the limited history of the Index;
the lack of active trading markets for the Shares, which may result in losses on investors’ investments at the time of disposition of Shares;
the possibility that illiquid markets may exacerbate losses or increase the variability between the Trust’s NAV and its market price;
the possibility that there may be less liquidity or wider spreads in the market for the Shares as compared to the shares of other spot SOL exchange-traded products, if and when the listing of such products has been approved;
competition from the emergence or growth of other digital assets could have a negative impact on the price of SOL and adversely affect the value of the Shares;
the liquidity of the Shares may be affected if Authorized Participants cease to perform their obligations under the Participant Agreements or the Liquidity Engager is unable to engage Liquidity Providers;
the possibility that the Shares may trade at a price that is at, above or below the Trust’s NAV per Share as a result of the non-current trading hours between NYSE Arca and the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market;

ii


 

regulatory changes or actions by the U.S. Congress or any U.S. federal or state agencies that may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of one or more digital assets, validating activity or the operation of their networks or the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares;
a determination that SOL or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of SOL and the value of the Shares and result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of, the Trust;
changes in the policies of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that could adversely impact the value of the Shares;
regulatory changes or other events in foreign jurisdictions that may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of one or more digital assets, validating activity or the operation of their networks or the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares;
the possibility that an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor could be subject to regulation as a money service business or money transmitter, which could result in extraordinary expenses to such Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor and also result in decreased liquidity for the Shares;
regulatory changes or interpretations that could obligate the Trust or the Sponsor to register and comply with new regulations, resulting in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust;
potential conflicts of interest that may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust;
the potential discontinuance of the Sponsor’s continued services, which could be detrimental to the Trust;
the lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares, which could have adverse consequences for the Trust;
the lack of ability to participate in Staking (as defined herein) to the extent the Staking Condition (as defined herein) is not satisfied, which could have adverse consequences for the Trust;
the risk of loss of SOL from Staking, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares;
the inaccessibility of staked SOL tokens for a variable period of time, which could result in certain liquidity risks to the Trust;
the Trust’s dependence on third parties to effectively execute the Trust’s Staking Arrangements (as defined herein);
the uncertain regulatory landscape surrounding Staking;
potential tax liabilities for beneficial owners of Shares without receiving corresponding distributions from the Trust in connection with Staking;
the Trust’s reliance on third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to the affairs of the Trust and the challenges replacement of such service providers could pose to the safekeeping of the Trust’s SOL and to the operations of the Trust; and
the Custodian’s possible resignation or removal by the Sponsor or otherwise, without replacement, which could trigger early termination of the Trust.

Consequently, all forward-looking statements made in this prospectus are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments the Sponsor anticipates will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the expected consequences to, or have the expected effects on, the Trust’s operations or the value of the Shares. Should one or more of these risks discussed in “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, or other uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on the Sponsor’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty or undertakes an obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, other than as required by applicable laws. Moreover, neither the Trust, the Sponsor, nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Investors are therefore cautioned against relying on forward-looking statements.

iii


 

Prospectus Summary

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary may not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding to invest in the Shares. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the “Risk Factors” section and the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements, before making an investment decision about the Shares.

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

Trust Overview

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) (the “Trust”) is a Delaware Statutory Trust that was formed on November 9, 2021, by the filing of the Certificate of Trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“DSTA”). Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the name of the Trust was Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL). In connection with the effectiveness of this registration statement and the listing of the Shares on NYSE Arca, the Sponsor intends to rename the Trust as Grayscale Solana Trust ETF by filing a Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the DSTA. The Trust’s purpose is to hold “SOL”, which are digital assets that are created and transmitted through the operations of the peer-to-peer Solana Network, a decentralized network of computers that operates on cryptographic protocols. There are several key features of the Solana Network. SOL has an unlimited supply and a circulating supply of approximately 534 million coins as of June 30, 2025. As of June 30, 2025, the 24-hour trading volume of SOL was approximately $2.8 billion. As of June 30, 2025, the aggregate market value of SOL was approximately $82.7 billion. As of September 22, 2025, SOL was the sixth largest digital asset by market capitalization, as tracked by CoinMarketCap.com.

As a passive investment vehicle, the Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of SOL held by the Trust, including SOL earned as Staking Consideration (to the extent that the Staking Condition is satisfied and Staking is implemented), determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. The Trust does not seek to generate returns beyond tracking the price of SOL and any SOL earned as Staking Consideration (to the extent that the Staking Condition is satisfied and Staking is implemented). There can be no assurance that the Trust will be able to achieve its investment objective. The Trust will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar arrangements in seeking to meet its investment objective.


From and after the date of this prospectus, the Trust intends to issue Shares on an ongoing basis pursuant to this registration statement, intends to rely on an exemption or other relief from the SEC under Regulation M to operate a redemption program, and intends to list the Shares on NYSE Arca under the symbol “GSOL.” The Shares will be distributed by Authorized Participants who will be able to take advantage of arbitrage opportunities to keep the value of the Shares closely linked to the Index Price (referred to as the “arbitrage mechanism”). In particular, upon listing on NYSE Arca, the Sponsor expects there to be a net creation of Shares if the Shares trade at a premium to NAV per Share and a net redemption of Shares if the Shares trade at a discount to NAV per Share, representing the effective functioning of the arbitrage mechanism.

Thereafter, it is expected that the Shares will be sold by the Authorized Participants to the public at varying prices to be determined by reference to, among other considerations, the price of the SOL represented by each Share and the trading price of the Shares on NYSE Arca at the time of each sale.

Until December 31, 2024, Grayscale Investments, LLC was the sponsor of the Trust. As a result of the Reorganization (as defined herein), on January 1, 2025, Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (“GSIS”) and Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”), indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Digital Currency Group, Inc. (“DCG”), became Co-Sponsors of the Trust. On January 3, 2025 GSO voluntarily withdrew as a Sponsor of the Trust, and effective May 3, 2025 GSIS is the sole remaining Sponsor. Prior to May 3, 2025, all references herein to the “Sponsor” shall be deemed to include both GSIS and GSO as Sponsors unless the context otherwise requires, and on or after May 3, 2025, all references herein to the “Sponsor” shall refer only to GSIS. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Recent Developments” for more information. CSC Delaware Trust Company is the trustee (the “Trustee”) of the Trust, The Bank of New York Mellon is the transfer agent (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) and the administrator (in such capacity, the “Administrator”) of the Trust, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company is the co-transfer agent of the Trust (the “Co-Transfer Agent”), Coinbase, Inc. is the prime broker (the “Prime Broker”) of the Trust, Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC is the custodian (the “Custodian”) and Anchorage Digital Bank N,.A. (the “Additional Custodian”) is an available alternative custodian of the Trust.

The Trust issues Shares only in one or more blocks of 10,000 Shares (a block of 10,000 Shares is called a “Basket”) to certain authorized participants (“Authorized Participants”) from time to time. Baskets are offered in exchange for SOL. Through its redemption program, the Trust will redeem Shares from Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis.

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The U.S. dollar value of a Basket of Shares at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the trade date of a creation or redemption order is equal to the Basket Amount, which is the amount of SOL required to create or redeem a Basket of Shares, multiplied by the “Index Price,” which is the U.S. dollar value of a SOL derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are reflected in the CoinDesk Solana Price Index (SLX) (the “Index”) at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day. The Index Price is calculated using non-GAAP methodology and is not used in the Trust’s financial statements. As of October 1, 2025 the Index will be the CoinDesk SOL CCIXber Reference Rate. See “BusinessOverview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price.”

The Basket Amount on any trade date is determined by dividing (x) the amount of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date, after deducting the amount of SOL representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (converted using the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one SOL (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 10,000.

The Trust creates Baskets of Shares only upon receipt of SOL and will redeem Shares only by distributing SOL or proceeds from the disposition of SOL. At this time, Authorized Participants may only submit orders to create or redeem Shares through transactions that are referred to as “Cash Orders” in this prospectus. Cash Orders are made through the participation of a Liquidity Provider (as defined herein) and facilitated by the Transfer Agent, as described in “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.” Authorized Participants must pay a Variable Fee (as defined herein) in connection with certain Cash Orders.

Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future Authorized Participants would also be able to submit orders to create or redeem shares through “In-Kind Orders.” In connection with In-Kind Orders, Authorized Participants, or their AP Designees, would deposit SOL directly with the Trust or receive SOL directly from the Trust. However, because In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained, at this time Shares will not be created or redeemed through In-Kind Orders. Even if In-Kind Regulatory Approval were sought and obtained, there can be no assurance that in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares will be available in the future. To the extent in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares continue to be unavailable for any reason, this could have adverse consequences for the Trust. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust.”

The Shares are neither interests in nor obligations of the Sponsor or the Trustee. As provided under the Trust Agreement, the Trust’s assets will not be loaned or pledged, or serve as collateral for any loan, margin, rehypothecation, or other similar activity to which the Sponsor, the Trust or any of their respective affiliates are a party.

Some of the notable features of the Trust and its Shares include the holding of SOL in the Trust’s own accounts, the experience of the Sponsor’s management team in the SOL industry and the use of the Custodian to protect the Trust’s private keys. See “Business—Activities of the Trust.”

The Sponsor maintains an Internet website at www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol, through which the Trust’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), will be made available free of charge after they have been filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in each case following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Additional information regarding the Trust may also be found on the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

The contents of the websites referred to above and any websites referred to herein are not incorporated into this filing or any other reports or documents we file with or furnish to the SEC. Further, our references to the URLs for these websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.

Trust Objective and Determination of Principal Market NAV and NAV

The Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of SOL held by the Trust, determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. There can be no assurance that the Trust will be able to achieve its investment objective.

While an investment in the Shares is not a direct investment in SOL, the Shares are designed to provide investors with a cost-effective and convenient way to gain investment exposure to SOL. A substantial direct investment in SOL may require expensive and sometimes complicated arrangements in connection with the acquisition, security and safekeeping of the SOL and may involve the payment of substantial fees to acquire such SOL from third-party facilitators through cash payments of U.S. dollars. Because the value of the Shares is designed to be correlated with the value of SOL held by the Trust, it is important to understand the investment attributes of, and the market for, SOL. To date, the Trust has not met its investment objective and the Shares quoted on OTCQX have

2


 

not reflected the value of the SOL held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, but instead have traded at a premium to such value, which at times has been substantial.

The Trust’s SOL are carried, for financial statement purposes, at fair value, as required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Trust determines the fair value of SOL based on the price provided by the Digital Asset Market (defined below) that the Trust considers its principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. The net asset value of the Trust determined on a GAAP basis is referred to in this prospectus as “Principal Market NAV.” “Digital Asset Market” means a “Brokered Market,” “Dealer Market,” “Principal-to-Principal Market” or “Exchange Market,” as each such term is defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Master Glossary. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates—Principal Market and Fair Value Determination” in this prospectus for more information on the Trust’s principal market selection.

The Trust uses the Index Price to calculate its “NAV,” a non-GAAP metric, which is the aggregate value, expressed in U.S. dollars, of the Trust’s assets (other than U.S. dollars or other fiat currency), less the U.S. dollar value of the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities calculated in the manner set forth under “Business —Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV.” “NAV per Share” is calculated by dividing NAV by the number of Shares then outstanding.

NAV and NAV per Share are not measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. NAV is not intended to be a substitute for the Trust’s Principal Market NAV calculated in accordance with GAAP, and NAV per Share is not intended to be a substitute for the Trust’s Principal Market NAV per Share calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Staking

The Trust Agreement provides that the Trust may engage in Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied. Subject to the Staking Condition being satisfied and subject to compliance with any additional requirements that may arise in connection with satisfaction of the Staking Condition, in the future the Sponsor may cause the Trust to stake a portion of its SOL holdings on the proof-of-stake validation mechanism of the Solana Network to receive Staking Consideration comprising additional SOL.

As of the date of this prospectus, the Staking Condition has not been met for the Trust, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Staking Condition will be met for the Trust in the future. As such, the Trust currently is prohibited from engaging in Staking, and there can be no assurance that the Trust will be permitted to engage in Staking in the future. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Staking—The Trust will not be permitted to engage in Staking unless (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition is satisfied in addition to the Trust satisfying any additional requirements that may arise in connection with the satisfaction of the Staking Condition, which could negatively affect the value of the Shares.”

Staking Arrangements and Provider-Facilitated Staking Model

If and when the Staking Condition is satisfied, the Sponsor anticipates that the Trust will enter into written arrangements (the “Staking Arrangements”) with the Custodian and one or more third party staking providers (each, a “Staking Provider”), which may be affiliates of the Custodian or other trusted institutional validators, to stake the Trust’s SOL to a Staking Provider operating validator software and associated hardware (“Provider-Facilitated Staking”). The Sponsor anticipates that the Trust’s SOL will be staked exclusively by means of Provider-Facilitated Staking.

The Staking Provider will be the node operator and will be obligated to operate the validator through which the Trust’s SOL is staked to ensure that validation occurs. The Trust’s SOL would be staked directly from the Trust’s wallets administered by the Custodian, and the Staking Provider would perform any related validation activities. The Trust will retain control of its staked SOL because (1) the staked SOL will remain in the Trust’s wallet administered by the Custodian (rather than transferred to a wallet address controlled by the Staking Provider) and (2) the Trust (rather than the Staking Provider) will retain the ability through the Custodian to un-stake its SOL from the applicable smart contracts. Because staked SOL will remain in the Trust wallet administered by the Custodian, even when staked, the Trust’s SOL will not be commingled with the SOL of any other SOL holder in connection with Staking, such as the Staking Provider or others who stake to the Staking Provider, despite the Trust delegating its validation rights to the Staking Provider, which may be in receipt of other SOL holders’ validation rights. The Trust will not itself undertake any validation activities, and the Sponsor will not be required to perform any services. Moreover, the Sponsor will not be required to make any decisions or take any actions, other than (i) selecting the Staking Provider(s) and entering into the corresponding Staking Arrangement(s), and (ii) determining, from time to time, what portion of the Trust’s SOL tokens to stake and un-stake, and informing the Staking Provider(s) of those determinations.

The Sponsor anticipates that it will engage in staking with respect to all of the Trust’s SOL at all times, except (i) as necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, (ii) as necessary to pay any additional Trust expenses, (iii) as necessary to satisfy existing and reasonably foreseen potential redemption requests (assuming the Trust is then permitted to operate an ongoing redemption program) as

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determined by the Sponsor, (iv) as necessary to reduce the SOL obtained by the Trust as Staking Consideration to cash for distribution at regular intervals, (v) if the Sponsor determines that Staking raises significant governmental, policy or regulatory concerns or is subject or likely subject to a specialized regulatory regime, (vi) if the Sponsor determines there exists vulnerabilities in the source code or cryptography underlying the Solana Network, (vii) if the Custodian or Staking Provider discontinues their arrangements with the Trust, (viii) if the Sponsor otherwise determines that continued Staking of such portion of the Trust’s assets would be inconsistent with the Trust’s purpose of protecting and preserving the value of the Trust Estate, (ix) to fund or replenish the Liquidity Sleeve (as defined herein) or (x) in accordance with any other exception that is expressly contemplated by an opinion, ruling or tax guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition. All SOL received by the Trust in connection with the creation of new Shares, or as Staking Consideration, would also be staked upon receipt by the Trust, unless one or more of the exceptions described in clauses (i)-(ix) above applies. Moreover, any staked SOL which must be un-staked in order to fulfill a distribution in connection with a redemption (to the extent such distribution cannot be fulfilled utilizing the portion of the Trust’s SOL that has not been staked, or through another mechanism to manage liquidity in connection with Redemption Orders contemplated by an opinion of a Tax Advisor, a Tax Ruling or Tax Guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition) will be un-staked only after the redemption request is approved by the Trust, the Sponsor executes an un-stake or withdrawal transaction through the Custodian, and such transaction is processed by the Solana Network. The Staking Provider will not be able to transfer unstaked SOL or Staking Consideration to another address on the Solana Network. As of the date of this filing, and subject to the satisfaction of the Staking Condition, the Sponsor expects that it will stake up to approximately 85% of the Trust’s SOL at all times, with the remainder of the Trust’s SOL remaining unstaked in order to address the various exceptions and other considerations described herein. The approximate percentage of the Trust’s SOL that is staked each day will be reported the following day at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol.

Under the Staking Arrangements, any Staking Consideration earned will accrue automatically on a periodic basis by the Solana Network to the Trust’s wallets administered by the Custodian. Periodically, the Trust will either (i) distribute SOL received as Staking Consideration to the Trust’s beneficiaries (likely using a liquidating agent), (ii) sell that SOL for cash and distribute the proceeds to the Trust’s beneficiaries, (iii) retain the SOL in the Trust, (iv) pay a portion of the Staking Consideration to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor's Staking Portion”) as consideration for its facilitation of the Staking Arrangements or (v) a combination of the foregoing, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. The Sponsor expects to implement a Staking Policy with respect to the Trust, which describes the frequency of, and conditions under which the Trust will make such distributions, if any, to the Trust’s beneficiaries. Subject to any slashing risk, the Trust (through the Custodian) will maintain control and remain the record and beneficial owner of the staked tokens at all times, and the tokens will remain associated with the Trust’s wallet.

See “Description of the Shares—Staking—Staking Arrangements and Provider-Facilitated Staking Model” for more information.

Security and Controls

The Trust’s Custodian has multiple layers of security protocols designed to protect the Trust’s assets from unauthorized access or transfer, which will remain in place when the Trust’s SOL is staked.

The Trust’s SOL will be staked directly from the Trust’s wallets and will not be transferred to any other wallet to be staked. The Solana protocol (a) mandates that the executor of the staking transaction (i.e., the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust) can execute the withdraw function at any time through the Trust’s wallets administered by the Custodian and (b) limits the activities of the Staking Provider to executing only those activities specified by the protocol, such as staking, un-staking and performing validation activities. Accordingly, the Staking Provider will not have any control over the Trust’s staked SOL other than to stake or un-stake SOL at the direction of the Sponsor. In particular, the Staking Provider will not be authorized to leverage or rehypothecate the Trust’s SOL tokens. The Staking Provider will also not be able to change the designated wallet addresses on the Solana Network to which staked SOL is to be withdrawn or to which Staking Consideration shall be sent.

In addition, the proposed Staking Arrangements will not alter the Trust’s current custody environment or security procedures. The Sponsor expects that the Staking Arrangements will serve as an addendum to the Custodial Services Agreement between the Trust and the Custodian, and the controls currently in place between the Sponsor and the Custodian will also govern the activities related to staking and un-staking SOL, as outlined in the Staking Arrangements.

See “Description of the Shares—Staking—Security and Controls” and “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Staking” for more information.

Solana History

SOL is a digital asset that is created and transmitted through the operations of the peer-to-peer Solana Network, a decentralized network of computers that operates on cryptographic protocols. No single entity owns or operates the Solana Network, the infrastructure of which is collectively maintained by a decentralized user base. The Solana Network allows people to exchange tokens of value, called SOL, which are recorded on a public transaction ledger known as a blockchain. SOL can be used to pay for goods and

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services, including computational power on the Solana Network, or it can be converted to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, at rates determined on Digital Asset Trading Platforms (as defined herein) or in individual end-user-to-end-user transactions under a barter system. Furthermore, the Solana Network was designed to allow users to write and implement smart contracts—that is, general-purpose code that executes on every computer in the network and can instruct the transmission of information and value based on a sophisticated set of logical conditions. Using smart contracts, users can create markets, store registries of debts or promises, represent the ownership of property, move funds in accordance with conditional instructions and create digital assets other than SOL on the Solana Network. Smart contract operations are executed on the Solana Blockchain in exchange for payment of SOL. Like the Ethereum Network, the Solana Network is one of a number of projects intended to expand blockchain use beyond just a peer-to-peer money system. The price of SOL on public Digital Asset Trading Platforms has a limited history, and during this history, SOL prices on the Digital Asset Markets more generally, and on Digital Asset Trading Platforms individually, have been volatile and subject to influence by many factors, including operational interruptions. While the Index is designed to limit exposure to the interruption of individual Digital Asset Trading Platforms, the Index Price, and the price of SOL generally, remains subject to volatility experienced by Digital Asset Trading Platforms, and such volatility could adversely affect the value of the Shares. For example, from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, the Index Price ranged from $103.89 to $277.39, with the straight average being $167.82. See “Business—Overview of the Solana Industry and Market—Historical NAV and SOL Prices.”

Several U.S. regulators, including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“FinCEN”), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and state regulators, including the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”), have made official pronouncements or issued guidance or rules regarding the treatment of SOL and other digital assets. However, other U.S. and state agencies, such as the SEC, have not made official pronouncements or issued guidance or rules regarding the treatment of SOL. Similarly, the treatment of SOL and other digital assets is often uncertain or contradictory in other countries. The regulatory uncertainty surrounding the treatment of SOL creates risks for the Trust and its Shares. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Regulation of Digital Assets, the Trust and the Shares.”

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Summary Risk Factors

Before you invest in the Shares, you should carefully consider all the information in this prospectus, including matters set forth under the heading “Risk Factors.” Some of the more significant challenges and risks relating to an investment in the Shares include those associated with the following:

Extreme volatility of trading prices that many digital assets, including SOL, have experienced in recent periods and may continue to experience, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value;
The medium-to-long term value of the Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies and to the fundamental investment characteristics of digital assets;
The value of the Shares is dependent on the acceptance of digital assets, such as SOL, which represent a new and rapidly evolving industry;
Digital assets may have concentrated ownership and large sales or distributions by holders of such digital assets could have an adverse effect on the market price of such digital assets;
Recent developments in the digital asset economy have led to extreme volatility and disruption in digital asset markets, a loss of confidence in participants of the digital asset ecosystem, significant negative publicity surrounding digital assets broadly and market-wide declines in liquidity;
The largely unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Digital Asset Trading Platforms may adversely affect the value of digital assets and, consequently, the value of the Shares;
The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of SOL held by the Trust, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations;
The Shares may trade at a price that is at, above or below the Trust’s NAV per Share as a result of the non-current trading hours between NYSE Arca and the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market;
Shareholders may suffer a loss on their investment if the Shares trade above or below the Trust’s NAV per Share;
Validators may suffer losses due to Staking, or Staking may prove unattractive to validators, which could adversely affect the Solana Network;
A temporary or permanent “fork” or a “clone” could adversely affect the value of the Shares;
The lack of active trading markets for the Shares may result in losses on investors’ investments at the time of disposition of Shares;
Possible illiquid markets may exacerbate losses or increase the variability between the Trust’s NAV and its market price;
The possibility that there may be less liquidity or wider spreads in the market for the Shares as compared to the shares of other spot SOL exchange-traded products, if and when the listing of such products has been approved;
The limited history of the Index;
Competition from the emergence or growth of other digital assets could have a negative impact on the price of SOL and adversely affect the value of the Shares;
The liquidity of the Shares may be affected if Authorized Participants cease to perform their obligations under the Participant Agreements or the Liquidity Engager is unable to engage Liquidity Providers;
Any suspension or other unavailability of the Trust’s redemption program may cause the Shares to trade at a discount to the NAV per Share;
A determination that SOL or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of SOL and the value of the Shares, and result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of, the Trust;

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Regulatory changes or actions by the U.S. Congress or any U.S. federal or state agencies may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of SOL, validating activity or the operation of the Solana Network or the Digital Asset Markets in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares;
Changes in the policies of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) could adversely impact the value of the Shares;
Regulatory changes or other events in foreign jurisdictions may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of one or more digital assets, validating activity or the operation of their networks or the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares;
An Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor could be subject to regulation as a money service business or money transmitter, which could result in extraordinary expenses to the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor and also result in decreased liquidity for the Shares;
Regulatory changes or interpretations could obligate the Trust or the Sponsor to register and comply with new regulations, resulting in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust;
Conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust;
The Sponsor’s services may be discontinued, which could be detrimental to the Trust;
The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust;
If the Custodian resigns or is removed by the Sponsor, or otherwise, without replacement, it could trigger early termination of the Trust;
To the extent the Staking Condition is not satisfied, the lack of ability to participate in Staking could have adverse consequences for the Trust;
Staking introduces a risk of loss of SOL, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares;
Staked SOL tokens will be inaccessible for a variable period of time, determined by a range of factors, which could result in certain liquidity risk to the Trust;
The Trust will be dependent on third parties to effectively execute the Trust’s Staking Arrangements;
The regulatory landscape surrounding Staking is uncertain;
If the Staking Condition is satisfied, beneficial owners of Shares could incur tax liabilities without receiving corresponding distributions from the Trust;
The Trust relies on third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to the affairs of the Trust and the replacement of such service providers could pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Trust’s SOL and to the operations of the Trust; and
There is no guarantee that an active trading market for the Shares will continue to develop.

Emerging Growth Company Status

The Trust is an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”). For as long as the Trust is an emerging growth company, unlike other public companies that are not emerging growth companies under the JOBS Act, it will not be required to:

provide an auditor’s attestation report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

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provide more than two years of audited financial statements and related management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations;
comply with any new requirements that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer;
provide certain disclosure regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies; or
obtain shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

The Trust will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of:

the last day of the fiscal year in which the Trust has $1.235 billion or more in annual revenues;
the date on which the Trust becomes a “large accelerated filer” under Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act;
the date on which the Trust issues more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period; or
the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the Trust’s initial public offering.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. The Trust intends to take advantage of these reporting exemptions until it is no longer an emerging growth company. The Trust’s election to use the phase-in periods permitted by this election may make it difficult to compare its financial statements to those of non-emerging growth companies and other emerging growth companies that have opted out of the longer phase-in periods under Section 107 of the JOBS Act and who will comply with new or revised financial accounting standards. If the Trust were to subsequently elect instead to comply with these public company effective dates, such election would be irrevocable pursuant to Section 107 of the JOBS Act.

Corporate Information

The offices of the Trust and the Sponsor are located at 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902 and the Trust’s telephone number is (212) 668-1427. The Trustee has a trust office at 2711 Centerville Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19808. The Prime Broker’s and the Custodian’s office is located at 548 Market Street, #23008, San Francisco, CA 94104. The Transfer Agent’s office is located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286. Our Internet site is www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto is not incorporated into this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.

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The Offering

 

Shares Offered by the Trust

Shares representing units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in, and ownership of, the Trust.

Use of Proceeds

Proceeds received by the Trust from the issuance and sale of Baskets will consist of SOL deposited with the Trust in connection with creations. Such SOL will only be (i) owned by the Trust, (ii) transferred (or converted to U.S. dollars, if necessary) to pay the Trust’s expenses, (iii) distributed or otherwise disposed of in connection with the redemption of Baskets, (iv) liquidated in the event that the Trust terminates or as otherwise required by law or regulation or (v) used in Staking, only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition relating to the qualification of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes is satisfied and subject to compliance with any additional requirements that may arise in connection with satisfaction of the Staking Condition.

Proposed NYSE Arca symbol

GSOL

CUSIP

38965D104

Index Price

The Index Price is the price of an SOL at 4:00 p.m., New York time, calculated based on the price and trading volume data of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index over the preceding 24-hour period. The Index Price is calculated using non-GAAP methodology and is not used in the Trust’s financial statements.

The Index is a U.S. dollar-denominated composite reference rate for the price of SOL. The Index is designed to (1) mitigate the effects of fraud, manipulation and other anomalous trading activity from impacting the SOL reference rate, (2) provide a real-time, volume-weighted fair value of SOL and (3) appropriately handle and adjust for non-market related events. The Index Provider formally re-evaluates the weighting algorithm quarterly, but maintains discretion to change the way in which an Index Price is calculated based on its periodic review or in extreme circumstances. The exact methodology to calculate the Index Price is not publicly available. Still, the Index is designed to limit exposure to trading or price distortion of any individual Digital Asset Trading Platform that experiences periods of unusual activity or limited liquidity by discounting, in real-time, anomalous price movements at individual Digital Asset Trading Platforms. The Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are included in the Index are selected by the Index Provider utilizing a methodology that is guided by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (“IOSCO”) principles for financial benchmarks. For an exchange to become a Constituent Trading Platform (as defined herein), it must satisfy the Inclusion Criteria described in this prospectus, as may be updated by the Index Provider from time to time. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Digital Asset Markets—The Index Price used to calculate the value of the Trust’s SOL may be volatile, and purchasing and selling activity in the Digital Asset Markets associated with Basket creations and redemptions may affect the Index Price and Share trading prices, adversely affecting the value of the Shares.”

From the commencement of the Trust’s operations until September 30, 2025, the value of the Trust’s SOL is calculated as the U.S. dollar value of SOL derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are reflected in the CoinDesk Solana Price Index (SLX), calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day.

As of October 1, 2025, the value of the Trust’s SOL will be the U.S. dollar value of SOL derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are reflected in the

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CoinDesk SOL CCIXber Reference Rate, calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day.

Index price data and the description of the Index are based on information publicly available at the Index Provider’s website at www.coindesk.com/indices/. None of the information on the Index Provider’s website is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

The Index Provider may change the trading venues that are used to calculate the Index Price or otherwise change the way in which the Index Price is calculated at any time. If the Index Price becomes unavailable, or if the Sponsor determines in good faith that the Index Price does not reflect an accurate SOL price, then the Sponsor will, on a best efforts basis, contact the Index Provider to obtain the Index Price directly from the Index Provider. If after such contact the Index Price remains unavailable or the Sponsor continues to believe in good faith that the Index Price does not reflect an accurate SOL price, then the Sponsor will employ a cascading set of rules to determine the Index Price, as described in “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price.”

The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, select a different Index Provider, select a different index price provided by the Index Provider, calculate the Index Price using a cascading set of rules as described above, or change such cascading set of rules at any time. The Sponsor will provide notice of any such changes in the Trust’s periodic or current reports and, if the Sponsor makes such a change other than on an ad hoc or temporary basis, will file a proposed rule change with the SEC.

Digital Asset Trading Platform Public Market Data - SLX

On each online Digital Asset Trading Platform, SOL is traded with publicly disclosed valuations for each executed trade, measured by one or more fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or euro, or stablecoins such as U.S. Dollar Coin (“USDC”).

Over-the-counter dealers or market makers do not typically disclose their trade data.

As of June 30, 2025, the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index were Coinbase, Crypto.com, Kraken and Bitstamp by Robinhood. As further described below, the Sponsor and the Trust reasonably believe each of these Digital Asset Trading Platforms are in material compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state licensing requirements and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with know-your-customer (“KYC”) and anti-money-laundering (“AML”) regulations.

Bitstamp by Robinhood: A U.K.-based trading platform that has U.S. operations and entities registered as money service businesses (“MSB”) with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), holds a BitLicense, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states.

Coinbase: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, licensed as a virtual currency business under the New York State Department of Financial Services’ (“NYDFS”) BitLicense, licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states, and chartered as a limited purpose trust company under New York Banking Law.

Crypto.com: A Singapore-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states and chartered as non-depository trust company by the New Hampshire Banking Department. Crypto.com does not hold a BitLicense.

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Kraken: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states, and chartered as a Special Purpose Depository Institution by the Wyoming Division of Banking. Kraken does not hold a BitLicense.

Currently, there are several Digital Asset Trading Platforms operating worldwide, and online Digital Asset Trading Platforms represent a substantial percentage of SOL buying and selling activity and provide the most data with respect to prevailing valuations of SOL. These trading platforms include established trading platforms such as the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index, which provide a number of options for buying and selling SOL. The below table reflects the trading volume in SOL and market share of the SOL-U.S. dollar trading pairs of each of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025 (collectively, “Constituent Trading Platforms”), using data since the commencement of the Trust’s operations:

 

 

Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025(1)

 

Volume (SOL)

 

 

Market Share(2)

 

 

Coinbase

 

 

2,037,208,034

 

 

 

65.27

%

 

Kraken

 

 

506,129,749

 

 

 

16.22

%

 

Crypto.com

 

 

110,920,115

 

 

 

3.55

%

 

Bitstamp by Robinhood

 

 

33,254,134

 

 

 

1.07

%

 

Total SOL-U.S. dollar trading pair

 

 

2,687,512,032

 

 

 

86.11

%

 

 

(1)
On March 23, 2025, the Index Provider added Bitstamp to the Index due to the trading platform meeting the Index Provider’s minimum liquidity requirement, and did not remove any Constituent Trading Platforms as part of its scheduled quarterly review. On June 22, 2025, the Index Provider removed LMAX Digital from the Index due to the trading platform failing to meet the Index Provider’s minimum liquidity requirement, and did not add any Constituent Trading Platforms as part of its scheduled quarterly review.
(2)
Market share is calculated using trading volume (in SOL) for certain Digital Asset Trading Platforms, including Coinbase, Crypto.com, Kraken, and Bitstamp, as well as certain other large U.S.-dollar denominated Digital Asset Trading Platforms that were not included in the Index as of June 30, 2025, including Binance.US (data included through July 13, 2023 and from February 18, 2025), Bitfinex, Bittrex (data included from January 1, 2023 to December 3, 2023), Bullish (data included from August 7, 2024), CEX.IO (data included from January 1, 2023 to February 23, 2025), FTX.US (data included through November 11, 2022), Gate.io (data included from January 1, 2023 to July 2, 2023), Gemini (data included from March 1, 2022), itBit (data included from January 1, 2023), LMAX Digital (data included from April 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 and from March 13, 2024 to June 30, 2025), OKCoin (data included from March 22, 2022 to December 8, 2022), and OKX (data included from December 5, 2024).

Digital Asset Trading Platform Public Market Data - CCIXBER

On each online Digital Asset Trading Platform, SOL is traded with publicly disclosed valuations for each executed trade, measured by one or more fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or euro, or stablecoins such as U.S. Dollar Coin (“USDC”).

Over-the-counter dealers or market makers do not typically disclose their trade data.

As of June 30, 2025, the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index were Bitfinex, Bitstamp by Robinhood, Bullish, Bybit, Crypto.com, Gemini, itBit, Kraken, LMAX Digital, and OKX. As further described below, the Sponsor and the Trust reasonably believe each of these Digital Asset Trading Platforms are in material compliance with applicable licensing requirements based on the Trading Platform Category and jurisdiction, as detailed below, and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with anti-money-laundering (“AML”) and know-your-customer (“KYC”) regulations.

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Bitfinex: A British Virgin Islands based trading platform. Bitfinex does not hold any licenses or registrations in the U.S. and is not available to U.S.-based customers. Bitfinex is categorized by the Index Provider as a “Category 2” trading platform that meets the Inclusion Criteria but is non-U.S. licensed.

Bitstamp by Robinhood: A U.K.-based trading platform that has U.S. operations and entities registered as MSB’s with FinCEN, holds a BitLicense, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states.

Bullish: A Gibraltar-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN. Bullish is not available to U.S.-based customers. Bullish is categorized by the Index Provider as a “Category 2” trading platform that meets the Inclusion Criteria but is non-U.S. licensed.

Bybit: A United Arab Emirates-based trading platform. Bybit does not hold any licenses or registrations in the U.S. and is not available to U.S. based customers. Bybit is categorized by the Index Provider as a “Category 2” trading platform that meets the Inclusion Criteria but is non-U.S. licensed.

Crypto.com: A Singapore-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states and chartered as a non-depository trust company by the New Hampshire Banking Department. Crypto.com does not hold a BitLicense.

Gemini: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states. Gemini is exempt from applying for a BitLicense under the framework established by NYDFS because of their trust charter under New York Banking Law.

itBit: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN and that is licensed as a limited purpose trust company under the NYDFS through its parent company, Paxos Trust Company, LLC. itBit does not hold a BitLicense.

Kraken: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states and chartered as a Special Purpose Depository Institution by the Wyoming Division of Banking. Kraken does not hold a BitLicense.

LMAX Digital: A U.K.-based trading platform that has entities registered as a broker with the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, and that is licensed as an MSB with FinCEN and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.

OKX: A Seychelles-based trading platform. OKX does not hold any licenses or registrations in the U.S. and is not available to U.S.-based customers. OKX is categorized by the Index Provider as a “Category 2” trading platform that meets the Inclusion Criteria but is non-U.S. licensed.

Currently, there are several Digital Asset Trading Platforms operating worldwide, and online Digital Asset Trading Platforms represent a substantial percentage of SOL buying and selling activity and provide the most data with respect to prevailing valuations of SOL. These trading platforms include established trading platforms such as the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index, which provide a number of options for buying and selling SOL. The below table reflects the trading volume in SOL and market share of the SOL-U.S. dollar and SOL-USDC trading pairs of each of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025 (collectively, “Constituent Trading Platforms”), using data since January 1, 2024:

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Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025

 

Volume (SOL)

 

 

Market Share(1)

 

 

Kraken

 

 

199,853,531

 

 

 

19.46

%

 

Crypto.com

 

 

91,833,639

 

 

 

8.94

%

 

LMAX Digital

 

 

34,189,130

 

 

 

3.33

%

 

Bitstamp by Robinhood

 

 

27,506,271

 

 

 

2.68

%

 

Gemini

 

 

17,489,484

 

 

 

1.70

%

 

Bitfinex

 

 

14,484,507

 

 

 

1.41

%

 

Bullish

 

 

5,278,688

 

 

 

0.51

%

 

OKX

 

 

4,201,460

 

 

 

0.41

%

 

itBit

 

 

2,476,511

 

 

 

0.24

%

 

Total U.S. Dollar-SOL trading pair

 

 

397,313,221

 

 

 

38.69

%

 

 

Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025

 

Volume (SOL)

 

 

Market Share(1)

 

 

Bybit

 

 

78,855,960

 

 

 

15.22

%

 

Bullish

 

 

37,321,693

 

 

 

7.20

%

 

OKX

 

 

30,215,734

 

 

 

5.83

%

 

Kraken

 

 

2,987,318

 

 

 

0.58

%

 

Total USDC-SOL trading pair

 

 

149,380,706

 

 

 

28.82

%

 


 

 

Creation and Redemption

(1)
Market share is calculated using trading volume (in SOL) for certain Digital Asset Trading Platforms, including Bitfinex, Bitstamp by Robinhood, Bullish, Bybit, Crypto.com, Gemini, itBit, Kraken, LMAX Digital, and OKX as well as certain other large U.S.-dollar denominated Digital Asset Trading Platforms that were not included in the Index as of June 30, 2025, including Binance.US, Binance, Bitfinex, CEX.IO, Coinbsae, Derebit, Gate.io, Kucoin, Lbank and MEXC.

The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more whole Baskets of 10,000 Shares each, but may be subject to change. At this time, a Basket is only made in exchange for delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of an amount of cash, equivalent to the amount of SOL represented by the Basket being created or redeemed, as the case may be, the amount of which is representative of the combined NAV of the number of Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received. Except when aggregated in Baskets or under extraordinary circumstances permitted under the Trust Agreement, the Shares are not individually redeemable securities.

The Trust issues and redeems Shares on an ongoing basis, but only in one or more whole Baskets of 10,000 Shares each. The creation and redemption of Baskets requires the delivery to or acquisition by the Trust, or the distribution or disposition by the Trust, of the amount of SOL represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the number of which is equal to the “Basket Amount” as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the trade date of a creation or redemption order multiplied by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed (the “Total Basket Amount”). The amount of SOL required to create a Basket, or to be delivered or disposed of upon the redemption of a Basket, will gradually decrease over time due to the transfer of the Trust’s SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and the delivery or sale of the Trust’s SOL to pay any Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares” in this prospectus.

Although the Trust creates Baskets only upon the receipt of SOL, and redeems Baskets only by distributing SOL or proceeds from the disposition of SOL, at this time an Authorized Participant can only submit Cash Orders, pursuant to which the Authorized Participant will deposit cash into, or accept cash from, the Cash Account in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets. Cash Orders will be facilitated by the Transfer Agent and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, which will engage one or more eligible companies (each, a “Liquidity

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Provider”) that is not an agent of, or otherwise acting on behalf of, any Authorized Participant to obtain or receive SOL in connection with such orders. The Sponsor may in its sole discretion limit the number of Shares created pursuant to Cash Orders on any specified day without notice to the Authorized Participants and may direct the Marketing Agent to reject any Cash Orders in excess of such capped amount. The redemption of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders will only take place if approved by the Sponsor in writing, in its sole discretion and on a case-by-case basis.

The Trust is currently able to accept Cash Orders. However, the Trust is not at this time able to create and redeem shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future the Trust may also create and redeem Baskets via In-Kind Orders, pursuant to which an Authorized Participant or its AP Designee would deposit SOL directly with the Trust or receive SOL directly from the Trust. However, because In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained, at this time Baskets will not be created or redeemed through In-Kind Orders and will only be created or redeemed through Cash Orders. There can be no assurance as to when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain such regulatory approval, if at all. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust.” See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.”

The Sponsor has engaged certain unaffiliated Liquidity Providers, and intends to engage additional Liquidity Providers who are unaffiliated with the Trust in the future.

Net Asset Value

The net asset value of the Trust determined on a GAAP basis is referred to in this prospectus as “Principal Market NAV.” The Sponsor also calculates Principal Market NAV per Share in accordance with GAAP. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Selected Operating Data” for additional information reconciling the Trust’s NAV and NAV per Share presented against the GAAP metrics presented in our financial statements included hereto.

The Trust’s NAV

The Trust’s NAV is the aggregate value, expressed in U.S. dollars, of the Trust’s assets (other than U.S. dollars or other fiat currency), less the U.S. dollar value of the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities calculated in the manner set forth under “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market.”

The Sponsor also calculates the NAV per Share, which equals the NAV of the Trust divided by the number of Shares then outstanding. The Sponsor will publish the NAV and NAV per Share each business day as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon thereafter as practicable at the Trust’s website at www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol. The contents of the website referred to above and any websites referred to herein are not incorporated into this filing. Further, our references to the URL for this website is intended to be an inactive textual reference only. See “Business—Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV” for a more detailed description of how the Trust’s NAV and NAV per Share are calculated.

Staking

The Trust Agreement provides that the Trust may engage in Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied. Subject to the Staking Condition being satisfied and subject to compliance with any additional requirements that may arise in connection with satisfaction of the Staking Condition, in the future the Trust may stake a portion of its SOL holdings on the proof-of-stake validation mechanism of the Solana Network to receive Staking Consideration.

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As of the date of this prospectus, the Staking Condition has not been met for the Trust, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Staking Condition will be met for the Trust in the future. As such, the Trust currently is prohibited from engaging in Staking, and there can be no assurance that the Trust will be permitted to engage in Staking in the future. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Staking—The Trust will not be permitted to engage in Staking unless (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition is satisfied, which could negatively affect the value of the Shares.”

If and when the Staking Condition is satisfied, the Sponsor anticipates that the Trust will enter into Staking Arrangements with the Custodian and either directly or indirectly through the Custodian, one or more Staking Providers, which may be affiliates of the Custodian or other trusted institutional validators, to stake the Trust’s SOL through Provider-Facilitated Staking. The Staking Provider will be the node operator and will be obligated to operate the validator through which the Trust’s SOL is staked to ensure that validation occurs. The Trust’s SOL would be staked directly from the Trust’s wallets administered by the Custodian and perform any related validation activities. The Trust will retain control of its staked SOL because (1) the staked SOL will remain in the Trust's wallet administered by the Custodian (rather than transferred to a wallet address controlled by the Staking Provider) and (2) the Trust (rather than the Staking Provider) will retain the ability through the Custodian to un-stake its SOL from the applicable smart contracts. Because staked SOL will remain in the Trust wallet administered by the Custodian, even when staked, the Trust's SOL will not be commingled with the SOL of any other SOL holder in connection with Staking, such as the Staking Provider or others who stake to the Staking Provider, despite the Trust delegating its validation rights to the Staking Provider, which may be in receipt of other SOL holders’ validation rights. The Trust will not itself undertake any validation activities, and the Sponsor will not be required to perform any services. The Sponsor anticipates that it will engage in Staking with respect to all of the Trust’s SOL at all times, except as needed as further described herein. The Trust’s SOL would be un-staked (or not staked in the first instance) only under certain circumstances described in the Trust Agreement and under “Description of the Shares—Staking.” The Staking Arrangements are expected to generally be on market terms, consistent with those typically offered by leading digital asset firms that offer staking functionality. Both the Custodian and the Staking Provider may be entitled to receive a portion of the staking rewards; the total amount for both parties is expected to range between approximately 5% and 10% of the gross staking rewards earned. This range reflects prevailing market conditions and depends on the specific commercial arrangements negotiated with each party. However, the Trust will negotiate certain provisions between the Trust and the Custodian as well as between the Custodian and the Staking Provider as necessary or helpful to preserve the Trust’s status as a grantor trust and the security of the Trust’s SOL, as well as to address governmental, policy or regulatory concerns. Staking introduces a risk of loss of SOL, which may include penalties, slashing and inactivity leaks, and will require dependency on third parties to effectively execute the Trust’s Staking Arrangements. Additionally, staked SOL tokens will be inaccessible for a variable period of time, determined by a range of factors, which could result in certain liquidity risk to the Trust.

See “Description of the Shares—Staking” and “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Staking” for more information.

Capitalized terms used but not defined in this subsection have the meanings given to such terms under “Glossary of Defined Terms.”

Incidental Rights and IR Virtual
Currency

Other than receiving and distributing cash from the Cash Account in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets as described under “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares,” the Trust will not hold cash, and will not engage a cash custodian. The Trust may from time to time be entitled to come into

15


 

 

possession of rights incident to its ownership of SOL, which permit the Trust to acquire, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, other virtual currencies. These rights are generally expected to arise in connection with forks in the Blockchain, airdrops offered to holders of SOL or other similar events and arise without any action of the Trust or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust. We refer to these rights as “Incidental Rights” and any such virtual currency acquired through Incidental Rights as “IR Virtual Currency.”

With respect to any fork, airdrop or similar event, the Sponsor will cause the Trust to irrevocably abandon the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency. In the event the Trust seeks to change this position, an application would need to be filed with the SEC by NYSE Arca seeking approval to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to distribute the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency in-kind to an agent of the shareholders for resale by such agent. Because the Trust will abandon any Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency, the Trust would not receive any direct or indirect consideration for the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency and thus the value of the Shares will not reflect the value of the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency. See “Business—Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency.”

Trust Expenses

The Trust’s only ordinary recurring expense is expected to be the “Sponsor’s Fee.” The Sponsor’s Fee will accrue daily in U.S. dollars at an annual rate of % of the NAV Fee Basis Amount of the Trust as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each day; provided that for a day that is not a business day, the calculation will be based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount from the most recent business day, reduced by the accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fee for such most recent business day and for each day after such most recent business day and prior to the relevant calculation date. This dollar amount for each daily accrual will then be converted into SOL by reference to the same Index Price used to determine such accrual. The Sponsor’s Fee is payable in SOL to the Sponsor daily in arrears.

To cause the Trust to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor will instruct the Custodian to withdraw from the Trust’s Vault Balance (as defined below) the amount of SOL equal to the accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee and transfer such SOL to the Sponsor’s account at such times as the Sponsor determines in its absolute discretion.

The Sponsor, from time to time, may temporarily waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee in its sole discretion. Presently, the Sponsor does not intend to waive any of the Sponsor’s Fee and there are no circumstances under which the Sponsor has determined it will definitely waive the fee.

After the Trust’s payment of the Sponsor’s Fee to the Sponsor, the Sponsor may elect to convert any SOL received as payment of the Sponsor’s Fee into U.S. dollars. The rate at which the Sponsor converts such SOL to U.S. dollars may differ from the rate at which the relevant Sponsor’s Fee was determined. The Trust will not be responsible for any fees and expenses incurred by the Sponsor to convert SOL received in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee into U.S. dollars.

As partial consideration for its receipt of the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor is obligated under the Trust Agreement to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the Marketing Fee, (ii) the Administrator Fee, (iii) the Custodian Fee and fees for any other security vendor engaged by the Trust, (iv) the Transfer Agent Fee, (v) the Trustee fee, (vi) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $600,000 in any given fiscal year, (vii) ordinary course, legal fees and expenses, (viii) audit fees, (ix) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, (x) printing and mailing costs, (xi) costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and (xii) applicable license fees

16


 

 

(each, a “Sponsor-paid Expense” and collectively, the “Sponsor-paid Expenses”), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Additional Trust Expense will be deemed to be an Additional Trust Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.

The Trust may incur certain extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders, any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $600,000 in any given fiscal year and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively, “Additional Trust Expenses”).

In such circumstances, the Sponsor or its delegate (i) will instruct the Custodian to withdraw from the Trust’s Vault Balance SOL in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Additional Trust Expenses and (ii) may either (x) cause the Trust (or its delegate) to convert such SOL into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies at the Actual Exchange Rate or (y) when the Sponsor incurs such expenses on behalf of the Trust, cause the Trust (or its delegate) to deliver such SOL in kind to the Sponsor in satisfaction of such Additional Trust Expenses.

Although the Sponsor is obligated to use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the highest price when engaging other parties to assist with the sale of the Trust’s SOL to raise proceeds for any Additional Trust Expenses, the Sponsor will have some discretion in arranging for the sale of the Trust’s SOL, and may engage one or more of its affiliates to assist with any such sale. The Sponsor and its respective directors, officers, employees, affiliates, and/or parties engaged to assist with the sale of the Trust’s SOL may trade in the SOL, digital asset, derivative or other markets for their own accounts, and in doing so may take positions opposite to or ahead of those held by the Trust and may compete with the Trust for positions in the marketplace. For example, sales of the Trust’s SOL for the satisfaction of any Additional Trust Expenses may create conflicts of interest on behalf of one or more such parties in respect of their obligation to the Trust. The Sponsor has adopted and implemented policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure compliance with applicable law, including a Compliance Manual and Code of Ethics, which address conflicts of interest. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Potential Conflicts of Interest—Potential conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust. The Sponsor and its affiliates have no fiduciary duties to the Trust and its shareholders other than as provided in the Trust Agreement, which may permit them to favor their own interests to the detriment of the Trust and its shareholders.”

In order to raise proceeds to pay for any Additional Trust Expenses, the Sponsor would execute the sale of SOL through eligible financial institutions that are subject to federal and state licensing requirements and practices regarding AML and KYC regulations, which may include a Liquidity Provider or one or more of their respective affiliates. The Sponsor expects that these financial institutions will generally only have access to Digital Asset Trading Platforms or other venues that they reasonably believe are operating in compliance with applicable law, including federal and state licensing requirements, based upon information and assurances provided to it by each venue. The Trust is not responsible for paying any costs associated with the transfer of SOL to the Sponsor in connection with the payment of the Sponsor’s Fee or the sale of SOL in connection with the payment of any Additional Trust Expenses. The amount of SOL represented by a Share will decline each time the Trust pays the Sponsor’s Fee or any Additional Trust Expenses by transferring or selling SOL. See “Business—Expenses; Sales of SOL.”

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The quantity of SOL to be delivered to the Sponsor or other relevant payee in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee or any Additional Trust Expenses, or sold to permit payment of Additional Trust Expenses, will vary from time to time depending on the level of the Trust’s expenses and the value of SOL held by the Trust. See “Business—Expenses; Sales of SOL.” Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each delivery or sale of SOL by the Trust for the payment of expenses will be a taxable event to shareholders. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders.”

Voting Rights

The shareholders take no part in the management or control of the Trust. Under the Trust Agreement, shareholders have limited voting rights. For example, in the event that the Sponsor withdraws, a majority of the shareholders may elect and appoint a successor sponsor to carry out the affairs of the Trust. The Sponsor is also permitted to make certain restatements, amendments or supplements to the Trust Agreement that would materially adversely affect the interests of the shareholders as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion with a 20-day notice to shareholders. Additionally, the Sponsor is permitted to make certain restatements, amendments, or supplements to the Trust Agreement that could adversely affect the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but only if certain conditions set forth in the amendments relating to the qualification of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes are satisfied. Furthermore, subject to certain limitations, the Sponsor may make any other amendments to the Trust Agreement which do not materially adversely affect the interests of the shareholders in its sole discretion without shareholder consent. See “Description of the Shares.”

Termination Events

Upon dissolution of the Trust and surrender of Shares by the shareholders, shareholders will receive a distribution in U.S. dollars after the Sponsor has sold the Trust’s SOL, if applicable, and has paid or made provision for the Trust’s claims and obligations. See “Business—Description of the Trust Agreement—Termination of the Trust.” The Sponsor currently expects to execute the sales of any SOL in connection with the termination of the Trust through eligible financial institutions that are subject to federal and state licensing requirements and practices regarding Bank Secrecy Act and AML regulations, which may include a Liquidity Provider or one or more of their respective affiliates.

Authorized Participants

Baskets may be created or redeemed only by Authorized Participants. Each Authorized Participant must (i) be a registered broker-dealer and (ii) have entered into a Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future any Authorized Participants creating and redeeming Shares through In-Kind Orders must also own, or their AP Designee (as defined below) must own, an SOL wallet address that is known to the Custodian as belonging to the Authorized Participant or its AP Designee and maintain an account with the Custodian. The Participant Agreement provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets and for the delivery of SOL required for the creation and redemption of Baskets via a Liquidity Provider, as well as the deposit with and subsequent delivery by the Trust of cash required in connection therewith, from or to an Authorized Participant or Liquidity Provider, as applicable. See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.”

As of the date of this prospectus, the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, and the Transfer Agent entered into Participant Agreements with ‎, ‎and , pursuant to which such entities have agreed to act as Authorized Participants. The Sponsor may engage additional Authorized Participants who are unaffiliated with the Trust in the future.

Liquidity Providers

Liquidity Providers facilitate the purchase and sale of SOL in connection with Cash Orders for creations or redemptions of Baskets. Liquidity Providers are engaged by Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (in such capacity, the “Liquidity

18


 

 

Engager”) and are not party to Participant Agreements or otherwise agents of, or otherwise acting on behalf of, any Authorized Participant. See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.” The Liquidity Engager’s criteria for engaging one or more Liquidity Providers includes the completion of due diligence that considers each such Liquidity Provider’s SOL trading capabilities, organizational structure, operating history, lines of business, controls, and other details necessary to evaluate their ability to facilitate Cash Orders. Liquidity Providers formalize their relationship through a Liquidity Provider Agreement between the Liquidity Engager, Liquidity Provider, and the Sponsor (on behalf of the Trust). Pursuant to such Liquidity Provider Agreements, the Liquidity Providers will be contractually obligated to deliver or receive SOL in exchange for cash in connection with Cash Orders for creations or redemptions.

The Liquidity Providers with which Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, acting in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager, will engage in SOL transactions are third parties that are not affiliated with the Sponsor or the Trust and are not acting as agents of the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant, and all transactions will be done on an arms-length basis. Except for the contractual relationships between each Liquidity Provider and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager and the Sponsor (on behalf of the Trust), there is no other pre-existing contractual relationship between each Liquidity Provider, on the one hand, and the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant, on the other hand, in each case that relates to the Trust or the Trust’s Shares. When seeking to buy SOL in connection with creations or sell SOL in connection with redemptions, the Liquidity Engager will seek to obtain commercially reasonable prices and terms from the approved Liquidity Providers. Once agreed upon, the transaction will generally occur on an “over-the-counter” basis.

As of the date of this prospectus, the Liquidity Engager has engaged ‎, ‎and as Liquidity Providers. The Liquidity Engager may engage additional Liquidity Providers who are unaffiliated with the Trust in the future.

Clearance and Settlement

The Shares are evidenced by one or more global certificates that the Transfer Agent issues to DTC. The Shares are primarily available in book-entry form. Shareholders may hold their Shares through DTC if they are direct participants in DTC (“DTC Participants”), or indirectly through entities that are DTC Participants.

Risk Factors

See the risks discussed in “Risk Factors” in this prospectus before you invest in the Shares.

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Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the following risks and all of the other information set forth in this prospectus before deciding to invest in Shares of the Trust. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In such case, the trading price of the Shares could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risk Factors Related to Digital Assets

The trading prices of many digital assets, including SOL, have experienced extreme volatility in recent periods and may continue to do so. Extreme volatility in the future, including declines in the trading prices of SOL, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value.

The trading prices of many digital assets, including SOL, have experienced extreme volatility throughout their existence, including in recent periods and may continue to do so. For instance, following significant increases throughout the majority of 2020, digital asset prices, including SOL, experienced significant volatility throughout 2021 and 2022. This volatility became extreme in November 2022 when FTX Trading Ltd. (“FTX”) halted customer withdrawals. See “—Risk Factors Related to the Digital Asset Markets—Recent developments in the digital asset economy have led to extreme volatility and disruption in digital asset markets, a loss of confidence in participants of the digital asset ecosystem, significant negative publicity surrounding digital assets broadly and market-wide declines in liquidity.” Digital asset prices, including SOL, have continued to fluctuate widely through the date of this prospectus.

Extreme volatility in the future, including declines in the trading prices of SOL, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value. Furthermore, negative perception, a lack of stability and standardized regulation in the digital asset economy may reduce confidence in the digital asset economy and may result in greater volatility in the price of SOL and other digital assets, including a depreciation in value. The Trust is not actively managed and will not take any actions to take advantage, or mitigate the impacts, of volatility in the price of SOL. For additional information that quantifies the volatility of SOL prices and the value of the Shares, see “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—Historical NAV and SOL Prices.”

Furthermore, changes in U.S. political leadership and economic policies may create uncertainty that materially affects the price of SOL and the Trust’s Shares. For example, on March 6, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a United States Digital Asset Stockpile. Pursuant to this Executive Order, the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be capitalized with Bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that was forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings, and the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce are authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional bitcoin, provided that those strategies impose no incremental costs on American taxpayers. Conversely, the Digital Asset Stockpile will consist of all digital assets other than Bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that were forfeited in criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings, but the U.S. government will not acquire additional assets for the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile beyond those obtained through such proceedings. The anticipation of a U.S. government-funded strategic cryptocurrency reserve had motivated large-scale purchases of SOL in the expectation of the U.S. government acquiring SOL to fund such reserve, and the market price of SOL decreased significantly as a result of the ultimate content of the Executive Order. Any similar action or omission by the U.S. federal administration or other government authorities with respect to SOL or other digital assets may negatively and significantly impact the price of SOL and the Trust’s Shares.

Digital assets such as SOL were only introduced within the past two decades, and the medium-to-long term value of the Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies and to the fundamental investment characteristics of digital assets.

Digital assets such as SOL were only introduced within the past two decades, and the medium-to-long term value of the Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies, such as the recency of their development, their dependence on the internet and other technologies, their dependence on the role played by users, developers and validators and the potential for malicious activity. For example, the realization of one or more of the following risks could materially adversely affect the value of the Shares:

Digital asset networks and related protocols are in the early stages of development. Given the recency of the development of digital asset networks and related protocols, digital assets and the underlying digital asset networks and related protocols may not function as intended and parties may be unwilling to use digital assets, which would dampen the growth, if any, of digital asset networks and related protocols.

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The loss of access to a private key required to access a digital asset may be irreversible. If a private key is lost, and no backup of the private key is accessible, or if the private key is otherwise compromised, the owner would be unable to access the digital asset corresponding to that private key.
Digital asset networks and related protocols are dependent upon the internet. A disruption of the internet or a digital asset network or related protocol, such as the Solana Network, would affect the ability to transfer digital assets, including SOL, and, consequently, their value.
The acceptance of software patches or upgrades to a digital asset network by a significant, but not overwhelming, percentage of the users and validators in a digital asset network, such as the Solana Network, could result in a “fork” in such network’s blockchain, resulting in the operation of multiple separate blockchain networks.
Many digital asset networks face significant scaling challenges and are being upgraded with various features to increase the speed and throughput of digital asset transactions. These attempts to increase the volume of transactions may not be effective.
The open-source structure of many digital asset network protocols, such as the protocol for the Solana Network, means that developers and other contributors are generally not directly compensated for their contributions in maintaining and developing such protocols. As a result, the developers and other contributors of a particular digital asset may lack a financial incentive to maintain or develop the network or may lack the resources to adequately address emerging issues. Alternatively, some developers may be funded by companies whose interests are at odds with other participants in a particular digital asset network. A failure to properly monitor and upgrade the protocol of the Solana Network could damage that network.
Moreover, in the past, flaws in the source code for digital asset networks and related protocols have been exposed and exploited, including flaws that disabled some functionality for users, exposed users’ personal information and/or resulted in the theft of users’ digital assets. The cryptography underlying the Solana Network could prove to be flawed or ineffective, or developments in mathematics and/or technology, including advances in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could result in such cryptography becoming ineffective. In any of these circumstances, a malicious actor may be able to take the Trust’s SOL, which would adversely affect the value of the Shares. Moreover, functionality of the Solana Network may be negatively affected by such an exploit such that it is no longer attractive to users, thereby dampening demand for SOL. Even if another digital asset other than SOL were affected by similar circumstances, any reduction in confidence in the source code or cryptography underlying digital asset networks and related protocols generally could negatively affect the demand for digital assets and therefore adversely affect the value of the Shares.

Moreover, because digital assets, including SOL, have existed for a short period of time and are continuing to be developed, there may be additional risks to digital asset networks and related protocols that are impossible to predict as of the date of this prospectus.

Digital assets represent a new and rapidly evolving industry, and the value of the Shares depends on the acceptance of SOL.

The first digital asset, Bitcoin, was launched in 2009. SOL launched in 2017. In general, digital asset networks, including the Solana Network and related protocols represent a new and rapidly evolving industry that is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. For example, the realization of one or more of the following risks could materially adversely affect the value of the Shares:

SOL is only selectively accepted as a means of payment by retail and commercial outlets, and use of SOL by consumers remains limited. Banks and other established financial institutions, whether voluntarily or in response to regulatory feedback, may refuse to process funds for SOL transactions; process wire transfers to or from Digital Asset Trading Platforms, SOL-related companies or service providers; or maintain accounts for persons or entities transacting in SOL. As a result, the prices of SOL are largely determined by speculators and validators, thus contributing to price volatility that makes retailers less likely to accept SOL in the future. While the use of other digital assets, such as Bitcoin, to purchase goods and services from commercial or service businesses is developing, SOL has not yet been accepted in the same manner because it has a slightly different purpose than Bitcoin.
Banks may not provide banking services, or may cut off banking services, to businesses that provide digital asset-related services or that accept digital assets as payment, which could dampen liquidity in the market and damage the public perception of digital assets generally or any one digital asset in particular, such as SOL, and their or its utility as a payment system, which could decrease the price of digital assets generally or individually.

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The prices of digital assets may be determined on a relatively small number of Digital Asset Trading Platforms by a relatively small number of market participants, many of whom are speculators or those intimately involved with the issuance of such digital assets, such as validators or developers, which could contribute to price volatility that makes retailers less likely to accept digital assets in the future.
Certain privacy-preserving features have been or are expected to be introduced to a number of digital asset networks. If any such features are introduced to the Solana Network, any trading platforms or businesses that facilitate transactions in SOL may be at an increased risk of criminal or civil lawsuits, or of having banking services cut off if there is a concern that these features interfere with the performance of anti-money laundering duties and economic sanctions checks.
Users, developers and validators may switch to or adopt certain digital asset networks or protocols at the expense of their engagement with other digital asset networks and protocols, which may negatively impact those networks and protocols, including the Solana Network.

The Trust is not actively managed and will not have any formal strategy relating to the development of the Solana Network.

The Solana protocol was only conceived in 2017 and the Solana protocol or its Proof-of-History timestamping mechanism may not function as intended, which could have an adverse impact on the value of SOL and an investment in the Shares.

The Solana protocol was first conceived by Anatoly Yakovenko in a 2017 whitepaper, and introduced the Proof-of-History (“PoH”) timestamping mechanism. PoH is a timestamping mechanism that automatically orders on-chain transactions by creating a historical record that proves an event has occurred at a specific moment in time. PoH is intended to provide a transaction processing speed and capacity advantage over other blockchain networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which rely on sequential production of blocks and can lead to delays caused by miner or validator confirmations.

PoH is a new blockchain technology that is not widely used, and may not function as intended. For example, it may require more specialized equipment to participate in the network and fail to attract a significant number of users. In addition, there may be flaws in the cryptography underlying PoH or the Solana protocol, including flaws that affect functionality of the Solana Network or make the network vulnerable to attack.

For example, at multiple times during 2022, the Solana Network experienced significant disruptions, later attributed to a type of denial of service attack caused by an extreme amount of transaction activity, and was offline for extended periods during these disruptions, ranging from 1.5 to 18 hours. The Solana Network has experienced subsequent disruptions as well.

Smart contracts are a new technology and ongoing development may magnify initial problems, cause volatility on the networks that use smart contracts and reduce interest in them, which could have an adverse impact on the value of SOL.

Smart contracts are programs that run on a blockchain that execute automatically when certain conditions are met. Since smart contracts typically cannot be stopped or reversed, vulnerabilities in their programming can have damaging effects. For example, in June 2016, a vulnerability in the smart contracts underlying The DAO, a distributed autonomous organization for venture capital funding, allowed an attack by a hacker to syphon approximately $60 million worth of Ether from The DAO’s accounts into a segregated account. In the aftermath of the theft, certain developers and core contributors pursued a “hard fork” of the Ethereum Network in order to erase any record of the theft. Despite these efforts, the price of Ether dropped approximately 35% in the aftermath of the attack and subsequent hard fork. In addition, in July 2017, a vulnerability in a smart contract for a multi-signature wallet software developed by Parity led to a $30 million theft of Ether, and in November 2017, a new vulnerability in Parity’s wallet software led to roughly $160 million worth of Ether being indefinitely frozen in an account. In another example, in February 2022, a vulnerability in a smart contract for Wormhole, a bridge between the Ethereum and Solana networks led to a $320 million theft of Ether. While persons associated with Solana Labs and/or the Solana Foundation are understood to have played a key role in bringing the network back online, the broader community also played a key role, as Solana validators coordinated to upgrade and restart the network. Other smart contracts, such as bridges between blockchain networks and DeFi protocols have also been manipulated, exploited or used in ways that were not intended or envisioned by their creators such that attackers syphoned over $3.8 billion worth of digital assets from smart contracts in 2022. Initial problems and continued problems with the development, design and deployment of smart contracts may have an adverse effect on the value of SOL, which could have a negative impact on the value of the Shares.

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Changes in the governance of a digital asset network or protocol may not receive sufficient support from users and validators, which may negatively affect that digital asset network’s or protocol’s ability to grow and respond to challenges.

The governance of some digital asset networks and protocols, such as the Solana, Bitcoin and Ethereum Networks, is generally by voluntary consensus and open competition. For such networks and protocols, there may be a lack of consensus or clarity on that network’s or protocol’s governance, which may stymie such network’s or protocol’s utility, adaptability and ability to grow and face challenges. The foregoing notwithstanding, the underlying software for some digital networks and protocols, such as the Solana Network, is informally or formally managed or developed by a group of core developers that propose amendments to the relevant network’s or protocol’s source code. Core developers’ roles may evolve over time, generally based on self-determined participation.

If a significant majority of users and validators were to adopt amendments to the Solana Network based on the proposals of such core developers, the Solana Network would be subject to new source code that may adversely affect the value of SOL.

As a result of the foregoing, it may be difficult to find solutions or marshal sufficient effort to overcome any future problems, especially long-term problems, on digital asset networks.

Digital asset networks face significant scaling challenges and efforts to increase the volume and speed of transactions may not be successful.

Many digital asset networks face significant scaling challenges due to the fact that public, permissionless blockchains generally face a tradeoff between security and scalability. One means through which digital asset networks that utilize public, permissionless blockchains achieve security is decentralization, meaning that no intermediary is responsible for securing and maintaining these systems. For example, a greater degree of decentralization of a public, permissionless blockchain generally means a given digital asset network is less susceptible to manipulation or capture. In practice, this typically means that every single node on a given digital asset network is responsible for securing the system by processing every transaction and maintaining a copy of the entire state of the network. As a result, a digital asset network that utilizes a public, permissionless blockchain may be limited in the number of transactions it can process by the computing capabilities of each single fully participating node. Many developers are actively researching and testing scalability solutions for public blockchains that do not necessarily result in lower levels of security or decentralization, such as off-chain payment channels and Layer 2 networks. Off-chain payment channels would allow parties to transact without requiring the full processing power of a blockchain. Layer 2 networks can increase the scalability of a blockchain, by allowing users to transact on a second blockchain deployed on top of a “Layer 1” network.

As of June 30, 2025, the Solana Network handled approximately 4,000 transactions per second. In an effort to increase the volume of transactions that can be processed on a given digital asset network, many digital assets are being upgraded with various features to increase the speed and throughput of digital asset transactions.

As corresponding increases in throughput lag behind growth in the use of digital asset networks, average fees and settlement times may increase considerably. Since inception, transaction fees on the Solana Network have comprised of a fixed rate of 0.000005 SOL per transaction, plus a variable fee component based on the computation resources used during the transaction. SOL holders can also pay an additional prioritization fee to expedite their transaction. Increased fees and decreased settlement speeds could preclude certain uses for SOL (e.g., micropayments), and could reduce demand for, and the price of, SOL, which could adversely impact the value of the Shares.

There is no guarantee that any of the mechanisms in place or being explored for increasing the scale of settlement or throughput of Solana Network transactions will be effective, or how long these mechanisms will take to become effective, which could adversely impact the value of the Shares.

Digital asset networks are developed by a diverse set of contributors and the perception that certain high-profile contributors will no longer contribute to the network could have an adverse effect on the market price of the related digital asset.

Digital asset networks and related protocols are often developed by a diverse set of contributors but are also often developed by identifiable and high-profile contributors. The perception that certain high-profile contributors may no longer contribute to the applicable digital asset network or protocol may have an adverse effect on the market price of any related digital assets. For example, in June 2017, an unfounded rumor circulated that Ethereum protocol developer Vitalik Buterin had died. Following the rumor, the price of Ether decreased approximately 20% before recovering after Buterin himself dispelled the rumor. Some have speculated that the rumor led to the decrease in the price of Ether.

In the event a high-profile contributor to the Solana Network, such as Anatoly Yakovenko, is perceived as no longer contributing to the Solana Network due to death, retirement, withdrawal, incapacity, or otherwise, whether or not such perception is valid, it could negatively affect the price of SOL, which could adversely impact the value of the Shares.

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Digital assets may have concentrated ownership and large sales or distributions by holders of such digital assets, or any ability to participate in or otherwise influence a digital asset’s underlying network, could have an adverse effect on the market price of such digital asset.

As of the date of this filing, the largest 100 SOL wallets held approximately 28% of the SOL in circulation. Moreover, it is possible that other persons or entities control multiple wallets that collectively hold a significant amount of SOL, even if they individually only hold a small amount, and it is possible that some of these wallets are controlled by the same person or entity. As a result of this concentration of ownership, large sales or distributions by such holders could have an adverse effect on the market price of SOL.

If the transaction fees for recording transactions on the Solana Network are not sufficiently high to incentivize validators, or if certain jurisdictions continue to limit or otherwise regulate validating activities, validators may cease expanding validating power or demand high transaction fees, which could negatively impact the value of SOL and the value of the Shares.

If the digital asset awards for validating blocks or the transaction fees for recording transactions on the Solana Network are not sufficiently high to incentivize validators, or if certain jurisdictions continue to limit or otherwise regulate validating activities, validators may cease expending validating power to validate blocks and confirmations of transactions on the SOL Blockchain could be slowed. For example, the realization of one or more of the following risks could materially adversely affect the value of the Shares:

Over the past several years, digital asset validating operations have evolved from individual users validating with computer processors, graphics processing units and first-generation application specific integrated circuit machines to “professionalized” validating operations using proprietary hardware or sophisticated machines. If the profit margins of digital asset validating operations are not sufficiently high, digital asset validators are more likely to immediately sell digital assets earned by validating, resulting in an increase in liquid supply of that digital asset, which would generally tend to reduce that digital asset’s market price.
A reduction in digital assets staked by validators on the Solana Network could increase the likelihood of a malicious actor or botnet obtaining control. See “—If a malicious actor or botnet obtains control of more than 50% of the validating power on the Solana Network, or otherwise obtains control over the Solana Network through its influence over core developers or otherwise, such actor or botnet could manipulate the Blockchain to adversely affect the value of the Shares or the ability of the Trust to operate.”
Validators have historically accepted relatively low transaction confirmation fees on most digital asset networks. If validators demand higher transaction fees for recording transactions in the Blockchain or a software upgrade automatically charges fees for all transactions on the Solana Network, the cost of using SOL may increase and the marketplace may be reluctant to accept SOL as a means of payment. Alternatively, validators could collude in an anti-competitive manner to reject low transaction fees on the Solana Network and force users to pay higher fees, thus reducing the attractiveness of the Solana Network. Higher transaction confirmation fees resulting through collusion or otherwise may adversely affect the attractiveness of the Solana Network, the value of SOL and the value of the Shares.
To the extent that any validators cease to record transactions that do not include the payment of a transaction fee in validated blocks or do not record a transaction because the transaction fee is too low, such transactions will not be recorded on the SOL Blockchain until a block is validated by a validator who does not require the payment of transaction fees or is willing to accept a lower fee. Any widespread delays in the recording of transactions could result in a loss of confidence in the digital asset network.
During the course of ordering transactions and validating blocks, validators may be able to prioritize certain transactions in return for increased transaction fees, an incentive system known as “Maximal Extractable Value” or MEV. For example, in blockchain networks that facilitate DeFi protocols in particular, such as the Solana Network, users may attempt to gain an advantage over other users by increasing offered transaction fees. Certain software solutions, such as Flashbots, have been developed which facilitate validators in capturing MEV produced by these increased fees. The MEV incentive system may lead to an increase in transaction fees on the Solana Network, which may diminish its use. Users or other stakeholders on the Solana Network could also view the existence of MEV as unfair manipulation of decentralized digital asset networks, and refrain from using DeFi protocols or the Solana Network generally. In addition, it’s possible regulators or legislators could enact rules which restrict the use of MEV, which could diminish the popularity of the Solana Network among users and validators. Any of these or other outcomes related to MEV may adversely affect the value of SOL and the value of the Shares.

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Validators may suffer losses due to Staking, or Staking may prove unattractive to validators, which could adversely affect the Solana Network.

Validation on the Solana Network requires SOL to be transferred into smart contracts on the underlying blockchain network not under the control of the person who owns such SOL. If the Solana Network source code or protocol were to fail to behave as expected, suffer cybersecurity attacks or hacks, experience security issues, or encounter other problems, such transferred (i.e., staked) SOL may be irretrievably lost. In addition, the Solana Network’s underlying protocol dictates requirements for participation in validation activity, and may impose penalties, if the relevant activities are not performed correctly. In addition, the Solana Networks dictate requirements for participation in validation activity, and may impose penalties, if the relevant activities are not performed correctly. The Solana Network’s penalties (i.e., “slashing”) may be imposed if a validator commits malicious acts related to the validation of blocks with invalid transactions. Currently on the Solana Network, slashing is theoretically possible by social consensus, rather than being automatically applied by the protocol’s code. The Solana community generally aspires to slash 100% of staked assets in cases where a Solana node is maliciously trying to violate safety rules and 0% during routine operations. As a result, there is currently no automatic slashing in the Solana Network. Rather, for regular consensus, after a safety violation, the Solana Network will halt. The validators will analyze the data prior to the halt to determine who was responsible and propose that the stake of the malicious actors responsible for the safety violation should be slashed after restart, typically 100% of their stake. Future protocol upgrades may include the implementation of automated slashing mechanisms, where penalties would be triggered and enforced directly by the network code without requiring social coordination. As of July 2025, there have been no slashing events on the Solana Network. Automatic slashing (i.e. slashing functionality that is applied by the protocol’s code) is expected to be introduced in the future.

Separately, as part of the “activating” and “de-activating” or “cooling down” processes of staking, staked SOL will be inaccessible for a variable period of time determined by a range of factors, including network congestion, resulting in potential inaccessibility during those periods. “Activation” is the funding of a validator to be included in the active set, thereby allowing the validator to participate in the Solana Network’s proof-of-stake consensus protocol. “De-activating” is the request to exit from the active set and no longer participate in the Solana Network’s proof-of-stake consensus protocol. As part of these “activating” and “de-activating” processes of staking on the Solana Network, any staked SOL will be inaccessible for a period of time, denominated in “epochs.” On the Solana Network, an epoch is approximately two days, and deactivation can take between one to several epochs to complete. The duration of activation and de-activation periods are dependent on a range of network-based factors, including the point at which an unstaking transaction is submitted during an epoch, the overall responsiveness and reliability of the Solana validator network (commonly referred to as “cluster performance”), the speed at which validators reach agreement on the network’s state (commonly referred to as “consensus pace”), network congestion, and validator-specific behaviors such as the batching of unstaking transactions, each of which may increase deactivation times. Once the de-activation period ends, the stake becomes fully inactive and can be withdrawn.

Since staking was enabled on the Solana Network in 2021, unstaking durations have varied based on network performance. For example, unstaking times have ranged from approximately 1.7 days in December 2021 to over 3.6 days in January 2022. On average, since mid-2023, it has taken approximately 2.3 days to complete staking deactivation, assuming the process is initiated near the beginning of an epoch and under normal conditions. Because the Solana Network processes deactivations at epoch boundaries, unstaking can typically be completed within a single epoch; however, as described above, actual durations may ultimately vary based on validator-specific factors and network state.

The Solana Network requires the payment of base fees and the practice of paying prioritization fees is common, and such fees can become significant as the amount and complexity of the transaction grows, depending on the degree of network congestion and the price of SOL. Any cybersecurity attacks, security issues, hacks, penalties, slashing events, or other problems could damage validators’ willingness to participate in validation, discourage existing and future validators from serving as such, and adversely impact the Solana Network’s adoption or the price of SOL. Any disruption of validation on the Solana Network could interfere with network operations and cause the Solana Network to be less attractive to users and application developers than competing blockchain networks, which could cause the price of SOL to decrease. The limited liquidity during the “activation” or “de-activation” processes could dissuade potential validators from participating, which could interfere with network operations or security and cause the Solana Network to be less attractive to users and application developers than competing blockchain networks, which could cause the price of SOL to decrease.

In light of the foregoing, the Sponsor intends to implement certain liquidity procedures, which it believes will ensure that it will satisfy existing and reasonably foreseen redemption requests. The Sponsor intends to maintain a portion of unstaked SOL in the Trust (the “Liquidity Sleeve”). Because the SOL in the Liquidity Sleeve is freely transferable, there is no timing mismatch between settlement of Shares in primary market redemptions and the SOL transfer time. The percentage of the Trust’s SOL comprising the Liquidity Sleeve will be dynamic and subject to adjustment based on anticipated primary and secondary market activity of the Shares and the SOL de-activation process. As of the date of this filing, and subject to the satisfaction of the Staking Condition, the Sponsor expects that it will stake up to approximately 85% of the Trust's SOL at all times, and hold the remainder of the Trust’s SOL in the Liquidity Sleeve, but may maintain a greater proportion of the Trust’s SOL in the Liquidity Sleeve from time to time in order to

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satisfy existing and reasonably foreseen redemption requests. In addition, the Trust expects to enter into short-term financing arrangements with its Custodian to provide SOL to the Trust for settlement of trades with the Trust’s Liquidity Provider(s), if necessary. Under this arrangement, the Custodian will deliver unstaked SOL to the Liquidity Provider on the Trust’s behalf while the Trust’s staked SOL undergoes the Solana protocol unstaking process. The Custodian will take ownership of a corresponding quantity of the Trust’s SOL as unstaking is completed (or if the Trust otherwise receives unstaked SOL via a creation order) to cover the Trust’s borrowed position. Any costs associated with financing will be borne by the Authorized Participant. Under a similar model, the Trust expects to enter into short-term financing arrangements with its Liquidity Provider(s) under which the Liquidity Provider(s) will provide cash on behalf of the Trust for settlement of trades in the ordinary course, while the Trust’s staked SOL undergoes the Solana protocol unstaking process. Under this arrangement, the Trust will deliver SOL to the Liquidity Provider(s) as soon as the unstaked SOL (or unstaked SOL via a creation order) becomes available to cover the Trust’s borrowed cash position. Any costs associated with financing will be borne by the Authorized Participant.

The Sponsor anticipates that it will engage in staking with respect to all of the Trust’s SOL at all times, except (i) as necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, (ii) as necessary to pay any additional Trust expenses, (iii) as necessary to satisfy existing and reasonably foreseen potential redemption requests (assuming the Trust is then permitted to operate an ongoing redemption program) as determined by the Sponsor, (iv) as necessary to reduce the SOL obtained by the Trust as Staking Consideration to cash for distribution at regular intervals, (v) if the Sponsor determines that Staking raises significant governmental, policy or regulatory concerns or is subject or likely subject to a specialized regulatory regime, (vi) if the Sponsor determines there exists vulnerabilities in the source code or cryptography underlying the Solana Network, (vii) if the Custodian or Staking Provider discontinues their arrangements with the Trust, (viii) if the Sponsor otherwise determines that continued Staking of such portion of the Trust’s assets would be inconsistent with the Trust’s purpose of protecting and preserving the value of the Trust Estate, (ix) to fund or replenish the Liquidity Sleeve (as defined herein) or (x) in accordance with any other exception that is expressly contemplated by an opinion, ruling or tax guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition. All SOL received by the Trust in connection with the creation of new Shares, or as Staking Consideration, would also be staked upon receipt by the Trust, unless one or more of the exceptions described in clauses (i)-(ix) above applies. Moreover, any staked SOL which must be un-staked in order to fulfill a distribution in connection with a redemption (to the extent such distribution cannot be fulfilled utilizing the portion of the Trust’s SOL that has not been staked, or through another mechanism to manage liquidity in connection with Redemption Orders contemplated by an opinion of a Tax Advisor, a Tax Ruling or Tax Guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition) will be un-staked only after the redemption request is approved by the Trust, the Sponsor executes an un-stake or withdrawal transaction through the Custodian, and such transaction is processed by the Solana Network. The Staking Provider will not be able to transfer unstaked SOL or Staking Consideration to another address on the Solana Network. As of the date of this filing, and subject to the satisfaction of the Staking Condition, the Sponsor expects that it will stake up to approximately 85% of the Trust’s SOL at all times, with the remainder of the Trust’s SOL remaining unstaked in order to address the various exceptions and other considerations described herein. The approximate percentage of the Trust’s SOL that is staked each day will be reported the following day at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol.

Proof-of-stake blockchains are a relatively recent innovation, and have not been subject to as widespread use or adoption over as long of a period of time as traditional proof-of-work blockchains.

Certain digital assets, such as bitcoin, use a “proof-of-work” consensus algorithm. The genesis block on the Bitcoin blockchain was mined in 2009, and Bitcoin’s blockchain has been in operation since then. Many newer blockchains enabling smart contract functionality, including the current Ethereum Network following the completion of the Merge in 2022, use a newer consensus algorithm known as “proof-of-stake.” While their proponents believe that they may have certain advantages, the “proof-of-stake” consensus mechanisms and governance systems underlying many newer blockchain protocols, including the Solana Network, and their associated digital assets – including the SOL held by the Trust – have not been tested at scale over as long of a period of time or subject to as widespread use or adoption as, for example, Bitcoin’s proof-of-work consensus mechanism has. This could lead to these blockchains, and their associated digital assets, having undetected vulnerabilities, structural design flaws, suboptimal incentive structures for network participants (e.g., validators), technical disruptions, or a wide variety of other problems, any of which could cause these blockchains not to function as intended, lead to outright failure to function entirely causing a total outage or disruption of network activity, or to suffer other operational problems or reputational damage, leading to a loss of users or adoption or a loss in value of the associated digital assets, including the Trust’s assets. Over the long term, there can be no assurance that the proof-of-stake blockchain on which the Trust’s assets rely will achieve widespread scale or adoption or perform successfully; any failure to do so could negatively impact the value of the Trust’s assets.

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If a malicious actor or botnet obtains control of a sufficient amount of the validating power on the Solana Network, or otherwise obtains control over the Solana Network through its influence over core developers or otherwise, such actor or botnet could manipulate the Blockchain to adversely affect the value of the Shares or the ability of the Trust to operate.

The Solana Network is currently vulnerable to several types of attacks, including:

“33% attack” where, if a validator or group of validators were to gain control of more than 33% of the total staked SOL on the Solana Network, a malicious actor could temporarily impede or delay block confirmation or even cause a temporary fork in the blockchain.
“50% attack” where, if a validator or group of validators acting in concert were to gain control of more than 50% of the total staked SOL on the Solana Network, a malicious actor would be able to gain full control of the Solana Network and the ability to manipulate the blockchain on a forward-looking basis, including censoring transactions following the achievement of threshold, double-spending and fraudulent block propagation, while the attacker maintains the threshold. In theory, the minority non-attackers might reach social consensus to reject blocks proposed by the malicious majority attacker, reducing the attacker’s ability to engage in malicious activity, but there can be no assurance this would happen or that non-attackers would be able to coordinate effectively.
“>66% attack” where, if a validator or group of validators acting in concert were to gain control of more than 66% of the total staked SOL on the Solana Network, a malicious actor could permanently and irreversibly manipulate the blockchain, including censorship, double-spending and fraudulent block propagation, both on a forward-and backward-looking basis. The attacker could unilaterally finalize their preferred chain without the votes of any other stakers, and could also reverse past finalized blocks. The Solana Network’s proof-of-stake consensus mechanism requires a 2/3 supermajority of validators who have staked SOL to vote in favor in order to finalize transactions and add blocks to the Solana Blockchain.

For example, in August 2020, the Ethereum Classic Network was the target of two double-spend attacks by an unknown actor or actors that gained more than 50% of the processing power of the Ethereum Classic Network. The attack resulted in reorganizations of the Ethereum Classic blockchain that allowed the attacker or attackers to reverse previously recorded transactions in excess of over $5.0 million and $1.0 million.

In addition, in May 2019, the Bitcoin Cash network experienced a >50% attack when two large mining pools reversed a series of transactions in order to stop an unknown miner from taking advantage of a flaw in a recent Bitcoin Cash protocol upgrade. Although this particular attack was arguably benevolent, the fact that such coordinated activity was able to occur may negatively impact perceptions of the Bitcoin Cash network. Although the two attacks described above took place on proof-of-work based networks, it is possible that a similar attack may occur on the Solana Network, which could negatively impact the value of SOL and the value of the Shares.

Although there are no known reports of malicious control of the Solana Network, if groups of coordinating or connected SOL holders that together have a more than 50% of outstanding SOL, were to stake that SOL and run validators, they could exert authority over the validation of SOL transactions. This risk is heightened if such amount of the validating power on the network falls within the jurisdiction of a single governmental authority. If network participants, including the core developers and the administrators of validating pools, do not act to ensure greater decentralization of SOL, the feasibility of a malicious actor obtaining control of the validating power on the Solana Network will increase, which may adversely affect the value of SOL and the value of the Shares.

A malicious actor may also obtain control over the Solana Network through its influence over core developers by gaining direct control over a core developer or an otherwise influential programmer. To the extent that the SOL ecosystem does not grow, the possibility that a malicious actor may be able to maliciously influence the Solana Network in this manner will remain heightened. Moreover, it is possible that a group of SOL holders that together control more than 50% of outstanding SOL are in fact part of the initial or current core developer group, or are otherwise influential members of the SOL community. To the extent that the initial or current core developer groups also control more than 50% of outstanding SOL, as some believe, the risk of and arising from this particular group of users obtaining control of the validating power on the Solana Network will be even greater, and should this materialize, it may adversely affect the value of the Shares.

If validators exit the Solana Network, it could increase the likelihood of a malicious actor obtaining control.

Validators exiting the network could make the Solana Network more vulnerable to a malicious actor obtaining control of a large percentage of staked SOL, which might enable them to manipulate the Solana Blockchain by censoring or manipulating specific transactions, as discussed previously. If the Solana Blockchain suffers such an attack, the price of SOL could be negatively affected, and a loss of confidence in the Solana Network could result. Any reduction in confidence in the transaction confirmation process or staking power of the Solana Network may adversely affect an investment in the Trust.

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A temporary or permanent “fork” or a “clone” could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The SOL Network operates using open-source protocols, meaning that any user can download the software, modify it and then propose that the users and validators of SOL adopt the modification. When a modification is introduced and a substantial majority of users’ and validators’ consent to the modification, the change is implemented and the network remains uninterrupted. However, if less than a substantial majority of users’ and validators’ consent to the proposed modification, and the modification is not compatible with the software prior to its modification, the consequence would be what is known as a “hard fork” of the Solana Network, with one group running the pre-modified software and the other running the modified software. The effect of such a fork would be the existence of two versions of SOL running in parallel, yet lacking interchangeability. For example, in September 2022, the Ethereum Network transitioned to a proof-of-stake model, in an upgrade referred to as the “Merge.” Following the Merge, a hard fork of the Ethereum Network occurred, as certain Ethereum miners and network participants planned to maintain the proof-of-work consensus mechanism that was removed as part of the Merge. This version of the network was rebranded as “Ethereum Proof-of-Work.”

Forks may also occur as a digital asset network community’s response to a significant security breach. For example, in July 2016, Ethereum “forked” into Ethereum and a new digital asset network, Ethereum Classic, as a result of the Ethereum Network community’s response to a significant security breach. In June 2016, an anonymous hacker exploited a smart contract running on the Ethereum Network to syphon approximately $60 million of Ether held by The DAO, a distributed autonomous organization, into a segregated account. In response to the exploit, most participants in the Ethereum community elected to adopt a “fork” that effectively reversed the exploit. However, a minority of users continued to develop the original blockchain, referred to as “Ethereum Classic” with the digital asset on that blockchain now referred to as ETC. ETC now trades on several Digital Asset Trading Platforms. A fork may also occur as a result of an unintentional or unanticipated software flaw in the various versions of otherwise compatible software that users run. Such a fork could lead to users and validators abandoning the digital asset with the flawed software. It is possible, however, that a substantial number of users and validators could adopt an incompatible version of the digital asset while resisting community-led efforts to merge the two chains. This could result in a permanent fork, as in the case of Ethereum and Ethereum Classic.

Furthermore, a hard fork can lead to new security concerns. For example, when the Ethereum and Ethereum Classic networks, two other digital asset networks, split in July 2016, replay attacks, in which transactions from one network were rebroadcast to nefarious effect on the other network, plagued Ethereum trading platforms through at least October 2016. An Ethereum trading platform announced in July 2016 that it had lost 40,000 Ethereum Classic, worth about $100,000 at that time, as a result of replay attacks. Similar replay attack concerns occurred in connection with the Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision networks split in November 2018. Another possible result of a hard fork is an inherent decrease in the level of security due to significant amounts of validating power remaining on one network or migrating instead to the new forked network. After a hard fork, it may become easier for an individual validator or validating pool’s validating power to exceed 50% of the validating power of a digital asset network that retained or attracted less validating power, thereby making digital asset networks that rely on proof-of-stake more susceptible to attack.

Digital asset networks and related protocols may also be cloned. Unlike a fork of a digital asset network, which modifies an existing blockchain, and results in two competing digital asset networks, each with the same genesis block, a “clone” is a copy of a protocol’s codebase, but results in an entirely new blockchain and new genesis block. Tokens are created solely from the new “clone” network and, in contrast to forks, holders of tokens of the existing network that was cloned do not receive any tokens of the new network. A “clone” results in a competing network that has characteristics substantially similar to the network it was based on, subject to any changes as determined by the developer(s) that initiated the clone.

A hard fork may adversely affect the price of SOL at the time of announcement or adoption. For example, the announcement of a hard fork could lead to increased demand for the pre-fork digital asset, in anticipation that ownership of the pre-fork digital asset would entitle holders to a new digital asset following the fork. The increased demand for the pre-fork digital asset may cause the price of the digital asset to rise. After the hard fork, it is possible the aggregate price of the two versions of the digital asset running in parallel would be less than the price of the digital asset immediately prior to the fork. Furthermore, while the Trust would be entitled to both versions of the digital asset running in parallel, the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, determine which version of the digital asset is generally accepted as the Solana Network and should therefore be considered the appropriate network for the Trust’s purposes, and there is no guarantee that the Sponsor will choose the digital asset that is ultimately the most valuable fork. Either of these events could therefore adversely impact the value of the Shares. As an illustrative example of a digital asset hard fork, following the DAO hack in July 2016, holders of Ether voted on-chain to reverse the hack, effectively causing a hard fork. For the days following the vote, the price of Ether rose from $11.65 on July 15, 2016 to $14.66 on July 21, 2016, the day after the first Ethereum Classic block was mined. A clone may also adversely affect the price of SOL at the time of announcement or adoption. For example, on November 6, 2016, Rhett Creighton, a Zcash developer, cloned the Zcash network to launch Zclassic, a substantially identical version of the Zcash network that eliminated the Founders’ Reward. For the days following the date the first Zclassic block was mined, the price of ZEC fell from $504.57 on November 5, 2016 to $236.01 on November 7, 2016 in the midst of a broader sell off of ZEC beginning immediately after the Zcash network launch on October 28, 2016. A clone may also adversely affect the price of SOL at the time of announcement or adoption.

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A future fork in or clone of the Solana Network could adversely affect the value of the Shares or the ability of the Trust to operate.

In the event of a hard fork of the Solana Network, the Sponsor will, if permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its discretion to determine which network should be considered the appropriate network for the Trust’s purposes, and in doing so may adversely affect the value of the Shares.

In the event of a hard fork of the Solana Network, the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its discretion to determine, in good faith, which digital asset network, among a group of incompatible forks of the Solana Network, is generally accepted as the Solana Network and should therefore be considered the appropriate digital asset network for the Trust’s purposes. The Sponsor will base its determination on a variety of then relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the Sponsor’s beliefs regarding expectations of the core developers of SOL, users, services, businesses, validators and other constituencies, as well as the actual continued acceptance of, validating power on, and community engagement with, the Solana Network. There is no guarantee that the Sponsor will choose the digital asset network or digital asset that is ultimately the most valuable fork, and the Sponsor’s decision may adversely affect the value of the Shares as a result. The Sponsor may also disagree with shareholders, security vendors and the Index Provider on what is generally accepted as SOL and should therefore be considered “SOL” for the Trust’s purposes, which may also adversely affect the value of the Shares as a result.

In the event of a hard fork of the Solana Network, the Custodian’s operations may be interrupted or subject to additional security risks that could disrupt the Trust’s ability to process creations and redemptions of Shares or otherwise threaten the security of the Trust’s SOL holdings.

In the event of a hard fork of the Solana Network, the Custodian may temporarily halt the ability of customers (including the Trust) to deposit, withdraw or transfer SOL on the Custodian’s platform. Such a delay may be intended to permit the Custodian to assess the resulting versions of the Solana Network, to determine how best to securely “split” the SOL from the forked asset, and to prevent malicious users from conducting “replay attacks” (i.e., broadcasting transactions on both versions of the forked networks to put Custodian assets at risk). As a result, the Trust is likely to suspend creations and redemptions during a period in which the Custodian’s operations are halted.

In addition, any losses experienced by the Custodian due to a hard fork, including due to replay attacks or technological errors in assessing the fork, could have a materially adverse impact on an investment in the Shares.

Any name change and any associated rebranding initiative by the core developers of SOL may not be favorably received by the digital asset community, which could negatively impact the value of SOL and the value of the Shares.

From time to time, digital assets may undergo name changes and associated rebranding initiatives. For example, Bitcoin Cash may sometimes be referred to as Bitcoin ABC in an effort to differentiate itself from any Bitcoin Cash hard forks, such as Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision, and in the third quarter of 2018, the team behind ZEN rebranded and changed the name of ZenCash to “Horizen.” We cannot predict the impact of any name change and any associated rebranding initiative on SOL. After a name change and an associated rebranding initiative, a digital asset may not be able to achieve or maintain brand name recognition or status that is comparable to the recognition and status previously enjoyed by such digital asset. The failure of any name change and any associated rebranding initiative by a digital asset may result in such digital asset not realizing some or all of the anticipated benefits contemplated by the name change and associated rebranding initiative, and could negatively impact the value of SOL and the value of the Shares.

If the Solana Network is used to facilitate illicit activities, businesses that facilitate transactions in SOL could be at increased risk of criminal or civil lawsuits, or of having services cut off, which could negatively affect the price of SOL and the value of the Shares.

Digital asset networks have in the past been, and may continue to be, used to facilitate illicit activities. If the Solana Network is used to facilitate illicit activities, businesses that facilitate transactions in SOL may be at increased risk of potential criminal or civil lawsuits, or of having banking or other services cut off, if there is a concern that certain smart contracts on the Solana Network could interfere with the performance of anti-money laundering duties and economic sanctions checks. There is also a risk that Digital Asset Trading Platforms may remove SOL from their platforms as a result of these concerns. Other service providers of such businesses may also cut off services if there is a concern that the Solana Network is being used to facilitate crime. Any of the aforementioned occurrences could increase regulatory scrutiny of the Solana Network and/ or adversely affect the price of SOL, the attractiveness of the Solana Network and an investment in the Shares of the Trust.

When the Trust and the Sponsor, acting on behalf of the Trust, sell or deliver, as applicable, SOL or, subject to NYSE Arca obtaining regulatory approval from the SEC, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency, they generally do not transact directly with counterparties other than the Authorized Participant, a Liquidity Provider or other similarly eligible financial institutions that are subject to federal and state licensing requirements and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC

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regulations. When an Authorized Participant (subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval) or a Liquidity Provider sources SOL in connection with the creation of the Shares or facilitates transactions in SOL at the direction of the Trust or the Sponsor, it directly faces its counterparty and, in all instances, the Authorized Participant or Liquidity Provider, as applicable, follow policies and procedures designed to ensure that it knows the identity of its counterparty. The Authorized Participant is a registered broker-dealer and therefore subject to AML and countering the financing of terrorism obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act as administered by FinCEN and further overseen by the SEC and FINRA. In addition, one or more Liquidity Providers may be a virtual currency entity licensed by the NYDFS, which additionally may subject it to AML obligations.

In accordance with its regulatory obligations, the Authorized Participant, or the Liquidity Provider, conducts customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence on its counterparties, which enables it to determine each counterparty’s AML and other risks and assign an appropriate risk rating.

As part of its counterparty onboarding process, each of the Authorized Participant and the Liquidity Provider uses third-party services to screen prospective counterparties against various watch lists, including the Specially Designated Nationals List of the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) and countries and territories identified as non-cooperative by the Financial Action Task Force. If the Sponsor, the Trust, the Authorized Participant or the Liquidity Provider were nevertheless to transact with such a sanctioned entity, the Sponsor, the Trust, the Authorized Participant and the Liquidity Provider would be at increased risk of potential criminal or civil lawsuits.

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Risk Factors Related to the Digital Asset Markets

Recent developments in the digital asset economy have led to extreme volatility and disruption in digital asset markets, a loss of confidence in participants of the digital asset ecosystem, significant negative publicity surrounding digital assets broadly and market-wide declines in liquidity.

In the past and through the date of this prospectus, digital asset prices have experienced significant fluctuations, leading to volatility and disruption in the digital asset markets and financial difficulties for several prominent industry participants, including Digital Asset Trading Platforms, hedge funds and lending platforms. For example, in the first half of 2022, digital asset lenders Celsius Network LLC and Voyager Digital Ltd. and digital asset hedge fund Three Arrows Capital each entered into insolvency proceedings. This resulted in a loss of confidence in participants in the digital asset ecosystem, negative publicity surrounding digital assets more broadly and market-wide declines in digital asset trading prices and liquidity.

Thereafter, in November 2022, FTX, the third largest Digital Asset Trading Platform by volume at the time, halted customer withdrawals amid rumors of the company’s liquidity issues and likely insolvency. Shortly thereafter, FTX’s CEO resigned and FTX and several affiliates of FTX filed for bankruptcy. The U.S. Department of Justice subsequently brought criminal charges, including charges of fraud, violations of federal securities laws, money laundering, and campaign finance offenses, against FTX’s former CEO and others. In November 2023, FTX’s former CEO was convicted of fraud and money laundering. Similar charges related to violations of anti-money laundering laws were brought in November 2023 against Binance and its former CEO. In addition, several other entities in the digital asset industry filed for bankruptcy following FTX’s bankruptcy filing, such as BlockFi Inc. and Genesis Global Capital, LLC (“Genesis Capital”), a subsidiary of Genesis Global Holdco, LLC (“Genesis Holdco”). The SEC also brought charges against Genesis Capital and Gemini Trust Company, LLC (“Gemini”) in January 2023 for their alleged unregistered offer and sale of securities to retail investors. In October 2023, the New York Attorney General (“NYAG”) brought charges against Gemini, Genesis Capital, Genesis Asia Pacific PTE. LTD. (“Genesis Asia Pacific”), Genesis Holdco, (together with Genesis Capital and Genesis Asia Pacific, the “Genesis Entities”), Genesis Capital’s former CEO, DCG, and DCG’s CEO alleging violations of the New York Penal Law, the New York General Business Law and the New York Executive Law. In February 2024, the NYAG amended its complaint to expand the charges against Gemini, the Genesis Entities, Genesis Capital’s former CEO, DCG, and DCG’s CEO to include harm to additional investors. Also in February 2024, the Genesis Entities entered into a settlement agreement with the NYAG to resolve the NYAG’s allegations against the Genesis Entities, which settlement was subsequently approved by the Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York.

Furthermore, Genesis Holdco, together with certain of its subsidiaries, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in January 2023. While Genesis Holdco is not a service provider to the Trust, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of DCG, and is an affiliate of the Trust and the Sponsor.

These events have also led to significant negative publicity around digital asset market participants including DCG, Genesis and DCG’s other affiliated entities. This publicity could negatively impact the reputation of the Sponsor and have an adverse effect on the trading price and/or the value of the Shares. Moreover, sales of a significant number of Shares of the Trust as a result of these events could have a negative impact on the trading price of the Shares.

These events led to a substantial increase in regulatory and enforcement scrutiny of the industry as a whole and of Digital Asset Trading Platforms in particular, including from the Department of Justice, the SEC, the CFTC, the White House and Congress. For example, in June 2023, the SEC brought charges against Binance (the “Binance Complaint”) and Coinbase (the “Coinbase Complaint”), two of the largest Digital Asset Trading Platforms, alleging that they solicited U.S. investors to buy, sell, and trade “crypto asset securities” through their unregistered trading platforms and operated unregistered securities exchanges, brokerages and clearing agencies. Binance subsequently announced that it would be suspending USD deposits and withdrawals on Binance.US and that it plans to delist its USD trading pairs. In addition, in November 2023, the SEC brought similar charges against Kraken (the “Kraken Complaint”), alleging that it operated as an unregistered securities exchange, brokerage and clearing agency. The Binance Complaint, the Coinbase Complaint and the Kraken Complaint have led, and may in the future lead, to further volatility in digital asset prices. Between February 2025 and May 2025, the SEC entered into court-approved joint stipulations to dismiss each of the Binance Complaint, Coinbase Complaint and the Kraken Complaint. The SEC has terminated its investigation or enforcement action into many other digital asset market participants as well.

In January 2025, the SEC launched a Crypto Task Force dedicated to developing a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for digital assets led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. Subsequently, Commissioner Peirce announced a list of specific priorities to further that initiative, which included pursuing final rules related to a digital asset’s security status, a revised path to registered offerings and listings for digital asset-based investment vehicles, and clarity regarding digital asset custody, lending and staking.

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Digital asset markets have also been negatively impacted by the failure of entities perceived to be integral to the digital asset ecosystem. For example, in March 2023, state banking regulators placed Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank into FDIC receiverships. Also, in March 2023, Silvergate Bank announced plans to wind down and liquidate its operations. Because these banks were perceived to be the banks most open to providing services for the digital asset ecosystem in the United States, their failures may impact the willingness of banks (based on regulatory pressure or otherwise) to provide banking services to digital asset market participants. In addition, because these banks were perceived to be the banks most open to providing services for the digital asset ecosystem, their failure has caused a number of companies that provide digital asset-related services to be unable to find banks that are willing to provide them with such banking services. The inability to access banking services could negatively impact digital asset market participants and therefore the value of digital assets, including SOL, and thus the Shares. In addition, although these events did not have an impact directly on the Trust or the Sponsor when these bank failures occurred, it is possible that a future closing of a bank with which the Trust or the Sponsor has a financial relationship could subject the Trust or the Sponsor to adverse conditions and pose challenges in finding an alternative suitable bank to provide the Trust or the Sponsor with bank accounts and banking services. Events such as these that impact the wider digital asset ecosystem are continuing to develop and change at a rapid pace and it is not possible to predict at this time all of the risks that they may pose to the Sponsor, the Trust, their affiliates and/or the Trust’s third-party service providers, or on the digital asset industry as a whole.

Continued disruption and instability in the digital asset markets as these events develop, including declines in the trading prices and liquidity of SOL, or the failure of service providers to the Trust, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value.

The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of SOL, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a number of factors.

The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the SOL held by the Trust and fluctuations in the price of SOL could adversely affect the value of the Shares. The market price of SOL may be highly volatile, and subject to a number of factors, including:

an increase in the global SOL supply that is publicly available for trading;
manipulative trading activity on Digital Asset Trading Platforms, which, in many cases, are largely unregulated;
the adoption of SOL as a medium of exchange, store-of-value or other consumptive asset and the maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the Solana Network;
forks in the Solana Network;
investors’ expectations with respect to interest rates, the rates of inflation of fiat currencies or SOL, and Digital Asset Trading Platform rates;
consumer preferences and perceptions of SOL specifically and digital assets generally;
fiat currency withdrawal and deposit policies on Digital Asset Trading Platforms;
the liquidity of Digital Asset Markets and any increase or decrease in trading volume on Digital Asset Markets;
investment and trading activities of large investors that invest directly or indirectly in SOL;
a “short squeeze” resulting from speculation on the price of SOL, if aggregate short exposure exceeds the number of Shares available for purchase;
an active derivatives market for SOL or for digital assets generally;
a final determination that SOL is a security or changes in SOL’s status under the federal securities laws;
monetary policies of governments, trade restrictions, currency devaluations and revaluations and regulatory measures or enforcement actions, if any, that restrict the use of SOL as a form of payment or the purchase of SOL on the Digital Asset Markets;
global or regional political, economic or financial conditions, events and situations, such as the novel coronavirus outbreak;

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fees associated with processing an SOL transaction and the speed at which transactions are settled on the Solana Network, including as may be negatively impacted by the recent proliferation of Solana-based memecoins;
interruptions in service from or closures or failures of major Digital Asset Trading Platforms;
decreased confidence in Digital Asset Trading Platforms due to the largely unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Digital Asset Trading Platforms;
increased competition from other forms of digital assets or payment services; and
the Trust’s own acquisitions or dispositions of SOL, since there is no limit on the amount of SOL that the Trust may acquire.

In addition, there is no assurance that SOL will maintain its value in the long or intermediate term. In the event that the price of SOL declines, the Sponsor expects the value of the Shares to decline proportionately. The value of SOL as represented by the Index Price or by the Trust’s principal market may also be subject to momentum pricing due to speculation regarding future appreciation in value, leading to greater volatility that could adversely affect the value of the Shares. Momentum pricing typically is associated with growth stocks and other assets whose valuation, as determined by the investing public, accounts for future appreciation in value, if any. The Sponsor believes that momentum pricing of SOL has resulted, and may continue to result, in speculation regarding future appreciation in the value of SOL, inflating and making the Index Price more volatile. As a result, SOL may be more likely to fluctuate in value due to changing investor confidence, which could impact future appreciation or depreciation in the Index Price and could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

Due to the largely unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Digital Asset Trading Platforms, they may experience fraud, market manipulation, business failures, security failures or operational problems, which may adversely affect the value of SOL and, consequently, the value of the Shares.

Digital Asset Trading Platforms are relatively new and, in many ways, are not subject to, or may not comply with, regulation in relevant jurisdictions in a manner similar to other regulated trading platforms, such as national securities exchanges or designated contract markets. While many prominent Digital Asset Trading Platforms provide the public with significant information regarding their on-chain activities, ownership structure, management teams, corporate practices, cybersecurity practices and regulatory compliance, many other Digital Asset Trading Platforms do not provide this information. Furthermore, while Digital Asset Trading Platforms are and may continue to be subject to federal and state licensing requirements in the United States, Digital Asset Trading Platforms do not currently appear to be subject to regulation in a similar manner as other regulated trading platforms, such as national securities exchanges or designated contract markets. As a result, the marketplace may lose confidence in Digital Asset Trading Platforms, including prominent trading platforms that handle a significant volume of SOL trading.

Many Digital Asset Trading Platforms, both in the United States and abroad, are unlicensed, not subject to, or not in compliance with, regulation in relevant jurisdictions, or operate without extensive supervision by governmental authorities. In particular, those located outside the United States may be subject to significantly less stringent regulatory and compliance requirements in their local jurisdictions and may take the position that they are not subject to laws and regulations that would apply to a national securities exchange or designated contract market in the United States, or may, as a practical matter, be beyond the ambit of U.S. regulators. As a result, trading activity on or reported by these Digital Asset Trading Platforms is generally significantly less regulated than trading activity on or reported by regulated U.S. securities and commodities markets, and may reflect behavior that would be prohibited in regulated U.S. trading venues. For example, in 2022 one report claimed that trading volumes on Digital Asset Trading Platforms were inflated by over 70% due to false or non-economic trades, with specific focus on unlicensed trading platforms located outside of the United States. Such reports may indicate that the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market is significantly smaller than expected and that the U.S. makes up a significantly larger percentage of the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market than is commonly understood, or that a much larger portion of digital asset market activity takes place on decentralized finance platforms than is commonly understood. Nonetheless, any actual or perceived false trading in the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market, and any other fraudulent or manipulative acts and practices, could adversely affect the value of SOL and/or negatively affect the market perception of SOL, which could in turn adversely impact the value of the Shares.

The SEC has also identified possible sources of fraud and manipulation in the Digital Asset Markets generally, including, among others (1) “wash-trading”; (2) persons with a dominant position in a digital asset manipulating pricing in such digital asset; (3) hacking of the underlying digital asset network and trading platforms; (4) malicious control of the underlying digital asset network; (5) trading based on material, non-public information (for example, plans of market participants to significantly increase or decrease their holdings in a digital asset, new sources of demand for a digital asset) or based on the dissemination of false and misleading information; (6) manipulative activity involving purported “stablecoins,” including Tether; and (7) fraud and manipulation at Digital Asset Markets. The use or presence of such acts and practices in the Digital Asset Markets could, for example, falsely inflate the volume of SOL present in the Digital Asset Markets or cause distortions in the price of SOL, among other things that could adversely

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affect the Trust or cause losses to shareholders. Moreover, tools to detect and deter fraudulent or manipulative trading activities, such as market manipulation, front-running of trades, and wash-trading, may not be available to or employed by Digital Asset Markets, or may not exist at all. Many Digital Asset Markets also lack certain safeguards put in place by exchanges for more traditional assets to enhance the stability of trading on the exchanges and prevent “flash crashes,” such as limit-down circuit breakers. As a result, the prices of SOL on Digital Asset Markets may be subject to larger and/or more frequent sudden declines than assets traded on more traditional exchanges.

In addition, over the past several years, some Digital Asset Trading Platforms have been closed, been subject to criminal and civil litigation and have entered into bankruptcy proceedings due to fraud and manipulative activity, business failure and/or security breaches. In many of these instances, the customers of such Digital Asset Trading Platforms were not compensated or made whole for the partial or complete losses of their account balances in such Digital Asset Trading Platforms. In some instances, customers are made whole only in dollar terms as of the Digital Asset Trading Platform’s date of failure, rather than on a digital asset basis, meaning customers may still lose out on any price increase in digital assets.

While smaller Digital Asset Trading Platforms are less likely to have the infrastructure and capitalization that make larger Digital Asset Trading Platforms more stable, larger Digital Asset Trading Platforms are more likely to be appealing targets for hackers and malware. For example, in February 2025, hackers reportedly compromised a transaction from Bybit’s multisignature cold wallets, enabling the hackers to steal over $1.5 billion of ETH from Bybit. Shortcomings or ultimate failures of larger Digital Asset Trading Platforms are more likely to have contagion effects on the digital asset ecosystem, and therefore may also be more likely to be targets of regulatory enforcement action. For example, in November 2022, FTX, another of the world’s largest Digital Asset Trading Platforms, filed for bankruptcy protection and subsequently halted customer withdrawals as well as trading on its FTX.US platform. Fraud, security failures and operational problems all played a role in FTX’s issues and downfall. Moreover, Digital Asset Trading Platforms have been a subject of enhanced regulatory and enforcement scrutiny, and Digital Asset Markets have experienced continued instability, following the failure of FTX. In particular, in June 2023, the SEC brought the Binance Complaint and Coinbase Complaint, alleging that Binance and Coinbase operated unregistered securities exchanges, brokerages and clearing agencies. In addition, in November 2023, the SEC brought the Kraken Complaint, alleging that Kraken operated as an unregistered securities exchange, brokerage and clearing agency. Between February 2025 and May 2025, the SEC entered into court-approved joint stipulations to dismiss each of the Binance Complaint, Coinbase Complaint and the Kraken Complaint. The SEC has terminated its investigation or enforcement action into many other digital asset market participants as well.

Negative perception, a lack of stability and standardized regulation in the Digital Asset Markets and/or the closure or temporary shutdown of Digital Asset Trading Platforms due to fraud, business failure, security breaches or government mandated regulation, and associated losses by customers, may reduce confidence in the Solana Network and result in greater volatility in the prices of SOL. Furthermore, the closure or temporary shutdown of a Digital Asset Trading Platform used in calculating the Index Price may result in a loss of confidence in the Trust’s ability to determine its NAV on a daily basis. These potential consequences of such a Digital Asset Trading Platform’s failure could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

Digital Asset Trading Platforms may be exposed to front-running.

Digital Asset Trading Platforms may be susceptible to “front-running,” which refers to the process when someone uses technology or market advantage to get prior knowledge of upcoming transactions. Front-running is a frequent activity on centralized as well as decentralized trading platforms. By using bots functioning on a millisecond-scale timeframe, bad actors are able to take advantage of the forthcoming price movement and make economic gains at the cost of those who had introduced these transactions. The objective of a front runner is to buy tokens at a low price and later sell them at a higher price while simultaneously exiting the position. To the extent that front-running occurs, it may result in investor frustrations and concerns as to the price integrity of Digital Asset Trading Platforms and digital assets more generally.

Digital Asset Trading Platforms may be exposed to wash-trading.

Digital Asset Trading Platforms may be susceptible to wash-trading. Wash-trading occurs when offsetting trades are entered into for other than bona fide reasons, such as the desire to inflate reported trading volumes. Wash-trading may be motivated by non-economic reasons, such as a desire for increased visibility on popular websites that monitor markets for digital assets so as to improve a trading platform’s attractiveness to investors who look for maximum liquidity, or it may be motivated by the ability to attract listing fees from token issuers who seek the most liquid and high-volume trading platforms on which to list their tokens. Results of wash-trading may include unexpected obstacles to trade and erroneous investment decisions based on false information.

Even in the United States, there have been allegations of wash-trading even on regulated venues. Any actual or perceived false trading on Digital Asset Trading Platforms, and any other fraudulent or manipulative acts and practices, could adversely affect the value of SOL and/or negatively affect the market perception of SOL.

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To the extent that wash-trading either occurs or appears to occur in Digital Asset Trading Platforms, investors may develop negative perceptions about SOL and the digital assets industry more broadly, which could adversely impact the price of SOL and, therefore, the price of the Shares. Wash-trading also may place more legitimate Digital Asset Trading Platforms at a relative competitive disadvantage.

The lack of active trading markets for the Shares may result in losses on investors’ investments at the time of disposition of Shares.

Although the Shares are qualified for public trading on OTCQX and are expected to be publicly listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market for the Trust will continue to develop or be maintained. If shareholders need to sell their Shares at a time when no active market for them exists, the price shareholders receive for their Shares, assuming they are able to sell them, likely will be lower than the price that shareholders would receive if an active market did exist and, accordingly, a shareholder may suffer losses.

Possible illiquid markets may exacerbate losses or increase the variability between the Trust’s NAV and its market price.

SOL is a novel asset with a limited trading history. Therefore, the markets for SOL may be less liquid and more volatile than other markets for more established products, such as futures contracts for traditional physical commodities. It may be difficult to execute an SOL trade at a specific price when there is a relatively small volume of buy and sell orders in the SOL market. A market disruption can also make it more difficult to liquidate a position or find a suitable counterparty at a reasonable cost.

Market illiquidity may cause losses for the Trust. The large size of the positions that the Trust may acquire could increase the risk of illiquidity, by both making the positions more difficult to liquidate and increasing the losses incurred while trying to do so, should the Trust need to liquidate its SOL. Any type of disruption or illiquidity will potentially be exacerbated due to the fact that the Trust will only invest in SOL, which is highly concentrated.

As of the date of this filing, the total market value of the SOL circulating supply is approximately $104.5 billion, comprised of approximately 543.4 million SOL. On average over the last 30 days, over any given 24-hour period, the reported global SOL trading volume was approximately $4.3 billion.

The Index has a limited history and a failure of the Index Price could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The Index has a limited history and the Index Price is a composite reference rate calculated using trading price data from various Digital Asset Trading Platforms chosen by the Index Provider. The Digital Asset Trading Platforms chosen by the Index Provider have also changed over time. For example, on March 23, 2025, the Index Provider added Bitstamp to the Index due to the trading platform meeting the Index Provider’s minimum liquidity requirement, and did not remove any Constituent Trading Platforms as part of its scheduled quarterly review. On June 22, 2025, the Index Provider removed LMAX Digital from the Index due to the trading platform failing to meet the Index Provider’s minimum liquidity requirement, and did not add any Constituent Trading Platforms as part of its scheduled quarterly review. The Index Provider may remove or add Digital Asset Trading Platforms to the Index in the future at its discretion. For more information on the inclusion criteria for Digital Asset Trading Platforms in the Index, see “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price.”

Although the Index is designed to accurately capture the market price of SOL, third parties may be able to purchase and sell SOL on public or private markets not included among the constituent Digital Asset Trading Platforms of the Index, and such transactions may take place at prices materially higher or lower than the Index Price. Moreover, there may be variances in the prices of SOL on the various Digital Asset Trading Platforms, including as a result of differences in fee structures or administrative procedures on different Digital Asset Trading Platforms. For example, based on data provided by the Index Provider, on any given day during the twelve months ended June 30, 2025, the maximum differential between the 4:00 p.m., New York time spot price of any single Digital Asset Trading Platform included in the Index and the Index Price was 0.94% and the average of the maximum differentials of the 4:00 p.m., New York time, spot price of each Digital Asset Trading Platform included in the Index and the Index Price was 0.41%. During this same period, the average differential between the 4:00 p.m., New York time, spot prices of all the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index and the Index Price was 0.0003%. All Digital Asset Trading Platforms that were included in the Index throughout the period were considered in this analysis. To the extent such prices differ materially from the Index Price, investors may lose confidence in the Shares’ ability to track the market price of SOL, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The Index Price used to calculate the value of the Trust’s SOL may be volatile, and purchasing and selling activity in the Digital Asset Markets associated with Basket creations and redemptions may affect the Index Price and Share trading prices, adversely affecting the value of the Shares.

The price of SOL on public Digital Asset Trading Platforms has a very limited history, and during this history, SOL prices on the Digital Asset Markets more generally, and on Digital Asset Trading Platforms individually, have been volatile and subject to influence by many factors, including operational interruptions. While the Index is designed to limit exposure to the interruption of individual

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Digital Asset Trading Platforms, the Index Price, and the price of SOL generally, remain subject to volatility experienced by Digital Asset Trading Platforms, and such volatility could adversely affect the value of the Shares. For example, since the commencement of the Trust’s operations, the Index Price ranged from $8.29 to $277.39, with the straight average being $96.07 through June 30, 2025. In addition, during the twelve months ended June 30, 2025, the Index Price ranged from $103.89 to $277.39. The Sponsor has not observed a material difference between the Index Price and average prices from the constituent Digital Asset Trading Platforms individually or as a group. The price of SOL more generally has experienced volatility similar to the Index Price during these periods. See “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—Historical NAV and SOL Prices.”

Furthermore, because the number of Digital Asset Trading Platforms is limited, the Index will necessarily be comprised of a limited number of Digital Asset Trading Platforms. If a Digital Asset Trading Platform were subjected to regulatory, volatility or other pricing issues, the Index Provider would have limited ability to remove such Digital Asset Trading Platform from the Index, which could skew the price of SOL as represented by the Index. Trading on a limited number of Digital Asset Trading Platforms may result in less favorable prices and decreased liquidity of SOL and, therefore, could have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares.

Purchasing activity associated with acquiring SOL required for the creation of Baskets may increase the market price of SOL on the Digital Asset Markets, which will result in higher prices for the Shares. Alternatively, selling activity associated with sales of SOL withdrawn from the Trust in connection with the redemption of Baskets may decrease the market price of SOL on the Digital Asset Markets, which will result in lower prices for the Shares. Increases or decreases in the market price of SOL may also occur as a result of the purchasing or selling activity of other market participants. Other market participants may attempt to benefit from an increase or decrease in the market price of SOL that may result from increased purchasing or selling activity of SOL connected with the creation or redemption of Baskets. Consequently, the market price of SOL may decline immediately after Baskets are created. Decreases in the market price of SOL may also occur as a result of sales in Secondary Markets by other market participants. If the Index Price declines, the value of the Shares will generally also decline.

Competition from the emergence or growth of other digital assets could have a negative impact on the price of SOL and adversely affect the value of the Shares.

As of September 22, 2025, SOL was the sixth largest digital asset by market capitalization, as tracked by CoinMarketCap.com. As of June 30, 2025, the digital assets tracked by CoinMarketCap.com had a total market capitalization of approximately $3,072.1 billion (including the approximately $82.7 billion market cap of SOL), as calculated using market prices and total available supply of each digital asset, excluding stablecoins and tokens pegged to other assets. SOL faces competition from a wide range of digital assets, including Bitcoin and Ether. Many consortiums and financial institutions are also researching and investing resources into private or permissioned blockchain platforms rather than open platforms like the Solana Network. In addition, SOL is supported by fewer trading platforms than more established digital assets, such as Bitcoin and Ether, which could impact its liquidity. In addition, the Solana Network is in direct competition with other smart contract platforms, such as the Ethereum, Polkadot, Avalanche and Cardano networks. Competition from the emergence or growth of alternative digital assets or other smart contract platforms could have a negative impact on the demand for, and price of, SOL, and thereby adversely affect the value of the Shares.

Investors may also invest in SOL through means other than the Shares, including through direct investments in SOL and other financial vehicles, including securities backed by or linked to SOL and digital asset financial vehicles similar to the Trust. In particular, the Trust and the Sponsor face competition with respect to the creation of competing exchange-traded spot SOL products, among other digital asset vehicles, several of which have applications pending before the SEC or that have already received SEC approval. The SEC and CFTC have also issued a joint staff statement providing the respective staffs’ view, that current law does not prohibit SEC-or CFTC-registered exchanges from facilitating trading of certain spot crypto asset products, which may expose the Trust to additional types of competition. Whether the Trust is successful in maintaining its scale and achieving its intended competitive position may be impacted by a range of factors, including the Trust’s timing in entering the market relative to competing spot SOL exchange-traded products, its fee structure relative to those competing products and potentially new platforms for investing in SOL. The Trust’s competitors may offer a more liquid secondary market for their shares, and/or may charge a substantially lower fee than the Sponsor’s Fee or expense ratio now or in the future. If the Trust fails to continue to maintain or grow sufficient scale due to competition, the Sponsor may have difficulty raising sufficient revenue to cover the costs associated with maintaining the Trust and such shortfalls could impact the Sponsor’s ability to properly invest in robust ongoing operations and controls of the Trust to minimize the risk of operating events, errors, or other forms of losses to the shareholders. Furthermore, the Trust may fail to continue to attract adequate liquidity in the secondary market due to such competition, resulting in a small number of Authorized Participants willing to make a market in the Shares, which in turn could result in the Shares trading at a significant premium or discount for extended periods. Likewise, market and financial conditions, and other conditions beyond the Sponsor’s control, may make it more attractive to gain exposure to SOL through other vehicles, rather than the Trust.

In addition, to the extent digital asset financial vehicles other than the Trust tracking the price of SOL are formed and represent a significant proportion of the demand for SOL, large purchases or redemptions of the securities of these digital asset financial vehicles, or private funds holding SOL, could negatively affect the Index Price, the NAV, the NAV per Share, the value of the Shares, the

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Principal Market NAV and the Principal Market NAV per Share. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Trust will be able to maintain its scale and achieve its intended competitive positioning relative to competitors, which could adversely affect the performance of the Trust and the value of the Shares.

Congestion or delay on the Solana Network may delay purchases or sales of SOL by the Trust.

Increased transaction volume could result in delays in the recording of transactions due to congestion in the Blockchain. Moreover, unforeseen system failures, disruptions in operations, or poor connectivity may also result in delays in the recording of transactions on the Blockchain. For example, in January 2025, the Solana Network experienced significant network congestion due to a surge in trading volume. This surge resulted in delays and transaction errors on the Blockchain. Any delay in the Blockchain could affect an Authorized Participant’s ability to buy or sell SOL at an advantageous price resulting in decreased confidence in the Blockchain. Over the longer term, delays in confirming transactions could reduce the attractiveness to merchants and other commercial parties as a means of payment. As a result, the Solana Network and the value of the Trust would be adversely affected.

The SEC has approved generic listing standards for commodity-based trust shares and may approve other applications applications under Rule 19b-4 of the Exchange Act to list competing digital assets as exchange-traded products, which could reduce demand for, and the price of, SOL and adversely impact the value of the Shares.

To date, the SEC has approved applications under Rule 19b-4 of the Exchange Act to list spot digital asset exchange-traded products which hold Bitcoin and Ether as well as generic listing standards for commodity-based trust shares holding digital assets. To the extent competing digital asset exchange-traded products, other than those which hold SOL, come to represent a significant proportion of the demand for digital assets generally, demand for, and the price of, SOL could be reduced. Such reduced demand could in turn negatively affect the Index Price, the NAV, the NAV per Share, the value of the Shares, the Principal Market NAV and the Principal Market NAV per Share. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Trust will be able to maintain its scale and achieve its intended competitive positioning relative to competitors, which could adversely affect the performance of the Trust and the value of the Shares.

Competition from central bank digital currencies (“CBDCs”) and emerging payments initiatives involving financial institutions could adversely affect the price of SOL and other digital assets.

Central banks in various countries have introduced digital forms of legal tender (“CBDCs”). China’s CBDC project, known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment, has reportedly been tested in a live pilot program conducted in multiple cities in China. Central banks representing at least 130 countries have published retail or wholesale CBDC work ranging from research to pilot projects. Whether or not they incorporate blockchain or similar technology, CBDCs, as legal tender in the issuing jurisdiction, could have an advantage in competing with, or replace, SOL and other cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange or store of value. Central banks and other governmental entities have also announced cooperative initiatives and consortia with private sector entities, with the goal of leveraging blockchain and other technology to reduce friction in cross-border and interbank payments and settlement, and commercial banks and other financial institutions have also recently announced a number of initiatives of their own to incorporate new technologies, including blockchain and similar technologies, into their payments and settlement activities, which could compete with, or reduce the demand for, SOL. As a result of any of the foregoing factors, the price of SOL could decrease, which could adversely affect an investment in the Trust.

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Prices of SOL may be affected due to stablecoins (including Tether and USDC), the activities of stablecoin issuers and their regulatory treatment.

While the Trust does not invest in stablecoins, it may nonetheless be exposed to these and other risks that stablecoins pose for the market for SOL and other digital assets. Stablecoins are digital assets designed to have a stable value over time as compared to typically volatile digital assets, and are typically marketed as being pegged to the value of a referenced asset, normally a fiat currency, such as the U.S. dollar. Although the prices of stablecoins are intended to be stable compared to their referenced asset, in many cases their prices fluctuate, sometimes significantly. This volatility has in the past impacted the prices of certain digital assets, and has at times caused certain stablecoins to lose their “peg” to the underlying fiat currency. Stablecoins are a relatively new phenomenon, and it is impossible to know all of the risks that they could pose to participants in the digital asset markets. In addition, some have argued that some stablecoins, particularly Tether, are improperly issued without sufficient backing in a way that could cause artificial rather than genuine demand for digital assets, raising their prices. Regulators have also charged stablecoin issuers with violations of law or otherwise required certain stablecoin issuers to cease certain operations. For example, on February 17, 2021 the New York Attorney General entered into an agreement with Tether’s operators, requiring them to cease any further trading activity with New York persons and pay $18.5 million in penalties for false and misleading statements made regarding the assets backing Tether. On October 15, 2021, the CFTC announced a settlement with Tether’s operators in which they agreed to pay $42.5 million in fines to settle charges that, among others, Tether’s claims that it maintained sufficient U.S. dollar reserves to back every Tether stablecoin in circulation with the “equivalent amount of corresponding fiat currency” held by Tether were untrue.

USDC is a reserve-backed stablecoin issued by Circle Internet Financial that is commonly used as a method of payment in digital asset markets, including the SOL market. The issuer of USDC uses the Circle Reserve Fund to hold cash, U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Treasury, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations or cash, which serve as reserves backing USDC stablecoins. While USDC is designed to maintain a stable value at 1 U.S. dollar at all times, on March 10, 2023, the value of USDC fell below $1.00 (and remained below for multiple days) after Circle Internet Financial disclosed that $3.3 billion of the USDC reserves were held at Silicon Valley Bank, which had entered FDIC receivership earlier that day. Popular stablecoins are reliant on the U.S. banking system and U.S. treasuries, and the failure of either to function normally could impede the function of stablecoins or lead to outsized redemption requests, and therefore could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

Given the role that stablecoins play in global digital asset markets, their fundamental liquidity can have a dramatic impact on the broader digital asset market, including the market for SOL. Because a large portion of the digital asset market still depends on stablecoins such as Tether and USDC, there is a risk that a disorderly de-pegging or a run on Tether or USDC could lead to dramatic market volatility in, and/or materially and adversely affect the prices of, digital assets more broadly.

Volatility in stablecoins, operational issues with stablecoins (for example, technical issues that prevent settlement), concerns about the sufficiency of any reserves that support stablecoins, or regulatory concerns about stablecoin issuers or intermediaries, such as Bitcoin spot markets, that support stablecoins, could impact individuals’ willingness to trade on trading venues that rely on stablecoins and could impact the price of SOL, and in turn, an investment in the Shares.

Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares

The Trust relies on third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to the affairs of the Trust and the replacement of such service providers could pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Trust’s SOL and to the operations of the Trust.

The Trust relies on the Custodian and the Prime Broker (together, the “Custodial Entities”), the Authorized Participants and other third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to managing the affairs of the Trust. In addition, Liquidity Providers are relied upon to facilitate the purchase and sale of SOL in connection with creations and redemptions of Shares in cash (“Cash Orders”), and the Transfer Agent and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (in such capacity, the “Liquidity Engager”) are relied upon to facilitate such Cash Orders. Any disruptions to a service provider’s business operations, resulting from business failures, financial instability, security failures, government mandated regulation or operational problems, could have an adverse impact on the Trust’s ability to access critical services and be disruptive to the operations of the Trust and require the Sponsor or the Liquidity Engager, as the case may be, to replace such service provider. Moreover, the Sponsor could decide to replace a service provider to the Trust, or the Liquidity Engager may decide to replace a Liquidity Provider, for other reasons.

If the Sponsor decides, or is required, to replace Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC as the custodian of the Trust’s SOL, Anchorage Digital Bank N.A., as the additional custodian of the Trust’s SOL or Coinbase, Inc. as the prime broker controlling and securing the Trust’s Settlement Balance, transfer of the respective maintenance responsibilities of the Vault Balance or the Settlement Balance to another party or parties will likely be complex and could subject the Trust’s SOL to the risk of loss during the transfer, which could have a negative impact on the performance of the Shares or result in loss of the Trust’s assets.

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Moreover, the legal rights of customers with respect to digital assets held on their behalf by a third-party custodian, such as the Custodial Entities, in insolvency proceedings are currently uncertain. The Prime Broker Agreement contains an agreement by the parties to treat the digital assets credited to the Trust’s Vault Balance and Settlement Balance as financial assets under Article 8 in addition to stating that the Custodian will serve as fiduciary and custodian on the Trust’s behalf with respect to the Trust’s SOL held in the Vault Balance, and that any SOL credited to the Settlement Balance will be treated as custodial assets.

The Custodial Entities’ parent, Coinbase Global, has also stated in its most recent public securities filings that in light of the inclusion of provisions relating to Article 8 in its custody and prime broker client agreements, it believes that a court would not treat custodied digital assets as part of its general estate in the event the Custodial Entities were to experience insolvency. However, due to the novelty of digital asset custodial arrangements courts have not yet considered this type of treatment for custodied digital assets and it is not possible to predict with certainty how they would rule in such a scenario. Moreover, the Custodian and the Prime Broker are potentially subject to different insolvency regimes and there is no assurance that the digital assets credited to the Trust’s Settlement Balance would be treated similarly to those credited to the Trust’s Vault Balance in an insolvency, notwithstanding the rights and obligations conferred under the Prime Broker Agreement or Coinbase Global’s views regarding the treatment of such assets under Article 8. In the event that the Custodian or the Prime Broker and/or Coinbase Global became subject to insolvency proceedings and a court were to rule that the custodied digital assets were part of the Custodian’s the Prime Broker’s and/or Coinbase Global’s general estate and not the property of the Trust, then the Trust would be treated as a general unsecured creditor in such insolvency proceedings and the Trust would be subject to the loss of all or a significant portion of its assets.

In addition, the Custodian is a fiduciary under § 100 of the New York Banking Law and a qualified custodian for purposes of Rule 206(4)-2(d)(6) under the Investment Advisers Act and is licensed to custody the Trust’s SOL in trust on the Trust’s behalf. However, the SEC has released proposed amendments to Rule 206(4)-2 that, if enacted as proposed, would amend the definition of a “qualified custodian” under Rule 206(4)-2(d)(6). Executive officers of the Custodian’s parent company have made public statements indicating that the Custodian will remain a qualified custodian under the proposed SEC rule, if enacted as currently proposed. However, there can be no assurance that the Custodian would continue to qualify as a “qualified custodian” under a final rule.

To the extent that Sponsor is not able to find a suitable party willing to serve as custodian, the Sponsor may be required to terminate the Trust and liquidate the Trust’s SOL. In addition, to the extent that the Sponsor finds a suitable party and must enter into a modified or separate custody agreement that is less favorable for the Trust or Sponsor and/or transfer the Trust’s assets in a relatively short time period, the safekeeping of the Trust’s SOL may be adversely affected, which may in turn adversely affect value of the Shares. Likewise, if the Sponsor is required to replace any other service provider, they may not be able to find a party willing to serve in such capacity in a timely manner or at all. If the Sponsor decides, or is required, to replace an Authorized Participant and/or if the Liquidity Engager decides, or is required, to replace a Liquidity Provider, this could negatively impact the Trust’s ability to create new Shares, which would impact the Shares’ liquidity and could have a negative impact on the value of the Shares.

The amount of the Trust’s assets represented by each Share will decline over time as the Trust pays the Sponsor’s Fee and Additional Trust Expenses, and as a result, the value of the Shares may decrease over time.

The Sponsor’s Fee accrues daily in U.S. dollars at an annual rate based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount, which is based on the NAV of the Trust, and is paid to the Sponsor in SOL. See “Business—Expenses; Sales of SOL—Disposition of SOL” and “Business—Expenses; Sales of SOL—Hypothetical Expense Example.” As a result, the amount of Trust’s assets represented by each Share declines as the Trust pays the Sponsor’s Fee (or sells SOL in order to raise cash to pay any Additional Trust Expenses), which may cause the Shares to decrease in value over time or dampen any increase in value.

The value of the Shares may be influenced by a variety of factors unrelated to the value of SOL.

The value of the Shares may be influenced by a variety of factors unrelated to the price of SOL and the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index that may have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares. These factors include the following factors:

Unanticipated problems or issues with respect to the mechanics of the Trust’s operations and the trading of the Shares may arise, in particular due to the fact that the mechanisms and procedures governing the creation and offering of the Shares and storage of SOL have been developed specifically for this product;
The Trust could experience difficulties in operating and maintaining its technical infrastructure, including in connection with expansions or updates to such infrastructure, which are likely to be complex and could lead to unanticipated delays, unforeseen expenses and security vulnerabilities;

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The Trust could experience unforeseen issues relating to the performance and effectiveness of the security procedures used to protect the Vault Balance, or the security procedures may not protect against all errors, software flaws or other vulnerabilities in the Trust’s technical infrastructure, which could result in theft, loss or damage of its assets; or
Although the Solana Network does not have any privacy enhancing features at this time, if any such features are introduced to the Solana Network in the future, service providers may decide to terminate their relationships with the Trust due to concerns that the introduction of privacy enhancing features to the Solana Network may increase the potential for SOL to be used to facilitate crime, exposing such service providers to potential reputational harm.

Any of these factors could affect the value of the Shares, either directly or indirectly through their effect on the Trust’s assets.

Shareholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act or the protections afforded by the CEA.

The Investment Company Act is designed to protect investors by preventing insiders from managing investment companies to their benefit and to the detriment of public investors, such as: the issuance of securities having inequitable or discriminatory provisions; the management of investment companies by irresponsible persons; the use of unsound or misleading methods of computing earnings and asset value; changes in the character of investment companies without the consent of investors; and investment companies from engaging in excessive leveraging. To accomplish these ends, the Investment Company Act requires the safekeeping and proper valuation of fund assets, restricts greatly transactions with affiliates, limits leveraging, and imposes governance requirements as a check on fund management.

The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act, and the Sponsor believes that the Trust is not required to register under such act. Consequently, shareholders do not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in investment companies.

The Trust will not hold or trade in commodity interests regulated by the CEA, as administered by the CFTC. Furthermore, the Sponsor believes that the Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA, and that neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading adviser in connection with the operation of the Trust. Consequently, shareholders will not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in CEA-regulated instruments or commodity pools.

As the Sponsor and its management have limited history of operating investment vehicles like the Trust, their experience may be inadequate or unsuitable to manage the Trust.

The past performances of the Sponsor’s management in other investment vehicles, including their experiences in the digital asset and venture capital industries, are no indication of their ability to manage an investment vehicle such as the Trust. If the experience of the Sponsor and its management is inadequate or unsuitable to manage an investment vehicle such as the Trust, the operations of the Trust may be adversely affected.

Furthermore, the Sponsor is currently engaged in the management of other investment vehicles which could divert their attention and resources. If the Sponsor were to experience difficulties in the management of such other investment vehicles that damaged the Sponsor or its reputation, it could have an adverse impact on the Sponsor’s ability to continue to serve as Sponsor for the Trust.

Security threats to the Trust’s Vault Balance or Settlement Balance could result in the halting of Trust operations, including the creation and redemption of Baskets, and a loss of Trust assets or damage to the reputation of the Trust, each of which could result in a reduction in the value of the Shares.

Security breaches, computer malware and computer hacking attacks have been a prevalent concern in relation to digital assets. The Sponsor believes that the Trust’s SOL held in the Vault Balance, as well as the Trust’s SOL held temporarily in the Settlement Balance, will be an appealing target to hackers or malware distributors seeking to destroy, damage or steal the Trust’s SOL and will only become more appealing as the Trust’s assets grow. To the extent that the Trust, the Sponsor or the Custodial Entities are unable to identify and mitigate or stop new security threats or otherwise adapt to technological changes in the digital asset industry, the Trust’s SOL may be subject to theft, loss, destruction or other attack.

The Sponsor believes that the security procedures in place for the Trust, including, but not limited to, offline storage, or cold storage, for a substantial portion of the Trust’s SOL, multiple encrypted private key “shards”, usernames, passwords and 2-step verification, are reasonably designed to safeguard the Trust’s SOL. Nevertheless, the security procedures cannot guarantee the prevention of any loss due to a security breach, software defect or act of God that may be borne by the Trust. Additionally, because a portion of the Trust’s SOL from time to time will be held in hot storage, such SOL will be more vulnerable to a potential hack or other cyberattack that could lead to a loss of Trust assets.

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The security procedures and operational infrastructure may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, error or malfeasance of an employee of the Sponsor, a Custodial Entity, or otherwise, and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to an Account, the relevant private keys (and therefore SOL) or other data of the Trust. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees of the Sponsor or a Custodial Entity to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to the Trust’s infrastructure. As the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, or may be designed to remain dormant until a predetermined event and often are not recognized until launched against a target, the Sponsor and the Custodial Entities may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. Moreover, the Custodial Entities will not be liable for any claims or losses arising out of or relating to the acts and/or omissions of any unauthorized third parties, except to the extent such losses are caused by a Custodial Entity’s negligence, fraud or willful misconduct.

An actual or perceived breach of the accounts associated with the Trust’s Vault Balance and Settlement Balance (the “Accounts”) could harm the Trust’s operations, result in loss of the Trust’s assets, damage the Trust’s reputation and negatively affect the market perception of the effectiveness of the Trust, all of which could in turn reduce demand for the Shares, resulting in a reduction in the value of the Shares. The Trust may also cease operations, the occurrence of which could similarly result in a reduction in the value of the Shares.

SOL transactions are irrevocable and stolen or incorrectly transferred SOL may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed SOL transactions could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

SOL transactions are typically not reversible without the consent and active participation of the recipient of the transaction. Once a transaction has been verified and recorded in a block that is added to the Blockchain, an incorrect transfer or theft of SOL generally will not be reversible and the Trust may not be capable of seeking compensation for any such transfer or theft. Although the Trust’s transfers of SOL will regularly be made to or from the Vault Balance, it is possible that, through computer or human error, or through theft or criminal action, the Trust’s SOL could be transferred from the Trust’s Vault Balance in incorrect amounts or to unauthorized third parties, or to uncontrolled accounts.

Such events have occurred in connection with digital assets in the past. To the extent that the Trust is unable to seek a corrective transaction with such third party or is incapable of identifying the third party which has received the Trust’s SOL through error or theft, the Trust will be unable to revert or otherwise recover incorrectly transferred SOL. The Trust will also be unable to convert or recover its SOL transferred to uncontrolled accounts. To the extent that the Trust is unable to seek redress for such error or theft, such loss could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The lack of full insurance and shareholders’ limited rights of legal recourse against the Trust, Trustee, Sponsor, Transfer Agent and Custodial Entities expose the Trust and its shareholders to the risk of loss of the Trust’s SOL for which no person or entity is liable.

The Trust is not a banking institution or otherwise a member of the FDIC or Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) and, therefore, deposits held with or assets held by the Trust are not subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors with FDIC or SIPC member institutions. In addition, neither the Trust nor the Sponsor insure the Trust’s SOL.

While the Custodian is required under the Prime Broker Agreement to maintain insurance coverage that is commercially reasonable for the custodial services it provides, and the Custodial Entities have advised the Sponsor that they maintain insurance at commercially reasonable amounts for the digital assets custodied on behalf of clients, including the Trust’s SOL, resulting from theft, shareholders cannot be assured that the Custodian or the Prime Broker will maintain adequate insurance or that such coverage will cover losses with respect to the Trust’s SOL. Moreover, while the Custodian maintains certain capital reserve requirements depending on the assets under custody and to the extent required by applicable law, and such capital reserves may provide additional means to cover client asset losses, the Sponsor does not know the amount of such capital reserves, and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor have access to such information. The Trust cannot be assured that the Custodial Entities will maintain capital reserves sufficient to cover losses with respect to the Trust’s digital assets. Furthermore, Coinbase has represented in securities filings that the total value of crypto assets in its possession and control is significantly greater than the total value of insurance coverage that would compensate Coinbase in the event of theft or other loss of funds.

Furthermore, the Custodial Entities’ aggregate maximum liability with respect to breach of their obligations under the Prime Broker Agreement will not exceed the greater of: (i) the value of the SOL or cash involved in the event, including but not limited to transaction(s) or deliveries(s), giving rise to such liability at the time of the event giving rise to such liability; (ii) the aggregate amount of fees paid by the Trust to the Custodial Entities in respect of the Custodial and Prime Broker Services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to such liability; or (iii) five million U.S. dollars. The Custodian’s total liability under the Prime Broker Agreement will not exceed the greater of: (i) the aggregate amount of fees paid by the Trust to the Custodian in respect of the custodial services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to such liability; or (ii) the value of the SOL on deposit in the

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Vault Balance at the time of the events giving rise to the liability occurred, the value of which will be determined in accordance with the Prime Broker Agreement.

In addition, the Custodian’s maximum liability in respect of each cold storage address that holds SOL is limited to the “Cold Storage Threshold” of $100 million. The Sponsor monitors the value of SOL deposited in cold storage addresses for whether the Cold Storage Threshold has been met by determining the U.S. dollar value of SOL deposited in each cold storage address on business days. Although the Cold Storage Threshold has never been met for a given cold storage address, to the extent it is met the Trust would not have a claim against the Custodian with respect to the digital assets held in such address to the extent the value exceeds the Cold Storage Threshold. The Custodial Entities and the Trust are not liable to each other for any special, incidental, indirect, punitive, or consequential damages, whether or not the other party had been advised of such losses or knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages.

The shareholders’ recourse against the Sponsor and the Trust’s other service providers for the services they provide to the Trust, including those relating to the provision of instructions relating to the movement of SOL, is limited. Consequently, a loss may be suffered with respect to the Trust’s SOL that is not covered by insurance and for which no person is liable in damages. As a result, the recourse of the Trust or the shareholders, under New York law, is limited.

The Trust may be required, or the Sponsor may deem it appropriate, to terminate and liquidate at a time that is disadvantageous to shareholders.

Pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, the Trust is required to dissolve under certain circumstances. In addition, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, dissolve the Trust for a number of reasons, including if the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that it is desirable or advisable for any reason to discontinue the affairs of the Trust. For example, the Sponsor expects that it may be advisable to discontinue the affairs of the Trust if a federal court upholds an allegation that SOL is a security under the federal securities laws, among other reasons. See “Business—Description of the Trust Agreement—Termination of the Trust.”

If the Trust is required to terminate and liquidate, or the Sponsor determines in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement that it is appropriate to terminate and liquidate the Trust, such termination and liquidation could occur at a time that is disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when the Actual Exchange Rate of SOL is lower than the Index Price was at the time when shareholders purchased their Shares. In such a case, when the Trust’s SOL are sold as part of its liquidation, the resulting proceeds distributed to shareholders will be less than if the Actual Exchange Rate were higher at the time of sale. See “Business—Description of the Trust Agreement—Termination of the Trust” for more information about the termination of the Trust, including when the termination of the Trust may be triggered by events outside the direct control of the Sponsor, the Trustee or the shareholders.

The Trust Agreement includes provisions that limit shareholders’ voting rights and restrict shareholders’ right to bring a derivative action.

Under the Trust Agreement, shareholders have limited voting rights and the Trust will not have regular shareholder meetings. Shareholders take no part in the management or control of the Trust. Accordingly, shareholders do not have the right to authorize actions, appoint service providers or take other actions as may be taken by shareholders of other trusts or companies where shares carry such rights. The shareholders’ limited voting rights give almost all control under the Trust Agreement to the Sponsor and the Trustee. The Sponsor may take actions in the operation of the Trust that may be adverse to the interests of shareholders and may adversely affect the value of the Shares.

Moreover, pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, shareholders’ statutory right under Delaware law to bring a derivative action (i.e., to initiate a lawsuit in the name of the Trust in order to assert a claim belonging to the Trust against a fiduciary of the Trust or against a third party when the Trust’s management has refused to do so) is restricted. Under Delaware law, a shareholder may bring a derivative action if the shareholder is a shareholder at the time the action is brought and either (i) was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue or (ii) acquired the status of shareholder by operation of law or the Trust’s governing instrument from a person who was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue. Additionally, Section 3816(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act specifically provides that a “beneficial owner’s right to bring a derivative action may be subject to such additional standards and restrictions, if any, as are set forth in the governing instrument of the statutory trust, including, without limitation, the requirement that beneficial owners owning a specified beneficial interest in the statutory trust join in the bringing of the derivative action.” In addition to the requirements of applicable law and in accordance with Section 3816(e), the Trust Agreement provides that no shareholder will have the right, power or authority to bring or maintain a derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Trust unless two or more shareholders who (i) are not “Affiliates” (as defined in the Trust Agreement and below) of one another and (ii) collectively hold at least 10.0% of the outstanding Shares join in the bringing or maintaining of such action, suit or other proceeding. This provision applies to any derivative actions brought in the name of the Trust other than claims under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

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Due to this additional requirement, a shareholder attempting to bring or maintain a derivative action in the name of the Trust will be required to locate other shareholders with which it is not affiliated and that have sufficient Shares to meet the 10.0% threshold based on the number of Shares outstanding on the date the claim is brought and thereafter throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding. This may be difficult and may result in increased costs to a shareholder attempting to seek redress in the name of the Trust in court. Moreover, if shareholders bringing a derivative action, suit or proceeding pursuant to this provision of the Trust Agreement do not hold 10.0% of the outstanding Shares on the date such an action, suit or proceeding is brought, or such shareholders are unable to maintain Share ownership meeting the 10.0% threshold throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding, such shareholders’ derivative action may be subject to dismissal. As a result, the Trust Agreement limits the likelihood that a shareholder will be able to successfully assert a derivative action in the name of the Trust, even if such shareholder believes that he or she has a valid derivative action, suit or other proceeding to bring on behalf of the Trust. See “Business—Description of the Trust Agreement—The Sponsor— Fiduciary and Regulatory Duties of the Sponsor” for more detail.

The Sponsor is solely responsible for determining the value of the NAV and NAV per Share and any errors, discontinuance or changes in such valuation calculations may have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares.

The Sponsor will determine the Trust’s NAV and NAV per Share on a daily basis as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day. The Sponsor’s determination is made utilizing data from the operations of the Trust and the Index Price, calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such day. If the Sponsor determines in good faith that the Index does not reflect an accurate SOL price, then the Sponsor will employ an alternative method to determine the Index Price under the cascading set of rules set forth in “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price—Determination of the Index Price When Index Price is Unavailable.” In the context of applying such rules, the Sponsor may determine in good faith that the alternative method applied does not reflect an accurate SOL price and apply the next alternative method under the cascading set of rules. If the Sponsor determines after employing all of the alternative methods that the Index Price does not reflect an accurate SOL price, the Sponsor will use its best judgment to determine a good faith estimate of the Index Price. There are no predefined criteria to make a good faith assessment in these scenarios and such decisions will be made by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. The Sponsor may calculate the Index Price in a manner that ultimately inaccurately reflects the price of SOL. To the extent that the NAV, NAV per Share or the Index Price are incorrectly calculated, the Sponsor may not be liable for any error and such misreporting of valuation data could adversely affect the value of the Shares and investors could suffer a substantial loss on their investment in the Trust. Moreover, the terms of the Trust Agreement do not prohibit the Sponsor from changing the Index Price used to calculate the NAV and NAV per Share of the Trust. Any such change in the Index Price could affect the value of the Shares and investors could suffer a substantial loss on their investment in the Trust.

Extraordinary expenses resulting from unanticipated events may become payable by the Trust, adversely affecting the value of the Shares.

In consideration for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has contractually assumed all ordinary-course operational and periodic expenses of the Trust. See “Business—Expenses; Sales of SOL.” Extraordinary expenses incurred by the Trust, such as taxes and governmental charges; expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders; or extraordinary legal fees and expenses are not assumed by the Sponsor and are borne by the Trust. The Sponsor will cause the Trust to either (i) sell SOL held by the Trust or (ii) deliver SOL in-kind to the Sponsor to pay Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor on an as-needed basis. Accordingly, the Trust may be required to sell or otherwise dispose of SOL at a time when the trading prices for those assets are depressed.

The sale or other disposition of assets of the Trust in order to pay extraordinary expenses could have a negative impact on the value of the Shares for several reasons. These include the following factors:

The Trust is not actively managed and no attempt will be made to protect against or to take advantage of fluctuations in the prices of SOL. Consequently, if the Trust incurs expenses in U.S. dollars, the Trust’s SOL may be sold at a time when the values of the disposed assets are low, resulting in a negative impact on the value of the Shares.
Because the Trust does not generate any income, every time that the Trust pays expenses, it will deliver SOL to the Sponsor or sell SOL. Any sales of the Trust’s assets in connection with the payment of expenses will decrease the amount of the Trust’s assets represented by each Share each time its assets are sold or transferred to the Sponsor.
Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each delivery or sale of SOL by the Trust to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and/or Additional Trust Expenses will be a taxable event to beneficial owners of Shares. Thus, the Trust’s payment of expenses could result in beneficial owners of Shares incurring tax liability without an associated distribution from the Trust. Any such tax liability could adversely affect an investment in the Shares. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences.”

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The Trust’s delivery or sale of SOL to pay expenses or other operations of the Trust could result in shareholders’ incurring tax liability without an associated distribution from the Trust.

Assuming that the Trust is treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each delivery of SOL by the Trust to pay the Sponsor’s Fee or other expenses and each sale of SOL by the Trust to pay Additional Trust Expenses will be a taxable event to beneficial owners of Shares. Thus, the Trust’s payment of expenses could result in beneficial owners of Shares incurring tax liability without an associated distribution from the Trust. Any such tax liability could adversely affect an investment in the Shares. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences.”

The value of the Shares will be adversely affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian under the Trust Documents.

Under the Trust Documents, each of the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Transfer Agent and the Custodian has a right to be indemnified by the Trust for certain liabilities or expenses that it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part. Therefore, the Sponsor, Trustee, Transfer Agent or the Custodian may require that the assets of the Trust be sold in order to cover losses or liability suffered by it. Any sale of that kind would reduce the NAV of the Trust and the value of the Shares.

Intellectual property rights claims may adversely affect the Trust and the value of the Shares.

The Sponsor is not aware of any intellectual property rights claims that may prevent the Trust from operating and holding SOL. However, third parties may assert intellectual property rights claims relating to the operation of the Trust and the mechanics instituted for the investment in, holding of and transfer of SOL. Regardless of the merit of an intellectual property or other legal action, any legal expenses to defend or payments to settle such claims would be extraordinary expenses that would be borne by the Trust through the sale or transfer of its SOL. Additionally, a meritorious intellectual property rights claim could prevent the Trust from operating and force the Sponsor to terminate the Trust and liquidate its SOL. As a result, an intellectual property rights claim against the Trust could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

Pandemics, epidemics and other natural and man-made disasters could negatively impact the value of the Trust’s holdings and/or significantly disrupt its affairs.

Pandemics, epidemics and other natural and man-made disasters could negatively impact demand for digital assets, including SOL, and disrupt the operations of many businesses, including the businesses of the Trust’s service providers. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic had serious adverse effects on the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in increased volatility and uncertainty in economies and financial markets of many countries and in the Digital Asset Markets. Moreover, governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have in the past responded to major economic disruptions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a variety of fiscal and monetary policy changes, such as quantitative easing, new monetary programs and lower interest rates. An unexpected or quick reversal of any such policies, or the ineffectiveness of such policies, could increase volatility in economies and financial market generally, and could specifically increase volatility in the Digital Asset Markets, which could adversely affect the value of SOL and the value of the Shares.

In addition, pandemics, epidemics and other natural and man-made disasters could disrupt the operations of many businesses. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments imposed travel restrictions and prolonged, closed international borders and enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, which disrupted businesses around the world. While the Sponsor and the Trust were not materially impacted by these events, any disruptions to the Sponsor’s, the Trust’s or the Trust’s service providers’ business operations resulting from business restrictions, quarantines or restrictions on the ability of personnel to perform their jobs as a result of any future pandemic, epidemic or other disaster could have an adverse impact on the Trust’s ability to access critical services and could be disruptive to the affairs of the Trust.

The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust.

The Trust is currently only able to accept Cash Orders, which means that an Authorized Participant will deposit cash into, or accept cash from, the Cash Account in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets, and a Liquidity Provider will obtain or receive SOL in exchange for cash in connection with such order. However, the Trust is not at this time able to create and redeem Shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants in exchange for SOL.

Authorized Participants must be registered broker-dealers. Registered broker-dealers are subject to various requirements of the federal securities laws and rules, including financial responsibility rules such as the customer protection rule, the net capital rule and recordkeeping requirements. Although the SEC recently approved orders to permit in-kind creations and redemptions by authorized participants for certain spot digital asset ETP shares, it is not yet clear whether or how market participants, including registered broker-dealers, will adjust their activities to account for the new orders. In particular, registered broker-dealers participating in the in-kind creation or redemption of Shares for SOL will need to ensure that they can demonstrate compliance with applicable financial responsibility rules. While compliance with these requirements would be the broker-dealer’s responsibility, a national securities exchange is required to enforce compliance by its member broker-dealers with applicable federal securities law and rules. As a result,

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the SEC is unlikely to permit an exchange to adopt listing rules for a product if it is not clear that the exchange’s members would be able to comply with applicable rules when transacting in the product as designed. In light of the new orders, NYSE Arca may seek the necessary regulatory approval to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to create and redeem Shares through In-Kind Orders, in which Authorized Participants or their designees would deposit SOL directly with the Trust or receive SOL directly from the Trust. However, there can be no assurance as to when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain this approval, if at all.

To the knowledge of the Sponsor, exchange-traded products for all spot-market commodities other than cryptocurrencies, such as gold and silver, employ in-kind creations and redemptions with the underlying asset. The Sponsor believes that it is generally more efficient, and therefore less costly, for spot commodity exchange-traded products to utilize in-kind orders rather than cash orders, because there are fewer steps in the process and therefore there is less operational risk involved when an Authorized Participant can manage the buying and selling of the underlying asset itself, rather than depend on an unaffiliated party such as the issuer or sponsor of the exchange-traded product. As such, a spot commodity exchange-traded product that only employs cash creations and redemptions and does not permit in-kind creations and redemptions is a novel product that has not been extensively tested, and could be impacted by any resulting operational inefficiencies.

In particular, the Trust’s inability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions could result in the exchange-traded product arbitrage mechanism failing to function as efficiently as it otherwise would, leading to the potential for the Shares to trade at premiums or discounts to the NAV per Share, and such premiums or discounts could be substantial. Furthermore, if Cash Orders are unavailable, either due to the Sponsor’s decision to reject or suspend such orders or otherwise, it will not be possible for Authorized Participants to redeem or create Shares, in which case the arbitrage mechanism would be unavailable. This could result in impaired liquidity for the Shares, wider bid/ask spreads in secondary trading of the Shares and greater costs to investors and other market participants. In addition, the Trust’s inability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions, and resulting reliance on cash creations and redemptions, could cause the Sponsor to halt or suspend the creation of redemption of Shares during times of market volatility or turmoil, among other consequences.

Even if In-Kind Regulatory Approval were obtained, there can be no assurance that in-kind creations or redemptions of the Shares will be available in the future, or that broker-dealers would be willing to serve as Authorized Participants with respect to the in-kind creation and redemption of Shares. Any of these factors could adversely affect the performance of the Trust and the value of the Shares.

Shareholders will not receive the benefits of any forks or airdrops.

The Solana Network operates using open-source protocols, meaning that any user can download the software, modify it and then propose that the users and validators of SOL adopt the modification. When a modification is introduced and a substantial majority of users and validators consent to the modification, the change is implemented and the network remains uninterrupted. However, if less than a substantial majority of users and validators consent to the proposed modification, and the modification is not compatible with the software prior to its modification, the consequence would be what is known as a “hard fork” of the Solana Network, with one group running the pre-modified software and the other running the modified software. The effect of such a fork would be the existence of two versions of SOL running in parallel, yet lacking interchangeability. In addition to forks, a digital asset may become subject to a similar occurrence known as an “airdrop.” In an airdrop, the promoters of a new digital asset announce to holders of another digital asset that such holders will be entitled to claim a certain amount of the new digital asset, generally for free, based on the fact that they hold such other digital asset. We refer to the right to receive any benefits arising from a fork, airdrop or similar event as an “Incidental Right” and any such virtual currency acquired through an Incidental Right as “IR Virtual Currency.”

With respect to any fork, airdrop or similar event, the Sponsor will cause the Trust to irrevocably abandon the Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency associated with such event. As such, shareholders will not receive the benefits of any forks, and the Trust is not able to participate in any airdrop.

In the event the Sponsor seeks to change the Trust’s policy with respect to Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, an application would need to be filed with the SEC by NYSE Arca seeking approval to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to distribute the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency in-kind to an agent of the shareholders for resale by such agent. However, there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Sponsor would make such a decision, or when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain this approval, if at all.

Even if such regulatory approval is sought and obtained, shareholders may not receive the benefits of any forks, the Trust may not choose, or be able, to participate in an airdrop, and the timing of receiving any benefits from a fork, airdrop or similar event is uncertain. Any inability to recognize the economic benefit of a hard fork or airdrop could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

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Coinbase Global serves as the SOL custodian and prime execution agent for several competing exchange-traded SOL products, which could adversely affect the Trust’s operations and ultimately the value of the Shares.

The Prime Broker and Custodian are both affiliates of Coinbase Global. As of the date hereof, Coinbase Global is the largest publicly traded digital asset company in the world by market capitalization and is also the largest digital asset custodian in the world by assets under custody. By virtue of its leading market position and capabilities, and the relatively limited number of institutionally-capable providers of digital asset brokerage and custody services, Coinbase Global serves as the SOL custodian and prime execution agent for several competing exchange-traded SOL products. Therefore, Coinbase Global plays a critical role in supporting the U.S. spot SOL exchange-traded product ecosystem, and its size and market share create the risk that Coinbase Global may fail to properly resource its operations to adequately support all such products that use its services, which could harm the Trust, the shareholders and the value of the Shares. If Coinbase Global were to favor the interests of certain products over others, it could result in inadequate attention or comparatively unfavorable commercial terms to less favored products, which could adversely affect the Trust’s operations and ultimately the value of the Shares.

Certain of the Authorized Participants engaged by the Trust may serve in a similar capacity for competing exchange-traded SOL products if approved, which could adversely affect the arbitrage mechanism, the Trust’s operations, the performance of the Trust and ultimately the value of the Shares.

Certain of the Authorized Participants engaged by the Trust may serve in a similar capacity for competing exchange-traded SOL products, if approved. As a result, the Authorized Participants may be unable to adequately support all of the exchange-traded SOL products that use their respective services. This risk may also be exacerbated as a consequence of the price and volatility of SOL, as well as the amount of SOL that is required to create or redeem Shares of the Trust. Moreover, the Authorized Participants may choose to facilitate creations and redemptions for competing products rather than for the Trust, including as a result of, among other things, how effectively the arbitrage mechanism of the Trust functions, the liquidity for the Shares, the bid/ask spreads in secondary trading of the Shares and the costs associated with creating and redeeming Shares of the Trust, in each case relative to competing products. In addition, given the relatively limited number of market participants that could serve as Authorized Participants of the Trust, the Trust may not be able to engage other providers to serve as Authorized Participants. If any or all of the Authorized Participants were to cease to act in their capacity as Authorized Participants of the Trust, or if any of the Authorized Participants were to favor creating and redeeming shares of competing products over those of the Trust, the Trust may receive inadequate attention or be subject to comparatively unfavorable commercial terms, which could adversely affect the arbitrage mechanism, the Trust’s operations, the performance of the Trust and ultimately the value of the Shares. See also “—Risks Related to the Offering—Competition from the emergence or growth of other digital assets could have a negative impact on the price of SOL and adversely affect the value of the Shares.”

Shareholders that are not Authorized Participants may only purchase or sell their Shares in secondary trading markets, and the conditions associated with trading in secondary markets may adversely affect investors’ investment in the Shares.

Only Authorized Participants may purchase or redeem Baskets. All other investors that desire to purchase or sell Shares must do so through NYSE Arca or in other markets, if any, in which the Shares may be traded. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to the NAV per Share.

The Sponsor may implement restatements, amendments or supplements to the Trust Agreement that may not necessarily align with shareholder interests.

There can be no assurance that the Sponsor will implement restatements, amendments or supplements that align with the interests of shareholders. To the extent shareholders do not agree with future amendments to the Trust Agreement, shareholders will not have any ability to consent or object to such amendments, and the shareholders’ sole recourse will be to divest or, through an Authorized Participant, redeem their Shares prior to the effective date of such amendments.

The Sponsor may implement restatements, amendments or supplements to the Trust Agreement that may increase risk to the Trust’s intended tax treatment.

It is possible that, in the future, the Sponsor will implement restatements, amendments, or supplements to the Trust Agreement that could adversely affect the intended tax treatment of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including on the receipt of an opinion of counsel to the effect that doing so should not cause the Trust to fail to qualify as a grantor trust for those purposes. There can be no assurance that the IRS or any court will agree with any such position, or that the Trust will not cease to qualify as grantor trust as result of any such restatement, amendment or supplement.

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Risk Factors Related to the Regulation of Digital Assets, the Trust and the Shares

The SEC has previously taken the view that SOL is a “security,” and a final determination that SOL or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of SOL and the value of the Shares, and result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of, the Trust.

Depending on its characteristics, a digital asset may be considered a “security” under the federal securities laws. The test for determining whether a particular digital asset is a “security” is complex and difficult to apply, and the outcome is difficult to predict. Public, though non-binding, statements by senior officials at the SEC have indicated that the SEC did not consider Bitcoin or Ether to be securities, and does not currently consider Bitcoin to be a security. In addition, the SEC, by action through delegated authority approving the exchange rule filings to list shares of trusts holding Ether as commodity-based ETPs, appears to have implicitly taken the view that Ether is not a security. The SEC staff has also provided informal assurances via no-action letter to a handful of promoters that their digital assets are not securities. On the other hand, the SEC under former SEC Chair Gensler’s leadership brought enforcement actions against the issuers and promoters of several other digital assets on the basis that the digital assets in question are securities. More recently, the SEC under former SEC Chair Gensler’s leadership brought enforcement actions against Digital Asset Trading Platforms for allegedly operating unregistered securities exchanges on the basis that certain of the digital assets traded on their platforms are securities.

Whether a digital asset is a security, or offers and sales of a digital asset are securities transactions, under the federal securities laws depends on whether it is included in the lists of instruments making up the definition of “security” in such laws. Digital assets as such do not appear in any of these lists, although each list includes the terms “investment contract” and “note,” and the SEC has typically analyzed whether a particular digital asset is a security or the offer and sale of a digital asset is a securities transaction by reference to whether it meets the tests developed by the federal courts interpreting these terms, known as the Howey and Reves tests, respectively. For many digital assets, whether or not the Howey or Reves tests are met is difficult to resolve definitively, and substantial legal arguments can often be made both in favor of and against a particular digital asset qualifying as a security or a particular offer and sale of a digital asset qualifying as a securities transaction under one or both of the Howey and Reves tests. Adding to the complexity, the SEC staff has indicated that the security status of a particular digital asset can change over time as the relevant facts evolve, though recent arguments advanced in ongoing litigation may suggest that the SEC no longer believes the status of a digital asset can change over time.

As part of determining whether SOL is a security or a transaction in SOL by the Sponsor is a securities transaction, for purposes of the federal securities laws, the Sponsor takes into account a number of factors, including the various definitions of “security” under the federal securities laws and federal court decisions interpreting elements of these definitions, such as the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in the Howey and Reves cases and their progeny, as well as reports, orders, press releases, public statements and speeches by the SEC, its commissioners and its staff providing guidance on when a digital asset may be a security or when an offer and sale of a digital asset may be a securities transaction for purposes of the federal securities laws. Finally, the Sponsor discusses the security status of SOL and the Sponsor’s transactions in SOL with external counsel, and has received a memorandum regarding the status of SOL under the federal securities laws from external counsel. Through this process the Sponsor believes that it is applying the proper legal standards in determining that SOL is not a security in light of the uncertainties inherent in the Howey and Reves tests. However, such policies and procedures are risk-based judgments made by the Sponsor and not a legal standard or determination binding on any regulatory body or court. The Sponsor has been contacted by staff from the SEC’s Division of Enforcement with respect to securities law compliance matters involving SOL and has responded to the SEC staff. The Sponsor subsequently received a termination notice from the SEC staff with respect to this inquiry.

In light of the uncertainties and the fact-based nature of the analysis, the Sponsor acknowledges that the SEC, at least under former Chair Gensler’s leadership, has taken the position that SOL is a security and the Sponsor’s conclusion, even if reasonable under the circumstances, would not preclude legal or regulatory action based on the presence of a security.

As is the case with SOL, analyses from counsel typically review the often-complex facts surrounding a particular digital asset’s underlying technology, creation, use case and usage development, distribution and secondary-market trading characteristics as well as contributions of and marketing or promotional efforts by the individuals or organizations who appear to be involved in these activities, among other relevant facts, usually drawing on publicly available information. This information, usually found on the internet, often includes both information that originated with or is attributed to such individuals or organizations, as well as information from third-party sources and databases that may or may not have a connection to such individuals or organizations, and the availability and nature of such information can change over time. The Sponsor and counsel often have no independent means of verifying the accuracy or completeness of such information, and therefore of necessity usually must assume that such information is materially accurate and complete for purposes of the Howey and Reves analyses. After having gathered this information, counsel typically analyzes it in light of the Howey and Reves tests, in order to inform a judgment as to whether or not a federal court would conclude that the digital asset, or transactions in the digital asset, in question is or is not a security, or are or are not securities transactions, respectively, for purposes of the federal securities laws. Often, certain factors appear to support a conclusion that the digital asset in question, or transactions in

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the digital asset, is a security, or are or are not securities transactions, respectively, while other factors appear to support the opposite conclusion, and in such a case counsel endeavors to weigh the importance and relevance of the competing factors.

This analytical process is further complicated by the fact that, at present, federal judicial case law applying the relevant tests to digital assets is limited and in some situations inconsistent, with no federal appellate court having considered the question on the merits, as well as the fact that because each digital asset presents its own unique set of relevant facts, it is not always possible to directly analogize the analysis of one digital asset to another. Because of this factual complexity and the current lack of a well-developed body of federal case law applying the relevant tests to a variety of different fact patterns, the Sponsor has not in the past received, and currently does not expect that it would be able to receive, “opinions” of counsel stating that a particular digital asset , or transactions in the digital asset, is or is not a security, or are or are not securities transactions, respectively, for federal securities law purposes. The Sponsor understands that as a matter of practice, counsel is generally able to render a legal “opinion” only when the relevant facts are substantially ascertainable and the applicable law is both well-developed and settled. As a result, given the relative novelty of digital assets, the challenges inherent in fact-gathering for particular digital assets, and the fact that federal courts have only recently been tasked with adjudicating the applicability of federal securities law to digital assets, the Sponsor understands that at present counsel is generally not in a position to render a legal “opinion” on the securities law status of SOL or any other particular digital asset.

As such, notwithstanding the Sponsor’s receipt of a memorandum regarding the status of SOL under the federal securities laws from external counsel and the Sponsor’s view that SOL is not a security, and the Sponsor’s transactions in SOL are not securities transactions, the SEC under former SEC Chair Gensler’s leadership took, and a federal court may in the future take, a different view as to the security status of SOL.

If the Sponsor determines that SOL or transactions in SOL are a security or securities transactions, respectively, under the federal securities laws, whether that determination is initially made by the Sponsor itself, or because a federal court upholds an allegation that SOL is a security, the Sponsor does not intend to permit the Trust to continue holding SOL in a way that would violate the federal securities laws (and therefore would either dissolve the Trust or potentially seek to operate the Trust in a manner that complies with the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act). Because the legal tests for determining whether a digital asset or transactions in the digital asset, are or are not a security or securities transactions, respectively, often leave room for interpretation, for so long as the Sponsor believes there to be good faith grounds to conclude that the Trust’s SOL is not a security, the Sponsor does not intend to dissolve the Trust on the basis that SOL could at some future point be finally determined to be a security.

Any enforcement action by the SEC or a state securities regulator asserting that SOL or transactions in SOL are a security, or securities transactions, respectively, or a court decision to that effect, would be expected to have an immediate material adverse impact on the trading value of SOL, as well as the Shares. This is because the business models behind most digital assets are incompatible with regulations applying to transactions in securities. If a digital asset or transactions in that digital asset are determined to be a security or securities transactions, respectively, it is likely to become difficult or impossible for the digital asset to be traded, cleared or custodied in the United States through the same channels used by non-security digital assets, which in addition to materially and adversely affecting the trading value of the digital asset is likely to significantly impact its liquidity and market participants’ ability to convert the digital asset into U.S. dollars. Any assertion that a digital asset or transactions in that digital asset are a security or securities transactions, respectively, by the SEC or another regulatory authority may have similar effects.

For example, in 2020, the SEC filed a complaint against the issuer of XRP, Ripple Labs, Inc., and two of its executives, alleging that they raised more than $1.3 billion through XRP sales that should have been registered under the federal securities laws, but were not. In the years prior to the SEC’s action, XRP’s market capitalization at times reached over $140 billion. However, in the weeks following the SEC’s complaint, XRP’s market capitalization fell to less than $10 billion, which was less than half of its market capitalization in the days prior to the complaint.

Subsequently, in July 2023, the District Court for the Southern District of New York held that while XRP is not a “security”, certain sales of XRP to certain buyers (but not other types of sales to other buyers) amounted to “investment contracts” under the Howey test. The District Court entered a final judgment in the case on August 7, 2024.

Likewise, in the days following the announcement of SEC enforcement actions against certain digital asset issuers and trading platforms, the prices of various digital assets declined significantly and may continue to decline if or as such cases advance through the federal court system. Furthermore, the decisions in cases involving digital assets have resulted in seemingly inconsistent views of different district court judges, including one that explicitly disagreed with the analysis underlying the decision regarding XRP, which underscore the continuing uncertainty around which digital assets or transactions in digital assets are securities and what the correct analysis is to determine each digital asset’s status. For example, the conflicting district court opinions and analyses demonstrate that factors such as how long a digital asset has been in existence, how widely held it is, how large its market capitalization is, the manner

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in which it is offered, sold or promoted and whether it has actual use in commercial transactions, ultimately may have limited to no bearing on whether the SEC, a state securities regulator or any particular court will find it to be a security.

In June 2023, the SEC brought the Binance Complaint and the Coinbase Complaint alleging violations of a variety of securities laws. In its complaints, the SEC asserted that SOL, ADA, MATIC, FIL, ATOM, SAND, MANA, ALGO, AXS, COTI, CHZ, FLOW, ICP, NEAR, VGX, DASH and NEXO, are securities under the federal securities laws. In addition, in November 2023, the SEC brought the Kraken Complaint, alleging that Kraken operated as an unregistered securities exchange, brokerage and clearing agency, and in its complaint the SEC again asserted that SOL and various other digital assets are securities under the federal securities laws and at times that it was “offered and sold as an investment contract.” Following the filing of the Coinbase Complaint, Binance Complaint, and the Kraken Complaint, the Sponsor discussed the security status of SOL with external counsel and continues to believe that SOL is not a security. In the days following the announcement of the Binance Complaint and Coinbase Complaint, the price of various digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ether, and SOL, declined significantly. Between February 2025 and May 2025, the SEC entered into court-approved joint stipulations to dismiss each of the lawsuits against Binance, Coinbase and Kraken.

In September 2024, the SEC filed a settled enforcement action against Mango Labs, LLC, Mango DAO, and Blockworks Foundation (the “Mango Enforcement Action”), and in October 2024, the SEC filed an enforcement action against Cumberland DRW, LLC (the “Cumberland Enforcement Action”), in both instances describing a number of digital assets, including SOL, as examples of “crypto assets that are offered and sold as securities.” In March 2025, the SEC and Cumberland DRW, LLC filed a joint request to dismiss the Cumberland Enforcement Action, which was approved by the SEC’s Commissioners, and the action was dismissed.

Despite the allegations in the Mango Enforcement Action, the Sponsor has discussed the security status of SOL with external counsel and continues to believe that SOL is not a security. However, in light of these developments and the uncertainties and fact-based nature of the analysis as to whether certain of such digital assets are “securities” under the federal securities laws, the Sponsor acknowledges that the SEC has taken the position that SOL is a security. Nonetheless, the outcomes of such complaints and the consequent litigation is unknown and unknowable as of the date hereof and the price of these digital assets may decline if or as these cases advance through the federal court system.

In addition, if SOL is determined to be a security by a federal court or transactions in SOL are determined to be securities transactions by a federal court, the Trust could be considered an unregistered “investment company” under the Investment Company Act, which could necessitate the Trust’s liquidation. In this case, the Trust and the Sponsor may be deemed to have participated in an illegal offering of investment company securities and there is no guarantee that the Sponsor will be able to register the Trust under the Investment Company Act at such time or take such other actions as may be necessary to ensure the Trust’s activities comply with applicable law, which could force the Sponsor to liquidate the Trust.

Moreover, whether or not the Sponsor or the Trust were subject to additional regulatory requirements as a result of any determination that the Trust’s assets include securities or the Trust’s transactions in digital assets constitute securities transactions, the Sponsor may nevertheless decide to terminate the Trust, in order, if possible, to liquidate the Trust’s assets while a liquid market still exists. For example, in response to the SEC’s action against the issuer of the digital asset XRP, certain significant market participants announced they would no longer support XRP and announced measures, including the delisting of XRP from major Digital Asset Trading Platforms, resulting in the Sponsor’s conclusion that it was likely to be increasingly difficult for U.S. investors, including Grayscale XRP Trust (XRP), an affiliate of the Trust, to convert XRP into U.S. dollars. The Sponsor subsequently dissolved Grayscale XRP Trust (XRP) and liquidated its assets. The Sponsor has since established a new investment vehicle that holds XRP, Grayscale XRP Trust. If the SEC or a federal court were to determine that SOL is a security or transactions in SOL are securities transactions, it is likely that the value of the Shares of the Trust would decline significantly. Furthermore, if a federal court upholds an allegation that SOL is a security or transactions in SOL are securities transactions, the Trust itself may be terminated and, if practical, its assets liquidated.

Regulatory changes or actions by the U.S. Congress or any U.S. federal or state agencies may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of SOL, validating activity or the operation of the Solana Network or the Digital Asset Markets in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares.

As digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S. Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state agencies (including FinCEN, OFAC, SEC, CFTC, FINRA, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve and state financial institution and securities regulators) have been examining the operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and the Digital Asset Markets, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets can be used to launder the proceeds of illegal activities, evade sanctions or fund criminal or terrorist enterprises and the safety and soundness of trading platforms and other service providers that hold or custody digital assets for users. Many of these state and federal agencies have issued consumer advisories regarding the risks posed by digital assets to investors.

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Ongoing and future regulatory actions with respect to digital assets generally or SOL in particular may alter, perhaps to a materially adverse extent, the nature of an investment in the Shares or the ability of the Trust to continue to operate.

On January 23, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology” aimed at supporting “the responsible growth and use of digital assets, blockchain technology, and related technologies across all sectors of the economy.” The Executive Order also established an interagency working group that is tasked with “proposing a Federal regulatory framework governing the issuance and operation of digital assets” in the United States. Pursuant to this Executive Order, the working group released a report in July 2025 outlining the administration's recommendations to Congress and various agencies reflecting the administration’s “pro-innovation mindset toward digital assets and blockchain technologies.” In particular, the report recommends that Congress enact legislation regarding self custody of digital assets, clarifying the applicability of Bank Secrecy Act obligations with respect to digital asset service providers, granting the CFTC authority to regulate spot markets in non-security digital assets, prohibiting the adoption of a CBDC, and clarifying tax laws as relevant to digital assets. In addition, the report recommends that agencies reevaluate existing guidance on digital asset activities, use existing authorities to enable the trading of digital assets at the federal level, embrace DeFi, launch or relaunch crypto innovation efforts, and promote U.S. private sector leadership in the responsible development of cross-border payments and financial markets technologies, among others.

There have also been several bills introduced in Congress that propose to establish additional regulation and oversight of the digital asset markets. For example, the CLARITY Act was passed by the House of Representatives in July 2025, which would, if enacted, regulate digital asset markets and digital asset trading platforms in the United States. In addition, also in July 2025, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act of 2025 (the “GENIUS Act”) became the first federal law specifically regulating the issuance, custody and other stablecoin-related matters in the United States. It is difficult to predict whether, or when, the CLARITY Act or another Bill that would regulate digital asset markets and digital asset trading platforms may become law or what any such Bill may entail.

It is difficult to predict whether, or when, any of these developments will lead to Congress granting additional authorities to the SEC or other regulators, what the nature of such additional authorities might be, how additional legislation and/or regulatory oversight might impact the ability of Digital Asset Markets to function or how any new regulations or changes to existing regulations might impact the value of digital assets generally and SOL held by the Trust specifically. The consequences of increased federal regulation of digital assets and digital asset activities could have a material adverse effect on the Trust and the Shares.

Law enforcement agencies have often relied on the transparency of blockchains to facilitate investigations. However, certain privacy-enhancing features have been, or are expected to be, introduced to a number of digital asset networks. If the Solana Network were to adopt any of these features, these features may provide law enforcement agencies with less visibility into transaction-level data. Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, released a report in October 2017 noting the increased use of privacy-enhancing digital assets like Zcash and Monero in criminal activity on the internet. In August 2022, OFAC banned all U.S. citizens from using Tornado Cash, a digital asset protocol designed to obfuscate blockchain transactions, by adding certain Ethereum wallet addresses associated with the protocol to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. A large portion of Ethereum validators globally, as well as notable industry participants such as Centre, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, have reportedly complied with the sanctions and blacklisted the sanctioned addresses from interacting with their networks. In October 2023, FinCEN issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that identified convertible virtual currency (CVC) mixing as a class of transactions of primary money laundering concern and proposed requiring covered financial institutions to implement certain recordkeeping and reporting requirements on transactions that covered financial institutions know, suspect, or have reason to suspect involve CVC mixing within or involving jurisdictions outside the United States. In April 2024, the DOJ arrested and charged the developers of the Samourai Wallet mixing service with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. In May 2024, a co-founder of Tornado Cash was sentenced to more than five years imprisonment in the Netherlands for developing Tornado Cash on the basis that he had helped launder more than $2 billion worth of digital assets through Tornado Cash. In October 2023, FinCEN issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that identified convertible virtual currency (CVC) mixing as a class of transactions of primary money laundering concern and proposed requiring covered financial institutions to implement certain recordkeeping and reporting requirements on transactions that covered financial institutions know, suspect, or have reason to suspect involve CVC mixing within or involving jurisdictions outside the United States. In April 2024, the DOJ arrested and charged the developers of the Samourai Wallet mixing service with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. In May 2024, a co-founder of Tornado Cash was sentenced to more than five years imprisonment in the Netherlands for developing Tornado Cash on the basis that he had helped launder more than $2 billion worth of digital assets through Tornado Cash. In August 2025, a co-founder of Tornado Cash was convicted of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, but a mistrial was declared with respect to charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions. Future additional regulatory action with respect to privacy-enhancing digital assets is possible.

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SOL’s initial manner of sale closely resembles that of certain digital assets found to be securities, and a determination that SOL is a “security” may adversely affect the value of SOL and an investment in the Shares, and result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of, the Trust.

Through enforcement actions and other statements, the SEC and its staff have taken the position that a digital asset’s initial manner of sale may be a key factor in determining whether that digital asset was a security, at least at the time of the digital asset’s delivery as part of that sale. This has meant that many blockchain startups that have offered digital assets to the public in the form of initial coin offerings, also known as ICOs, have been found to have engaged in illegal unregistered distributions of securities. One variant of an ICO involves a digital asset being sold through a Simple Agreement for Future Tokens, or a SAFT. Under a SAFT, a purchaser agrees to contribute funds to enable the development of a digital asset network in exchange for an agreement by the developer to deliver digital assets in the future, once the network becomes operational. The legal theory behind the SAFT is that, while the SAFT itself may be an “investment contract” and thus a “security” under the federal securities laws (and is therefore typically offered in reliance on an exemption from registration), the tokens themselves should not be securities at the time of their delivery because at that time the network will be operational and the tokens will have real consumptive uses, rather than representing an investment to fund the initial development work.

The SEC has cast doubt on the legal argument underpinning the SAFT structure, and has litigated in federal court at least two significant enforcement actions involving digital assets sold under SAFTs, arguing in each case that the digital assets sold under the SAFTs, and not just the SAFTs themselves, were securities. In March 2020, the SEC obtained a preliminary injunction barring Telegram Group, Inc. from conducting an unregistered distribution of digital assets known as Grams, on the grounds that Grams were securities under the federal securities laws, notwithstanding the fact that they had been sold under a SAFT. Telegram Group ultimately agreed to return $1.2 billion to investors and to pay a $18.5 million civil penalty. Similarly, in September 2020 the SEC won a motion for summary judgment against Kik Interactive, Inc., persuading the court that Kik Interactive’s sale of digital assets, called Kin, through a SAFT structure should be integrated with Kik Interactive’s separate public sale of Kin (which the court held to be illegal), as the sales were conducted using the same marketing efforts, involved the same asset, and were conducted very close in time to one another. Kik Interactive ultimately agreed to pay a $5 million civil penalty. The SEC in December 2020 filed a complaint against the issuer of XRP, Ripple Labs, Inc., and two of its executives, alleging that Ripple Labs and its executives raised over $1.3 billion through XRP sales that should have been registered under the federal securities laws, but were not. Multiple digital assets the SEC alleged to be securities in the Coinbase, Binance and Kraken Complaints were first sold to the public in similar circumstances or ICOs. Subsequently, in July 2023, the District Court for the Southern District of New York held that while XRP is not a security, certain sales of XRP to certain buyers amounted to “investment contracts” under the Howey test. For a discussion of the evolution of the SEC’s complaint against Ripple Labs, see “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Regulation of Digital Assets, the Trust and the Shares—The SEC has previously taken the view that SOL is a “security,” and a final determination that SOL or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of SOL and the value of the Shares, and result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of, the Trust.”

Solana Labs, Inc., the developer of the Solana Network and the creator of SOL, used a SAFT to distribute approximately 38% of the total supply of SOL. See “Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—Creation of New SOL” and certain individuals and entities associated with Solana Labs, Inc. continue to distribute SOL. SOL’s distribution through a SAFT shares several characteristics with other offerings of digital assets through SAFTs, including those conducted by Telegram Group, Kik Interactive and Ripple Labs that the SEC argued were used to effect the illegal unregistered public distribution of a security. While there are reasonable grounds on which SOL may be distinguished from Grams, Kin and XRP, SOL has certain characteristics that mean that the risk of the SEC or a court finding SOL to be a security is greater than the risk that digital assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum would be found to be securities. For example, although SOL is decentralized in certain respects, a significant amount of SOL remains under the control of the Company. Even though SOL does not have an official developer, the degree of control retained by Solana Labs, Inc. is such that either may be viewed by a regulator as continuing to play a material role in the development of SOL, which could adversely affect any argument that SOL is not a security. In addition, even setting aside SOL’s initial manner of offering, as noted under “Overview of the SOL Industry and Market,” a significant portion of demand for digital assets is generated by speculators and investors, not necessarily by those looking to use digital assets for consumptive purposes. If the Solana Network cannot retain users and demonstrate that its primary consumptive use case for SOL is serious and viable, this could also increase the risk that SOL is determined to be a security.

If SOL is determined to be a “security” or transactions in SOL are determined to be securities transactions under federal or state securities laws by the SEC or a state regulatory agency, or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it will have material adverse consequences for SOL and an investment in the Shares. If SOL or transactions in SOL are determined to be a security or a securities transaction, it is likely to become difficult or impossible for SOL to be traded, cleared or custodied in the United States through the same channels used by non-security digital assets, which could in turn materially and adversely affect the trading value, liquidity, market participants’ ability to convert SOL into U.S. dollars and general acceptance of SOL and cause users to migrate to other digital assets. As such, any determination that SOL or transactions in that digital asset are a security under federal or state securities laws may adversely affect the value of SOL and, as a result, an investment in the Shares.

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Changes in SEC policy could adversely impact the value of the Shares.

The effect of any future regulatory change on the Trust or the digital assets held by the Trust is impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to the Trust and the value of the Shares. If the SEC were to approve any ETF other than ours in the future, such an ETF may be perceived to be a superior investment product offering exposure to digital assets compared to the Trust because the value of the shares issued by such an ETF may more closely track the ETF’s net asset value than do Shares of the Trust, and investors may therefore favor investments in such ETFs over investments in the Trust. Any weakening in demand for the Shares compared to digital asset ETF shares could cause the value of the Shares to decline.

Competing industries may have more influence with policymakers than the digital asset industry, which could lead to the adoption of laws and regulations that are harmful to the digital asset industry.

The digital asset industry is relatively new, although its influence over public policy is increasing, and it may not have the same access to policymakers and lobbying organizations in many jurisdictions compared to industries with which digital assets may be seen to compete, such as banking, payments and consumer finance. Competitors from other, more established industries may have greater access to and influence with governmental officials and regulators and may be successful in persuading these policymakers that digital assets require heightened levels of regulation compared to the regulation of traditional financial services. As a result, new laws and regulations may be proposed and adopted in the United States and elsewhere, or existing laws and regulations may be interpreted in new ways, that disfavor or impose compliance burdens on the digital asset industry or digital asset platforms, which could adversely impact the value of SOL and therefore the value of the Shares.

Regulatory changes or other events in foreign jurisdictions may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of one or more digital assets, validating activity or the operation of their networks or the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares.

Various foreign jurisdictions have, and may continue to adopt laws, regulations or directives that affect the digital asset network, the Digital Asset Markets, and their users, particularly Digital Asset Trading Platforms and service providers that fall within such jurisdictions’ regulatory scope. For example, if foreign jurisdictions in addition to China were to ban or otherwise restrict validating activity, including by regulating or limiting manufacturers’ ability to produce or sell semiconductors or hard drives in connection with validating, it would have a material adverse effect on digital asset networks (including the Solana Network), the Digital Asset Market, and as a result, impact the value of the Shares.

A number of foreign jurisdictions have recently taken regulatory action aimed at digital asset activities. China has made transacting in cryptocurrencies illegal for Chinese citizens in mainland China, and additional restrictions may follow. Both China and South Korea have banned initial coin offerings entirely and regulators in other jurisdictions, including Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, have opined that initial coin offerings may constitute securities offerings subject to local securities regulations. The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority published final rules in October 2020 banning the sale of derivatives and exchange-traded notes that reference certain types of digital assets, contending that they are “ill-suited” to retail investors citing extreme volatility, valuation challenges and association with financial crime. A new law, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (“FSMA”), received royal assent in June 2023. The FSMA brings digital asset activities within the scope of existing laws governing financial institutions, markets and assets. In addition, the Parliament of the European Union approved the text of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (“MiCA”) in April 2023, establishing a regulatory framework for digital asset services across the European Union. Certain parts of MiCA became effective as of June 2024 and the remainder became effective as of December 2024. MiCA is intended to serve as a comprehensive regulation of digital asset markets and imposes various obligations on digital asset issuers and service providers. The main aims of MiCA are industry regulation, consumer protection, prevention of market abuse and upholding the integrity of digital asset markets. See “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—Government Oversight.”

Foreign laws, regulations or directives may conflict with those of the United States and may negatively impact the acceptance of one or more digital assets by users, merchants and service providers outside the United States and may therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the digital asset economy in the European Union, China, Japan, Russia and the United States and globally, or otherwise negatively affect the value of SOL. Moreover, other events, such as the interruption in telecommunications or internet services, cyber-related terrorist acts, civil disturbances, war or other catastrophes, could also negatively affect the digital asset economy in one or more jurisdictions. For example, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 led to volatility in digital asset prices, with an initial steep decline followed by a sharp rebound in prices. The effect of any future regulatory change or other events on the Trust or SOL is impossible to predict, and such change could be substantial and adverse to the Trust and the value of the Shares.

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If regulators subject an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor to regulation as a money service business or money transmitter, this could result in extraordinary expenses to the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor and also result in decreased liquidity for the Shares.

To the extent that the activities of any Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor cause it to be deemed a “money services business” under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN, such Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor may be required to comply with FinCEN regulations, including those that would mandate the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor to implement anti-money laundering programs, make certain reports to FinCEN and maintain certain records. Similarly, the activities of an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor may require it to be licensed as a money transmitter or as a digital asset business, such as under the NYDFS’ BitLicense regulations or California’s Digital Financial Assets Law, once effective.

Such additional regulatory obligations may cause the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor to incur extraordinary expenses. If the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor decided to seek the required licenses, there is no guarantee that they will timely receive them. An Authorized Participant may instead decide to terminate its role as Authorized Participant of the Trust, or the Sponsor may decide to discontinue and wind up the Trust. An Authorized Participant’s decision to cease acting as such may decrease the liquidity of the Shares, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares, and termination of the Trust in response to the changed regulatory circumstances may be at a time that is disadvantageous to the shareholders.

Additionally, to the extent an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor is found to have operated without appropriate state or federal licenses, or registration, it may be subject to investigation, administrative or court proceedings, and civil or criminal monetary fines and penalties, all of which would harm the reputation of the Trust or the Sponsor, decrease the liquidity, and have a material adverse effect on the price of, the Shares.

Regulatory changes or interpretations could obligate the Trust or the Sponsor to register and comply with new regulations, resulting in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust.

Current and future legislation, CFTC and SEC rulemaking and other regulatory developments may impact the manner in which SOL is treated. In particular, SOL may be classified by the CFTC as a “commodity interest” under the CEA or may be classified by the SEC as a “security” under U.S. federal securities laws. It is possible that a new Administration and Congress in the United States creates a new classification for digital assets. The Sponsor and the Trust cannot be certain as to how future regulatory developments will impact the treatment of SOL under the law. In the face of such developments, the required registrations and compliance steps may result in extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust. If the Sponsor decides to terminate the Trust in response to the changed regulatory circumstances, the Trust may be dissolved or liquidated at a time that is disadvantageous to shareholders.

To the extent that SOL is deemed to fall within the definition of a “commodity interest” under the CEA, the Trust and the Sponsor may be subject to additional regulation under the CEA and CFTC regulations. The Sponsor may be required to register as a commodity pool operator or commodity trading adviser with the CFTC and become a member of the National Futures Association and may be subject to additional regulatory requirements with respect to the Trust, including disclosure and reporting requirements. These additional requirements may result in extraordinary, recurring and/or nonrecurring expenses of the Trust, thereby materially and adversely impacting the Shares. If the Sponsor determines not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, the Sponsor will terminate the Trust. Any such termination could result in the liquidation of the Trust’s SOL at a time that is disadvantageous to shareholders.

To the extent that SOL is determined to be a security under U.S. federal securities laws, the Trust and the Sponsor may be subject to additional requirements under the Investment Company Act and the Sponsor may be required to register as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act. Such additional registration may result in extraordinary, recurring and/or non-recurring expenses of the Trust, thereby materially and adversely impacting the Shares. If the Sponsor determines not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, the Sponsor will terminate the Trust. Any such termination could result in the liquidation of the Trust’s SOL at a time that is disadvantageous to shareholders.

The treatment of the Trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes is uncertain.

The Sponsor intends to take the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, if the Trust is a grantor trust, each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated as directly owning its pro rata share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.

If the Staking Condition is satisfied, the Sponsor intends to continue to take the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that any Staking activity undertaken by the Trust in compliance with the opinion, ruling or other guidance relied upon to satisfy the Staking Condition will not prevent the Trust from continuing to qualify as a grantor trust for such purposes. However, due to the uncertainty regarding the ability of a grantor trust to engage in Staking activities,

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there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or any court would agree with this position (or with any opinion of counsel delivered to the Sponsor in support thereof). Accordingly, if the Trust satisfies the Staking Condition, the Trust might cease to qualify as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Furthermore, the Sponsor has committed to cause the Trust to irrevocably abandon any Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust may become entitled in the future. In furtherance of that commitment, the Sponsor has, on behalf of the Trust, notified the Prime Broker, the Custodian, and Coinbase Credit via the Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment Notices (as defined herein) that the Trust is irrevocably abandoning, effective immediately prior to each Creation Time or Redemption Time, all Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency to which it would otherwise be entitled as of such time and with respect to which it has not taken any Affirmative Action at or prior to such time. There can be no complete assurance that these abandonments will be treated as effective for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Trust were treated as owning any asset other than SOL as of any date on which it creates or redeems Shares, it might cease to qualify as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

In addition, at this time the Trust is not permitted to create or redeem Shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants. Unless and until In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained, Baskets will be created or redeemed only through Cash Orders. In general, investment vehicles intended to be treated as grantor trusts for U.S. federal income tax purposes historically have created additional trust interests only in kind, and there is no authority directly addressing whether a grantor trust may create or redeem trust interests under procedures similar to those that govern Cash Orders. Accordingly, there can be no complete assurance that the creation or redemption of Shares under the procedures governing Cash Orders will not cause the Trust to fail to qualify as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.


Moreover, because of the evolving nature of digital assets, it is not possible to predict potential future developments that may arise with respect to digital assets, including forks, airdrops and other similar occurrences. Assuming that the Trust is currently a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, certain future developments could render it impossible, or impracticable, for the Trust to continue to be treated as a grantor trust for such purposes.

If the Trust is not properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (as discussed below in “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Uncertainty Regarding the U.S. Federal Income Tax Treatment of Digital Assets”), there can be no assurance in this regard. If the Trust were classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax consequences of owning Shares generally would not be materially different from the tax consequences described herein, although there might be certain differences, including with respect to timing of the recognition of taxable income or loss. In addition, tax information reports provided to beneficial owners of Shares would be made in a different form. Moreover, it is possible, in that case, that a portion of the Trust’s income would be considered to be “effectively connected” with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States and, accordingly, a non-U.S. person owning Shares could be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis with respect to that “effectively connected” income and be required to file a U.S. tax return. If the Staking Condition was satisfied and none of the Trust’s Staking income were considered to be “effectively connected” income, a non-U.S. person owning Shares likely would be subject to withholding on its pro rata portion of U.S.-source income from the Trust’s Staking activities as described below in “—Non-U.S. Holders may be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax on income derived from forks, airdrops and similar occurrences and, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, Staking Consideration received as staking rewards.” Tax-exempt Shareholders may also recognize UBTI from the Trust’s Staking activities if the Trust is not treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If the Trust were not classified as either a grantor trust or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be classified as a corporation for such purposes. In that event, the Trust would be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (currently at the rate of 21%) on its net taxable income and certain distributions made by the Trust to shareholders would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of the Trust’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Any such dividend distributed to a beneficial owner of Shares that is a non-U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as provided in an applicable tax treaty). As a result, the taxation of the Trust as a corporation could materially reduce the after-tax return on an investment in Shares, and substantially reduce the value of the Shares, and result in a material divergence between NAV and the value of the Trust’s SOL.


The treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes is uncertain.

As discussed in the section entitled “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Uncertainty Regarding the U.S. Federal Income Tax Treatment of Digital Assets,” assuming that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the owner of an undivided interest in the SOL (and, if applicable, any Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, any Staking Consideration) held in the Trust. Due to the new and evolving nature of digital assets and the absence of comprehensive guidance with respect to digital assets, many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of digital assets are uncertain.

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In 2014, the IRS released a notice (the “Notice”) discussing certain aspects of “convertible virtual currency” (that is, digital assets that have an equivalent value in fiat currency or that act as substitutes for fiat currency) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, in particular, stating that such digital assets (i) are “property” (ii) are not currency” for purposes of the rules relating to foreign currency gain or loss and (iii) may be held as a capital asset. In 2019, the IRS released a revenue ruling and a set of “Frequently Asked Questions” (the “Ruling & FAQs”) that provide some additional guidance, including guidance to the effect that, under certain circumstances, hard forks of digital assets are taxable events giving rise to ordinary income and guidance with respect to the determination of the tax basis of digital assets. Moreover, in 2023, the IRS released a revenue ruling that provided guidance on digital asset staking, including guidance to the effect that staking rewards will, under certain circumstances, be treated as giving rise to taxable income (the “Staking Guidance”). However, the Notice, the Ruling & FAQs and the Staking Guidance do not address other significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of digital assets. For example, for a non-U.S. Holder (as defined below), there currently is no guidance directly addressing whether or in what circumstances engaging in certain activities to generate yield on digital assets, including Staking, could give rise to income that is effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States. Moreover, although the Ruling & FAQs address the treatment of hard forks, there continues to be uncertainty with respect to the timing and amount of the income inclusions.


There can be no assurance that the IRS will not alter its position with respect to digital assets in the future or that a court would uphold the treatment set forth in the Notice, the Ruling & FAQs and the Staking Guidance. It is also unclear what additional guidance on the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be issued in the future. Any such alteration of the current IRS positions or additional guidance could result in adverse tax consequences for shareholders and could have an adverse effect on the value of SOL. Future developments that may arise with respect to digital assets may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For example, the Notice addresses only digital assets that are “convertible virtual currency,” and it is conceivable that, as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence, the Trust could hold certain types of digital assets that are not within the scope of the Notice in the event the Sponsor seeks to change the Trust’s policy with respect to Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, subject to NYSE Arca obtaining regulatory approval from the SEC.

Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of owning and disposing of Shares and digital assets in general.

Future developments regarding the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

As discussed above, many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of digital assets, such as SOL, are uncertain, and it is unclear what guidance on the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be issued in the future. It is possible that any such guidance would have an adverse effect on the prices of digital assets, including on the price of SOL in the Digital Asset Markets, and therefore may have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares.

Because of the evolving nature of digital assets, it is not possible to predict potential future developments that may arise with respect to digital assets, including forks, airdrops and similar occurrences or staking. Such developments may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Moreover, certain future developments could render it impossible, or impracticable, for the Trust to continue to be treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Future developments in the treatment of digital assets for tax purposes other than U.S. federal income tax purposes could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The taxing authorities of certain states, including New York, (i) have announced that they will follow the Notice with respect to the treatment of digital assets for state income tax purposes and/or (ii) have issued guidance exempting the purchase and/or sale of digital assets for fiat currency from state sales tax. However, it is unclear what further guidance on the treatment of digital assets for state tax purposes may be issued in the future.

The treatment of digital assets for tax purposes by non-U.S. jurisdictions may differ from the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal, state or local tax purposes. It is possible, for example, that a non-U.S. jurisdiction would impose sales tax or value-added tax on purchases and sales of digital assets for fiat currency. If a foreign jurisdiction with a significant share of the market of SOL users imposes onerous tax burdens on digital asset users, or imposes sales or value-added tax on purchases and sales of digital assets for fiat currency, such actions could result in decreased demand for SOL in such jurisdiction.

Any future guidance on the treatment of digital assets for state, local or non-U.S. tax purposes could increase the expenses of the Trust and could have an adverse effect on the prices of digital assets, including on the price of SOL in the Digital Asset Markets. As a result, any such future guidance could have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares.

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The tax treatment of SOL and transactions involving SOL for state and local tax purposes is not settled.

Because SOL is a new technological innovation, the tax treatment of SOL for state and local tax purposes, including, without limitation state and local income and sales and use taxes, is not settled. It is uncertain what guidance, if any, on the treatment of SOL for state and local tax purposes may be issued in the future. A state or local government authority’s treatment of SOL may have negative consequences, including the imposition of a greater tax burden on investors in SOL or the imposition of a greater cost on the acquisition and disposition of SOL generally. Any such treatment may have a negative effect on prices of SOL and may adversely affect the value of the Shares.

A U.S. tax-exempt shareholder may recognize “unrelated business taxable income” as a consequence of an investment in Shares.

Under the guidance provided in the Ruling & FAQs, hard forks, airdrops and similar occurrences with respect to digital assets will under certain circumstances be treated as taxable events giving rise to ordinary income. Moreover, as separately provided by the IRS in the Staking Guidance, staking rewards will, under certain circumstances, be treated as giving rise to taxable income. In the absence of guidance to the contrary, it is possible that any such income recognized by a U.S. tax-exempt shareholder would constitute “unrelated business taxable income” (“UBTI”). A tax-exempt shareholder should consult its tax adviser regarding whether such shareholder may recognize UBTI as a consequence of an investment in Shares. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences.”

Non-U.S. Holders may be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax on income derived from forks, airdrops and similar occurrences and, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, Staking Consideration received as staking rewards.

The Ruling & FAQs do not address whether income recognized by a non-U.S. person as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence or staking could be subject to the 30% withholding tax imposed on U.S.-source “fixed or determinable annual or periodical” income. Non-U.S. Holders (as defined under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders”) should assume that, in the absence of guidance, a withholding agent (including the Sponsor) is likely to withhold 30% of any such income recognized by a non-U.S. Holder in respect of its Shares, including by deducting such withheld amounts from proceeds that such non-U.S. Holder would otherwise be entitled to receive in connection with a distribution of Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, Staking Consideration received as staking rewards. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences.”


Risk Factors Related to Staking

The Trust will not be permitted to engage in Staking unless (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition is satisfied in addition to the Trust satisfying any additional requirements that may arise in connection with the satisfaction of the Staking Condition, which could negatively affect the value of the Shares.

The Trust currently is prohibited from engaging in Staking, and there can be no assurance that the Trust will be permitted to engage in Staking in the future. The Trust Agreement provides that the Trust may engage in Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied. As of the date of this prospectus, the Staking Condition has not been met for the Trust, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Staking Condition will be met for the Trust in the future.

Subject to the Staking Condition being satisfied and subject to compliance with certain related requirements, in the future the Trust may stake a portion of its SOL holdings on the proof-of-stake validation mechanism of the Solana Network to receive Staking Consideration. However, as long as the Staking Condition and any related requirements have not been satisfied the Trust will not stake any portion of its SOL holdings the proof-of-stake validation mechanism of the Solana Network to receive Staking Consideration. The current inability of the Trust to engage in Staking and receive such Staking Consideration could place the Shares at a comparative disadvantage relative to an investment in SOL directly or through a vehicle that is not subject to such a prohibition, which could negatively affect the value of the Shares.

Staking introduces a risk of loss of SOL, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

Staking introduces a risk of loss of SOL. None of the Trust’s assets, including potentially staked assets, are subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors or customers of institutions with FDIC or Securities Investor Protection Corporation membership.

The Solana Network may impose penalties (i.e., “slashing”) if a validator commits malicious acts related to the validation of blocks with invalid transactions. Currently on the Solana Network, slashing generally operates theoretically possible by social consensus, rather than being automatically applied by the protocol’s code. The Solana community generally aspires to slash 100% of staked assets in cases where a Solana node is maliciously trying to violate safety rules and 0% during routine operations. As a result, there is currently no automatic slashing in the Solana Network. Rather, for regular consensus, after a safety violation, the Solana Network will halt. The validators will analyze the data prior to the halt to determine who was responsible and propose that the stake of

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the malicious actors responsible for the safety violation should be slashed after restart, typically 100% of their stake. Future protocol upgrades may include the implementation of automated slashing mechanisms, where penalties would be triggered and enforced directly by the network code without requiring social coordination. As of July 2025, there have been no slashing events on the Solana Network.

There can be no guarantee that slashing penalties and resulting losses will not occur as a result of the activities of a Staking Provider. Furthermore, a Staking Provider’s liability to the Trust is expected to be limited, and a Staking Provider may lack the assets or insurance in order to support the recovery of any losses incurred. While the Staking Arrangements may provide for indemnification up to a specified cap, slashing insurance or other reimbursement programs, there can be no guarantee that the Trust would recover any of its staked assets, or the value thereof, if it is subject to penalties imposed by the Solana Network.

Staked SOL tokens will be inaccessible for a variable period of time, determined by a range of factors, which could result in certain liquidity risk to the Trust.

Under current Solana Network protocols, staked SOL tokens are permitted to be un-staked by the holder of the private keys for the withdrawal address of such SOL tokens. However, as part of the “activating” and “exiting” processes of staking, staked SOL tokens will be inaccessible for a variable period of time determined by a range of factors, including network congestion, resulting in certain liquidity risks that the Sponsor plans to manage. “Activation” is the funding of a validator to be included in the active set, thereby allowing the validator to participate in the Solana Network’s proof-of-stake consensus protocol. “Exit” is the request to exit from the active set and no longer participate in the Solana Network’s proof-of-stake consensus protocol. As part of these “activating” and “exiting” processes of staking on the Solana Network, any staked SOL will be inaccessible for a period of time. The duration of activating and exiting periods are dependent on a range of factors, including network conditions. However, depending on demand, un-staking can take between hours, days or weeks to complete. This can result in certain liquidity risk to the Trust, which the Sponsor will seek to manage through a range of risk management methods.

The Sponsor anticipates that it will engage in staking with respect to all of the Trust’s SOL at all times, except (i) as necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, (ii) as necessary to pay any additional Trust expenses, (iii) as necessary to satisfy existing and reasonably foreseen potential redemption requests (assuming the Trust is then permitted to operate an ongoing redemption program) as determined by the Sponsor, (iv) as necessary to reduce the SOL obtained by the Trust as Staking Consideration to cash for distribution at regular intervals, (v) if the Sponsor determines that Staking raises significant governmental, policy or regulatory concerns or is subject or likely subject to a specialized regulatory regime, (vi) if the Sponsor determines there exists vulnerabilities in the source code or cryptography underlying the Solana Network, (vii) if the Custodian or Staking Provider discontinues their arrangements with the Trust, (viii) if the Sponsor otherwise determines that continued Staking of such portion of the Trust’s assets would be inconsistent with the Trust’s purpose of protecting and preserving the value of the Trust Estate, (ix) to fund or replenish the Liquidity Sleeve or (x) in accordance with any other exception that is expressly contemplated by an opinion, ruling or tax guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition. All SOL received by the Trust in connection with the creation of new Shares, or as Staking Consideration, would also be staked upon receipt by the Trust, unless one or more of the exceptions described in clauses (i)-(ix) above applies. As of the date of this filing, and subject to the satisfaction of the Staking Condition, the Sponsor expects that it will stake up to approximately 85% of the Trust’s SOL at all times, with the remainder of the Trust’s SOL remaining unstaked in order to address the various exceptions and other considerations described herein. The approximate percentage of the Trust’s SOL that is staked each day will be reported the following day at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol.

Assuming that the Trust is then permitted to operate an ongoing redemption program, due to the time involved in “exiting” the staking process, there is a risk that the Trust could become unable to timely meet excessive redemption requests in amounts that are greater than the portion of the Trust’s SOL that remains un-staked, leading to temporary delays in settlement and, in extreme scenarios, the temporary unavailability of the Trust’s redemption program. Moreover, any staked SOL which must be un-staked in order to fulfill a redemption (to the extent such redemption cannot be fulfilled utilizing the portion of the Trust’s SOL that has not been staked, or through another mechanism to manage liquidity in connection with Redemption Orders contemplated by an opinion of a Tax Advisor, a Tax Ruling or Tax Guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition) will be un-staked only after the redemption request is approved by the Trust, the Sponsor executes an un-stake or withdrawal transaction through the Custodian, and such transaction is processed by the Solana Network. The Staking Provider will not be able to transfer unstaked SOL or Staking Consideration to another address on the Solana Network.

Although the Sponsor anticipates that the Trust may enter into financing arrangements to borrow SOL in order to fulfill redemption requests if the Trust’s unstaked SOL is insufficient to do so, there can be no assurance that such arrangements will be available as intended or provide sufficient liquidity to satisfy redemption requests.

The Trust will be dependent on third parties to effectively execute the Trust’s Staking Arrangements.

As the Sponsor currently anticipates that Staking will be carried out by the third-party Staking Providers, the amount of Staking

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Consideration that the Trust’s staking activity will generate will be dependent on the performance of the Staking Provider, including the adequacy and reliability of the hardware and software utilized by the Staking Provider. If the Custodian or the Staking Provider experience service outages or otherwise are unable to optimally execute the Staking of the Trust’s SOL, the Trust’s Staking Consideration may be adversely affected.

The regulatory landscape surrounding Staking is uncertain.

The regulatory landscape surrounding Staking is highly uncertain, and may expose the Sponsor, Custodian, third-party Staking Providers and the Trust and its shareholders to unforeseen regulatory risks or potential enforcement actions. For example, there is a risk that the Staking Arrangements could constitute an “investment contract” under the federal securities laws, such that it is a security, and thus needs to be registered or eligible for an exemption from registration. In May 2025, staff at the SEC Division of Corporation Finance issued a statement (the “SEC Staking Statement”) expressing the view that certain staking activities do not involve the offer and sale of securities within the meaning of the federal securities laws, and we believe the Staking Arrangements satisfy the criteria in this guidance. However, the SEC Staking Statement is not a rule, regulation, guidance, or statement of the Commission, and has no legal force or effect. There is accordingly a risk that a court could disagree with the views expressed in the SEC Staking Statement. In that case, or if SOL were deemed a security, there would also be a risk that a Staking Provider could be deemed to be acting as a broker-dealer, on the basis that the Staking Provider is receiving a commission for effecting the staking transactions and receipt of Staking Consideration.

The Sponsor is permitted to cause the Trust to engage in Staking only if certain conditions set forth in the Trust Agreement relating to the qualification of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes are satisfied. Due to the lack of authority regarding the ability of a grantor trust to engage in activities such as Staking, there can be no assurance whether or when these conditions will be satisfied or the Trust will be permitted to engage in Staking.

If the Staking Condition is satisfied, beneficial owners of Shares could incur tax liabilities without receiving corresponding distributions from the Trust.

There can be no assurance that the Staking Condition will be satisfied or that the Trust will stake any of its SOL tokens. If the Staking Condition is satisfied, Shareholders may suffer adverse tax consequences. In particular, the IRS has indicated that the receipt of Staking Consideration gives rise to current, ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, beneficial owners of Shares will be required to take their ratable share of any such income into account in determining their own tax liability, regardless of whether the Trust makes any corresponding distributions. Shareholders should therefore expect that, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, other sources of funds may be needed to satisfy any associated tax liability.

Risk Factors Related to Potential Conflicts of Interest

Potential conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust. The Sponsor and its affiliates have no fiduciary duties to the Trust and its shareholders other than as provided in the Trust Agreement, which may permit them to favor their own interests to the detriment of the Trust and its shareholders.

The Sponsor will manage the affairs of the Trust. Conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust and its shareholders, on the other hand. As a result of these conflicts, the Sponsor may favor its own interests and the interests of its affiliates over the Trust and its shareholders. These potential conflicts include, among others, the following:

The Sponsor has no fiduciary duties to, and is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than, the Trust and its shareholders in resolving conflicts of interest, provided the Sponsor does not act in bad faith;
The Trust has agreed to indemnify the Sponsor and its affiliates pursuant to the Trust Agreement;
The Sponsor is responsible for allocating its own limited resources among different clients and potential future business ventures, to each of which it owes fiduciary duties;
The Sponsor and its staff also service affiliates of the Sponsor, including several other digital asset investment vehicles, and their respective clients and cannot devote all of its, or their, respective time or resources to the management of the affairs of the Trust;
The Sponsor, its affiliates and their respective officers and employees are not prohibited from engaging in other businesses or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with the Trust;

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Affiliates of the Sponsor have substantial direct investments in SOL that they are permitted to manage taking into account their own interests without regard to the interests of the Trust or its shareholders, and any increases, decreases or other changes in such investments could affect the Index Price and, in turn, the value of the Shares;
There is an absence of arm’s-length negotiation with respect to certain terms of the Trust, and, where applicable, there has been no independent due diligence conducted with respect to the Trust;
Several employees of the Sponsor and the Sponsor’s indirect parent company, DCG, are FINRA-registered representatives who historically maintained their licenses through Genesis and currently maintain their licenses through Grayscale Securities;
DCG is (i) the sole equity holder and indirect parent company of the Sponsor; and (ii) a minority interest holder in Kraken, one of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index, representing less than 1.0% of its equity;
DCG has investments in a large number of digital assets and companies involved in the digital asset ecosystem, including trading platforms and custodians. DCG’s positions on changes that should be adopted in the Solana Network could be adverse to positions that would benefit the Trust or its shareholders. Additionally, before or after a hard fork on the Solana Network, DCG’s position regarding which fork among a group of incompatible forks of the Solana Network should be considered the “true” Solana Network could be adverse to positions that would most benefit the Trust;
DCG has been vocal in the past about its support for digital assets other than SOL. Any investments in, or public positions taken on, digital assets other than SOL by DCG, could have an adverse impact on the price of SOL;
The Sponsor decides whether to retain separate counsel, accountants or others to perform services for the Trust;
While the Index Provider does not currently utilize data from over-the-counter markets or derivatives platforms, it may decide to include pricing from such markets or platforms in the future;
The Sponsor may appoint an agent to act on behalf of the shareholders, and such agent may be the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor; and
The Sponsor has historically and may again select an Index Provider that is an affiliate of the Sponsor and the Trust.

By purchasing the Shares, shareholders agree and consent to the provisions set forth in the Trust Agreement. See “Business—Description of the Trust Agreement.”

For a further discussion of the conflicts of interest among the Sponsor, the distributor, the marketer, Authorized Participant, Liquidity Providers, the Trust and others, see “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”

DCG is a minority interest holder in Kraken, which operates one of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index Price.

DCG, the sole equity holder and indirect parent company of the Sponsor, holds a minority interest of less than 1.0% in Kraken. The Sponsor values its digital assets by reference to the Index Price. The Index Price is the price in U.S. dollars of an SOL derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are reflected in the Index developed by CoinDesk Indices, Inc. as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day. Kraken is one of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index.

Although DCG does not exercise control over Kraken, it is possible that investors could have concerns that DCG could influence market data provided by this Digital Asset Trading Platform in a way that benefits DCG, for example by artificially inflating the values of SOL in order to increase the Sponsor’s fees. This could make the Trust’s Shares less attractive to investors than the shares of similar vehicles that do not present these concerns, adversely affect investor sentiment about the Trust and negatively affect Share trading prices.

Shareholders cannot be assured of the Sponsor’s continued services, the discontinuance of which may be detrimental to the Trust.

Shareholders cannot be assured that the Sponsor will be willing or able to continue to serve as sponsor to the Trust for any length of time. If the Sponsor discontinues its activities on behalf of the Trust and a substitute sponsor is not appointed, the Trust will terminate and liquidate its SOL.

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Appointment of a substitute sponsor will not guarantee the Trust’s continued operation, successful or otherwise. Because a substitute sponsor may have no experience managing a digital asset financial vehicle, a substitute sponsor may not have the experience, knowledge or expertise required to ensure that the Trust will operate successfully or continue to operate at all. Therefore, the appointment of a substitute sponsor may not necessarily be beneficial to the Trust and the Trust may terminate. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—The Sponsor.”

If the Custodian resigns or is removed by the Sponsor or otherwise, without replacement, it would trigger early termination of the Trust.

A Custodial Entity may terminate the Prime Broker Agreement for Cause (as defined in “Business— Description of the Prime Broker Agreement—Term; Termination and Suspension”) at any time or upon one hundred eighty days’ prior written notice to the Trust, as provided under the Prime Broker Agreement. If the Custodian resigns or is removed by the Sponsor or otherwise, without replacement, the Trust will dissolve in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement.

Shareholders may be adversely affected by the lack of independent advisers representing investors in the Trust.

The Sponsor has consulted with counsel, accountants and other advisers regarding the formation and operation of the Trust. No counsel was appointed to represent investors in connection with the formation of the Trust or the establishment of the terms of the Trust Agreement and the Shares. Moreover, no counsel has been appointed to represent an investor in connection with the offering of the Shares. Accordingly, an investor should consult his, her or its own legal, tax and financial advisers regarding the desirability of the value of the Shares. Lack of such consultation may lead to an undesirable investment decision with respect to investment in the Shares.

The Trust is an “emerging growth company” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make the Shares less attractive to investors.

The Trust is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and intends to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and exemptions from the requirement of shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. The Trust intends to take advantage of these reporting exemptions until it is no longer an emerging growth company. The Sponsor and the Trust cannot predict if investors will find the Shares less attractive because the Trust will rely on these exemptions. The Trust will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years after its initial public offering, although it will lose that status sooner if the Trust has more than $1.235 billion of revenues in a fiscal year, has more than $700 million in market value of Shares held by non-affiliates as of any June 30 or issues more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a rolling three-year period. If some investors find the Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for the Shares and the price of the Shares may be more volatile.

Risk Factors Related to the Offering

There may be less liquidity or wider spreads in the market for the Shares as compared to the shares of other spot SOL exchange-traded products, if and when the listing of such products has been approved.

Although the Shares are expected to be publicly listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, as a new investment vehicle, there can be no guarantee that the trading market for the Shares will develop as robustly as the trading market for the shares of other spot SOL exchange-traded products, if and when the listing of such products has been approved, or that one will develop at all. To the extent that no active trading market develops and/or the assets of the Trust do not reach or maintain a viable size to facilitate robust trading, the liquidity of the Shares may be limited, which could result in wider bid/ask spreads and negatively impact the value of the Shares. In addition, if shareholders need to sell their Shares at a time when no active market for them exists, the price shareholders receive for their Shares, assuming that shareholders are able to sell them, likely will be lower than the price that shareholders would receive if an active market did exist and, accordingly, a shareholder may suffer losses. See “—Risk Factors Related to the Digital Asset Markets—The lack of active trading markets for the Shares may result in losses on investors’ investments at the time of disposition of Shares.”

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The liquidity of the Shares may be affected if Authorized Participants cease to perform their obligations under the Participant Agreements or the Liquidity Engager is unable to engage Liquidity Providers.

In the event that one or more Authorized Participants having substantial interests in Shares or otherwise responsible for a significant portion of the Shares’ daily trading volume on NYSE Arca terminates its Participant Agreement, the liquidity of the Shares would likely decrease, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares. In addition, if the Liquidity Engager is unable to engage one or more Liquidity Providers to obtain or receive SOL in connection with Cash Orders, the Trust may have difficulty maintaining the participation of certain Authorized Participants or engaging additional Authorized Participants. Under such circumstances, the liquidity of the Shares would likely decrease, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The Shares may trade at a price that is at, above or below the Trust’s NAV per Share as a result of the non-current trading hours between NYSE Arca and the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market.

The Trust’s NAV per Share will fluctuate with changes in the market value of SOL, and the Sponsor expects the trading price of the Shares to fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Trust’s NAV per Share, as well as market supply and demand. However, the Shares may trade on NYSE Arca at a price that is at, above or below the Trust’s NAV per Share for a variety of reasons. For example, NYSE Arca is open for trading in the Shares for a limited period each day, but the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market is a 24-hour marketplace. During periods when NYSE Arca is closed but Digital Asset Trading Platforms are open, significant changes in the price of SOL on the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market could result in a difference in performance between the value of SOL as measured by the Index and the most recent NAV per Share or closing trading price. For example, if the price of SOL on the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market, and the value of SOL as measured by the Index, move significantly in a negative direction after the close of NYSE Arca, the trading price of the Shares may “gap” down to the full extent of such negative price shift when NYSE Arca reopens. If the price of SOL on the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market drops significantly during hours NYSE Arca is closed, shareholders may not be able to sell their Shares until after the “gap” down has been fully realized, resulting in an inability to rapidly mitigate losses in a negative market. Even during periods when NYSE Arca is open, large Digital Asset Trading Platforms (or a substantial number of smaller Digital Asset Trading Platforms) may be lightly traded or closed for any number of reasons, which could increase trading spreads and widen any premium or discount on the Shares.

Shareholders may suffer a loss on their investment if the Shares trade above or below the Trust’s NAV per Share.

Historically, the Shares have traded at a premium to the NAV per Share, which at times has been substantial. If the Shares trade on NYSE Arca in the future at a premium, investors who purchase Shares on NYSE Arca will pay more for their Shares than investors who purchase Shares directly from Authorized Participants. In contrast, if the Shares trade on NYSE Arca in the future at a discount, investors who purchase Shares directly from Authorized Participants will pay more for their Shares than investors who purchase Shares on NYSE Arca. The premium at which the Shares have traded has fluctuated over time. From April 19, 2023 to June 30, 2025, the maximum premium of the closing price of the Shares quoted on OTCQX over the value of the Trust’s NAV per Share was 875% and the average premium was 302%. As of June 30, 2025, the Trust’s Shares were quoted on OTCQX at a premium of 5% to the Trust’s NAV per Share. As a result, shareholders who purchase Shares on NYSE Arca at a premium may suffer a loss on their investment if they sell their Shares at a time when the premium has decreased from the premium at which they purchased the Shares even if the NAV per Share remains the same. Likewise, shareholders that purchase Shares directly from the Trust may suffer a loss on their investment if they sell their Shares at a time when the Shares are trading at a discount on NYSE Arca. Furthermore, shareholders may suffer a loss on their investment even if the NAV per Share increases because the decrease in any premium or increase in any discount may offset any increase in the NAV per Share.

The inability of Authorized Participants and market makers to hedge their SOL exposure may adversely affect the liquidity of Shares and the value of an investment in the Shares.

Authorized Participants and market makers will generally want to hedge their exposure in connection with Basket purchase and redemption orders. To the extent Authorized Participants and market makers are unable to hedge their exposure due to market conditions (e.g., insufficient SOL liquidity in the market, inability to locate an appropriate hedge counterparty, extreme volatility in the price of SOL, wide spreads between prices quoted on different Digital Asset Trading Platforms, the closing of Digital Asset Trading Platforms due to fraud, failures, security breaches or otherwise etc.), such conditions may make it difficult to purchase or redeem Baskets or cause them to not create or redeem Baskets. In addition, the hedging mechanisms employed by Authorized Participants and market makers to hedge their exposure to SOL may not function as intended, which may make it more difficult for them to enter into such transactions. Such events could negatively impact the market price of the Shares and the spread at which the Shares trade on the open market.

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Arbitrage transactions intended to keep the price of the Shares closely linked to the price of SOL may be problematic if the process for the purchase and redemption of Baskets encounters difficulties, which may adversely affect an investment in the Shares.

If the processes of creation and redemption of Shares (which depend on timely transfers of SOL to and by the Custodian) encounter any unanticipated difficulties due to, for example, the price volatility of SOL, the insolvency, business failure or interruption, default, failure to perform, security breach, or other problems affecting the Custodian, the closing of Digital Asset Trading Platforms to fraud, failures, security breaches or otherwise, or network outages or congestion, spikes in transaction fees demanded by validators, or other problems or disruptions affecting the Blockchain, then potential market participants, such as the Authorized Participants and their customers, who would otherwise be willing to purchase or redeem Baskets to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price of the Shares and the price of the underlying SOL may not take the risk that, as a result of those difficulties, they may not be able to realize the profit they expect.

Alternatively, in the case of a network outage or other problems affecting the Blockchain, the processing of transactions on the Blockchain may be disrupted, which in turn may prevent Liquidity Providers from depositing or withdrawing SOL from their custody accounts, which in turn could affect the creation or redemption of Baskets. If this is the case, the liquidity of the Shares may decline and the price of the Shares may fluctuate independently of the price of SOL and may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV. Furthermore, in the event that the market for SOL should become relatively illiquid and thereby materially restrict opportunities for arbitraging by delivering SOL in return for Baskets, the price of the Shares may diverge from the price of SOL.

 

62


 

Use of Proceeds

Proceeds received by the Trust from the issuance and sale of Baskets will consist of SOL deposited with the Trust in connection with creations. Such SOL will only be (i) owned by the Trust, (ii) transferred (or converted to U.S. dollars, if necessary) to pay the Trust’s expenses, (iii) distributed or otherwise disposed of in connection with the redemption of Baskets, (iv) liquidated in the event that the Trust terminates or as otherwise required by law or regulation or (v) used in Staking, only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition relating to the qualification of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes is satisfied and subject to compliance with any additional requirements that may arise in connection with satisfaction of the Staking Condition.

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial

Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our audited financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The following discussion may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions we believe to be reasonable. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this prospectus, particularly in “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”

Trust Overview

The Trust is a passive entity that is managed and administered by the Sponsor and does not have any officers, directors or employees. The Trust holds SOL and, from time to time on a periodic basis, will issue Creation Baskets in exchange for deposits of SOL (or cash to acquire SOL) and redeem Baskets in exchange for SOL (or proceeds from the disposition of SOL) from the Trust. As a passive investment vehicle, the Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of SOL held by the Trust, including SOL earned as Staking Consideration (to the extent that the Staking Condition is satisfied and Staking is implemented), determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. While an investment in the Shares is not a direct investment in SOL, the Shares are designed to provide investors with a cost-effective and convenient way to gain investment exposure to SOL, including any SOL earned as Staking Consideration (to the extent that the Staking Condition is satisfied and Staking is implemented). To date, the Trust has not met its investment objective and the Shares quoted on OTCQX have not reflected the value of the SOL held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, but instead have traded at a premium to such value, which at times has been substantial. The Trust will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar arrangements in seeking to meet its investment objective. The Trust is not managed like a business corporation or an active investment vehicle.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Investment Transactions and Revenue Recognition

The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of SOL by the Trust in connection with Share creations and the delivery of SOL by the Trust in connection with Share redemptions or for payment of expenses in SOL. The Trust records its investment transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses are recognized in connection with transactions including settling obligations for the Sponsor’s Fee in SOL.

Principal Market and Fair Value Determination

To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value in accordance with U.S. GAAP (“Principal Market NAV”), the Trust follows Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820-10, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for SOL in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that SOL is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.

The Trust only receives SOL, via a Liquidity Provider, in connection with a creation order from an Authorized Participant and does not itself transact on any Digital Asset Markets. Therefore, the Trust looks to market-based volume and level of activity for Digital Asset Markets. An Authorized Participant (subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval), or a Liquidity Provider, may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets (referred to as “Trading Platform Markets”), each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary (collectively, “Digital Asset Markets”). In determining which of the eligible Digital Asset Markets is the Trust’s principal market, the Trust reviews these criteria in the following order:

First, the Trust reviews a list of Digital Asset Markets that maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC regulations, and non-Digital Asset Trading Platform Markets that the Trust reasonably believes are operating in compliance with applicable law, including federal and state licensing requirements, based upon information and assurances provided to it by each market.

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Second, the Trust sorts these Digital Asset Markets from high to low by market-based volume and level of activity of SOL traded on each Digital Asset Market in the trailing twelve months.
Third, the Trust then reviews pricing fluctuations and the degree of variances in price on Digital Asset Markets to identify any material notable variances that may impact the volume or price information of a particular Digital Asset Market.
Fourth, the Trust then selects a Digital Asset Market as its principal market based on the highest market-based volume, level of activity and price stability in comparison to the other Digital Asset Markets on the list. Based on information reasonably available to the Trust, Trading Platform Markets have the greatest volume and level of activity for the asset. The Trust therefore looks to accessible Trading Platform Markets as opposed to the Brokered Market, Dealer Market and Principal-to-Principal Markets to determine its principal market. As a result of the aforementioned analysis, a Trading Platform Market has been selected as the Trust’s principal market.

The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) annually and conducts a quarterly analysis to determine (i) if there have been recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s trading volume and level of activity in the trailing twelve months, (ii) if any Digital Asset Markets have developed that the Trust has access to, or (iii) if recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s price stability have occurred that would materially impact the selection of the principal market and necessitate a change in the Trust’s determination of its principal market.

The cost basis of SOL received by the Trust in connection with a creation order is recorded by the Trust at the fair value of SOL at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the creation date for financial reporting purposes. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by an Authorized Participant from the sale of the corresponding Shares to investors.

Investment Company Considerations

The Trust is an investment company for GAAP purposes and follows accounting and reporting guidance in accordance with the FASB ASC Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for SOL in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.

Review of Financial Results

Financial Highlights for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (unaudited)

(All amounts in the following table and the subsequent paragraphs, except Share, per Share, SOL and price of SOL amounts, are in thousands)

 

 

Three Months Ended June 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30,

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment in SOL

 

$

17,279

 

 

$

(24,245

)

 

$

(19,369

)

 

$

8,826

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

16,787

 

 

$

(24,677

)

 

$

(20,450

)

 

$

8,161

 

Net assets(1)

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

68,792

 

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

68,792

 

 

(1)
Net assets in the above table and subsequent paragraphs are calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP based on the Digital Asset Market price of SOL on the Digital Asset Trading Platform that the Trust considered its principal market, as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date.

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL for the three months ended June 30, 2025 was $17,279, which includes a realized gain of $66 on the transfer of SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL of $17,213. Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL for the period was driven by SOL price appreciation from $125.23 per SOL as of March 31, 2025, to $157.80 per SOL as of June 30, 2025. Net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $16,787 for the three months ended June 30, 2025, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL, less the Sponsor’s Fee of $492. Net assets increased to $83,399 at June 30, 2025, a 25% increase for the three-month period. The increase in net assets resulted from the aforementioned SOL price appreciation and the contribution of approximately 673 SOL with a value of $97 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period, partially offset by the withdrawal of approximately 3,301 SOL to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.

Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in SOL for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was ($24,245), which includes a realized gain of $92 on the transfer of SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

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of ($24,337). Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in SOL for the period was driven by SOL price depreciation from $200.17 per SOL as of March 31, 2024, to $144.62 per SOL as of June 30, 2024. Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations was ($24,677) for the three months ended June 30, 2024, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized loss on investment in SOL, plus the Sponsor’s Fee of $432. Net assets decreased to $68,792 at June 30, 2024, a 13% decrease for the three-month period. The decrease in net assets resulted from the aforementioned SOL price depreciation and the withdrawal of approximately 2,801 SOL to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee, partially offset by the contribution of approximately 83,044 SOL with a value of $14,316 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period.

Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in SOL for the six months ended June 30, 2025 was ($19,369), which includes a realized gain of $233 on the transfer of SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL of ($19,602). Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in SOL for the period was driven by SOL price depreciation from $193.69 per SOL as of December 31, 2024, to $157.80 per SOL as of June 30, 2025. Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations was ($20,450) for the six months ended June 30, 2025, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized loss on investment in SOL, plus the Sponsor’s Fee of $1,081. Net assets decreased to $83,399 at June 30, 2025, a 19% decrease for the six-month period. The decrease in net assets resulted from the aforementioned SOL price depreciation and the withdrawal of approximately 6,580 SOL to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee, partially offset by the contribution of approximately 5,219 SOL with a value of $1,218 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period.

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL for the six months ended June 30, 2024 was $8,826, which includes a realized gain of $139 on the transfer of SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL of $8,687. Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL for the period was driven by SOL price appreciation from $104.79 per SOL as of December 31, 2023, to $144.62 per SOL as of June 30, 2024. Net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $8,161 for the six months ended June 30, 2024, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL, less the Sponsor’s Fee of $665. Net assets increased to $68,792 at June 30, 2024, a 173% increase for the six-month period. The increase in net assets resulted from the aforementioned SOL price appreciation and the contribution of approximately 239,902 SOL with a value of $35,442 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period, partially offset by the withdrawal of approximately 4,609 SOL to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.

Financial Highlights for the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

(All amounts in the following table and the subsequent paragraphs, except Share, per Share, SOL and price of SOL amounts, are in thousands)


 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL

 

$

34,051

 

 

$

15,097

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

32,293

 

 

$

14,995

 

Net assets(1)

 

$

102,631

 

 

$

25,190

 

 

(1)
Net assets in the above table and subsequent paragraphs are calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP based on the Digital Asset Market price of SOL on the Digital Asset Trading Platform that the Trust considered its principal market, as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date.

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $34,051, which includes a realized gain of $433 on the transfer of SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and $33,618 net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL. Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL for the period was driven by SOL price appreciation from $104.79 per SOL as of December 31, 2023 to $193.69 per SOL as of December 31, 2024. Net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $32,293 for the year ended December 31, 2024, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL, less the Sponsor’s Fee of $1,758. Net assets increased to $102,631 at December 31, 2024, a 307% increase for the year. The increase in net assets resulted from the aforementioned SOL price appreciation and the contribution of approximately 300,450 SOL with a value of $45,149 to the Trust in connection with Share creations, partially offset by the withdrawal of approximately 10,957 SOL to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $15,097, which includes a realized loss of ($290) on the transfer of SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and $15,387 net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL. Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL for the period was driven by SOL price appreciation from $10.09 per SOL as of December 31, 2022 to $104.79 per SOL as of December 31, 2023. Net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $14,995 for the year ended December 31, 2023, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized gain on investment in SOL, less the Sponsor’s Fee of $102. Net assets increased to $25,190 at December 31, 2023, a 2008% increase for the year. The increase in net assets resulted from the aforementioned SOL price appreciation and the contribution of approximately 125,094 SOL with a value of $8,999 to the Trust in connection with Share creations, partially offset by the withdrawal of approximately 3,128 SOL to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.

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Cash Resources and Liquidity

The Trust only receives and holds cash in order to facilitate creations and redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders, and does not otherwise have or maintain a cash balance at any time. When selling SOL and, subject to NYSE Arca obtaining regulatory approval from the SEC, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency in the Digital Asset Market to pay Additional Trust Expenses on behalf of the Trust, the Sponsor endeavors to sell the exact amount of SOL, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency needed to pay expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than SOL. In addition, upon the consummation or deemed failure of a Cash Order to create or redeem Baskets, the Trust will promptly return any excess cash it continues to hold with respect to such Cash Order to the applicable counterparty. As a consequence, the Sponsor expects that the Trust will not record any cash flow from its operations and that its cash balance will be zero at the end of each reporting period. Furthermore, the Trust is not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Generally, the Trust does not intend to hold cash, except in connection with Cash Orders for creations or redemptions of Baskets. Cash includes non-interest bearing non-restricted cash with one institution. Cash in a bank deposit account, at times, may exceed U.S. federally insured limits. The Trust has not experienced any losses in such accounts and does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk on such bank deposits.

In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust expected to be incurred is the Sponsor’s Fee and, if applicable, any Additional Trust Expenses. The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs.

Selected Operating Data

Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (unaudited)

(All SOL balances are rounded to the nearest whole SOL)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended June 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30,

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

SOL:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening balance

 

 

531,141

 

 

 

395,431

 

 

 

529,874

 

 

 

240,381

 

Creations

 

 

673

 

 

 

83,044

 

 

 

5,219

 

 

 

239,902

 

Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

(3,301

)

 

 

(2,801

)

 

 

(6,580

)

 

 

(4,609

)

Closing balance

 

 

528,513

 

 

 

475,674

 

 

 

528,513

 

 

 

475,674

 

Accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Net closing balance

 

 

528,513

 

 

 

475,674

 

 

 

528,513

 

 

 

475,674

 

Number of Shares(1):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening balance

 

 

7,221,835

 

 

 

1,048,827

 

 

 

7,160,335

 

 

 

633,627

 

Creations

 

 

9,200

 

 

 

220,700

 

 

 

70,700

 

 

 

635,900

 

Closing balance

 

 

7,231,035

 

 

 

1,269,527

 

 

 

7,231,035

 

 

 

1,269,527

 

 

 

As of June 30,

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Price of SOL on principal market(2)

 

$

157.80

 

 

$

144.62

 

Principal Market NAV per Share(1)(3)

 

$

11.53

 

 

$

10.84

 

Index Price(4)

 

$

157.89

 

 

$

144.58

 

NAV per Share(1)(4)

 

$

11.54

 

 

$

10.83

 

 

(1)
Share and per Share amounts for periods presented prior to the Share Split have been retroactively adjusted for the 5-for-1 Share Split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares completed on December 9, 2024.
(2)
The Trust performed an assessment of the principal market at June 30, 2025 and 2024, and identified the principal market as Coinbase.
(3)
As of June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Principal Market NAV per Share (rounded to the nearest penny) was calculated using the fair value of SOL based on the price provided by Coinbase, the Digital Asset Trading Platform that the Trust considered its principal market, as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. Prior to March 8, 2024, Principal Market NAV was referred to as NAV and Principal Market NAV per Share was referred to as NAV per Share.


(4)
The Trust’s NAV per Share is derived from the Index Price as represented by the Index as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. The Trust’s NAV per Share is calculated using a non-GAAP methodology where the price is derived from multiple Digital Asset Trading Platforms. Prior to March 8, 2024, NAV was referred to as Digital Asset Holdings and NAV per Share was referred to as Digital Asset Holdings per Share. See the section entitled “Business —Valuation

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of SOL and Determination of NAV” above for a description of the Trust’s NAV per Share. The Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index (the “Constituent Trading Platforms”) as of June 30, 2025 were Coinbase, Kraken, Crypto.com and Bitstamp. Effective June 22, 2025, the Index Provider removed LMAX Digital from the Index due to the trading platform failing to meet the Index Provider’s minimum liquidity requirement, and did not add any Constituent Trading Platforms as part of its scheduled quarterly review. The Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2024 were Coinbase, LMAX Digital, and Kraken.

For accounting purposes, the Trust reflects creations and the SOL receivable with respect to such creations on the date of receipt of a notification of a creation but does not issue Shares until the requisite amount of SOL is received. For the periods ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Trust did not accept redemption requests from shareholders. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval from the SEC and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program.

As of June 30, 2025, the Trust had a net closing balance with a value of $83,446,865, based on the Index Price (non-GAAP methodology). As of June 30, 2025, the Trust had a total market value of $83,399,299, based on the Digital Asset Market price of SOL on the Trust’s principal market (Coinbase).

As of June 30, 2024, the Trust had a net closing balance with a value of $68,772,986, based on the Index Price (non-GAAP methodology). As of June 30, 2024, the Trust had a total market value of $68,792,014, based on the Digital Asset Market price of SOL on the Trust’s principal market (Coinbase).

Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (unaudited)

(All SOL balances are rounded to the nearest whole SOL)


 

 

Years Ended December 31,

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

SOL:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening balance

 

 

240,381

 

 

 

118,415

 

Creations

 

 

300,450

 

 

 

125,094

 

Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

(10,957

)

 

 

(3,128

)

Closing balance

 

 

529,874

 

 

 

240,381

 

Accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Net closing balance

 

 

529,874

 

 

 

240,381

 

Number of Shares(1)(2):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening balance

 

 

3,168,135

 

 

 

1,522,135

 

Creations

 

 

3,992,200

 

 

 

1,646,000

 

Closing balance

 

 

7,160,335

 

 

 

3,168,135

 

 

 

As of December 31,

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Price of SOL on principal market(3)

 

$

193.69

 

 

$

104.79

 

Principal Market NAV per Share(1)(2)(4)

 

$

14.33

 

 

$

7.95

 

Index Price

 

$

193.76

 

 

$

104.63

 

NAV per Share(1)(2)(5)

 

$

14.34

 

 

$

7.94

 

 

(1)
Share and per Share amounts for periods presented prior to the Reverse Share Split have been retroactively adjusted for the 1-for-2 Reverse Share Split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares completed on March 20, 2023.
(2)
Share and per Share amounts for periods presented prior to the Share Split have been retroactively adjusted for the 5-for-1 Share Split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares completed on December 9, 2024.
(3)
The Trust performed an assessment of the principal market at December 31, 2024 and 2023, and identified the principal market as Coinbase.
(4)
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Principal Market NAV per Share was calculated using the fair value of SOL based on the price provided by Coinbase, the Digital Asset Trading Platform that the Trust considered its principal market, as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. Prior to March 8, 2024, Principal Market NAV was referred to as NAV and Principal Market NAV per Share was referred to as NAV per Share.
(5)
The Trust’s NAV per Share is derived from the Index Price as represented by the Index as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. The Trust’s NAV per Share is calculated using a non-GAAP methodology where the price is derived from multiple Digital Asset Trading Platforms. Prior to March 8, 2024, NAV was referred to as Digital Asset Holdings and NAV per Share was referred to as Digital Asset Holdings per Share. See the section entitled “—Business—Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV” above for a description of the Trust’s NAV per Share. The Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of December 31, 2024 were Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Kraken. The Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of December 31, 2023 were Coinbase, LMAX Digital, and Kraken.

For accounting purposes, the Trust reflects creations and the SOL receivable with respect to such creations on the date of receipt of a notification of a creation but does not issue Shares until the requisite amount of SOL is received. At this time, the Trust is not

68


 

accepting redemption requests from shareholders. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval from the SEC and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program.

As of December 31, 2024, the Trust had a net closing balance with a value of $102,668,367, based on the Index Price (non-GAAP methodology). As of December 31, 2024, the Trust had a total market value of $102,631,276, based on the Digital Asset Market price of SOL on the Trust’s principal market (Coinbase).

As of December 31, 2023, the Trust had a net closing balance with a value of $25,151,098, based on the Index Price (non-GAAP methodology). As of December 31, 2023, the Trust had a total market value of $25,189,559, based on the Digital Asset Market price of SOL on the Trust’s principal market (Coinbase).

Historical NAV and SOL Prices

As movements in the price of SOL will directly affect the price of the Shares, investors should understand recent movements in the price of SOL. Investors, however, should also be aware that past movements in the SOL price are not indicators of future movements. Movements may be influenced by various factors, including, but not limited to, government regulation, security breaches experienced by service providers, as well as political and economic uncertainties around the world.

Investing in the Shares does not insulate the investor from certain risks, including price volatility. The following chart illustrates the movement in the Trust’s NAV per Share (non-GAAP) (as adjusted for the Reverse Share Splits (as defined herein) and Share Split (as defined herein) for the periods prior to June 23, 2022, March 20, 2023, and December 9, 2024, respectively) versus the Index Price (non-GAAP) and the Trust’s Principal Market NAV per Share (as adjusted for the Reverse Share Splits and Share Split for the periods prior to June 23, 2022, March 20, 2023, and December 9, 2024, respectively) from November 18, 2021 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to June 30, 2025:

 

img178347044_1.jpg

For more information on the determination of the Trust’s NAV, see “Business —Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV.”

During the period from November 18, 2021 (the inception of the Trust’s operations) to June 30, 2025, the Digital Asset Market price of SOL, based on the price reported by the Trust’s principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, traded between $8.29 (December 29, 2022) and $280.00 (January 19, 2025), the straight average was $96.07, and the median was $96.18. The average, high, low and end-of-period SOL prices for the twelve months ended June 30, 2024, the twelve months ended June 30, 2025, and the period

69


 

from November 18, 2021 (the inception of the Trust’s operations) to June 30, 2025, based on the price reported by the Trust’s principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the applicable dates were:

 

 

 

 

 

High

 

Low

 

 

 

 

 

 

Period

 

Average

 

 

Digital
Asset
Market
Price

 

 

Date

 

Digital
Asset
Market
Price

 

 

Date

 

End of
period

 

 

Last
business
day

 

November 18, 2021 (the commencement of
   the Trust’s operations) to June 30, 2022

 

$

108.46

 

 

$

239.94

 

 

12/2/2021

 

$

28.04

 

 

6/18/2022

 

$

31.98

 

 

$

31.98

 

Twelve months ended June 30, 2023

 

$

24.73

 

 

$

46.33

 

 

8/13/2022

 

$

8.29

 

 

12/29/2022

 

$

19.09

 

 

$

19.09

 

Twelve months ended June 30, 2024

 

$

88.04

 

 

$

200.17

 

 

3/31/2024

 

$

17.51

 

 

9/11/2023

 

$

144.62

 

 

$

140.67

 

Twelve months ended June 30, 2025

 

$

167.83

 

 

$

280.00

 

 

1/19/2025

 

$

103.92

 

 

4/8/2025

 

$

157.80

 

 

$

157.80

 

November 18, 2021 (the commencement of
   the Trust’s operations) to June 30, 2025

 

$

96.07

 

 

$

280.00

 

 

1/19/2025

 

$

8.29

 

 

12/29/2022

 

$

157.80

 

 

$

157.80

 

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The Trust Agreement does not authorize the Trust to borrow for payment of the Trust’s ordinary expenses. The Trust does not engage in transactions in foreign currencies which could expose the Trust or holders of Shares to any foreign currency related market risk. The Trust does not invest in derivative financial instruments and has no foreign operations or long-term debt instruments.

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Business

Overview of the Trust and the Shares

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) (the “Trust”) is a Delaware Statutory Trust that was formed on November 9, 2021 by the filing of the Certificate of Trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the name of the Trust was Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL). In connection with the effectiveness of this registration statement and the listing of the Shares on NYSE Arca, the Sponsor intends to rename the Trust as Grayscale Solana Trust ETF by filing a Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the DSTA. The Trust’s purpose is to hold “SOL”, which are digital assets that are created and transmitted through the operations of the peer-to-peer Solana Network, a decentralized network of computers that operates on cryptographic protocols. There are several key features of the Solana Network. SOL has an unlimited supply and a circulating supply of approximately 534 million coins as of June 30, 2025. As of June 30, 2025, the 24-hour trading volume of SOL was approximately $2.8 billion. As of June 30, 2025, the aggregate market value of SOL was $82.7 billion. As of September 22, 2025, SOL was the sixth largest digital asset by market capitalization, as tracked by CoinMarketCap.com.

As a passive investment vehicle, the Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of the SOL held by the Trust, including any SOL earned as Staking Consideration (to the extent that the Staking Condition is satisfied and Staking is implemented), determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. The Trust does not seek to generate returns beyond tracking the price of SOL and any SOL earned as Staking Consideration (to the extent that the Staking Condition is satisfied and Staking is implemented). There can be no assurance that the Trust will be able to achieve its investment objective. The Trust will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar arrangements in seeking to meet its investment objective.

From and after the date of this prospectus, the Trust intends to issue Shares on an ongoing basis pursuant to this registration statement, intends to rely on an exemption or other relief from the SEC under Regulation M to operate a redemption program, and intends to list the Shares on NYSE Arca under the symbol “GSOL.” The Shares will be distributed by Authorized Participants who will be able to take advantage of arbitrage opportunities to keep the value of the Shares closely linked to the Index Price (referred to as the “arbitrage mechanism”). In particular, upon listing on NYSE Arca, the Sponsor expects there to be a net creation of Shares if the Shares trade at a premium to NAV per Share and a net redemption of Shares if the Shares trade at a discount to NAV per Share, representing the effective functioning of the arbitrage mechanism.

Thereafter, it is expected that the Shares will be sold by the Authorized Participants to the public at varying prices to be determined by reference to, among other considerations, the price of the SOL represented by each Share and the trading price of the Shares on NYSE Arca at the time of each sale. There will not be an “initial” creation of Baskets upon the Trust’s listing on NYSE Arca given that the Trust already has created Baskets of Shares that will continue to be outstanding as of such date.

Until December 31, 2024, Grayscale Investments, LLC was the sponsor of the Trust. As a result of the Reorganization (as defined herein), on January 1, 2025, Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (“GSIS”) and Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”), indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Digital Currency Group, Inc. (“DCG”), became Co-Sponsors of the Trust. On January 3, 2025 GSO voluntarily withdrew as a Sponsor of the Trust, and effective May 3, 2025 GSIS is the sole remaining Sponsor. Prior to May 3, 2025, all references herein to the “Sponsor” shall be deemed to include both GSIS and GSO as Sponsors unless the context otherwise requires, and on or after May 3, 2025, all references herein to the “Sponsor” shall refer only to GSIS. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Recent Developments” for more information. CSC Delaware Trust Company is the trustee (the “Trustee”) of the Trust, The Bank of New York Mellon is the transfer agent (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) and the administrator (in such capacity, the “Administrator”) of the Trust, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company is the co-transfer agent of the Trust (the “Co-Transfer Agent”), Coinbase, Inc. is the prime broker (the “Prime Broker”) of the Trust and Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC is the custodian (the “Custodian”) and Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. (the “Additional Custodian”) is an available alternative custodian of the Trust.

The Trust issues Shares only in one or more blocks of 10,000 Shares (a block of 10,000 Shares is called a “Basket”) to certain authorized participants (“Authorized Participants”) from time to time. Baskets are offered in exchange for SOL (or cash to acquire SOL). Through its redemption program, the Trust will redeem Shares from Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis. The U.S. dollar value of a Basket of Shares at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the trade date of a creation or redemption order is equal to the Basket Amount, which is the amount of SOL required to create or redeem a Basket of Shares, multiplied by the “Index Price,” which is the U.S. dollar value of a SOL derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are reflected in the CoinDesk Solana Price Index (SLX) (the “Index”) at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day. The Index Price is calculated using non-GAAP methodology and is not used in the Trust’s financial statements. As of October 1, 2025, the Index will be the CoinDesk SOL CCIXber Reference Rate. See “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price.”

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The Basket Amount on any trade date is determined by dividing (x) the amount of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date, after deducting the amount of SOL representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (converted using the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one SOL (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 10,000.

The Trust will create Baskets of Shares only upon receipt of SOL and will redeem Shares only by distributing SOL or proceeds from the disposition of SOL. At this time, Authorized Participants may only submit orders to create or redeem Shares through transactions that are referred to as “Cash Orders” in this prospectus. Cash Orders are made through the participation of a Liquidity Provider (as defined herein) and facilitated by the Transfer Agent, as described in “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.” Authorized Participants must pay a Variable Fee (as defined herein) in connection with certain Cash Orders.

The Shares are neither interests in nor obligations of the Sponsor or the Trustee. As provided under the Trust Agreement, the Trust’s assets will not be loaned or pledged, or serve as collateral for any loan, margin, rehypothecation, or other similar activity to which the Sponsor, the Trust or any of their respective affiliates are a party.

The Sponsor maintains an Internet website at www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol. Additional information regarding the Trust may also be found on the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

The contents of the websites referred to above and any websites referred to herein are not incorporated into this filing or any other report or documents we file with or furnish to the SEC. Further, our references to the URLs for these websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.

Investment Objective

The Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of the SOL held by the Trust, determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. There can be no assurance that the Trust will be able to achieve its investment objective. Although we expect the arbitrage mechanism to keep the value of the Shares closely linked to the Index Price, the Shares may trade at a premium or discount to the value of the SOL held by the Trust, determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, and any such premium or discount may be significant.

While an investment in the Shares is not a direct investment in SOL, the Shares are designed to provide investors with a cost-effective and convenient way to gain investment exposure to SOL. A substantial direct investment in SOL may require expensive and sometimes complicated arrangements in connection with the acquisition, security and safekeeping of the SOL and may involve the payment of substantial fees to acquire such SOL from third-party facilitators through cash payments of U.S. dollars. Because the value of the Shares is designed to be correlated with the value of the SOL held by the Trust, it is important to understand the investment attributes of, and the market for, SOL. To date, the Trust has not met its investment objective and the Shares quoted on OTCQX have not reflected the value of the SOL held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, but instead have traded at a premium to such value, which at times has been substantial.

The Trust’s SOL are carried, for financial statement purposes, at fair value as required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Trust determines the fair value of SOL based on the price provided by the Digital Asset Market (defined below) that the Trust considers its principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. The net asset value of the Trust determined on a GAAP basis is referred to in this prospectus as “NAV.” “Digital Asset Market” means a “Brokered Market,” “Dealer Market,” “Principal-to-Principal Market” or “Exchange Market,” as each such term is defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Master Glossary. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates—Principal Market and Fair Value Determination” in this prospectus for more information on the Trust’s principal market selection.

The Trust uses the Index Price to calculate its “NAV,” which is the aggregate value, expressed in U.S. dollars, of the Trust’s assets (other than U.S. dollars or other fiat currency), less the U.S. dollar value of the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities calculated in the manner set forth under “—Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV.” “NAV per Share” is calculated by dividing NAV by the number of Shares then outstanding.

NAV and NAV per Share are not measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. NAV is not intended to be a substitute for the Trust’s Principal Market NAV calculated in accordance with GAAP, and NAV per Share is not intended to be a substitute for the Trust’s Principal Market NAV per Share calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, the Trust is required to dissolve under certain circumstances. In addition, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, dissolve the Trust for a number of reasons, including if the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that it is desirable or advisable for any reason to discontinue the affairs of the Trust. For example, if the Sponsor determines

72


 

that SOL is a security under the federal securities laws, whether that determination is initially made by the Sponsor itself, or because a federal court upholds an allegation that SOL is a security, the Sponsor does not intend to permit the Trust to continue holding SOL in a way that would violate the federal securities laws (and therefore would either dissolve the Trust or potentially seek to operate the Trust in a manner that complies with the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”)). See “—Description of the Trust Agreement—Termination of the Trust” for additional discussion of the circumstances under which the Trust could be dissolved. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—The SEC has previously taken the view that SOL is a “security,” and a final determination that SOL or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of SOL and the value of the Shares, and result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of, the Trust.”

Characteristics of the Shares

The Shares are intended to offer investors an opportunity to gain exposure to digital assets through an investment in securities. The logistics of accepting, transferring and safekeeping of SOL are dealt with by the Sponsor and Custodian, and the related expenses are built into the value of the Shares. Therefore, shareholders do not have additional tasks or costs over and above those generally associated with investing in any other security.

The Shares have certain other key characteristics, including the following:

Easily Accessible and Relatively Cost Efficient. Investors in the Shares can also directly access the Digital Asset Markets. The Sponsor believes that investors will be able to more effectively implement strategic and tactical asset allocation strategies that use SOL by using the Shares instead of directly purchasing and holding SOL, and for many investors, transaction costs related to the Shares will be lower than those associated with the direct purchase, storage and safekeeping of SOL.
Market-Traded and Transparent. The Shares are currently quoted on OTCQX under the ticker symbol “GSOL” and following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the Shares are expected to be listed on NYSE Arca. The Sponsor believes the listing of the Shares on NYSE Arca will provide investors with an efficient means to implement various investment strategies. The Trust will not hold or employ any derivative securities. Furthermore, the value of the Trust’s assets will be reported each day on www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol.
Minimal Credit Risk. The Shares represent an interest in actual SOL owned by the Trust. The Trust’s SOL are not subject to borrowing arrangements with third parties and are subject to counterparty and minimal credit risk with respect to the Custodian. This contrasts with the other financial products such as CoinShares exchange-traded notes, TeraExchange swaps and SOL futures and options traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Intercontinental Exchange through which investors gain exposure to digital assets through the use of derivatives that are subject to counterparty and credit risks.
Safekeeping System. The Custodian has been appointed to control and secure the SOL for the Trust using offline storage, or cold storage, mechanisms to secure the Trust’s private key “shards”. The hardware, software, administration and continued technological development that are used by the Custodian may not be available or cost-effective for many investors.

The Trust differentiates itself from many competing digital asset financial vehicles in the following ways:

Custodian. The Custodian that holds the private key shards associated with the Trust’s SOL is Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC. Other digital asset financial vehicles that use cold storage may not use a custodian to hold their private keys.
Cold Storage of Private Keys. The private key shards associated with the Trust’s SOL are kept in cold storage, which means that the Trust’s SOL are disconnected and/or deleted entirely from the internet. See “—Custody of the Trust’s SOL” for more information relating to the storage and retrieval of the Trust’s private keys to and from cold storage. Other digital asset financial vehicles may not utilize cold storage or may utilize less effective cold storage-related hardware and security protocols.
Location of Private Vaults. Private key shards associated with the Trust’s SOL are distributed geographically by the Custodian in secure vaults around the world, including in the United States. The locations of the secure vaults may change regularly and are kept confidential by the Custodian for security purposes.
Enhanced Security. Transfers from the Trust’s Vault Balance require certain security procedures, including but not limited to, multiple encrypted private key shards, usernames, passwords and 2-step verification. Multiple private key shards held by the Custodian must be combined to reconstitute the private key to sign any transaction in order to transfer the Trust’s SOL. Private key shards are distributed geographically in secure vaults around the world, including in the United States. As a result, if any one secure vault is ever compromised, this event will have no impact on the ability of the Trust to access its

73


 

assets, other than a possible delay in operations, while one or more of the other secure vaults is used instead. These security procedures are intended to remove single points of failure in the protection of the Trust’s SOL.
Custodian Audits. The Custodian has agreed to allow the Trust and the Sponsor to take such steps as necessary to verify that satisfactory internal control systems and procedures are in place.
Directly Held SOL. The Trust directly owns actual SOL held through the Custodian. This may differ from other digital asset financial vehicles that provide SOL exposure through other means, such as the use of financial or derivative instruments.
Sponsor’s Fee. The Sponsor’s Fee is a competitive factor that may influence the value of the Shares.

Activities of the Trust

The activities of the Trust are limited to (i) issuing Baskets in exchange for SOL (or cash to acquire SOL) transferred to the Trust as consideration in connection with the creations, (ii) transferring or selling SOL as necessary to cover the Sponsor’s Fee and/or any Additional Trust Expenses, (iii) transferring or disposing of SOL to retire Baskets surrendered for redemption, (iv) causing the Sponsor to sell SOL on the termination of the Trust, (v) making distributions of Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency or cash from the sale thereof (subject to NYSE Arca obtaining regulatory approval from the SEC), as described in “—Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency” below, (vi) engaging in all administrative and security procedures necessary to accomplish such activities in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement, the Prime Broker Agreement, the Index License Agreement, the Participant Agreements and the Liquidity Provider Agreements and (vii) engage in any form of Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied with respect thereto.

The Trust may engage in any lawful activity necessary or desirable in order to facilitate shareholders’ access to Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency (subject to NYSE Arca obtaining regulatory approval from the SEC), provided that such activities do not conflict with the terms of the Trust Agreement. The Trust will not be actively managed. It will not engage in any activities designed to obtain a profit from, or to ameliorate losses caused by changes in the market prices of SOL.

Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency

The Sponsor has notified the Prime Broker, the Custodian and Coinbase Credit, on behalf of the Trust (such notices, together, the “Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment Notices”) that the Trust will abandon, irrevocably and for no direct or indirect consideration, effective immediately prior to each time at which the Trust creates or redeems Shares (each such time, a “Creation Time” or “Redemption Time”, respectively), all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which it would otherwise be entitled as of such time. An abandonment made pursuant to the Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment Notices is referred to herein as a “Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment.” Pursuant to the Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment Notices, a Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment would not apply to any Incidental Right or IR Virtual Currency if (i) the Trust has taken, or is taking at such time, an “Affirmative Action” to acquire or abandon such Incidental Right or IR Virtual Currency at any time prior to the relevant Creation Time or Redemption Time or (ii) such Incidental Right or IR Virtual Currency has been subject to a previous Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment. An “Affirmative Action” refers to a written notification from the Sponsor to the Prime Broker, the Custodian or Coinbase Credit of the Trust’s intention (i) to acquire and/or retain an Incidental Right and/or IR Virtual Currency or (ii) to abandon, with effect prior to the relevant Creation Time or Redemption Time, an Incidental Right and/or IR Virtual Currency.

As a result of the Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment Notices, the Trust has abandoned, prior to each relevant Creation Time or Redemption Time, any Incidental Right or IR Virtual Currency that it may have had any right to receive at such time. The Trust has no right to receive any Incidental Right or IR Virtual Currency abandoned pursuant to either the Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment Notices or Affirmative Actions. Furthermore, the Prime Broker, the Custodian and Coinbase Credit have no authority, pursuant to the Prime Broker Agreement or otherwise, to exercise, obtain or hold, as the case may be, any such abandoned Incidental Right or IR Virtual Currency on behalf of the Trust or to transfer any such abandoned Incidental Right or IR Virtual Currency to the Trust if the Trust terminates its custodial arrangement with the Prime Broker, the Custodian and Coinbase Credit. In addition, the Sponsor has committed to cause the Trust not to take any Affirmative Action to acquire any Incidental Right or IR Virtual Currency and, therefore, irrevocably abandon any Incidental Right and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust may become entitled in the future.

Because the Sponsor has committed to causing the Trust to irrevocably abandon all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust otherwise would become entitled in the future, and causing the Trust not to take any Affirmative Actions, the Trust will not receive any direct or indirect consideration for the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency and thus the value of the Shares will not reflect the value of the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency. In addition, in the event the Sponsor seeks to change the Trust’s policy with respect to Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, an application would need to be filed with the SEC by NYSE Arca seeking approval to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to distribute the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency in kind to

74


 

an agent of the shareholders for resale by such agent. However, there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Sponsor would make such a decision, or when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain this approval, if at all. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Trust and the Shares—Shareholders will not receive the benefits of any forks or airdrops.”

The Sponsor has controls in place to monitor for material hard forks or airdrops. The Sponsor will notify investors of any material change to its policy with respect to Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency by filing a current report on Form 8-K.

Secondary Market Trading

While the Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of SOL held by the Trust, determined by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, the Shares may trade in the Secondary Market on NYSE Arca (or on another Secondary Market in the future) at prices that are lower or higher than the NAV per Share. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV per Share may be influenced by non-concurrent trading hours and liquidity between NYSE Arca and larger Digital Asset Trading Platforms. While the Shares are expected to be listed on NYSE Arca and trade during NYSE Arca’s Core Trading Session from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., New York time, liquidity in the Digital Asset Markets may fluctuate depending upon the volume and availability of larger Digital Asset Trading Platforms. As a result, during periods in which Digital Asset Market liquidity is limited or a major Digital Asset Trading Platform is off-line, trading spreads, and the resulting premium or discount, on the Shares may widen.

Overview of the SOL Industry and Market

SOL is a digital asset that is created and transmitted through the operations of the peer-to-peer Solana Network, a decentralized network of computers that operates on cryptographic protocols. No single entity owns or operates the Solana Network, the infrastructure of which is collectively maintained by a decentralized user base. The Solana Network allows people to exchange tokens of value, called SOL, which are recorded on a public transaction ledger. SOL can be used to pay for goods and services, including to send a transaction on the Solana Network, or it can be converted to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, at rates determined on Digital Asset Trading Platforms or in individual end-user-to-end-user transactions under a barter system. Furthermore, the Solana Network was designed to allow users to write and implement smart contracts—that is, general-purpose code that executes on every computer in the network and can instruct the transmission of information and value based on a sophisticated set of logical conditions. Using smart contracts, users can create markets, store registries of debts or promises, represent the ownership of property, move funds in accordance with conditional instructions and create digital assets other than SOL on the Solana Network. Smart contract operations are executed on the Solana Blockchain in exchange for payment of SOL. The Solana Network is one of a number of projects intended to expand blockchain use beyond just a peer-to-peer money system.

The Solana protocol introduced the Proof-of-History (“PoH”) timestamping mechanism. PoH automatically orders on-chain transactions by creating a historical record that proves an event has occurred at a specific moment in time. PoH is intended to provide a transaction processing speed and capacity advantage over other blockchain networks like the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks, which rely on sequential production of blocks and can lead to delays caused by validator confirmations. PoH is a new blockchain technology that is not widely used. PoH may not function as intended. For example, it may require more specialized equipment to participate in the network and fail to attract a significant number of users. In addition, there may be flaws in the cryptography underlying PoH, including flaws that affect functionality of the Solana Network or make the network vulnerable to attack.

In addition to the PoH mechanism described above, the Solana Network uses a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism to incentivize SOL holders to validate transactions. Unlike proof-of-work, in which miners expend computational resources to compete to validate transactions and are rewarded coins in proportion to the amount of computational resources expended, in proof-of-stake, validators risk or “stake” coins to compete to be randomly selected to validate transactions and are rewarded coins in proportion to the amount of coins staked. Any malicious activity, such as disagreeing with the eventual consensus or otherwise violating protocol rules, may result in a validator being selected less frequently by a consensus of other validators to validate blocks. Proof-of-stake is viewed as more energy efficient and scalable than proof-of-work and is sometimes referred to as “virtual mining”.

The Solana protocol was first conceived by Anatoly Yakovenko in a 2017 whitepaper. Development of the Solana Network is overseen by the Solana Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization, and Solana Labs, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, which administered the original network launch and token distribution.

Although the Company and the Solana Foundation continue to exert significant influence over the direction of the development of the Solana project, the Solana Network is believed to be decentralized and does not require governmental authorities or financial institution intermediaries to create, transmit or determine the value of SOL.

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SOL Spot and Futures Markets

The CFTC has regulatory jurisdiction over the SOL futures markets. In addition, because the CFTC has determined that SOL is a non-security “commodity” under the CEA and the rules thereunder, it has jurisdiction to prosecute fraud and manipulation in the cash, or spot, market for SOL. Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the CFTC generally does not oversee cash or spot market exchanges, spot Digital Asset Trading Platforms or transactions involving spot SOL that do not utilize collateral, leverage, or financing. The National Futures Association (“NFA”) is the self-regulatory agency for the U.S. futures industry, and as such has jurisdiction over SOL futures. However, the NFA does not have regulatory oversight authority for the cash or spot market for SOL trading or transactions.

In February 2021, certain designated contract markets (“DCMs”) registered with the CFTC, including the CME, launched new contracts for SOL futures products. DCMs are boards of trades (commonly referred to as exchanges) that operate under the regulatory oversight of the CFTC, pursuant to Section 5 of the CEA. To obtain and maintain designation as a DCM, an exchange must comply on an initial and ongoing basis with twenty-three Core Principles established under Section 5(d) of the CEA. Among other things, DCMs are required to establish self-regulatory programs designed to enforce the DCM’s rules, prevent market manipulation and customer and market abuses, and ensure the recording and safe storage of trade information. The CFTC engaged in a “heightened review” of the self-certification of SOL futures, which required DCMs to enter direct or indirect information sharing agreements with spot market platforms to allow access to trade and trader data; monitor data from cash markets with respect to price settlements and other SOL prices more broadly, and identify anomalies and disproportionate moves in the cash markets compared to the futures markets; engage in inquiries, including at the trade settlement level when necessary; and agree to regular coordination with CFTC surveillance staff on trade activities, including providing the CFTC surveillance team with trade settlement data upon request.

In February 2025, certain DCMs registered with the CFTC, including the CME, launched new contracts for SOL futures products. These futures contracts are cash-settled, based on the CME CF Solana-Dollar Reference Rate, calculated daily at 4:00 p.m. London time. The first day of trading on CME saw approximately $12 million in notional value traded. On June 24, 2025 1.75 million contracts traded, marking the highest level ever recorded for SOL futures on CME. As of late June 2025, open interest in SOL futures on CME surpassed $6.1 billion, indicating sustained institutional engagement.

Smart Contracts and Development on the Solana Network

Smart contracts are programs that run on a blockchain that can execute automatically when certain conditions are met. Smart contracts facilitate the exchange of anything representative of value, such as money, information, property, or voting rights. Using smart contracts, users can send or receive digital assets, create markets, store registries of debts or promises, represent ownership of property or a company, move funds in accordance with conditional instructions and create new digital assets.

Development on the Solana Network involves building more complex tools on top of smart contracts, such as decentralized apps (“DApps”); organizations that are autonomous, known as decentralized autonomous organizations (“DAOs”); and entirely new decentralized networks. For example, a company that distributes charitable donations on behalf of users could hold donated funds in smart contracts that are paid to charities only if the charity satisfies certain pre-defined conditions.

In total, as of June 30, 2025, more than 500 DApps are currently built on the Solana Network, including DApps in the collectible non-fungible token, gaming, music streaming, and decentralized finance categories.

Additionally, the Solana Network has been used for decentralized finance (“DeFi”), or open finance platforms, which seek to democratize access to financial services, such as borrowing, lending, custody, trading, derivatives and insurance, by removing third-party intermediaries. DeFi can allow users to lend and earn interest on their digital assets, exchange one digital asset for another and create derivative digital assets such as stablecoins, which are digital assets pegged to a reserve asset such as fiat currency. As of June 30, 2025, approximately $8.6 billion was being used as collateral on DeFi platforms using the Solana Network.

In addition, the Solana Network and other smart contract platforms have been used for creating non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. Unlike digital assets native to smart contract platforms which are fungible and enable the payment of fees for smart contract execution, NFTs allow for digital ownership of assets that convey certain rights to other digital or real world assets. This new paradigm allows users to own rights to other assets through NFTs, which enable users to trade them with others on the Solana Network. For example, an NFT may convey rights to a digital asset that exists in an online game or a DApp, and users can trade their NFT in the DApp or game, and carry them to other digital experiences, creating an entirely new free-market internet-native economy that can be monetized in the physical world.

Overview of the Solana Network’s Operations

In order to own, transfer or use SOL directly on the Solana Network (as opposed to through an intermediary, such as a custodian), a person generally must have internet access to connect to the Solana Network. SOL transactions may be made directly between

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end-users without the need for a third-party intermediary. To prevent the possibility of double-spending SOL, a user must notify the Solana Network of the transaction by broadcasting the transaction data to its network peers. The Solana Network provides confirmation against double-spending by memorializing every transaction in the Solana Blockchain, which is publicly accessible and transparent. This memorialization and verification against double-spending is accomplished through the Solana Network validation process, which adds “blocks” of data, including recent transaction information, to the Solana Blockchain. Unlike other blockchains that rely solely on sequential production of blocks through PoW or PoS mechanisms, however, the Solana Network introduces PoH, which creates a historical record that proves an event has occurred at a specific moment in time.

Summary of an SOL Transaction

Prior to engaging in SOL transactions directly on the Solana Network, a user generally must first install on its computer or mobile device a Solana Network software program that will allow the user to generate a private and public key pair associated with an SOL address. The Solana Network software program and the SOL address also enable the user to connect to the Solana Network and transfer SOL to, and receive SOL from, other users.

Each Solana Network address, or wallet, is associated with a unique “public key” and “private key” pair. To receive SOL, the SOL recipient must provide its public key to the party initiating the transfer. This activity is analogous to a recipient for a transaction in U.S. dollars providing a routing address in wire instructions to the payor so that cash may be wired to the recipient’s account. The payor approves the transfer to the address provided by the recipient by “signing” a transaction that consists of the recipient’s public key with the private key of the address from where the payor is transferring the SOL. The recipient, however, does not make public or provide to the sender its related private key.

Neither the recipient nor the sender reveal their private keys in a transaction, because the private key authorizes transfer of the funds in that address to other users. Therefore, if a user loses his or her private key, the user may permanently lose access to the SOL contained in the associated address. Likewise, SOL is irretrievably lost if the private key associated with them is deleted and no backup has been made. When sending SOL, a user’s Solana Network software program must validate the transaction with the associated private key. In addition, since every computation on the Solana Network requires processing power, there is a transaction fee involved with the transfer that is paid by the payor. The resulting digitally validated transaction is sent by the user’s Solana Network software program to the Solana Network validators to allow transaction confirmation.

Solana Network validators record and confirm transactions when they validate and add blocks of information to the Solana Blockchain. When a validator is selected to validate a block, it creates that block, which includes data relating to (i) the verification of newly submitted and accepted transactions and (ii) a reference to the prior block in the Solana Blockchain to which the new block is being added. The validator becomes aware of outstanding, unrecorded transactions through the data packet transmission and distribution discussed above.

Upon the addition of a block of SOL transactions, the Solana Network software program of both the spending party and the receiving party will show confirmation of the transaction on the Solana Blockchain and reflect an adjustment to the SOL balance in each party’s Solana Network public key, completing the SOL transaction. Once a transaction is confirmed on the Solana Blockchain, it is irreversible.

Some SOL transactions are conducted “off-blockchain” and are therefore not recorded on the Solana Blockchain. These “off-blockchain transactions” involve the transfer of control over, or ownership of, a specific digital wallet holding SOL or the reallocation of ownership of certain SOL in a pooled-ownership digital wallet, such as a digital wallet owned by a Digital Asset Trading Platform. In contrast to on-blockchain transactions, which are publicly recorded on the Solana Blockchain, information and data regarding off-blockchain transactions are generally not publicly available. Therefore, off-blockchain transactions are not truly SOL transactions in that they do not involve the transfer of transaction data on the Solana Network and do not reflect a movement of SOL between addresses recorded on the Solana Blockchain. For these reasons, off-blockchain transactions are subject to risks as any such transfer of SOL ownership is not protected by the protocol behind the Solana Network or recorded in, and validated through, the blockchain mechanism.

Creation of SOL

Initial Creation of SOL

500 million SOL were created in connection with the launch of the Solana Network. The initial 500 million SOL were distributed as follows:

Investors: 189 million SOL, or 37.8% of the supply, was sold in private sales to venture capital and other investors conducted between 2018 to 2021.

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Solana Foundation: 52 million SOL, or 10.4% of the supply, was distributed to the Solana Foundation for operational costs incurred in the development of the Solana Network.
Solana Labs, Inc.: 64 million SOL, or 12.8% of the supply, was retained by Solana Labs to be used, at least in part, to compensate the employees of Solana Labs.
Community: 195 million SOL, or 39.0% of the supply, was distributed to the Solana Foundation to be deployed as bounties, incentive programs, marketing and grants.

Following the launch of the Solana Network, SOL supply increases through a progressive minting process.

SOL Supply

The rate at which new SOL supply has been minted and put into circulation has varied since network launch. Additionally, the Solana protocol reduces the SOL supply by eliminating 50% of transaction fees paid to the network. As a result, net changes in SOL supply are expected to vary in the future.

At network launch, the SOL circulating supply was 8 million SOL. Between network launch and June 30, 2025, the circulating supply of SOL increased by roughly 6,600% to approximately 534 million SOL.

In February 2021, the SOL supply inflation rate was changed from 0.1% to a new initial inflation rate of 8%. The 8% initial inflation rate is scheduled to decline in 15% increments until a long-term inflation rate of 1.5% is reached. As of June 30, 2025, the SOL supply issuance rate was approximately 4.4% on an annual basis before any offsets for eliminated transaction fees.

Modifications to the SOL Protocol

Historically the Solana Network’s development has been overseen by Solana Labs, the Solana Foundation and other core developers. The Solana Foundation and core developers are able to access and alter the Solana Network source code and, as a result, they are responsible for quasi-official releases of updates and other changes to the Solana Network’s source code.

The release of updates to the Solana Network’s source code does not guarantee that the updates will be automatically adopted. Users and nodes must accept any changes made to the Solana source code by downloading the proposed modification of the Solana Network’s source code. A modification of the Solana Network’s source code is only effective with respect to the Solana users that download it. If a modification is accepted only by a percentage of users and validators, a division in the Solana Network will occur such that one network will run the pre-modification source code and the other network will run the modified source code. Such a division is known as a “fork.” See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Digital Assets—A temporary or permanent fork could adversely affect an investment in the Shares”. Consequently, as a practical matter, a modification to the source code becomes part of the Solana Network only if accepted by participants collectively having a majority of the processing power on the Solana Network.

Core development of the Solana source code has increasingly focused on modifications of the Solana protocol to increase speed and scalability and also allow for financial and non-financial next generation uses. The Trust’s activities will not directly relate to such projects, though such projects may utilize SOL as tokens for the facilitation of their non-financial uses, thereby potentially increasing demand for SOL and the utility of the Solana Network as a whole. Conversely, projects that operate and are built within the Solana Blockchain may increase the data flow on the Solana Network and could either “bloat” the size of the Solana Blockchain or slow confirmation times.

SOL Value

Digital Asset Trading Platform Valuation

The value of SOL is determined by the value that various market participants place on SOL through their transactions. The most common means of determining the value of an SOL is by surveying one or more Digital Asset Trading Platforms where SOL is traded publicly and transparently (e.g., Coinbase, Crypto.com, Kraken, and Bitstamp). Additionally, there are over-the-counter dealers or market makers that transact in SOL.

Digital Asset Trading Platform Public Market Data - SLX

On each online Digital Asset Trading Platform, SOL is traded with publicly disclosed valuations for each executed trade, measured by one or more fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or euro, or by the widely used cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Over-the-counter dealers or market makers do not typically disclose their trade data.

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As of June 30, 2025, the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index were Coinbase, Crypto.com, Kraken, and Bitstamp by Robinhood. As further described below, the Sponsor and the Trust reasonably believe each of these Digital Asset Trading Platforms are in material compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state licensing requirements and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC regulations.

Bitstamp by Robinhood: A U.K.-based trading platform that has U.S. operations and entities registered as money service businesses (“MSB”) with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), holds a BitLicense, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states.

Coinbase: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, licensed as a virtual currency business under the New York State Department of Financial Services’ (“NYDFS”) BitLicense, licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states, and chartered as a limited purpose trust company under New York Banking Law.

Crypto.com: A Singapore-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states and chartered as a non-depository trust company by the New Hampshire Banking Department. Crypto.com does not hold a BitLicense.

Kraken: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states, and chartered as a Special Purpose Depository Institution by the Wyoming Division of Banking. Kraken does not hold a BitLicense.


Currently, there are several Digital Asset Trading Platforms operating worldwide, and online Digital Asset Trading Platforms represent a substantial percentage of SOL buying and selling activity and provide the most data with respect to prevailing valuations of SOL. These trading platforms include established trading platforms such as the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index which provide a number of options for buying and selling SOL.

The below table reflects the trading volume in SOL and market share of the SOL-U.S. dollar trading pairs of each of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025 (collectively, “Constituent Trading Platforms”), using data since the commencement of the Trust’s operations:

 

Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025(1)

 

Volume (SOL)

 

 

Market Share(2)

 

Coinbase

 

 

2,037,208,034

 

 

 

65.27

%

Kraken

 

 

506,129,749

 

 

 

16.22

%

Crypto.com

 

 

110,920,115

 

 

 

3.55

%

Bitstamp by Robinhood

 

 

33,254,134

 

 

 

1.07

%

Total SOL-U.S. dollar trading pair

 

 

2,687,512,032

 

 

 

86.11

%

 

(1)
On March 23, 2025, the Index Provider added Bitstamp to the Index due to the trading platform meeting the Index Provider’s minimum liquidity requirement, and did not remove any Constituent Trading Platforms as part of its scheduled quarterly review. On June 22, 2025, the Index Provider removed LMAX Digital from the Index due to the trading platform failing to meet the Index Provider’s minimum liquidity requirement, and did not add any Constituent Trading Platforms as part of its scheduled quarterly review.
(2)
Market share is calculated using trading volume (in SOL) for certain Digital Asset Trading Platforms, including Coinbase, Crypto.com, Kraken and Bitstamp, as well as certain other large U.S.-dollar denominated Digital Asset Trading Platforms that were not included in the Index as of June 30, 2025, including Binance.US, Bitfinex, Bittrex, Bullish, CEX.IO, FTX.US, Gate.io, Gemini, itBit, LMAX Digital, OKCoin and OKX.

Digital Asset Trading Platform Public Market Data - CCIXBER

On each online Digital Asset Trading Platform, SOL is traded with publicly disclosed valuations for each executed trade, measured by one or more fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or euro, or by the widely used cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Over-the-counter dealers or market makers do not typically disclose their trade data.

As of June 30, 2025, the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index were Bitfinex, Bitstamp by Robinhood, Bullish, Bybit, Crypto.com, Gemini, itBit, Kraken, LMAX Digital, and OKX. As further described below, the Sponsor and the Trust reasonably believe each of these Digital Asset Trading Platforms are in material compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state licensing requirements and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC regulations.

Bitfinex: A British Virgin Islands based trading platform. Bitfinex does not hold any licenses or registrations in the U.S. and is not available to U.S.-based customers. Bitfinex is categorized by the Index Provider as a “Category 2” trading platform that meets the Inclusion Criteria but is non-U.S. licensed.

Bitstamp by Robinhood: A U.K.-based trading platform that has U.S. operations and entities registered as MSB’s with FinCEN, holds a BitLicense, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states.

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Bullish: A Gibraltar-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN. Bullish is not available to U.S.-based customers. Bullish is categorized by the Index Provider as a “Category 2” trading platform that meets the Inclusion Criteria but is non-U.S. licensed.

Bybit: A United Arab Emirates-based trading platform. Bybit does not hold any licenses or registrations in the U.S. and is not available to U.S. based customers. Bybit is categorized by the Index Provider as a “Category 2” trading platform that meets the Inclusion Criteria but is non-U.S. licensed.

Crypto.com: A Singapore-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states and chartered as a non-depository trust company by the New Hampshire Banking Department. Crypto.com does not hold a BitLicense.

Gemini: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states. Gemini is exempt from applying for a BitLicense under the framework established by NYDFS because of their trust charter under New York Banking Law.

itBit: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN and that is licensed as a limited purpose trust company under the NYDFS through its parent company, Paxos Trust Company, LLC. itBit does not hold a BitLicense.

Kraken: A U.S.-based trading platform that has entities registered as MSBs with FinCEN, and that is licensed as a money transmitter in various U.S. states and chartered as a Special Purpose Depository Institution by the Wyoming Division of Banking. Kraken does not hold a BitLicense.

LMAX Digital: A U.K.-based trading platform that has entities registered as a broker with the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, and that is licensed as an MSB with FinCEN and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.

OKX: A Seychelles-based trading platform. OKX does not hold any licenses or registrations in the U.S. and is not available to U.S.-based customers. OKX is categorized by the Index Provider as a “Category 2” trading platform that meets the Inclusion Criteria but is non-U.S. licensed.

Currently, there are several Digital Asset Trading Platforms operating worldwide, and online Digital Asset Trading Platforms represent a substantial percentage of SOL buying and selling activity and provide the most data with respect to prevailing valuations of SOL. These trading platforms include established trading platforms such as the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index, which provide a number of options for buying and selling SOL. The below table reflects the trading volume in SOL and market share of the SOL-U.S. dollar and SOL-USDC trading pairs of each of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025 (collectively, “Constituent Trading Platforms”), using data since January 1, 2024:


Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025

 

Volume (SOL)

 

 

Market Share(1)

 

Kraken

 

 

199,853,531

 

 

 

19.46

%

Crypto.com

 

 

91,833,639

 

 

 

8.94

%

LMAX Digital

 

 

34,189,130

 

 

 

3.33

%

Bitstamp by Robinhood

 

 

27,506,271

 

 

 

2.68

%

Gemini

 

 

17,489,484

 

 

 

1.70

%

Bitfinex

 

 

14,484,507

 

 

 

1.41

%

Bullish

 

 

5,278,688

 

 

 

0.51

%

OKX

 

 

4,201,460

 

 

 

0.41

%

itBit

 

 

2,476,511

 

 

 

0.24

%

Total U.S. Dollar-SOL trading pair

 

 

397,313,221

 

 

 

38.69

%

 

Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index as of June 30, 2025

 

Volume (SOL)

 

 

Market Share(1)

 

Bybit

 

 

78,855,960

 

 

 

15.22

%

Bullish

 

 

37,321,693

 

 

 

7.20

%

OKX

 

 

30,215,734

 

 

 

5.83

%

Kraken

 

 

2,987,318

 

 

 

0.58

%

Total USDC-SOL trading pair

 

 

149,380,706

 

 

 

28.82

%


(1)
Market share is calculated using trading volume (in SOL) for certain Digital Asset Trading Platforms, including Bitfinex, Bitstamp by Robinhood, Bullish, Bybit, Crypto.com, Gemini, itBit, Kraken, LMAX Digital, and OKX as well as certain other large U.S.-dollar denominated Digital Asset Trading Platforms that were not included in the Index as of June 30, 2025, including Binance.US, Binance, Bitfinex, CEX.IO, Coinbsae, Derebit, Gate.io, Kucoin, Lbank and MEXC.

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The domicile, regulation and legal compliance of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index varies. Information regarding each Digital Asset Trading Platform may be found, where available, on the websites for such Digital Asset Trading Platforms, among other places.

Although the Index is designed to accurately capture the market price of SOL, third parties may be able to purchase and sell SOL on public or private markets not included among the constituent Digital Asset Trading Platforms of the Index, and such transactions may take place at prices materially higher or lower than the Index Price. Moreover, there may be variances in the prices of SOL on the various Digital Asset Trading Platforms, including as a result of differences in fee structures or administrative procedures on different Digital Asset Trading Platforms. For example, based on data provided by the Index Provider, on any given day during the twelve months ended June 30, 2025, the maximum differential between the 4:00 p.m., New York time, spot price of any single Digital Asset Trading Platform included in the Index and the Index Price was 0.94% and the average of the maximum differentials of the 4:00 p.m., New York time, spot price of each Digital Asset Trading Platform included in the Index and the Index Price was 0.41%. During this same period, the average differential between the 4:00 p.m., New York time, spot prices of all the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index and the Index Price was 0.0003%.

To the extent such prices differ materially from the Index Price, investors may lose confidence in the Shares’ ability to track the market price of SOL.

The Index and the Index Price

The Index is a U.S. dollar-denominated composite reference rate for the price of SOL. The Index is designed to (1) mitigate the effects of fraud, manipulation and other anomalous trading activity from impacting the SOL reference rate, (2) provide a real-time, volume-weighted fair value of SOL and (3) appropriately handle and adjust for non-market related events.

The Index Price is determined by the Index Provider through a process in which trade data is cleansed and compiled in such a manner as to algorithmically reduce the impact of anomalistic or manipulative trading. This is accomplished by adjusting the weight of each data input based on price deviation relative to the observable set, as well as recent and long-term trading volume at each venue relative to the observable set. The Index Price is calculated using non-GAAP methodology and is not used in the Trust’s financial statements.

All references to the NAV and NAV per Share of the Trust in this prospectus prior to the Trust’s listing on NYSE Arca have been calculated using the Index Price based on the CoinDesk Solana Price Index (SLX) unless otherwise indicated. As of October 1, 2025, the NAV and NAV per Share of the Trust will be calculated using the Index Price based on the CoinDesk SOL CCIXber Reference Rate.


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Constituent Trading Platform Selection

The Digital Asset Trading Platforms to be included in the Index are selected by the Index Provider utilizing a methodology that is guided by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (“IOSCO”) principles for financial benchmarks. For a trading platform to become a Constituent Trading Platform, it must satisfy the criteria listed below (the “Inclusion Criteria”):

No evidence in the past 12 months of trading restrictions on individuals or entities that would otherwise meet the trading platform’s eligibility requirements to trade;
No evidence in the past 12 months of undisclosed restrictions on deposits or withdrawals from user accounts;
Real-time price discovery;
Limited or no capital controls;
Transparent ownership including a publicly-owned ownership entity;
Publicly available language and policies addressing legal and regulatory compliance, including KYC, AML and other policies designed to comply with relevant regulations that might apply to it;
Offer programmatic spot trading of the trading pair and reliably publish trade prices and volumes on a real-time basis through Rest and Websocket APIs;
Is a centralized spot trading platform ranked BB or higher in the Index Provider’s latest published Trading Platform Benchmark report; and
Is not classified as an Excluded Trading Platform as defined in the Index Provider’s Digital Asset Indices Policy Methodology.

All trading platforms that meet these Inclusion Criteria will be assigned to a “Trading Platform Category” as defined by the additional criteria below, and at least one Category 1 Trading Platform must be included in each Index Price.

A “Category 1 Trading Platform” is a trading platform:

o
Licensed and/or able to serve investors, retail or professional, in the U.S.; and
o
That maintains sufficient USD or USDC liquidity relative to the size of the listed assets.
A “Category 2 Trading Platform” is a trading platform:
o
Licensed (including in-principal licensure) and/or able to serve investors, retail or professional, in one or more of the following jurisdictions: United Kingdom, European Union, Hong Kong, Singapore; and
o
That maintains sufficient USD or USDC liquidity relative to the size of the listed assets.

A Digital Asset Trading Platform is removed from the Constituent Trading Platforms when it no longer satisfies the Inclusion Criteria. The Index Provider does not currently include data from over-the-counter markets or derivatives platforms among the Constituent Trading Platforms. Over-the-counter data is not currently included because of the potential for trades to include a significant premium or discount paid for larger liquidity, which creates an uneven comparison relative to more active markets. There is also a higher potential for over-the-counter transactions to not be arms-length, and thus not be representative of a true market price. SOL derivative markets are also not currently included. While the Index Provider has no plans to include data from over-the-counter markets or derivative platforms at this time, the Index Provider will consider IOSCO principles for financial benchmarks, the management of trading venues of SOL derivatives and the aforementioned Inclusion Criteria when considering whether to include over-the-counter or derivative platform data in the future.

The Index Provider and the Sponsor have entered into the index license agreement, dated as of February 1, 2022 (as amended, the “Index License Agreement”), governing the Sponsor’s use of the Index Price. Pursuant to the terms of the Index License Agreement, the Index Provider may adjust the calculation methodology for the Index Price without notice to, or consent of, the Trust or its shareholders. The Index Provider may decide to change the calculation methodology to maintain the integrity of the Index Price calculation should it identify or become aware of previously unknown variables or issues with the existing methodology that it believes could materially impact its performance and/or reliability. The Index Provider has sole discretion over the determination of the Index Price and may change the methodologies for determining the Index Price from time to time. Shareholders will be notified of any material changes to the calculation methodology or the Index Price in the Trust’s current reports and will be notified of all other changes that the Sponsor considers significant in the Trust’s periodic or current reports. The Sponsor will determine the materiality of any changes to the Index Price on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with external counsel.

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The Index Provider may change the trading venues that are used to calculate the Index or otherwise change the way in which the Index is calculated at any time. For example, the Index Provider has scheduled quarterly reviews in which it may add or remove Constituent Trading Platforms that satisfy or fail the Inclusion Criteria. The Index Provider does not have any obligation to consider the interests of the Sponsor, the Trust, the shareholders, or anyone else in connection with such changes. While the Index Provider is not required to publicize or explain the changes or to alert the Sponsor to such changes, it has historically notified the Trust of any material changes to the Constituent Trading Platforms, including any additions or removals of the Constituent Trading Platforms, in addition to issuing press releases in connection with the same. The Sponsor will notify investors of any such material event by filing a current report on Form 8-K. Although the Index methodology is designed to operate without any manual intervention, rare events would justify manual intervention. Intervention of this kind would be in response to non-market-related events, such as the halting of deposits or withdrawals of funds on a Digital Asset Trading Platform, the unannounced closure of operations on a Digital Asset Trading Platform, insolvency or the compromise of user funds. In the event that such an intervention is necessary, the Index Provider would issue a public announcement through its website, API and other established communication channels with its clients.

Determination of the Index Price

The Index, as will be reflected by the CoinDesk SOL CCIXber Reference Rate, for SOL is calculated through the application of an algorithm to the price of SOL on the Constituent Trading Platforms calculated every 5 seconds over a 24-hour period. The Index’s algorithm is expected to reflect a five-pronged methodology to calculate the Index Price from the Constituent Trading Platforms for SOL:

Volume Weighting: Constituent Trading Platforms with greater liquidity receive a higher weighting in each Index, increasing the ability to execute against (i.e., replicate) the Index in the underlying spot markets. The Index methodology is a volume-weighted real-time price where each Constituent Trading Platform is weighted based on its trailing 24-hour volume.
FX Conversion: The Index algorithm utilizes a volume-weighted real-time FX conversion rate for any trading activity for the relevant Stablecoin-USD pair. This normalizes all trading activity to USD denomination.
Outlier Detection Factor: The Index algorithm excludes trade data and price(s) deemed to be an outlier relative to the most recently calculated Index.
Outlier Detection Factor: The Index algorithm penalizes stale activity from any given Constituent Trading Platform. When a Constituent Trading Platform does not have recent trading data, the outdated prices and their contribution to the Index calculation are gradually reduced until they are de-weighted to 0.1%. Similarly, once trading activity at a Constituent Trading Platform resumes, the corresponding weighting for that Constituent Trading Platform will no longer be penalized.
Manipulation Resistance: In an effort to determine and prioritize the most significant Constituent Trading Platforms (i.e., those that are likely to have the most impact on price discovery) for a given asset, the Index Provider conducts a Constituent Trading Platform selection and review process, which seeks to identify the highest-ranking Constituent Trading Platforms based on both qualitative and quantitative factors. The qualitative review includes legal and regulation, data provision, security, trade monitoring, market quality, and negative events policy, among others. The quantitative review includes review of trading activity for the asset on the given Constituent Trading Platform.

The Index Provider re-evaluates the weighting algorithm on a periodic basis, but maintains discretion to change the way in which an Index Price is calculated based on its periodic review or in extreme circumstances. The exact methodology to calculate the Index Price is not publicly available. Still, the Index is designed to limit exposure to trading or price distortion of any individual Digital Asset Trading Platform that experiences periods of unusual activity or limited liquidity by discounting, in real-time, anomalous price movements at individual Digital Asset Trading Platforms.

The Sponsor believes the Index Provider’s selection process for Constituent Trading Platforms as well as the methodology of the Index Price’s algorithm provides a more accurate picture of SOL price movements than a simple average of Digital Asset Trading Platform spot prices, and that the weighting of SOL prices on the Constituent Trading Platforms limits the inclusion of data that is influenced by temporary price dislocations that may result from technical problems, limited liquidity or fraudulent activity elsewhere in the SOL spot market.

By referencing multiple trading venues and weighting them based on trade activity, the Sponsor believes that the impact of any potential fraud, manipulation or anomalous trading activity occurring on any single venue is reduced.

If the Index Price becomes unavailable, or if the Sponsor determines in good faith that such Index Price does not reflect an accurate price for SOL , then the Sponsor will, on a best efforts basis, contact the Index Provider to obtain the Index Price directly from the Index Provider. If after such contact such Index Price remains unavailable or the Sponsor continues to believe in good faith

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that such Index Price does not reflect an accurate price for the SOL , then the Sponsor will employ a cascading set of rules to determine the Index Price, as described below in “—Determination of the Index Price When Index Price is Unavailable.”


The Trust values its SOL for operational purposes by reference to the Index Price. The Index Price is the value of an SOL as represented by the Index, calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day.

Illustrative Example

For the purposes of illustration, outlined below are examples of how the attributes that impact weighting and adjustments in the aforementioned methodology may be utilized to generate the Index Price for a digital asset.

For example, Constituent Trading Platforms used to calculate the Index Price of the digital asset may include trading platforms such as Crypto.com, Kraken, LMAX Digital and Bitstamp by Robinhood.

The Index Price algorithm, as described above, is designed to account for manipulation at the outset by only including data from executed trades on Constituent Trading Platforms that charge trading fees. Then, the below-listed elements may impact the weighting of the Constituent Trading Platforms on the Index Price as follows:

Volume Weighting: Each Constituent Trading Platform will be weighted to appropriately reflect the trading volume share of the Constituent Trading Platform relative to all the Constituent Trading Platforms during this same period. For example, an average hourly weighting of 67.06%, 14.57%, 11.88%, and 6.49% for Crypto.com, Kraken, LMAX Digital and Bitstamp by Robinhood, respectively, would represent each Constituent Trading Platform’s share of trading volume during the same period.
Inactivity Adjustment: Assume that a Constituent Trading Platform represented a 14% weighting on the Index Price of the digital asset, which is based on the per-second calculations of its trading volume and price-variance relative to the cohort of Constituent Trading Platforms included in such Index, and then went offline for approximately two hours. The index algorithm would automatically recognize inactivity and start de-weighting the Constituent Trading Platform at the 5-minute mark and continue to do so with each additional 5-minute period of inactivity until its influence was effectively zero, 25 minutes after becoming inactive. As soon as trading activity resumed at the Constituent Trading Platform, the index algorithm would re-weight it to the appropriate weighting based on trading volume and price-variance relative to the cohort of Constituent Trading Platforms included in the Index.
Price Outlier Detection: New traded prices from Constituent Trading Platforms are compared to the latest calculated Index Price. If a new traded price deviates by +/- 5% from the latest calculated Index Price, it will be considered an outlier and will not be used in the calculation of the Index Price until such time as a majority of the Constituent Trading Platforms are similarly considered outlier prices. In that case, the new prices will be used to calculate the Index Price. For example, if the Index Price is $10 and there is a new trade price of $11 from Constituent Trading Platform X, the price of $11 will be considered an outlier and will not be used. However, if the most recent prices on a majority of the Constituent Trading Platforms are aligned with the price of $11, then these prices will no longer be considered outliers and will be used to calculate the new Index Price.

 

Determination of the Index Price When Index Price is Unavailable

The Sponsor uses the following cascading set of rules to calculate the Index Price. For the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor will employ the below rules sequentially and in the order as presented below, should one or more specific rule(s) fail:

1.
Index Price = The price set by the Index as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. If the Index becomes unavailable, or if the Sponsor determines in good faith that the Index does not reflect an accurate price, then the Sponsor will, on a best efforts basis, contact the Index Provider to obtain the Index Price directly from the Index Provider. If after such contact the Index remains unavailable or the Sponsor continues to believe in good faith that the Index does not reflect an accurate price, then the Sponsor will employ the next rule to determine the Index Price. There are no predefined criteria to make a good faith assessment and it will be made by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.
2.
Index Price = The price set by Coin Metrics Real-Time Rate (the “Secondary Index”) as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date (the “Secondary Index Price”). The Secondary Index Price is a real-time reference rate price, calculated using trade data from constituent markets selected by Coin Metrics Inc. (the “Secondary Index Provider”). The Secondary Index Price is calculated by applying weighted-median techniques to such trade data where half the weight is derived from the trading volume on each constituent market and half is derived from inverse price variance, where a constituent market with high price variance as a result of outliers or market anomalies compared to other constituent markets is assigned a smaller weight. The Secondary Index Provider and the Sponsor have entered into the master services agreement, dated as of August

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4, 2020, and order forms thereunder, pursuant to which the Sponsor may obtain and use the Secondary Index and the Secondary Index Price from the Secondary Index Provider. If the Secondary Index becomes unavailable, or if the Sponsor determines in good faith that the Secondary Index does not reflect an accurate price, then the Sponsor will, on a best efforts basis, contact the Secondary Index Provider to obtain the Secondary Index Price directly from the Secondary Index Provider. If after such contact the Secondary Index remains unavailable or the Sponsor continues to believe in good faith that the Secondary Index does not reflect an accurate price, then the Sponsor will employ the next rule to determine the Index Price. There are no predefined criteria to make a good faith assessment and it will be made by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.
3.
Index Price = The price set by the Trust’s principal market (the “Tertiary Pricing Option”) as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. The Tertiary Pricing Option is a spot price derived from the principal market’s public data feed that is believed to be consistently publishing pricing information as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, and is provided to the Sponsor via an application programming interface. If the Tertiary Pricing Option becomes unavailable, or if the Sponsor determines in good faith that the Tertiary Pricing Option does not reflect an accurate price, then the Sponsor will, on a best efforts basis, contact the Tertiary Pricing Provider to obtain the Tertiary Pricing Option directly from the Tertiary Pricing Provider. If after such contact the Tertiary Pricing Option remains unavailable after such contact or the Sponsor continues to believe in good faith that the Tertiary Pricing Option does not reflect an accurate price, then the Sponsor will employ the next rule to determine the Index Price. There are no predefined criteria to make a good faith assessment and it will be made by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.
4.
Index Price = The Sponsor will use its best judgment to determine a good faith estimate of the Index Price. There are no predefined criteria to make a good faith assessment and it will be made by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.

In the event of a fork, the Index Provider may calculate the Index Price based on a digital asset that the Sponsor does not believe to be the appropriate asset that is held by the Trust. In this event, the Sponsor has full discretion to use a different index provider or calculate the Index Price itself using its best judgment.

The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, select a different index provider, select a different index price provided by the Index Provider, calculate the Index Price by using the cascading set of rules set forth above, or change the cascading set of rules set forth above at any time. The Sponsor will provide notice of any such changes in the Trust’s periodic or current reports and, if the Sponsor makes such a change other than on an ad hoc or temporary basis, will file a proposed rule change with the SEC.

Historical SOL Prices

As movements in the price of SOL will directly affect the price of the Shares, investors should understand recent movements in the price of SOL. Investors, however, should also be aware that past movements in the SOL price are not indicators of future movements. Movements may be influenced by various factors, including, but not limited to, government regulation, security breaches experienced by service providers, as well as political and economic uncertainties around the world.

During the period from November 18, 2021 (the commencement of the Trust’s operations) to June 30, 2025, the Digital Asset Market price of SOL, based on the price reported by the Trust’s principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, traded between $8.29 (December 29, 2022) and $280.00 (January 19, 2025), the straight average was $96.07, and the median was $96.18. The annual average, high, low and end-of-period SOL prices for the period from the commencement of the Trust’s operations through, June 30, 2022, the twelve months ended June 30, 2023, the twelve months ended June 30, 2024, the twelve months ended June 30, 2025, and the period from the commencement of the Trust’s operations through June 30, 2025 based on the price reported by the Trust’s principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the applicable dates were:

 

 

 

 

 

High

 

Low

 

 

 

 

 

 

Period

 

Average

 

 

Digital
Asset
Market
Price

 

 

Date

 

Digital
Asset
Market
Price

 

 

Date

 

End of
period

 

 

Last
business
day

 

November 18, 2021 (the commencement of
   the Trust’s operations) to June 30, 2022

 

$

108.46

 

 

$

239.94

 

 

12/2/2021

 

$

28.04

 

 

6/18/2022

 

$

31.98

 

 

$

31.98

 

Twelve months ended June 30, 2023

 

$

24.73

 

 

$

46.33

 

 

8/13/2022

 

$

8.29

 

 

12/29/2022

 

$

19.09

 

 

$

19.09

 

Twelve months ended June 30, 2024

 

$

88.04

 

 

$

200.17

 

 

3/31/2024

 

$

17.51

 

 

9/11/2023

 

$

144.62

 

 

$

140.67

 

Twelve months ended June 30, 2025

 

$

167.83

 

 

$

280.00

 

 

1/19/2025

 

$

103.92

 

 

4/8/2025

 

$

157.80

 

 

$

157.80

 

November 18, 2021 (the commencement of
   the Trust’s operations) to June 30, 2025

 

$

96.07

 

 

$

280.00

 

 

1/19/2025

 

$

8.29

 

 

12/29/2022

 

$

157.80

 

 

$

157.80

 

 

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Forms of Attack Against the Solana Network

All networked systems are vulnerable to various kinds of attacks. As with any computer network, the Solana Network contains certain flaws. For example, the Solana Network is currently vulnerable to a “>50% attack” where, if a party or group were to gain control of more than 50% of the staked SOL, a malicious actor would be able to gain full control of the network and the ability to manipulate the Solana Blockchain. As of June 30, 2025, the top three largest staking pools controlled approximately 9% of the SOL staked on the Solana Network. In addition, many digital asset networks have been subjected to a number of denial of service attacks, which has led to temporary delays in block creation and the transfer of the digital assets.

For example, on September 14, 2021, the Solana Network experienced a significant disruption, later attributed to a type of denial of service attack, and was offline for 17 hours, only returning to full functionality 24 hours later. While persons associated with Solana Labs and/or the Solana Foundation are understood to have played a key role in bringing the network back online, the broader community also played a key role, as Solana validators coordinated to upgrade and restart the network. Any similar attacks on the Solana Network that impact the ability to transfer SOL could have a material adverse effect on the price of SOL and the value of the Shares.

Market Participants

Validators

Validators range from Solana enthusiasts to professional operations that design and build dedicated machines and data centers, including “clusters,” which are groups of validators that act cohesively and combine their processing to confirm transactions. When a validator confirms a transaction, the validator and any associated stakers receive a fee. During the course of ordering transactions and validating blocks, validators may be able to prioritize certain transactions in return for increased transaction fees, an incentive system known as “Maximal Extractable Value” or MEV. For example, in blockchain networks that facilitate DeFi protocols in particular, such as the Ethereum Network, users may attempt to gain an advantage over other users by offering greater transaction fees. Validators less commonly capture MEV in the Solana Network because, unlike the Ethereum Network, it does not publicly expose transactions before they are accepted by a validator. However, some efforts are underway to help Solana validators consistently capture MEV. See “—Summary of an SOL Transaction” above.

Investment and Speculative Sector

This sector includes the investment and trading activities of both private and professional investors and speculators. Historically, larger financial services institutions are publicly reported to have limited involvement in investment and trading in digital assets, although the participation landscape is beginning to change. Currently, there is relatively limited use of digital assets in the retail and commercial marketplace in comparison to relatively extensive use by speculators, and a significant portion of demand for digital assets is generated by speculators and investors seeking to profit from the short- or long-term holding of digital assets.

Retail Sector

The retail sector includes users transacting in direct peer-to-peer SOL transactions through the direct sending of SOL over the Solana Network. The retail sector also includes transactions in which consumers purchase goods and services from commercial or service businesses through direct transactions or third-party service providers, although the use of SOL as a means of payment is still developing and has not yet been accepted in the same manner as Bitcoin or Ether due to its infancy and because SOL has a different purpose than Bitcoin and Ether.

Service Sector

This sector includes companies that provide a variety of services including the buying, selling, payment processing and storing of SOL. For buying and selling SOL, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Kraken, and Bitstamp are some of the largest Digital Asset Trading Platforms by volume traded. For storing SOL, Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC, the Custodian for the Trust, is a digital asset custodian that provides custodial accounts that store SOL for users. As SOL continues to grow in acceptance, it is anticipated that service providers will expand the currently available range of services and that additional parties will enter the service sector for SOL.

Competition

Thousands of digital assets, as tracked by CoinMarketCap.com as of June 30, 2025, have been developed since the inception of Bitcoin, which is currently the most developed digital asset because of the length of time it has been in existence, the investment in the infrastructure that supports it, and the network of individuals and entities that are using Bitcoin in transactions. While SOL has enjoyed some success in its limited history, the aggregate value of outstanding SOL is much smaller than that of Bitcoin and many other digital assets and may be further eclipsed by the more rapid development of other digital assets. In addition, a number of other

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digital assets also function as smart contract platforms, including the Ethereum Network, the Avalanche network and the Cardano network.

Some industry groups are also creating private, permissioned blockchain versions of digital asset technologies. For example, J.P. Morgan is developing a platform called Onyx, which is described as a blockchain-based platform designed for use by the financial services industry.

Government Oversight

As digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S. Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state agencies (including FinCEN, SEC, CFTC, FINRA, the CFPB, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve and state financial institution and securities regulators) have been examining the operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and the Digital Asset Markets, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets can be used to launder the proceeds of illegal activities, evade sanctions or fund criminal or terrorist enterprises and the safety and soundness of trading platforms and other service providers that hold or custody digital assets for users. Many of these state and federal agencies have issued consumer advisories regarding the risks posed by digital assets to investors. In addition, federal and state agencies, and other countries and international bodies have issued rules or guidance about the treatment of digital asset transactions or requirements for businesses engaged in digital asset activity. Moreover, the failure of FTX in November 2022 and the resulting market turmoil substantially increased regulatory scrutiny in the United States and globally and led to SEC and criminal investigations, enforcement actions and other regulatory activity across the digital asset ecosystem. On January 23, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology” aimed at supporting “the responsible growth and use of digital assets, blockchain technology, and related technologies across all sectors of the economy.” The Executive Order also established an interagency working group that is tasked with “proposing a Federal regulatory framework governing the issuance and operation of digital assets” in the United States. Pursuant to this Executive Order, the working group released a report in July 2025 outlining the administration's recommendations to Congress and various agencies reflecting the administration’s “pro-innovation mindset toward digital assets and blockchain technologies.” In particular, the report recommends that Congress enact legislation regarding self custody of digital assets, clarifying the applicability of Bank Secrecy Act obligations with respect to digital asset service providers, granting the CFTC authority to regulate spot markets in non-security digital assets, prohibiting the adoption of a CBDC, and clarifying tax laws as relevant to digital assets. In addition, the report recommends that agencies reevaluate existing guidance on digital asset activities, use existing authorities to enable the trading of digital assets at the federal level, embrace DeFi, launch or relaunch crypto innovation efforts, and promote U.S. private sector leadership in the responsible development of cross-border payments and financial markets technologies, among others.

In addition, the SEC, U.S. state securities regulators and several foreign governments have issued warnings and instituted legal proceedings in which they argue that certain digital assets may be classified as securities and that both those digital assets and any related initial coin offerings or other primary and secondary market transactions are subject to securities regulations. For example, in June 2023, the SEC brought charges against Binance and Coinbase, and in November 2023, the SEC brought charges against Kraken, alleging that they operated unregistered securities exchanges, brokerages and clearing agencies. In its complaints, the SEC asserted that several digital assets are securities under the federal securities laws. Between February 2025 and May 2025, the SEC entered into court-approved joint stipulations to dismiss each of the Binance Complaint, Coinbase Complaint and the Kraken Complaint. The SEC has terminated its investigation or enforcement action into many other digital asset market participants as well. Nonetheless, the existence of these proceedings, as well as ongoing uncertainty with respect to future regulatory actions, have had and may have a material adverse effect on the digital asset industry as a whole and on the price of SOL, and may alter, perhaps to a materially adverse extent, the nature of an investment in the Shares and/or the ability of the Trust to continue to operate. Additionally, U.S. state and federal, and foreign regulators and legislatures have taken action against virtual currency businesses or enacted restrictive regimes in response to adverse publicity arising from hacks, consumer harm, or criminal activity stemming from virtual currency activity.

In January 2025, the SEC launched a Crypto Task Force dedicated to developing a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for digital assets led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. Subsequently, Commissioner Peirce announced a list of specific priorities to further that initiative, which included pursuing final rules related to a digital asset’s security status, a revised path to registered offerings and listings for digital asset-based investment vehicles, and clarity regarding digital asset custody, lending and staking. On July 31, 2025, Chairman Atkins announced “Project Crypto,” a Commission-wide initiative to modernize securities rules for digital assets, reshore innovation in the United States, and implement the recommendations of the working group report. Chairman Atkins had directed the SEC’s policy divisions to work with the Crypto Task Force to draft “clear and simple rules of the road for crypto asset distributions, custody, and trading,” and the Commission and SEC staff will also consider using interpretive, exemptive, and other authorities with respect to digital asset markets.


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Various foreign jurisdictions have, and may continue to, in the near future, adopt laws, regulations or directives that affect a digital asset network, the Digital Asset Markets, and their users, particularly Digital Asset Trading Platforms and service providers that fall within such jurisdictions’ regulatory scope. For example:

China has made transacting in cryptocurrencies illegal for Chinese citizens in mainland China, and additional restrictions may follow. China has banned initial coin offerings and there have been reports that Chinese regulators have taken action to shut down a number of China-based Digital Asset Trading Platforms.
South Korea determined to amend its Financial Information Act in March 2020 to require virtual asset service providers to register and comply with its AML and counter-terrorism funding framework. These measures also provide the government with the authority to close Digital Asset Trading Platforms that do not comply with specified processes. South Korea has also banned initial coin offerings.
The Reserve Bank of India in April 2018 banned the entities it regulates from providing services to any individuals or business entities dealing with or settling digital assets. In March 2020, this ban was overturned in the Indian Supreme Court, although the Reserve Bank of India is currently challenging this ruling.
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority published final rules in October 2020 banning the sale of derivatives and exchange-traded notes that reference certain types of digital assets, contending that they are “ill-suited” to retail investors citing extreme volatility, valuation challenges and association with financial crime. A new law, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (“FSMA”), received royal assent in June 2023. The FSMA brings digital asset activities within the scope of existing laws governing financial institutions, markets and assets.
The Parliament of the European Union approved the text of MiCA in April 2023, establishing a regulatory framework for digital asset services across the European Union. MiCA is intended to serve as a comprehensive regulation of digital asset markets and imposes various obligations on digital asset issuers and service providers. The main aims of MiCA are industry regulation, consumer protection, prevention of market abuse and upholding the integrity of digital asset markets. MiCA was formally approved by the European Union’s member states in 2023. Certain parts of MiCA became effective as of June 2024 and the remainder applied as of December 2024.

There remains significant uncertainty regarding foreign governments’ future actions with respect to the regulation of digital assets and Digital Asset Trading Platforms. Such laws, regulations or directives may conflict with those of the United States and may negatively impact the acceptance of SOL by users, merchants and service providers outside the United States and may therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the SOL ecosystem in the United States and globally, or otherwise negatively affect the value of SOL held by the Trust. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Trust or the SOL held by the Trust is impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to the Trust and the value of the Shares.

The CFTC has regulatory jurisdiction over the SOL futures markets. In addition, because the CFTC has determined that SOL is a non-security “commodity” under the CEA and the rules thereunder, it has jurisdiction to prosecute fraud and manipulation in the cash, or spot, market for SOL. Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the CFTC generally does not oversee cash or spot market exchanges, spot Digital Asset Trading Platforms or transactions involving spot SOL that do not utilize collateral, leverage, or financing. The National Futures Association (“NFA”) is the self-regulatory agency for the U.S. futures industry, and as such has jurisdiction over SOL futures. However, the NFA does not have regulatory oversight authority for the cash or spot market for SOL trading or transactions.

In February 2021, certain designated contract markets (“DCMs”) registered with the CFTC, including the CME, launched new contracts for SOL futures products. DCMs are boards of trades (commonly referred to as exchanges) that operate under the regulatory oversight of the CFTC, pursuant to Section 5 of the CEA. To obtain and maintain designation as a DCM, an exchange must comply on an initial and ongoing basis with twenty-three Core Principles established under Section 5(d) of the CEA. Among other things, DCMs are required to establish self-regulatory programs designed to enforce the DCM’s rules, prevent market manipulation and customer and market abuses, and ensure the recording and safe storage of trade information. The CFTC engaged in a “heightened review” of the self-certification of SOL futures, which required DCMs to enter direct or indirect information sharing agreements with spot market platforms to allow access to trade and trader data; monitor data from cash markets with respect to price settlements and other SOL prices more broadly, and identify anomalies and disproportionate moves in the cash markets compared to the futures markets; engage in inquiries, including at the trade settlement level when necessary; and agree to regular coordination with CFTC surveillance staff on trade activities, including providing the CFTC surveillance team with trade settlement data upon request.

In February 2025, certain DCMs registered with the CFTC, including the CME, launched new contracts for SOL futures products. These futures contracts are cash-settled, based on the CME CF Solana-Dollar Reference Rate, calculated daily at 4:00 p.m. London time. The first day of trading on CME saw approximately $12 million in notional value traded. On June 24, 2025 1.75 million

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contracts traded, marking the highest level ever recorded for SOL futures on CME. As of late June 2025, open interest in SOL futures on CME surpassed $6.1 billion, indicating sustained institutional engagement.

See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Regulation of Digital Assets, the Trust and the Shares— Regulatory changes or actions by the U.S. Congress or any U.S. federal or state agencies may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of SOL, validating activity or the operation of the SOL Network or the Digital Asset Markets in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares.”

Description of the Trust

The Trust is a Delaware Statutory Trust that was formed on November 9, 2021 by the filing of the Certificate of Trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“DSTA”). The name of the Trust is Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) as of the date of this registration statement, but prior to and in connection with the declaration of effectiveness of this registration statement and the listing of the Shares on NYSE Arca, the Sponsor intends to change the name of the Trust to Grayscale Solana Trust ETF by filing a Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the DSTA. The Trust operates pursuant to the Trust Agreement.

The Shares represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust. The Trust is passive and is not managed like a corporation or an active investment vehicle. The Trust’s SOL are held by the Custodian on behalf of the Trust. The Trust’s SOL will be transferred out of the Vault Balance only in the following circumstances: (i) transferred to pay the Sponsor’s Fee or any Additional Trust Expenses, (ii) sold on an as-needed basis to pay Additional Trust Expenses or redeem Baskets or (iii) sold on behalf of the Trust in the event the Trust terminates and liquidates its assets or as otherwise required by law or regulation. Assuming that the Trust is treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each delivery or sale of SOL by the Trust to pay the Sponsor’s Fee or any Additional Trust Expenses will be a taxable event for shareholders. Gains or losses from the sale of SOL to fund cash redemptions are expected to be treated as incurred only by the shareholder that is being redeemed. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders.”

The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act and the Sponsor believes that the Trust is not required to register under the Investment Company Act. The Trust will not trade, buy, sell or hold SOL derivatives, including SOL futures contracts, on any futures exchange. The Trust is authorized solely to take immediate delivery of actual SOL. The Sponsor does not believe the Trust’s activities are required to be regulated by the CFTC under the CEA as a “commodity pool” under current law, regulation and interpretation. The Trust will not be operated by a CFTC-regulated commodity pool operator because it will not trade, buy, sell or hold SOL derivatives, including SOL futures contracts, on any futures exchange. Investors in the Trust will not receive the regulatory protections afforded to investors in regulated commodity pools, nor may the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange or any futures exchange enforce its rules with respect to the Trust’s activities. In addition, investors in the Trust will not benefit from the protections afforded to investors in SOL futures contracts on regulated futures exchanges.

The Trust creates Shares from time to time but only in Baskets. A Basket equals a block of 10,000 Shares. The number of outstanding Shares is expected to increase from time to time as a result of the creation of Baskets.

The creation of Baskets will require the delivery to the Trust of the amount of SOL (or cash to acquire the amount of SOL) represented by the Baskets being created. The creation of a Basket will be made only upon the delivery to the Trust of the number of whole and fractional SOL represented by each Basket being created, the number of which is determined by dividing (x) the amount of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the relevant trade date, after deducting the amount of SOL representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (converted using the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place) by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one SOL (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 10,000.

The Shares are redeemable in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement and the relevant Participant Agreement. The operation of a redemption program allows Authorized Participants to take advantage of arbitrage opportunities created when the market value of the Shares deviates from the value of the Trust’s SOL, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, which may have the effect of reducing any premium at which the Shares trade on NYSE Arca over such value or cause the Shares to trade at a discount to such value.

Each Share represented approximately 0.0731 SOL as of June 30, 2025. Each Share in the initial Baskets represented approximately 0.0800 SOL. The amount of SOL required to create a Basket is expected to continue to gradually decrease over time due to the transfer or sale of the Trust’s SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and any Additional Trust Expenses.

The Sponsor will determine the Trust’s NAV on each business day as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon thereafter as practicable. The Sponsor will also determine the NAV per Share, which equals the NAV divided by the number of outstanding Shares. Each business day, the Sponsor will publish the Trust’s NAV and NAV per Share on the Trust’s website,

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www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol, as soon as practicable after the Trust’s NAV and NAV per Share have been determined by the Sponsor. See “—Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV.”

The Trust’s assets consist solely of SOL, cash proceeds from the sale of SOL and any rights of the Trust pursuant to any agreements, other than the Trust Agreement, to which the Trust is a party. The Sponsor has committed to cause the Trust not to take any Affirmative Action to acquire any Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, thereby irrevocably abandoning any Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust may become entitled in the future. As a result, the Trust does not expect to hold any Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency or to take any Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency into account for the purposes of determining the NAV or the NAV per Share.

Each Share represents a proportional interest, based on the total number of Shares outstanding, in each of the Trust’s assets as determined in the case of SOL by reference to the Index Price, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities (which include accrued but unpaid fees and expenses). The Sponsor expects that the market price of the Shares will fluctuate over time in response to the market prices of SOL. In addition, because the Shares reflect the estimated accrued but unpaid expenses of the Trust, the amount of SOL represented by a Share will gradually decrease over time as the Trust’s SOL are used to pay the Trust’s expenses.

SOL pricing information is available on a 24-hour basis from various financial information service providers or Solana Network information sites, such as CoinMarketCap.com. The spot price and bid/ask spreads may also be available directly from Digital Asset Trading Platforms. As of June 30, 2025, the constituent Digital Asset Trading Platforms of the Index were Coinbase, Crypto.com, Kraken, and Bitstamp by Robinhood based on the CoinDesk Solana Price Index (SLX). As of June 30, 2025, the constituent Digital Asset Trading Platforms of the Index were Bitfinex, Bitstamp by Robinhood, Bybit, Crypto.com, Kraken and OKX based on the CoinDesk SOL CCIXber Reference Rate.. The Index Provider may remove or add Digital Asset Trading Platforms to the Index in the future at its discretion. Market prices for the Shares will be available from a variety of sources, including brokerage firms, information websites and other information service providers. In addition, on each business day the Trust’s website will provide pricing information for the Shares.

The Trust has no fixed termination date.

Service Providers of the Trust

The Sponsor

The Trust’s Sponsor is Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company formed on July 11, 2024 and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of DCG. The Sponsor’s principal place of business is 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902, and its telephone number is (212) 668-1427. Under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and the governing documents of the Sponsor, DCG, the indirect parent company of the Sponsor, is not responsible for the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Sponsor solely by reason of being the indirect parent company of the Sponsor.

The Sponsor is neither an investment adviser registered with the SEC nor a commodity pool operator registered with the CFTC, and will not be acting in either such capacity with respect to the Trust, and the Sponsor’s provision of services to the Trust will not be governed by the Investment Advisers Act or the CEA.

Grayscale Investments, LLC, the former Sponsor of the Trust, arranged for the creation of the Trust. As partial consideration for its receipt of the Sponsor’s Fee from the Trust, the Sponsor is obligated to pay the Sponsor-paid Expenses. The Sponsor also paid the costs of the Trust’s organization and the costs of the initial sale of the Shares.

The Sponsor is generally responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust under the provisions of the Trust Agreement. This includes (i) preparing and providing periodic reports and financial statements on behalf of the Trust for investors, (ii) processing orders to create Baskets and coordinating the processing of such orders with the Custodian and the Transfer Agent, (iii) calculating and publishing the NAV and the NAV per Share of the Trust each business day as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon thereafter as practicable, (iv) selecting and monitoring the Trust’s service providers and from time to time engaging additional, successor or replacement service providers, (v) instructing the Custodian to transfer the Trust’s SOL as needed to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and any Additional Trust Expenses, (vi) upon dissolution of the Trust, distributing cash proceeds of the sale of the Trust’s remaining SOL to the owners of record of the Shares and (vii) establishing the principal market for GAAP valuation. In addition, if there is a fork in the Solana Network after which there is a dispute as to which network resulting from the fork is the Solana Network, the Sponsor has the authority to select the network that it believes in good faith is the Solana Network, unless such selection or authority would otherwise conflict with the Trust Agreement.

The Sponsor does not store, hold, or maintain custody or control of the Trust’s SOL but instead has entered into the Prime Broker Agreement with the Custodian to facilitate the security of the Trust’s SOL.

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The Sponsor may transfer all or substantially all of its assets to an entity that carries on the business of the Sponsor if at the time of the transfer the successor assumes all of the obligations of the Sponsor under the Trust Agreement. In such an event, the Sponsor will be relieved of all further liability under the Trust Agreement.

The Sponsor’s Fee is paid by the Trust to the Sponsor as compensation for services performed under the Trust Agreement and as partial consideration for the Sponsor’s agreement to pay the Sponsor-paid Expenses. See “—Expenses; Sales of SOL.”

The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, select a different index provider, select a different index price provided by the Index Provider, calculate the Index Price by using the cascading set of rules set forth under “— Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price—Determination of the Index Price When Index Price is Unavailable” above, or change the cascading set of rules set forth above at any time.

Marketing Agent Agreement

Pursuant to a Marketing Agent Agreement (the “Marketing Agent Agreement”) to be entered into between the Sponsor and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, as Marketing Agent (the “Marketing Agent”), the Marketing Agent will be paid by the Sponsor an annual fee. In addition, the Sponsor will pay certain out-of-pocket fees and expenses of the Marketing Agent incurred in connection with its assistance in the marketing of the Trust and its Shares. Under the Marketing Agent Agreement, the Marketing Agent will provide the following services to the Sponsor: (i) assist the Sponsor in facilitating Participation Agreements between and among Authorized Participants, the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, and the Transfer Agent; (ii) provide prospectuses to Authorized Participants; (iii) work with the Transfer Agent to review and approve orders placed by the Authorized Participants and transmitted to the Transfer Agent; (iv) review and file applicable marketing materials with FINRA and (v) maintain, reproduce and store applicable books and records related to the services provided under the Marketing Agent Agreement.

 

Index License Agreement

The Sponsor has entered into the Index License Agreement with CoinDesk Indices, Inc., the Index Provider, governing the Sponsor’s use of the Index for calculation of the Index Price. The Index Provider may adjust the calculation methodology for the Index without notice to, or consent of, the Trust or its shareholders. Under the Index License Agreement, the Sponsor pays a monthly fee and a fee based on the NAV of the Trust to the Index Provider in consideration of its license to the Sponsor of Index-related intellectual property. The initial term of the Index License Agreement was February 1, 2022 through the later of February 29, 2024 and the latest date set forth on any order form executed under the Index License Agreement. On June 20, 2023, the Sponsor and the Index Provider, entered into an amendment to the Index License Agreement to extend the initial term of the Index License Agreement from February 29, 2024, to February 28, 2025. On February 5, 2025, the Sponsor and the Index Provider, entered into an amendment to the Index License Agreement to extend the term of the Index License Agreement from February 28, 2025, to February 29, 2028. Thereafter, the Index License Agreement will automatically renew on an annual basis, unless a notice of non-renewal is provided. The Index License Agreement is terminable by either party upon written notice in the event of a material breach that remains uncured for thirty days after initial written notice of such breach. Further, either party may terminate the Index License Agreement immediately upon notice under certain circumstances, including with respect to the other party’s (i) insolvency, bankruptcy or analogous event or (ii) violation of money transmission, taxation or trading regulations that materially adversely affect either party’s ability to perform under the Index License Agreement.

Administration and Accounting Agreement

The Sponsor expects to enter into a Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement with BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, a division of The Bank of New York Mellon, to provide administration and accounting services to the Trust. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and under the supervision and direction of the Sponsor and the Trust, BNY Mellon Asset Servicing keeps the operational records of the Trust and prepares and files certain regulatory filings on behalf of the Trust. BNY Mellon Asset Servicing may also perform other services for the Trust pursuant to the Agreement as mutually agreed upon by the Sponsor, the Trust and BNY Mellon Asset Servicing from time to time. The Administrator’s fees are paid on behalf of the Trust by the Sponsor.

The Trustee

CSC Delaware Trust Company (formerly known as Delaware Trust Company) serves as Delaware trustee of the Trust under the Trust Agreement. The Trustee has its principal office at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, Delaware 19808. The Trustee is unaffiliated with the Sponsor. A copy of the Trust Agreement is available for inspection at the Sponsor’s principal office identified above and is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

The Trustee is appointed to serve as the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware for the sole purpose of satisfying the requirement of Section 3807(a) of the DSTA that the Trust have at least one trustee with a principal place of business in the State of

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Delaware. The duties of the Trustee will be limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Trust in the State of Delaware and (ii) the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State which the Delaware Trustee is required to execute under the DSTA. To the extent that, at law or in equity, the Trustee has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust or the shareholders, such duties and liabilities will be replaced by the duties and liabilities of the Trustee expressly set forth in the Trust Agreement. The Trustee will have no obligation to supervise, nor will it be liable for, the acts or omissions of the Sponsor, Transfer Agent, Custodian, Prime Broker or any other person.

Neither the Trustee, either in its capacity as trustee or in its individual capacity, nor any director, officer or controlling person of the Trustee is, or has any liability as, the issuer, director, officer or controlling person of the issuer of Shares. The Trustee’s liability in connection with the issuance and sale of Shares is limited solely to the express obligations of the Trustee as set forth in the Trust Agreement.

The Trustee has not prepared or verified, and will not be responsible or liable for, any information, disclosure or other statement in this prospectus or in any other document issued or delivered in connection with the sale or transfer of the Shares. The Trust Agreement provides that the Trustee will not be responsible or liable for the genuineness, enforceability, collectability, value, sufficiency, location or existence of any of the SOL or other assets of the Trust. See “—Description of the Trust Agreement.”

The Trustee is permitted to resign upon at least 180 days’ notice to the Trust. The Trustee will be compensated by the Sponsor and indemnified by the Sponsor and the Trust against any expenses it incurs relating to or arising out of the formation, operation or termination of the Trust, or the performance of its duties pursuant to the Trust Agreement except to the extent that such expenses result from gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the Trustee. The Sponsor has the discretion to replace the Trustee.

Fees paid to the Trustee are a Sponsor-paid Expense.

The Transfer Agent

The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the Transfer Agent of the Trust pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement (the “Transfer Agency and Service Agreement”). The Transfer Agent: (1) facilitates the issuance and redemption of Shares of the Trust; (2) responds to correspondence by Trust shareholders and others relating to its duties; (3) maintains shareholder accounts; and (4) makes periodic reports to the Trust. The Transfer Agent has its principal office at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286. A copy of the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is available for inspection at the Sponsor’s principal office identified herein.

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a Delaware corporation, serves as a co-transfer agent for the Trust (the “Co-Transfer Agent”) pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Co-Transfer Agency Agreement (the “Co-Transfer Agency Agreement”). The Co-Transfer Agent has its principal office at 1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, New York 10004. A copy of the Co-Transfer Agency Agreement is available for inspection at the Sponsor’s principal office identified herein.

Fees paid to the Transfer Agent and Co-Transfer Agent are a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Administrator

BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, a division of The Bank of New York Mellon, serves as the administrator for the Trust. The Administrator’s fees are paid on behalf of the Trust by the Sponsor.

Authorized Participants

An Authorized Participant must enter into a “Participant Agreement” with the Sponsor and the Trust to govern its placement of orders to create and redeem Baskets. The Participant Agreement sets forth the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets, the delivery of SOL or cash required for creations and the delivery of Baskets or cash required for redemptions. A copy of the form of Participant Agreement is available for inspection at the Sponsor’s principal office identified herein and is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Each Authorized Participant must (i) be a registered broker-dealer and (ii) have entered into a Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future any Authorized Participants creating and redeeming Shares through In-Kind Orders must also own, or their AP Designee (as defined below) must own, an SOL wallet address that is known to the Custodian as belonging to the Authorized Participant or its AP Designee and maintain an account with the Custodian.

The Trust issues and redeems Shares on an ongoing basis, but only in one or more whole Baskets of 10,000 Shares each. The creation and redemption of Baskets requires the delivery to or acquisition by the Trust, or the distribution or other disposition by the

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Trust, of the amount of SOL represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the number of which is equal to the “Basket Amount” as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the trade date of a creation or redemption order multiplied by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed (the “Total Basket Amount”). The amount of SOL required to create a Basket, or to be delivered or sold upon the redemption of a Basket, will gradually decrease over time due to the transfer of the Trust’s SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and the delivery or sale of the Trust’s SOL to pay any Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares” in this prospectus.

Although the Trust creates Baskets only upon the receipt of SOL, and redeems Baskets only by distributing SOL or proceeds from the disposition of SOL, at this time an Authorized Participant can only submit Cash Orders, pursuant to which the Authorized Participant will deposit cash into, or accept cash from, the Cash Account in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets. Cash Orders will be facilitated by the Transfer Agent and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, which will engage one or more Liquidity Providers that is not an agent of, or otherwise acting on behalf of, any Authorized Participant to obtain or receive SOL in connection with such orders. The Sponsor may in its sole discretion limit the number of Shares created pursuant to Cash Orders on any specified day without notice to the Authorized Participants and may direct the Marketing Agent to reject any Cash Orders in excess of such capped amount. The redemption of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders will only take place if approved by the Sponsor in writing, in its sole discretion and on a case-by-case basis.

The Trust is currently able to accept Cash Orders. However, the Trust is not at this time able to create and redeem shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future the Trust may also create and redeem Baskets via In-Kind Orders, pursuant to which an Authorized Participant or its AP Designee would deposit SOL directly with the Trust or receive SOL directly from the Trust. However, because In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained, at this time Baskets will not be created or redeemed through In-Kind Orders and will only be created or redeemed through Cash Orders. There can be no assurance as to when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain such regulatory approval, if at all. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust.” See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.”

As of the date of this prospectus, the Sponsor has entered into Participant Agreements with and pursuant to which and have agreed to act as an Authorized Participant of the Trust.

No Authorized Participant has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares.

Liquidity Providers

Liquidity Providers facilitate the purchase and sale of SOL in connection with Cash Orders for creations or redemptions of Baskets. The Liquidity Providers with which Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, acting in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager, will engage in SOL transactions are third parties that are not affiliated with the Sponsor or the Trust and are not acting as agents of the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant, and such transactions will be done on an arms-length basis. Except for the contractual relationships between each Liquidity Provider and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager, there is no other pre-existing contractual relationship between each Liquidity Provider, on the one hand, and the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant, on the other hand.

A Liquidity Provider must enter into a “Liquidity Provider Agreement” with the Liquidity Engager and the Sponsor (on behalf of the Trust), which will obligate it to obtain or receive SOL in connection with creations and redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders.

As of the date of this prospectus, the Liquidity Engager has engaged and as Liquidity Providers. The Liquidity Engager may engage additional Liquidity Providers who are unaffiliated with the Trust in the future.

The Custodian and Prime Broker

Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC is a fiduciary under § 100 of the New York Banking Law and a qualified custodian for purposes of Rule 206(4)-2(d)(6) under the Investment Advisers Act. The Custodian is authorized to serve as the Trust’s custodian under the Trust Agreement and pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Prime Broker Agreement. The Custodian has its principal office at 200 Park Avenue South, Suite 1208, New York, NY 10003. A copy of the Prime Broker Agreement is available for inspection at the Sponsor’s principal office identified herein and is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Under the Prime Broker Agreement, the Custodian controls and secures the Trust’s “Vault Balance,” a segregated custody account to store private keys, which allow for the transfer of ownership or control of the Trust’s SOL, on the Trust’s behalf. The Custodian’s services (i) allow SOL to be deposited from a public blockchain address to the Trust’s Vault Balance and (ii) allow the Trust or Sponsor to withdraw SOL from the Trust’s Vault Balance to a public blockchain address the Trust or Sponsor controls (the “Custodial and Prime Broker Services”). The Vault Balance uses offline storage, or “cold” storage, mechanisms to secure the Trust’s

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private keys. The term cold storage refers to a safeguarding method by which the private keys corresponding to digital assets are disconnected.

The Custodian will withdraw from the Trust’s Vault Balance the amount of SOL necessary to pay the Trust’s expenses.

Fees paid to the Custodian are a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Under the Prime Broker Agreement, each of the Custodian and the Trust has agreed to indemnify and hold harmless the other party from any third-party claim or third-party demand (including reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees and any fines, fees or penalties imposed by any regulatory authority) arising out of or related to the Custodian’s or the Trust’s, as the case may be, breach of the Prime Broker Agreement, inaccuracy in any of the Custodian’s or the Trust’s, as the case may be, representations or warranties in the Prime Broker Agreement, or the Trust’s violation, or the Custodian’s knowing violation, of any law, rule or regulation, or the rights of any third party, except where such claim directly results from the negligence, fraud or willful misconduct of the other such party. In addition, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Custodian with respect to any Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency abandoned by the Trust and any tax liability relating thereto or arising therefrom.

The Custodian and its affiliates may from time to time purchase or sell SOL for their own accounts and as agent for their customers or Shares for their own accounts. The foregoing notwithstanding, SOL in the Vault Balance are not treated as general assets of the Custodian and cannot be commingled with any other digital assets held by the Custodian. The Custodian serves as a fiduciary and custodian on the Trust’s behalf, and the SOL in the Vault Balance are considered fiduciary assets that remain the Trust’s property at all times.

Once each calendar year, the Sponsor or the Trust may request that the Custodian deliver a certificate signed by a duly authorized officer to certify that all representations and warranties made by the Custodian in the Prime Broker Agreement are true and correct on and as of the date of such certificate, and have been true and correct throughout the preceding year. In addition, the Custodian has agreed to allow the Trust and the Sponsor to take any necessary steps to verify that satisfactory internal control system and procedures are in place, and to visit and inspect the systems on which the Custodian’s coins are held.

If the Custodian resigns in its capacity as custodian, the Sponsor may appoint an additional or replacement custodian and enter into a custodian agreement on behalf of the Trust with such custodian. Furthermore, the Sponsor and the Trust may use SOL custody services or similar services provided by entities other than Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC at any time without prior notice to Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC.

The Additional Custodian

In addition, Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. (“Anchorage Digital” or the “Additional Custodian”), a national trust bank chartered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, provides services related to custody and safekeeping of the Trust’s SOL holdings, pursuant to a Master Custody Services Agreement, dated as of August 8, 2025, as amended by a certain Second Amendment, dated September 25, 2025, which provides that the Trust was added as a party to such Master Custody Service Agreement (collectively, the “Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement”).

The Sponsor expects to utilize Anchorage Digital’s services to custody a portion of the Trust’s SOL. The Trust’s existing custody arrangement with Coinbase Trust Company, LLC is unaffected by the Trust’s entry into the Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement, and Coinbase remains the Trust’s primary custodian. The Sponsor shall, in its sole discretion, determine the amounts held at either custodian as permitted by the Trust Agreement. At the current time, the Sponsor has not determined the amount of the Trust’s SOL it will move to Anchorage Digital. The addition of Anchorage Digital reflects the Sponsor’s ongoing risk management approach as part of the Trust’s growing size. References to the “Custodian” in this prospectus refer to Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC, Anchorage Digital and/or other custodians, collectively or in their individual capacities, as the context may require.

Under the Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement, Anchorage Digital is required to keep all of the private keys associated with the Trust’s SOL held at Anchorage Digital in cold storage.

In the event of a fork of the Solana blockchain, the Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement provides that Anchorage Digital may temporarily suspend services, and may, in its sole discretion, determine whether or not to support (or cease supporting) either branch of the forked protocol entirely, provided that Anchorage shall use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid ceasing to support both branches of such forked protocol.

The Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement requires the Trust to indemnify Anchorage Digital, its affiliates and their respective officers, directors, agents, employees and representatives against certain losses arising from or related to the Trust’s material breach of the Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement, among other things, except where a claim was caused by certain acts of Anchorage Digital. The Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement also requires Anchorage Digital to maintain insurance policies and

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coverage.

The foregoing description of the Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Custody of the Trust’s SOL

Digital assets and digital asset transactions are recorded and validated on blockchains, the public transaction ledgers of a digital asset network. Each digital asset blockchain serves as a record of ownership for all of the units of such digital asset, even in the case of certain privacy-preserving digital assets, where the transactions themselves are not publicly viewable. All digital assets recorded on a blockchain are associated with a public blockchain address, also referred to as a digital wallet. Digital assets held at a particular public blockchain address may be accessed and transferred using a corresponding private key.

Key Generation

Public addresses and their corresponding private keys are generated by the Custodian in secret key generation ceremonies at secure locations inside faraday cages, which are enclosures used to block electromagnetic fields and thus mitigate against attacks. The Custodian uses quantum random number generators to generate the public and private key pairs.

Once generated, private keys are encrypted, separated into “shards”, and then further encrypted. After the key generation ceremony, all materials used to generate private keys, including computers, are destroyed. All key generation ceremonies are performed offline. No party other than the Custodian has access to the private key shards of the Trust, including the Trust itself.

Key Storage

Private key shards are distributed geographically by the Custodial Entities in secure vaults around the world, including in the United States. The locations of the secure vaults may change regularly and are kept confidential by the Custodian and the Prime Broker for security purposes.

The Vault Balance primarily uses “cold” storage mechanisms to secure a substantial portion of the Trust’s private keys. A substantial portion of the Trust’s SOL holdings are held in cold storage at all times, with a portion of the Settlement Balance held temporarily in “hot” storage from time to time, for purposes of facilitating the receipt and distribution of SOL in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets. Any SOL credited to the Trust’s Settlement Balance is stored in omnibus accounts, either on the Prime Broker’s systems or at Coinbase Connected Venues, using a combination of cold and hot storage mechanisms to secure the private keys representing the assets credited to the Trust’s Settlement Balance.

Cold storage is a safeguarding method with multiple layers of protections and protocols, by which the private keys corresponding to the Trust’s SOL are generated and stored in an offline manner. A digital wallet may receive deposits of digital assets but may not send digital assets without use of the digital assets’ corresponding private keys. In order to send digital assets from a digital wallet in which the private keys are kept in cold storage, either the private keys must be retrieved from cold storage and entered into an online, or hot, digital asset software program to sign the transaction, or the unsigned transaction must be transferred to the cold server in which the private keys are held for signature by the private keys and then transferred back to the online digital asset software program. At that point, the user of the digital wallet can transfer its digital assets. While private keys held in hot storage are more accessible and therefore enable more efficient transfers, such assets are more vulnerable to theft, loss or damage.

Security Procedures

The Custodian and the Prime Broker hold the Trust’s private keys in custody in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Prime Broker Agreement. Transfers to and from the Vault Balance and, where held in cold storage, the Trust’s Settlement Balance, require certain security procedures, including but not limited to, multiple encrypted private key shards, usernames, passwords and 2-step verification. Multiple private key shards held by the applicable Custodial Entity or Entities must be combined to reconstitute the private key to sign any transaction in order to transfer the Trust’s assets. Private key shards are distributed geographically by the Custodial Entities in secure vaults around the world, including in the United States.

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As a result, if any one secure vault is ever compromised, this event will have no impact on the ability of the Trust to access its assets, other than a possible delay in operations, while one or more of the other secure vaults is used instead. These security procedures are intended to remove single points of failure in the protection of the Trust’s assets.

Transfers of SOL to the Vault Balance from the Settlement Balance will be available to the Trust once processed on the SOL Blockchain, subject to the availability of the Prime Broker’s online platform. When SOL is credited to the Settlement Balance, certain movements to allocate the balance among (i) omnibus cold storage wallets and omnibus hot storage wallets on the Prime Broker’s platform; or (ii) omnibus accounts at Coinbase Connected Venues may not be viewable by the Trust via the Prime Broker’s online portal. In addition, on a monthly basis the Custodial Entities will provide the Sponsor with an account statement identifying the amount of cash and SOL in the Trust’s Accounts at the end of the period and listing all account activity during that period.

The process of accessing and withdrawing SOL from the Trust to redeem a Basket by an Authorized Participant follows the same general procedure as transferring SOL to the Trust to create a Basket by an Authorized Participant, only in reverse. See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.”

The Marketing Agent

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Foreside”) is expected to be the marketing agent of the Shares. Foreside is a registered broker-dealer with the SEC and is a member of FINRA.

In its capacity as marketing agent, Foreside provides the following services to the Sponsor: (i) assist the Sponsor in facilitating Participation Agreements between and among Authorized Participants, the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, and the Transfer Agent; (ii) provide prospectuses to Authorized Participants; (iii) work with the Transfer Agent to review and approve orders placed by the Authorized Participants and transmitted to the Transfer Agent; (iv) review and file applicable marketing materials with FINRA and (v) maintain, reproduce and store applicable books and records related to the services provided under the Marketing Agent Agreement.

The Sponsor may engage additional or successor marketing agents in the future.

Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV

The Sponsor will evaluate the SOL held by the Trust and determine the NAV of the Trust in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Trust Documents. The following is a description of the material terms of the Trust Documents as they relate to valuation of the Trust’s SOL and the NAV calculations, which is calculated using non-GAAP methodology and is not used in the Trust’s financial statements.

On each business day at 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon thereafter as practicable (the “Evaluation Time”), the Sponsor will evaluate the SOL held by the Trust and calculate and publish the NAV of the Trust. To calculate the NAV, the Sponsor will:

1.
Determine the Index Price as of such business day.
2.
Multiply the Index Price by the Trust’s aggregate amount of SOL owned by the Trust as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the immediately preceding day, less the aggregate amount of SOL payable as the accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fee as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the immediately preceding day.
3.
Add the U.S. dollar value of SOL, calculated using the Index Price, receivable under pending creation orders, if any, determined by multiplying the number of the Creation Baskets represented by such creation orders by the Basket Amount and then multiplying such product by the Index Price.
4.
Subtract the U.S. dollar amount of accrued and unpaid Additional Trust Expenses, if any.
5.
Subtract the U.S. dollar value of the SOL, calculated using the Index Price, which are either (i) to be distributed under pending redemption orders, if any, determined by multiplying the number of Baskets to be redeemed represented by such redemption orders by the Basket Amount and then multiplying such product by the Index Price, or (ii) to be distributed to Shareholders pursuant to a binding obligation of the Trust following the declaration of an in-kind dividend (including through interests in any liquidating trust or other vehicle formed to hold such SOL) (the amount derived from steps 1 through 5 above, the “NAV Fee Basis Amount”).
6.
Subtract the U.S. dollar amount of the Sponsor’s Fee that accrues for such business day, as calculated based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount for such business day.

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In the event that the Sponsor determines that the primary methodology used to determine the Index Price is not an appropriate basis for valuation of the Trust’s SOL, the Sponsor will utilize the cascading set of rules as described in “—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price.”

The Sponsor will publish the Index Price, the Trust’s NAV and the NAV per Share on the Trust’s website as soon as practicable after its determination. If the NAV and NAV per Share have been calculated using a price per SOL other than the Index Price for such Evaluation Time, the publication on the Trust’s website will note the valuation methodology used and the price per SOL resulting from such calculation.

In the event of a hard fork of the Solana Network, the Sponsor will, if permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement, use its discretion to determine, in good faith, which peer-to-peer network, among a group of incompatible forks of the Solana Network, is generally accepted as the network for SOL and should therefore be considered the appropriate network for the Trust’s purposes. The Sponsor will base its determination on a variety of then relevant factors, including (but not limited to) the following: (i) the Sponsor’s beliefs regarding expectations of the core developers of SOL, users, services, businesses, validators and other constituencies and (ii) the actual continued acceptance of, validating power on, and community engagement with the Solana Network.

The shareholders may rely on any evaluation furnished by the Sponsor. The determinations that the Sponsor makes will be made in good faith upon the basis of, and the Sponsor will not be liable for any errors contained in, information reasonably available to it. The Sponsor will not be liable to the Authorized Participants, the shareholders or any other person for errors in judgment. However, the preceding liability exclusion will not protect the Sponsor against any liability resulting from gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith in the performance of its duties.

Expenses; Sales of SOL

The Trust’s only ordinary recurring expense is expected to be the Sponsor’s Fee. The Sponsor’s Fee will accrue daily in U.S. dollars at an annual rate of % of the NAV Fee Basis Amount of the Trust as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each day; provided that for a day that is not a business day, the calculation will be based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount from the most recent business day, reduced by the accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fee for such most recent business day and for each day after such most recent business day and prior to the relevant calculation date. This dollar amount for each daily accrual will then be converted into SOL by reference to the same Index Price used to determine such accrual. The Sponsor’s Fee is payable in SOL to the Sponsor daily in arrears.

Expenses to Be Paid by the Sponsor

The Trust pays the Sponsor’s Fee to the Sponsor. As partial consideration for its receipt of the Sponsor’s Fee from the Trust, the Sponsor is obligated under the Trust Agreement to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the Marketing Fee; (ii) the Administrator Fee, if any; (iii) the Custodian Fee and fees for any other security vendor engaged by the Trust; (iv) the Transfer Agent Fee; (v) the Trustee fee; (vi) fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $600,000 in any given fiscal year; (vii) ordinary course legal fees and expenses; (viii) audit fees; (ix) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act; (x) printing and mailing costs; (xi) the costs of maintaining the Trust’s website; and (xii) applicable license fees (each a “Sponsor-paid Expense”), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Additional Trust Expense will be deemed to be an Additional Trust Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense. The Sponsor, from time to time, may temporarily waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee of the Trust in its discretion for stated periods of time. Presently, the Sponsor does not intend to waive any of the Sponsor’s Fee for the Trust and there are no circumstances under which the Sponsor has determined it will definitely waive the fee. The Sponsor is under no obligation to waive any portion of its fees and any such waiver shall create no obligation to waive any such fees during any period not covered by the waiver.

The Sponsor’s Fee will generally be paid in SOL. After the Trust’s payment of the Sponsor’s Fee to the Sponsor, the Sponsor may elect to convert the SOL received as payment of the Sponsor’s Fee into U.S. dollars. The rate at which the Sponsor converts such SOL to U.S. dollars may differ from the rate at which the relevant Sponsor’s Fee was determined. The Trust will not be responsible for any fees and expenses incurred by the Sponsor to convert SOL received in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee into U.S. dollars.

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Extraordinary and Other Expenses

In certain extraordinary circumstances, the Trust may incur certain extraordinary, non-recurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to: taxes and governmental charges; expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders; any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust; the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $600,000 in any given fiscal year; and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively, “Additional Trust Expenses”). If Additional Trust Expenses are incurred, the Trust will be required to pay these Additional Trust Expenses by selling or delivering SOL. Generally, the Sponsor will cover such expenses on behalf of the Trust and the Trust will reimburse the Sponsor by delivering to the Sponsor SOL in an amount equal to such expenses. When the Trust and the Sponsor, acting on behalf of the Trust, sell or deliver, as applicable, SOL, they generally do not transact directly with counterparties other than the Authorized Participants, a Liquidity Provider or other similarly eligible financial institutions that are subject to federal and state licensing requirements and maintain practices and policies designed to comply with AML and KYC regulations.

The Sponsor or any of its affiliates may be reimbursed only for the actual cost to the Sponsor or such affiliate of any expenses that it advances on behalf of the Trust for payment of which the Trust is responsible. In addition, the Trust Agreement prohibits the Trust from paying to the Sponsor or such affiliate for indirect expenses incurred in performing services for the Trust in its capacity as the Sponsor (or an affiliate of the Sponsor) of the Trust, such as salaries and fringe benefits of officers and directors, rent or depreciation, utilities and other administrative items generally falling within the category of the Sponsor’s “overhead.”

Disposition of SOL

To cause the Trust to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor will instruct the Custodian to (i) withdraw from the Vault Balance the amount of SOL, determined as described above in “—Expenses; Sales of SOL,” equal to the accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee and (ii) transfer such SOL to an account maintained by the Custodian for the Sponsor at such times as the Sponsor determines in its absolute discretion. In addition, if the Trust incurs any Additional Trust Expenses, the Sponsor or its delegates (i) will instruct the Custodian to withdraw from the Vault Balance SOL in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Additional Trust Expenses and (ii) may either (x) cause the Trust to convert such SOL into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies at the Actual Exchange Rate or (y) when the Sponsor incurs such expenses on behalf of the Trust, cause the Trust (or its delegate) to deliver such SOL in kind to the Sponsor, in each case in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Additional Trust Expenses. The Sponsor’s Fee and Additional Trust Expenses payable by the Trust will generally be paid in SOL. Shareholders do not have the option of choosing to pay their proportionate shares of Additional Trust Expenses in lieu of having their shares of Additional Trust Expenses paid by the Trust’s delivery or disposition of SOL. Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the transfer or sale of SOL to pay the Trust’s expenses will be a taxable event for shareholders. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders.”

Because the amount of SOL held by the Trust will decrease as a consequence of the payment of the Sponsor’s Fee in SOL or the sale of SOL to pay Additional Trust Expenses (and the Trust will incur additional fees associated with converting SOL into U.S. dollars), the amount of SOL represented by a Share will decline at such time and the Trust’s NAV may also decrease. Accordingly, the shareholders will bear the cost of the Sponsor’s Fee and any Additional Trust Expenses. New SOL deposited into the Vault Balance in exchange for additional new Baskets issued by the Trust will not reverse this trend.

The Sponsor will also cause the sale of the Trust’s SOL if the Sponsor determines that sale is required by applicable law or regulation or in connection with the termination and liquidation of the Trust. The Sponsor will not be liable or responsible in any way for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of any sale of SOL.

The quantity of SOL to be delivered to the Sponsor or other relevant payee in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee or any Additional Trust Expenses, or sold to permit payment of Additional Trust Expenses, will vary from time to time depending on the level of the Trust’s expenses and the value of SOL held by the Trust. See “—Expenses; Sales of SOL.” Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each delivery or sale of SOL by the Trust for the payment of expenses will be a taxable event to shareholders. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders.”

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Hypothetical Expense Example

The following table illustrates the anticipated impact of the payment of the Trust’s expenses on the amount of SOL represented by each outstanding Share for three years. It assumes that the only transfers of SOL will be those needed to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and that the price of SOL and the number of Shares remain constant during the three-year period covered. The table does not show the impact of any Additional Trust Expenses. Any Additional Trust Expenses, if and when incurred, will accelerate the decrease in the fractional amount of SOL represented by each Share. In addition, the table does not show the effect of any waivers of the Sponsor’s Fee that may be in effect from time to time.

 

 

Year

 

 

1

 

 

2

 

 

3

 

Hypothetical price per SOL, beginning

 

$

100.00

 

 

$

100.00

 

 

$

100.00

 

Sponsor’s Fee

 

%

 

 

%

 

 

%

 

Shares of Trust, beginning

 

 

100,000.00

 

 

 

100,000.00

 

 

 

100,000.00

 

SOL in Trust, beginning

 

 

10,000.00

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Hypothetical value of SOL in Trust

 

$

1,000,000.00

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Beginning NAV of the Trust

 

$

1,000,000.00

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

SOL to be delivered to cover the Sponsor’s Fee

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

SOL in Trust, ending

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Ending NAV of the Trust

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Ending NAV per share

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Hypothetical price per SOL, ending

 

$

100.00

 

 

$

100.00

 

 

$

100.00

 

 

Discretion of the Index Provider

The Index Provider has sole discretion over the determination of Index Price and may change the methodologies for determining the Index Price from time to time.

Description of the Trust Agreement

The following is a description of the material terms of the Trust Agreement. The Trust Agreement establishes the roles, rights and duties of the Sponsor and the Trustee.

The Sponsor

Liability of the Sponsor and Indemnification

Neither the Sponsor nor the Trust insure the Trust’s SOL. The Sponsor and its affiliates (each a “Covered Person”) will not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for any loss suffered by the Trust which arises out of any action or inaction of such Covered Person if such Covered Person determined in good faith that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust. However, the preceding liability exclusion will not protect any Covered Person against any liability resulting from its own willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties.

Each Covered Person will be indemnified by the Trust against any loss, judgment, liability, expense incurred or amount paid in settlement of any claim sustained by it in connection with the Covered Person’s activities for the Trust, provided that (i) the Covered Person was acting on behalf of, or performing services for, the Trust and had determined, in good faith, that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust and such liability or loss was not the result of fraud, gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or a material breach of the Trust Agreement on the part of such Covered Person and (ii) any such indemnification will be recoverable only from the property of the Trust. Any amounts payable to an indemnified party will be payable in advance under certain circumstances.

Fiduciary and Regulatory Duties of the Sponsor

The Sponsor is not effectively subject to the duties and restrictions imposed on “fiduciaries” under both statutory and common law. Rather, the general fiduciary duties that would apply to the Sponsor are defined and limited in scope by the Trust Agreement.

Under Delaware law, a shareholder may bring a derivative action if the shareholder is a shareholder at the time the action is brought and either (i) was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue or (ii) acquired the status of shareholder by operation of law or the Trust’s governing instrument from a person who was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue. Additionally, Section 3816(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act specifically provides that “a beneficial owner’s right to bring a derivative action may be subject to such additional standards and restrictions, if any, as are set forth in the governing instrument of the statutory trust,

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including, without limitation, the requirement that beneficial owners owning a specified beneficial interest in the statutory trust join in the bringing of the derivative action.” In addition to the requirements of applicable law, the Trust Agreement provides that no shareholder will have the right, power or authority to bring or maintain a derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Trust unless two or more shareholders who (i) are not “Affiliates” (as defined in the Trust Agreement and below) of one another and (ii) collectively hold at least 10.0% of the outstanding Shares join in the bringing or maintaining of such action, suit or other proceeding. The Trust selected the 10.0% ownership threshold because the Trust believed that this was a threshold that investors would be comfortable with based on market precedent.

This provision applies to any derivative action brought in the name of the Trust other than claims brought under the federal securities laws or the rules and regulations thereunder, to which Section 7.4 does not apply. Due to this additional requirement, a shareholder attempting to bring a derivative action in the name of the Trust will be required to locate other shareholders with which it is not affiliated and that have sufficient Shares to meet the 10.0% threshold based on the number of Shares outstanding on the date the claim is brought and thereafter throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding.

“Affiliate” is defined in the Trust Agreement to mean any natural person, partnership, limited liability company, statutory trust, corporation, association or other legal entity (each, a “Person”) directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of such Person, (ii) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote by such Person, (iii) any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by or under common control of such Person, (iv) any employee, officer, director, member, manager or partner of such Person, or (v) if such Person is an employee, officer, director, member, manager or partner, any Person for which such Person acts in any such capacity.

Any shareholders seeking to bring a derivative action may determine whether the 10.0% ownership threshold required to bring a derivative action has been met by dividing the number Shares owned by such shareholders by the total number of Shares outstanding. Following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, shareholders may determine the total number of Shares outstanding by reviewing the Trust’s annual filings on Form 10-K, quarterly filings on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K reporting sales of unregistered securities pursuant to Item 3.02 thereof, or by requesting the number of Shares outstanding at any time from the Sponsor pursuant to Sections 7.2 and 8.1 of the Trust Agreement and Section 3819(a) of the DSTA. Because the Trust is a grantor trust, it may only issue one class of securities, the Shares.

The Trust offers Shares on a periodic basis at such times and for such periods as the Sponsor determines in its sole discretion. As a result, in order to maintain the 10.0% ownership threshold required to maintain a derivative action, shareholders may need to increase their holdings or locate additional shareholders during the pendency of a claim. The Trust will post the number of Shares outstanding as of the end of each month on its website and as of the end of each quarter in its annual and quarterly filings with the SEC. The Trust additionally will report sales of unregistered securities on Form 8-K pursuant to Item 3.02 thereof. Following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, shareholders may monitor the number of Shares outstanding at any time for purposes of calculating their ownership threshold by reviewing the Trust’s website and SEC filings and by requesting the number of Shares outstanding on any date from the Sponsor at any time pursuant to Sections 7.2 and 8.1 of the Trust Agreement. Shareholders have the opportunity at any time to increase their holdings or locate other shareholders to maintain the 10.0% threshold throughout the duration of a derivative claim. Shareholders may do so by contacting shareholders that are required to file Schedule 13Ds or Schedule 13Gs with the SEC or by requesting from the Sponsor the list of the names and last known address of all shareholders pursuant to Sections 7.2 and 8.1 of the Trust Agreement and Section 3819(a) of the DSTA.

The Sponsor is not aware of any reason to believe that Section 7.4 of the Trust Agreement is not enforceable under state or federal law. The Court of Chancery of Delaware has stated that “[t]he DSTA is enabling in nature and, as such, permits a trust through its declarations of trust to delineate additional standards and requirements with which a stockholder-plaintiff must comply to proceed derivatively in the name of the trust.” Hartsel v. Vanguard Group., Inc., Del. Ch. June 15, 2011. However, there is limited case law addressing the enforceability of provisions like Section 7.4 under state and federal law and it is possible that this provision would not be enforced by a court in another jurisdiction or under other circumstances.

Beneficial owners may have the right, subject to certain legal requirements, to bring class actions in federal court to enforce their rights under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the SEC. Beneficial owners who have suffered losses in connection with the purchase or sale of their beneficial interests may be able to recover such losses from the Sponsor where the losses result from a violation by the Sponsor of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws.

Actions Taken to Protect the Trust

The Sponsor may prosecute, defend, settle or compromise actions or claims at law or in equity that it considers necessary or proper to protect the Trust or the interests of the shareholders. The expenses incurred by the Sponsor in connection therewith (including the fees and disbursements of legal counsel) will be expenses of the Trust and are deemed to be Additional Trust Expenses. The Sponsor will be entitled to be reimbursed for the Additional Trust Expenses it pays on behalf of the Trust.

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Successor Sponsors

If the Sponsor is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, the Trust may dissolve and a Liquidating Trustee may be appointed to terminate and liquidate the Trust and distribute its remaining assets. The Trustee will have no obligation to appoint a successor sponsor or to assume the duties of the Sponsor, and will have no liability to any person because the Trust is or is not terminated. However, if a certificate of dissolution or revocation of the Sponsor’s charter is filed (and ninety (90) days have passed after the date of notice to the Sponsor of revocation without a reinstatement of the Sponsor’s charter) or the withdrawal, removal, adjudication or admission of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor has occurred, shareholders holding at least a majority (over 50%) of the Shares may agree in writing to continue the affairs of the Trust and to select, effective as of the date of such event, one or more successor sponsors within ninety (90) days of any such event.

The Trustee

The Trustee is a fiduciary under the Trust Agreement and must satisfy the requirements of Section 3807 of the Delaware Trust Statute. However, the fiduciary duties, responsibilities and liabilities of the Trustee are limited by, and are only those specifically set forth in, the Trust Agreement.

Limitation on Trustee’s Liability

Under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor has exclusive control of the management of all aspects of the activities of the Trust and the Trustee has only nominal duties and liabilities to the Trust. The Trustee is appointed to serve as the trustee for the sole purpose of satisfying Section 3807(a) of the DSTA which requires that the Trust have at least one trustee with a principal place of business in the State of Delaware. The duties of the Trustee are limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Trust in the State of Delaware and (ii) the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State which the Trustee is required to execute under the DSTA.

To the extent the Trustee has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities to the Trust or the shareholders under the DSTA, such duties and liabilities will be replaced by the duties and liabilities of the Trustee expressly set forth in the Trust Agreement. The Trustee will have no obligation to supervise, nor will it be liable for, the acts or omissions of the Sponsor, Transfer Agent, Custodian or any other person. Neither the Trustee, either in its capacity as trustee or in its individual capacity, nor any director, officer or controlling person of the Trustee is, or has any liability as, the issuer, director, officer or controlling person of the issuer of Shares. The Trustee’s liability is limited solely to the express obligations of the Trustee as set forth in the Trust Agreement.

Under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor has the exclusive management, authority and control of all aspects of the activities of the Trust. The Trustee has no duty or liability to supervise or monitor the performance of the Sponsor, nor does the Trustee have any liability for the acts or omissions of the Sponsor. The existence of a trustee should not be taken as an indication of any additional level of management or supervision over the Trust. The Trust Agreement provides that the management authority with respect to the Trust is vested directly in the Sponsor and that the Trustee is not responsible or liable for the genuineness, enforceability, collectability, value, sufficiency, location or existence of any of the SOL or other assets of the Trust.

Possible Repayment of Distributions Received by Shareholders; Indemnification by Shareholders

The Shares are limited liability investments. Investors may not lose more than the amount that they invest plus any profits recognized on their investment. Although it is unlikely, the Sponsor may, from time to time, make distributions to the shareholders. However, shareholders could be required, as a matter of bankruptcy law, to return to the estate of the Trust any distribution they received at a time when the Trust was in fact insolvent or in violation of its Trust Agreement. In addition, the Trust Agreement provides that shareholders will indemnify the Trust for any harm suffered by it as a result of shareholders’ actions unrelated to the activities of the Trust.

The foregoing repayment of distributions and indemnity provisions (other than the provision for shareholders indemnifying the Trust for taxes imposed upon it by a state, local or foreign taxing authority, which is included only as a formality due to the fact that many states do not have statutory trust statutes therefore the tax status of the Trust in such states might, theoretically, be challenged) are commonplace in statutory trusts and limited partnerships.

Indemnification of the Trustee

The Trustee and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee will be indemnified by the Trust as primary obligor and the Sponsor as secondary obligor and held harmless against any loss, damage, liability, claim, action, suit, cost, expense, disbursement (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), tax or penalty of any kind and nature whatsoever, arising out of, imposed upon or asserted at any time against such indemnified person in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated therein; provided, however, that

101


 

neither the Trust nor the Sponsor will be required to indemnify any such indemnified person for any such expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of such indemnified person. If the Trust has insufficient assets or improperly refuses to pay such an indemnified person within 60 days of a request for payment owed under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor will, as secondary obligor, compensate or reimburse the Trustee or indemnify, defend and hold harmless such an indemnified person as if it were the primary obligor under the Trust Agreement. Any amount payable to such an indemnified person under the Trust Agreement may be payable in advance under certain circumstances and will be secured by a lien on the Trust property. The obligations of the Sponsor and the Trust to indemnify such indemnified persons under the Trust Agreement will survive the termination of the Trust Agreement.

Holding of Trust Property

The Trust will hold and record the ownership of the Trust’s assets in a manner such that it will be owned for the benefit of the shareholders for the purposes of, and subject to and limited by the terms and conditions set forth in, the Trust Agreement. The Trust will not create, incur or assume any indebtedness or borrow money from or loan money to any person. The Trustee may not commingle its assets with those of any other person.

The Trustee may employ agents, attorneys, accountants, auditors and nominees and will not be answerable for the conduct or misconduct of any such custodians, agents, attorneys or nominees if such custodians, agents, attorneys and nominees have been selected with reasonable care.

Resignation, Discharge or Removal of Trustee; Successor Trustees

The Trustee may resign as Trustee by written notice of its election so to do, delivered to the Sponsor with at least 180 days’ notice. The Sponsor may remove the Trustee in its discretion. If the Trustee resigns or is removed, the Sponsor, acting on behalf of the shareholders, will appoint a successor trustee. The successor Trustee will become fully vested with all of the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the outgoing Trustee.

If the Trustee resigns and no successor trustee is appointed within 180 days after the Trustee notifies the Sponsor of its resignation, the Trustee will terminate and liquidate the Trust and distribute its remaining assets.

Amendments to the Trust Agreement

In general, the Sponsor may amend the Trust Agreement without the consent of any shareholder. In particular, the Sponsor may, without the approval of the shareholders, amend the Trust Agreement if the Trust is advised at any time by the Trust’s accountants or legal counsel that the amendments are necessary to permit the Trust to take the position that it is a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Sponsor is also permitted to make certain restatements, amendments or supplements to the Trust Agreement that would materially adversely affect the interests of the shareholders as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion with a 20-day notice to shareholders. Additionally, the Sponsor is permitted to make certain restatements, amendments or supplements to the Trust Agreement that could adversely affect the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but only if certain conditions set forth in the amendments relating to the qualification of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes are satisfied. Furthermore, subject to certain limitations, the Sponsor may make any other amendments to the Trust Agreement which do not materially adversely affect the interests of the shareholders in its sole discretion without shareholder consent.

Termination of the Trust

The Trust will dissolve if any of the following events occur:

a U.S. federal or state regulator requires the Trust to shut down or forces the Trust to liquidate its SOL or seizes, impounds or otherwise restricts access to Trust assets;
any ongoing event exists that either prevents the Trust from making or makes impractical the Trust’s reasonable efforts to make a fair determination of the Index Price;
any ongoing event exists that either prevents the Trust from converting or makes impractical the Trust’s reasonable efforts to convert SOL to U.S. dollars; or

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a certificate of dissolution or revocation of the Sponsor’s charter is filed (and 90 days have passed since the date of notice to the Sponsor of revocation without a reinstatement of its charter) or the withdrawal, removal, adjudication or admission of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor has occurred, unless (i) at the time there is at least one remaining Sponsor and that remaining Sponsor carries on the Trust or (ii) within 90 days of any such event shareholders holding at least a majority (over 50%) of Shares, not including Shares held by the Sponsor and its affiliates, agree in writing to continue the activities of the Trust and to select, effective as of the date of such event, one or more successor sponsors.

The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, dissolve the Trust if any of the following events occur:

the SEC determines that the Trust is an investment company required to be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940;
the CFTC determines that the Trust is a commodity pool under the CEA;
the Trust is determined to be a “money service business” under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the Bank Secrecy Act and is required to comply with certain FinCEN regulations thereunder;
the Trust is required to obtain a license or make a registration under any state law regulating money transmitters, money services businesses, providers of prepaid or stored value or similar entities, or virtual currency businesses;
the Trust becomes insolvent or bankrupt;
the Custodian resigns or is removed without replacement;
all of the Trust’s assets are sold;
the Sponsor determines that the aggregate net assets of the Trust in relation to the expenses of the Trust make it unreasonable or imprudent to continue the affairs of the Trust;
the Sponsor receives notice from the IRS or from counsel for the Trust or the Sponsor that the Trust fails to qualify for treatment, or will not be treated, as a grantor trust under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”);
if the Trustee notifies the Sponsor of the Trustee’s election to resign and the Sponsor does not appoint a successor trustee within 180 days; or
the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that it is desirable or advisable for any reason to discontinue the affairs of the Trust.

The Sponsor may determine that it is desirable or advisable to discontinue the affairs of the Trust for a variety of reasons. For example, the Sponsor may terminate the Trust if a federal court upholds an allegation that SOL is a security under the federal securities laws.

The death, legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution, or withdrawal of any shareholder (as long as such shareholder is not the sole shareholder of the Trust) will not result in the termination of the Trust, and such shareholder, his or her estate, custodian or personal representative will have no right to a redemption or value such shareholder’s Shares. Each shareholder (and any assignee thereof) expressly agrees that in the event of his or her death, he or she waives on behalf of himself or herself and his or her estate, and he or she directs the legal representative of his or her estate and any person interested therein to waive the furnishing of any inventory, accounting or appraisal of the assets of the Trust and any right to an audit or examination of the books of account for the Trust, except for such rights as are set forth in Article VIII of the Trust Agreement relating to the books of account and reports of the Trust.

Upon dissolution of the Trust and surrender of Shares by the shareholders, shareholders will receive a distribution in U.S. dollars after the Sponsor has sold the Trust’s SOL, if applicable, and has paid or made provision for the Trust’s claims and obligations.

If the Trust is forced to liquidate, the Trust will be liquidated under the Sponsor’s direction. The Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, will engage directly with Digital Asset Markets to liquidate the Trust’s SOL as promptly as possible while obtaining the best fair value possible. The proceeds therefrom will be applied and distributed in the following order of priority: (a) to the expenses of liquidation and termination and to creditors, including shareholders who are creditors, to the extent otherwise permitted by law, in satisfaction of liabilities of the Trust other than liabilities for distributions to shareholders and (b) to the holders of Shares pro rata in accordance with the respective percentages of Shares that they hold. It is expected that the Sponsor would be subject to the same regulatory requirements as the Trust, and therefore, the markets available to the Sponsor will be the same markets available to the Trust.

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Governing Law

The Trust Agreement and the rights of the Sponsor, Trustee and shareholders under the Trust Agreement are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.

Description of the Prime Broker Agreement

The Prime Broker Agreement establishes the rights and responsibilities of the Custodian, the Prime Broker, the Sponsor and the Trust with respect to the Trust’s SOL which is held in accounts maintained and operated by the Custodian, as a fiduciary with respect to the Trust’s assets, and the Prime Broker (together with the Custodian, the “Custodial Entities”) on behalf of the Trust. For a general description of the Custodian’s obligations, see “—Service Providers of the Trust—The Custodian and Prime Broker.”

Account; Location of SOL

All of the Trust’s SOL, other than that which is credited to a settlement balance maintained with the Prime Broker (the “Settlement Balance”), is held in custody accounts maintained on the books of the Custodian, as to which the Custodian controls the private keys which allow for the transfer of ownership or control of the Trust’s SOL on the Trust’s behalf (the “Vault Balance”). The Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Trust’s Vault Balance will be held by the Custodian in segregated wallets or accounts. The Custodian will keep all of the private keys associated with the Trust’s SOL held in the Vault Balance in an offline manner. The term “cold storage” refers to a safeguarding method where the storage of private keys may involve keeping such keys’ materials on a non-networked computer or electronic device or storing the private keys on a storage device. Cold storage is a safeguarding method with multiple layers of protections and protocols, by which the private keys corresponding to the Trust’s SOL are generated and stored in an offline manner. The term “hot storage” refers to the safeguarding method by which the private keys are held online, where they are more accessible, leading to more efficient transfers, though they are potentially more vulnerable to theft, loss or damage. Additionally, at the Sponsor’s discretion, a portion of the Trust’s SOL holdings may be credited to the Settlement Balance, which will be reflected in a ledger maintained on the books of the Prime Broker. The Prime Broker Agreement provides that any SOL credited to the Trust’s Settlement Balance will be held (i) in omnibus cold storage wallets; (ii) in omnibus hot storage wallets; or (iii) in omnibus accounts with one of the third-party venues to which Coinbase has established connections (each, a “Coinbase Connected Venue”). The Settlement Balance shall be separate from the Vault Balance and any other account(s) the Trust or the Sponsor maintain with the Custodian. From time to time, the Prime Broker may temporarily keep a portion of the private keys associated with the SOL credited to the Trust’s Settlement Balance in hot storage for purposes of facilitating the receipt and distribution of SOL in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets.

Private key shards associated with the Trust’s SOL are distributed geographically by the Custodial Entities in secure vaults around the world, including in the United States. The locations of the secure vaults may change and are kept confidential by the Custodian for security purposes.

The Prime Broker Agreement states that the Custodian serves as a fiduciary and custodian on the Trust’s behalf with respect to the Trust’s SOL held in the Vault Balance and the SOL in the Vault Balance are considered fiduciary assets that remain the Trust’s property at all times and are not treated as general assets of the Custodian. Under the Prime Broker Agreement, the Custodian represents and warrants that it has no right, interest, or title in the SOL in the Trust’s Vault Balance, and agrees that it will not, directly or indirectly, lend, pledge, hypothecate or rehypothecate such digital assets. The Custodian does not reflect such digital assets as assets on the balance sheet of the Custodian, but does reflect the obligation to safeguard such digital assets with a corresponding asset measured at fair value for such obligation. With respect to the Trust’s SOL credited to the Settlement Balance, the Prime Broker maintains an internal ledger that specifies the SOL credited to the Trust’s Settlement Balance. The Prime Broker Agreement states that the Prime Broker treats such SOL as custodial assets held for the benefit of the Trust, and shall not be considered the property of the Prime Broker.

Additionally, under the Prime Broker Agreement, the Prime Broker represents and warrants that it will not, directly or indirectly, sell, transfer, loan, rehypothecate or otherwise alienate the Trust’s SOL credited to the Settlement Balance.

The Prime Broker Agreement also contains an agreement by the parties to treat the digital assets credited to the Trust’s Vault Balance and Settlement Balance as “financial assets” under Article 8 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (“Article 8”) and to treat the Vault Balance and Settlement Balance as “securities accounts” with respect to which the Trust is the “entitlement holder” within the meaning of Article 8. The Custodial Entities’ ultimate parent, Coinbase Global, Inc. (“Coinbase Global”), has stated in its public securities filings that in light of the inclusion in its custody agreements of provisions relating to Article 8 it believes that a court would not treat custodied digital assets as part of its general estate, although due to the novelty of digital assets courts have not yet considered this type of treatment for custodied digital assets. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—The Trust relies on third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to the affairs of the Trust and the replacement of such service providers could pose challenges to the safekeeping of the Trust’s SOL and to the operations of the Trust.”

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Safekeeping of SOL

The Custodian will use commercially reasonable efforts to keep in safe custody on behalf of the Trust all SOL received by the Custodian. All SOL credited to the Vault Balance will (i) be held in the Vault Balance at all times, and the Vault Balance will be controlled by the Custodian; (ii) be labeled or otherwise appropriately identified as being held for the Trust; (iii) be held on a non-fungible basis; (iv) not be commingled with other digital assets held by the Custodian, whether held for the Custodian’s own account or the account of other clients other than the Trust; and (v) not without the prior written consent of the Trust be deposited or held with any third-party depositary, custodian, clearance system or wallet. Additionally, the Custodian will use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the private key or keys for the Vault Balance secure, and will not disclose such keys to the Trust, the Sponsor or to any other individual or entity except to the extent that any keys are disclosed consistent with a standard of commercially reasonable efforts and as part of a multiple signature solution that would not result in the Trust or the Sponsor “storing, holding, or maintaining custody or control of” the SOL “on behalf of others” within the meaning of the New York BitLicense Rule (23 NYCRR Part 200) as in effect as of June 24, 2015 such that it would require the Trust or the Sponsor to become licensed under such law.

SOL credited to the Trust’s Settlement Balance may be held in omnibus wallets maintained by the Prime Broker and/or at Coinbase Connected Venues. While the SOL credited to the Trust’s Settlement Balance could be commingled with other assets, the SOL in the Trust’s Settlement Balance will represent entitlement to a pro-rata share of the SOL held in such omnibus wallets and/or at Coinbase Connected Venues. In all circumstances the Prime Broker will keep an internal ledger that specifies the assets credited to the Settlement Balance such that the Trust, its auditors and regulators can identify the Trust’s pro-rata share of the SOL held in omnibus wallets and/or at Coinbase Connected Venues. Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor have a contractual relationship with the Coinbase Connected Venues utilized by the Custodial Entities.

Insurance

Pursuant to the terms of the Prime Broker Agreement, the Custodian is required to maintain insurance in such types and amounts as are commercially reasonable for the custodial services it provides. The Custodian has advised the Sponsor that it has insurance coverage pursuant to policies held by Coinbase Global, which procures fidelity (or crime) insurance coverage at commercially reasonable amounts for the custodial services provided. This insurance coverage is limited to losses of the digital assets the Custodian custodies on behalf of its clients, including the Trust’s SOL, resulting from theft, including internal theft by employees of Coinbase and its subsidiaries and theft or fraud by a director of Coinbase if the director is acting in the capacity of an employee of Coinbase or its subsidiaries. Although the Prime Broker is not required to maintain insurance under the terms of the Prime Broker Agreement, the Custodial Entities have also advised the Sponsor that they maintain insurance coverage pursuant to such policies held by Coinbase Global.

Moreover, while the Custodian maintains certain capital reserve requirements depending on the assets under custody and to the extent required by applicable law, and such capital reserves may provide additional means to cover client asset losses, the Sponsor does not know the amount of such capital reserves, and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor have access to such information. The Trust cannot be assured that the Custodian will maintain capital reserves sufficient to cover losses with respect to the Trust’s digital assets. Furthermore, Coinbase has represented in securities filings that the total value of crypto assets in its possession and control is significantly greater than the total value of insurance coverage that would compensate Coinbase in the event of theft or other loss of funds.

Deposits, Withdrawals and Storage

The Custodian and the Prime Broker provide for: (i) holding of the Trust’s SOL in the Vault Balance and the Settlement Balance; (ii) transfer of the Trust’s SOL between the relevant Vault Balance and the Settlement Balance; (iii) the deposit of SOL from a public blockchain address into the respective account or accounts in which the Vault Balance or the Settlement Balance are maintained; and (iv) the withdrawal of SOL from the Vault Balance to a public blockchain address the Trust controls (each such transaction is a “Custody Transaction”) (collectively, the “Custodial and Prime Broker Services”).

The Custodian reserves the right to refuse to process or to cancel any pending Custody Transaction as required by law or in response to a subpoena, court order, or other binding government order or to enforce transaction, threshold, and condition limits, in each case as communicated to the Trust as soon as reasonably practicable where the Custodian is permitted to do so, or if the Custodian reasonably believes that the Custody Transaction may violate or facilitate the violation of an applicable law, regulation or applicable rule of a governmental authority or self-regulatory organization. The Custodial Entities may suspend, restrict or terminate the Trust’s and the Sponsor’s access to the Custodial and Prime Broker Services, and/or suspend, restrict or close the Accounts if the Trust or Sponsor has taken certain actions, including any prohibited use or prohibited business as set forth in the Prime Broker Agreement or if either or both of the Custodial Entities are required to do so by a subpoena, court order, or other binding government order.

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From the time the Custodian has verified the authorization of a complete set of instructions to withdraw SOL from the Vault Balance, the Custodian will have a limited amount of time to process and complete such withdrawal. The Custodian will ensure that initiated deposits are processed in a timely manner but the Custodian makes no representations or warranties regarding the amount of time needed to complete processing which is dependent upon many factors outside of the Custodian’s control. Transactions relating to SOL held in the Settlement Balance occur on the SOL Blockchain.

The Custodial Entities make no other representations or warranties with respect to the availability and/or accessibility of SOL or the availability and/or accessibility of the Vault Balance, the Settlement Balance or the Custodial and Prime Broker Services.

Security of the Accounts

The Custodial Entities securely store all digital asset private keys held by the Custodian on secure servers or offline, in cold storage. Under the Prime Broker Agreement, the Custodian must use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the private key or keys to the Vault Balance secure, and may not disclose such private keys to the Sponsor, Trust or any other individual or entity.

The Custodial Entities have implemented and will maintain reasonable information security programs that include policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to safeguard the Custodial Entities’ electronic systems and the Trust’s and the Sponsor’s confidential information from, among other things, unauthorized access or misuse. In the event of a Data Security Event (as defined in the Prime Broker Agreement), the Custodial Entities will promptly (subject to any legal or regulatory requirements) notify the Trust and the Sponsor.

Record Keeping; Inspection and Auditing

The Custodian will keep timely and accurate records as to the deposit, disbursement, investment and reinvestment of the SOL in the Vault Balance, and such records must be retained by the Custodian for no less than seven years. The Prime Broker Agreement also provides that each Custodial Entity will permit, to the extent it may legally do so, the Trust’s third-party representatives, upon thirty days’ notice, to inspect, take extracts from and audit the records that it maintains, take such steps as necessary to verify that satisfactory internal control systems and procedures are in place, as the Trust may reasonably request. The Prime Broker is obligated to notify the Trust of any audit report prepared by its internal or independent auditors if such report reveals any material deficiencies or makes any material objections.

The Trust and the Sponsor obtain and perform a comprehensive review of the Services Organization Controls (“SOC”) 1 report and SOC 2 each year. For additional information, see “—Description of Trust Documents—Description of the Prime Broker Agreement.” In addition to the review of SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports, the Trust, the Sponsor and/or their respective auditors may inspect or audit the Custodian’s records in a variety of manners if considered necessary. Such processes may include validating the existing balances as reflected on the Custodian’s user interface to nodes of the underlying blockchain and confirming that such digital assets are associated with its public keys to validate the existence and exclusive ownership of the digital assets. To validate software functionality of the private keys, the Trust may transfer a portion of its digital assets from one public key to another public key of the Trust.

The Trust, the Sponsor and their independent auditors may evaluate the Custodian’s protection of private keys and other customer information, including review of supporting documentation related to the processes surrounding key lifecycle management, the key generation process (hardware, software, and algorithms associated with generation) the infrastructure used to generate and store private keys, how private keys are stored (for example, cold wallets), the segregation of duties in the authorization of digital asset transactions, and the number of users required to process a transaction and the monitoring of addresses for any unauthorized activity. For additional information, see “—Custody of the Trust’s SOL.”

Once each calendar year, the Trust and the Sponsor will be entitled to request that the Custodial Entities provide a copy of the Services Organization Controls (“SOC”) 1 report and SOC 2 report once per calendar year. Such reports are required to be dated within one year prior to such request. The Custodial Entities reserve the right to combine the SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports into a comprehensive report. In the event that the Custodial Entities do not deliver a SOC 1 Report or SOC 2 Report, as applicable, the Sponsor and the Trust will be entitled to terminate the Prime Broker Agreement. In addition to the review of SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports, the Trust may also request letters of representation on a quarterly basis between SOC reports regarding any known changes or conclusions to the SOC 1 and SOC 2 report.

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Standard of Care; Limitations of Liability

The Custodian will use commercially reasonable efforts to keep in safe custody on behalf of the Trust all SOL received by the Custodian. The Custodial Entities are liable to the Sponsor and the Trust for the loss of any SOL to the extent such loss resulted from the negligence, fraud or willful misconduct of the Custodial Entities. To the extent any loss is caused by a Custodial Entity’s negligence, fraud or willful misconduct, the Custodial Entities are required to return to the Trust a quantity of SOL equal to the quantity of any such lost SOL.

The Custodial Entities’ or Trust’s total liability under the Prime Broker Agreement will not exceed the greater of: (i) the value of the SOL or cash involved in the event, including but not limited to transaction(s) or deliveries(s), giving rise to such liability at the time of the event giving rise to such liability; (ii) the aggregate amount of fees paid by the Trust to the Custodial Entities in respect of the Custodial and Prime Broker Services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to such liability; or (iii) five million U.S. dollars. The Custodian’s total liability under the Prime Broker Agreement will not exceed the greater of: (i) the aggregate amount of fees paid by the Trust to the Custodian in respect of the custodial services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to such liability; or (ii) the value of the SOL on deposit in the Vault Balance at the time of the events giving rise to the liability occurred, the value of which will be determined in accordance with the Prime Broker Agreement. In addition, the Custodian’s maximum liability in respect of each cold storage address that holds SOL shall be limited to $100 million (the “Cold Storage Threshold”). The Sponsor monitors the value of SOL deposited in cold storage addresses for whether the Cold Storage Threshold has been met by determining the U.S. dollar value of SOL deposited in each cold storage address on business days. Although the Cold Storage Threshold has to date not been met for a given cold storage address, to the extent it is met the Trust would not have a claim against the Custodian with respect to the digital assets held in such address to the extent the value exceeds the Cold Storage Threshold.

The Custodial Entities and the Trust are not liable to each other for any special, incidental, indirect, punitive, or consequential damages, whether or not the other party had been advised of such losses or knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages. In addition, the Custodial Entities are not liable to the Trust for circumstances resulting from certain force majeure events.

Indemnity

The Trust and the Custodial Entities have agreed to indemnify one another from and against certain claims or losses, subject to customary exceptions and limitations.

Fees and Expenses

The Sponsor will pay an annualized fee to the Coinbase Entities, covering the Trust’s use of the Custodial and Prime Broker Services, that is accrued on a monthly basis as a percentage of the Trust’s monthly assets under custody. The Sponsor will also pay a monthly fee to the Prime Broker, covering withdrawals and deposits to or from the Settlement Balance in connection with the creation and redemption of Shares.

Term; Termination and Suspension

The Prime Broker Agreement will remain in effect until either party terminates the Prime Broker Agreement; provided, however, that the Coinbase Entities shall not restrict, suspend, or modify any Prime Broker Services following termination of the Prime Broker Agreement by a Custodial Entity without Cause (as defined in the Prime Broker Agreement) or by the Trust until the end of the applicable notice period and neither party’s termination of the Prime Broker Agreement will be effective until the Trust and/or the Custodial Entities, as the case may be, have fully satisfied their obligations thereunder.

The Trust may terminate the Prime Broker Agreement in whole or in part upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the applicable Custodial Entity; and (ii) for Custodian Cause (as defined in the Prime Broker Agreement) at any time by written notice to the Prime Broker, effective immediately, or on such later date as may be specified in such notice. The Trust will also be entitled to terminate the Prime Broker Agreement in the event that the Custodial Entities do not deliver a SOC 1 Report or SOC 2 Report, as applicable. See “—Record Keeping; Inspection and Auditing.”

The Custodial Entities may terminate the Prime Broker Agreement (i) upon one hundred eighty days’ prior written notice to the Trust; and (ii) for Cause at any time by written notice to the Trust, effective immediately, or on such later date as may be specified in the notice.

In the event that either the Trust or the Custodial Entities terminate the Prime Broker Agreement without Cause, the Custodial Entities shall use reasonable efforts to assist the Trust with transferring any digital assets, fiat currency or funds associated with the Trust’s Accounts to another custodial services provider within ninety days of receipt of the applicable termination notice.

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Governing Law

The Prime Broker Agreement is governed by New York law.

Legal Proceedings

The Sponsor or former Co-Sponsor of the Trust until May 3, 2025, as applicable, was a party to certain legal proceedings during the periods covered by the financial statements included in this prospectus. Although the Trust is not a party to these proceedings, the Trust may in the future be subject to legal proceedings or disputes.



On January 30, 2023, Osprey Funds, LLC (“Osprey”) filed a suit in Connecticut Superior Court against the Sponsor alleging that statements the Sponsor made in its advertising and promotion of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (“CUTPA”), and seeking statutory damages and injunctive relief. On April 17, 2023, the Sponsor filed a motion to dismiss the complaint and, following briefing, a hearing on the motion to dismiss was held on June 26, 2023. On October 23, 2023, the Court denied the Sponsor’s motion to dismiss. On November 6, 2023, the Sponsor filed a motion for reargument of the Court’s order denying the Sponsor’s motion to dismiss. On November 16, 2023, Osprey filed an opposition to the Sponsor’s motion for reargument, and on November 30, 2023, the Sponsor filed a reply in further support of its motion for reargument. On March 11, 2024, the Court denied the Sponsor’s motion for reargument. On March 25, 2024, the Sponsor filed an application for interlocutory appeal. On March 28, 2024, Osprey filed an opposition to the Sponsor’s application for interlocutory appeal. On April 1, 2024, the Court denied the Sponsor’s application for interlocutory appeal. On April 10, 2024, Osprey filed a motion to amend the complaint. The amended complaint went into effect on April 25, 2024. A scheduling order was entered by the Court with trial scheduled to begin on July 15, 2025. On July 31, 2024, the Sponsor filed a motion to strike the amended complaint. On August 30, 2024, Osprey filed an opposition to the Sponsor’s motion to strike the amended complaint. On October 11, 2024, the Court denied the Sponsor’s motion to strike. On November 22, 2024, the Sponsor filed a motion for summary judgment on the grounds that CUTPA does not apply to practices undertaken in connection with the purchase and sale of securities, and the Court granted the Sponsor’s motion for summary judgment on February 7, 2025. On February 10, 2025, Osprey filed a motion for reargument, and the Court denied Osprey’s motion for reargument on March 19, 2025. On March 31, 2025, Osprey filed a notice of appeal of the summary judgment decision and the Court’s denial of the motion for reargument to the Connecticut Appellate Court. On May 12, 2025, Osprey withdrew the action and the appeal.

On May 19, 2025, Genesis Global Capital, LLC (“Genesis Capital”) and Genesis Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (“Genesis Asia”) filed a complaint in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (“SDNY Bankruptcy Court”) against Digital Currency Group, Inc. (“DCG”) and certain of its affiliates including GSO alleging that Genesis Capital made certain preferential transfers to GSI, the predecessor in interest to GSO prior to the Merger, during the preference period prior to Genesis Capital’s filing of a bankruptcy petition in SDNY Bankruptcy Court while GSI was allegedly an insider to Genesis Capital pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 101(31). Genesis Capital seeks to avoid the alleged preferential transfers pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 547(b), as well as recovery of property and disallowance of claims. GSO believes this lawsuit is without merit and intends to vigorously defend against it.


As of the date of this prospectus, the Sponsor does not expect the foregoing proceedings to have a material adverse effect on the Trust’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

The Sponsor and/or the Trust may be subject to additional legal proceedings and disputes in the future.

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Key Personnel of the Sponsor

The Trust does not have any directors, officers or employees. Under the Trust Agreement, all management functions of the Trust have been delegated to and are conducted by the Sponsor, its agents and its affiliates, including without limitation, the Custodian and its agents. As officers of the Sponsor, Peter Mintzberg, the principal executive officer of the Sponsor, and Edward McGee, the principal financial and accounting officer of the Sponsor, may take certain actions and execute certain agreements and certifications for the Trust, in their capacity as the principal officers of the Sponsor.

As of and prior to December 31, 2024, GSI had a board of directors that was responsible for managing and directing the affairs of the Sponsor. From and after January 1, 2025, GSO Intermediate Holdings Corporation (“GSOIH”), a Delaware corporation formed in connection with the Reorganization, which is the sole managing member of GSO and an indirect subsidiary of DCG, has a board of directors (the “Board”) that is responsible for managing and directing the affairs of the Sponsor. The Board consists of Barry Silbert, Mark Shifke, Matthew Kummell, Mr. Mintzberg, and Mr. McGee. Mr. Mintzberg and Mr. McGee also retain the authority granted to them as officers under the limited liability company agreement of the Sponsor.

The Sponsor has an Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the responsibility for overseeing the financial reporting process of the Trust, including the risks and controls of that process and such other oversight functions as are typically performed by an audit committee of a public company.

The Sponsor has a code of ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) that applies to its executive officers and agents. The Code of Ethics is available by writing the Sponsor at 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902 or calling the Sponsor at (212) 668-1427. The Sponsor’s Code of Ethics is intended to be a codification of the business and ethical principles that guide the Sponsor, and to deter wrongdoing, to promote honest and ethical conduct, to avoid conflicts of interest, and to foster compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, the prompt internal reporting of violations and accountability for adherence to this code.

Prior to January 1, 2025, references to the “Sponsor” in this section refer to GSI, and thereafter refer to GSO or GSIS, as applicable. In connection with the Reorganization, the former Board of GSI was reconstituted at GSOIH. From and after January 1, 2025, any references to the Board in this section refer to the Board of GSOIH.

Barry Silbert, 49, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DCG and has served as chairman of the Board since August 25 (previously served as a director and chairman of the Board from February 2020 through December 2023). Until January 2021, Mr. Silbert was the Chief Executive Officer of the Sponsor. A pioneer in blockchain investing, Mr. Silbert established himself in 2012 as one of the earliest and most active investors in the industry. Mr. Silbert founded DCG in 2015 and today, it is one of the world’s most prolific investors in decentralized technologies, backing over 250 early-stage companies in more than 40 countries. Mr. Silbert founded Yuma, a decentralized AI-focused subsidiary of DCG, where he also serves as CEO. Yuma invests in, builds, and scales the Bittensor network. The Sponsor is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of DCG. DCG also owns Foundry, Fortitude, Luno and Yuma. DCG also invests directly in digital currencies and other digital assets. Prior to leading DCG, Mr. Silbert was the founder and CEO of SecondMarket, a venture-backed technology company that was acquired by Nasdaq. Mr. Silbert has received numerous awards and accolades, including being named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by both Ernst & Young and Crain’s, and being selected to Fortune’s prestigious “40 under 40” list. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mr. Silbert worked as an investment banker. He graduated with honors from the Goizueta Business School of Emory University.

Mark Shifke, 66, is the Chief Financial Officer of DCG and has served as a director of the Sponsor since January 2024. Since March 2021, Mr. Shifke has served on the board of directors of Dock Ltd., a full-stack payments and digital banking platform. Since September 2023, Mr. Shifke has served on the board of directors of Luno, a cryptocurrency platform. Mr. Shifke has nearly four decades of financial and fintech experience, and more than eight years of CFO experience leading two publicly-traded companies. Prior to joining DCG, Mr. Shifke served as CFO of Billtrust, a company focused on providing AR and cloud-based solutions around payments, and as CFO of Green Dot (NYSE: GDOT), a mobile banking company and payments platform. Previously, Mr. Shifke led teams at JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, specializing in M&A Structuring and Advisory, as well as Tax Asset Investments. Mr. Shifke also served as the Head of International Structured Finance Group at KPMG. Mr. Shifke began his career at Davis Polk, where he was a partner. He is a graduate of Tulane University (B.A./J.D.) and the New York University School of Law (LL.M. in Taxation).



Matthew Kummell, 49, is Senior Vice President of Institutional and Enterprise at the NEAR Foundation and has served as a director of the Sponsor since January 2024. In his role at the NEAR Foundation, Mr. Kummell leads efforts to engage institutional and enterprise businesses with the NEAR Protocol ecosystem. From December 2023 through June 2025, Mr. Kummell served as a member of the board of directors of Foundry, a digital asset mining and staking company. Until November 2023, Mr. Kummell served on the board of directors of CoinDesk, Inc., a digital media, events and information services company. Until January 2012, Mr. Kummell served on the board of directors of Derivix Corporation, a financial services software company. Prior to joining the NEAR Foundation in 2025, Mr. Kummell was Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations at DCG (2021 to 2025). From 2018 to 2021,

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he served as the Head of North America for Citi’s Business Advisory Services team, a strategic consulting group within Citi’s Markets division focused on institutional investor clients. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kummell held strategic and front-office roles at Citadel, Balyasny Asset Management, and S.A.C. Capital Advisors (the predecessor to Point 72 Asset Management). He also worked as a Case Team Leader at Bain & Company in its Boston office. From 2020 to 2025, Mr. Kummell was an Adjunct Professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He holds a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Peter Mintzberg, 57, has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Sponsor and has served as a director of the Sponsor since August 2024. Mr. Mintzberg joins the Sponsor from Goldman Sachs, where he served as Global Head of Strategy for Asset and Wealth Management. Prior, he held several global leadership roles in Strategy, M&A, and Investor Relations at BlackRock, Apollo, OppenheimerFunds, and Invesco. With deep knowledge across a broad base of client types and asset classes, Mr. Mintzberg has over two decades of experience developing and executing strategy and innovating to drive growth. Mr. Mintzberg started his career working at McKinsey & Co. in New York, San Francisco, and São Paulo, focused on the financial services and technology sectors. Mr. Mintzberg was recognized as a Latino leader in Finance by The Alumni Society in 2018, and was selected as a David Rockefeller Fellow in the 2016-2017 Class by the Partnership for New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Universidade Federal Rio de Janeiro, and an MBA from Harvard University.

Edward McGee, 41, has been the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor since January 2022 and has served as a director of the Sponsor since January 2024. Before serving as CFO, Mr. McGee was Vice President, Finance and Controller of the Sponsor since June 2019. Prior to taking on his role at the Sponsor, Mr. McGee served as a Vice President, Accounting Policy at Goldman, Sachs & Co. providing coverage to their SEC Financial Reporting team facilitating the preparation and review of their financial statements and provided U.S. GAAP interpretation, application and policy development while servicing their Special Situations Group, Merchant Banking Division and Urban Investments Group from 2014 to 2019. From 2011 to 2014, Mr. McGee was an auditor at Ernst & Young providing assurance services to publicly listed companies. Mr. McGee earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the John H. Sykes College of Business at the University of Tampa and graduated with honors while earning his Master of Accountancy in Financial Accounting from the Rutgers Business School at the State University of New Jersey. Mr. McGee is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of New York.

 

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General

The Sponsor has not established formal procedures to resolve all potential conflicts of interest. Consequently, shareholders may be dependent on the good faith of the respective parties subject to such conflicts to resolve them equitably. Although the Sponsor attempts to monitor these conflicts, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the Sponsor to ensure that these conflicts do not, in fact, result in adverse consequences to the Trust.

The Sponsor presently intends to assert that shareholders have, by subscribing for Shares of the Trust, consented to the following conflicts of interest in the event of any proceeding alleging that such conflicts violated any duty owed by the Sponsor to investors.

Digital Currency Group, Inc.

Digital Currency Group, Inc. is (i) the sole equity holder and indirect parent company of the Sponsor and (ii) a minority interest holder in Kraken, one of the Digital Asset Trading Platforms included in the Index, representing less than 1.0% of its equity.

Digital Currency Group, Inc. has investments in a large number of digital assets and companies involved in the digital asset ecosystem, including trading platforms and custodians. Digital Currency Group, Inc.’s positions on changes that should be adopted in the Solana Network could be adverse to positions that would benefit the Trust or its shareholders. Additionally, before or after a hard fork, Digital Currency Group, Inc.’s position regarding which fork among a group of incompatible forks of the Solana Network should be considered the “true” Solana Network, could be adverse to positions that would most benefit the Trust.

The Sponsor

The Sponsor has a conflict of interest in allocating its own limited resources among, when applicable, different clients and potential future business ventures, to each of which it owes fiduciary duties. Additionally, the professional staff of the Sponsor also services other affiliates of the Trust, including several other digital asset investment vehicles, and their respective clients. Although the Sponsor and its professional staff cannot and will not devote all of its or their respective time or resources to the management of the affairs of the Trust, the Sponsor intends to devote, and to cause its professional staff to devote, sufficient time and resources to manage properly the affairs of the Trust consistent with its or their respective fiduciary duties to the Trust and others.

The Sponsor and Grayscale Securities are affiliates of each other, and the Sponsor may engage other affiliated service providers in the future. Because of the Sponsor’s affiliated status, it may be disincentivized from replacing affiliated service providers. In connection with this conflict of interest, shareholders should understand that affiliated service providers will receive fees for providing services to the Trust. Clients of the affiliated service providers may pay commissions at negotiated rates which are greater or less than the rate paid by the Trust.

The Sponsor and any affiliated service provider may, from time to time, have conflicting demands in respect of their obligations to the Trust and, in the future, to other clients. It is possible that future business ventures of the Sponsor and affiliated service providers may generate larger fees, resulting in increased payments to employees, and therefore, incentivizing the Sponsor and/or the affiliated service providers to allocate its/their limited resources accordingly to the potential detriment of the Trust.

There is an absence of arm’s length negotiation with respect to some of the terms of the Trust, and, where applicable, there has been no independent due diligence conducted with respect to the Trust. The Sponsor will, however, not retain any affiliated service providers for the Trust which the Sponsor has reason to believe would knowingly or deliberately favor any other client over the Trust.

Authorized Participants

Effective , the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, and the Transfer Agent entered into Participant Agreements with , and , pursuant to which such entities have agreed to act as Authorized Participants. The Sponsor may engage additional Authorized Participants who are unaffiliated with the Trust in the future.

Proprietary Trading/Other Clients

Because the officers of the Sponsor may trade SOL for their own personal trading accounts (subject to certain internal trading policies and procedures) at the same time as they are managing the account of the Trust, the activities of the officers of the Sponsor, subject to their fiduciary duties, may, from time-to-time, result in their taking positions in their personal trading accounts which are opposite of the positions taken for the Trust. Records of the Sponsor’s officers’ personal trading accounts will not be available for inspection by shareholders.

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Description of the Shares

The Trust is authorized under the Trust Agreement to create and issue an unlimited number of Shares. Shares will be issued only in Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 10,000 Shares) in connection with creations. The Shares represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust and have no par value. The Shares are currently quoted on OTCQX under the ticker symbol “GSOL” and following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the Shares are expected to be listed on NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “GSOL”.

Description of Limited Rights

The Shares do not represent a traditional investment and should not be viewed as similar to “shares” of a corporation operating a business enterprise with management and a board of directors. A shareholder will not have the statutory rights normally associated with the ownership of shares of a corporation. Each Share is transferable, is fully paid and non-assessable and entitles the holder to vote on the limited matters upon which shareholders may vote under the Trust Agreement. For example, shareholders do not have the right to elect or remove directors and will not receive dividends. The Shares do not entitle their holders to any conversion or pre-emptive rights or, except as discussed below, any redemption rights or rights to distributions.

Voting and Approvals

The shareholders take no part in the management or control of the Trust. Under the Trust Agreement, shareholders have limited voting rights. For example, in the event that the Sponsor withdraws, a majority of the shareholders may elect and appoint a successor sponsor to carry out the affairs of the Trust. The Sponsor is also permitted to make certain restatements, amendments or supplements to the Trust Agreement that would materially adversely affect the interests of the shareholders as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion with a 20-day notice to shareholders. Additionally, the Sponsor is permitted to make certain restatements, amendments or supplements to the Trust Agreement that could adversely affect the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but only if certain conditions set forth in the amendments relating to the qualification of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes are satisfied. Furthermore, subject to certain limitations, the Sponsor may make any other amendments to the Trust Agreement which do not materially adversely affect the interests of the shareholders in its sole discretion without shareholder consent.

Distributions

Pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, the Trust may make distributions on the Shares in-cash or in-kind. In addition, if the Trust is terminated and liquidated, the Sponsor will distribute to the shareholders any amounts of the cash proceeds of the liquidation remaining after the satisfaction of all outstanding liabilities of the Trust and the establishment of reserves for applicable taxes, other governmental charges and contingent or future liabilities as the Sponsor will determine. See “—Description of the Trust Agreement—Termination of the Trust.” Shareholders of record on the record date fixed by the Transfer Agent for a distribution will be entitled to receive their pro rata portions of any distribution.

Creation of Shares

The Trust creates Shares at such times and for such periods as determined by the Sponsor, but only in one or more whole Baskets. A Basket equals 10,000 Shares. See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.” The creation of a Basket requires the delivery to the Trust of the amount of SOL (or cash to acquire the amount of SOL) represented by one Share immediately prior to such creation multiplied by 10,000. The Trust may from time to time halt creations, including for extended periods of time, for a variety of reasons, including in connection with forks, airdrops and other similar occurrences.

Redemption of Shares

Shares are redeemable only in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement and the relevant Participant Agreement. Through its redemption program, the Trust redeems Shares from Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis. Although the Trust redeems Baskets by distributing SOL or proceeds from the disposition of SOL, at this time an Authorized Participant can only submit Cash Orders, pursuant to which an Authorized Participant will accept cash from the Cash Account in connection with the redemption of Baskets. Cash Orders will be facilitated by the Transfer Agent and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, which will engage one or more Liquidity Providers that is not an agent of, or otherwise acting on behalf of, any Authorized Participant receiving SOL in connection with such orders. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future the Trust may also redeem Baskets via In-Kind Orders, pursuant to which an Authorized Participant or its AP Designee would receive SOL directly from the Trust. However, because In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained, at this time Baskets will not be redeemed through In-Kind Orders and will only be redeemed through Cash Orders. See “Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares.”

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Staking

The Trust Agreement provides that the Trust may engage in Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied. Subject to the Staking Condition being satisfied and subject to compliance with any additional requirements that may arise in connection with satisfaction of the Staking Condition, in the future the Sponsor may cause the Trust to stake a portion of its SOL holdings on the proof-of-stake validation mechanism of the Solana Network to receive Staking Consideration.

As of the date of this prospectus, the Staking Condition has not been met for the Trust, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Staking Condition will be met for the Trust in the future. As such, the Trust currently is prohibited from engaging in Staking, and there can be no assurance that the Trust will be permitted to engage in Staking in the future. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Staking—The Trust will not be permitted to engage in Staking unless (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition is satisfied in addition to the Trust satisfying any additional requirements that may arise in connection with the satisfaction of the Staking Condition, which could negatively affect the value of the Shares.”

Staking Arrangements and Provider-Facilitated Staking Model

If and when the Staking Condition is satisfied, the Sponsor anticipates that the Trust will enter into written arrangements (the “Staking Arrangements”) with the Custodian and either directly or indirectly through the Custodian, one or more third party staking providers (each, a “Staking Provider”), which may be affiliates of the Custodian or other trusted institutional validators, to stake the Trust’s SOL to a Staking Provider’s validator software and associated hardware (“Provider-Facilitated Staking”). The Sponsor anticipates that the Trust’s SOL will be staked exclusively by means of Provider-Facilitated Staking.

The Staking Provider will be the node operator and will be obligated to operate the validator through which the Trust’s SOL is staked to ensure that validation occurs. The Trust’s SOL would be staked directly from the Trust’s wallets administered by the Custodian and perform any related validation activities. The Trust will retain control of its staked SOL because (1) the staked SOL will remain in the Trust’s wallet administered by the Custodian (rather than transferred to a wallet address controlled by the Staking Provider) and (2) the Trust (rather than the Staking Provider) will retain the ability through the Custodian to un-stake its SOL from the applicable smart contracts. Because staked SOL will remain in the Trust wallet administered by the Custodian, even when staked, the Trust’s SOL will not be commingled with the SOL of any other SOL holder in connection with Staking, such as the Staking Provider or others who stake to the Staking Provider, despite the Trust delegating its validation rights to the Staking Provider, which may be in receipt of other SOL holders’ validation rights. The Trust will not itself undertake any validation activities, and the Sponsor will not be required to perform any services. Moreover, the Sponsor will not be required to make any decisions or take any actions, other than (i) selecting the Staking Provider(s) and entering into the corresponding Staking Arrangement(s), and (ii) determining, from time to time, what portion of the Trust’s SOL tokens to stake and un-stake, and informing the Staking Provider(s) of those determinations.

The Sponsor anticipates that it will engage in staking with respect to all of the Trust’s SOL at all times, except (i) as necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, (ii) as necessary to pay any additional Trust expenses, (iii) as necessary to satisfy existing and reasonably foreseen potential redemption requests (assuming the Trust is then permitted to operate an ongoing redemption program) as determined by the Sponsor, (iv) as necessary to reduce the SOL obtained by the Trust as Staking Consideration to cash for distribution at regular intervals, (v) if the Sponsor determines that Staking raises significant governmental, policy or regulatory concerns or is subject or likely subject to a specialized regulatory regime, (vi) if the Sponsor determines there exists vulnerabilities in the source code or cryptography underlying the Solana Network, (vii) if the Custodian or Staking Provider discontinues their arrangements with the Trust, (viii) if the Sponsor otherwise determines that continued Staking of such portion of the Trust’s assets would be inconsistent with the Trust’s purpose of protecting and preserving the value of the Trust Estate, (ix) to fund or replenish the Liquidity Sleeve or (x) in accordance with any other exception that is expressly contemplated by an opinion, ruling or tax guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition. All SOL received by the Trust in connection with the creation of new Shares, or as Staking Consideration, would also be staked upon receipt by the Trust, unless one or more of the exceptions described in clauses (i)-(ix) above applies. Moreover, any staked SOL which must be un-staked in order to fulfill a distribution in connection with a redemption (to the extent such distribution cannot be fulfilled utilizing the portion of the Trust’s SOL that has not been staked, or through another mechanism to manage liquidity in connection with Redemption Orders contemplated by an opinion of a Tax Advisor, a Tax Ruling or Tax Guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition) will be un-staked only after the redemption request is approved by the Trust, the Sponsor executes an un-stake or withdrawal transaction through the Custodian, and such transaction is processed by the Solana Network. The Staking Provider will not be able to transfer unstaked SOL or Staking Consideration to another address on the Solana Network. As of the date of this filing, and subject to the satisfaction of the Staking Condition, the Sponsor expects that it will stake up to approximately 85% of the Trust’s SOL at all times, with the remainder of the Trust’s SOL remaining unstaked in order to address the various exceptions and other considerations described herein. The approximate percentage of the Trust’s SOL that is staked each day will be reported the following day at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol.

In addition, the Trust expects to enter into short-term financing arrangements with its Custodian to provide SOL to the Trust for

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settlement of trades with the Trust’s Liquidity Provider(s), if necessary. Under this arrangement, the Custodian will deliver unstaked SOL to the applicable Liquidity Provider on the Trust’s behalf while the Trust’s staked SOL undergoes the Solana protocol unstaking process. The Custodian will take ownership of a corresponding quantity of the Trust’s SOL as unstaking is completed (or if the Trust otherwise receives unstaked SOL via a creation order) to cover the Trust’s borrowed position. Any costs associated with financing will be borne by the Authorized Participant. Under a similar model, the Trust expects to enter into short-term financing arrangements with one or more of its Liquidity Provider(s) under which such Liquidity Provider(s) will provide cash on behalf of the Trust for settlement of trades in the ordinary course, while the Trust’s staked SOL undergoes the Solana protocol unstaking process. Under this arrangement, the Trust will deliver SOL to such Liquidity Provider(s) as soon as the unstaked SOL (or unstaked SOL via a creation order) becomes available to cover the Trust’s borrowed cash position. Any costs associated with financing will be borne by the Authorized Participant. These liquidity risk policies and procedures are intended to be consistent with NYSE Arca’s proposed generic listing standards.

Under the Staking Arrangements, any Staking Consideration earned will accrue automatically on a periodic basis by the Solana Network to the Trust’s wallets administered by the Custodian. Periodically, the Trust will either (i) distribute SOL received as Staking Consideration to the Trust’s beneficiaries (likely using a liquidating agent), (ii) sell that SOL for cash and distribute the proceeds to the Trust’s beneficiaries, (iii) retain the SOL in the Trust, (iv) pay a portion of the Staking Consideration to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor's Staking Portion”) as partial consideration for its facilitation of the Staking Arrangements or (v) a combination of the foregoing, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement and the listing of the Shares on NYSE Arca and before engaging in Staking, the Sponsor expects to implement a Staking Policy with respect to the Trust, which describes the frequency of, and conditions under which the Trust will make such distributions, if any, to the Trust’s beneficiaries. The Sponsor will make such Staking Policy available to shareholders on the Sponsor’s website. Subject to any slashing risk, the Trust (through the Custodian) will maintain control and remain the record and beneficial owner of the staked tokens at all times, and the tokens will remain associated with the Trust’s wallet.



The Staking Arrangements are expected to generally be on market terms, consistent with those typically offered by leading digital asset firms that offer staking functionality. Both the Custodian and the Staking Provider may be entitled to receive a portion of the staking rewards; the total amount for both parties is expected to range between approximately 5% and 10% of the gross staking rewards earned, payable out of the Staking Consideration that would otherwise be earned by the Trust. The portion of the Staking Consideration received by the Trust will be net of any portions of the Staking Consideration payable to the Custodian and the Staking Provider. This range reflects prevailing market conditions and depends on the specific commercial arrangements negotiated with each party. However, the Trust will negotiate certain provisions between the Trust and the Custodian as well as between the Custodian and the Staking Provider as necessary or helpful to preserve the Trust’s status as a grantor trust and the security of the Trust’s SOL, as well as to address governmental, policy or regulatory concerns. For example, unlike certain digital asset firms that offer staking functionality through which a customer’s SOL is pooled with that of other customers (including, potentially, the Staking Provider in its general staking offerings), the Staking Arrangements would not permit the Trust’s SOL to be pooled with that of other SOL holders, including the Staking Provider or others who stake to Staking Provider, as described above. In addition, the Staking Provider’s compensation is expected to be an agreed percentage of block rewards and transaction fees generated by the validating activities, unlike certain alternative staking arrangements under which a staking provider may be compensated as an agreed percentage of SOL staked. In addition, the Sponsor may be entitled to receive a fee in the form of the Sponsor’s Staking Portion in connection with the Staking Arrangements, payable out of the Staking Consideration that would otherwise be earned by the Trust.

The Trust will have no right to direct the Staking Provider in the conduct of validation activities, except to stake, un-stake and withdraw its staked SOL pursuant to instructions delivered to the Custodian, and will not bear any expenses incurred by the Staking Provider in conducting those activities. In particular, the amount of any Staking Consideration that the Trust receives will not be determined with reference to any expenses incurred by the Custodian or the Staking Provider. The Staking Arrangements will not include any obligation of the Trust to continue staking its SOL, or for the Custodian or the Staking Provider to continue the Staking Arrangements, other than to the extent the Trust’s SOL cannot immediately be un-staked due to requirements of the Solana protocol. There may also be instances where the Staking Provider may pause or terminate its staking validation due to its own independent assessment of the vulnerabilities of the Solana Network which would result in the Trust’s SOL not being staked for a period of time. The Sponsor anticipates that the Solana protocol and the Staking Arrangements will permit withdrawal of staked SOL at regular intervals. The Sponsor believes that market practice for Provider-Facilitated Staking arrangements has largely become standardized, with little variation in terms, and therefore, the Sponsor anticipates that the Staking Arrangements will generally align with the current practice of Staking Providers’ other arrangements. Accordingly, and because transitioning to a new Staking Provider may involve friction costs, the Sponsor does not expect the Trust to change Staking Providers frequently, if at all. In addition, while the Trust may enter into Staking Arrangements with multiple Staking Providers, the Sponsor anticipates that any such arrangements would be substantively identical in all material respects to the Staking Arrangements described in this prospectus, including, for the avoidance of doubt, the bespoke terms of the Staking Arrangements outlined above. Any material deviation from the Staking Arrangements as described in this prospectus would be disclosed in the Trust’s subsequent filings with the Commission.

The Staking Arrangements will not involve a disposition of the Trust’s SOL unless the Staking Provider commits a slash-worthy

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offense. Currently on the Solana Network, slashing generally operates by social consensus, rather than being automatically applied by the protocol’s code. The Solana community generally aspires to slash 100% of staked assets in cases where a Solana node is maliciously trying to violate safety rules and 0% during routine operations. As a result, there is currently no automatic slashing in the Solana Network. Rather, for regular consensus, after a safety violation, the Solana Network will halt. The validators will analyze the data prior to the halt to determine who was responsible and propose that the stake of the malicious actors responsible for the safety violation should be slashed after restart, typically 100% of their stake. Future protocol upgrades may include the implementation of automated slashing mechanisms, where penalties would be triggered and enforced directly by the network code without requiring social coordination. As of July 2025, there have been no slashing events on the Solana Network. In light of the mechanical and standardized nature of validation activities, the Sponsor does not anticipate that the Staking Provider, which is expected to be an institution of recognized and trusted standing in the digital asset marketplace, with whom the Sponsor has had extensive prior interaction, will commit any slash-worthy offenses in the conduct of the Provider-Facilitated Staking activities. While the Trust generally bears the risk of slashing if the Staking Provider were to commit a slash-worthy offense while the Trust’s SOL is staked, the Trust expects that the Staking Arrangements will include contractual commitments from the Staking Provider to the effect that, if any of the Trust’s SOL is slashed, the Staking Provider will (i) provide prompt notice to the Sponsor and (ii) deliver replacement SOL to the Sponsor up to a cap (the “indemnity cap”). The Sponsor will have the right to direct the Custodian to cease staking the Trust’s SOL with the Staking Provider at any time, subject to the extent the Trust’s SOL cannot immediately be un-staked due to technical considerations, and the Sponsor expects that notice of any slashing event will be timely and permit the Sponsor to halt the staking of the Trust’s SOL before the indemnity cap is reached, thereby mitigating the risk of permanent loss of the Trust’s SOL without replacement.

Security and Controls

The Trust’s Custodian has multiple layers of security protocols designed to protect the Trust’s assets from unauthorized access or transfer, which will remain in place when the Trust’s SOL is staked.

The Trust’s SOL will be staked directly from the Trust’s wallets and will not be transferred to any other wallet to be staked. The Solana protocol (a) mandates that the executor of the staking transaction (i.e., the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust) can execute the withdraw function at any time through the Trust’s wallets administered by the Custodian and (b) limits the activities of the Staking Provider to executing only those activities specified by the protocol, such as staking, un-staking and performing validation activities. Accordingly, the Staking Provider will not have any control over the Trust’s staked SOL other than to stake or un-stake SOL at the direction of the Sponsor. In particular, the Staking Provider will not be authorized to leverage or rehypothecate the Trust’s SOL tokens. The Staking Provider will also not be able to change the designated wallet addresses on the Solana Network to which staked SOL is to be withdrawn or to which Staking Consideration shall be sent.

In addition, the proposed Staking Arrangements will not alter the Trust’s current custody environment or security procedures. The Sponsor expects that the Staking Arrangements will serve as an addendum to the Custodial Services Agreement between the Trust and the Custodian, and the controls currently in place between the Sponsor and the Custodian will also govern the activities related to staking and un-staking SOL, as outlined in the Staking Arrangements. These controls and procedures include:

Private Key Management (“Shards”): The Custodian manages SOL for the Trust using offline storage, or cold storage, which means that the keys to the Trust’s SOL are disconnected and/or deleted entirely from the internet. Transfers from the Trust’s wallet require compliance with certain security procedures that will remain in place when the Trust’s SOL is staked, including but not limited to, multiple encrypted private key “shards,” usernames, passwords and 2-step verification. Multiple private key shards held by the Custodian must be combined to reconstitute the private key to sign any transaction and transfer the Trust’s assets. Private key shards are distributed geographically in secure vaults around the world, including in the United States. The Custodian’s system architecture requires the involvement of the Sponsor to reconstruct the private keys and access the Trust’s assets, and it is not possible for the Custodian’s employees to access the Trust’s assets without the Sponsor’s involvement and approval. This architecture is part of the Custodian’s service organizational controls (“SOC”) Type I and Type II reports, which are authored by leading assurance providers to confirm to the Custodian’s clients that the Custodian is compliant with a variety of security and reporting standards, and which are delivered to the Sponsor for review on an annual basis.
General Controls on the Custodian’s Custody Environment: Data related to transaction activity executed on the Custodian’s platform is backed-up and saved to both an alternative location (besides the primary location) and to a “Disaster Recovery” Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) Account to enable recoverability in an event one of the regions becomes unavailable. Authentication requirements for the Custodian’s platform are restricted through two-factor authentication and encrypted network protocols, among others.
User Entity Controls: In addition to security controls in place at the Custodian, the Sponsor expects to implement

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additional controls and procedures, including, but not limited to, (i) reviewing the Custodian’s SOC report to ensure private key management and other general controls are consistently applied and operating without exceptions, (ii) periodically reviewing Sponsor team members’ access to the custodial wallet environment to ensure appropriateness, and (iii) reviewing the Custodian’s third party management control.

The Sponsor also reviews the SOC report for one of the key sub-service providers, AWS, including specifically sections related to availability, security and confidentiality. Under its third party risk management framework, the Sponsor also performs other ongoing monitoring of the Custodian, including the completion of an assessment of the Custodian’s cybersecurity controls. In addition, the Sponsor expects to screen all eligible Staking Providers in a manner consistent with its practices in screening eligible custodians, including, but not limited to, by (i) conducting initial and, thereafter, annual reviews of the Staking Provider’s SOC report to assess controls relevant to the staking services environment, (ii) conducting initial and, thereafter, annual reviews of the SOC reports of the Staking Provider’s cloud-based infrastructure service provider (for example, AWS) covering availability, security and confidentiality principles to ensure necessary controls governing continued service and “uptime” (i.e., the ratio of signatures provided by the Staking Provider to the total number of signatures it should have provided during a given time period), (iii) reviewing authority levels and access rights within the Staking Provider’s staking services environment, and (iv) performing other ongoing diligence procedures, including periodic assessments of the Staking Provider’s cybersecurity policies and controls, monitoring the Staking Provider’s online environment for major security events and periodic discussions with the Staking Provider’s client-facing teams regarding new company initiatives.

See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to Staking.”

Book-Entry Form

Shares are held primarily in book-entry form by the Transfer Agent. The Sponsor or its delegate will direct the Transfer Agent to credit or debit, as applicable, the number of Baskets to the applicable Authorized Participant. The Transfer Agent will issue or cancel Baskets, as applicable. Transfers will be made in accordance with standard securities industry practice. The Sponsor may cause the Trust to issue Shares in certificated form in limited circumstances in its sole discretion.

Share Splits

In its discretion, the Sponsor may direct the Transfer Agent to declare a split or reverse split in the number of Shares outstanding and to make a corresponding change in the number of Shares constituting a Basket. For example, if the Sponsor believes that the per Share price in the secondary market for Shares has risen or fallen outside a desirable trading price range, it may declare such a split or reverse split.

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Description of Creation and Redemption of Shares

The following is a description of the material terms of the Trust Documents as they relate to the creation and redemption of the Trust’s Shares on an ongoing basis.

General

The Trust issues Shares to and redeems Shares from Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis, but only in one or more Baskets (with a Basket being a block of 10,000 Shares). The Trust will not issue fractions of a Basket. The Sponsor believes that the creation and redemption order size of 10,000 Shares will enable Authorized Participants to manage inventory and facilitate an effective arbitrage mechanism for the Trust. However, the Sponsor may in the future adjust the creation and redemption order size in order to improve the effectiveness of the activities of Authorized Participants in the secondary market for the Shares if the Sponsor determines it to be necessary or advisable. The Sponsor does not expect that the size of the Baskets will have an impact on the arbitrage mechanism.

The creation and redemption of Baskets will be made only upon the delivery to the Trust, or the distribution or other disposition by the Trust, of the number of whole and fractional SOL represented by each Basket being created or redeemed, which is determined by dividing (x) the amount of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the trade date of a creation or redemption order, after deducting the amount of SOL representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (converted using the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one SOL (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 10,000 (the “Basket Amount”). The U.S. dollar value of a Basket is calculated by multiplying the Basket Amount by the Index Price as of the trade date (the “Basket NAV”). The Basket NAV multiplied by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed is referred to as the “Total Basket NAV.” All questions as to the calculation of the Basket Amount will be conclusively determined by the Sponsor and will be final and binding on all persons interested in the Trust. One or more major market data vendors may provide an intra-day indicative value (“IIV”) per Share updated every 15 seconds, as calculated by NYSE Arca or a third-party financial data provider during NYSE Arca’s Core Trading Session (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., New York time). Such IIV will be calculated using the same methodology as the NAV per Share of the Trust, specifically by using the prior day’s closing NAV per Share as a base and updating that value during the NYSE Arca Core Trading Session to reflect changes in the value of the Trust’s NAV during the trading day. The IIV on a per Share basis disseminated during the Core Trading Session should not be viewed as a real-time update of the NAV, which is calculated once a day. The amount of SOL represented by a Share will gradually decrease over time as the Trust’s SOL are used to pay the Trust’s expenses.

Authorized Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Each Authorized Participant must (i) be a registered broker-dealer and (ii) enter into a Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future any Authorized Participants creating and redeeming Shares through In-Kind Orders must also own an SOL wallet address that is known to the Custodian as belonging to the Authorized Participant and maintain an account with the Custodian (or if the Authorized Participant does not itself trade in SOL, a designee of such Authorized Participant (each, an “AP Designee”) must own an SOL wallet address that is known to the Custodian as belonging to such AP Designee and maintain an account with the Custodian).

An Authorized Participant may act for its own account or as agent for broker-dealers, custodians and other securities market participants that wish to create or redeem Baskets. Shareholders who are not Authorized Participants will only be able to create or redeem their Shares through an Authorized Participant.

The creation of Baskets requires the delivery to the Trust of the Total Basket Amount (or cash to acquire the Total Basket Amount) and the redemption of Baskets requires the distribution or other disposition by the Trust of the Total Basket Amount. Although the Trust creates Baskets only upon the receipt of SOL, and redeems Baskets only by distributing SOL or proceeds from the disposition of SOL, at this time an Authorized Participant can only submit Cash Orders, pursuant to which the Authorized Participant will deposit cash into, or accept cash from, a segregated account maintained by the Transfer Agent in the name of the Trust for purposes of receiving and distributing cash in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets (such account, the “Cash Account”).

Cash Orders will be facilitated by the Transfer Agent and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC. On an order-by-order basis, Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, acting in its capacity as Liquidity Engager, will engage one or more Liquidity Providers to obtain or receive SOL in exchange for cash in connection with such order, as described in more detail below. Each Liquidity Provider must enter into a Liquidity Provider Agreement with the Liquidity Engager and the Sponsor (on behalf of the Trust), which will obligate it to obtain or receive SOL in connection with creations and redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders.

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Unless the Sponsor requires that a Cash Order be effected at actual execution prices (an “Actual Execution Cash Order”), each Authorized Participant that submits a Cash Order to create or redeem Baskets will pay a fee (the “Variable Fee”) based on the Total Basket NAV (a “Variable Fee Cash Order”), and any price differential between (x) the Total Basket NAV on the trade date and (y) the price realized in acquiring or disposing of the corresponding Total Basket Amount, as the case may be, will be borne solely by the Liquidity Provider until such SOL have been received or liquidated by the Trust. The Variable Fee is intended to cover all of a Liquidity Provider’s expenses in connection with the creation or redemption order, including any exchange fees that the Liquidity Provider incurs in connection with buying or selling SOL. The amount may be changed by the Sponsor in its sole discretion at any time, and Liquidity Providers will communicate to the Sponsor in advance the Variable Fee they would be willing to accept in connection with a Variable Fee Cash Order, based on market conditions and other factors existing at the time of such Variable Fee Cash Order. See “—Creation Procedures— Variable Fee Cash Orders” and “—Redemption Procedures—Variable Fee Cash Orders.”

Alternatively, the Sponsor may require that a Cash Order be effected as an Actual Execution Cash Order, in its sole discretion based on market conditions and other factors existing at the time of such Cash Order, and under such circumstances, any price differential between (x) the Total Basket NAV on the trade date and (y) the price realized in acquiring or disposing of the corresponding Total Basket Amount, as the case may be, will be borne solely by such Authorized Participant until such SOL have been received or liquidated by the Trust. See “— Creation Procedures—Actual Execution Cash Orders” and “—Redemption Procedures—Actual Execution Cash Orders.”

In the case of creations pursuant to Cash Orders, to transfer the Total Basket Amount to the Trust’s Vault Balance, the Liquidity Provider will transfer SOL to one of the public key addresses associated with the Vault Balance and as provided by the Sponsor. In the case of redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders, the same procedure is conducted, but in reverse, using the public key addresses associated with the wallet of the Liquidity Provider, and as provided by such party. All such transactions will be conducted on the Blockchain and parties acknowledge and agree that such transfers may be irreversible if done incorrectly. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—SOL transactions are irrevocable and stolen or incorrectly transferred SOL may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed SOL transactions could adversely affect the value of the Shares.”

The Trust is not at this time able to create and redeem shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future the Trust may also create and redeem Baskets via In-Kind Orders, pursuant to which an Authorized Participant or its AP Designee would deposit SOL directly with the Trust or receive SOL directly from the Trust. However, because In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained, at this time Baskets will not be created or redeemed through In-Kind Orders and will only be created or redeemed through Cash Orders. There can be no assurance as to when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain such regulatory approval, if at all. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust.”

Authorized Participants do not pay a transaction fee to the Trust in connection with the creation or redemption of Baskets, but there may be transaction fees associated with the validation of the transfer of SOL by the Solana Network, which will be paid by the Custodian in the case of redemptions and an Authorized Participant, its AP Designee or the Liquidity Provider in the case of creations. Service providers may charge Authorized Participants or AP Designees administrative fees for order placement and other services related to the creation of Baskets. As discussed above, Authorized Participants will also pay the Variable Fee in connection with Variable Fee Cash Orders. As discussed in further detail below under “—Creation Procedures—Actual Execution Cash Orders” and “—Redemption Procedures—Actual Execution Cash Orders”, under certain circumstances Authorized Participants may also be required to deposit additional cash in the Cash Account, or be entitled to receive excess cash from the Cash Account, in connection with creations and redemptions pursuant to Actual Execution Cash Orders. Authorized Participants will receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Sponsor or the Trust and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares.

The Participant Agreements and the related procedures attached thereto may be amended by the Sponsor and the relevant Authorized Participant. Under the Participant Agreements, the Sponsor has agreed to indemnify each Authorized Participant against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

The following description of the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets is only a summary and shareholders should refer to the relevant provisions of the Trust Agreement and the form of Participant Agreement for more detail.

Creation Procedures

On any business day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Transfer Agent to create one or more Baskets. Cash Orders for creation must be placed with the Transfer Agent no later than 1:59:59 p.m., New York time (the “Order Cutoff Time”).

The Sponsor may in its sole discretion limit the number of Shares created pursuant to Cash Orders on any specified day without notice to the Authorized Participants and may direct the Marketing Agent to reject any Cash Orders in excess of such capped amount. In exercising its discretion to limit the number of Shares created pursuant to Cash Orders, the Sponsor expects to take into consideration a number of factors, including (i) the availability of Liquidity Providers to facilitate Cash Orders and (ii) to the extent

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In-Kind Regulatory Approval has been obtained, the cost of processing Cash Orders relative to the cost of processing In-Kind Orders. If the Sponsor decides to limit Cash Orders and the Trust is otherwise unable to satisfy creation orders made in cash, the Trust’s ability to create new Shares could be negatively impacted or, if In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained as of such time, would be unavailable, which could impact the Shares’ liquidity and/or cause the Shares to trade at premiums to the NAV per Share, and otherwise have a negative impact on the value of the Shares. In addition, if the Sponsor decides to limit Cash Orders at a time when the Shares are trading at a premium to the NAV per Share, and In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained as of such time or the in-kind creation is otherwise unavailable for any reason, the arbitrage mechanism may fail to effectively function, which could impact the Shares’ liquidity and/or cause the Shares to trade at premiums to the NAV per Share, and otherwise have a negative impact on the value of the Shares. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust.”

Creations pursuant to Cash Orders will take place as follows, where “T” is the trade date and each day in the sequence must be a business day. Before a creation order is placed, the Sponsor determines if such creation order will be a Variable Fee Cash Order or an Actual Execution Cash Order, which determination is communicated to an Authorized Participant.

 

Trade Date (T)

Settlement Date

(T+1, or T+2, as established at the time of order placement)

The Authorized Participant places a creation order with the Transfer Agent.
The Marketing Agent accepts (or rejects) the creation order, which is communicated to the Authorized Participant by the Transfer Agent.
The Sponsor notifies the Liquidity Provider of the creation order.
The Sponsor determines the Total Basket NAV and any Variable Fee and Additional Creation Cash as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m., New York time.
The Authorized Participant delivers to the Cash Account:

(x) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV, plus any Variable Fee; or

(y) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV, plus any Additional Creation Cash, less any Excess Creation Cash, if applicable (such amount, as applicable, the “Required Creation Cash”).

The Liquidity Provider transfers the Total Basket Amount to the Trust’s Vault Balance.
Once the Trust is in simultaneous possession of (x) the Total Basket Amount and (y) the Required Creation Cash, the Trust issues the aggregate number of Shares corresponding to the Baskets ordered by the Authorized Participant, which the Transfer Agent holds for the benefit of the Authorized Participant.
Cash equal to the Required Creation Cash is delivered to the Liquidity Provider from the Cash Account.
The Transfer Agent delivers Shares to the Authorized Participant by crediting the number of Baskets created to the Authorized Participant’s DTC account.

 

Variable Fee Cash Orders

Unless the Sponsor determines otherwise in its sole discretion based on market conditions and other factors existing at the time of such Cash Order, all creations pursuant to Cash Orders are expected to be executed as Variable Fee Cash Orders, and any price differential between (x) the Total Basket NAV on the trade date and (y) the price realized in acquiring the corresponding Total Basket Amount will be borne solely by the Liquidity Provider until such SOL have been received by the Trust.

The Sponsor anticipates that the Trust’s cost to acquire the Total Basket Amount in connection with a Variable Fee Cash Order will equal the sum of the corresponding Total Basket NAV and Variable Fee to be delivered by the Authorized Participant to the Trust. In the event that, by 12:00 p.m., New York time on the settlement date of a creation pursuant to a Variable Fee Cash Order, either (x) the Trust’s Vault Balance has not been credited with SOL in an amount equal to the Total Basket Amount or (y) the Cash Account has not been credited with the Total Basket NAV, plus any Variable Fee, such Cash Order will be deemed a failed trade, with any consideration that has been delivered by the Authorized Participant or the Liquidity Provider in respect of such Cash Order being returned by the Trust.

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The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances cause the Trust to issue Shares in respect of a Variable Fee Cash Order until such time as each of (x) the Total Basket Amount and (y) the Total Basket NAV, plus any Variable Fee, has been delivered to the Trust, and the Trust is in simultaneous possession of both.

Actual Execution Cash Orders

With respect to a creation pursuant to an Actual Execution Cash Order, as between the Trust and an Authorized Participant, the Authorized Participant is responsible for the dollar cost of the difference between the SOL price utilized in calculating Total Basket NAV on the trade date and the price at which the Trust acquires the SOL on the settlement date. If the price realized in acquiring the corresponding Total Basket Amount is higher than the Total Basket NAV, the Authorized Participant will bear the dollar cost of such difference by delivering cash in the amount of such difference (the “Additional Creation Cash”) to the Cash Account. If the price realized in acquiring the corresponding Total Basket Amount is lower than the Total Basket NAV, the Authorized Participant will benefit from such difference, with the Trust promptly returning cash in the amount of such excess (the “Excess Creation Cash”) to the Authorized Participant.

In the event that, by 12:00 p.m., New York time on the settlement date of a creation pursuant to an Actual Execution Cash Order, either (x) the Trust’s Vault Balance has not been credited with SOL in an amount equal to the Total Basket Amount or (y) the Cash Account has not been credited with the Total Basket NAV (net of any Additional Creation Cash or Excess Creation Cash, if applicable), such Cash Order will be deemed a failed trade, with any consideration that has been delivered by the Authorized Participant or the Liquidity Provider in respect of such Cash Order being returned by the Trust.

The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances cause the Trust to issue Shares in respect of a Cash Order until such time as each of (x) the Total Basket Amount and (y) the Total Basket NAV (net of any Additional Creation Cash or Excess Creation Cash, if applicable) has been delivered to the Trust, and the Trust is in simultaneous possession of both.

Redemption Procedures

The procedures by which an Authorized Participant can redeem one or more Baskets mirror the procedures for the creation of Baskets. On any business day, an Authorized Participant may place a redemption order specifying the number of Baskets to be redeemed.

The redemption of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders will only take place if approved by the Sponsor in writing, in its sole discretion and on a case-by-case basis. In exercising its discretion to approve the redemption of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders, the Sponsor expects to take into consideration a number of factors, including (i) the availability of Liquidity Providers to facilitate Cash Orders and (ii) to the extent In-Kind Regulatory Approval has been obtained, the cost of processing Cash Orders relative to the cost of processing In-Kind Orders. If the Sponsor decides to limit Cash Orders and the Trust is unable to satisfy redemption orders made in cash, the Trust’s ability to redeem new Shares could be negatively impacted or, if In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained as of such time, would be unavailable, which could impact the Shares’ liquidity and/or cause the Shares to trade at discounts, and could have a negative impact on the value of the Shares. In addition, if the Sponsor decides to limit Cash Orders at a time when the Shares are trading at a discount to the NAV per Share, and In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained as of such time or the in-kind redemption of Shares is otherwise unavailable, the arbitrage mechanism may fail to effectively function, which could impact the Shares’ liquidity and/or cause the Shares to trade at discounts to the NAV per Share, and otherwise have a negative impact on the value of the Shares. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares—The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust.”

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Cash Orders for redemption must be placed no later than 1:59:59 p.m., New York time on each business day. The Authorized Participants may only redeem Baskets and cannot redeem any Shares in an amount less than a Basket.

Redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders will take place as follows, where “T” is the trade date and each day in the sequence must be a business day. Before a redemption order is placed, the Sponsor determines if such redemption order will be a Variable Fee Cash Order or an Actual Execution Cash Order, which determination is communicated to the Authorized Participant.

 

Trade Date (T)

Settlement Date

(T+1, or T+2, as established at the time of order placement)

The Authorized Participant places a redemption order with the Transfer Agent.
The Marketing Agent accepts (or rejects) the redemption order, which is communicated to the Authorized Participant by the Transfer Agent.
The Sponsor notifies the Liquidity Provider of the redemption order.
The Sponsor determines the Total Basket NAV and, in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, any Variable Fee, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m., New York time.
The Authorized Participant delivers Baskets to be redeemed from its DTC account to the Transfer Agent.
The Liquidity Provider delivers to the Cash Account:

(x) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or

(y) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the actual proceeds to the Trust from the liquidation of the Total Basket Amount (such amount, as applicable, the “Required Redemption Cash”).

Once the Trust is in simultaneous possession of (x) the Total Basket Amount and (y) the Required Redemption Cash, the Transfer Agent cancels the Shares comprising the number of Baskets redeemed by the Authorized Participant.
The Custodian sends the Liquidity Provider the Total Basket Amount, and cash equal to the Required Redemption Cash is delivered to the Authorized Participant from the Cash Account.

 

Variable Fee Cash Orders

Unless the Sponsor determines otherwise in its sole discretion based on market conditions and other factors existing at the time of such Cash Order, all redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders are expected to be executed as Variable Fee Cash Orders, and any price differential between (x) the Total Basket NAV on the trade date and (y) the price realized in disposing of the corresponding Total Basket Amount will be borne solely by the Liquidity Provider.

The Sponsor anticipates that the Trust’s proceeds from liquidating the Total Basket Amount in connection with a Variable Fee Cash Order will equal the corresponding Total Basket NAV less the Variable Fee to be delivered by the Liquidity Provider to the Trust. In the event that, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the settlement date of a redemption pursuant to a Variable Fee Cash Order, either (x) the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC has not been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed or (y) the Cash Account has not been credited with the Total Basket NAV, less any Variable Fee, such Cash Order will be deemed a failed trade, with any consideration that has been delivered by the Authorized Participant or the Liquidity Provider in respect of such Cash Order being returned by the Trust.

The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances deliver the Required Redemption Cash to the Authorized Participant in respect of a Variable Fee Cash Order until such time as (x) the Baskets to be redeemed have been delivered to the Transfer Agent and (y) the Total Basket NAV, less any Variable Fee, has been delivered to the Cash Account, and the Trust and/or the Transfer Agent is in simultaneous possession of both.

Actual Execution Cash Orders

With respect to a redemption pursuant to an Actual Execution Cash Order, as between the Trust and an Authorized Participant, the Authorized Participant is responsible for the dollar cost of the difference between the SOL price utilized in calculating Total Basket NAV on the trade date and the price at which the Trust disposes of the SOL on the settlement date. If the price realized in disposing the corresponding Total Basket Amount on the settlement date is lower than the Total Basket NAV on the trade date, the Authorized Participant will bear the dollar cost of such difference (the “Redemption Cash Shortfall”), with the amount of cash to be delivered to the Authorized Participant being reduced by the amount of such Redemption Cash Shortfall. If the price realized in

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disposing the corresponding Total Basket Amount on the settlement date is higher than the Total Basket NAV on the trade date, the Trust will deliver cash in the amount of such excess (the “Additional Redemption Cash”) to the Authorized Participant.

In the event that, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the settlement date of a redemption pursuant to an Actual Execution Cash Order, either (x) the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC has not been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed or (y) the Cash Account has not been credited with the Total Basket NAV (plus any Additional Redemption Cash or net of any Redemption Cash Shortfall), such Cash Order will be deemed a failed trade, with any consideration that has been delivered by the Authorized Participant or the Liquidity Provider in respect of such Cash Order being returned by the Trust.

The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances deliver the Required Redemption Cash to the Authorized Participant in respect of a Cash Order until such time as (x) the Total Basket Amount has been delivered to the Transfer Agent and (y) the Total Basket NAV (plus any Additional Redemption Cash or net of any Redemption Cash Shortfall, if applicable) has been delivered to the Trust, and the Trust and/or the Transfer Agent is in simultaneous possession of both.

Suspension or Rejection of Orders and Total Basket Amount

The creation or redemption of Shares may be suspended generally, or refused with respect to particular requested creations or redemptions, during any period when the transfer books of the Transfer Agent are closed or if circumstances outside the control of the Sponsor or its delegates make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process creation orders or redemption orders or for any other reason at any time or from time to time. The Marketing Agent may reject an order or, after accepting an order, may cancel such order, if: (i) such order is not presented in proper form as described in the Participant Agreement, (ii) to the extent In-Kind Regulatory Approval has been obtained, in the case of In-Kind Orders, the transfer of the Total Basket Amount comes from an account other than an SOL wallet address that is known to the Custodian as belonging to the Authorized Participant or its AP Designee or (iii) the fulfillment of the order, in the opinion of counsel, might be unlawful, among other reasons. None of the Sponsor or its delegates will be liable for the suspension, rejection or acceptance of any creation order or redemption order.

The Sponsor will notify investors of any suspension of creations or redemptions of Shares by filing a current report on Form 8-K. Suspension of the creation or redemption of Shares could negatively impact the Shares’ liquidity and/or cause the Shares to trade at premiums and discounts, and otherwise have a negative impact on the value of the Shares.

Tax Responsibility

Authorized Participants are responsible for any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax, value-added tax or similar tax or governmental charge applicable to the creation and redemption of Baskets, regardless of whether such tax or charge is imposed directly on the Authorized Participants, and agree to indemnify the Sponsor and the Trust if the Sponsor or the Trust is required by law to pay any such tax, together with any applicable penalties, additions to tax or interest thereon.

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Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following discussion addresses the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership of Shares. Subject to the limitations and qualifications, and based on the assumptions described herein and in the opinion letter filed as Exhibit 8.1 to this registration statement, the statements of law and legal conclusions set forth in the following discussion constitute the opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (“Davis Polk”) as to the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of Shares that generally may apply to a “U.S. Holder” or a “non-U.S. Holder” (in each case, as defined below). This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to a beneficial owner of Shares in light of the beneficial owner’s particular circumstances, including tax consequences applicable to beneficial owners subject to special rules, such as:

financial institutions;
dealers in securities or commodities;
traders in securities or commodities that have elected to apply a mark-to-market method of tax accounting in respect thereof;
persons holding Shares as part of a hedge, “straddle,” integrated transaction or similar transaction;
Authorized Participants (as defined below);
U.S. Holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
entities or arrangements classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
real estate investment trusts;
regulated investment companies; and
tax-exempt entities, including individual retirement accounts.

This discussion applies only to Shares that are held as capital assets and does not address alternative minimum tax consequences or consequences of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income.

If an entity or arrangement that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Shares, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships holding Shares and partners in those partnerships are urged to consult their tax advisers about the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning Shares.

This discussion is based on the Code, administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations as of the date hereof, changes to any of which subsequent to the date hereof may affect the tax consequences described herein. For the avoidance of doubt, this summary does not discuss any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.

Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers about the application of the U.S. federal income tax laws to their particular situations, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.

Tax Treatment of the Trust

The Sponsor intends to take the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, if the Trust is a grantor trust, each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated as directly owning its pro rata share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.

Although not free from doubt due to the lack of authority directly addressing certain aspects of the Trust’s affairs, and based on the assumption that the Staking Condition will be satisfied before the Trust engages in any staking activity, in the opinion of Davis Polk the Trust should be classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, there can be no complete assurance that the Trust will be treated as a grantor trust for those purposes. An opinion of counsel is not binding on the IRS or any court, and there are significant uncertainties regarding the application of existing authorities to certain aspects of SOL and the Trust.

In particular, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, the Sponsor intends to continue to take the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that any Staking activity undertaken by the Trust in compliance with the opinion, ruling or other guidance relied upon to satisfy the Staking Condition will not prevent the Trust from continuing to qualify as a grantor trust for such purposes. However, due to the uncertainty regarding the ability of a grantor trust to engage in Staking

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activities, there can be no assurance that the IRS or any court would agree with this position (or with any opinion of counsel delivered to the Sponsor in support thereof). Accordingly, if the Trust satisfies the Staking Condition, the Trust might cease to qualify as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Furthermore, the Trust expects to take certain positions with respect to the tax consequences of Incidental Rights and its receipt of IR Virtual Currency. If the IRS were to disagree with, and successfully challenge, any of these positions, the Trust might not qualify as a grantor trust. The Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment Notices provide that the Trust is abandoning irrevocably, for no direct or indirect consideration, effective immediately prior to each Creation Time and Redemption Time, all Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency to which it would otherwise be entitled as of such time and with respect to which it has not taken any Affirmative Action at or prior to such time. Prospectively, the Sponsor has committed to causing the Trust to irrevocably abandon all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust might otherwise become entitled. There can be no complete assurance that these abandonments will be treated as effective for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Trust were treated as owning any asset other than SOL as of any date on which it creates or redeems Shares, it might cease to qualify as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

In addition, at this time the Trust is not permitted to create or redeem Shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants. Unless and until In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained, Baskets will be created or redeemed only through Cash Orders. In general, investment vehicles intended to be treated as grantor trusts for U.S. federal income tax purposes historically have created additional trust interests only in kind, and there is no authority directly addressing whether a grantor trust may create or redeem trust interests under procedures similar to those that govern Cash Orders. Accordingly, there can be no complete assurance that the creation or redemption of Shares under the procedures governing Cash Orders will not cause the Trust to fail to qualify as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.


Moreover, because of the evolving nature of digital assets, it is not possible to predict potential future developments that may arise with respect to digital assets, including forks, airdrops and other similar occurrences. Assuming that the Trust is currently a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, certain future developments could render it impossible, or impracticable, for the Trust to continue to be treated as a grantor trust for such purposes.

If the Trust is not properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be no assurance in this regard. If the Trust were classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax consequences of owning Shares generally would not be materially different from the tax consequences described herein, although there might be certain differences, including with respect to timing of the recognition of taxable income or loss. In addition, tax information reports provided to beneficial owners of Shares would be made in a different form. Moreover, it is possible, in that case, that a portion of the Trust’s income would be considered to be “effectively connected” with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States and, accordingly, a non-U.S. person owning Shares could be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis with respect to that “effectively connected” income and be required to file a U.S. tax return. If the Staking Condition was satisfied and none of the Trust’s Staking income were considered to be “effectively connected” income, a non-U.S. person owning Shares likely would be subject to withholding on its pro rata portion of U.S.-source income from the Trust’s Staking activities as described below. Tax-exempt Shareholders may also recognize UBTI from the Trust’s Staking activities if the Trust is not treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If the Trust were not classified as either a grantor trust or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be classified as a corporation for such purposes. In that event, the Trust would be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (currently at the rate of 21%) on its net taxable income and certain distributions made by the Trust to shareholders would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of the Trust’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Any such dividend distributed to a beneficial owner of Shares that is a non-U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as provided in an applicable tax treaty).


The remainder of this discussion is based on the assumption that the Trust will be treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Uncertainty Regarding the U.S. Federal Income Tax Treatment of Digital Assets

Each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the owner of an undivided interest in the SOL (and any Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, Staking Consideration) held in the Trust. Due to the new and evolving nature of digital assets and the absence of comprehensive guidance with respect to digital assets, many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of digital assets are uncertain.

In 2014, the IRS released a notice (the “Notice”) discussing certain aspects of the treatment of “convertible virtual currency” (that is, digital assets that have an equivalent value in fiat currency or that acts as substitutes for fiat currency) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the Notice, the IRS stated that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such digital assets (i) are “property,” (ii) are not

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“currency” for purposes of the provisions of the Code relating to foreign currency gain or loss and (iii) may be held as a capital asset. In 2019, the IRS released a revenue ruling and a set of “Frequently Asked Questions” (the “Ruling & FAQs”) that provide some additional guidance, including guidance to the effect that, under certain circumstances, hard forks of digital assets are taxable events giving rise to ordinary income and guidance with respect to the determination of the tax basis of digital assets. Moreover, in 2023, the IRS released a revenue ruling that provided guidance on digital assets staking, including guidance to the effect that staking rewards will, under certain circumstances, be treated as giving rise to taxable income (the “Staking Guidance”). However, the Notice, the Ruling & FAQs and the Staking Guidance do not address other significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of digital assets. For example, for a non-U.S. Holder, there currently is no guidance directly addressing whether or in what circumstances engaging in certain activities to generate yield on digital assets, including Staking, could give rise to income that is effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States. Moreover, although the Ruling & FAQs address the treatment of hard forks, there continues to be significant uncertainty with respect to the timing and amount of the income inclusions.

There can be no assurance that the IRS will not alter its position with respect to digital assets in the future or that a court would uphold the treatment set forth in the Notice and the Ruling & FAQs and the Staking Guidance. It is also unclear what additional guidance on the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be issued in the future. Any such alteration of the current IRS positions or additional guidance could result in adverse tax consequences for shareholders and could have an adverse effect on the prices of digital assets, including the price of SOL in the Digital Asset Market, and therefore could have an adverse effect on the value of Shares. Future developments that may arise with respect to digital assets may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For example, the Notice addresses only digital assets that are “convertible virtual currency,” and it is conceivable that, as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence, a Trust could hold certain types of digital assets that are not within the scope of the Notice, in the event the Sponsor seeks to change the Trust’s policy with respect to Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, subject to NYSE Arca obtaining regulatory approval from the SEC.


The remainder of this discussion assumes that SOL, and any Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, Staking Consideration that the Trust may hold, is properly treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as property that may be held as a capital asset and that is not currency for purposes of the provisions of the Code relating to foreign currency gain and loss.

Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding the tax consequences of an investment in the Trust and in digital assets in general, including, in the case of shareholders that are generally exempt from U.S. federal income taxation, whether such shareholders may recognize “unrelated business taxable income” (“UBTI”) as a consequence of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence or, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, Staking.

Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders

As used herein, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of a Share for U.S. federal income tax purposes that is:

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or of any political subdivision thereof; or
an estate or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.

Except as specifically noted, the discussion below assumes that each U.S. Holder will acquire all of its Shares on the same date for the same price per Share and solely for cash (or, if In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained in the future, solely for SOL that were originally acquired by the U.S. Holder for cash on the same date).

As discussed in the section entitled “Creation and Redemption of Shares,” if In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained in the future, a U.S. Holder may be able to acquire Shares of the Trust by contributing SOL in kind to the Trust (either directly or through an Authorized Participant acting as agent of the U.S. Holder). Assuming that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such a contribution should not be a taxable event to the U.S. Holder.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each U.S. Holder will be treated as owning an undivided interest in the SOL held in the Trust and will be treated as directly realizing its pro rata share of the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions (including, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, any staking income). When a U.S. Holder purchases Shares solely for cash, (i) the U.S. Holder’s initial tax basis in its pro rata share of the SOL held in the Trust will be equal to the amount paid for the Shares and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s holding period for its pro rata share of such SOL will begin on the date of such purchase. If, in the future, In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained and a U.S. Holder acquires Shares in exchange for SOL, (i) the U.S. Holder’s initial tax basis in its pro rata share of the SOL held in the Trust would be equal to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the SOL that the U.S. Holder transferred to the Trust and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s holding period for its pro rata share of such SOL generally would include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the SOL that the U.S. Holder transferred to the Trust. The Ruling & FAQs confirm that if a taxpayer acquires tokens of a digital asset at different times and for different prices, the taxpayer has a separate tax basis in each lot of such tokens. Under the Ruling & FAQs, if, in the future, In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained and a U.S. Holder that owns more than one lot of SOL

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contributes a portion of its SOL to the Trust in exchange for Shares, the U.S. Holder could designate the lot(s) from which such contribution will be made, provided that the U.S. Holder is able to identify specifically which SOL it is contributing and to substantiate its tax basis in that SOL. In general, if a U.S. Holder acquires Shares (i) solely for cash at different prices or (ii) if In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained, (a) partly for cash and partly in exchange for a contribution of SOL or (b) in exchange for a contribution of SOL with different tax bases, the U.S. Holder’s share of the Trust’s SOL will consist of separate lots with separate tax bases. In addition, in this situation, the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the separate lots may be different. In addition, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, any SOL received as part of Staking Consideration that the Trust acquires will constitute a separate lot with a separate tax basis and holding period.

Gains or losses from the sale of SOL to fund cash redemptions are expected to be treated as incurred only by the shareholder that is being redeemed. However, when the Trust transfers SOL to the Sponsor as payment of the Sponsor’s Fee (or, to the extent that the Staking Condition is satisfied, the Sponsor’s Staking Portion) or sells SOL to fund payment of any Additional Trust Expenses, each U.S. Holder will be treated as having sold its pro rata share of that SOL for their fair market value at that time (which, in the case of SOL sold by the Trust, generally will be equal to the cash proceeds received by the Trust in respect thereof). As a result, each U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value of the U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of the SOL transferred and (ii) the U.S. Holder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the SOL transferred. Any such gain or loss will be short-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for its pro rata share of the SOL is one year or less and long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for its pro rata share of the SOL is more than one year. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its pro rata share of any SOL transferred by the Trust generally will be determined by multiplying the tax basis of the U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of all of the SOL held in the Trust immediately prior to the transfer by a fraction the numerator of which is the amount of SOL transferred and the denominator of which is the total amount of SOL held in the Trust immediately prior to the transfer. Immediately after the transfer, the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its pro rata share of the SOL remaining in the Trust will be equal to the tax basis of its pro rata share of the SOL held in the Trust immediately prior to the transfer, less the portion of that tax basis allocable to its pro rata share of the SOL transferred.


As noted above, the IRS has taken the position in the Ruling & FAQs that, under certain circumstances, a hard fork of a digital asset constitutes a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income, and it is clear from the reasoning of the Ruling & FAQs that the IRS generally would treat an airdrop as a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income. As described above, the Sponsor has committed to causing the Trust to abandon all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust otherwise might become entitled. If, however, the Trust were to receive and retain IR Virtual Currency in the future, a U.S. Holder would have a basis in that IR Virtual Currency equal to the amount of income the U.S. Holder recognizes as a result of such fork or airdrop and the U.S. Holder’s holding period for such IR Virtual Currency would begin as of the time it recognizes such income. Similarly, although the IRS has not issued similar guidance with respect to staking, if the Staking Condition is satisfied and the Trust were to receive any Staking Consideration in connection with Staking, it is likely that a U.S. Holder will have a basis in any SOL received as part of such Staking Consideration equal to the amount of income that the U.S. Holder recognizes and the U.S. Holder’s holding period for such Staking Consideration will begin as of the time it recognizes such income.

U.S. Holders’ pro rata shares of the expenses incurred by the Trust will be treated as “miscellaneous itemized deductions” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a non-corporate U.S. Holder’s share of these expenses will not be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes.


On a sale or other disposition of Shares, a U.S. Holder will be treated as having sold the SOL underlying such Shares. Accordingly, the U.S. Holder generally will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the amount realized on the sale of the Shares and (ii) the portion of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its pro rata share of the SOL held in the Trust that is attributable to the Shares that were sold or otherwise subject to a disposition. Such tax basis generally will be determined by multiplying the tax basis of the U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of all of the SOL held in the Trust immediately prior to such sale or other disposition by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of Shares disposed of and the denominator of which is the total number of Shares held by such U.S. Holder immediately prior to such sale or other disposition (such fraction, expressed as a percentage, the “Share Percentage”). If the U.S. Holder’s share of the Trust’s SOL consists of separate lots with separate tax bases and/or holding periods, the U.S. Holder will be treated as having sold the Share Percentage of each such lot. Gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Holder on a sale or other disposition of Shares will generally be short-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the SOL underlying such Shares is one year or less and long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the SOL underlying such Shares is more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to significant limitations.

If, in the future, In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained and the Trust redeems all or a portion of a U.S. Holder’s Shares in exchange for the underlying SOL represented by the redeemed Shares, such redemption generally would not be a taxable event to the U.S. Holder. The U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the SOL received in the redemption generally would be the same as the U.S. Holder’s tax basis for the portion of its pro rata share of the SOL held in the Trust immediately prior to the redemption that was attributable to the Shares redeemed, determined as described above, and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its remaining pro rata portion, if any, of the SOL held in the Trust after the redemption would be equal to the tax basis of its pro rata share of the total amount of the SOL held in the Trust immediately prior to the redemption, less the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the SOL received in the redemption. The U.S. Holder’s

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holding period with respect to the SOL received would generally include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the Shares so redeemed. A subsequent sale of the SOL received in such redemption would generally be a taxable event.

After any sale or other disposition of fewer than all of a U.S. Holder’s Shares, the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in its pro rata share of the SOL held in the Trust immediately after the disposition will equal the tax basis in its pro rata share of the total amount of the SOL held in the Trust immediately prior to the disposition, less the portion of that tax basis that is taken into account in determining the amount of gain or loss recognized by the U.S. Holder on the disposition (or, in the case of a redemption pursuant to an In-Kind Order, if In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained, that is treated as the basis of the SOL received by the U.S. Holder in the redemption).

Any brokerage or other transaction fee incurred by a U.S. Holder in purchasing Shares generally will be added to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the underlying assets of the Trust. Similarly, any brokerage fee or other transaction fee incurred by a U.S. Holder in selling Shares generally will reduce the amount realized by the U.S. Holder with respect to the sale.

If the Staking Condition is satisfied and the Trust receives Staking Consideration, likely in the form of new SOL, any such Staking Consideration received by the Trust would be reportable to Shareholders as taxable income under current IRS guidance.

In the absence of guidance to the contrary, it is possible that any income recognized by a U.S. tax-exempt shareholder as a consequence of a hard fork, airdrop or similar occurrence or, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, Staking would constitute UBTI. A tax-exempt shareholder should consult its tax adviser regarding whether such shareholder may recognize some UBTI as a consequence of an investment in Shares.

Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders

As used herein, the term “non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of a Share for U.S. federal income tax purposes that is not a U.S. Holder. The term “non-U.S. Holder” does not include (i) a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a taxable year, (ii) a former U.S. citizen or U.S. resident or an entity that has expatriated from the United States; (iii) a person whose income in respect of Shares is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States; or (iv) an entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Shareholders described in the preceding sentence should consult their tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning Shares.

A non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax with respect to its share of any gain recognized on the Trust’s transfer of SOL in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor’s Staking Portion (to the extent that the Staking Condition is satisfied) or any Additional Trust Expense or on the Trust’s sale or other disposition of SOL. In addition, assuming that the Trust holds no asset other than SOL, a non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax with respect to any gain it recognizes on a sale or other disposition of Shares. A non-U.S. Holder also will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax with respect to any distribution received from the Trust, whether in cash or in-kind.


Provided that it does not constitute income that is treated as “effectively connected” with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States, U.S.-source “fixed or determinable annual or periodical” (“FDAP”) income received, or treated as received, by a non-U.S. Holder will generally be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (subject to possible reduction or elimination pursuant to an applicable tax treaty and to statutory exemptions such as the portfolio interest exemption). Although the Sponsor has committed to causing the Trust to abandon all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust may become entitled in the future, and although there is no guidance on point, if the Trust were to receive and retain IR Virtual Currency arising from a future fork, airdrop or similar occurrence, it is likely that any ordinary income recognized by a non-U.S. Holder as a result would constitute FDAP income. It is also possible that, if the Staking Condition is satisfied, the receipt of any Staking Consideration by the Trust would constitute FDAP income. It is unclear, however, whether any such FDAP income would be properly treated as U.S.-source or foreign-source FDAP income. Non-U.S. Holders should assume that, in the absence of guidance, a withholding agent (including the Sponsor) is likely to withhold 30% from a non-U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of any such income. A non-U.S. Holder that is a resident of a country that maintains an income tax treaty with the United States may be eligible to claim the benefits of that treaty to reduce or eliminate, or to obtain a partial or full refund of, the 30% U.S. withholding tax on its share of any such income, but only if the non-U.S. Holder’s home country treats the Trust as “fiscally transparent,” as defined in applicable Treasury regulations.

In order to prevent the possible imposition of U.S. “backup” withholding and (if applicable) to qualify for a reduced rate of withholding tax at source under a treaty, a non-U.S. Holder must comply with certain certification requirements (generally, by delivering a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E to the relevant withholding agent).

U.S. Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

The Trust or the appropriate broker will file certain information returns with the IRS and provide shareholders with information regarding their annual income (if any) and expenses with respect to the Trust in accordance with applicable Treasury regulations.

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A U.S. Holder will generally be subject to information reporting requirements and backup withholding unless (i) the U.S. Holder is a corporation or other exempt recipient or (ii) in the case of backup withholding, the U.S. Holder provides a correct taxpayer identification number and certifies that it is not subject to backup withholding. In order to avoid the information reporting and backup withholding requirements, a non-U.S. Holder may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that it is not a U.S. person. The amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle the holder to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS.

FATCA

As discussed above, it is unclear whether any ordinary income recognized by a non-U.S. Holder as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar occurrence or staking would constitute U.S.-source FDAP income. Provisions of the Code commonly referred to as “FATCA” require withholding of 30% on payments of U.S.-source FDAP income and, subject to the discussion of proposed U.S. Treasury regulations below, of gross proceeds of dispositions of certain types of property that produce U.S.-source FDAP income to, “foreign financial institutions” (which is broadly defined for this purpose and in general includes investment vehicles) and certain other non-U.S. entities unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements (generally relating to ownership by U.S. persons of interests in or accounts with those entities) have been satisfied, or an exemption applies. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify these requirements. In addition, regulations proposed by the U.S. Treasury Department (the preamble to which indicates that taxpayers may rely on the regulations pending their finalization) would eliminate the requirement under FATCA of withholding on gross proceeds. If FATCA withholding is imposed, a beneficial owner that is not a foreign financial institution generally may obtain a refund of any amounts withheld by filing a U.S. federal income tax return (which may entail significant administrative burden). Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the effects of FATCA on an investment in the Trust.


 

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ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code impose certain requirements on employee benefit plans and certain other plans and arrangements, including individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) and annuities, Keogh plans, and certain collective investment funds or insurance company general or separate accounts in which such plans or arrangements are invested, that are subject to ERISA and/or the Section 4975 of the Code (collectively, “Plans”), and on persons who are fiduciaries with respect to the investment of Plan assets. Government plans, non-U.S. plans and certain church plans (collectively, “Non-ERISA Arrangements”) are not subject to the fiduciary responsibility or prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, but may be subject to similar rules under other federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other applicable laws (“Similar Laws”).

General Fiduciary Matters

In contemplating an investment of a portion of Plan assets in Shares, the Plan fiduciary responsible for making such investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the Plan, the risks discussed in this prospectus, and whether such investment is consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities, including, but not limited to (i) whether the fiduciary has the authority to make the investment under the appropriate governing plan instrument, (ii) whether the investment would constitute a direct or indirect non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Code, (iii) the Plan’s funding objectives, and (iv) whether under the general fiduciary standards of investment prudence and diversification such investment is appropriate for the Plan, taking into account the overall investment policy of the Plan, the composition of the Plan’s investment portfolio and the Plan’s need for sufficient liquidity to pay benefits when due. Fiduciaries of Non-ERISA Arrangements should carefully consider whether an investment in Shares would violate any applicable Similar Laws.

Plan Asset Issues

Under the Department of Labor’s regulations at section 2510.3-101, as amended by Section 3(42) of ERISA (the “Plan Asset Regulations”), if a Plan invests in an equity interest of an entity that is “a publicly-offered security,” the entity will not be deemed to hold “plan assets” subject to ERISA, and a party managing the assets of such entity will not be subject to the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction rules of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. A “publicly-offered security” is a security that is freely transferable, part of a class of securities that is widely held, and is either (i) part of a class of securities registered under section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act or (ii) sold to the plan as part of an offering of securities to the public pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and the class of securities of which such security is a part is registered under the Exchange Act within 120 days (or such later time as may be allowed by the Securities and Exchange Commission) after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer during which the offering of such securities to the public occurred. Whether a security is “freely transferable” is a factual question determined on the basis of facts and circumstances. A class of securities is “widely-held” if it is a class of securities that is owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of one another. It is anticipated that the Shares will constitute “publicly-offered securities” as defined in the Plan Asset Regulations. Accordingly, only Shares held by a Plan, and not the underlying SOL held in the Trust represented by the Shares, should be treated as assets of the Plan, for purposes of applying the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction rules of ERISA and the Code.

Investment by Certain Retirement Plans

IRAs and participant-directed accounts under tax-qualified retirement plans are limited in the types of investments they may make under the Code. Potential purchasers of Shares that are IRAs or participant-directed accounts under a Code Section 401(a) plan should consult with their own advisors as to the consequences of an investment in Shares.

Ineligible Purchasers

In general, Shares may not be purchased with the assets of a Plan if the Trustee, the Sponsor, the distributor or any of their respective affiliates or employees either: (i) has investment discretion with respect to the investment of such Plan assets; (ii) has authority or responsibility to give or regularly gives investment advice with respect to such Plan assets, for a fee, and pursuant to an agreement or understanding that such advice will serve as a primary basis for investment decisions with respect to such Plan assets and that such advice will be based on the particular investment needs of the Plan; or (iii) is an employer maintaining or contributing to such Plan. A party that is described in clause (i) or (ii) of the preceding sentence is a fiduciary under ERISA and the Code with respect to the Plan, and any such purchase might result in a prohibited transaction under ERISA and/or the Code, unless an exemption is available.

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Representation

Accordingly, by acceptance of Shares, each purchaser and subsequent transferee of Shares will be deemed to have represented and warranted that either (i) no portion of the assets used by such purchaser or transferee to acquire or hold the Shares constitutes assets of any Plan or Non-ERISA Arrangement or (ii) the acquisition, holding and subsequent disposition of the Shares by such purchaser or transferee will not constitute or result in any non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code or violate any applicable Similar Law.

Except as otherwise set forth, the foregoing statements regarding the consequences under ERISA and the Code of an investment in the Trust are based on the provisions of ERISA and the Code as currently in effect, and the existing administrative and judicial interpretations thereunder. No assurance can be given that administrative, judicial or legislative changes will not occur that may make the foregoing statements incorrect or incomplete.

ACCEPTANCE OF SUBSCRIPTIONS ON BEHALF OF PLANS OR NON-ERISA ARRANGEMENTS IS IN NO RESPECT A REPRESENTATION BY THE SPONSOR OR ANY OTHER PARTY RELATED TO THE TRUST THAT THIS INVESTMENT MEETS THE RELEVANT LEGAL REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO INVESTMENTS BY ANY PARTICULAR PLAN OR NON-ERISA ARRANGEMENT OR PLANS OR NON-ERISA ARRANGEMENTS GENERALLY, OR THAT THIS INVESTMENT IS APPROPRIATE FOR ANY PARTICULAR PLAN OR NON-ERISA ARRANGEMENT OR PLANS OR NON-ERISA ARRANGEMENTS GENERALLY. THE PERSON WITH INVESTMENT DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO ANY PLAN OR NON-ERISA ARRANGEMENT SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN COUNSEL AND ADVISERS AS TO THE PROPRIETY OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE TRUST, IN LIGHT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PARTICULAR PLAN OR NON-ERISA ARRANGEMENT BEFORE PURCHASING SHARES. NEITHER THIS DISCUSSION NOR ANYTHING IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS OR IS INTENDED TO BE INVESTMENT ADVICE DIRECTED AT ANY POTENTIAL PURCHASER THAT IS A PLAN OR NON-ERISA ARRANGEMENT, OR AT SUCH PURCHASERS GENERALLY.

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Plan of Distribution

The Trust issues Shares in Baskets only to Authorized Participants in exchange for deposits of SOL via a Liquidity Provider, together with corresponding deposits of cash from such Authorized Participants, on an ongoing continuous basis. The Trust does not issue fractions of a Basket. Although the Trust creates Baskets only upon the receipt of SOL, at this time an Authorized Participant can only submit Cash Orders, pursuant to which the Authorized Participant will deposit cash into the Cash Account (and a Liquidity Provider will transfer to the Trust’s Vault Balance the corresponding SOL) in connection with the creation and redemption of Baskets. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future the Trust may also create and redeem Baskets via In-Kind Orders, pursuant to which an Authorized Participant or its AP Designee would deposit SOL directly with the Trust or receive SOL directly from the Trust. However, because In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained, at this time Baskets will not be created or redeemed through In-Kind Orders and will only be created or redeemed through Cash Orders. There can be no assurance as to when In-Kind Regulatory Approval will be sought or obtained, if at all.

Cash Orders will be facilitated by the Transfer Agent and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, which will engage one or more eligible companies (each, a “Liquidity Provider”) that is not an agent of, or otherwise acting on behalf of, any Authorized Participant to obtain or receive SOL in connection with such orders. Authorized Participants may create a Basket pursuant to a Cash Order by delivering to the Cash Account (x) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Basket NAV and any Variable Fee, or (y) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Basket NAV, plus any Additional Creation Cash, less any Excess Creation Cash (such amount, as applicable, the “Required Creation Cash”), and the Liquidity Provider transferring the corresponding Basket Amount to the Trust’s Vault Balance. The Basket Amount equals the amount of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each trade date (after deducting the amount of SOL representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust) by the number of Shares outstanding at such time and multiplying such quotient by 10,000. The Basket NAV equals the U.S. dollar value of a Basket calculated by multiplying the Basket Amount by the Index Price as of the trade date. Shares will only be created and delivered to the Authorized Participant after the Trust is in simultaneous possession of (i) the Basket Amount and (ii) the Required Creation Cash.

It is expected that Authorized Participants that create Shares will sell Shares to the public at varying prices to be determined by reference to, among other considerations, the price of SOL and the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca at the time of each sale. There will not be an “initial” creation of Baskets upon the Trust’s listing on NYSE Arca given that the Trust already has created Baskets of Shares that will continue to be outstanding as of such date.

While the arbitrage mechanism is expected to keep the value of the Shares closely linked to the Index Price, due to price volatility and differentials, trading volume, and closings of Digital Asset Trading Platforms due to fraud, failure, security breaches or otherwise, there can be no assurance that the value of the Shares will reflect the value of the Trust’s SOL, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, and the Shares may trade at a substantial premium over, or a substantial discount to, the value of the Trust’s SOL, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. This risk may be exacerbated to the extent in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares continue to be unavailable for any reason. See “Risk Factors—Risk Factors Related to the Trust and the Shares— The lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares could have adverse consequences for the Trust.” Moreover, there may be variances in the prices of SOL on the various Digital Asset Trading Platforms, including as a result of differences in fee structures or administrative procedures on different Digital Asset Trading Platforms, which could enhance or inhibit the arbitrage mechanism in a manner that is beyond our control.

Because new Shares can be created and issued on an ongoing basis at any point during the life of the Trust, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, will be occurring. Authorized Participants, other broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some of their activities will result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which would render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, an Authorized Participant, other broker-dealer firm or its client will be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases a Basket from the Trust, breaks the Basket down into its constituent Shares and sells the Shares directly to its customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a new Basket with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for the Shares. A determination of whether a particular market participant is an underwriter must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to designation as an underwriter and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

Investors that purchase shares through a brokerage account (whether commission-based or fee-based) may pay commissions or fees charged by the brokerage account.

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Dealers that are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act.

The Sponsor intends to qualify the Shares in states selected by the Sponsor and that sales be made through broker-dealers who are members of FINRA. Investors intending to create or redeem Baskets through Authorized Participants in transactions not involving a broker-dealer registered in such investor’s state of domicile or residence should consult their legal advisor regarding applicable broker-dealer or securities regulatory requirements under the state securities laws prior to such creation or redemption.

Authorized Participants will not receive from the Trust or the Sponsor any compensation in connection with an offering or reoffering of the Shares. Accordingly, there is, and will be, no payment of underwriting compensation in connection with any such offering of Shares in excess of 10% of the gross proceeds of the offering.

Pursuant to a Marketing Agent Agreement (the “Marketing Agent Agreement”) to be entered into between the Sponsor and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, as Marketing Agent (the “Marketing Agent”), the Marketing Agent will be paid by the Sponsor an annual fee. In addition, the Sponsor will pay certain out-of-pocket fees and expenses of the Marketing Agent incurred in connection with its assistance in the marketing of the Trust and its Shares.

Under the Marketing Agent Agreement, the Marketing Agent will provide the following services to the Sponsor:

Assist the Sponsor in facilitating Participation Agreements between and among Authorized Participants, the Trust, the Transfer Agent;
Provide prospectuses to Authorized Participants;
Work with the Transfer Agent to review and approve orders placed by the Authorized Participants and transmitted to the Transfer Agent;
Review and file applicable marketing materials with FINRA; and
Maintain, reproduce and store applicable books and records related to the services provided under the Marketing Agent Agreement.

The Trust intends to list the Shares on NYSE Arca under the symbol “GSOL.”

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The validity of the Shares will be passed upon by Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., as special Delaware counsel to the Trust. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, as special tax counsel to the Trust, will render an opinion regarding the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership of Shares.

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Experts

The financial statements of the Trust as of and for the year ended December 31, 2024, have been included herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, appearing elsewhere herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

Marcum LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the financial statements of the Trust as of December 31, 2023, and for the year ended December 31, 2023, which are included in this prospectus. Such financial statements are in reliance upon the report of Marcum LLP, given upon their authority as an expert in accounting and auditing. Marcum LLP was dismissed as auditors on March 8, 2024 and, accordingly, have not performed any audit or review procedures with respect to any financial statements for the periods after the date of such dismissal, except for the retrospective application of the Share Split described in Note 1, as to which the date is March 19, 2025.

The report of Marcum on the financial statements of the Trust for the year ended December 31, 2023 contained no adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principle, except for the inclusion of an emphasis of matter paragraph with respect to investments in digital assets. In connection with the audit of the year ended December 31, 2023 and the subsequent interim period from January 1, 2024 through March 8, 2024, there have been no “disagreements” (as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act (“Regulation S-K”) and the related instructions thereto) with Marcum on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Marcum, would have caused Marcum to make reference thereto in their report on the financial statements for such year.

The Sponsor has furnished to Marcum the statements made in this “Experts” section. Attached as Exhibit 16.1 to this registration statement on Form S-1 is Marcum's letter to the SEC, dated August 29, 2025, regarding these statements.

 

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Where You Can Find More Information

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the Shares offered hereby. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information with respect to the Trust and its Shares, reference is made to the registration statement and the exhibits and any schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete and, in each instance, if such contract or document is filed as an exhibit, reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each statement being qualified in all respects by such reference. The SEC maintains an Internet site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements we have filed electronically with the SEC.

As a result of the offering, we will be required to file periodic reports and other information with the SEC. We also maintain an Internet site at www.etfs.grayscale.com/gsol. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.

We intend to make available to holders of the Shares annual reports containing consolidated financial statements audited by an independent registered public accounting firm.

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Glossary of Defined Terms

In this prospectus, each of the following terms has the meaning set forth below.

Account”—The accounts associated with the Trust’s Vault Balance and Settlement Balance.

Actual Exchange Rate”—With respect to any particular asset, at any time, the price per single unit of such asset (determined net of any associated fees) at which the Trust is able to sell such asset for U.S. dollars (or other applicable fiat currency) at such time to enable the Trust to timely pay any Additional Trust Expenses, through use of the Sponsor’s commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the highest such price.

Actual Execution Cash Order”—A Cash Order pursuant to which any price differential between (x) the Total Basket NAV on the trade date and (y) the price realized in acquiring or disposing of the corresponding Total Basket Amount, as the case may be, will be borne solely by the Authorized Participant.

Additional Creation Cash”—In connection with a creation pursuant to an Actual Execution Cash Order, the amount of additional cash required to be delivered by the Authorized Participant in the event the price realized in acquiring the corresponding Total Basket Amount is higher than the Total Basket NAV on the trade date.

Additional Redemption Cash”—In connection with a redemption pursuant to an Actual Execution Cash Order, the amount of additional cash to be delivered to the Authorized Participant in the event the price realized in disposing the corresponding Total Basket Amount is higher than the Total Basket NAV on the trade date.

“Additional Custodian” or “Anchorage Digital”— Anchorage Digital Bank N.A.

Additional Trust Expenses”—Together, any expenses incurred by the Trust in addition to the Sponsor’s Fee that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, (i) taxes and governmental charges, (ii) expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders, (iii) any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, (iv) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $600,000 in any given fiscal year and (v) extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters.

Administrator”—The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York corporation authorized to conduct banking business.

Administrator Fee”—The fee payable to any administrator of the Trust for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay such administrator as a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Affirmative Action”—A decision by the Trust to acquire or abandon specific Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency at any time prior to the time of a creation or redemption of Shares.’

Anchorage Digital Custodian Agreement”— The Master Custody Service Agreement, dated as of August 8, 2025, as amended by the Second Amendment, dated September 25, 2025, between the Trust and Anchorage Digital regarding the custody and safekeeping of the Trust’s SOL holdings.

AP Designee”—An Authorized Participant’s designee in connection with In-Kind Orders (to the extent In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained).

Authorized Participant”— Certain eligible financial institutions that have entered into an agreement with the Trust and the Sponsor concerning the creation or redemption of Shares. Each Authorized Participant (i) is a registered broker-dealer and (ii) has entered into a Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, in the future any Authorized Participants creating and redeeming Shares through In-Kind Orders must also own, or their AP Designee (as defined above) must own, a digital wallet address that is known to the Custodian as belonging to the Authorized Participant or its AP Designee and maintain an account with the Custodian.

Basket”—A block of 10,000 Shares.

Basket Amount”—On any trade date, the amount of SOL required as of such trade date for the creation or redemption of a Basket, as determined by dividing (x) the amount of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date, after deducting the amount of SOL representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (converted using

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the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one SOL (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 10,000.

Basket NAV”—The U.S. dollar value of a Basket calculated by multiplying the Basket Amount by the Index Price as of the trade date.

Binance”—Binance Holdings Ltd.

Bitcoin”—A type of digital asset based on an open-source cryptographic protocol existing on the Bitcoin network.

Blockchain” or “Solana Blockchain”—The public transaction ledger of the Solana Network on which transactions in SOL are recorded.

Cash Account”—The segregated account maintained by the Transfer Agent in the name of the Trust for purposes of receiving cash from Authorized Participants and Liquidity Providers in connection with creations of Shares and distributing cash to Authorized Participants and Liquidity Providers in connection with redemptions of Shares.

Cash Order”—An order for the creation or redemption of Shares pursuant to procedures facilitated by the Transfer Agent and pursuant to which a Liquidity Provider is engaged to facilitate the purchase or sale of SOL. A Cash Order may be executed as either a Variable Fee Cash Order or an Actual Execution Cash Order. Unless the Sponsor determines otherwise in its sole discretion based on market conditions and other factors existing at the time of such Cash Order, all creations and redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders are expected to be executed as Variable Fee Cash Orders.

CEA”—Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended.

CFTC”—The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, an independent agency with the mandate to regulate commodity futures and option markets in the United States.

CME”—The Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Code”—The U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Coinbase”—Coinbase, Inc.

Coinbase Credit”—Coinbase Credit, Inc.

Co-Transfer Agent”—Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

Covered Person”—The Sponsor and its affiliates. See “Business—Description of the Trust Agreement— The Sponsor—Liability of the Sponsor and Indemnification.”

Creation Basket”—Basket of Shares issued by the Trust upon deposit of the Basket Amount required for each such Creation Basket.

Creation Time”—With respect to the creation of any Shares by the Trust, the time at which the Trust creates such Shares.

Custodial and Prime Broker Services”—The services of the Custodian and the Prime Broker that provide for: (i) holding of the Trust’s SOL in the Vault Balance and the Settlement Balance; (ii) transfer of the Trust’s SOL between the relevant Vault Balance and the Settlement Balance; (iii) the deposit of SOL from a public blockchain address into the respective account or accounts in which the Vault Balance or the Settlement Balance are maintained; and (iv) the withdrawal of SOL from the Vault Balance to a public blockchain address the Trust controls.

Custodial Entities”—The Prime Broker, together with the Custodian.

Custodian”—Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC, Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. and/or other custodians, collectively or in their individual capacities, as the context may require.

Custodian Fee”—Fee payable to the Custodian and the Prime Broker for services they provide to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay to the Custodian and the Prime Broker as a Sponsor-paid Expense.

DCG”—Digital Currency Group, Inc.

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Digital Asset Market”—A “Brokered Market,” “Dealer Market,” “Principal-to-Principal Market” or “Exchange Market,” as each such term is defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Master Glossary.

Digital Asset Trading Platform”—An electronic marketplace where trading platform participants may trade, buy and sell SOL based on bid-ask trading. The largest Digital Asset Trading Platforms are online and typically trade on a 24-hour basis, publishing transaction price and volume data.

Digital Asset Trading Platform Market”—The global exchange market for the trading of SOL, which consists of transactions on electronic Digital Asset Trading Platforms.

DSTA”—The Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as amended.

DTC”—The Depository Trust Company. DTC is a limited purpose trust company organized under New York law, a member of the U.S. Federal Reserve System and a clearing agency registered with the SEC. DTC will act as the securities depository for the Shares.

ERISA”—The U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

ETC” or “Ethereum Classic”— Ether Classic tokens, which are a type of digital asset based on an open-source cryptographic protocol existing on the Ethereum Classic Network.

Ether”—Ethereum tokens, which are a type of digital asset based on an open source cryptographic protocol existing on the Ethereum Network, comprising units that constitute the assets underlying the Trust’s Shares.

Ethereum Classic Network”—The online, end-user-to-end-user network hosting a public transaction ledger, known as the Ethereum Classic blockchain, and the source code comprising the basis for the cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the Ethereum Classic network.

Ethereum Network”—The online, end-user-to-end-user network hosting the public transaction ledger, known as the Ethereum Blockchain, and the source code comprising the basis for the cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the Ethereum Network.

Excess Creation Cash”—In connection with a creation pursuant to an Actual Execution Cash Order, the amount of excess cash to be returned to the Authorized Participant in the event the price realized in acquiring the corresponding Total Basket Amount is lower than the Total Basket NAV on the trade date.

Exchange Act”—The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

FCA” — The Financial Conduct Authority.

FDIC”— The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

FinCEN”—The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

FINRA”—The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., which is the primary regulator in the United States for broker-dealers, including Authorized Participants.

FTX”—FTX Trading, Ltd.

GAAP”—United States generally accepted accounting principles.

Grayscale Securities”—Grayscale Securities, LLC

GSI”—Grayscale Investments, LLC, the Sponsor of the Trust until December 31, 2024.

GSIS”—Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned direct subsidiary of Grayscale Operating, LLC.

GSO”—Grayscale Operating, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, Inc.

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GSOIH”—GSO Intermediate Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation formed in connection with the Reorganization which is the sole managing member of GSO, and an indirect subsidiary of DCG.

Incidental Rights”—Rights to acquire, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Trust’s ownership of SOL and arise without any action of the Trust, or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust.

Index”—The CoinDesk Solana Price Index (SLX). As of October 1, 2025, the Index will be the CoinDesk SOL CCIXber Reference Rate.


Index License Agreement”—The license agreement, dated as of February 1, 2022, between the Index Provider and the Sponsor, governing the Sponsor’s use of the Index for calculation of the Index Price, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto and as the same may be amended from time to time.

Index Price”—The U.S. dollar value of an SOL derived from the Digital Asset Trading Platforms that are reflected in the Index, calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each business day. See “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price” for a description of how the Index Price is calculated. For purposes of the Trust Agreement, the term Index Price shall mean the Index Price as defined herein.

Index Provider”—CoinDesk Indices, Inc., a Delaware corporation that publishes the Index. Prior to its sale to an unaffiliated third party on November 20, 2023, DCG was the indirect parent company of CoinDesk Indices, Inc. As a result, CoinDesk Indices, Inc. was an affiliate of the Sponsor and the Trust and was considered a related party of the Trust.

In-Kind Order”—An order for the creation or redemption of Shares pursuant to which the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) will deliver or receive SOL directly from the Trust’s Vault Balance. Because In-Kind Regulatory Approval has not been obtained, at this time Shares will not be created or redeemed through In-Kind Orders.

In-Kind Regulatory Approval”—The necessary regulatory approval to permit NYSE Arca to list the Shares of the Trust utilizing a structure that allows the Trust to create and redeem Shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants or their AP Designees in exchange for SOL. Although the SEC recently approved orders to permit in-kind creations and redemptions by authorized participants for certain spot digital asset ETP shares, the Trust is not at this time able to create and redeem shares via in-kind transactions with Authorized Participants. In light of new SEC staff orders, NYSE Arca may seek the necessary regulatory approval to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to create and redeem Shares through In-Kind Orders. There can be no assurance as to when NYSE Arca will seek or obtain such regulatory approval, if at all.

“Investment Advisers Act”—Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.

Investment Company Act”—Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Investor”—Any investor that has entered into a subscription agreement with an Authorized Participant, pursuant to which such Authorized Participant will act as agent for the investor.

IRS”—The U.S. Internal Revenue Service, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

IR Virtual Currency”—Any virtual currency tokens, or other asset or right, acquired by the Trust through the exercise (subject to the applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement) of any Incidental Right.

Layer 2”—Protocols built on top of an underlying smart contract platform blockchain intended to provide scalability to the underlying blockchain by increasing transaction efficiency.

Liquidity Engager”—Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, acting other than in its capacity as Sponsor, and in its capacity to engage one or more Liquidity Providers.

Liquidity Provider”— One or more eligible companies that facilitate the purchase and sale of SOL in connection with creations or redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders. The Liquidity Providers with which Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, acting in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager, will engage in SOL transactions are third parties that are not affiliated with the Sponsor or the Trust and are not acting as agents of the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant, and all transactions will be done on an arms-length basis. Except for the contractual relationships between each Liquidity Provider and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC in its capacity as the Liquidity Engager, there is no contractual relationship between each Liquidity Provider and the Trust, the Sponsor, or any Authorized Participant.

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Liquidity Sleeve”—the portion of SOL in the Trust intended to be maintained as unstaked, as determined by the Sponsor from time to time.

Marketing Agent”—Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

Marketing Agent Agreement”—An agreement entered into by the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, dated , with Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

Marketing Fee”—Fee payable to the marketer for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay to the marketer as a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Merger”—The merger of Grayscale Investments, LLC with and into Grayscale Operating, LLC, with Grayscale Operating, LLC continuing as the surviving company.

NAV”—The aggregate value, expressed in U.S. dollars, of the Trust’s assets (other than U.S. dollars or other fiat currency), less its liabilities (which include estimated accrued but unpaid fees and expenses) calculated in the manner set forth under “Business—Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV.” See also “Business— Trust Objective and Determination of Principal Market NAV and NAV” for a description of the Trust’s Principal Market NAV, as calculated in accordance with GAAP.

NAV Fee Basis Amount”—The amount on which the Sponsor’s Fee for the Trust is based, as calculated in the manner set forth under “Valuation of SOL and Determination of NAV”.

NYSE Arca”—NYSE Arca, Inc.

OTCQX”—The OTCQX Best Market® of OTC Markets Group Inc.

Other Staking Consideration”—Any Staking Consideration other than SOL.

Participant Agreement”—An agreement entered into by an Authorized Participant with the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent, that provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets via a Liquidity Provider.

Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment”—The abandonment by the Trust, irrevocably for no direct or indirect consideration, all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which the Trust would otherwise be entitled, effective immediately prior to a Creation Time or a Redemption Time (as the case may be) for the Trust.

Pre-Creation/Redemption Abandonment Notices”—The notices, collectively, as amended or supplemented from time to time, delivered by the Sponsor to each of the Prime Broker, the Custodian and Coinbase Credit, on behalf of the Trust, stating that the Trust will abandon, irrevocably and for no direct or indirect consideration, effective immediately prior to each Creation Time and each Redemption Time for the Trust, all Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currency to which it would otherwise be entitled as of such time and with respect to which the Trust has not taken any Affirmative Action at or prior to such time.

Prime Broker”—Coinbase, Inc.

Prime Broker Agreement”—The Prime Broker Agreement, dated as of , by and among the Trust, the Sponsor and the Prime Broker, on behalf of itself, the Custodian and Coinbase Credit, that governs the Trust’s and the Sponsor’s use of the Custodial and Prime Broker Services provided by the Custodian and the Prime Broker.

Principal Market NAV”—The net asset value of the Trust determined on a GAAP basis.

Redemption Cash Shortfall”—In connection with a redemption pursuant to an Actual Execution Cash Order, the amount by which the cash to be delivered to the Authorized Participant is reduced in the event the price realized in disposing the corresponding Total Basket Amount is lower than the Total Basket NAV on the trade date.

Redemption Time”—With respect to the redemption of any Shares by the Trust, the time at which the Trust redeems such Shares.

Reorganization”—The internal corporate reorganization of Grayscale Investments, LLC consummated on January 1, 2025.

Required Redemption Cash”—The actual proceeds to the Trust from the liquidation of the Total Basket Amount.

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Reverse Share Split”—A 1-for-20 reverse Share split of the Trust's issued and outstanding Shares, which was effective on June 23, 2022 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 22, 2022. A 1-for-2 reverse Share split of the Trust's issued and outstanding Shares, which was effective on March 20, 2023 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 15, 2023.

SEC”—The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Secondary Index”—The Coin Metrics Real-Time Rate.

Secondary Index Price”—The price set by Coin Metrics Real-Time Rate as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the valuation date. See “Business—Overview of the SOL Industry and Market—The Index and the Index Price—Determination of the Index Price When Index Price is Unavailable” for a description of how the Secondary Index Price is utilized when the Index Price is unavailable.

Secondary Index Provider”—Coin Metrics Inc., a Delaware corporation that publishes the Secondary Index.

Secondary Market”—Any marketplace or other alternative trading system, as determined by the Sponsor, on which the Shares may then be listed, quoted or traded, including but not limited to, NYSE Arca.

Securities Act”—The Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Settlement Balance”—An account controlled and maintained by the Custodian to which cash and digital assets of the Trust are credited on the Trust’s behalf.

Shares”—Common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in, and ownership of, the Trust.

Share Split”—A 5-for-1 Share split of the Trust's issued and outstanding Shares, which was effective on December 9, 2024 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 5, 2024.

SIPC”—The Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

SOL”— SOL tokens, which are a type of digital asset based on an open source cryptographic protocol existing on the Solana Network, comprising units that constitute the assets underlying the Trust’s Shares. See “Overview of the SOL Industry and Market.”

Solana Network”—The online, end-user-to-end-user network hosting a public transaction ledger, known as the Solana blockchain, and the source code comprising the basis for the cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the Solana network. See “Overview of the SOL Industry and Market.”

Sponsor” or “Co-Sponsor”—The sponsor of the Trust. Grayscale Investments, LLC was the sponsor of the Trust before January 1, 2025, Grayscale Operating, LLC was a co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025, and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC was a co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025 and is the sole sponsor thereafter.

Sponsor-paid Expenses”—The fees and expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs that the Sponsor is obligated to assume and pay, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the Marketing Fee, (ii) the Administrator Fee, (iii) the Custodian Fee and fees for any other security vendor engaged by the Trust, (iv) the Transfer Agent fee, (v) the Trustee fee, (vi) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $600,000 in any given fiscal year, (vii) ordinary course, legal fees and expenses, (viii) audit fees, (ix) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, (x) printing and mailing costs, (xi) costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and (xii) applicable license fees, provided that any expense that qualifies as an Additional Trust Expense will be deemed to be an Additional Trust Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Sponsor’s Fee”—A fee, payable in SOL, which accrues daily in U.S. dollars at an annual rate of 2.5% of the NAV Fee Basis Amount of the Trust as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each day; provided that for a day that is not a business day, the calculation of the Sponsor’s Fee will be based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount from the most recent business day, reduced by the accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fee for such most recent business day and for each day after such most recent business day and prior to the relevant calculation date.

Sponsor’s Staking Portion”—In addition to the Sponsor’s Fee, as partial consideration for the Sponsor’s facilitation of Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied with respect thereto, a portion of the staking rewards payable to the Sponsor in SOL (or, if applicable, in the form of any Other Staking Consideration), which accrues daily in U.S. dollars in an amount calculated as a per annum percentage of any Staking Consideration received by the Trust, as may be directed by

141


 

the Sponsor in its sole discretion and disclosed in the Trust's filings with the SEC from time to time. The Sponsor’s Staking Portion is payable to the Sponsor daily in arrears.

Staking”—(i) Using, or permitting to be used, in any manner, directly or indirectly, through an agent or otherwise (including, for the avoidance of doubt, through a delegation of rights to any third party with respect to any portion of the Trust Estate, by making any portion of the Trust Estate available to any third party or by entering into any similar arrangement with a third party), any portion of the Trust Estate in a proof-of-stake validation protocol, (ii) accepting any Staking Consideration, (iii) holding any Other Staking Consideration accepted by the Trust pursuant to clause (ii), for not more than 30 days after the Trust’s receipt thereof, pending the use of such Other Staking Consideration for payment of Additional Trust Expenses or distribution to the Shareholders and (iv) any financing arrangement or other mechanism utilized by the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, in connection with Redemption Orders to manage SOL liquidity constraints arising from activities described in the preceding clauses. For the avoidance of doubt, (i) the mere act of transferring units of virtual currency on a peer-to-peer virtual currency network that utilizes a proof-of-stake validation protocol shall not be considered to be “Staking” and (ii) “Staking” shall include any related activity contemplated by a Tax Ruling, an opinion or Tax Guidance, in each case, described in the definition of Staking Condition (and, in the case of a Tax Ruling, that is described in the private letter ruling request (as supplemented from time to time) submitted to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in connection therewith).

Staking Condition”—With respect to a particular form of Staking, the condition that (i) (x) engaging in such form of Staking should not cause the Trust to be treated as other than a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and (y) the Trust shall have received (1) a written opinion from a Tax Advisor or (2) a Tax Ruling, in each case, to that effect or (ii) such form of Staking is confirmed in Tax Guidance to be a permissible undertaking by a grantor trust.

Staking Consideration”—Any consideration of any kind whatsoever, including, but not limited to, any staking reward paid in fiat currency or paid in kind, in exchange for using, or permitting to be used, any portion of the Trust Estate as described in clause (i) of the definition of “Staking.”

Tax Advisor”—An independent law firm that is recognized as being expert in tax matters.

Tax Guidance”—any tax guidance that is issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or the U.S. Department of the Treasury and on which taxpayers may rely.

Tax Ruling”—A binding ruling issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Total Basket Amount”—With respect to any creation or redemption order, the applicable Basket Amount multiplied by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed.

Total Basket NAV”—The applicable Basket NAV Amount multiplied by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed.

Transfer Agency and Service Agreement”—The agreement between the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent which sets forth the obligations and responsibilities of the Transfer Agent with respect to transfer agency services and related matters.

Transfer Agent”— The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York corporation authorized to conduct banking business.

Transfer Agent Fee”—Fee payable to the Transfer Agent for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor will pay to the Transfer Agent as a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Treasury Regulations”—The regulations, including proposed or temporary regulations, promulgated under the Code.

Trust”—Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL), a Delaware statutory trust, formed on November 9, 2021 under the DSTA and pursuant to the Trust Agreement. In connection with the effectiveness of this registration statement and the listing of the Shares on NYSE Arca, the Sponsor intends to rename the Trust as Grayscale Solana Trust ETF by filing a Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust with the Delaware Secretary of State in accordance with the provisions of the DSTA.

Trust Agreement”—The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, dated as of August 5, 2024 between the Trustee and the Sponsor establishing and governing the operations of the Trust, as amended by Amendment No. 1, and as may be further amended from time to time.

Trustee”—CSC Delaware Trust Company (formerly known as Delaware Trust Company), a Delaware trust company, is the Delaware trustee of the Trust.

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Trust Estate”—Without duplication, (i) all the SOL in the Trust’s accounts, including the SOL Account, (ii) all Incidental Rights held by the Trust, (iii) all IR Virtual Currency in the Trust’s accounts, (iv) all Other Staking Consideration held by the Trust, (v) all proceeds from the sale of SOL, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and Other Staking Consideration pending use of such cash for payment of Additional Trust Expenses or distribution to the Shareholders and (vi) any rights of the Trust pursuant to any agreements, other than this Trust Agreement, to which the Trust is a party.

U.S.”—United States.

U.S. dollar” or “$”—United States dollar or dollars.

Variable Fee”—An amount in cash based on the Total Basket NAV, which shall be paid by the Authorized Participant in connection with Variable Fee Cash Orders. The amount may be changed by the Sponsor in its sole discretion at any time.

Variable Fee Cash Order”—A Cash Order pursuant to which any price differential between (x) the Total Basket NAV on the trade date and (y) the price realized in acquiring or disposing of the corresponding Total Basket Amount, as the case may be, will be borne solely by the applicable Liquidity Provider.

Vault Balance”—A segregated custody account controlled and secured by the Custodian to store private keys, which allow for the transfer of ownership or control of the Trust’s SOL on the Trust’s behalf.

Zcash” or “ZEC”—A type of digital asset based on an open source cryptographic protocol existing on the Zcash network.

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Index to Financial Statements

 

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) Unaudited Interim Financial Statements

Page

Statements of Assets and Liabilities at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024

F-2

Schedules of Investment at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024

F-3

Statements of Operations for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 and 2024

F-4

Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 and 2024

F-5

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements

F-6

 

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) Annual Financial Statements

Page

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms

F-14

Statements of Assets and Liabilities at December 31, 2024 and 2023

F-16

Schedules of Investment at December 31, 2024 and 2023

F-17

Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

F-18

Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

F-19

Notes to Financial Statements

F-20

 

F-1


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands, except Share and per Share amounts)


 

 

June 30, 2025

 

 

December 31, 2024

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment in SOL, at fair value (cost $68,156 and $67,756 as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively)

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

102,631

 

Total assets

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

102,631

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor’s Fee payable, related party

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Total liabilities

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Net assets

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

102,631

 

Shares issued and outstanding, no par value (unlimited Shares authorized)

 

 

7,231,035

 

 

 

7,160,335

 

Principal Market NAV per Share

 

$

11.53

 

 

$

14.33

 

See accompanying notes to the financial statements.


F-2


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENT (UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands, except quantity of SOL and percentages)


June 30, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quantity of SOL

 

 

Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

% of Net
Assets

 

Investment in SOL

 

 

528,512.66965300

 

 

$

68,156

 

 

$

83,399

 

 

 

100

%

Total Investment

 

 

 

 

$

68,156

 

 

$

83,399

 

 

 

100

%

Net assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

83,399

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quantity of SOL

 

 

Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

% of Net
Assets

 

Investment in SOL

 

 

529,873.89849530

 

 

$

67,756

 

 

$

102,631

 

 

 

100

%

Total Investment

 

 

 

 

$

67,756

 

 

$

102,631

 

 

 

100

%

Net assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

102,631

 

 

 

100

%

See accompanying notes to the financial statements.

F-3


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands)


 

 

Three Months Ended June 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Investment income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment income

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

492

 

 

 

432

 

 

 

1,081

 

 

 

665

 

Net investment loss

 

 

(492

)

 

 

(432

)

 

 

(1,081

)

 

 

(665

)

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net realized gain on investment in SOL

 

 

66

 

 

 

92

 

 

 

233

 

 

 

139

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

 

 

17,213

 

 

 

(24,337

)

 

 

(19,602

)

 

 

8,687

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment

 

 

17,279

 

 

 

(24,245

)

 

 

(19,369

)

 

 

8,826

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

16,787

 

 

$

(24,677

)

 

$

(20,450

)

 

$

8,161

 

See accompanying notes to the financial statements.


F-4


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS (UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands, except change in Shares outstanding)


 

 

Three Months Ended June 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Increase (decrease) in net assets from operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

 

$

(492

)

 

$

(432

)

 

$

(1,081

)

 

$

(665

)

Net realized gain on investment in SOL

 

 

66

 

 

 

92

 

 

 

233

 

 

 

139

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

 

 

17,213

 

 

 

(24,337

)

 

 

(19,602

)

 

 

8,687

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

 

16,787

 

 

 

(24,677

)

 

 

(20,450

)

 

 

8,161

 

Increase in net assets from capital share transactions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares issued

 

 

97

 

 

 

14,316

 

 

 

1,218

 

 

 

35,442

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

 

 

97

 

 

 

14,316

 

 

 

1,218

 

 

 

35,442

 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets from operations and capital share transactions

 

 

16,884

 

 

 

(10,361

)

 

 

(19,232

)

 

 

43,603

 

Net assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning of period

 

 

66,515

 

 

 

79,153

 

 

 

102,631

 

 

 

25,189

 

End of period

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

68,792

 

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

68,792

 

Change in Shares outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares outstanding at beginning of period

 

 

7,221,835

 

 

 

1,048,827

 

 

 

7,160,335

 

 

 

633,627

 

Shares issued

 

 

9,200

 

 

 

220,700

 

 

 

70,700

 

 

 

635,900

 

Net increase in Shares

 

 

9,200

 

 

 

220,700

 

 

 

70,700

 

 

 

635,900

 

Shares outstanding at end of period

 

 

7,231,035

 

 

 

1,269,527

 

 

 

7,231,035

 

 

 

1,269,527

 

F-5


 

See accompanying notes to the financial statements.


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Organization

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) (the “Trust”) is a Delaware Statutory Trust that was formed on November 9, 2021 and commenced operations on November 18, 2021. In general, the Trust holds Solana (“SOL”) and, from time to time, issues common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (“Shares”) (in minimum baskets of 100 Shares, referred to as “Baskets”) in exchange for SOL. The Trust does not currently operate a redemption program. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program. On December 3, 2024, NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) submitted an application under Rule 19b-4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) to list the Shares of the Trust on NYSE Arca. As of the date of this filing, the NYSE Arca 19b-4 application has not been approved by the SEC, and the Trust makes no representation as to when or if such approval and relief will be obtained. The Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of the SOL held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities.

Grayscale Investments, LLC (“GSI”), the sponsor of the Trust before January 1, 2025, Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”), the co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025, and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (“GSIS”), the co-sponsor of the Trust from January 1, 2025 to May 3, 2025 and the sole remaining sponsor thereafter (each of GSI, GSO and GSIS, the “Sponsor”, as the context may require, and GSO and GSIS, together, the “Co-Sponsors”), are each an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, Inc. (“DCG”). The Sponsor is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust pursuant to the provisions of the Trust Agreement. The Sponsor is responsible for preparing and providing annual and quarterly reports on behalf of the Trust to investors and is also responsible for selecting and monitoring the Trust’s service providers. As partial consideration for the Sponsor’s services, the Trust pays the Sponsor a Sponsor’s Fee as discussed in Note 6. The Sponsor also acts as the sponsor and manager of other single-asset and diversified investment products, each of which is an affiliate of the Trust. Information related to the affiliated investment products can be found on the Sponsor’s website at www.grayscale.com/resources/regulatory-filings. Any information contained on or linked from such website is not part of nor incorporated by reference into these unaudited financial statements. Several of the affiliated investment products are SEC reporting companies with their shares registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. In addition, the following affiliated investment products are SEC reporting companies with their shares registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act: Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF, Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF, Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF, and Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF.

Authorized Participants of the Trust are the only entities who may place orders to create or, if permitted, redeem Baskets. Grayscale Securities, LLC (“Grayscale Securities” or, in such capacity, an “Authorized Participant”), a registered broker-dealer and affiliate of the Sponsor, is the only Authorized Participant, and is party to a participant agreement with the Sponsor and the Trust. Additional Authorized Participants may be added at any time, subject to the discretion of the Sponsor. Liquidity Providers who are unaffiliated with the Trust may be engaged from time to time and at any time.

The custodian of the Trust is Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “Custodian”), a third-party service provider. The Custodian is responsible for safeguarding the SOL, Incidental Rights, and IR Virtual Currency held by the Trust, and holding the private key(s) that provide access to the Trust’s digital wallets and vaults.

The transfer agent for the Trust (the “Transfer Agent”) is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. The responsibilities of the Transfer Agent are to maintain creations, redemptions, transfers, and distributions of the Trust’s Shares which are primarily held in book-entry form.

On December 9, 2024, the Trust completed a 5-for-1 Share Split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares. In connection with the Share Split, shareholders of record on December 5, 2024, received four additional Shares of the Trust for each Share held. The number of outstanding Shares and per-Share amounts disclosed for periods prior to December 10, 2024 have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the effects of the Share Split.

On April 17, 2023, the Trust received notice that its Shares were qualified for public trading on the OTCQB U.S. Market (“OTCQB”) of OTC Markets Group Inc. On March 7, 2024, the Trust qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market® (“OTCQX”) of OTC Markets Group Inc. The Trust’s trading symbol on OTCQX is “GSOL” and the CUSIP number for its Shares is 38963V106.

F-6


 

The Trust may also receive Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency as a result of the Trust’s investment in SOL, in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement. Incidental Rights are rights to claim, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Trust’s ownership of SOL and arise without any action of the Trust, or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust; IR Virtual Currency is any virtual currency tokens, or other asset or right, received by the Trust through the exercise (subject to the applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement) of any Incidental Right.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

In the opinion of management of the Sponsor of the Trust, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, and results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, have been made. The results of operations for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations expected for the full year. These unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 included in our Annual Report.

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust:

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Trust qualifies as an investment company for accounting purposes pursuant to the accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for SOL in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.

The Trust conducts its transactions in SOL, including receiving SOL for the creation of Shares and delivering SOL for the redemption of Shares and for the payment of the Sponsor’s Fee. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. Since its inception, the Trust has not held cash or cash equivalents. The Sponsor will determine the Trust’s net asset value (“NAV”) on each business day as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon thereafter as practicable.

Principal Market and Fair Value Determination

To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value in accordance with U.S. GAAP (“Principal Market NAV”), the Trust follows ASC Topic 820-10, Fair Value Measurement, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for SOL in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that SOL is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.

The Trust only receives SOL in connection with a creation order from the Authorized Participant (or a Liquidity Provider) and does not itself transact on any Digital Asset Markets. Therefore, the Trust looks to market-based volume and level of activity for Digital Asset Markets. The Authorized Participant(s), or a Liquidity Provider, may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets (referred to as “Trading Platform Markets” in this Quarterly Report), each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary (collectively, “Digital Asset Markets”).

In determining which of the eligible Digital Asset Markets is the Trust’s principal market, the Trust reviews these criteria in the following order:

First, the Trust reviews a list of Digital Asset Markets that maintain practices and policies designed to comply with anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know-your-customer (“KYC”) regulations, and non-Digital Asset Trading Platform Markets that the Trust reasonably believes are operating in compliance with applicable law, including federal and state licensing requirements, based upon information and assurances provided to it by each market.

Second, the Trust sorts these Digital Asset Markets from high to low by market-based volume and level of activity of SOL traded on each Digital Asset Market in the trailing twelve months.

Third, the Trust then reviews pricing fluctuations and the degree of variances in price on Digital Asset Markets to identify any material notable variances that may impact the volume or price information of a particular Digital Asset Market.

Fourth, the Trust then selects a Digital Asset Market as its principal market based on the highest market-based volume, level of activity and price stability in comparison to the other Digital Asset Markets on the list. Based on information reasonably available to the Trust, Trading Platform Markets have the greatest volume and level of activity for the asset. The Trust therefore looks to accessible Trading Platform Markets as opposed to the Brokered Market, Dealer Market and Principal-to-Principal Markets to determine its principal market. As a result of the aforementioned analysis, a Trading Platform Market has been selected as the Trust’s principal market.

F-7


 

The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) annually and conducts a quarterly analysis to determine (i) if there have been recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s trading volume and level of activity in the trailing twelve months, (ii) if any Digital Asset Markets have developed that the Trust has access to, or (iii) if recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s price stability have occurred that would materially impact the selection of the principal market and necessitate a change in the Trust’s determination of its principal market.

The cost basis of the SOL received by the Trust in connection with a creation order is recorded by the Trust at the fair value of SOL at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the creation date for financial reporting purposes. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of the corresponding Shares to investors.

Investment Transactions and Revenue Recognition

The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of SOL for Share creations and the delivery of SOL for Share redemptions or for payment of expenses in SOL. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. The Trust records its investment transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses are recognized in connection with transactions including settling obligations for the Sponsor’s Fee in SOL.

Fair Value Measurement

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the ‘exit price’) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

U.S. GAAP utilizes a fair value hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Trust. Unobservable inputs reflect the Trust’s assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.

The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

Level 1 – Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Trust has the ability to access. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, these valuations do not entail a significant degree of judgment.
Level 2 – Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3 – Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary by investment. To the extent that valuations are based on sources that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Fair value estimates do not necessarily represent the amounts that may be ultimately realized by the Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurement Using

 

 

 

Amount at
Fair Value

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

June 30, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment in SOL

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

83,399

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

December 31, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment in SOL

 

$

102,631

 

 

$

102,631

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Segment Reporting

The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor act as the Trust’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”). The Trust represents a single operating segment, as the CODM monitors the operating results of the Trust as a whole and the Trust’s passive investment objective is pre-determined in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement. The financial information in the form of the Trust’s total returns, expense ratios and changes in net assets (i.e., changes in net assets resulting from operations and capital share transactions), which are used by the CODM to assess the segment’s performance, are consistent with that presented within the Trust’s financial statements. Segment assets are reflected on the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities as Total assets and the only significant segment expense, the Sponsor’s fee, related party, is included in the accompanying Statements of Operations.

F-8


 

3. Fair Value of SOL

SOL is held by the Custodian on behalf of the Trust and is carried at fair value. As of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Trust held 528,512.66965300 and 529,873.89849530 SOL, respectively.

The Trust determined the fair value per SOL to be $157.80 and $193.69 on June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively, using the price provided at 4:00 p.m., New York time, by the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market considered to be the Trust’s principal market (Coinbase).


The following represents the changes in quantity of SOL and the respective fair value:

 

 

Quantity

 

 

Fair Value

 

Balance at December 31, 2023

 

 

240,381.32738679

 

 

$

25,189

 

SOL contributed

 

 

300,449.71934981

 

 

 

45,149

 

SOL distributed for Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

(10,957.14824130

)

 

 

(1,758

)

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

 

 

-

 

 

 

33,618

 

Net realized gain on investment in SOL

 

 

-

 

 

 

433

 

Balance at December 31, 2024

 

 

529,873.89849530

 

 

$

102,631

 

SOL contributed

 

 

5,219.03119914

 

 

 

1,218

 

SOL distributed for Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

(6,580.26004144

)

 

 

(1,081

)

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

 

 

-

 

 

 

(19,602

)

Net realized gain on investment in SOL

 

 

-

 

 

 

233

 

Balance at June 30, 2025

 

 

528,512.66965300

 

 

$

83,399

 

4. Creations and Redemptions of Shares

At June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there were an unlimited number of Shares authorized by the Trust. The Trust creates (and, should the Trust commence a redemption program, redeems) Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. The creation and redemption of Baskets on behalf of investors are made by the Authorized Participant in exchange for the delivery of SOL to the Trust or the distribution of SOL by the Trust. The amount of SOL required for each Creation Basket or redemption Basket is determined by dividing (x) the amount of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date of a creation or redemption order, after deducting the amount of SOL representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust, by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time and multiplying the quotient obtained by 100. Each Share represented approximately 0.0731 and 0.0740 SOL at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The decrease in the amount of SOL represented by each Share is primarily a result of the periodic withdrawal of SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee.

The cost basis of investments in SOL recorded by the Trust is the fair value of SOL, as determined by the Trust, at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of transfer to the Trust by the Authorized Participant, or Liquidity Provider, based on the Creation Baskets. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of each Share to investors. The Authorized Participant or Liquidity Provider may realize significant profits buying, selling, creating, and, if permitted, redeeming Shares as a result of changes in the value of Shares or SOL.

At this time, the Trust is not operating a redemption program and is not accepting redemption requests. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program. On December 3, 2024, NYSE Arca filed an application with the SEC pursuant to Rule 19b-4 under the Exchange Act to list the Shares of the Trust on NYSE Arca. As of the date of this filing, the NYSE Arca 19b-4 application has not been approved by the SEC, and the Trust makes no representation as to when or if such approval and relief will be obtained.

5. Income Taxes

The Sponsor takes the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, if the Trust is a grantor trust, each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated as directly owning its pro rata Share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.

If the Trust were not properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital assets, including forks, airdrops and similar occurrences for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be no assurance in this regard. If the Trust were classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax consequences of owning Shares generally would not be materially different from the tax consequences described herein, although there might be certain differences, including with respect to timing. In addition, tax information reports provided to

F-9


 

beneficial owners of Shares would be made in a different form. If the Trust were not classified as either a grantor trust or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be classified as a corporation for such purposes. In that event, the Trust would be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (currently at the rate of 21%) on its net taxable income and certain distributions made by the Trust to shareholders would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of the Trust’s current and accumulated earnings and profits.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Trust has defined the threshold for recognizing the benefits of tax positions in the financial statements as “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable taxing authority and requires measurement of a tax position meeting the “more-likely-than-not” threshold, based on the largest benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current period. As of, and during the periods ended June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Trust did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax amounts. However, the Sponsor’s conclusions concerning its determination of “more-likely-than-not” tax positions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, further implementation guidance, and ongoing analyses of and changes to tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

The Sponsor of the Trust has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions related to federal, state and local income taxes existed as of June 30, 2025 or December 31, 2024.


6. Related Parties

The Trust considered the following entities, their directors, and certain employees to be related parties of the Trust as of June 30, 2025: DCG, GSO, GSIS and Grayscale Securities. As of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, 286,658 and 297,606 Shares of the Trust were held by related parties of the Trust, respectively.

In accordance with the Trust Agreement governing the Trust, the Trust pays a fee to the Sponsor, calculated as 2.5% of the aggregate value of the Trust’s assets, less its liabilities (which include any accrued but unpaid expenses up to, but excluding, the date of calculation), as calculated and published by the Sponsor or its delegates in the manner set forth in the Trust Agreement (the “Sponsor’s Fee”). The Sponsor’s Fee accrues daily in U.S. dollars and is payable in SOL, monthly in arrears. The amount of SOL payable in respect of each daily U.S. dollar accrual will be determined by reference to the same U.S. dollar value of SOL used to determine such accrual. For purposes of these financial statements, the U.S. dollar value of SOL is determined by reference to the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market that the Trust considers its principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each valuation date. The Trust held no Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024. No Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currencies have been distributed in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee during the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024.

As partial consideration for receipt of the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor is obligated under the Trust Agreement to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including marketing fees; administrator fees, if any; custodian fees; transfer agent fees; trustee fees; the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any secondary market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $600,000 in any given fiscal year; ordinary course legal fees and expenses; audit fees; regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act; printing and mailing costs; the costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and applicable license fees (together, the “Sponsor-paid Expenses”), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Additional Trust Expense will be deemed to be an Additional Trust Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.

The Trust may incur certain extraordinary, non-recurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders (including in connection with any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any secondary market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $600,000 in any given fiscal year and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively, “Additional Trust Expenses”). In such circumstances, the Sponsor or its delegate (i) will instruct the Custodian to withdraw from the Digital Asset Account SOL, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Additional Trust Expenses and (ii) may either (x) cause the Trust (or its delegate) to convert such SOL, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies at the Actual Exchange Rate or (y) when the Sponsor incurs such expenses on behalf of the Trust, cause the Trust (or its delegate) to deliver such SOL, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency in kind to the Sponsor, in each case in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Additional Trust Expenses.

For the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Trust incurred Sponsor’s Fees of $491,960 and $432,203, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Trust incurred Sponsor’s Fees of $1,080,984 and $664,932, respectively. As of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there were no accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fees. In addition, the Sponsor may pay Additional Trust

F-10


 

Expenses on behalf of the Trust, which are reimbursable by the Trust to the Sponsor. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Sponsor did not pay any Additional Trust Expenses on behalf of the Trust.

7. Risks and Uncertainties

The Trust is subject to various risks including market risk, liquidity risk, and other risks related to its concentration in a single asset, SOL. Investing in SOL is currently highly speculative and volatile.

The Principal Market NAV of the Trust, calculated by reference to the principal market price in accordance with U.S. GAAP, relates primarily to the value of the SOL held by the Trust, and fluctuations in the price of SOL could materially and adversely affect an investment in the Shares of the Trust. The price of SOL has a limited history. During such history, SOL prices have been volatile and subject to influence by many factors, including the levels of liquidity. If Digital Asset Markets continue to experience significant price fluctuations, the Trust may experience losses. Several factors may affect the price of SOL, including, but not limited to, global SOL supply and demand, theft of SOL from global trading platforms or vaults, competition from other forms of digital currency or payment services, global or regional political, economic or financial conditions, and other unforeseen events and situations.

The SOL held by the Trust are commingled, and the Trust’s shareholders have no specific rights to any specific SOL. In the event of the insolvency of the Trust, its assets may be inadequate to satisfy a claim by its shareholders.

There is currently no clearing house for SOL, nor is there a central or major depository for the custody of SOL. There is a risk that some or all of the Trust’s SOL could be lost or stolen. There can be no assurance that the Custodian will maintain adequate insurance or that such coverage will cover losses with respect to the Trust’s SOL. Further, transactions in SOL are irrevocable. Stolen or incorrectly transferred SOL may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed SOL transactions could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), at least under the prior administration, has stated that certain digital assets may be considered “securities” under the federal securities laws. The test for determining whether a particular digital asset is a “security” is complex and difficult to apply, and the outcome is difficult to predict. A number of SEC and SEC staff actions with respect to a variety of digital assets demonstrate this difficulty. For example, public though non-binding, statements by senior officials at the SEC have indicated that the SEC did not consider Bitcoin or Ether to be securities, and does not currently consider Bitcoin to be a security. In addition, the SEC appears to have implicitly taken the view that Ether is not a security (i) by not objecting to Ether futures trading on Commodity Futures Trading Commission-regulated markets under rules designed for futures on non-security commodity underliers and (ii) by approving the listing and trading of exchange-traded products (“ETPs”) that invest in Ether (i.e., approving the redemption of shares of such ETPs) under the rules for commodity-based trust shares, without requiring these ETPs to be registered as investment companies. Likewise, in various courts filings and arguments the SEC has distinguished Ether from assets that it claimed were securities, and in judicial opinions, courts have accepted or even assumed that Ether is not a security. Moreover, in a recent settlement with another market participant relating to allegations that it acted as an unregistered broker-dealer for facilitating trading in certain digital assets, the SEC highlighted that the firm would cease trading in all digital assets other than Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ether—activity that, if the SEC believed Ether was presently a security—would continue to constitute unregistered brokerage activity. The SEC staff has also provided informal assurances via no-action letter to a handful of promoters that their digital assets are not securities. Moreover, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance has published statements that it does not consider, under certain circumstances, “meme coins” or some stablecoins to be securities. However, such statements may be withdrawn at any time without notice and comment by the Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC or the SEC itself. In addition, the SEC has brought enforcement actions against the issuers and promoters of several other digital assets on the basis that the digital assets in question are securities, and has not formally or explicitly confirmed that it does not deem Ether to be a security. These developments demonstrate the difficulty in applying the federal securities laws to digital assets generally. In January 2025, the SEC launched a crypto task force dedicated to developing a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for digital assets led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. Subsequently, Commissioner Peirce announced a list of specific priorities to further that initiative, which included pursuing final rules related to a digital asset’s security status, a revised path to registered offerings and listings for digital assets-based investment vehicles, and clarity regarding digital asset custody, lending, and staking. However, the efforts of the crypto task force have only just begun, and how or whether the SEC regulates digital asset activity in the future remains to be seen.

In June 2023, the SEC brought charges against the Digital Asset Trading Platforms Binance and Coinbase for alleged violations of a variety of securities laws. In its complaints, the SEC asserted that SOL, ADA, MATIC, FIL, ATOM, SAND, MANA, ALGO, AXS, COTI, CHZ, FLOW, ICP, NEAR, VGX, DASH and NEXO, are securities under the federal securities laws. In addition, in November 2023, the SEC brought charges against the Digital Asset Trading Platform Kraken for alleged violations of a variety of securities laws. In these complaints, the SEC asserted that SOL is a security under the federal securities laws. In September 2024, the SEC settled charges against Mango DAO and Blockworks Foundation and separately settled charges with Mango Labs, LLC, related to alleged violations of federal securities laws, and in October 2024, the SEC filed an enforcement action against Cumberland DRW, LLC. In both of these instances the SEC described a number of digital assets, including SOL, as examples of “crypto assets that are offered and sold as securities.” In February 2025, the SEC announced it had filed a joint stipulation with Coinbase to dismiss the enforcement action

F-11


 

against it. In March 2025, the SEC announced it had filed joint stipulations with both Kraken and Cumberland DRW, LLC to dismiss its enforcement actions against them.

If SOL is determined to be a “security” under federal or state securities laws by the SEC or any other agency, or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it may have material adverse consequences for SOL. For example, it may become more difficult for SOL to be traded, cleared and custodied as compared to other digital assets that are not considered to be securities, which could, in turn, negatively affect the liquidity and general acceptance of SOL and cause users to migrate to other digital assets. As such, any determination that SOL is a security under federal or state securities laws may adversely affect the value of SOL and, as a result, an investment in the Shares.

In addition, if SOL is in fact a security, the Trust could be considered an unregistered “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which could necessitate the Trust’s liquidation. In this case, the Trust and the Sponsor may be deemed to have participated in an illegal offering of securities and there is no guarantee that the Sponsor will be able to register the Trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 at such time, or take such other actions as may be necessary to ensure the Trust’s activities comply with applicable law, which could force the Sponsor to liquidate the Trust.

As with any computer network, digital asset networks are vulnerable to various kinds of attacks and disruptions. For example, on September 14, 2021, the Solana Network experienced a significant disruption, later attributed to a type of denial of service attack, and was offline for 17 hours, only returning to full functionality 24 hours later. While persons associated with Solana Labs and/or the Solana Foundation are understood to have played a key role in bringing the network back online, the broader community also played a key role, as Solana validators coordinated to upgrade and restart the network. The Solana Network has been subject to multiple similar outages throughout its history. Any such similar outages in the future could have a material adverse effect on the value of SOL and an investment in the Shares.

Furthermore, like any smart contract platform that utilizes bridge technology, digital assets transferred to or from other blockchains are vulnerable to certain types of exploits. For example, on February 3, 2022, hackers were able to manipulate the Wormhole bridge smart contract code which enables the transfer of certain digital assets to the Solana Network, to divert approximately 120,000 Ether from the Wormhole bridge to the attacker’s Ethereum wallet. While Jump Crypto, the creators of the Wormhole bridge, replenished the stolen Ether, effectively backstopping user losses, they or other creators may not be able to do so again in the future. The development of bridges on the Solana Network is ongoing and further attacks on bridges compatible with the Solana Network could have a material adverse effect on the value of SOL and an investment in the Shares.

To the extent a private key, held by the Custodian, required to access a SOL address is lost, destroyed or otherwise compromised and no backup of the private keys are accessible, the Trust may be unable to access the SOL controlled by the private key and the private key will not be capable of being restored by the Solana Network. The processes by which SOL transactions are settled are dependent on the SOL peer-to-peer network, and as such, the Trust is subject to operational risk. A risk also exists with respect to previously unknown technical vulnerabilities, which may adversely affect the value of SOL.

The Trust relies on third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to its operations. Any disruptions to the Trust’s service providers’ business operations resulting from business failures, financial instability, security failures, government mandated regulation or operational problems could have an adverse impact on the Trust’s ability to access critical services and be disruptive to the operations of the Trust.

The Sponsor and the Trust may be subject to various litigation, regulatory investigations, and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business.

F-12


 

8. Financial Highlights Per Share Performance

 

 

Three Months Ended June 30,

 

 

Six Months Ended June 30,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Per Share Data:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal Market NAV, beginning of period

 

$

9.21

 

 

$

75.47

 

 

$

14.33

 

 

$

39.75

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets from investment operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

 

 

(0.07

)

 

 

(0.36

)

 

 

(0.15

)

 

 

(0.68

)

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

 

 

2.39

 

 

 

(20.92

)

 

 

(2.65

)

 

 

15.12

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

 

2.32

 

 

 

(21.28

)

 

 

(2.80

)

 

 

14.44

 

Principal Market NAV, end of period

 

$

11.53

 

 

$

54.19

 

 

$

11.53

 

 

$

54.19

 

Total return

 

 

25.19

%

 

 

-28.20

%

 

 

-19.54

%

 

 

36.33

%

Ratios to average net assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

 

 

-2.50

%

 

 

-2.50

%

 

 

-2.50

%

 

 

-2.50

%

Expenses

 

 

-2.50

%

 

 

-2.50

%

 

 

-2.50

%

 

 

-2.50

%


Ratios of net investment loss and expenses to average net assets have been annualized.

An individual shareholder’s return, ratios, and per Share performance may vary from those presented above based on the timing of Share transactions. The amount shown for a Share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the number of Shares issued in Creations occurring at an operational value derived from an operating metric as defined in the Trust Agreement.

Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Principal Market NAV at the beginning of the period and assuming redemption on the last day of the period.

9. Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, the Trust enters into certain contracts that provide a variety of indemnities, including contracts with the Sponsor and affiliates of the Sponsor, DCG and its officers, directors, employees, subsidiaries and affiliates, and the Custodian as well as others relating to services provided to the Trust. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these and its other indemnities is unknown. However, no liabilities have arisen under these indemnities in the past and, while there can be no assurances in this regard, there is no expectation that any will occur in the future. Therefore, the Sponsor does not consider it necessary to record a liability in this regard.

10. Subsequent Events


As of the close of business on August 4, 2025, the fair value of SOL determined in accordance with the Trust’s accounting policy was $165.64 per SOL.

Subsequent events have been evaluated through August 8, 2025, the date the financial statements were available to be issued.


 

F-13


 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Sponsor of

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL):

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) (the Trust), including the schedule of investment, as of December 31, 2024, the related statements of operations and changes in net assets for the year then ended, and the related notes (collectively, the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Trust as of December 31, 2024, and the results of its operations and changes in its net assets for the year then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Trust’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ KPMG LLP

We have served as the Trust’s auditor since 2024.

New York, New York

March 19, 2025

 

 

F-14


 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Sponsor of

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investment, of Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) (the “Trust”) as of December 31, 2023 and related statements of operations and changes in net assets for the year ended December 31, 2023, and related notes (collectively the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Trust as of December 31, 2023 and the result of its operations for the year ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the management of the Trust’s Sponsor, Grayscale Investments, LLC. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Trust’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Trust is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Emphasis of Matter - Investment in SOL

In forming our opinion, we have considered the adequacy of the disclosures included in Note 7 to the financial statements concerning among other things the risks and uncertainties related to the Trust’s investment in SOL and Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency that arise as a result of the Trust’s investment in SOL. The risks and rewards to be recognized by the Trust associated with its investment in SOL will be dependent on many factors outside of the Trust’s control. The currently immature nature of the SOL market including clearing, settlement, custody and trading mechanisms, the dependency on information technology to sustain SOL continuity, as well as valuation and volume volatility all subject SOL to unique risks of theft, loss, or other misappropriation as well as valuation uncertainty. Furthermore, these factors also contribute to the significant uncertainty with respect to the future viability and value of SOL. Our opinion is not qualified in respect to this matter.

/s/ Marcum LLP

We have served as the Trust’s auditor from 2021 to 2024 (such date takes into account the acquisition of certain assets of Friedman LLP by Marcum LLP effective September 1, 2022).

New York, New York
March 8, 2024, except for the retrospective application of the Share Split described in Note 1, as to which the date is March 19, 2025.

F-15


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment in SOL, at fair value (cost $67,785,534 and $23,961,617 as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively)

 

$

102,631,276

 

 

$

25,189,559

 

Total assets

 

$

102,631,276

 

 

$

25,189,559

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor’s Fee payable, related party

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Total liabilities

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Net assets

 

$

102,631,276

 

 

$

25,189,559

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares issued and outstanding, no par value (unlimited Shares authorized)

 

 

7,160,335

 

 

 

3,168,135

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal market net asset value per Share

 

$

14.33

 

 

$

7.95

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the financial statements.

F-16


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENT

 

December 31, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quantity of
SOL

 

 

Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

% of Net
Assets

 

Investment in SOL

 

 

529,873.89849530

 

 

$

67,785,534

 

 

$

102,631,276

 

 

 

100

%

Net assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

102,631,276

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quantity of
SOL

 

 

Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

% of Net
Assets

 

Investment in SOL

 

 

240,381.32738679

 

 

$

23,961,617

 

 

$

25,189,559

 

 

 

100

%

Net assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

25,189,559

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the financial statements.

F-17


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

 

 

Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Investment income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment income

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

1,758,499

 

 

 

102,656

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

 

 

(1,758,499

)

 

 

(102,656

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment from:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net realized gain (loss) on investment in SOL

 

 

433,601

 

 

 

(289,589

)

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

 

 

33,617,800

 

 

 

15,387,214

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment

 

 

34,051,401

 

 

 

15,097,625

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

32,292,902

 

 

$

14,994,969

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the financial statements.

F-18


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

 

 

 

Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Increase in net assets from operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

 

$

(1,758,499

)

 

$

(102,656

)

Net realized gain (loss) on investment in SOL

 

 

433,601

 

 

 

(289,589

)

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

 

 

33,617,800

 

 

 

15,387,214

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

 

 

32,292,902

 

 

 

14,994,969

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase in net assets from capital share transactions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares issued

 

 

45,148,815

 

 

 

8,999,780

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions

 

 

45,148,815

 

 

 

8,999,780

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total increase in net assets from operations and capital share transactions

 

 

77,441,717

 

 

 

23,994,749

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning of year

 

 

25,189,559

 

 

 

1,194,810

 

End of year

 

$

102,631,276

 

 

$

25,189,559

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in Shares outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares outstanding at beginning of year

 

 

3,168,135

 

 

 

1,522,135

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares issued

 

 

3,992,200

 

 

 

1,646,000

 

Net increase in Shares

 

 

3,992,200

 

 

 

1,646,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares outstanding at end of year

 

 

7,160,335

 

 

 

3,168,135

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the financial statements.

F-19


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1. Organization

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) (the “Trust”) is a Delaware Statutory Trust that was formed on November 9, 2021 and commenced operations on November 18, 2021. In general, the Trust holds Solana (“SOL”) and, from time to time, issues common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest (“Shares”) (in minimum baskets of 100 Shares, referred to as “Baskets”) in exchange for SOL. The Trust does not currently operate a redemption program. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program. The Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on SOL per Share) to reflect the value of SOL held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. The Trust may also receive Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency as a result of the Trust’s investment in SOL, in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement.

Incidental Rights are rights to claim, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Trust’s ownership of SOL and arise without any action of the Trust, or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust; IR Virtual Currency is any virtual currency tokens, or other asset or right, received by the Trust through the exercise (subject to the applicable provisions of the Trust Agreement) of any Incidental Right.

As of December 31, 2024, Grayscale Investments LLC (“Grayscale” or the “Sponsor”) acted as the Sponsor of the Trust and was a wholly owned subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, Inc. (“DCG”). The Sponsor is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust pursuant to the provisions of the Trust Agreement. Grayscale is responsible for preparing and providing annual and quarterly reports on behalf of the Trust to investors and is also responsible for selecting and monitoring the Trust’s service providers. As partial consideration for the Sponsor’s services, the Trust pays Grayscale a Sponsor’s Fee as discussed in Note 6. The Sponsor also acts as the sponsor and manager of other investment products including Grayscale Aave Trust (AAVE), Grayscale Avalanche Trust (AVAX), Grayscale Basic Attention Token Trust (BAT) (OTCQX: GBAT), Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (NYSE Arca: GBTC), Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF (NYSE Arca: BTC), Grayscale Bitcoin Cash Trust (BCH) (OTCQX: BCHG), Grayscale Bittensor Trust (TAO), Grayscale Chainlink Trust (LINK) (OTCQX: GLNK), Grayscale Decentraland Trust (MANA) (OTCQX: MANA), Grayscale Dogecoin Trust (DOGE), Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF (NYSE Arca: ETHE), Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC) (OTCQX: ETCG), Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (NYSE Arca: ETH), Grayscale Filecoin Trust (FIL) (OTC Markets: FILG), Grayscale Horizen Trust (ZEN) (OTCQX: HZEN), Grayscale Lido DAO Trust (LDO), Grayscale Litecoin Trust (LTC) (OTCQX: LTCN), Grayscale Livepeer Trust (LPT) (OTCQX: GLIV), Grayscale MakerDao Trust (MKR), Grayscale NEAR Trust (NEAR), Grayscale Optimism Trust (OP), Grayscale Pyth Trust (PYTH), Grayscale Stacks Trust (STX), Grayscale Stellar Lumens Trust (XLM) (OTCQX: GXLM), Grayscale Sui Trust (SUI), Grayscale XRP Trust, Grayscale Zcash Trust (ZEC) (OTCQX: ZCSH), Grayscale Decentralized AI Fund LLC, Grayscale Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Fund LLC (OTCQB: DEFG), Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund LLC (OTCQX: GDLC), and Grayscale Smart Contract Platform Ex Ethereum (ETH) Fund LLC, each of which is an affiliate of the Trust. The following investment products sponsored or managed by the Sponsor are SEC reporting companies with their shares registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”): Grayscale Bitcoin Cash Trust (BCH), Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETC), Grayscale Horizen Trust (ZEN), Grayscale Litecoin Trust (LTC), Grayscale Stellar Lumens Trust (XLM), Grayscale Zcash Trust (ZEC), and Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund LLC. The following investment products sponsored by the Sponsor are SEC reporting companies with their shares registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act: Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF, Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF, Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF, and Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF.

Authorized Participants of the Trust are the only entities who may place orders to create or, if permitted, redeem Baskets. Grayscale Securities, LLC (“Grayscale Securities” or, in such capacity, an “Authorized Participant”), a registered broker-dealer and affiliate of the Sponsor, is the only Authorized Participant, and is party to a participant agreement with the Sponsor and the Trust. Additional Authorized Participants may be added at any time, subject to the discretion of the Sponsor. Liquidity Providers who are unaffiliated with the Trust may be engaged from time to time and at any time. Genesis Global Trading, Inc. (“Genesis”), a wholly owned subsidiary of DCG, served as a Liquidity Provider from October 3, 2022 to September 12, 2023.

The custodian of the Trust is Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “Custodian”), a third-party service provider. The Custodian is responsible for safeguarding the SOL, Incidental Rights, and IR Virtual Currency held by the Trust, and holding the private key(s) that provide access to the Trust’s digital wallets and vaults.

The transfer agent for the Trust (the “Transfer Agent”) is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. The responsibilities of the Transfer Agent are to maintain creations, redemptions, transfers, and distributions of the Trust’s Shares which are primarily held in book-entry form.

On March 20, 2023, the Trust completed a 1-for-2 Reverse Share Split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares. In connection with the Reverse Share Split, effective for each beneficial owner of a Share (a “shareholder”) of record on March 15, 2023, every two issued and outstanding Shares of the Trust were converted into one Share. On December 9, 2024, the Trust completed a 5-for-1 Share Split of the Trust’s issued and outstanding Shares. In connection with the Share Split, each shareholder of record on December 5, 2024, received

F-20


 

four additional Shares of the Trust for each Share held. The number of outstanding Shares and per-Share amounts disclosed for all periods presented have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the effects of the Reverse Share Split and Share Split.

On April 17, 2023, the Trust received notice that its Shares were qualified for public trading on the OTCQB U.S. Market (“OTCQB”) of OTC Markets Group Inc. On March 7, 2024, the Trust qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market® (“OTCQX”) of OTC Markets Group Inc. The Trust’s trading symbol on OTCQX is “GSOL” and the CUSIP number for its Shares is 38965D104.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust:

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Trust qualifies as an investment company for accounting purposes pursuant to the accounting and reporting guidance under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for SOL in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.

The Trust conducts its transactions in SOL, including receiving SOL for the creation of Shares and delivering SOL for the redemption of Shares and for the payment of the Sponsor’s Fee. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. Since its inception, the Trust has not held cash or cash equivalents.

Principal Market and Fair Value Determination

To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s net asset value in accordance with U.S. GAAP (“Principal Market NAV”), the Trust follows ASC Topic 820-10, Fair Value Measurement, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for SOL in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that SOL is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.

The Trust only receives SOL in connection with a creation order from the Authorized Participant (or a Liquidity Provider) and does not itself transact on any Digital Asset Markets. Therefore, the Trust looks to market-based volume and level of activity for Digital Asset Markets. The Authorized Participant(s), or a Liquidity Provider, may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets (referred to as “Trading Platform Markets” in this Annual Report), each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary (collectively, “Digital Asset Markets”).

In determining which of the eligible Digital Asset Markets is the Trust’s principal market, the Trust reviews these criteria in the following order:

First, the Trust reviews a list of Digital Asset Markets that maintain practices and policies designed to comply with anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know-your-customer (“KYC”) regulations, and non-Digital Asset Trading Platform Markets that the Trust reasonably believes are operating in compliance with applicable law, including federal and state licensing requirements, based upon information and assurances provided to it by each market.

Second, the Trust sorts these Digital Asset Markets from high to low by market-based volume and level of activity of SOL traded on each Digital Asset Market in the trailing twelve months.

Third, the Trust then reviews pricing fluctuations and the degree of variances in price on Digital Asset Markets to identify any material notable variances that may impact the volume or price information of a particular Digital Asset Market.

Fourth, the Trust then selects a Digital Asset Market as its principal market based on the highest market-based volume, level of activity and price stability in comparison to the other Digital Asset Markets on the list. Based on information reasonably available to the Trust, Trading Platform Markets have the greatest volume and level of activity for the asset. The Trust therefore looks to accessible Trading Platform Markets as opposed to the Brokered Market, Dealer Market and Principal-to-Principal Markets to determine its principal market. As a result of the aforementioned analysis, a Trading Platform Market has been selected as the Trust’s principal market.

The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) annually and conducts a quarterly analysis to determine (i) if there have been recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s trading volume and level of activity in the trailing twelve months, (ii) if any Digital Asset Markets have developed that the Trust has access to, or (iii) if recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s price stability have occurred that would materially impact the selection of the principal market and necessitate a change in the Trust’s determination of its principal market.

F-21


 

The cost basis of the SOL received by the Trust in connection with a creation order is recorded by the Trust at the fair value of SOL at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the creation date for financial reporting purposes. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of the corresponding Shares to investors.

Investment Transactions and Revenue Recognition

The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of SOL for Share creations and the delivery of SOL for Share redemptions or for payment of expenses in SOL. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. The Trust records its investment transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses are recognized in connection with transactions including settling obligations for the Sponsor’s Fee in SOL.

Fair Value Measurement

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the ‘exit price’) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

U.S. GAAP utilizes a fair value hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Trust. Unobservable inputs reflect the Trust’s assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.

The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

Level 1 – Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Trust has the ability to access. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, these valuations do not entail a significant degree of judgment.
Level 2 – Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3 – Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary by investment. To the extent that valuations are based on sources that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Fair value estimates do not necessarily represent the amounts that may be ultimately realized by the Trust.

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurement Using

 

 

 

Amount at
Fair Value

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

December 31, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment in SOL

 

$

102,631,276

 

 

$

102,631,276

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment in SOL

 

$

25,189,559

 

 

$

25,189,559

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-08, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Crypto Assets (Subtopic 350-60): Accounting for and Disclosure of Crypto Assets (“ASU 2023-08”). ASU 2023-08 is intended to improve the accounting for certain crypto assets by requiring an entity to measure those crypto assets at fair value each reporting period with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The amendments also improve the information provided to investors about an entity’s crypto asset holdings by requiring disclosure about significant holdings, contractual sale restrictions, and changes during the reporting period. ASU 2023-08 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted for both interim and annual financial statements that have not yet been issued. The Trust adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2024, with no material impact on its financial statements and disclosures as the Trust historically used fair value as its method of accounting for SOL in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes.

In this reporting period, the Trust adopted FASB Accounting Standards Update 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280)—Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (“ASU 2023-07”). Adoption of the new standard impacted financial statement disclosures only and did not affect the Trust’s financial position or the results of its operations. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities for which discrete financial information is available and regularly reviewed

F-22


 

by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and to assess performance. The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor act as the Trust’s CODM. The Trust represents a single operating segment, as the CODM monitors the operating results of the Trust as a whole and the Trust’s passive investment objective is pre-determined in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement. The financial information in the form of the Trust’s total returns, expense ratios and changes in net assets (i.e., changes in net assets resulting from operations and capital share transactions), which are used by the CODM to assess the segment’s performance, are consistent with that presented within the Trust’s financial statements. Segment assets are reflected on the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities as Total assets and the only significant segment expense, the Sponsor’s fee, related party, is included in the accompanying Statements of Operations.

3. Fair Value of SOL

SOL is held by the Custodian on behalf of the Trust and is carried at fair value. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Trust held 529,873.89849530 and 240,381.32738679 SOL, respectively.

The Trust determined the fair value per SOL to be $193.69 and $104.79 on December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, using the price provided at 4:00 p.m., New York time, by the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market considered to be the Trust’s principal market (Coinbase).

The following represents the changes in quantity of SOL and the respective fair value:

 

 

Quantity

 

 

Fair Value

 

Balance at December 31, 2022

 

 

118,415.28927248

 

 

$

1,194,810

 

SOL contributed

 

 

125,094.35983579

 

 

 

8,999,780

 

SOL distributed for Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

(3,128.32172148

)

 

 

(102,656

)

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

 

 

-

 

 

 

15,387,214

 

Net realized loss on investment in SOL

 

 

-

 

 

 

(289,589

)

Balance at December 31, 2023

 

 

240,381.32738679

 

 

$

25,189,559

 

SOL contributed

 

 

300,449.71934981

 

 

 

45,148,815

 

SOL distributed for Sponsor’s Fee, related party

 

 

(10,957.14824130

)

 

 

(1,758,499

)

Net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in SOL

 

 

-

 

 

 

33,617,800

 

Net realized gain on investment in SOL

 

 

-

 

 

 

433,601

 

Balance at December 31, 2024

 

 

529,873.89849530

 

 

$

102,631,276

 

4. Creations and Redemptions of Shares

At December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were an unlimited number of Shares authorized by the Trust. The Trust creates (and, should the Trust commence a redemption program, redeems) Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. The creation and redemption of Baskets on behalf of investors are made by the Authorized Participant in exchange for the delivery of SOL to the Trust or the distribution of SOL by the Trust. The amount of SOL required for each creation Basket or redemption Basket is determined by dividing (x) the amount of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such trade date of a creation or redemption order, after deducting the amount of SOL representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust, by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time and multiplying the quotient obtained by 100. Each Share represented approximately 0.0740 and 0.0759 SOL at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease in the amount of SOL represented by each Share is primarily a result of the periodic withdrawal of SOL to pay the Sponsor’s Fee.

The cost basis of investments in SOL recorded by the Trust is the fair value of SOL, as determined by the Trust, at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of transfer to the Trust by the Authorized Participant, or Liquidity Provider, based on the creation Baskets. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of each Share to investors. The Authorized Participant or Liquidity Provider may realize significant profits buying, selling, creating, and, if permitted, redeeming Shares as a result of changes in the value of Shares or SOL.

At this time, the Trust is not operating a redemption program and is not accepting redemption requests. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program. On December 3, 2024, NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) filed an application with the SEC pursuant to Rule 19b-4 under the Exchange Act to list the Shares of the Trust on NYSE Arca. As of the date of this filing, the NYSE Arca 19b-4 application has not been approved by the SEC and the Trust has not obtained relief from the SEC under Regulation M, and the Trust makes no representation as to when or if such approval and relief will be obtained.

F-23


 

5. Income Taxes

The Sponsor takes the position that the Trust is properly treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming that the Trust is a grantor trust, the Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, if the Trust is a grantor trust, each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated as directly owning its pro rata Share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata portion of the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of Shares.

If the Trust were not properly classified as a grantor trust, the Trust might be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital assets, including forks, airdrops and similar occurrences for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be no assurance in this regard. If the Trust were classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax consequences of owning Shares generally would not be materially different from the tax consequences described herein, although there might be certain differences, including with respect to timing. In addition, tax information reports provided to beneficial owners of Shares would be made in a different form. If the Trust were not classified as either a grantor trust or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be classified as a corporation for such purposes. In that event, the Trust would be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (currently at the rate of 21%) on its net taxable income and certain distributions made by the Trust to shareholders would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of the Trust’s current and accumulated earnings and profits.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Trust has defined the threshold for recognizing the benefits of tax return positions in the financial statements as “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable taxing authority and requires measurement of a tax position meeting the “more-likely-than-not” threshold, based on the largest benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current period. As of and during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Trust did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax amounts. However, the Sponsor’s conclusions concerning its determination of “more-likely-than-not” tax positions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, further implementation guidance, and ongoing analyses of and changes to tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

The Sponsor of the Trust has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions related to federal, state and local income taxes existed as of December 31, 2024 or 2023.

6. Related Parties

The Trust considered the following entities, their directors, and certain employees to be related parties of the Trust as of December 31, 2024: DCG, Grayscale, and Grayscale Securities. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, 297,606 and 134,335 Shares of the Trust were held by related parties of the Trust, respectively.

Genesis Global Trading, Inc. filed a certificate of dissolution in August 2024, and has therefore been removed from the list of related parties.

In accordance with the Trust Agreement governing the Trust, the Trust pays a fee to the Sponsor, calculated as 2.5% of the aggregate value of the Trust’s assets, less its liabilities (which include any accrued but unpaid expenses up to, but excluding, the date of calculation), as calculated and published by the Sponsor or its delegates in the manner set forth in the Trust Agreement (the “Sponsor’s Fee”). The Sponsor’s Fee accrues daily in U.S. dollars and is payable in SOL, monthly in arrears. The amount of SOL payable in respect of each daily U.S. dollar accrual will be determined by reference to the same U.S. dollar value of SOL used to determine such accrual. For purposes of these financial statements, the U.S. dollar value of SOL is determined by reference to the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market that the Trust considers its principal market as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each valuation date. The Trust held no Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. No Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currencies have been distributed in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

As partial consideration for receipt of the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor is obligated under the Trust Agreement to assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including marketing fees; administrator fees, if any; custodian fees; transfer agent fees; trustee fees; the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any secondary market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $600,000 in any given fiscal year; ordinary course legal fees and expenses; audit fees; regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act; printing and mailing costs; the costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and applicable license fees (together, the “Sponsor-paid Expenses”), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Additional Trust Expense will be deemed to be an Additional Trust Expense and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.

The Trust may incur certain extraordinary, non-recurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, taxes and governmental charges, expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of shareholders (including in connection with any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any secondary market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $600,000 in any given fiscal year and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any

F-24


 

legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively “Additional Trust Expenses”). In such circumstances, the Sponsor or its delegate (i) will instruct the Custodian to withdraw from the Digital Asset Account SOL, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Additional Trust Expenses and (ii) may either (x) cause the Trust (or its delegate) to convert such SOL, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies at the Actual Exchange Rate or (y) when the Sponsor incurs such expenses on behalf of the Trust, cause the Trust (or its delegate) to deliver such SOL, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency in kind to the Sponsor in each case in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Additional Trust Expenses.

For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Trust incurred Sponsor’s Fees of $1,758,499 and $102,656, respectively. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fees. In addition, the Sponsor may pay Additional Trust Expenses on behalf of the Trust, which are reimbursable by the Trust to the Sponsor. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Sponsor did not pay any Additional Trust Expenses on behalf of the Trust.

7. Risks and Uncertainties

The Trust is subject to various risks including market risk, liquidity risk, and other risks related to its concentration in a single asset, SOL. Investing in SOL is currently highly speculative and volatile.

The Principal Market NAV of the Trust, calculated by reference to the principal market price in accordance with U.S. GAAP, relates primarily to the value of the SOL held by the Trust, and fluctuations in the price of SOL could materially and adversely affect an investment in the Shares of the Trust. The price of SOL has a limited history. During such history, SOL prices have been volatile and subject to influence by many factors, including the levels of liquidity. If Digital Asset Markets continue to experience significant price fluctuations, the Trust may experience losses. Several factors may affect the price of SOL, including, but not limited to, global SOL supply and demand, theft of SOL from global trading platforms or vaults, competition from other forms of digital currency or payment services, global or regional political, economic or financial conditions, and other unforeseen events and situations.

The SOL held by the Trust are commingled and the Trust’s shareholders have no specific rights to any specific SOL. In the event of the insolvency of the Trust, its assets may be inadequate to satisfy a claim by its shareholders.

There is currently no clearing house for SOL, nor is there a central or major depository for the custody of SOL. There is a risk that some or all of the Trust’s SOL could be lost or stolen. There can be no assurance that the Custodian will maintain adequate insurance or that such coverage will cover losses with respect to the Trust’s SOL. Further, transactions in SOL are irrevocable. Stolen or incorrectly transferred SOL may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed SOL transactions could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has stated that certain digital assets may be considered “securities” under the federal securities laws. The test for determining whether a particular digital asset is a “security” is complex and difficult to apply, and the outcome is difficult to predict. Public, though non-binding, statements by senior officials at the SEC have indicated that the SEC did not consider Bitcoin or Ether to be securities, and does not currently consider Bitcoin to be a security. The SEC staff has also provided informal assurances via no-action letter to a handful of promoters that their digital assets are not securities. On the other hand, the SEC has brought enforcement actions against the issuers and promoters of several other digital assets on the basis that the digital assets in question are securities and has not formally or explicitly confirmed that it does not deem Ether to be a security. In June 2023, the SEC brought charges against the Digital Asset Trading Platforms Binance and Coinbase for alleged violations of a variety of securities laws. In November 2023, the SEC brought charges against the Digital Asset Trading Platform Kraken for alleged violations of a variety of securities laws. In these complaints, the SEC asserted that SOL is a security under the federal securities laws. In September 2024, the SEC filed an enforcement action against Mango Labs, LLC, Mango DAO, and Blockworks Foundation, and in October 2024, the SEC filed an enforcement action against Cumberland DRW, LLC, in both instances describing a number of digital assets, including SOL, as examples of “crypto assets that are offered and sold as securities.”

If SOL is determined to be a “security” under federal or state securities laws by the SEC or any other agency, or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it may have material adverse consequences for SOL. For example, it may become more difficult for SOL to be traded, cleared and custodied as compared to other digital assets that are not considered to be securities, which could, in turn, negatively affect the liquidity and general acceptance of SOL and cause users to migrate to other digital assets. As such, any determination that SOL is a security under federal or state securities laws may adversely affect the value of SOL and, as a result, an investment in the Shares.

In addition, if SOL is in fact a security, the Trust could be considered an unregistered “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which could necessitate the Trust’s liquidation. In this case, the Trust and the Sponsor may be deemed to have participated in an illegal offering of investment company securities and there is no guarantee that the Sponsor will be able to register the Trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 at such time, or take such other actions as may be necessary to ensure the Trust’s activities comply with applicable law, which could force the Sponsor to liquidate the Trust.

As with any computer network, digital asset networks are vulnerable to various kinds of attacks and disruptions. For example, on September 14, 2021, the Solana Network experienced a significant disruption, later attributed to a type of denial of service attack, and

F-25


 

was offline for 17 hours, only returning to full functionality 24 hours later. While persons associated with Solana Labs and/or the Solana Foundation are understood to have played a key role in bringing the network back online, the broader community also played a key role, as Solana validators coordinated to upgrade and restart the network. The Solana Network subsequently experienced similar disruptions, and has been subject to multiple similar outages throughout its history. Any such similar outages in the future could have a material adverse effect on the value of SOL and an investment in the Shares.

Furthermore, like any smart contract platform that utilizes bridge technology, digital assets transferred to or from other blockchains are vulnerable to certain types of exploits. For example, on February 3, 2022, hackers were able to manipulate the Wormhole bridge smart contract code which enables the transfer of certain digital assets to the Solana Network, to divert approximately 120,000 Ether from the Wormhole bridge to the attacker’s Ethereum wallet. While Jump Crypto, the creators of the Wormhole bridge, replenished the stolen Ether, effectively backstopping user losses, they or other creators may not be able to do so again in the future. The development of bridges on the Solana Network is ongoing and further attacks on bridges compatible with the Solana Network could have a material adverse effect on the value of SOL and an investment in the Shares.

To the extent a private key required to access a SOL address is lost, destroyed or otherwise compromised and no backup of the private keys are accessible, the Trust may be unable to access the SOL controlled by the private key and the private key will not be capable of being restored by the Solana Network. The processes by which SOL transactions are settled are dependent on the SOL peer-to-peer network, and as such, the Trust is subject to operational risk. A risk also exists with respect to previously unknown technical vulnerabilities, which may adversely affect the value of SOL.

The Trust relies on third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to its operations. Any disruptions to the Trust’s service providers’ business operations resulting from business failures, financial instability, security failures, government mandated regulation or operational problems could have an adverse impact on the Trust’s ability to access critical services and be disruptive to the operations of the Trust.

The Sponsor and the Trust may be subject to various litigation, regulatory investigations, and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business.

8. Financial Highlights Per Share Performance

 

 

Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Per Share Data:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal market net asset value, beginning of year

 

$

7.95

 

 

$

0.78

 

Net increase in net assets from investment operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

 

 

(0.30

)

 

 

(0.06

)

Net realized and unrealized gain

 

 

6.68

 

 

 

7.23

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

 

 

6.38

 

 

 

7.17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal market net asset value, end of year

 

$

14.33

 

 

$

7.95

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total return

 

 

80.25

%

 

 

914.03

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratios to average net assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

 

 

-2.50

%

 

 

-2.50

%

Expenses

 

 

-2.50

%

 

 

-2.50

%

An individual shareholder’s return, ratios, and per Share performance may vary from those presented above based on the timing of Share transactions. The amount shown for a Share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the number of Shares issued in Creations occurring at an operational value derived from an operating metric as defined in the Trust Agreement.

Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the Principal Market NAV at the beginning of the year and assuming redemption on the last day of the year.

F-26


 

9. Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, the Trust enters into certain contracts that provide a variety of indemnities, including contracts with the Sponsor and affiliates of the Sponsor, DCG and its officers, directors, employees, subsidiaries and affiliates, and the Custodian as well as others relating to services provided to the Trust. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these and its other indemnities is unknown. However, no liabilities have arisen under these indemnities in the past and, while there can be no assurances in this regard, there is no expectation that any will occur in the future. Therefore, the Sponsor does not consider it necessary to record a liability in this regard.

10. Subsequent Events

On January 1, 2025, Grayscale Investments, LLC (“GSI”) consummated an internal corporate reorganization (the “Reorganization”), pursuant to which Grayscale Investments, LLC, the Sponsor of the Trust prior to the Reorganization, merged with and into Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”), a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of DCG, with GSO continuing as the surviving company (the “Merger”). As a result of the Merger, GSO succeeded by operation of law to all the rights, powers, privileges and franchises and became subject to all of the obligations, liabilities, restrictions and disabilities of GSI, including with respect to the Sponsor Contracts (as defined below), all as provided under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act. The Reorganization is not expected to have any material impact on the operations of the Trust.

In connection with the Reorganization, on January 1, 2025, and promptly following the effectiveness of the Merger, GSO assigned certain contracts pertaining to its role as Sponsor (as such term is defined in the Trust Agreement) of the Trust (such contracts, the “Sponsor Contracts”) to Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned direct subsidiary of GSO (“GSIS”), whereby GSIS assumed all of the rights and obligations of GSO under the Sponsor Contracts. Other than the assumption of the Sponsor Contracts by GSIS, the Reorganization does not alter the rights or obligations under any of the Sponsor Contracts.

In connection with the Reorganization, on January 1, 2025, and promptly following the effectiveness of the Merger, GSO and GSIS executed a Certificate of Admission, pursuant to which GSIS was admitted as an additional Sponsor of the Trust under the Trust Agreement, by and among GSO (as successor in interest to GSI), the Trustee, and the shareholders from time to time thereunder, as amended from time to time. GSIS shall be subject to the rights and obligations of a Sponsor under the Trust Agreement.

On January 3, 2025, GSO voluntarily withdrew as a Sponsor of the Trust pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, and, effective May 3, 2025, GSIS shall be the sole remaining Sponsor of the Trust.

As of the close of business on March 14, 2025, the fair value of SOL determined in accordance with the Trust’s accounting policy was $134.29 per SOL.

Subsequent events have been evaluated through March 19, 2025, the date the financial statements were available to be issued.

F-27


 

 

 

 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

img178347044_2.jpg

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

, 2025

 

 

 


 

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The Registrant (“Registrant” or “Trust”) does not bear any expenses incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered. These expenses will be paid by Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, the sponsor of the Registrant (“Sponsor”).

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 2.4(a) of the Trust Agreement (“Trust Agreement”) between CSC Delaware Trust Company, the Registrant’s Trustee (“Trustee”), and the Sponsor provides that the Trustee and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee (the “Indemnified Persons”) shall be indemnified by the Trust as primary obligor and held harmless against any loss, damage, liability, claim, action, suit, cost, expense, disbursement (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), tax or penalty of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, “Expenses”), arising out of, imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Person in connection with the performance of its obligations under the Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated therein; provided, however, that neither the Trust nor the Sponsor shall be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of the Indemnified Person. If the Trust shall have insufficient assets or improperly refuses to pay an Indemnified Person within 60 days of a request for payment owed under Section 2.4 of the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor shall, as secondary obligor, compensate or reimburse the Trustee or indemnify, defend and hold harmless an Indemnified Person as if it were the primary obligor under Section 2.4 of the Trust Agreement. Any amount payable to an Indemnified Person under Section 2.4 of the Trust Agreement may be payable in advance and shall be secured by a lien on the Trust property. The obligations of the Sponsor and the Trust to indemnify the Indemnified Persons under this Section 2.4 shall survive the termination of the Trust Agreement.

Section 6.7 of the Trust Agreement provides that the Sponsor, its affiliates and their respective members, managers, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons (each a “Sponsor Indemnified Party”) shall be indemnified by the Trust against any loss, judgment, liability, expense and amount paid in settlement of any claims sustained by it in connection with its activities for the Trust, provided that (i) the Sponsor Indemnified Party was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Trust and has determined, in good faith, that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust and such liability or loss was not the result of fraud, gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct, or a material breach of the Trust Agreement on the part of the Sponsor Indemnified Party and (ii) any such indemnification will only be recoverable from the SOL and proceeds from the disposition of SOL on deposit in the Trust’s accounts as well as any rights of the Trust pursuant to any other agreements to which the Trust is a party.

All rights to indemnification permitted in Section 6.7 of the Trust Agreement and payment of associated expenses shall not be affected by the dissolution or other cessation to exist of the Sponsor Indemnified Party, or the withdrawal, adjudication of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor Indemnified Party, or the filing of a voluntary or involuntary petition in bankruptcy under Title 11 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by or against the Sponsor Indemnified Party.

Notwithstanding the other provisions of Section 6.7 of the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor Indemnified Party and any person acting as broker-dealer for the Trust shall not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of U.S. federal or state securities laws unless (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation, litigation costs), (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation, litigation costs) or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against a particular indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made. The Trust shall not incur the cost of that portion of any insurance which insures any party against any liability, the indemnification of which is prohibited by the Trust Agreement. Expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending civil, administrative or criminal action suit or proceeding against the Sponsor Indemnified Party shall be paid by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, if (i) the legal action relates to the performance of duties or services by the Sponsor Indemnified Party on behalf of the Trust; (ii) the legal action is initiated by a third party who is not a shareholder of the Trust or the legal action is initiated by a shareholder of the Trust and a court of competent jurisdiction specifically approves such advance; and (iii) the Sponsor Indemnified Party undertakes to repay the advanced funds with interest to the Trust in cases in which it is not entitled to indemnification under Section 6.7 of the Trust Agreement. In the event the Trust is made a party to any claim, dispute, demand or litigation or otherwise incurs any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense as a result of or in connection with any shareholder of the Trust’s (or assignee’s) obligations or liabilities unrelated to Trust business, such shareholder of the Trust (or assignees cumulatively) shall indemnify, defend, hold harmless, and reimburse the Trust for all such loss, liability, damage, cost and expense incurred, including attorneys’ and accountants’ fees.

II-1


 

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

The following sets forth information regarding securities sold or issued by the registrant in the three years preceding the date of this registration statement without registration under the Securities Act of 1933:

As of June 30, 2025, Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) has distributed 7,231,035 Shares at varying prices determined by reference to the NAV per Share to selected “accredited investors,” within the meaning of Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act. The Shares were sold in connection with an ongoing offering pursuant to Rule 506(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act. Grayscale Securities, LLC acted as the Authorized Participant with respect to these distributions beginning October 3, 2022. For all such distributions prior to October 3, 2022, Genesis Global Trading, Inc. acted as the Authorized Participant. In exchange for these sales, the Trust received an aggregate of 546,541.85109724 SOL. Because Shares have been, and continue to be, created and issued on a periodic basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may be occurring from time to time. As a result, the Authorized Participant facilitating the creation of Shares and acting as a distributor and marketer during any such period may be deemed an “underwriter” under Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid to the Authorized Participant with respect to such sales.

II-2


 

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a)
The following exhibits are filed as part of this registration statement:

 

Exhibit Number

Description

3.1#

Certificate of Trust.

3.2#

Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust.

4.1

Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, by and among CSC Delaware Trust Company, as trustee, and Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, as sponsor.

4.2

Form of Participant Agreement.

5.1

Opinion of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., as special Delaware counsel to the Trust.

8.1

Form of Opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, as special tax counsel to the Trust.

10.1*

Prime Broker Agreement.

10.2*

Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement.

10.3†#

Index License Agreement, dated February 1, 2022, between the Sponsor, and the Index Provider.

10.4†#

Amendment No. 1 to the Index License Agreement, dated June 20, 2023, between the Sponsor and Index Provider.

10.5†#

Amendment No. 6 to the Index License Agreement, dated March 1, 2025, between the Sponsor and Index Provider.

10.6*

Marketing Agent Agreement.

10.7*

Transfer Agency and Service Agreement.

10.8*

Co-Transfer Agency Agreement, dated , between the Sponsor and the Co-Transfer Agent.

10.9†#

Assignment and Assumption Agreement.

10.10†#

Coinbase Assignment Agreement.

10.11†

Master Custody Service Agreement, dated August 8, 2025, between the Trust and Anchorage Digital Bank N.A.

10.12

Second Amendment to Master Custody Service Agreement, dated September 25, 2025, between the Trust and Anchorage Digital Bank N.A.

16.1#

Letter, dated August 29, 2025 from Marcum LLP to the SEC, regarding change in certifying accountant of the Trust.

23.1

Consent of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Certified Public Accounting Firm.

23.2

Consent of Marcum LLP, Independent Registered Certified Public Accounting Firm.

23.3

Consent of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., as special Delaware counsel to the Trust, included in Exhibit 5.1.

23.4

Consent of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, as special tax counsel to the Trust, included in Exhibit 8.1.

24.1#

Power of Attorney of certain officers and directors of the Sponsor.

107#

Filing Fee Table.

 

† Portions of this exhibit (indicated by asterisks) have been omitted as the Registrant has determined that (i) the omitted information is not material and (ii) the omitted information is of the type that the Registrant treats as private or confidential.

* To be filed by amendment.

# Previously filed.

(b)
No financial statement schedules are provided because the information called for is not required or is shown either in the financial statements or the notes hereto.

II-3


 

Item 17. Undertakings

(a)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)
To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i)
To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii)
To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Filing Fee Tables or “Calculation of Registration Fee” table, as applicable in the effective registration statement; and
(iii)
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

Provided, however, that:

Paragraphs (1)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-1 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; and

(2)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3)
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4)
That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(i)
If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B:
(A)
Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(B)
Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or
(ii)
If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses

II-4


 

filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
(5)
That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i)
Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii)
Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii)
The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv)
Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c)
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(1)
For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2)
For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

II-5


 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, New York, on September 26, 2025.

 

GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC
as Sponsor of Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

By:

/s/ Edward McGee

Name:

Edward McGee

Title:

Member of the Board of Directors and Chief Financial Officer*

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

Title

Date

 

 

 

#

Chairman of the Board of Directors*

September 26, 2025

Barry Silbert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

Member of the Board of Directors

September 26, 2025

Peter Mintzberg

and Chief Executive Officer* (principal executive officer)

 

 

 

 

/s/ Edward McGee

Member of the Board of Directors

September 26, 2025

Edward McGee

and Chief Financial Officer*

 

 

(principal financial and principal accounting officer)

 

 

 

 

#

Member of the Board of Directors*

September 26, 2025

Mark Shifke

 

 

 

 

 

#

Member of the Board of Directors*

September 26, 2025

Matthew Kummell

 

 

 

* The Registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant, or directors of GSO Intermediate Holdings Corporation, the sole managing member of Grayscale Operating, LLC, the sole member of Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, as applicable.

 

#/s/ Edward McGee

Edward McGee, as attorney-in-fact

II-6


Exhibit 4.1

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

DECLARATION OF TRUST
AND
TRUST AGREEMENT
OF
GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

Dated as of September 19, 2025

By and Among

GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC


CSC DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY

(formerly known as Delaware Trust Company)

and

THE SHAREHOLDERS

FROM TIME TO TIME HEREUNDER

 

 

\=


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page No.

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS; THE TRUST

SECTION 1.1

Definitions.

2

SECTION 1.2

Name.

9

SECTION 1.3

Delaware Trustee; Offices.

9

SECTION 1.4

Declaration of Trust.

9

SECTION 1.5

Purposes and Powers.

9

SECTION 1.6

Tax Treatment.

11

SECTION 1.7

Legal Title.

11

ARTICLE II

THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 2.1

Term; Resignation; Removal.

11

SECTION 2.2

Powers.

12

SECTION 2.3

Compensation and Expenses of the Trustee.

12

SECTION 2.4

Indemnification.

13

SECTION 2.5

Successor Trustee.

13

SECTION 2.6

Liability of Trustee.

14

SECTION 2.7

Reliance; Advice of Counsel.

15

SECTION 2.8

Payments to the Trustee.

16

ARTICLE III

SHARES; CREATIONS AND ISSUANCE OF CREATION BASKETS

SECTION 3.1

General.

16

SECTION 3.2

Offer of Shares; Procedures for Creation and Issuance of Creation Baskets to Persons Other than Authorized Participants.

16

SECTION 3.3

Offer of Shares; Procedures for Creation and Issuance of Creation Baskets to Authorized Participants.

17

SECTION 3.4

Book-Entry System.

18

SECTION 3.5

Assets of the Trust.

18

SECTION 3.6

Liabilities of the Trust.

18

SECTION 3.7

Distributions.

18

SECTION 3.8

Voting Rights.

19

SECTION 3.9

Equality.

19

i

 


 

ARTICLE IV

TRANSFERS OF SHARES

SECTION 4.1

General Prohibition.

19

SECTION 4.2

Restricted Securities.

19

SECTION 4.3

Transfer of Shares Generally.

19

ARTICLE V

REDEMPTIONS

SECTION 5.1

Availability of Redemption Program.

20

SECTION 5.2

Redemption of Redemption Baskets.

20

SECTION 5.3

Other Redemption Procedures.

21

ARTICLE VI

THE SPONSOR

SECTION 6.1

Management of the Trust.

21

SECTION 6.2

Authority of Sponsor.

21

SECTION 6.3

Obligations of the Sponsor.

23

SECTION 6.4

General Prohibitions.

25

SECTION 6.5

Liability of Covered Persons.

27

SECTION 6.6

Fiduciary Duty.

27

SECTION 6.7

Indemnification of the Sponsor.

28

SECTION 6.8

Expenses and Limitations Thereon.

29

SECTION 6.9

Voluntary Withdrawal of the Sponsor.

32

SECTION 6.10

Litigation.

32

SECTION 6.11

Bankruptcy; Merger of the Sponsor.

32

ARTICLE VII

THE SHAREHOLDERS

SECTION 7.1

No Management or Control; Limited Liability; Exercise of Rights through an Authorized Participant.

33

SECTION 7.2

Rights and Duties.

33

SECTION 7.3

Limitation of Liability.

34

SECTION 7.4

Derivative Actions.

35

SECTION 7.5

Appointment of Agents.

35

SECTION 7.6

Business of Shareholders.

35

SECTION 7.7

Authorization of Filings.

36

ARTICLE VIII

BOOKS OF ACCOUNT AND REPORTS

SECTION 8.1

Books of Account.

36

SECTION 8.2

Annual Updates, Quarterly Updates and Account Statements.

36

ii

 


 

SECTION 8.3

Tax Information.

36

SECTION 8.4

Calculation of NAV.

37

SECTION 8.5

Maintenance of Records.

38

ARTICLE IX

FISCAL YEAR

SECTION 9.1

Fiscal Year.

38

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENT OF TRUST AGREEMENT; MEETINGS

SECTION 10.1

Amendments to the Trust Agreement.

38

SECTION 10.2

Meetings of the Trust.

40

SECTION 10.3

Action Without a Meeting.

40

ARTICLE XI

TERM

SECTION 11.1

Term.

41

ARTICLE XII

TERMINATION

SECTION 12.1

Events Requiring Dissolution of the Trust.

41

SECTION 12.2

Distributions on Dissolution.

43

SECTION 12.3

Termination; Certificate of Cancellation.

43

ARTICLE XIII

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 13.1

Governing Law.

43

SECTION 13.2

Provisions In Conflict With Law or Regulations.

44

SECTION 13.3

Counsel to the Trust.

44

SECTION 13.4

Merger and Consolidation.

45

SECTION 13.5

Construction.

45

SECTION 13.6

Notices.

45

SECTION 13.7

Counterparts; Electronic Signatures.

46

SECTION 13.8

Binding Nature of Trust Agreement.

46

SECTION 13.9

No Legal Title to Trust Estate.

46

SECTION 13.10

Creditors.

47

SECTION 13.11

Integration.

47

SECTION 13.12

Goodwill; Use of Name.

47

SECTION 13.13

Alternative Procedures for Creation and Redemption.

47

SECTION 13.14

Corporate Transparency Act.

49

iii

 


 

 

 

iv

 


 

GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL)

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

DECLARATION OF TRUST

AND TRUST AGREEMENT

This SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST AND TRUST AGREEMENT of GRAYSCALE SOLANA TRUST (SOL) is made and entered into as of the 19th day of September, 2025, by and among GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, CSC DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY (formerly known as Delaware Trust Company), a Delaware corporation, as trustee, and the SHAREHOLDERS from time to time hereunder.

* * *

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Grayscale Investments, LLC (“GSI”), the former Sponsor of the Trust, and the Trustee entered into the Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement dated as of November 8, 2021, as amended by the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement dated as of November 9, 2021, and as further amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement dated as of November 23, 2021, and Amendment No. 2 to the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement dated as of March 22, 2024 (as may be further amended from time to time, the “Existing Agreement”);

WHEREAS, on January 1, 2025, GSI consummated an internal corporate reorganization, pursuant to which GSI merged with and into Grayscale Operating, LLC (“GSO”), with GSO continuing as the surviving company (the “Merger”);

WHEREAS, as a result of the Merger, GSO succeeded by operation of law to all the rights, powers, privileges and franchises and became subject to all of the obligations, liabilities, restrictions and disabilities of GSI, including with respect to the Existing Agreement, all as provided under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act;

WHEREAS, on January 1, 2025, promptly following the effectiveness of the Merger, (i) GSO assigned the Existing Agreement to the Sponsor pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption Agreement, dated as of January 1, 2025, by and between GSO and the Sponsor, and (ii) GSO and the Sponsor executed a Certificate of Admission, pursuant to which the Sponsor was admitted as an additional sponsor of the Trust under the Existing Agreement;

WHEREAS, on January 3, 2025, GSO voluntarily withdrew as a sponsor of the Trust pursuant to the terms of the Existing Agreement, effective 120 days thereafter on May 3, 2025, leaving the Sponsor as the sole remaining sponsor of the Trust;

1

 

DOCPROPERTY DPWPathText \* MERGEFORMAT #100360064v14


WHEREAS, the Sponsor wishes to amend the Existing Agreement pursuant to Section 10.1 thereof, with such amendment to be effective on such date as designated by the Sponsor in its sole discretion following receipt of requisite consent from the Shareholders to amend one or more provisions of the Existing Agreement to the extent required thereby.

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to Section 10.1 of the Existing Agreement, the Trustee and the Sponsor hereby amend and restate the Existing Agreement in its entirety as set forth below.

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS; THE TRUST

SECTION 1.1 Definitions.

As used in this Trust Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:

Actual Exchange Rate” means, with respect to any particular asset, at any time, the price per single unit of such asset (determined net of any associated fees) at which the Trust is able to sell such asset for U.S. Dollars (or other applicable fiat currency) at such time to enable the Trust to timely pay any Additional Trust Expenses, through use of the Sponsor’s commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the highest such price.

Additional Trust Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.8(b).

Administrator” means any Person or Persons from time to time engaged by the Sponsor to assist in the administration of the Shares.

Administrator Fee” means the fee payable to any Administrator for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay as a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Affiliate” means (i) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of such Person, (ii) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote by such Person, (iii) any Person, directly or indirectly, controlling, controlled by or under common control of such Person, (iv) any employee, officer, director, member, manager or partner of such Person, or (v) if such Person is an employee, officer, director, member, manager or partner, any Person for which such Person acts in any such capacity.

Annual Report” means (i) the Trust’s most recent annual report prepared and publicly disseminated pursuant to the standards of any Secondary Market on which the Shares are then listed, quoted or traded or (ii) if the Shares are then registered under the Exchange Act, the Trust’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K prepared and filed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC.

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APA Procedures” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3.3(a).

Authorized Participant” means a Person that (i) is a registered broker-dealer, (ii) has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement, and (iii) in the case of Authorized Participants creating and redeeming Shares through In-Kind Orders, has access to an Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account.

Authorized Participant Agreement” means an agreement among the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent and an Authorized Participant, that provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets.

Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account” means a SOL wallet address known to the Custodian as belonging to such Authorized Participant or its designee.

Basket” means a block of 10,000 Shares.

Basket Amount” means, on any Trade Date, the number of SOL required as of such Trade Date for each Creation Basket or Redemption Basket, as determined by dividing (x) the number of SOL owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such Trade Date, after deducting the number of SOL representing the U.S. Dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (in the case of any such fee and expense other than the Sponsor’s Fee, converted using the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one SOL (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 10,000.

Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which national securities exchanges are permitted or required to close for business in New York, New York.

Cash Orders” means orders for creations or redemptions of Shares other than through In-Kind Orders.

Certificate of Trust” means the Certificate of Trust of the Trust, including all amendments thereto filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to Section 3810 of the Delaware Trust Statute.

CFTC” means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Corporate Trust Office” means the principal office at which at any particular time the corporate trust business of the Trustee is administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808.

Covered Person” means the Sponsor and its Affiliates and their respective members, managers, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons.

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Creation Basket” means a Basket issued by the Trust upon the deposit of the Basket Amount with the Custodian.

Creation Order” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3.3(a)(i).

Creation Settlement Date” means, with respect to any Creation Order, the Business Day on which such Creation Order settles, as specified in the APA Procedures.

Custodian” means any Person or Persons from time to time engaged to provide custodian, security or related services (including, for the avoidance of doubt, prime brokerage services) to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.

Custodian Fee” means the fee payable to any Custodian for the services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay as a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Delaware Trust Statute” means the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code, 12 Del. C. § 3801 et seq., as the same may be amended from time-to-time.

Distributor” means any Person or Persons from time to time engaged to provide distribution services or related services to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.

Event of Withdrawal” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.1(a)(iv) hereof.

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Existing Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

FinCEN” means the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Fiscal Year” has the meaning set forth in Article IX hereof.

GAAP” means U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

GSI” means Grayscale Investments, LLC, the former sponsor of the Trust.

GSO” means Grayscale Operating, LLC.

In-Kind Orders” means orders for creations or redemptions in which an Authorized Participant or its designees will deliver SOL from, or receive SOL in, an Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account.

Incidental Rights” means the rights to acquire, or otherwise establish dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other asset or right, which rights are incident to

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the Trust’s ownership of SOL and arise without any action of the Trust, or of the Sponsor or Trustee on behalf of the Trust.

Indemnified Persons” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.4.

Index Price” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Trust’s filings with the SEC.

IR Virtual Currency” means any virtual currency or other asset or right acquired by the Trust through the exercise (subject to Section 1.5(b) and Section 6.4(m)) of any Incidental Right.

IRS” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or any successor thereto.

Liquidating Trustee” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 12.2.

Liquidity Provider” means an entity eligible to facilitate the purchase and sale of SOL in connection with creations or redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders.

Liquidity Provider Account” means, with respect to any Liquidity Provider, a SOL wallet address known to the Custodian as belonging to such Liquidity Provider.

Marketing Agent” means any Person or Persons from time to time engaged to provide marketing services or related services to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.

Marketing Fee” means the fee payable to any Marketing Agent for services it provides to the Trust, which the Sponsor shall pay as a Sponsor-paid Expense.

Merger” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

NAV” means, at any time, the aggregate value, expressed in U.S. Dollars, of the Trust’s assets (other than U.S. Dollars or other fiat currency), less its liabilities (which include estimated accrued but unpaid fees and expenses), calculated in accordance with Section 8.4.

NAV Fee Basis Amount” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 8.4.

Other Staking Consideration” means any Staking Consideration other than SOL.

Percentage Interest” means, with respect to any Shareholder at any time, a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Shares held by such Shareholder and the denominator of which is the total number of Shares outstanding, in each case as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of determination.

Person” means any natural person, partnership, limited liability company, statutory trust, corporation, association, or other legal entity.

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Purchase Agreement” means an agreement among the Trust, the Sponsor and any Shareholder through which the Shareholder agrees to transfer SOL to the SOL Account in exchange for the creation and issuance of Shares.

Quarterly Report” means (i) the Trust’s most recent quarterly report prepared and publicly disseminated pursuant to the standards of any Secondary Market on which the Shares are then listed, quoted or traded or (ii) if the Shares are then registered under the Exchange Act, the Trust’s most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q prepared and filed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Redemption Basket” means a Basket redeemed by the Trust in exchange for SOL in an amount equal to the Basket Amount.

Redemption Order” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 5.2(a).

Redemption Settlement Date” means, with respect to any Redemption Order, the Business Day on which such Redemption Order settles, as specified in the APA Procedures.

Rules” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 13.3.

SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Secondary Market” means any marketplace or other alternative trading system, as determined by the Sponsor, on which the Shares may then be listed, quoted or traded, including but not limited to, the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets Group Inc. and NYSE Arca, Inc.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Settlement Balance” means the one or more omnibus accounts maintained by the Custodian and in which a portion of the Trust’s SOL may be stored from time to time.

Shareholder” means any Person that owns Shares.

Shares” means the common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in the profits, losses, distributions, capital and assets of, and ownership of, the Trust.

SOL” means Solana tokens, a type of virtual currency based on an open source cryptographic protocol existing on the Solana Network as determined by the Sponsor in accordance with Section 6.2(o), and the assets underlying the Trust’s Shares.

SOL Account” means collectively, the Vault Balance, the Settlement Balance and any subaccounts associated therewith.”

Solana Network” means the online, end-user-to-end-user network hosting a public transaction ledger, known as a blockchain, and the source code comprising the basis for the cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the SOL network.

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Sponsor” means Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, or any substitute therefor as provided herein, or any successor thereto by merger or operation of law.

Sponsor-paid Expense” and “Sponsor-paid Expenses” have the meaning set forth in Section 6.8(a)(v).

Sponsor’s Fee” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.8(a)(i).

Sponsor’s Staking Fee” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.8(a)(vii).

Staking” means (i) using, or permitting to be used, in any manner, directly or indirectly, through an agent or otherwise (including, for the avoidance of doubt, through a delegation of rights to any third party (each, a “Staking Provider”) with respect to any portion of the Trust Estate, by making any portion of the Trust Estate available to any third party or by entering into any similar arrangement with a third party), any portion of the Trust Estate in a proof-of-stake validation protocol, (ii) accepting any Staking Consideration, (iii) holding any Other Staking Consideration accepted by the Trust pursuant to clause (ii), for not more than 30 days after the Trust’s receipt thereof, pending the use of such Other Staking Consideration for payment of Additional Trust Expenses or distribution to the Shareholders and (iv) any financing arrangement or other mechanism utilized by the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, in connection with Redemption Orders to manage SOL liquidity constraints arising from activities described in the preceding clauses (each, a “Liquidity Management Solution”). For the avoidance of doubt, (i) the mere act of transferring units of virtual currency on a peer-to-peer virtual currency network that utilizes a proof-of-stake validation protocol shall not be considered to be “Staking” and (ii) “Staking” shall include any related activity contemplated by a Tax Ruling, an opinion or Tax Guidance, in each case, described in the definition of Staking Condition (and, in the case of a Tax Ruling, that is described in the private letter ruling request (as supplemented from time to time) submitted to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in connection therewith).

Staking Condition” means, with respect to a particular form of Staking, the condition that (i) (x) engaging in such form of Staking should not cause the Trust to be treated as other than a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and (y) the Trust shall have received (1) a written opinion from a Tax Advisor or (2) a Tax Ruling, in each case, to that effect or (ii) such form of Staking is confirmed in Tax Guidance to be a permissible undertaking by a grantor trust.

Staking Consideration” means any consideration of any kind whatsoever, including, but not limited to, any staking reward paid in fiat currency or paid in kind, in exchange for using, or permitting to be used, any portion of the Trust Estate as described in clause (i) of the definition of “Staking.”

Tax Advisor” means an independent law firm that is recognized as being expert in tax matters.

“Tax Guidance” means any tax guidance that is issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or the U.S. Department of the Treasury and on which taxpayers may rely.

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Tax Ruling” means a binding ruling issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Total Basket Amount” means, with respect to any Creation Order or Redemption Order, the applicable Basket Amount multiplied by the number of Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets, as specified in the applicable Creation Order or Redemption Order.

Trade Date” means, for any Creation Order or Redemption Order, the Business Day on which the Total Basket Amount with respect to such Creation Order or Redemption Order is determined in accordance with the APA Procedures.

Transfer Agent” means any Person or Persons from time to time engaged to provide transfer agent services or related services to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.

Treasury Regulations” means regulations, including proposed or temporary regulations, promulgated under the Code. References herein to specific provisions of proposed or temporary regulations shall include analogous provisions of final Treasury Regulations or other successor Treasury Regulations.

Trust” means Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL), a Delaware statutory trust formed pursuant to the Certificate of Trust, the affairs of which are governed by this Trust Agreement.

Trust Agreement” means this Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, as it may at any time or from time-to-time be amended.

Trust Counsel” has the meaning set forth in Section 13.3.

Trustee” means CSC Delaware Trust Company, its successors and assigns, or any substitute therefor as provided herein, acting not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee of the Trust.

Trust Estate” means, without duplication, (i) all the SOL in the Trust’s accounts, including the SOL Account, (ii) all Incidental Rights held by the Trust, (iii) all IR Virtual Currency in the Trust’s accounts, (iv) all Other Staking Consideration held by the Trust, (v) all proceeds from the sale of SOL, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and Other Staking Consideration pending use of such cash for payment of Additional Trust Expenses or distribution to the Shareholders and (vi) any rights of the Trust pursuant to any agreements, other than this Trust Agreement, to which the Trust is a party.

Trust Expense” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3.

U.S.” means United States.

U.S. Dollar” means United States dollars.

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Vault Balance” means one or more segregated custody accounts of the Trust maintained by the Custodian to store private keys, which allow for the transfer of ownership or control of the Trust’s SOL on the Trust’s behalf.

SECTION 1.2 Name.

The name of the Trust is “Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)” in which name the Trustee and the Sponsor shall cause the Trust to carry out its purposes as set forth in Section 1.5, make and execute contracts and other instruments in the name and on behalf of the Trust and sue and be sued in the name and on behalf of the Trust.

SECTION 1.3 Delaware Trustee; Offices.

(a) The sole Trustee of the Trust is CSC Delaware Trust Company, which is located at the Corporate Trust Office or at such other address in the State of Delaware as the Trustee may designate in writing to the Shareholders. The Trustee shall receive service of process on the Trust in the State of Delaware at the foregoing address. In the event CSC Delaware Trust Company resigns or is removed as the Trustee, the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware shall be the successor Trustee, subject to Section 2.1.

(b) The principal office of the Trust, and such additional offices as the Sponsor may establish, shall be located at such place or places inside or outside the State of Delaware as the Sponsor may designate from time to time in writing to the Trustee and the Shareholders. Initially, the principal office of the Trust shall be at c/o Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, 290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor, Stamford, Connecticut 06902.

SECTION 1.4 Declaration of Trust.

The Trust Estate shall be held in trust for the Shareholders. It is the intention of the parties hereto that the Trust shall be a statutory trust, under the Delaware Trust Statute and that this Trust Agreement shall constitute the governing instrument of the Trust. It is not the intention of the parties hereto to create a general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock association, corporation, bailment or any form of legal relationship other than a Delaware statutory trust that is treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and for purposes of applicable state and local tax laws. Nothing in this Trust Agreement shall be construed to make the Shareholders partners or members of a joint stock association. Effective as of the date hereof, the Trustee and the Sponsor shall have all of the rights, powers and duties set forth herein and in the Delaware Trust Statute with respect to accomplishing the purposes of the Trust. The Trustee has filed the certificate of trust required by Section 3810 of the Delaware Trust Statute in connection with the formation of the Trust under the Delaware Trust Statute.

SECTION 1.5 Purposes and Powers.

(a) The purposes of the Trust shall be to (i) accept SOL for subscriptions of Shares in accordance with Article III hereof or accept cash (to be used to purchase SOL) for subscriptions of Shares in accordance with Section 13.13 hereof, to hold SOL, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and Other Staking Consideration, to distribute SOL

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(or cash from the sale of SOL) upon redemptions of Shares in accordance with Article V hereof (if authorized in accordance with Section 5.1 hereof) (it being understood that the Trust shall not create or redeem Shares at any time that it holds Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency, Other Staking Consideration or cash from the sale of SOL, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or Other Staking Consideration), (ii) engage in any form of Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied with respect thereto, and (iii) to enter into any lawful transaction and engage in any lawful activities in furtherance of or incidental to the foregoing. For the avoidance of doubt, such activities include any lawful action necessary or desirable in connection with Staking (provided that the Staking Condition has been met with respect thereto) or the Trust’s ownership of Incidental Rights, including the acquisition of IR Virtual Currency, except if such action would be prohibited by Section 1.5(c) or any other provision of this Trust Agreement. The Trust shall not engage in any business activity and shall not acquire or own any assets other than (i) SOL, (ii) Incidental Rights, (iii) if permissible under Section 1.5(c) and Section 6.4(m), (x) IR Virtual Currency or (y) assets incident to Staking (including Other Staking Consideration), and (iv) cash from the sale of any of the foregoing or take any of the actions set forth in Section 6.4. The Trust shall have all of the powers specified in Section 3.1 hereof as powers which may be exercised by a Sponsor on behalf of the Trust under this Trust Agreement.

(b) If the Staking Condition has been satisfied with respect to a particular form of Staking and the Trust engages in such form of Staking, the Trust shall engage in Staking with respect to all of the Trust’s SOL at all times, except (i) as necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, (ii) as necessary to pay any additional Trust expenses, (iii) as necessary to satisfy existing and reasonably foreseen potential redemption requests (assuming the Trust is then permitted to operate an ongoing redemption program) as determined by the Sponsor, (iv) as necessary to reduce the SOL obtained by the Trust as Staking Consideration to cash for distribution at regular intervals, (v) if the Sponsor determines that Staking raises significant governmental, policy or regulatory concerns or is subject or likely subject to a specialized regulatory regime, (vi) if the Sponsor determines there exists vulnerabilities in the source code or cryptography underlying the Solana Network, (vii) if the Custodian or Staking Provider discontinues their arrangements with the Trust, (viii) if the Sponsor otherwise determines that continued Staking of such portion of the Trust’s assets would be inconsistent with the Trust’s purpose of protecting and preserving the value of the Trust Estate, or (ix) in accordance with any other exception that is expressly contemplated by an opinion, a ruling or Tax Guidance that satisfies the Staking Condition.

(c) Subject to the provisions of this Section 1.5(c), the Trust shall not take any action that could cause the Trust to be treated other than as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no other provision in this Trust Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, Section 1.5(a)) shall be construed to give the Trustee or the Sponsor the power to vary the investment of the Shareholders within the meaning of Section 301.7701-4(c) or similar provisions of the Treasury Regulations, nor shall the Trustee or the Sponsor take any action that would vary the investment of the Shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by the purchase and acceptance or other lawful delivery, acceptance or holding of the

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Shares, the Shareholders shall be deemed to have acknowledged and agreed that any form of Staking for which the Staking Condition has been satisfied shall be permitted under this Section 1.5 and Section 6.4(m).

SECTION 1.6 Tax Treatment.

Each of the parties hereto, by entering into this Trust Agreement, (i) expresses its intention that the Shares will qualify under applicable tax law as interests in a grantor trust which holds the Trust Estate, (ii) agrees that it will file its own U.S. federal, state and local income, franchise and other tax returns in a manner that is consistent with clause (i) of this Section 1.6 and with the classification of the Trust as a grantor trust, unless required otherwise by a final “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code, and (iii) agrees to use reasonable efforts to notify the Sponsor promptly upon a receipt of any notice from any taxing authority having jurisdiction over such holders of Shares with respect to the treatment of the Shares as anything other than interests in a grantor trust.

SECTION 1.7 Legal Title.

Legal title to all of the Trust Estate shall be vested in the Trust as a separate legal entity; provided, however, that if applicable law in any jurisdiction requires legal title to any portion of the Trust Estate to be vested otherwise, the Sponsor may cause legal title to such portion of the Trust Estate to be held by or in the name of the Sponsor or any other Person (other than a Shareholder) as nominee.

ARTICLE II

THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 2.1 Term; Resignation; Removal.

(a) CSC Delaware Trust Company has been appointed and hereby agrees to serve as the Trustee of the Trust. The Trust shall have only one Trustee unless otherwise determined by the Sponsor. The Trustee shall serve until such time as the Trust is terminated or if the Sponsor removes the Trustee or the Trustee resigns. The Trustee is appointed to serve as the trustee of the Trust in the State of Delaware and shall at all times satisfy the requirements of Section 3807(a) of the Delaware Trust Statute and be authorized to exercise corporate trust powers under the laws of Delaware, having a combined capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities. If the Trustee publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Article II the combined capital, surplus and undivided profits of the Trustee shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible to serve as trustee of the Trust in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.1, the Trustee shall resign promptly in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article II. The Trustee may have normal banking and trust relationships with the Sponsor and their respective Affiliates; provided that none of (i) the

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Sponsor, (ii) any Person involved in the organization or operation of the Sponsor or the Trust or (iii) any Affiliate of any of them may be the Trustee hereunder. The Trust shall have at least one trustee with a principal place of business in Delaware. It is understood and agreed by the parties hereto that the Trustee shall have none of the duties or liabilities of the Sponsor and shall have no obligation to supervise or monitor the Sponsor or otherwise manage the Trust.

(b) The Trustee is permitted to resign upon at least one hundred and eighty (180) days’ notice to the Sponsor upon which date such resignation shall be effective.

(c) If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible to serve as trustee of the Trust in accordance with the provisions of this Trust Agreement, or if at any time the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation, then the Sponsor may remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and the successor trustee. The Sponsor may at any time, upon sixty (60) days’ prior notice to the Trustee, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument or instruments, in triplicate, signed by the Sponsor or its attorney-in-fact duly authorized, one complete set of which instruments shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one complete set to the successor so appointed.

SECTION 2.2 Powers.

Except to the extent expressly set forth in Section 1.3 and this Article II, the duty and authority to manage the affairs of the Trust is vested in the Sponsor, which duty and authority the Sponsor may further delegate as provided herein, all pursuant to Section 3806(b)(7) of the Delaware Trust Statute. The duties of the Trustee shall be limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Trust in the State of Delaware, (ii) the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware which the Trustee is required to execute under Section 3811 of the Delaware Trust Statute, and (iii) any other duties specifically allocated to the Trustee in this Trust Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the duties of the Trustee will in no event be deemed to include any duties related to Staking or the making of investment or discretionary decisions. The Trustee shall provide prompt notice to the Sponsor of its performance of any of the foregoing. The Sponsor shall reasonably keep the Trustee informed of any actions taken by the Sponsor with respect to the Trust that would reasonably be expected to affect the rights, obligations or liabilities of the Trustee hereunder or under the Delaware Trust Statute.

SECTION 2.3 Compensation and Expenses of the Trustee.

The Trustee shall be entitled to receive from the Sponsor, as a Sponsor-paid Expense, reasonable compensation for its services hereunder as set forth in a separate fee agreement and shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust for

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reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it in the performance of its duties hereunder, including without limitation, the reasonable compensation, out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements of counsel, any experts and such other agents as the Trustee may employ in connection with the exercise and performance of its rights and duties hereunder (together, the “Trust Expenses”). To the extent that the Sponsor fails to pay the Trust Expenses, the Trust will be responsible for such Trust Expenses. Though it is not intended that the Trustee will receive or handle Trust funds in the ordinary course, to the extent that the Trustee does receive such funds the following shall provide notice and authorization that the Trustee may earn compensation in the form of short-term interest (“float”) on items like uncashed distribution checks (from the date issued until the date cashed), funds that the Trustee is directed not to invest, deposits awaiting investment direction or received too late to be invested overnight in previously directed investments.

 

SECTION 2.4 Indemnification.

(a) The Trust hereby agrees to be primary obligor and shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustee and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee (the “Indemnified Persons”) from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel and fees and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement of its indemnification rights hereunder), taxes and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, “Expenses”), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Persons with respect to the performance of this Trust Agreement, the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Trust shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person. If the Trust shall have insufficient assets or improperly refuses to pay an Indemnified Person within sixty (60) days of a request for payment owed hereunder, the Sponsor shall, as secondary obligor, compensate or reimburse the Trustee or indemnify, defend and hold harmless an Indemnified Person as if it were the primary obligor hereunder; provided, however, that the Sponsor shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person. To the fullest extent permitted by law and by the requirement for treatment of the Trust as a grantor trust for tax purposes, Expenses to be incurred by an Indemnified Person shall, from time to time, be advanced by, or on behalf of, the Sponsor prior to the final disposition of any matter upon receipt by the Sponsor of an undertaking by, or on behalf of, such Indemnified Person to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Trust Agreement.

(b) As security for any amounts owing to the Trustee hereunder, the Trustee shall have a lien against the Trust property, which lien shall be prior to the rights of the Sponsor or any other Shareholder. The obligations of the Sponsor and the Trust to indemnify the Indemnified Persons under this Section 2.4 shall survive the termination of this Trust Agreement.

SECTION 2.5 Successor Trustee.

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Upon the resignation or removal of the Trustee, the Sponsor shall appoint a successor Trustee by delivering a written instrument to the outgoing Trustee. Any successor Trustee must satisfy the requirements of Section 3807 of the Delaware Trust Statute. The successor Trustee shall become fully vested with all of the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the outgoing Trustee under this Trust Agreement, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee, and the outgoing Trustee shall be discharged of its duties and obligations under this Trust Agreement. Any business entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, to the fullest extent permitted by law without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto.

SECTION 2.6 Liability of Trustee.

Except as otherwise provided in this Article II, in accepting the trust created hereby, CSC Delaware Trust Company acts solely as Trustee hereunder and not in its individual capacity, and all Persons having any claim against CSC Delaware Trust Company by reason of the transactions contemplated by this Trust Agreement and any other agreement to which the Trust is a party shall look only to the Trust Estate for payment or satisfaction thereof. The Trustee shall not be liable or accountable hereunder to the Trust or to any other Person or under any other agreement to which the Trust is a party, except for the Trustee’s own fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. In particular, but not by way of limitation:

(a) The Trustee shall have no liability or responsibility for the validity or sufficiency of this Trust Agreement or for the form, character, genuineness, sufficiency, enforceability, collectability, location, existence, value or validity of the Trust Estate;

(b) The Trustee has not prepared or verified, and shall not be responsible or liable for, any information, disclosure or other statement or in any document issued or delivered in connection with the sale or transfer of the Shares;

(c) The Trustee shall not be liable for any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with the instructions of the Sponsor or the Liquidating Trustee;

(d) The Trustee shall not have any liability for the acts or omissions of the Sponsor, the Custodian or their respective delegates;

(e) The Trustee shall have no duty or obligation to supervise the performance of any obligations of the Sponsor, the Custodian or their respective delegates or any Authorized Participant;

(f) No provision of this Trust Agreement shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its rights or powers hereunder;

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(g) Under no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable for any obligations of the Trust arising under this Trust Agreement or any other agreements to which the Trust is a party;

(h) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Trust Agreement, or to institute, conduct or defend any litigation under this Trust Agreement or any other agreements to which the Trust is a party, at the request, order or direction of the Sponsor unless the Sponsor has offered to CSC Delaware Trust Company (in its capacity as Trustee and individually) security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities that may be incurred by CSC Delaware Trust Company (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel) therein or thereby;

(i) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Trustee shall not be required to take any action in any jurisdiction other than in the State of Delaware if the taking of such action will (i) require the consent or approval or authorization or order of, or the giving of notice to, or the registration with or taking of any action in respect of, any state or other governmental authority or agency of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware, (ii) result in any fee, tax or other governmental charge becoming payable by the Trustee under the laws of any jurisdiction or any political subdivision thereof other than the State of Delaware or (iii) subject the Trustee to personal jurisdiction, other than in the State of Delaware, for causes of action arising from personal acts unrelated to the consummation of the actions of the Trustee contemplated by this Trust Agreement;

(j) To the extent that, at law or in equity, the Trustee has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust, the Shareholders or any other Person, the Trustee, acting under this Trust Agreement, shall not be liable to the Trust, the Shareholders or any other Person for its good faith reliance on the provisions of this Trust Agreement, and the provisions of this Trust Agreement, to the extent that they restrict or eliminate the duties and liabilities of the Trustee otherwise existing at law or in equity are agreed by the parties hereto to replace such other duties and liabilities of the Trustee; and

(k) The Trustee shall not be liable for punitive, exemplary, consequential or similar damages for a breach of the Trust Agreement under any circumstances.

SECTION 2.7 Reliance; Advice of Counsel.

(a) In the absence of bad faith, the Trustee may conclusively rely upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Trust Agreement in determining the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions contained therein, and shall incur no liability to anyone in acting or not acting on any signature, instrument, notice, resolution, request, consent, order, certificate, report, opinion, bond or other document or paper believed by it to be genuine and believed by it to be signed by the proper party or parties and need not investigate any fact or matter

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pertaining to, or contained in, any such document; provided, however, that the Trustee shall have examined any certificates and opinions so as to reasonably determine compliance of such certificates and opinions with the requirements of this Trust Agreement. The Trustee may accept a certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors or other governing body of any corporate party as conclusive evidence that such resolution has been duly adopted by such body and that such resolution is in full force and effect. As to any fact or matter the method of the determination of which is not specifically prescribed in this Trust Agreement, the Trustee may for all purposes hereof rely on a certificate, signed by the president, any vice president, the treasurer or any other authorized officers of the relevant party, as to such fact or matter, and such certificate shall constitute full protection to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in reliance thereon.

(b) In the exercise or administration of the Trust hereunder and in the performance of its duties and obligations under this Trust Agreement, the Trustee, at the expense of the Trust (i) may act directly or through its agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees pursuant to agreements entered into with any of them, and the Trustee shall not be liable for the conduct or misconduct of such agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees if such agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees shall have been selected by the Trustee with reasonable care and (ii) may consult with counsel, accountants and other skilled professionals to be selected with reasonable care by it. The Trustee shall not be liable for anything done, suffered or omitted in good faith by it in accordance with the opinion or advice of any such counsel, accountant or other such Persons.

SECTION 2.8 Payments to the Trustee.

Any amounts paid to the Trustee pursuant to this Article II shall be deemed not to be a part of the Trust Estate immediately after such payment. Any amounts owing to the Trustee under this Trust Agreement shall constitute a claim against the Trust Estate. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement, all payments to the Trustee, including fees, expenses and any amounts paid in connection with indemnification of the Trustee in accordance with the terms of this Trust Agreement will be payable only in U.S. Dollars.

ARTICLE III

SHARES; CREATIONS AND ISSUANCE OF CREATION BASKETS

SECTION 3.1 General.

The Sponsor shall have the power and authority, without action or approval by the Shareholders, to cause the Trust to issue Shares from time to time as it deems necessary or desirable. The number of Shares authorized shall be unlimited, and the Shares so authorized may be represented in part by fractional Shares, calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one SOL (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place). From time to time, the Sponsor may cause the Trust to divide or combine the Shares into a greater or lesser number without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in the Trust Estate, or in any way affecting the rights, of the Shareholders, without action or approval by the

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Shareholders. The Trust shall issue Shares solely in exchange for contributions of SOL (or for no consideration if pursuant to a Share distribution or split-up). All Shares when so issued shall be fully paid and non-assessable. Subject to the limitations upon, and requirements for, the issuance of Creation Baskets stated herein and in the APA Procedures (as defined below), the number of Creation Baskets that may be issued by the Trust is unlimited. Every Shareholder, by virtue of having purchased or otherwise acquired a Share, shall be deemed to have expressly consented and agreed to be bound by the terms of this Trust Agreement.

SECTION 3.2 Offer of Shares; Procedures for Creation and Issuance of Creation Baskets to Persons Other than Authorized Participants.

On any Business Day, the Trust may create and issue Creation Baskets to any Person that has signed a Purchase Agreement with the Trust upon a transfer of the Total Basket Amount into the Trust’s SOL Account; provided that the Trust shall create and issue Creation Baskets only if the Sponsor has determined in good faith that such creation and issuance does not conflict with the other terms of this Trust Agreement or with applicable law.

SECTION 3.3 Offer of Shares; Procedures for Creation and Issuance of Creation Baskets to Authorized Participants.

(a) General. The following procedures, as supplemented by the more detailed procedures specified in the exhibits, annexes, attachments and procedures, as applicable, to each Authorized Participant Agreement (the “APA Procedures”), which may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement (provided that any such amendment shall not constitute an amendment of this Trust Agreement), shall govern the Trust with respect to the creation and issuance of Creation Baskets to Authorized Participants, subject to Section 3.3(b).

(i) On any Business Day, an Authorized Participant may place an order for one or more Creation Baskets (each, a “Creation Order”) in the manner provided in the APA Procedures.

(ii) The Sponsor or its delegate shall process Creation Orders only from Authorized Participants with respect to which an Authorized Participant Agreement is in full force and effect and only in accordance with the APA Procedures. The Sponsor or its delegate shall maintain and make available at the Trust’s principal offices during normal business hours a current list of the Authorized Participants with respect to which an Authorized Participant Agreement is in full force and effect.

(iii) The Trust shall create and issue Creation Baskets only upon deposit with the Custodian on the applicable Creation Settlement Date of the applicable Total Basket Amount by the relevant Authorized Participant or Liquidity Provider, as applicable.

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(iv) The Sponsor or its delegate has final determination of all questions as to the calculation of the Total Basket Amount at any time.

(v) Deposits of SOL other than those received from an Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account or a Liquidity Provider Account shall be rejected. The expense and risk of delivery, ownership and safekeeping of SOL, until such SOL have been received and not rejected by the Trust, shall be borne solely by the Authorized Participant or a Liquidity Provider, as applicable.

(vi) Upon the Custodian’s receipt of the Total Basket Amount, the Sponsor or its delegate shall (A) if the Total Basket Amount is received into the Settlement Balance, direct the Custodian to transfer the Total Basket Amount to the Vault Balance, (B) direct the Transfer Agent to credit to the Authorized Participant’s account the number of Creation Baskets ordered by the Authorized Participant and (C) compensate the Liquidity Provider pursuant to the APA Procedures.

(vii) The Custodian may accept delivery of SOL by such other means as the Sponsor, from time to time, may determine to be acceptable for the Trust.

(b) Rejection or Suspension. The Sponsor or its delegate shall reject a Creation Order if the Creation Order is not in proper form as described in the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement or if the fulfillment of the Creation Order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. The issuance of Creation Baskets may be suspended by the Sponsor generally, or refused with respect to a particular Creation Order, during any period when the transfer books of the Transfer Agent are closed or if circumstances outside the control of the Sponsor or its delegate make it for all practicable purposes not feasible to process Creation Orders or for any other reason at any time or from time to time. None of the Sponsor, its delegates or the Custodian shall be liable for the suspension or rejection of any Creation Order.

(c) Conflict. In the event of any conflict between the procedures described in this Section 3.3 and the APA Procedures, the APA Procedures shall control.

(d) Successor Custodian. If a successor to the Custodian shall be employed, the Trust and the Sponsor shall establish procedures acceptable to such successor with respect to the matters addressed in this Section 3.3.

SECTION 3.4 Book-Entry System.

(a) Shares shall be held in book-entry form by the Transfer Agent. The Sponsor or its delegate shall direct the Transfer Agent to (i) credit or debit the number of Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets to the account of the applicable Shareholder and (ii) issue or cancel Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets, as applicable, at the direction of the Sponsor or its delegate.

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(b) The Sponsor or its delegate may cause the Trust to issue Shares in certificated form in its sole discretion.

SECTION 3.5 Assets of the Trust.

The Trust Estate shall irrevocably belong to the Trust for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors of the Trust and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust.

SECTION 3.6 Liabilities of the Trust.

The Trust Estate shall be charged with the liabilities of the Trust and with all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to the Trust. The Sponsor shall have full discretion, to the extent not inconsistent with applicable law, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital, and each such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders.

SECTION 3.7 Distributions.

(a) The Trust may make distributions on Shares in cash or pursuant to Section 7.5.

(b) Distributions on Shares, if any, may be made with such frequency as the Sponsor may determine, which may be daily or otherwise, to the Shareholders, from the Trust Estate, after providing for actual and accrued liabilities. All distributions on Shares shall be made pro rata to the Shareholders in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests at the date and time of record established for such distribution.

(c) If the Trust sells SOL, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration in order to pay Additional Trust Expenses, then any cash remaining from these sales after the payment of any Additional Trust Expenses shall promptly be distributed to the Shareholders.

SECTION 3.8 Voting Rights.

Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, on each matter submitted to a vote of the Shareholders, each Shareholder shall be entitled to a proportionate vote based upon its Percentage Interest at such time.

SECTION 3.9 Equality.

All Shares shall represent an equal proportionate beneficial interest in the Trust Estate subject to the liabilities of the Trust, and each Share’s interest in the Trust Estate shall be equal to each other Share.

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ARTICLE IV

TRANSFERS OF SHARES

SECTION 4.1 General Prohibition.

A Shareholder may not sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of, or pledge, hypothecate or in any manner encumber any or all of its Shares or any part of its right, title and interest in the Trust Estate except as permitted in this Article IV and any act in violation of this Article IV shall not be binding upon or recognized by the Trust (regardless of whether the Sponsor shall have knowledge thereof), unless approved in writing by the Sponsor.

SECTION 4.2 Restricted Securities.

Except for Shares transferred in a transaction registered under the Securities Act, the Shares are “restricted securities” that cannot be resold, pledged or otherwise transferred without registration under the Securities Act and state securities laws or exemption therefrom and may not be resold, pledged or otherwise transferred without the prior written consent of the Sponsor, which it may withhold in its sole discretion for any reason or for no reason. The Sponsor may provide any such written consent in any document issued or delivered in connection with the sale or transfer of Shares, including any filings with the SEC.

SECTION 4.3 Transfer of Shares Generally.

Shares shall be transferable on the books of account for the Trust only by the record holder thereof or by his or her duly authorized agent upon delivery to the Sponsor or the Transfer Agent or similar agent of a duly executed instrument of transfer and such evidence of the genuineness of each such execution and authorization and of such other matters as may be required by the Sponsor. Upon such delivery, and subject to any further requirements specified by the Sponsor, the transfer shall be recorded on the books of account for the Trust. Until a transfer is so recorded, the Shareholder of record of Shares shall be deemed to be the Shareholder with respect to such Shares for all purposes hereunder and neither the Sponsor nor the Trust, nor the Transfer Agent or any similar agent or registrar or any officer, employee or agent of the Trust, shall be affected by any notice of a proposed transfer.

ARTICLE V

REDEMPTIONS

SECTION 5.1 Availability of Redemption Program.

The Trust may, in the sole discretion of the Sponsor, offer a redemption program for the Shares. Any redemption program for the Shares may be suspended or discontinued at any time, in the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Any redemption authorized by the Sponsor shall be subject to the provisions of this Article V.

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SECTION 5.2 Redemption of Redemption Baskets.

(a) General. During any time at which the Sponsor has authorized a redemption program, the following procedures, as supplemented by the APA Procedures, which may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Authorized Participant Agreement (provided that any such amendment shall not constitute an amendment of this Trust Agreement), shall govern the Trust with respect to the redemption of Redemption Baskets, subject to Section 5.2(b).

(i) On any Business Day, an Authorized Participant may place an order to redeem Redemption Baskets (each, a “Redemption Order”) in the manner provided in the APA Procedures.

(ii) The Sponsor or its delegates shall process Redemption Orders only from Authorized Participants with respect to which an Authorized Participant Agreement is in full force and effect.

(iii) The Trust shall redeem Redemption Baskets only upon deposit with the Transfer Agent on the Redemption Settlement Date of the total number of Baskets indicated in the Authorized Participant’s Redemption Order.

(iv) Upon receipt of the total number of Baskets indicated in the Authorized Participant’s Redemption Order, the Sponsor or its delegate shall instruct the Transfer Agent to cancel the Shares in the Baskets so redeemed. The Sponsor or its delegate shall also instruct the Custodian to deposit into the Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account or the Liquidity Provider Account, as applicable, a number of SOL equal to the Total Basket Amount.

(v) The Sponsor or its delegate has final determination of all questions as to the determination of the Total Basket Amount at any time.

(vi) The Total Basket Amount shall be delivered only to an Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account or a Liquidity Provider Account.

(vii) The Total Basket Amount shall be subject to the deduction of any applicable tax or other governmental charges that may be due.

(b) Rejection or Suspension. The Sponsor or its delegate shall reject a Redemption Order if the Redemption Order is not in proper form as described in the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement or if the fulfillment of the Redemption Order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. The redemption of Baskets may be suspended by the Sponsor generally, or refused with respect to a particular Redemption Order, during any period when the transfer books of the Transfer Agent are closed or if circumstances outside the control of the Sponsor or its delegate make it for all practicable purposes not feasible to process Redemption Orders or for any other reason at any time or from time to time. None of the Sponsor, its delegates or the Custodian shall be liable for the suspension or rejection of any Redemption Order.

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(c) Conflict. In the event of any conflict between the procedures described in this Section 5.2 and the APA Procedures, the APA Procedures shall control.

SECTION 5.3 Other Redemption Procedures.

The Sponsor or its delegates from time to time may, but shall have no obligation to, establish procedures with respect to redemption of Shares in lot sizes smaller than the Redemption Basket and permitting the redemption distribution to be delivered in a manner other than that specified in Section 5.2.

ARTICLE VI

THE SPONSOR

SECTION 6.1 Management of the Trust.

Pursuant to Section 3806(b)(7) of the Delaware Trust Statute, the Trust shall be managed by the Sponsor in accordance with this Trust Agreement. The Sponsor may delegate, as provided herein, the duty and authority to manage the affairs of the Trust. Any determination as to what is in the interests of the Trust made by the Sponsor in good faith shall be conclusive. In construing the provisions of this Trust Agreement, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Sponsor, but subject, for the avoidance of doubt, to the restrictions, prohibitions and limitations expressly set forth in Section 1.5, Section 6.4(m) and otherwise in this Trust Agreement. The enumeration of any specific power in this Trust Agreement shall not be construed as limiting the aforesaid power.

SECTION 6.2 Authority of Sponsor.

In addition to, and not in limitation of, any rights and powers conferred by law or other provisions of this Trust Agreement, and except as limited, restricted or prohibited by the express provisions of this Trust Agreement or the Delaware Trust Statute, the Sponsor shall have and may exercise on behalf of the Trust, all powers and rights necessary, proper, convenient or advisable to effectuate and carry out the purposes of the Trust, which powers and rights shall include, without limitation, the following:

(a) To enter into, execute, accept, deliver and maintain, and to cause the Trust to perform its obligations under, contracts, agreements and any or all other documents and instruments incidental to the Trust’s purposes, and to do and perform all such acts as may be in furtherance of the Trust’s purposes, or necessary or appropriate for the offer and sale of the Shares, including, but not limited to, causing the Trust to enter into (i) contracts or agreements with the Sponsor or an Affiliate, provided that any such contract or agreement does not conflict with the provisions of Section 1.5(c)of this Trust Agreement, Section 6.4 of this Trust Agreement or clause (ii) of this Section 6.2(a) and (ii) contracts with third parties for various services, it being understood that any document or instrument executed or accepted by the Sponsor in the Sponsor’s name shall be deemed executed and accepted on behalf of the Trust by the Sponsor, provided, however, that such services may be performed by an Affiliate or Affiliates of the Sponsor so long as the Sponsor has made a good faith determination that (A) the Affiliate that it proposes to

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engage to perform such services is qualified to do so (considering the prior experience of the Affiliate or the individuals employed by the Affiliate); (B) the terms and conditions of the agreement pursuant to which such Affiliate is to perform services for the Trust are no less favorable to the Trust than could be obtained from equally-qualified unaffiliated third parties; and (C) the maximum period covered by the agreement pursuant to which such Affiliate is to perform services for the Trust shall not exceed one year, and such agreement shall be terminable without penalty upon one hundred twenty (120) days’ prior written notice by the Trust;

(b) To establish, maintain, deposit into, and sign checks and/or otherwise draw upon, accounts on behalf of the Trust with appropriate banking and savings institutions;

(c) To deposit, withdraw, pay, retain and distribute the Trust Estate or any portion thereof in any manner consistent with the provisions of this Trust Agreement;

(d) To supervise the preparation of any confidential private placement memoranda, prospectuses, registration statements and supplements and amendments thereto and any filings of the Trust with the SEC;

(e) To make or authorize the making of distributions to the Shareholders and expenses of the Trust out of the Trust Estate;

(f) To cause the Trust to appoint an agent to act on behalf of the Shareholders pursuant to Section 7.5;

(g) To prepare, or cause to be prepared, and file, or cause to be filed, an application to register any Shares under the Securities Act and/or the Exchange Act and to take any other action and execute and deliver any certificates or documents that may be necessary to effectuate such registration;

(h) To prepare, or cause to be prepared, and file, or cause to be filed, an application to enable the Shares to be listed, quoted or traded on any Secondary Market and to take any other action and execute and deliver any certificates or documents that may be necessary to effectuate such listing, quotation or trading;

(i) To appoint one or more Custodians or other security vendors, including itself or an Affiliate, to provide for custodial or non-custodial security services, or to determine not to appoint any Custodian or other security vendors, and to otherwise take any action with respect to the Custodian or other security vendors to safeguard the Trust Estate;

(j) In the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor, to admit an Affiliate or Affiliates of the Sponsor as additional Sponsors;

(k) To delegate those of its duties hereunder as it shall determine from time to time to one or more Distributors, and add any additional service providers, if needed and as applicable;

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(l) To engage in Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied;

(m) If the Staking Condition has been satisfied with respect to such activity, to execute any Liquidity Management Solutions;

(n) To perform such other services as the Sponsor believes that the Trust may from time to time require;

(o) To determine, in good faith, which peer-to-peer network, among a group of incompatible forks of the Solana Network, is generally accepted as SOL and should therefore be considered “SOL” for the Trust’s purposes, which the Sponsor will determine based on a variety of then relevant factors, including (but not limited to) the following: (i) the Sponsor’s beliefs regarding expectations of the core developers of the Solana Network, users, services businesses, miners and other constituencies and (ii) the actual, continued development, acceptance, mining power and community engagement; provided that the Sponsor shall not make a determination that would conflict with Section 1.5(c) or Section 6.4(m) of this Trust Agreement; and

(p) In general, but subject to Section 1.5 and Section 6.4 of this Trust Agreement, to do everything necessary, suitable or proper for the accomplishment of any purpose or the furtherance of any power herein set forth, either alone or in association with others, and to do every other act or thing incidental or appurtenant to, or growing out of or connected with, the aforesaid purposes or powers.

SECTION 6.3 Obligations of the Sponsor.

In addition to the obligations expressly provided by the Delaware Trust Statute or this Trust Agreement, the Sponsor shall:

(a) Devote such of its time to the affairs of the Trust as it shall, in its discretion exercised in good faith, determine to be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Trust, as set forth in Section 1.5, for the benefit of the Shareholders;

(b) Execute, file, record and/or publish all certificates, statements and other documents and do any and all other things as may be appropriate for the formation, qualification and operation of the Trust and for the conduct of its affairs in all appropriate jurisdictions;

(c) Retain independent public accountants to audit the accounts of the Trust;

(d) Employ attorneys to represent the Sponsor and, as necessary, the Trust;

(e) Select and enter into agreements with the Trustee and any other service provider to the Trust;

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(f) Use its best efforts to maintain the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Subpart E, Part I of Subchapter J of the Code;

(g) Monitor all fees charged to the Trust, and the services rendered by the service providers to the Trust, to determine whether the fees paid by, and the services rendered to, the Trust are at competitive rates and are the best price and services available under the circumstances, and if necessary, renegotiate the fee structure to obtain such rates and services for the Trust;

(h) Have fiduciary responsibility for the safekeeping and use of the Trust Estate, whether or not in the Sponsor’s immediate possession or control;

(i) Not employ or permit others to employ the Trust Estate in any manner except for the benefit of the Trust, including, among other things, the utilization of any portion of the Trust Estate as compensating balances for the exclusive benefit of the Sponsor;

(j) At all times act with integrity and good faith and exercise due diligence in all activities relating to the Trust and in resolving conflicts of interest;

(k) Enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with each Authorized Participant and discharge the duties and responsibilities of the Trust and the Sponsor thereunder;

(l) Receive directly or through its delegates from Authorized Participants and process properly submitted Creation Orders, as described in Section 3.3(a);

(m) Receive directly or through its delegates from Authorized Participants and process properly submitted Redemption Orders (if authorized), as described in Section 5.2(a), or as may from time to time be permitted by Section 5.3;

(n) Interact with the Custodian and any other party as required;

(o) If the Shares are listed, quoted or traded on any Secondary Market, cause the Trust to comply with all rules, orders and regulations of such Secondary Market to which the Trust is subject as a result of the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on such Secondary Market, and take all such other actions that may reasonably be taken and are necessary for the Shares to remain listed, quoted or traded on such Secondary Market until the Trust is terminated or the Shares are no longer listed, quoted or traded on such Secondary Market;

(p) If the Shares are transferred in a transaction registered under the Securities Act or registered under the Exchange Act, cause the Trust to comply with all rules, orders and regulations of the SEC and take all such other actions as may reasonably be taken and are necessary for the Shares to remain registered under the Exchange Act until the Trust is terminated or the Shares are no longer registered under the Exchange Act; and

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(q) Take all actions to prepare and, to the extent required by this Trust Agreement or by law, mail to Shareholders any reports, press releases or statements, financial or otherwise, that the Sponsor determines are required to be provided to Shareholders by applicable law or governmental regulation or the requirements of any Secondary Market on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded or, if any Shares are transferred in a transaction registered under the Securities Act or registered under the Exchange Act, the SEC, as applicable.

The foregoing clauses of Section 6.2 and Section 6.3 shall be construed as powers, and the foregoing enumeration of specific powers shall not be held to limit or restrict in any manner the general powers of the Sponsor. Any action by the Sponsor hereunder shall be deemed an action on behalf of the Trust, and not an action in an individual capacity.

SECTION 6.4 General Prohibitions.

The Trust shall not, and the Sponsor shall not have the power to cause the Trust to:

(a) Receive any property other than SOL upon the issuance of Shares;

(b) Hold any property other than (i) SOL, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and (for a period not exceeding thirty (30) Business Days from its receipt) Other Staking Consideration, or (ii) cash from the sale of SOL, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or Other Staking Consideration;

(c) Hold any cash (i) from the sale of SOL, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or Other Staking Consideration or (ii) received as Other Staking Consideration, in each case, for more than thirty (30) Business Days prior to using such cash to pay Additional Trust Expenses, or to fund the redemption of Redemption Baskets, and distributing any remaining cash to the Shareholders;

(d) If the redemption of Shares is not authorized pursuant to Section 5.1, redeem any Shares other than upon the dissolution of the Trust;

(e) If the redemption of Shares is authorized pursuant to Section 5.1, redeem the Shares other than (i) to satisfy a Redemption Order from an Authorized Participant, (ii) as provided in Section 5.2 or Section 5.3 or (iii) upon the dissolution of the Trust;

(f) Borrow money from, or loan money to, any Shareholder, the Sponsor, or any other Person provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, the Trust shall not be prohibited from entering into any Liquidity Management Solutions for which the Staking Condition has been satisfied;

(g) Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any lien, mortgage, pledge conditional sales or other title retention agreement, charge, security interest or encumbrance on or with respect to the Trust Estate, except for (i) liens for taxes not delinquent or being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for which

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appropriate reserves have been established and (ii) liens by the Trustee against the Trust property as security for any amounts owing to the Trustee hereunder;

(h) Commingle the Trust Estate with the assets of any other Person; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, a portion of the Trust Estate may be held in the Settlement Balance from time to time in order to facilitate the creation and redemption of Shares;

(i) Permit rebates to be received by the Sponsor or any Affiliate of the Sponsor, or permit the Sponsor or any Affiliate of the Sponsor to engage in any reciprocal business arrangements which would circumvent the foregoing prohibition;

(j) Enter into any contract with the Sponsor or an Affiliate of the Sponsor (A) that, except for selling agreements for the sale of Shares, has a term of more than one year and that does not provide that it may be canceled by the Trust without penalty on one hundred twenty (120) days prior written notice or (B) for the provision of services, except at rates and terms at least as favorable as those that may be obtained from third parties in arm’s length negotiations;

(k) Enter into any exclusive brokerage contract;

(l) Elect to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

(m) Subject to Section 1.5(c), but notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement, including Section 6.4(b), take any action that could cause the Trust to be treated other than as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or

(n) Engage in any form of Staking, except to the extent the Staking Condition has been satisfied with respect thereto.

SECTION 6.5 Liability of Covered Persons.

A Covered Person shall have no liability to the Trust or to any Shareholder or other Covered Person for any loss suffered by the Trust which arises out of any action or inaction of such Covered Person if such Covered Person, in good faith, determined that such course of conduct was in the best interest of the Trust and such course of conduct did not constitute fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Covered Person. Subject to the foregoing, neither the Sponsor nor any other Covered Person shall be personally liable for the return or repayment of all or any portion of the SOL transferred, or the purchase price otherwise paid, by a Shareholder for its Shares, it being expressly agreed that any such return made pursuant to this Trust Agreement shall be made solely from the assets of the Trust without any rights of contribution from the Sponsor or any other Covered Person. A Covered Person shall not be liable for the conduct or misconduct of any delegate selected by the Sponsor with reasonable care.

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SECTION 6.6 Fiduciary Duty.

(a) To the extent that, at law or in equity, the Sponsor has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust, the Shareholders or any other Person, the Sponsor acting under this Trust Agreement shall not be liable to the Trust, the Shareholders or any other Person for its good faith reliance on the provisions of this Trust Agreement subject to the standard of care set forth in Section 6.5 herein. The provisions of this Trust Agreement, to the extent that they restrict or eliminate the duties and liabilities of the Sponsor otherwise existing at law or in equity are agreed by the parties hereto to replace such other duties and liabilities of the Sponsor. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no Person other than the Sponsor and the Trustee shall have any duties (including fiduciary duties) or liabilities at law or in equity to the Trust, the Shareholders or any other Person.

(b) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, (i) whenever a conflict of interest exists or arises between the Sponsor or any of its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust, any Shareholder or any other Person, on the other hand; or (ii) whenever this Trust Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein provides that the Sponsor shall act in a manner that is, or provides terms that are, fair and reasonable to the Trust, any Shareholder or any other Person, the Sponsor shall resolve such conflict of interest, take such action or provide such terms, considering in each case the relative interest of each party (including its own interest) to such conflict, agreement, transaction or situation and the benefits and burdens relating to such interests, any customary or accepted industry practices, and any applicable generally accepted accounting practices or principles. In the absence of bad faith by the Sponsor, the resolution, action or terms so made, taken or provided by the Sponsor shall not constitute a breach of this Trust Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein or of any duty or obligation of the Sponsor at law or in equity or otherwise.

(c) The Sponsor and any Affiliate of the Sponsor may engage in or possess an interest in profit-seeking or business ventures of any nature or description, independently or with others, whether or not such ventures are competitive with the Trust and the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, shall not apply to the Sponsor. If the Sponsor acquires knowledge of a potential transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter that may be an opportunity for the Trust, it shall have no duty to communicate or offer such opportunity to the Trust, and the Sponsor shall not be liable to the Trust or to the Shareholders for breach of any fiduciary or other duty by reason of the fact that the Sponsor pursues or acquires for, or directs such opportunity to, another Person or does not communicate such opportunity or information to the Trust. Neither the Trust nor any Shareholder shall have any rights or obligations by virtue of this Trust Agreement or the trust relationship created hereby in or to such independent ventures or the income or profits or losses derived therefrom, and the pursuit of such ventures, even if competitive with the purposes of the Trust, shall not be deemed wrongful or improper. Except to the extent expressly provided herein, the Sponsor may engage or be interested in any financial or other transaction with the Trust, the Shareholders or any Affiliate of the Trust or the Shareholders.

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(d) To the fullest extent permitted by law and notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement or in any agreement contemplated herein or applicable provisions of law or equity or otherwise, whenever in this Trust Agreement a Person is permitted or required to make a decision (a) in its “sole discretion” or “discretion” or under a grant of similar authority or latitude, the Person shall be entitled to consider only such interests and factors as it desires, including its own interests, and shall have no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of or factors affecting the Trust, the Shareholders or any other Person, or (b) in its “good faith” or under another express standard, the Person shall act under such express standard and shall not be subject to any other or different standard. The term “good faith” as used in this Trust Agreement shall mean subjective good faith as such term is understood and interpreted under Delaware law.

SECTION 6.7 Indemnification of the Sponsor.

(a) The Sponsor shall be indemnified by the Trust against any losses, judgments, liabilities, expenses and amounts paid in settlement of any claims sustained by it in connection with its activities for the Trust, provided that (i) the Sponsor was acting on behalf of, or performing services for, the Trust and has determined, in good faith, that such course of conduct was in the best interests of the Trust and such liability or loss was not the result of fraud, gross negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct, or a material breach of this Trust Agreement on the part of the Sponsor and (ii) any such indemnification will be recoverable only from the Trust Estate. All rights to indemnification permitted herein and payment of associated expenses shall not be affected by the dissolution or other cessation of existence of the Sponsor, or the withdrawal, adjudication of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor, or the filing of a voluntary or involuntary petition in bankruptcy under Title 11 of the United States Code by or against the Sponsor.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6.7(a) above, the Sponsor, any Authorized Participant and any other Person acting as a broker-dealer for the Trust shall not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of U.S. federal or state securities laws unless (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation, litigation costs), (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee and the court approves the indemnification of such expenses (including, without limitation, litigation costs) or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against a particular indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and related costs should be made.

(c) The Trust shall not incur the cost of that portion of any insurance that insures any party against any liability, the indemnification of which is herein prohibited.

(d) Expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending civil, administrative or criminal action suit or proceeding against the Sponsor shall be paid by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, if (i) the

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legal action relates to the performance of duties or services by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust; (ii) the legal action is initiated by a third party who is not a Shareholder or the legal action is initiated by a Shareholder and a court of competent jurisdiction specifically approves such advance; and (iii) the Sponsor undertakes to repay the advanced funds with interest to the Trust in cases in which it is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 6.7.

(e) The term “Sponsor” as used only in this Section 6.7 shall include, in addition to the Sponsor, any other Covered Person performing services on behalf of the Trust and acting within the scope of the Sponsor’s authority as set forth in this Trust Agreement.

(f) In the event the Trust is made a party to any claim, dispute, demand or litigation or otherwise incurs any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense as a result of or in connection with any Shareholder’s (or assignee’s) obligations or liabilities unrelated to Trust affairs, such Shareholder (or assignees cumulatively) shall indemnify, defend, hold harmless, and reimburse the Trust for all such loss, liability, damage, cost and expense incurred, including attorneys’ and accountants’ fees.

SECTION 6.8 Expenses and Limitations Thereon.

(a) Sponsor’s Fee.

(i) The Trust shall pay to the Sponsor a fee (the “Sponsor’s Fee”), payable in SOL (except as provided in Section 6.8(a)(iv)), which shall accrue daily in U.S. Dollars at an annual rate of 2.5% of the NAV Fee Basis Amount of the Trust as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each day; provided that for a day that is not a Business Day, the calculation shall be based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount from the most recent Business Day, reduced by the accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fee for such most recent Business Day and for each day after such most recent Business Day and prior to the relevant calculation date. The amount of SOL payable in respect of each daily U.S. Dollar accrual shall be determined by reference to the same Index Price used to determine such accrual. The Sponsor’s Fee is payable to the Sponsor daily in arrears.

(ii) Except as provided in Section 6.8(a)(iv), cause the Trust to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor shall instruct the Custodian to withdraw from the SOL Account the number of SOL equal to the accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee and transfer such SOL to the account designated by the Sponsor at such times as the Sponsor determines in its absolute discretion.

(iii) After the payment of the Sponsor’s Fee to the Sponsor, the Sponsor may elect to convert the SOL it receives into U.S. Dollars. The Shareholders acknowledge that the rate at which the Sponsor converts such SOL to U.S. Dollars may differ from the rate at which the Sponsor’s Fee was initially converted into SOL. The Trust shall not be responsible for any fees and expenses

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incurred by the Sponsor to convert SOL received in payment of the Sponsor’s Fee into U.S. Dollars.

(iv) If the Trust holds any Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration at any time, the Trust may pay the Sponsor’s Fee, in whole or in part, with such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration by transferring such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration to the Sponsor; provided that the Trust shall use Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration to pay the Sponsor’s Fee only if such transfer does not otherwise conflict with the terms of this Trust Agreement. In the case of Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or Other Staking Consideration other than cash, such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or Other Staking Consideration other than cash shall be transferred at a value to be determined in good faith by the Sponsor. If the Trust pays the Sponsor’s Fee in Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration, in whole or in part, the amount of SOL that would otherwise have been used to satisfy such payment shall be correspondingly reduced.

(v) The Sponsor may, from time to time, temporarily waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee in its sole discretion.

(vi) As partial consideration for receipt of the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor shall assume and pay all fees and other expenses incurred by the Trust in the ordinary course of its affairs, excluding taxes, but including: (i) the Marketing Fee, (ii) the Administrator Fee, (iii) the Custodian Fee, (iv) the Transfer Agent fee, (v) the Trustee fee, (vi) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) in an amount up to $600,000 in any given Fiscal Year, (vii) ordinary course legal fees and expenses, (viii) audit fees, (ix) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, (x) printing and mailing costs, (xi) costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and (xii) applicable license fees (each, a “Sponsor-paid Expense” and together, the “Sponsor-paid Expenses”), provided that any expense that qualifies as Additional Trust Expenses as set forth in Section 6.8(b) shall be deemed to be Additional Trust Expenses and not a Sponsor-paid Expense.

(vii) In addition to the Sponsor’s Fee, and as partial consideration for the Sponsor’s facilitation of Staking, but only if (and, then, only to the extent that) the Staking Condition has been satisfied with respect thereto, the Sponsor shall be entitled to receive a fee (the “Sponsor’s Staking Fee”), payable in SOL (or, if applicable, in the form of any Other Staking Consideration), which shall accrue daily in U.S. Dollars in an amount calculated as a per annum percentage of any Staking Consideration received by the Trust, as may be directed by the Sponsor in its sole discretion and disclosed in the Trust’s filings with the SEC from time to time. The Sponsor’s Staking Fee is payable to the Sponsor daily in arrears.

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(viii) The Sponsor may, from time to time, temporarily waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Staking Fee in its sole discretion.

(b) Additional Trust Expenses.

(i) The Trust shall pay any expenses incurred by the Trust in addition to the Sponsor’s Fee that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, (i) taxes and governmental charges, (ii) expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider) on behalf of the Trust to protect the Trust or the interests of Shareholders (including in connection with any Incidental Rights, any IR Virtual Currency or any Other Staking Consideration), (iii) any indemnification of the Custodian, Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust, (iv) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading of the Shares on any Secondary Market (including legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses) to the extent exceeding $600,000 in any given Fiscal Year and (v) extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters (collectively, “Additional Trust Expenses”).

(ii) To cause the Trust to pay the Additional Trust Expenses, if any, the Sponsor or its delegates (i) shall instruct the Custodian to withdraw SOL from the SOL Account in such quantity as may be necessary to permit payment of such Additional Trust Expenses and (ii) may either (x) cause the Trust (or its delegate) to convert such SOL into U.S. Dollars or other fiat currencies at the Actual Exchange Rate or (y) cause the Trust (or its delegate) to deliver such SOL in kind in satisfaction of such Additional Trust Expenses.

(iii) If the Trust holds any Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration at any time, the Trust may pay any Additional Trust Expenses, in whole or in part, with such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration by entering into an agreement with the relevant payee and transferring such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration to that payee at a value to be determined in good faith by the Sponsor; provided that the Trust shall use Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration to pay Additional Trust Expenses only if such transfer does not otherwise conflict with the terms of this Trust Agreement. In the case of Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or Other Staking Consideration other than cash, such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency or Other Staking Consideration other than cash shall be transferred at a value to be determined in good faith by the Sponsor. If the Trust pays the Additional Trust Expenses in Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration, in whole or in part, the amount of SOL that would otherwise have been used to satisfy such payment shall be correspondingly reduced.

(c) The Sponsor or any Affiliate of the Sponsor may be reimbursed only for the actual cost to the Sponsor or such Affiliate of any expenses that it advances on

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behalf of the Trust for payment of which the Trust is responsible. In addition, payment to the Sponsor or such Affiliate for indirect expenses incurred in performing services for the Trust in its capacity as the Sponsor (or an Affiliate of the Sponsor) of the Trust, such as salaries and fringe benefits of officers and directors, rent or depreciation, utilities and other administrative items generally falling within the category of the Sponsor’s “overhead,” is prohibited.

SECTION 6.9 Voluntary Withdrawal of the Sponsor.

The Sponsor may withdraw voluntarily as the Sponsor of the Trust only upon one hundred and twenty (120) days’ prior written notice to all Shareholders and the Trustee. If the withdrawing Sponsor is the last remaining Sponsor, the Shareholders holding Shares equal to at least a majority (over 50%) of the Shares may vote to elect and appoint, effective as of a date on or prior to the withdrawal, a successor Sponsor who shall carry on the affairs of the Trust. If the Sponsor withdraws and a successor Sponsor is named, the withdrawing Sponsor shall pay all expenses as a result of its withdrawal.

SECTION 6.10 Litigation.

The Sponsor is hereby authorized to prosecute, defend, settle or compromise actions or claims at law or in equity as may be necessary or proper to enforce or protect the Trust’s interests. The Sponsor shall satisfy any judgment, decree or decision of any court, board or authority having jurisdiction or any settlement of any suit or claim prior to judgment or final decision thereon, first, out of any insurance proceeds available therefor, next, out of the Trust’s assets and, thereafter, out of the assets (to the extent that it is permitted to do so under the various other provisions of this Trust Agreement) of the Sponsor.

SECTION 6.11 Bankruptcy; Merger of the Sponsor.

(a) The Sponsor shall not cease to be a Sponsor of the Trust merely upon the occurrence of its making an assignment for the benefit of creditors, filing a voluntary petition in bankruptcy, filing a petition or answer seeking for itself any reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any statute, law or regulation, filing an answer or other pleading admitting or failing to contest material allegations of a petition filed against it in any proceeding of this nature or seeking, consenting to or acquiescing in the appointment of a trustee, receiver or liquidator for itself or of all or any substantial part of its properties.

(b) To the fullest extent permitted by law, and on sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the Shareholders of their right to vote thereon, if any such transaction is other than with an affiliated entity, nothing in this Trust Agreement shall be deemed to prevent the merger of the Sponsor with another corporation or other entity, the reorganization of the Sponsor into or with any other corporation or other entity, the transfer of all the capital stock of the Sponsor or the assumption of the rights, duties and liabilities of the Sponsor by, in the case of a merger, reorganization or consolidation, the surviving corporation or other entity by operation of law. Without limiting the foregoing, none of the

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transactions referenced in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be a voluntary withdrawal for purposes of Section 6.10 or an Event of Withdrawal for purposes of Section 12.1(a)(iv).

ARTICLE VII

THE SHAREHOLDERS

SECTION 7.1 No Management or Control; Limited Liability; Exercise of Rights through an Authorized Participant.

The Shareholders shall not participate in the management or control of the Trust nor shall they enter into any transaction on behalf of the Trust or have the power to sign for or bind the Trust, said power being vested solely and exclusively in the Sponsor. Except as provided in Section 7.3 hereof, no Shareholder shall be bound by, or be personally liable for, the expenses, liabilities or obligations of the Trust in excess of its Percentage Interest of the Trust Estate. Except as provided in Section 7.3 hereof, each Share owned by a Shareholder shall be fully paid and no assessment shall be made against any Shareholder. No salary shall be paid to any Shareholder in its capacity as a Shareholder, nor shall any Shareholder have a drawing account or earn interest on its Percentage Interest of the Trust Estate. By the purchase and acceptance or other lawful delivery and acceptance of Shares, each owner of such Shares shall be deemed to be a Shareholder and beneficiary of the Trust and vested with beneficial undivided interest in the Trust to the extent of the Shares owned beneficially by such Shareholder, subject to the terms and conditions of this Trust Agreement.

SECTION 7.2 Rights and Duties.

The Shareholders shall have the following rights, powers, privileges, duties and liabilities:

(a) The Shareholders shall have the right to obtain from the Sponsor information on all things affecting the Trust, provided that such information is for a purpose reasonably related to the Shareholder’s interest as a beneficial owner of the Trust.

(b) The Shareholders shall receive the share of the distributions provided for in this Trust Agreement in the manner and at the times provided for in this Trust Agreement.

(c) Except for the Shareholders’ transfer rights set forth in Article IV and the Shareholders’ redemption rights set forth in Article V hereof, Shareholders shall have the right to demand a redemption of their Shares only upon the dissolution and winding up of the Trust and only to the extent of funds available therefor, as provided in Section 12.2. In no event shall a Shareholder be entitled to demand or receive property other than cash upon the dissolution and winding up of the Trust. No Shareholder shall have priority over any other Shareholder as to distributions. The Shareholder shall not have any right to bring an action for partition against the Trust.

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(d) Shareholders holding Shares representing at least a majority (over 50%) of the Shares may vote to appoint a successor Sponsor as provided in Section 6.10 or to continue the Trust as provided in Section 12.1(a)(iv).

Except as set forth above, the Shareholders shall have no voting or other rights with respect to the Trust.

SECTION 7.3 Limitation of Liability.

(a) Except as provided in Section 6.7(f) hereof, and as otherwise provided under Delaware law, the Shareholders shall be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the General Corporation Law of Delaware and no Shareholder shall be liable for claims against, or debts of the Trust in excess of its Percentage Interest of the Trust Estate, except in the case of a Shareholder that is an Authorized Participant, in the event that the liability is founded upon misstatements or omissions contained in such Shareholder’s Authorized Participant Agreement. In addition, and subject to the exceptions set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, the Trust shall not make a claim against a Shareholder with respect to amounts distributed to such Shareholder or amounts received by such Shareholder upon redemption of such Shareholder’s Shares unless, under Delaware law, such Shareholder is liable to repay such amount.

(b) The Trust shall indemnify to the full extent permitted by law and the other provisions of this Trust Agreement, and to the extent of the Trust Estate, each Shareholder against any claims of liability asserted against such Shareholder solely because it is a beneficial owner of one or more Shares as a Shareholder.

(c) Every written note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Sponsor on behalf of the Trust shall give notice to the effect that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon the Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust, and no resort shall be had to the Shareholders’ personal property for satisfaction of any obligation or claim thereunder, and appropriate references may be made to this Trust Agreement and may contain any further recital that the Sponsor deems appropriate, but the omission thereof shall not operate to bind the Shareholders individually or otherwise invalidate any such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking. Nothing contained in this Section 7.3 shall diminish the limitation on the liability of the Trust to the extent set forth in Section 3.6 hereof.

SECTION 7.4 Derivative Actions.

Subject to any other requirements of applicable law including Section 3816 of the Delaware Trust Statute, no Shareholder shall have the right, power or authority to bring or maintain a derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Trust unless two or more Shareholders who (i) are not Affiliates of one another and (ii) collectively hold at least 10% of the outstanding Shares join in the bringing or maintaining of such action, suit or other proceeding. This Section 7.4 shall not apply to any derivative claims brought under

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the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder.

SECTION 7.5 Appointment of Agents.

(a) By the purchase and acceptance or other lawful delivery, acceptance or holding of the Shares, the Shareholders shall be deemed to agree that the Sponsor may cause the Trust to appoint an agent to act on their behalf in connection with any distribution of Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration if the Sponsor has determined in good faith that such appointment is reasonably necessary or in the best interests of the Trust and the Shareholders in order to facilitate the distribution of any Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration. For the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor may cause the Trust to appoint the Sponsor or any of its Affiliates to act in such capacity, subject to Section 6.2(a) of this Trust Agreement. Any Person appointed as agent of the Shareholders pursuant to this Section 7.5(a) (i) shall receive an in-kind distribution of Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration on behalf of the Shareholders of record with respect to such distribution and (ii) following receipt of any such distribution, shall determine, in such Person’s sole discretion and without any direction from the Trust or the Sponsor (in its capacity as Sponsor of the Trust), whether and when to sell the distributed Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration on behalf of the record date Shareholders.

(b) Any agent appointed pursuant to Section 7.5(a) shall not receive any compensation in connection with its role as agent. The foregoing notwithstanding, any such agent shall be entitled to receive from any distribution of Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration, Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration with an aggregate fair market value equal to the amount of administrative and other reasonable expenses incurred by such agent in connection with such in-kind distribution of Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration, including expenses incurred by such agent in connection with any post-distribution sale of such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration.

SECTION 7.6 Business of Shareholders.

Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, any of the Shareholders and any shareholder, officer, director, employee or other Person holding a legal or beneficial interest in an entity that is a Shareholder, may engage in or possess an interest in business ventures of every nature and description, independently or with others, and the pursuit of such ventures, even if competitive with the affairs of the Trust, shall not be deemed wrongful or improper.

SECTION 7.7 Authorization of Filings.

Each Shareholder (or any permitted assignee thereof) hereby agrees that the Trust, the Sponsor (and with respect to Section 7.7(iii) hereof the Trustee) are authorized to (i)

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prepare and file registration statements with the SEC and take such action as is necessary from time to time to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the federal securities laws of the United States, (ii) prepare and file any current or periodic reports that may be required under the Exchange Act, and (iii) execute, deliver and perform the agreements, acts, transactions and matters contemplated hereby or described in, or contemplated by, any such registration statements or such reports on behalf of the Trust without any further act, approval or vote of the Shareholders, notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement, the Delaware Trust Statute or any applicable law, rule or regulation.

ARTICLE VIII

BOOKS OF ACCOUNT AND REPORTS

SECTION 8.1 Books of Account.

Proper books of account for the Trust shall be kept and shall be audited annually by an independent certified public accounting firm selected by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, and there shall be entered therein all transactions, matters and things relating to the Trust as are required by the applicable law and regulations and as are usually entered into books of account kept by trusts. The books of account shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust and each Shareholder (or any duly constituted designee of a Shareholder) shall have, at all times during normal business hours, free access to and the right to inspect and copy the same for any purpose reasonably related to the Shareholder’s interest as a beneficial owner of the Trust. Such books of account shall be kept, and the Trust shall report its profits and losses on, the accrual method of accounting for financial accounting purposes on a Fiscal Year basis as described in Article IX.

SECTION 8.2 Annual Updates, Quarterly Updates and Account Statements.

(a) If the Shares are not then listed, quoted or traded on any Secondary Market or registered under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Sponsor shall furnish each Shareholder with an annual report of the Trust within one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days after the Trust’s fiscal year (or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter) including, but not limited to, annual audited financial statements (including a statement of income and statement of financial condition), prepared in accordance with GAAP and accompanied by a report of the independent registered public accounting firm that audited such statements.

(b) If the Shares are then listed, quoted or traded on a Secondary Market or registered under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Sponsor shall prepare and publish the Trust’s Annual Reports and Quarterly Reports as required by the rules and regulations of such Secondary Market or the SEC, as applicable.

SECTION 8.3 Tax Information.

Appropriate tax information (adequate to enable each Shareholder to complete and file its U.S. federal tax return) shall be delivered to each Shareholder following the end of each Fiscal Year but, to the extent possible, no later than April 1. All such information shall

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be prepared, and all of the Trust’s tax returns shall be filed, in a manner consistent with the treatment of the Trust as a grantor trust. The Trust’s taxable year shall be the calendar year. The Trust shall comply with all U.S. federal withholding requirements respecting distributions to, or receipts of amounts on behalf of, Shareholders that the Trust reasonably believes are applicable under the Code. The consent of Shareholders shall not be required for such withholding.

SECTION 8.4 Calculation of NAV.

The Sponsor or its delegate shall calculate and publish the Trust’s NAV on each Business Day as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, or as soon as practicable thereafter. In order to calculate the NAV, the Sponsor shall:

1. Determine the Index Price as of such Business Day;

2. Multiply the Index Price by the Trust’s aggregate number of SOL owned by the Trust as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the immediately preceding day, less the aggregate number of SOL payable as (i) the accrued and unpaid Sponsor’s Fee and (ii) the accrued and unpaid Sponsor's Staking Fee, in each case as of 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the immediately preceding day;

3. Add the U.S. Dollar value of SOL, calculated using the Index Price, receivable under pending Creation Orders, if any, determined by multiplying the number of the Creation Baskets represented by such Creation Orders by the Basket Amount and then multiplying such product by the Index Price;

4. Subtract the U.S. Dollar amount of accrued and unpaid Additional Trust Expenses, if any;

5. Subtract the U.S. Dollar value of the SOL, calculated using the Index Price, which are either (i) to be distributed under pending Redemption Orders, if any, determined by multiplying the number of Redemption Baskets represented by such Redemption Orders by the Basket Amount and then multiplying such product by the Index Price, or (ii) to be distributed to Shareholders pursuant to a binding obligation of the Trust following the declaration of an in-kind dividend (including through interests in any liquidating trust or other vehicle formed to hold SOL) (the amount derived from steps 1 through 5 above, the “NAV Fee Basis Amount”);

6. Subtract the U.S. Dollar amount of the Sponsor’s Fee that accrues for such Business Day, as calculated based on the NAV Fee Basis Amount for such Business Day; and

7. Subtract the U.S. Dollar amount of any SOL or Other Staking Consideration payable as part of the Sponsor's Staking Fee that accrues for such Business Day.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) in the event that the Sponsor determines that the methodology used to determine the Index Price is not an appropriate basis for valuation of

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the Trust’s SOL, the Sponsor shall use an alternative methodology as set forth in the Trust’s filings with the SEC and (ii) in the event that the Trust holds any Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration, the Sponsor may, at its discretion, include the value of such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration in the determination of the Trust’s NAV, provided that the Sponsor has determined in good faith a method for assigning an objective value to such Incidental Rights, IR Virtual Currency and/or Other Staking Consideration.

SECTION 8.5 Maintenance of Records.

The Sponsor shall maintain for a period of at least six Fiscal Years (a) all books of account required by Section 8.1 hereof; (b) a list of the names and last known address of, and number of Shares owned by, all Shareholders; (c) a copy of the Certificate of Trust and all certificates of amendment thereto; (d) executed copies of any powers of attorney pursuant to which any certificate has been executed; (e) copies of the Trust’s U.S. federal, state and local income tax returns and reports, if any; (f) copies of any effective written Trust Agreements, Authorized Participant Agreements, including any amendments thereto; and (g) any financial statements of the Trust. The Sponsor may keep and maintain the books and records of the Trust in paper, magnetic, electronic or other format as the Sponsor may determine in its sole discretion, provided that the Sponsor shall use reasonable care to prevent the loss or destruction of such records. If there is a conflict between this Section 8.5 and the rules and regulations of any Secondary Market on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded or, if applicable, the SEC with respect to the maintenance of records, the records shall be maintained pursuant to the rules and regulations of such Secondary Market or the SEC.

ARTICLE IX

FISCAL YEAR

SECTION 9.1 Fiscal Year.

The fiscal year of the Trust for financial accounting purposes (the “Fiscal Year”) shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the 31st day of December of each year. The Fiscal Year in which the Trust shall terminate shall end on the date of such termination.

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENT OF TRUST AGREEMENT; MEETINGS

SECTION 10.1 Amendments to the Trust Agreement.

(a) Amendment Generally.

(i) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Section 10.1, the Sponsor, in its sole discretion and without Shareholder consent, may amend or otherwise supplement this Trust Agreement by making an amendment, an agreement supplemental hereto, or an amended and restated declaration of trust

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and trust agreement. Any such restatement, amendment and/or supplement hereto shall be effective on such date as designated by the Sponsor in its sole discretion; provided that unless, (x) pursuant to a final “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code, it shall have been established that the Trust is other than a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (y) (i) the proposed amendment should not cause the Trust to be treated as other than a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and (ii) the Sponsor shall have received a written opinion of a Tax Advisor to that effect or (z) the proposed amendment is necessary or desirable, as determined by the Sponsor in its reasonable discretion, to conform to any Tax Guidance setting forth, or relating to, the conditions under which a trust may engage in one or more forms of Staking while continuing to be classified as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Sponsor shall not be permitted to make any such restatement, amendment, or otherwise supplement this Trust Agreement, if such restatement, amendment or supplement could permit the Sponsor, the Trustee or any other Person to vary the investment of the Shareholders (within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 301.7701-4(c)) or could otherwise adversely affect the status of the Trust as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

(ii) To the extent that a restatement, amendment or supplement to this Trust Agreement materially adversely affects the interests of the Shareholders as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, such restatement, amendment or supplement shall not be effective any earlier than twenty (20) calendar days after receipt by the affected Shareholders of a notice provided by the Sponsor with respect to any such restatement, amendment or supplement of this Trust Agreement. Notice pursuant to this Section 10.1(a)(ii) may be given by the Sponsor to the Shareholder by email or other electronic transmission and shall be deemed given upon receipt without requirement of confirmation.

(iii) In lieu of restating, amending or supplementing this Trust Agreement pursuant to Section 10.1(a)(ii), the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, condition any restatement, amendment and/or supplement to this Trust Agreement upon the approval of Shareholders holding Shares equal to at least a majority (over 50%) of the Shares (not including Shares held by the Sponsor and its Affiliates). In the Sponsor’s sole discretion, the Sponsor may, but is not obligated to, provide that a Shareholder shall be deemed to approve to a restatement, amendment or supplement of this Trust Agreement pursuant to this Section 10.1(a)(iii) if the Sponsor has notified such Shareholder in writing of the proposed restatement, amendment or supplement and the Shareholder has not, within twenty (20) calendar days of such notice, notified the Sponsor in writing that the Shareholder objects to such modification or amendment. Notice pursuant to this Section 10.1(a)(iii) may be given by the Sponsor to the Shareholder by email or other electronic transmission and shall be deemed given upon receipt without requirement of confirmation.

(b) Without limitation of the foregoing, the Sponsor may, without the approval of the Shareholders, amend the provisions of this Trust Agreement if the Trust is

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advised at any time by the Trust’s accountants or legal counsel that the amendments made are necessary to ensure that the Trust’s status as a grantor trust will be respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

(c) No amendment affecting the rights or duties of the Trustee shall be binding upon or effective against the Trustee unless consented to by the Trustee in writing. No amendment shall be made to this Trust Agreement without the consent of the Trustee if the Trustee reasonably believes that such amendment adversely affects any of its rights, duties or liabilities. The Trustee shall be under no obligation to execute any amendment to the Trust Agreement or to any agreement to which the Trust is a party until it has received an instruction letter from the Sponsor, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (i) directing the Trustee to execute such amendment, (ii) representing and warranting to the Trustee that such execution is authorized and permitted by the terms of the Trust Agreement and (if applicable) such other agreement to which the Trust is a party and does not conflict with or violate any other agreement to which the Trust is a party and (iii) confirming that such execution and acts related thereto are covered by the indemnity provisions of the Trust Agreement in favor of the Trustee and do not adversely affect the Trustee.

(d) Upon amendment of this Trust Agreement, the Certificate of Trust shall also be amended, if required by the Delaware Trust Statute, to reflect such change. At the expense of the Sponsor, the Trustee shall execute and file any amendment to the Certificate of Trust if so directed by the Sponsor.

(e) To the fullest extent permitted by law, no provision of this Trust Agreement may be amended, waived or otherwise modified orally but only by a written instrument adopted in accordance with this Section 10.1.

SECTION 10.2 Meetings of the Trust.

Meetings of the Shareholders may be called by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. The Sponsor shall furnish written notice to all Shareholders thereof of the meeting and the purpose of the meeting, which shall be held on a date, not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days after the date of mailing of said notice, at a reasonable time and place. Any notice of meeting shall be accompanied by a description of the action to be taken at the meeting. Shareholders may vote in person or by proxy at any such meeting.

SECTION 10.3 Action Without a Meeting.

Any action required or permitted to be taken by Shareholders by vote may be taken without a meeting by written consent setting forth the actions so taken. Such written consents shall be treated for all purposes as votes at a meeting. If the vote or consent of any Shareholder to any action of the Trust or any Shareholder, as contemplated by this Trust Agreement, is solicited by the Sponsor, the solicitation shall be effected by notice to each Shareholder given in the manner provided in Section 13.6. The vote or consent of each Shareholder so solicited shall be deemed conclusively to have been cast or granted as requested in the notice of solicitation, whether or not the notice of solicitation is actually

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received by that Shareholder, unless the Shareholder expresses written objection to the vote or consent by notice given in the manner provided in Section 13.6 and actually received by the Trust within twenty (20) days after the notice of solicitation is sent. The Covered Persons dealing with the Trust shall be entitled to act in reliance on any vote or consent that is deemed cast or granted pursuant to this Section 10.3 and shall be fully indemnified by the Trust in so doing. Any action taken or omitted in reliance on any such deemed vote or consent of one or more Shareholders shall not be void or voidable by reason of any communication made by or on behalf of all or any of such Shareholders in any manner other than as expressly provided in Section 13.6.

ARTICLE XI

TERM

SECTION 11.1 Term.

The term for which the Trust is to exist shall be perpetual, unless terminated pursuant to the provisions of Article XII hereof or as otherwise provided by law.

ARTICLE XII

TERMINATION

SECTION 12.1 Events Requiring Dissolution of the Trust.

(a) The Trust shall dissolve at any time upon the happening of any of the following events:

(i) a U.S. federal or state regulator requires the Trust to shut down or forces the Trust to liquidate its SOL or seizes, impounds or otherwise restricts access to the Trust Estate;

(ii) any ongoing event exists that either prevents the Trust from making or makes impractical the Trust’s reasonable efforts to make a fair determination of the Index Price;

(iii) any ongoing event exists that either prevents the Trust from converting or makes impractical the Trust’s reasonable efforts to convert SOL to U.S. Dollars; or

(iv) a certificate of dissolution or revocation of the Sponsor’s charter is filed (and ninety (90) days have passed after the date of notice to the Sponsor of revocation without a reinstatement of the Sponsor’s charter) or the withdrawal, adjudication or admission of bankruptcy or insolvency of the Sponsor (each of the foregoing events an “Event of Withdrawal”) has occurred unless (i) at the time there is at least one remaining Sponsor or (ii) within ninety (90) days of such Event of Withdrawal Shareholders holding at least a majority (over 50%) of

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the Shares agree in writing to continue the affairs of the Trust and to select, effective as of the date of such event, one or more successor Sponsors.

(b) The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, dissolve the Trust if any of the following events occur:

(i) the SEC determines that the Trust is an investment company required to be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940;

(ii) the CFTC determines that the Trust is a commodity pool under the Commodity Exchange Act;

(iii) the Trust is determined to be a “money service business” under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and is required to comply with certain FinCEN regulations thereunder;

(iv) the Trust is required to obtain a license or make a registration under any state law regulating money transmitters, money services businesses, providers of prepaid or stored value or similar entities, or virtual currency businesses;

(v) the Trust becomes insolvent or bankrupt;

(vi) the Custodian resigns or is removed without replacement;

(vii) all of the Trust’s SOL are sold;

(viii) the Sponsor determines that the size of the Trust Estate in relation to the expenses of the Trust makes it unreasonable or imprudent to continue the affairs of the Trust;

(ix) the Sponsor receives notice from the IRS or from counsel for the Trust or the Sponsor that the Trust fails to qualify for treatment, or will not be treated, as a grantor trust under the Code;

(x) the Trustee notifies the Sponsor of the Trustee’s election to resign and the Sponsor does not appoint a successor trustee within one hundred and eighty (180) days; or

(xi) the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that it is desirable or advisable for any reason to discontinue the affairs of the Trust.

(c) The death, legal disability, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution, or withdrawal of any Shareholder (as long as such Shareholder is not the sole Shareholder of the Trust) shall not result in the termination of the Trust, and such Shareholder, his or her estate, custodian or personal representative shall have no right to a redemption of such Shareholder’s Shares. Each Shareholder (and any assignee thereof) expressly agrees that in the event of his or her death, he or she waives on behalf of himself or herself and his or

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her estate, and he or she directs the legal representative of his or her estate and any person interested therein to waive the furnishing of any inventory, accounting or appraisal of the Trust Estate and any right to an audit or examination of the books of account for the Trust, except for such rights as are set forth in Article VIII hereof relating to the books of account and reports of the Trust.

SECTION 12.2 Distributions on Dissolution.

Upon the dissolution of the Trust, the Sponsor (or in the event there is no Sponsor, such person (the “Liquidating Trustee”) as the majority in interest of the Shareholders may propose and approve) shall take full charge of the Trust Estate. Any Liquidating Trustee so appointed shall have and may exercise, without further authorization or approval of any of the parties hereto, all of the powers conferred upon the Sponsor under the terms of this Trust Agreement, subject to all of the applicable limitations, contractual and otherwise, upon the exercise of such powers, and provided that the Liquidating Trustee shall not have general liability for the acts, omissions, obligations and expenses of the Trust. Thereafter, in accordance with Section 3808(e) of the Delaware Trust Statute, the affairs of the Trust shall be wound up and all assets owned by the Trust shall be liquidated as promptly as is consistent with obtaining the fair value thereof, and the proceeds therefrom shall be applied and distributed in the following order of priority: (a) to the expenses of liquidation and termination and to creditors, including Shareholders who are creditors, to the extent otherwise permitted by law, in satisfaction of liabilities of the Trust (whether by payment or the making of reasonable provision for payment thereof) other than liabilities for distributions to Shareholders, and (b) to the Shareholders pro rata in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests of the Trust Estate.

SECTION 12.3 Termination; Certificate of Cancellation.

Following the dissolution and distribution of the assets of the Trust, the Trust shall terminate and the Sponsor or the Liquidating Trustee, as the case may be, shall instruct the Trustee to execute and cause such certificate of cancellation of the Certificate of Trust to be filed in accordance with the Delaware Trust Statute at the expense of the Sponsor or the Liquidating Trustee, as the case may be. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Trust Agreement, the existence of the Trust as a separate legal entity shall continue until the filing of such certificate of cancellation.

ARTICLE XIII

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 13.1 Governing Law.

The validity and construction of this Trust Agreement and all amendments hereto shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, and the rights of all parties hereto and the effect of every provision hereof shall be subject to and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the conflict of laws provisions thereof; provided, however, that causes of action for violations of U.S. federal or state securities

44

 


laws shall not be governed by this Section 13.1, and provided, further, that the parties hereto intend that the provisions hereof shall control over any contrary or limiting statutory or common law of the State of Delaware (other than the Delaware Trust Statute) and that, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, there shall not be applicable to the Trust, the Trustee, the Sponsor, the Shareholders or this Trust Agreement any provision of the laws (statutory or common) of the State of Delaware (other than the Delaware Trust Statute) pertaining to trusts that relate to or regulate in a manner inconsistent with the terms hereof: (a) the filing with any court or governmental body or agency of trustee accounts or schedules of trustee fees and charges, (b) affirmative requirements to post bonds for trustees, officers, agents, or employees of a trust, (c) the necessity for obtaining court or other governmental approval concerning the acquisition, holding or disposition of real or personal property, (d) fees or other sums payable to trustees, officers, agents or employees of a trust, (e) the allocation of receipts and expenditures to income or principal, (f) restrictions or limitations on the permissible nature, amount or concentration of trust investments or requirements relating to the titling, storage or other manner of holding of trust assets, or (g) the establishment of fiduciary or other standards or responsibilities or limitations on the acts or powers of trustees or managers that are inconsistent with the limitations on liability or authorities and powers of the Trustee or the Sponsor set forth or referenced in this Trust Agreement. Section 3540 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code shall not apply to the Trust. The Trust shall be of the type commonly called a “statutory trust,” and without limiting the provisions hereof, but subject to Section 1.5 and Section 1.6, the Trust may exercise all powers that are ordinarily exercised by such a statutory trust under Delaware law. Subject to Section 1.5 and Section 1.6, the Trust specifically reserves the right to exercise any of the powers or privileges afforded to statutory trusts and the absence of a specific reference herein to any such power, privilege or action shall not imply that the Trust may not exercise such power or privilege or take such actions.

SECTION 13.2 Provisions In Conflict With Law or Regulations.

(a) The provisions of this Trust Agreement are severable, and if the Sponsor shall determine, with the advice of counsel, that any one or more of such provisions (the “Conflicting Provisions”) are in conflict with the Code, the Delaware Trust Statute, the Securities Act, if applicable, or other applicable U.S. federal or state laws or the rules and regulations of any Secondary Market, the Conflicting Provisions shall be deemed never to have constituted a part of this Trust Agreement, even without any amendment of this Trust Agreement pursuant to this Trust Agreement; provided, however, that such determination by the Sponsor shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions of this Trust Agreement or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination. No Sponsor or Trustee shall be liable for making or failing to make such a determination.

(b) If any provision of this Trust Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such holding shall not in any manner affect or render invalid or unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Trust Agreement in any jurisdiction.

SECTION 13.3 Counsel to the Trust.

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Counsel to the Trust may also be counsel to the Sponsor and its Affiliates. The Sponsor may execute on behalf of the Trust and the Shareholders any consent to the representation of the Trust that counsel may request pursuant to the New York Rules of Professional Conduct or similar rules in any other jurisdiction (the “Rules”). The Shareholders acknowledge that the Trust has selected Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as legal counsel to the Trust (“Trust Counsel”). Trust Counsel shall not represent any Shareholder in the absence of a clear and explicit agreement to such effect between the Shareholder and Trust Counsel (and that only to the extent specifically set forth in that agreement), and in the absence of any such agreement Trust Counsel shall owe no duties directly to a Shareholder. Each Shareholder agrees that, in the event any dispute or controversy arises between any Shareholder and the Trust, or between any Shareholder or the Trust, on the one hand, and the Sponsor (or an Affiliate thereof that Trust Counsel represents), on the other hand, that Trust Counsel may represent either the Trust or the Sponsor (or its Affiliate), or both, in any such dispute or controversy to the extent permitted by the Rules, and each Shareholder hereby consents to such representation. Each Shareholder further acknowledges that, regardless of whether Trust Counsel has in the past represented any Shareholder with respect to other matters, Trust Counsel has not represented the interests of any Shareholder in the preparation and negotiation of this Trust Agreement.

SECTION 13.4 Merger and Consolidation.

Subject to the provisions of Section 1.5 and Section 1.6, the Sponsor may cause (i) the Trust to be merged into or consolidated with, converted to or to sell all or substantially all of its assets to, another trust or entity; (ii) the Shares of the Trust to be converted into beneficial interests in another statutory trust (or series thereof); or (iii) the Shares of the Trust to be exchanged for shares in another trust or company under or pursuant to any U.S. state or federal statute to the extent permitted by law. For the avoidance of doubt, subject to the provisions of Section 1.5, the Sponsor, with written notice to the Shareholders, may approve and effect any of the transactions contemplated under (i), (ii) and (iii) above without any vote or other action of the Shareholders.

SECTION 13.5 Construction.

In this Trust Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, words used in the singular or in the plural include both the plural and singular and words denoting any gender include all genders. The title and headings of different parts are inserted for convenience and shall not affect the meaning, construction or effect of this Trust Agreement.

SECTION 13.6 Notices.

All notices or communications under this Trust Agreement (other than notices of pledge or encumbrance of Shares, and reports and notices by the Sponsor to the Shareholders) shall be in writing and shall be effective upon personal delivery, or if sent by mail, postage prepaid, or if sent electronically, by email, or by overnight courier; and addressed, in each such case, to the address set forth in the books and records of the Trust or such other address as may be specified in writing, of the party to whom such notice is to be given, upon the deposit of such notice in the United States mail, upon transmission and

46

 


electronic confirmation thereof or upon deposit with a representative of an overnight courier, as the case may be. Notices of pledge or encumbrance of Shares shall be effective upon timely receipt by the Sponsor in writing. Any reports or notices by the Sponsor to the Shareholders which are given electronically shall be sent to the addresses set forth in the books and records of the Trust and shall be effective upon receipt without requirement of confirmation. Any notice to be given to owners of beneficial interests in the Shares shall be duly given if mailed or delivered to participants of The Depository Trust Company for delivery to such owners.

All notices that are required to be provided to the Trustee shall be sent to:

CSC Delaware Trust Company

Attention: Corporate Trust Administration

251 Little Falls Drive

Wilmington, DE 19808

 

All notices that the Trustee is required to provide shall be sent to:

 

if to the Trust, at

 

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor

Stamford, CT 06902

Attention: Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC

 

if to the Sponsor, at

 

Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC

290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor

Stamford, CT 06902

Attention: Edward McGee

 

SECTION 13.7 Counterparts; Electronic Signatures.

This Trust Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including those by facsimile or other electronic means), all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument binding on all of the parties hereto, notwithstanding that all parties are not signatory to the original or the same counterpart. This Trust Agreement, to the extent signed and delivered by means of a facsimile machine or other electronic transmission, shall be treated in all manner and respects as an original agreement and shall be considered to have the same binding legal effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person.

SECTION 13.8 Binding Nature of Trust Agreement.

The terms and provisions of this Trust Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, custodians, executors, estates, administrators, personal

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representatives, successors and permitted assigns of the respective Shareholders. For purposes of determining the rights of any Shareholder or assignee hereunder, the Trust and the Sponsor may rely upon the Trust records as to who are Shareholders and permitted assignees, and all Shareholders and assignees agree that the Trust and the Sponsor, in determining such rights, shall rely on such records and that Shareholders and their assignees shall be bound by such determination.

SECTION 13.9 No Legal Title to Trust Estate.

Subject to the provisions of Section 1.7 in the case of the Sponsor, the Shareholders shall not have legal title to any part of the Trust Estate.

SECTION 13.10 Creditors.

No creditors of any Shareholders shall have any right to obtain possession of, or otherwise exercise legal or equitable remedies with respect to the Trust Estate.

SECTION 13.11 Integration.

This Trust Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings pertaining thereto.

SECTION 13.12 Goodwill; Use of Name.

No value shall be placed on the name or goodwill of the Trust, which shall belong exclusively to Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC.

SECTION 13.13 Alternative Procedures for Creation and Redemption.

(a) Notwithstanding Sections 3.1, 3.3, 6.4(a) and 6.4(b), the Trust may, and the Sponsor shall have the power to cause the Trust to, create and issue Baskets in exchange for the receipt of cash from an Authorized Participant, but only if such creation and issuance is made in compliance with all of the following requirements:

(i) On the date and by no later than the specified time established for the settlement of such creation and issuance, which date and time shall be fixed, under procedures to be adopted by the Sponsor, on the date a Cash Order for creation is placed and accepted, the Trust shall have received and be simultaneously in possession of (A) from the applicable Liquidity Provider, SOL in an amount equal to the Total Basket Amount in respect of such Cash Order (the “Required Creation SOL”) and (B) from such Authorized Participant, cash in an amount at least equal to the full purchase price to be paid by the Trust to such Liquidity Provider in exchange for the Required Creation SOL (such purchase price, the “Required Creation Cash,” and such receipt and simultaneous possession of the Required Creation SOL and the Required Creation Cash at or prior to such specified time, the “Creation Settlement Condition”); provided, that such cash shall be held by the Trust in a non-interest bearing account established

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solely for the purpose of creating, issuing and redeeming Shares in accordance with the terms of this Section 13.13;

(ii) If the Creation Settlement Condition is met with respect to such Cash Order, the Sponsor shall cause the Trust to deliver, promptly and in full satisfaction of the Trust’s obligations to the applicable Liquidity Provider and such Authorized Participant in respect of such Cash Order, (A) to the applicable Liquidity Provider, the Required Creation Cash, and (B) to such Authorized Participant, (x) the Shares comprising the Creation Baskets to be issued pursuant to such Cash Order and (y) to the extent that the amount of cash previously received by the Trust from such Authorized Participant in connection with such Cash Order exceeded the Required Creation Cash, the amount of such excess cash;

(iii) If, for any or no reason, the Creation Settlement Condition is not met with respect to such Cash Order, the Sponsor shall cause the Trust to return, promptly and in full satisfaction of the Trust’s obligations to the applicable Liquidity Provider and Authorized Participant in respect of such Cash Order, any and all cash and SOL previously received by the Trust in connection with such Cash Order to such Authorized Participant (in the case of cash) or Liquidity Provider (in the case of SOL); and

(iv) The Sponsor, such Authorized Participant and the applicable Liquidity Provider shall have agreed, as a condition to the participation in the consummation of such Cash Order, (A) to fully (and without exception) exculpate the Trust with respect to, and to irrevocably waive any and all claims against the Trust or the Trust Estate arising from or in connection with, such Cash Order and (B) to fully indemnify and hold the Trust harmless against any failure by such person to perform its obligations in respect of such Cash Order.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 5.2, during any time at which the Sponsor has authorized a redemption program, the Trust may, and the Sponsor shall have the power to cause the Trust to, redeem Baskets in exchange for the delivery of cash to an Authorized Participant, but only if such redemption is made in compliance with all of the following requirements:

(i) On the date and by no later than the specified time established for the settlement of such redemption, which date and time shall be fixed, under procedures to be adopted by the Sponsor, on the date a Cash Order for redemption is placed and accepted, the Trust shall have received and be simultaneously in possession of (A) from the applicable Liquidity Provider, cash proceeds from the sale of SOL in an amount equal to the Total Basket Amount in respect of such Cash Order (the “Required Redemption Cash”), provided, that such cash shall be held by the Trust in a non-interest bearing account established solely for the purpose of creating, issuing and redeeming Shares in accordance with the terms of this Section 13.13, and (B) from such Authorized Participant, the Shares comprising the Baskets to be redeemed pursuant to such Cash Order (such Shares, the “Required Redemption Shares,” and such receipt and simultaneous

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possession of the Required Redemption Cash and the Required Redemption Shares at or prior to such specified time, the “Redemption Settlement Condition”);

(ii) If the Redemption Settlement Condition is met with respect to such Cash Order, the Sponsor shall cause the Trust to deliver, promptly and in full satisfaction of the Trust’s obligations to the applicable Liquidity Provider and such Authorized Participant in respect of such Cash Order, (A) to the applicable Liquidity Provider, SOL in an amount equal to the Total Basket Amount in respect of such Cash Order, and (B) to such Authorized Participant, the Required Redemption Cash;

(iii) If, for any or no reason, the Redemption Settlement Condition is not met with respect to such Cash Order, the Sponsor shall cause the Trust to return, promptly and in full satisfaction of the Trust’s obligations to the applicable Liquidity Provider and Authorized Participant in respect of such Cash Order, any and all cash and Shares previously received by the Trust in connection with such Cash Order to such Authorized Participant (in the case of Shares) or Liquidity Provider (in the case of cash); and

(iv) The Sponsor, such Authorized Participant and the applicable Liquidity Provider shall have agreed, as a condition to the participation in the consummation of such Cash Order, (A) to fully (and without exception) exculpate the Trust with respect to, and to irrevocably waive any and all claims against the Trust or the Trust Estate arising from or in connection with, such Cash Order and (B) to fully indemnify and hold the Trust harmless against any failure by such person to perform its obligations in respect of such Cash Order.

(c) The Sponsor from time to time may, but shall have no obligation to, modify or supplement the requirements set forth in Section 13.13(a) and Section 13.13(b), but only if the Sponsor, with advice of counsel, has determined that creating or redeeming Shares (as the case may be) pursuant to such modified or supplemented requirements should not cause the Trust to be treated other than as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

(d) By the purchase and acceptance or other lawful delivery, acceptance or holding of the Shares, the Shareholders shall be deemed to have acknowledged and agreed that any action taken in the manner contemplated by this Section 13.13 shall be permitted under Section 1.5 and Section 6.4(m). For the avoidance of doubt, the definitions of any defined terms used in this Trust Agreement shall be deemed modified or supplemented to the extent necessary for the Sponsor and the Trust to effectuate any action taken in the manner contemplated by this Section 13.13; provided, however, that neither the Required Creation Cash nor the Required Redemption Cash shall be considered to be part of the Trust Estate.

SECTION 13.14 Corporate Transparency Act.

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The Corporate Transparency Act (31 U.S.C. § 5336) and its implementing regulations (collectively, the “CTA”), may require the Trust to file reports with the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. It shall be Sponsor’s duty, and not the Trustee’s duty, to prepare such filings, cause the Trust to make such filings, and to cause the Trust to comply with its obligations under the CTA, if any.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have duly executed this Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

CSC DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY,

as Trustee

 


By: /s/ Gregory Daniels

Name: Gregory Daniels

Title: Vice President

 

 

 

GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC, as Sponsor

 


By: /s/ Edward McGee

Name: Edward McGee

Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

B-1

 

 


 

Exhibit 4.2

AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT

AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of [●] among: (i) [●], a company organized under the laws of [●] (the “Authorized Participant”); (ii) Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, except as otherwise specified herein, acting in its capacity as sponsor (the “Sponsor”) of each trust listed on Schedule V attached hereto, as the same may be amended from time to time by the Sponsor (each, the applicable “Trust” when referred to throughout the remainder of this Agreement), created under Delaware law pursuant to its applicable declaration of trust and trust agreement listed on Schedule V attached hereto between the CSC Delaware Trust Company acting in its capacity as Trustee (the “Trustee”) and the Sponsor (each, the applicable “Trust Agreement” when referred to throughout the remainder of this Agreement); and (iii) subject to its acceptance hereof, The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York Banking corporation acting in its capacity as transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) of the Trust.

R E C I T A L S

A. Pursuant to the provisions of the Trust Agreement, the Trust may from time to time issue or redeem equity securities representing common units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in the profits, losses, distributions, capital and assets of, and ownership of, the Trust (“Shares”), in each case only in aggregate amounts of 10,000 Shares (such block of 10,000 shares, a “Basket”), and integral multiples thereof, and only in transactions with a party who, at the time of the transaction, shall have signed and entered into an effective Authorized Participant Agreement with the Trust.

B. [●] has requested to become an “Authorized Participant” with respect to the Trust (as such term is defined in the Trust Agreement), and the Sponsor and the Distributor (as such term is defined in the Trust Agreement) have agreed to such request. Nothing in this Agreement shall obligate the Authorized Participant to create or redeem one or more Baskets of Shares or to sell or offer to sell Shares.

C. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, at present, the Trust may only create and redeem Shares pursuant to Cash Orders (as defined herein). Unless and until NYSE Arca (as defined herein) shall have obtained necessary regulatory approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to create and redeem Shares pursuant to In-Kind Orders (as defined herein) (the “In-Kind Regulatory Approval”), the procedures described herein under Section 8, and any other references to In-Kind Orders, shall not be operative, and Shares shall only be created and redeemed by the Trust in a manner that is consistent with the following concepts:

1.
The Authorized Participant will deliver only cash to create Shares and will receive only cash when redeeming Shares;
2.
The Authorized Participants will not directly or indirectly purchase, hold, deliver, or receive Digital Assets as part of the creation or redemption process or otherwise

1


 

direct the Trust or a third party with respect to purchasing, holding, delivering, or receiving Digital Assets as part of the creation or redemption process;
3.
The Trust will create Shares by receiving Digital Assets from a third party that is not the Authorized Participant, and the Sponsor (and in any event not the Authorized Participant) is responsible for selecting the third party to deliver the Digital Assets;
4.
The third party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the Digital Assets to the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the delivery of the Digital Asset to the Trust;
5.
The Trust will redeem Shares by delivering Digital Assets to a third party that is not the Authorized Participant, and the Sponsor (and in any event not the Authorized Participant) is responsible for selecting the third party to receive the Digital Assets; and
6.
The third party will not be acting as an agent of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the Digital Assets from the Trust or acting at the direction of the Authorized Participant with respect to the receipt of the Digital Asset from the Trust.

D. Upon the In-Kind Regulatory Approval (and not before such time), notice of which shall be provided by the Sponsor to the Authorized Participant, the Authorized Participant may designate others, including affiliates or its agents (each, an “AP Designee” and collectively, “AP Designees”), to perform certain functions in this Agreement on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such as transferring, delivering and/or receiving Digital Assets. To the extent In-Kind Regulatory Approval is obtained and the Authorized Participant is under an obligation to transfer, deliver or receive Digital Assets under this Agreement (including any schedule or attachment hereto) or makes any representation, warranty or covenant related to such obligation, that obligation may be performed by, and that representation, warranty or covenant may be made by, its AP Designee, not the Authorized Participant, provided that for the avoidance of doubt, the Authorized Participant shall be fully liable for any failure of any AP Designee to perform such obligation or make such representation, warranty or covenant.

E. The Sponsor may designate Grayscale Securities, LLC or any other party, including affiliates or its agents, which may include the Trust (such party, the “Sponsor Agent”), to perform certain functions in this Agreement, such as transferring, delivering and/or receiving cash in connection with the creation or redemption of Shares. Where the creation or redemption of Shares requires the transfer, delivery or receipt of cash under this Agreement (including any schedule or attachment hereto), that obligation shall be performed by, and any applicable representation, warranty or covenant shall be made by, the Sponsor Agent, not the Sponsor, provided that for the avoidance of doubt, (i) any such action taken by the Sponsor or any Sponsor Agent shall be taken solely to facilitate Cash Orders and, except in the case of Alternate Cash Orders (as defined herein), shall not be actions taken on behalf of the Trust, and (ii) the Trust shall have no responsibility or

2


 

liability for any such action (or any failure to take such action) or for such representation, warranty or covenant.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties, hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

Section 1.
Procedures. The Authorized Participant will create or redeem Baskets of Shares of the Trust in compliance with procedures provided in the Trust Agreement as supplemented by the Creation and Redemption Procedures attached to this Agreement as Schedule I (such procedures, as the same may be amended or modified from time to time with notice to the Authorized Participant and in compliance with the provisions hereof and thereof, the “Procedures”), using either (i) the form attached thereto as Annex I-A or in such other formats as may be agreed to by the parties (in the case of an order to create one or more Baskets, a “Creation Order”, in the case of an order to redeem one or more Baskets, a “Redemption Order” and, collectively, “Orders”) or (ii) through the Transfer Agent’s electronic order entry system, as such may be made available and constituted from time to time, the use of which shall be subject to the terms and conditions attached thereto as Annex I-B. All Orders shall be placed and executed in accordance with the Trust Agreement as supplemented by the Procedures. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Procedures or, if not defined in the Procedures, the Standard Terms for this Agreement, which are attached hereto as Schedule II (the “Standard Terms”).
Section 2.
Incorporation of Procedures and Standard Terms. The Procedures and the Standard Terms are hereby incorporated by reference into, and made a part of, this Agreement.
Section 3.
Conflicts Rules. In case of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Agreement and the Trust Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall control. In case of inconsistency between the Standard Terms and any other provision of this Agreement, the latter will control. To the extent there is a conflict between this Agreement, the Procedures or the Standard Terms and the Prospectus (as defined in the Standard Terms), the Prospectus shall control.
Section 4.
Authorized Representatives. Pursuant to Section 2.01 of the Standard Terms, attached hereto as Schedule III is a certificate listing the Authorized Representatives of the Authorized Participant.
Section 5.
Covenants of the Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant covenants and agrees:
(a)
The Authorized Participant is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and is a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The Authorized Participant will maintain such registration and membership in good standing and any other registration, qualification or membership in good standing applicable to it or, if applicable, exempt status, in full force and effect throughout the term of this Agreement. The Authorized Participant will comply with all applicable United States federal laws, the laws of the states or other jurisdictions concerned, and

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the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and with the Constitution, By-Laws and Conduct Rules of FINRA and shall not offer or sell Shares in any state or jurisdiction where they may not lawfully be offered and/or sold.
(b)
Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, if the Authorized Participant will participate in In-Kind Orders, the Authorized Participant hereby represents, covenants and warrants that at such time, it or an AP Designee will maintain a digital wallet address that is previously known to the Custodian as belonging to the Authorized Participant or its AP Designee (an “Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account”). If there is any change in the foregoing, the Authorized Participant shall give immediate notice to the Sponsor of such event.
(c)
The Authorized Participant hereby acknowledges and agrees that some activities on its or any AP Designee’s part, depending on the circumstances and under certain possible interpretations of applicable law, could be interpreted as resulting in its being deemed a Money Services Business, as such term is defined by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury responsible for the federal regulation of Money Services Businesses, including certain virtual currency market participants. The Authorized Participant agrees to consult its own counsel in connection with entering into this Agreement and transacting in Digital Assets to determine if it must register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network as a Money Services Business.
(d)
Each of the Authorized Participant and any AP Designee has policies and procedures reasonably designed to comply with the money laundering and related provisions of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (also known as the “Bank Secrecy Act”), the United States Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, and the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “USA PATRIOT Act”), and the regulations promulgated under each, in each case, as amended from time to time (all such laws and regulations collectively, “AML Laws”).
(e)
None of the Authorized Participant, any AP Designee, nor any of their subsidiaries nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more individuals or entities that are, (i) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union or His Majesty’s Treasury (collectively, “Sanctions”), or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of comprehensive Sanctions (including, as of the date of this Agreement and without limitation, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, so-called Luhansk People’s Republic or any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, and the non-government controlled areas of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions of Ukraine, the Crimea region, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).

Each of the Authorized Participant and the AP Designees shall act in a manner consistent with all applicable AML Laws, the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 as amended, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other applicable anti-corruption laws (the “Anti-Corruption Laws”) and Sanctions. In furtherance of such efforts, the Authorized Participant and its AP Designees shall not mention the Trust, or send any materials related to the Trust, to any prospective investor, or accept any contribution or payment in connection with an investment in the Trust (including,

4


 

without limitation, any Creation and Redemption transactions with the Trust) by any prospective investor, unless the Authorized Participant or any AP Designee, as applicable, has no knowledge or reason to believe that: (i) any cash or property or, subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, Digital Assets, that would be paid to the Authorized Participant in connection with an investment in the Trust, would be derived from, or related to, any activity that would violate, or cause the Authorized Participant, any of its AP Designees (as applicable), the Trust, the Sponsor or the Sponsor Agent to be in violation of, any United States law or any other applicable law, including AML Laws, Anti-Corruption Laws, Sanctions or otherwise; or (ii) any contribution or payment to the Authorized Participant in connection with an investment in the Trust by such prospective investor would cause the Authorized Participant, any of its AP Designees (as applicable), the Trust, the Sponsor or the Sponsor Agent to be in violation of AML Laws, Anti-Corruption Laws or Sanctions.

(f)
The Authorized Participant hereby represents, covenants and warrants that it has all requisite authority, under applicable federal or state law, the rules and regulations of any regulatory or self-regulatory organization to which it is subject and its certificate of incorporation, formation or limited liability company operating agreement or other organizational document to enter into this Agreement and to discharge the duties and obligations apportioned to it in accordance with the terms hereof.
(g)
The Authorized Participant hereby represents, covenants and warrants that it and its AP Designees will maintain such registration and membership in good standing and any other registration, qualification or membership in good standing applicable to it or its AP Designees or, if applicable, exempt status, in full force and effect throughout the term of this Agreement. The Authorized Participant and the AP Designees will comply with all applicable United States federal laws, the laws of the states or other jurisdictions concerned, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(h)
The Authorized Participant hereby represents, covenants and warrants that, subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, any Authorized Participant Self-Administered Accounts that it or its AP Designee, if applicable, maintains (i) will be dedicated exclusively for Creation and Redemption transactions with the Trust and (ii) will be active at the time of a Creation or Redemption transaction with the Trust.
(i)
The Authorized Participant hereby represents, covenants and warrants that, subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, the aforementioned Authorized Participant Self-Administered Accounts will be managed and maintained by the Authorized Participant or the AP Designee on behalf of the Authorized Participant to facilitate and fulfill the duties dedicated for the Creation and Redemption of Basket Shares with the Trust.
(j)
The Authorized Participant hereby represents, covenants and warrants that there are no actions, grievances, proceedings (including, without limitation, arbitration proceedings), orders, inquiries or claims pending, or to the Authorized Participant’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting it or any of its or its AP Designee’s employees (in his or her capacity as such) by the SEC, FINRA or any other regulatory or self-regulatory organization that would affect the Authorized Participant’s ability to fulfill its obligations hereunder.

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(k)
The Authorized Participant hereby covenants and agrees that it shall promptly notify the Sponsor in the event that it or its AP Designee is not in compliance with any of the representations and warranties set forth in clauses (a) through (j) above.
Section 6.
[Reserved]
Section 7.
Notices. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement, all notices required or permitted to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be given in writing and delivered by (i) personal delivery, (ii) postage prepaid registered or certified United States first class mail, return receipt requested, (iii) overnight traceable mail (e.g., Federal Express), (iv) facsimile, (v) electronic mail (e-mail) or (vi) similar means of same day delivery. Any notice or other communication required by this Agreement shall be deemed to be duly received (i) if via personal delivery, at the time when it was delivered; (ii) if via postage prepaid registered or certified United States first class mail, return receipt requested or overnight traceable mail (e.g., Federal Express), at the time when that mail is delivered; (iii) if via facsimile, at the time when the transmission is received by a responsible employee of the recipient in legible form (it being agreed that the burden of proving receipt will be on the sender and will not be met by a transmission report generated by the sender’s facsimile machine); (iv) if via electronic mail (e-mail), at the time that electronic message is received; except that any notice or communication which is received, or delivery of which is attempted, after close of business on the date of receipt or attempted delivery or on a day which is not a day on which commercial banks are open for business in the place where that notice or other communication is to be given shall be treated as given at the opening of business on the next following day which is such a day or (v) via similar means of same day delivery, on the date actually sent or on the first Business Day after such notice is sent via reputable overnight courier. Unless otherwise notified in writing, all notices to the Transfer Agent, Sponsor and Authorized Participant shall be directed to the address, e-mail address or facsimile number indicated below:
(vii)
If to the Transfer Agent:

The Bank of New York Mellon

Attn: ETF Services

240 Greenwich St.

New York, NY 10286

Telephone: (212) 635-6314

E-Mail: ETFservicesGrayscale@bnymellon.com

(viii)
If to the Sponsor:

Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC

Attn: Edward McGee

290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor

Stamford, CT 06902

Telephone: (212) 668-1427

E-Mail: ETFs@grayscale.com

(ix)
If to the Authorized Participant:

[ ]

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[ ]

[ ]

Telephone: [ ]

E-mail: [ ]

or such other address as any of the parties hereto shall have communicated in writing to the remaining parties in compliance with the provisions hereof.

Section 8.
In-Kind Orders. Subject to In-Kind Regulatory Approval, the following procedures apply to creations or redemptions in which the Authorized Participant or its AP Designees will deliver Digital Asset from, or receive Digital Asset in, an Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account (“In-Kind Orders”). EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT DIGITAL ASSET TRANSFERS MAY BE IRREVERSIBLE.
(a)
The Authorized Participant shall provide the Sponsor or its delegates with one or more Authorized Participant Self-Administered Accounts maintained by the Authorized Participant or its AP Designee. If the Authorized Participant becomes unable to continue to provide the Sponsor with at least one Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account, the Authorized Participant shall give immediate notice to the Sponsor of such event.
(b)
Any Digital Assets to be transferred in connection with any Creation Order or Redemption Order shall be transferred between an Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account and the Digital Asset Account (as defined in the Procedures) in accordance with the Procedures for Authorized Participants participating in In-Kind Orders.
(c)
The Authorized Participant acknowledges and agrees that (i) it or its AP Designee has the computer hardware, software and technological knowhow required to transact in Digital Assets; and (ii) it or its AP Designee is responsible for confirming the accuracy of any Account (as defined below) it is provided or that it provides in connection with any Creation Order or Redemption Order pursuant to this Agreement.
(d)
None of the Authorized Participant(s) or any AP Designee will receive fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Sponsor or the Trust in connection with any Order.
(e)
To the extent that the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) or the Sponsor (or its Sponsor Agent) or Custodian provide information in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, such party is solely responsible for any loss that arises out of another party’s actions in strict conformity with such information.
Section 9.
In-Cash Orders. The following procedures apply to creations or redemptions other than In-Kind Orders (“Cash Orders”). EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT DIGITAL ASSET TRANSFERS MAY BE IRREVERSIBLE.
(a)
The Authorized Participant shall provide the Transfer Agent or its delegates with one or more bank accounts from which or into which funds may be deposited in connection with Orders.

7


 

(b)
The Sponsor or its delegates shall identify to the Custodian one or more Digital Asset wallet addresses from a Digital Asset wallet software provider or with a third-party provider of Digital Asset wallets belonging to liquidity providers that (i) will be dedicated exclusively for Creation and Redemption transactions with the Trust, (ii) is previously known to the Custodian (or the Sponsor or its delegates) and (iii) is currently active at the time of a Creation or Redemption transaction with the Trust (each, a “Liquidity Provider Account” and, together with each Digital Asset Account and Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account, an “Account”). If the Sponsor is unable to identify at least one Liquidity Provider Account, the Sponsor shall promptly notify the Authorized Participant and Cash Orders shall not be accepted until such time as at least one Liquidity Provider Account is identified to the Custodian.
(c)
Any Digital Assets to be transferred in connection with any Creation Order or Redemption Order shall be transferred between a Liquidity Provider Account and the Digital Asset Account in accordance with the Procedures for Cash Orders.
(d)
The Sponsor acknowledges and agrees that (i) the relevant liquidity provider has the computer hardware, software and technological knowhow required to transact in Digital Assets; and (ii) it is responsible for confirming the accuracy of all Accounts it is provided and that it or the relevant liquidity provider provides in connection with any Creation Order or Redemption Order pursuant to this Agreement.
(e)
The Authorized Participants will receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Sponsor or the Trust in connection with Creation Orders and Redemption Orders.
(f)
To the extent that the Authorized Participant, Sponsor or Custodian provide information in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, such party is solely responsible for any loss that arises out of another party’s actions in strict conformity with such information.
(g)
(1) In the case of any Cash Order other than an Alternate Cash Order, each of the parties hereto hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent, in taking any action contemplated herein to facilitate any transaction in which cash is delivered to or received by any Person, including in exchange for Digital Asset, whether by the Authorized Participant or a liquidity provider, as applicable, or as consideration for any agreement to deliver (or cause to be delivered) Digital Asset to the Trust or any other Person (each, a “Cash Transaction”), are not acting, and are not authorized to act, for or on behalf of the Trust. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the Trust nor any of its agents or representatives (in their capacities as such) shall be party to, or have any direct or indirect liability for, any such Cash Transaction, any actions of (or failures to act by) the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent, the Authorized Participant or any liquidity provider in connection with any such Cash Transaction, or any claims, losses, judgments, liabilities or expenses sustained in connection with any such Cash Transaction; provided that, without limiting the foregoing, the Trust agrees to (i) accept Digital Asset from a Liquidity Provider Account in connection with the issuance of Shares to the Authorized Participant or (ii) deliver Digital Asset to a Liquidity Provider Account in connection with the delivery of Shares to the Trust by the Authorized Participant, in each case, pursuant to the procedures applicable to Cash Orders (other than Alternate Cash Orders).

8


 

(2) In the case of any Alternate Cash Order, the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant hereby agree, as a condition to the participation in the consummation of any such Alternate Cash Order, (A) to fully (and without exception) exculpate the Trust with respect to, and to irrevocably waive any and all claims against the Trust or the Trust Estate (as defined in the Trust Agreement) arising from or in connection with, such Alternate Cash Order and (B) to fully indemnify and hold the Trust harmless against (x) any breach by such person of any provision of this Agreement; (y) any failure on the part of such person to perform any of its obligations set forth in this Agreement; and (z) any failure by such person to comply with applicable laws, including, without limitation, rules and regulations of any regulatory or self-regulatory organizations in relation to its role under this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, the Trust agrees to (i) (x) accept cash from the Authorized Participant and deliver cash to the applicable liquidity provider and (y) accept Digital Asset from a Liquidity Provider Account, in each case of this clause (i), in connection with the issuance of Shares to the Authorized Participant or (ii) (x) accept cash from the applicable liquidity provider and deliver cash to the Authorized Participant and (y) deliver Digital Asset to a Liquidity Provider Account, in each case of this clause (ii), in connection with the delivery of Shares to the Trust by the Authorized Participant for redemption, and in each case of clause (i) or (ii), pursuant to the procedures applicable to Alternate Cash Orders.

Section 10.
Effectiveness and Amendment. This Agreement shall become effective upon execution and delivery by each of the parties hereto. This Agreement, along with any other agreement or instrument delivered pursuant to this Agreement, supersedes any prior agreement between or among the parties concerning the matters governed hereby. This Agreement (including the Standard Terms) may not be amended without the written consent of all parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, the Procedures may be amended by the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor from time to time without the consent of the Authorized Participant by the following procedure: the Transfer Agent or the Sponsor will send a copy of the amendment to the Authorized Participant in compliance with the notice provisions of this Agreement; if the Authorized Participant does not object in writing to the amendment within fifteen (15) Business Days after receipt of the proposed amendment, the amendment will become part of this Agreement in accordance with its terms; provided, however, that any amendments to the Procedures shall not apply retroactively to Orders submitted prior to the effectiveness of such amended Procedures as set forth herein. Titles and section headings in this Agreement (and in the Standard Terms and the Procedures) are included solely for convenient reference and are not a part of this Agreement.
Section 11.
Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by any party upon sixty (60) days prior written notice delivered in the manner prescribed in Section 7 hereof to the other parties and may be terminated earlier by any party hereto at any time on the event of a material breach by any other party hereto of any provision of this Agreement (including, without limitation, the Standard Terms). For the avoidance of doubt, if the Sponsor determines that the Authorized Participant or its AP Designee has breached the provisions of Sections 5(a) and 5(d) through 5(f), the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent have the authority to terminate the Authorized Participant’s role in this Agreement.
Section 12.
Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (regardless of the laws that might otherwise govern under applicable New York conflict of laws principles) as to all matters, including matters of validity, construction, effect, performance and remedies. Each party hereto irrevocably consents to the

9


 

jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York and of any federal court located in the Borough of Manhattan in such State in connection with any action, suit or other proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any action taken or omitted hereunder, and waives any claim of forum non conveniens and any objections as to laying of venue. Each party further waives personal service of any summons, complaint or other process and agrees that service thereof may be made by certified or registered mail directed to such party at such party’s address for purposes of notices hereunder. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT.
Section 13.
Assignment. Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, no party to this Agreement shall assign any rights, or delegate the performance of any obligations, arising hereunder without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, provided that any entity into which a party hereto may be merged or converted, or with which it may be consolidated, or any entity resulting from any merger, consolidation or conversion to which a party hereunder shall be a party, shall be the successor of such party hereunder without further action. The party resulting from any such merger, conversion, consolidation or succession shall promptly notify the other parties hereto of the change. Any purported assignment or delegation in violation of these provisions shall be null and void. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any successor Transfer Agent appointed in compliance with the Trust Agreement shall automatically become a party hereto and shall assume all the obligations of, and be entitled to all the rights and remedies of, the Transfer Agent hereunder with respect to the Trust.
Section 14.
No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction will be applied against any party.
Section 15.
Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all of which shall constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 16.
Severability. Any term or provision of this Agreement that is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or any governmental or regulatory (including stock exchange) body, agency, court, commission, instrumentality, authority or other legislative, executive or judicial entity (each, a “Governmental Entity”) to be invalid, void or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction will not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Entity declares that any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid, void or unenforceable, the parties hereto will negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible.
Section 17.
Waiver of Compliance. Any failure of any of the parties hereto to comply with any obligation, covenant, agreement or condition herein may be waived by the party entitled to the benefits thereof by a written instrument signed by the party granting such waiver, provided, however, that any such written waiver, or the failure to insist upon strict compliance with any

10


 

obligation, covenant, agreement or condition herein, shall not operate as a waiver of, or give rise to any claim of estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure hereunder.
Section 18.
Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Trust or the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant set forth in, or made pursuant, to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of the Authorized Participant, the Trust, the Sponsor or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11, the respective obligations of the Trust, the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant pursuant to Article 6 of the Standard Terms shall remain in effect, and if any Shares have been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 5 hereof and Article 5 of the Standard Terms shall also remain in effect.

[Signatures Follow on Next Page]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Authorized Participant Agreement as of the date set forth above.

[●], as Authorized Participant

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC, as Sponsor

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

Accepted by: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Transfer Agent

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

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SCHEDULE I - CREATION AND REDEMPTION PROCEDURES

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS - SCHEDULE I

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

Section 1.01 Definitions

Section 1.02 Interpretation

ARTICLE II CREATION PROCEDURES

Section 2.01 Creation of Shares Pursuant to In-Kind Orders

Section 2.02 Creation of Shares Pursuant to Cash Orders

Section 2.03 Creation of Shares Pursuant to Alternate Cash Orders

Section 2.04 Suspension or Rejection of Creation of Shares

ARTICLE III REDEMPTION PROCEDURES

Section 3.01 Redemption of Shares Pursuant to In-Kind Orders

Section 3.02 Redemption of Shares Pursuant to Cash Orders

Section 3.03 Redemption of Shares Pursuant to Alternate Cash Orders

Section 3.04 Suspension or Rejection of Redemption of Shares

ANNEX I-A TO CREATION AND REDEMPTION PROCEDURES

Creation/Redemption Order Form

ANNEX I-B TO CREATION AND REDEMPTION PROCEDURES

Order Entry System Terms and Conditions

 

I-1


 

CREATION AND REDEMPTION PROCEDURES

CREATION AND REDEMPTION PROCEDURES FOR AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENTS (the “Procedures”) adopted by the Sponsor, Transfer Agent, Authorized Participant and Marketing Agent (each as defined below) as of [●].

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

Section 1.01. Definitions. For purposes of these Procedures, and the Standard Terms incorporated by reference into the Authorized Participant Agreement to which these Procedures are attached, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms will have the following meanings:

Actual Execution Cash Order” shall mean a Cash Order pursuant to which any price differential between (x) the Total Basket NAV on the Trade Date and (y) the price realized in acquiring or disposing of the corresponding Total Basket Amount, as the case may be, will be borne solely by the Authorized Participant.

Affiliate” shall have the meaning given to it by Rule 501(b) under the Securities Act.

Alternate Cash Order” shall mean a Cash Order pursuant to the alternative procedures for creation and redemption of Shares set forth in Section 13.12 of the Trust Agreement, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time.

Alternate Cash Account” shall mean the account maintained by the Transfer Agent in the name of the Trust for purposes of (i) receiving cash from Authorized Participants, and distributing cash to liquidity providers, in connection with Creations pursuant to Alternate Cash Orders and (ii) receiving cash from liquidity providers, and distributing cash to Authorized Participants, in connection with Redemptions pursuant to Alternate Cash Orders.

AP Designeeshall mean the party that acts as a designee, including affiliates or agents of the Authorized Participant in the case of In-Kind Orders.

AP Indemnified Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Sections 6.01(a) of the Standard Terms.

Authorized Participant” shall have the meaning ascribed to the term in the introductory paragraph of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Authorized Participant Agreement” shall mean each Authorized Participant Agreement (including the Schedules thereto) among the Authorized Participant, the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor authorizing the Authorized Participant to submit Creation Orders and Redemption Orders.

Authorized Participant Client” shall mean any party on whose behalf the Authorized Participant acts in connection with an Order (whether a customer or otherwise).

I-2


 

Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b) of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Authorized Representative” shall mean, with respect to an Authorized Participant, each individual who, pursuant to the provisions of the Authorized Participant Agreement, has the power and authority to act on behalf of the Authorized Participant in connection with the placement of Creation Orders or Redemption Orders and is in possession of the personal identification number (PIN) assigned by the Transfer Agent for use in any communications regarding Purchase or Redemption Orders on behalf of such Authorized Participant.

Basket” shall have the meaning ascribed to the term in the recitals to the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Basket Amount” shall mean, on any Trade Date, the number of Digital Assets required as of such Trade Date for each Basket, as determined by dividing (x) the number of Digital Assets owned by the Trust at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on such Trade Date, after deducting the number of Digital Assets representing the U.S. dollar value of accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust (in the case of any such fee and expenses other than the Sponsor’s Fee, converted using the Index Price at such time, and carried to the eighth decimal place), by (y) the number of Shares outstanding at such time (with the quotient so obtained calculated to one one-hundred-millionth of one Digital Asset (i.e., carried to the eighth decimal place)), and multiplying such quotient by 10,000.

Basket NAV” shall mean the U.S. dollar value of a Basket of Shares calculated by multiplying the Basket Amount by the Index Price as of the Trade Date.

Blockchain” or “Digital Asset Blockchain” shall mean the public transaction ledger of the Digital Asset Network on which transactions in Digital Asset are recorded.

Business Day” shall mean each day the Shares trade on NYSE Arca.

Capped Amount” shall mean a number of Shares that may be created pursuant to Cash Orders on any specified day.

Cash Account” shall mean the account maintained by the Transfer Agent in the name of a Sponsor Agent for purposes of receiving cash from, and distributing cash to, Authorized Participants in connection with Creations and Redemptions pursuant to Cash Orders (other than Alternate Cash Orders). For the avoidance of doubt, the Trust shall have no interest (beneficial, equitable or otherwise) in the Cash Account or any cash held therein.

Cash Orders” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 9 of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Cash Order Delivery Amount” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.02(d)(i).

Collateral Amount” shall mean 115% of the U.S. dollar value of the Total Basket Amount determined using the Index Price on the Business Day prior to the Creation Settlement Date, in the case of in-kind Creations, or the Business Day prior to the Redemption Settlement

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Date, in the case of in-kind or in-cash Redemptions. The Collateral Amount may be changed by the Sponsor in its sole discretion at any time.

Creation” shall mean the process that begins when an Authorized Participant first indicates to the Transfer Agent its intention to acquire one or more Baskets pursuant to these Procedures and concludes with the issuance by the Trust and Delivery to such Authorized Participant of the corresponding number of Shares.

Creation and Redemption Line” shall mean a telephone number designated as such by the Transfer Agent and specified in Annex I-A of the Procedures or otherwise communicated to each Authorized Participant in compliance with the notice provisions of the respective Authorized Participant Agreement.

Creation Order” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1 of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Creation Settlement Date” shall mean the first or second Business Day following the Trade Date as specified in the applicable Creation Order, subject to the exceptions described in the Procedures.

Custodial Services” shall mean the Custodian’s services that (i) allow Digital Assets to be deposited from a public blockchain address to the Trust’s Digital Asset Account and (ii) allow the Trust and the Sponsor to withdraw Digital Asset from the Trust’s Digital Asset Account to a public blockchain address the Trust or the Sponsor controls pursuant to instructions the Trust or the Sponsor provides to the Custodian.

Custodian” shall mean Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC, or any other Person from time to time engaged to provide custodian services or related services (including, for the avoidance of doubt, prime brokerage services) to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.

Custody Agreement” or “Custody Agreements” shall mean the Custodial Services Agreement by and between the Trust and the Sponsor and Custodian that governs the Trust’s and the Sponsor’s use of the Custodial Services provided by the Custodian as a fiduciary with respect to the Trust’s assets.

Deliver” shall mean the act of delivering Digital Assets, Cash or Shares, as applicable.

Delivery” shall mean a delivery of Digital Assets, Cash or Shares, as applicable.

Depositor” shall mean any Authorized Participant, any AP Designee or any liquidity provider that deposits Digital Assets with the Custodian.

Deposit Property” shall mean Digital Assets that are, in compliance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement and these Procedures, transferred by the Depositor to the Custodian to effectuate Orders.

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Digital Asset” shall mean the applicable digital asset underlying the Shares of the applicable Trust on Schedule V hereto.

Digital Asset Account” shall mean a segregated custody account controlled and secured by the Custodian to store private keys, which allow for the transfer of ownership or control of the Trust’s Digital Assets on the Trust’s behalf.

Digital Asset Network” shall mean the online, end-user-to-end-user network hosting the public transaction ledger, known as the Blockchain, and the source code comprising the basis for the cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the digital asset network for the applicable Digital Asset.

DTC” shall mean The Depository Trust Company, its nominees and their respective successors.

DTC Participant” shall mean a direct participant in DTC.

FINRA” shall mean the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

In-Kind Orders” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 8 of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Index” shall mean the applicable index listed alongside the applicable Trust on Schedule V hereto.

Index Price” shall mean the U.S. dollar value of a Digital Asset derived from the Digital Asset Exchanges that are reflected in the Index, calculated at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on each Business Day.

Index Provider” shall mean CoinDesk Indices, Inc., a Delaware corporation that publishes the Index.

Marketing Agent” shall mean Foreside Fund Services, LLC or any other Person or Persons from time to time engaged to provide marking services or related services to the Trust pursuant to authority delegated by the Sponsor.

NYSE Arca” shall mean NYSE Arca, Inc.

Order” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1 of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Order Cutoff Time” shall mean (i) 3:59:59 p.m. (New York time) on any Business Day, in the case of In-Kind Orders, and (ii) 1:59:59 p.m. (New York time) on any Business Day, in the case of Cash Orders.

Order Date” shall mean the Business Day on which an Order is accepted by the Marketing Agent.

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Person” shall mean any natural person, partnership, limited liability company, statutory trust, corporation, association, or other legal entity.

Procedures” shall have the meaning ascribed to the term in the introductory paragraph of this Schedule I.

Prospectus” or “Prospectuses” shall mean the current prospectus of the Trust included in its Registration Statement, as supplemented or amended from time to time.

Redemption” shall mean the process that begins when an Authorized Participant first indicates to the Transfer Agent its intention to redeem one or more Baskets pursuant to these Procedures and concludes with the cancellation of a corresponding number of Shares Delivered by such Authorized Participant for cancellation.

Redemption Order” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1 of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Redemption Settlement Date” shall mean the second Business Day after the Trade Date, subject to the exceptions described in the Procedures.

Registration Statement” shall mean the Trust’s effective registration statement filed with the SEC, as the same may at any time and from time to time be amended or supplemented.

Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals to the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Sponsor” shall mean Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, in its capacity as the sponsor of the Trust under the Trust Agreement except as otherwise specified, and any successor thereto in compliance with the provisions thereof.

Sponsor Agent shall mean the Sponsor, or any other party that acts as a designee, including affiliates or agents of the Sponsor in the case of Cash Orders.

Sponsor Indemnified Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 6.01(b) of the Standard Terms.

Standard Terms” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1 of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Time of Creation” shall mean each time of acquisition by the Authorized Participant of a Basket from the Trust.

Total Basket Amount” shall mean the Basket Amount multiplied by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed, specified in the applicable Creation Order or Redemption Order.

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Total Basket NAV” shall mean the Basket NAV multiplied by the number of Baskets being created or redeemed.

Trade Date” shall mean the Business Day on which the Total Basket Amount is determined in accordance with the Procedures.

Transaction Fee” shall mean a fee of $500.00 to be paid by the Authorized Participant to the Transfer Agent for each Creation Order or Redemption Order. The fee may be changed by the Transfer Agent with the prior written consent of the Sponsor.

Transfer Agentshall mean The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York corporation authorized to do banking business.

Trustee” shall mean Delaware Trust Company, its successors and assigns, or any substitute therefor, acting not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee of the Trust as provided for in the Trust Agreement.

Trust” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in the introductory paragraph of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Trust Agreement” shall have the meanings ascribed to it in the introductory paragraph of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

VAT” shall mean (a) any tax imposed pursuant to or in compliance with the Sixth Directive of the Council of the European Economic Communities (77/388/EEC) including, without limitation, in relation to the United Kingdom, value added tax imposed by the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and legislation and regulations supplemental thereto; and (b) any other tax of a similar nature, whether imposed in a member state of the European Union or elsewhere, in substitution for, or levied in addition to, such tax referred to in “(a)”.

Variable Fee” shall mean an amount in cash based on the Total Basket NAV, which shall be paid by the Authorized Participant in connection with Variable Fee Cash Orders. The amount may be changed by the Sponsor in its sole discretion at any time.

Variable Fee Cash Order” shall mean a Cash Order pursuant to which any price difference between (x) the Total Basket NAV on the Trade Date and (y) the price realized in acquiring or disposing of the corresponding Total Basket Amount, as the case may be, will be borne solely by the applicable liquidity provider.

Section 1.02. Interpretation. In these Procedures:

Unless otherwise indicated, all references to Sections, clauses, paragraphs, schedules or exhibits, are to Sections, clauses, paragraphs, schedules or exhibits in or to these Procedures.

The words “hereof,” “herein,” “hereunder” and words of similar import shall refer to these Procedures as a whole, and not to any individual provision in which such words may appear.

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A reference to any statute, law, decree, rule, regulation or other applicable norm shall be construed as a reference to such statute, law, decree, rule, regulation or other applicable norm as re-enacted, re-designated or amended from time to time.

A reference to any agreement, instrument or document shall be construed as a reference to such agreement, instrument or document as the same may have been amended from time to time in compliance with the provisions thereof.

Section 1.03. In-Kind Regulatory Approval.

As set forth in the recitals to the Authorized Participant Agreement, it is the current position of the SEC that the Trust shall only create and redeem Shares pursuant to Cash Orders. Unless and until NYSE Arca shall have obtained necessary regulatory approval from the SEC to amend its listing rules to permit the Trust to create and redeem Shares pursuant to In-Kind Orders, the procedures described herein with respect to In-Kind Orders (including without limitation Sections 2.01 and 3.01) shall not be operative.

ARTICLE II
CREATION PROCEDURES

Section 2.01. Creation of Shares Pursuant to In-Kind Orders. The Creation of Shares pursuant to In-Kind Orders shall take place only in compliance with the rules of this Section 2.01:

(a) Authorized Participants wishing to acquire from the Trust one or more Baskets shall place a Creation Order with the Transfer Agent no later than the Order Cutoff Time on any Business Day. Creation Orders received by the Transfer Agent on or after the Order Cutoff Time on any Business Day shall be considered rejected unless determined otherwise by the Sponsor in writing in its sole discretion.

(b) The Trade Date for the Creation of Shares pursuant to In-Kind Orders shall be the Order Date.

(c) For purposes of Section 2.01(a) above, a Creation Order shall be deemed received by the Transfer Agent only when either of the following has occurred no later than the Order Cutoff Time:

(i) Telephone Order – An Authorized Representative shall have placed a telephone call to the Creation and Redemption Line informing the Transfer Agent that the Authorized Participant wishes to place a Creation Order for a specified number of Baskets, received an Order Number from the Transfer Agent for insertion in the Creation Order and submitted a properly completed, irrevocable Creation Order in the form set out in Annex I-A to these Procedures executed by an Authorized Representative of such Authorized Participant via electronic mail message at the address specified in such Annex I-A, and such Creation Order shall have been received by the Transfer Agent within thirty (30) minutes following such phone call; or

(ii) Web-based Order – An Authorized Representative shall have accessed the Transfer Agent’s online services (nexen.bnymellon.com) and submitted a properly

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completed, irrevocable Creation Order in the form set out in Annex I-A to these Procedures executed by an Authorized Representative of such Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message at the address specified in such Annex I-A.

(d) Creation Orders are accepted or rejected by the Marketing Agent. The Marketing Agent will accept or reject a Creation Order as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of a properly completed Creation Order but no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date.

(i) If a Creation Order is accepted, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Creation Order endorsed “Accepted” by the Marketing Agent and indicating the Basket Amount that the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) shall Deliver to the Custodian in respect of each Basket being created. Prior to the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Creation Order for an In-Kind Order will only represent the Authorized Participant’s firm unilateral offer to deposit (or cause its AP Designee to deposit) Digital Assets in exchange for a Delivery of Baskets and will have no binding effect upon the Trust, the Transfer Agent or any other party. Following the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Creation Order will be a binding agreement between the Trust and the Authorized Participant for the deposit of Digital Assets in exchange for the Creation of Baskets pursuant to the terms of the Creation Order and these Procedures. The Authorized Participant may submit an amended Creation Order changing the number of Baskets ordered no later than the Order Cutoff Time.

(ii) If a Creation Order is rejected, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Creation Order endorsed “Declined” by the Marketing Agent. A Creation Order which is not properly completed will be deemed invalid and rejected by the Marketing Agent; the Authorized Participant may submit a corrected Creation Order no later than the Order Cutoff Time. If the Marketing Agent rejects a Creation Order pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant all consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant in respect of such rejected Creation Order.

(iii) Creation Orders not accepted or rejected by 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date shall be accepted or rejected on the same Business Day as soon as practicable.

(e) The Transfer Agent shall provide a written summary to the Sponsor of all accepted In-Kind Orders for Creation for such Order Date no later than 6:00 p.m. (New York time).

(f) Each Creation Order shall require the Authorized Participant, or any AP Designee acting on behalf of the Authorized Participant (as the case may be), to obtain Digital Asset equal to the Total Basket Amount.

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(g) Except as provided in Section 2.01(i) below, each Creation Order shall settle on the Creation Settlement Date. In connection with settlement, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date, or at such later date and time as the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor in their absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant (i) the Total Basket Amount must be deposited by the Authorized Participant, or the AP Designee acting on behalf of the Authorized Participant (as the case may be), in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account and (ii) the Authorized Participant shall have paid the Transfer Agent the Transaction Fee, if applicable, and all taxes, governmental charges and fees payable in connection with such deposit, the transfer of Digital Assets and the issuance and Delivery of Shares.

(h) On the Creation Settlement Date, or on such earlier date and time as the Transfer Agent in its absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent shall cause the Trust to issue the aggregate number of Shares corresponding to the Baskets ordered by the Authorized Participant and shall Deliver such Shares to the Authorized Participant, by credit to the account at DTC that the Authorized Participant shall have identified for such purpose in its Creation Order, no later than 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date; provided that, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date the Transfer Agent is notified that the Total Basket Amount has been deposited in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.01(g) above.

(i) In the event that on the Creation Settlement Date, the Trust’s Digital Asset Account shall not have been credited with the Total Basket Amount in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.01(g)(i) above, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor via electronic mail message notice of such fact.

(i) The Transfer Agent and the Sponsor each agree not to treat such Creation Order as a failed trade or a failed settlement provided that as soon as practicable between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date, the Authorized Participant shall wire the Collateral Amount to the Cash Account.

(ii) If the Authorized Participant fails to deposit the Collateral Amount in the Cash Account as provided in Section 2.01(i)(i) or the Authorized Participant, or the AP Designee acting on behalf of the Authorized Participant (as the case may be), fails to deposit the Total Basket Amount in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Business Day following the Creation Settlement Date, then the Sponsor and Transfer Agent may (A) deem the relevant Creation Order as a failed trade and the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, any liquidity provider, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to the pending Creation Order or (B) complete such Creation Order by (1) applying the Collateral Amount to the purchase, for the account of the Authorized Participant, of Digital Assets constituting the Total Basket Amount and to the payment or reimbursement of any actual costs of the Sponsor in connection with otherwise completing the Creation Order and (2) delivering such Digital Assets to the Trust’s Digital Asset Account in satisfaction of the Authorized Participant’s delivery obligations under such Creation Order.

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(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Authorized Participant has deposited the Collateral Amount in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.01(i)(i) but fails to deposit the Total Basket Amount by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Business Day following the Creation Settlement Date, the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor may nonetheless agree not to treat such Creation Order as a failed trade, provided that (i) if the U.S. dollar value of the Total Basket Amount exceeds the Collateral Amount, as determined using the Index Price on the previous Business Day, then by 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on such Business Day, the Authorized Participant deposits in the Cash Account an additional amount in U.S. dollars such that the amount in the Cash Account is equal to 115% of the U.S. dollar value of the Total Basket Amount, as determined using the Index Price on the previous Business Day and (ii) the Authorized Participant, or the AP Designee acting on behalf of the Authorized Participant (as the case may be), deposits the Total Basket Amount in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the following Business Day. If the Authorized Participant fails to deposit such excess amount in the Cash Account or fails to so deposit the Total Basket Amount, the Sponsor and Transfer Agent may (A) deem the relevant Creation Order as a failed trade and the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, any liquidity provider, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to the pending Creation Order or (B) complete such Creation Order by (1) applying the Collateral Amount (and any additional amount subsequently deposited in the Cash Account) to the purchase, for the account of the Authorized Participant, of Digital Assets constituting the Total Basket Amount and to the payment or reimbursement of any actual costs of the Sponsor in connection with otherwise completing the Creation Order and (2) delivering such Digital Assets to the Trust’s Digital Asset Account in satisfaction of the Authorized Participant’s delivery obligations under such Creation Order.

(iv) If the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent deem the relevant Creation Order a failed trade in accordance with Section 2.01(i)(ii) or Section 2.01(i)(iii), they shall return the Collateral Amount (and any additional amount deposited pursuant to this Section 2.01(i)) by wire transfer to the Authorized Participant.

(v) The Transfer Agent shall cause the Trust to issue the aggregate number of Shares corresponding to the Baskets ordered by the Authorized Participant and shall Deliver such Shares to the Authorized Participant, by credit to the account at DTC that the Authorized Participant shall have identified for such purpose in its Creation Order, no later than 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on the date on which the Transfer Agent is notified that the Total Basket Amount has been deposited in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on such date.

(j) The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances cause the Trust to issue the aggregate number of Shares ordered until such time as (i) the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) Delivers the Total Basket Amount or (ii) the Total Basket Amount is Delivered to the Trust, funded by the Collateral Amount.

(k) The foregoing provisions notwithstanding, none of the Authorized Participant, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian shall be liable for any failure or delay in making Delivery of Shares, Digital Assets or cash, as the case may be, in respect of a Creation

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Order arising from nuclear fission or fusion, radioactivity, war, terrorist event, invasion, insurrection, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of government, public authority, public service or utility problems, power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures, acts of God such as fires, floods or extreme weather conditions, market conditions or activities causing trading halts, systems failures involving computer or other information systems, including any failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network, affecting the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent and the Custodian and similar extraordinary events beyond the Authorized Participant’s, the Sponsor’s, the Trust’s, the Custodian’s, the Marketing Agent’s or the Transfer Agent’s reasonable control. In the event of any such delay, the time to complete Delivery in respect of a Creation Order will be extended for a period equal to that during which the inability to perform continues as determined by the Transfer Agent in its sole discretion.

(l) Except as provided in Sections 2.01(e), 2.01(h) and the Standard Terms, none of the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor, Marketing Agent or the Custodian are under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in any Creation Order or the Delivery of the Total Basket Amount, and shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

Section 2.02. Creation of Shares Pursuant to Cash Orders. The Creation of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders that are not Alternate Cash Orders shall take place only in compliance with the rules of this Section 2.02:

(a) Authorized Participants wishing to acquire from the Trust one or more Baskets shall place a Creation Order with the Transfer Agent no later than the Order Cutoff Time on any Business Day. Creation Orders received by the Transfer Agent on or after the Order Cutoff Time on any Business Day shall be considered rejected unless determined otherwise by the Sponsor in writing in its sole discretion.

(b) The Trade Date for the Creation of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders shall be the Order Date.

(c) The Sponsor may in its absolute discretion limit the Creation of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders to the Capped Amount at any time without notice to the Authorized Participant and may direct the Marketing Agent to reject any Cash Orders in excess of the Capped Amount.

(d) For purposes of Section 2.02(a) above, a Creation Order shall be deemed received by the Transfer Agent only when either of the following has occurred no later than the Order Cutoff Time:

(i) Telephone Order – An Authorized Representative shall have placed a telephone call to the Creation and Redemption Line informing the Transfer Agent that the Authorized Participant wishes to place a Creation Order for a specified number of Baskets, received an Order Number from the Transfer Agent for insertion in the Creation Order and submitted a properly completed, irrevocable Creation Order in the form set out in Annex I-A to these Procedures executed by an Authorized Representative of such Authorized Participant via electronic mail message at the address specified in such Annex I-A, and such Creation Order shall have been received by the Transfer Agent within thirty (30) minutes following such phone call; or

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(ii) Web-based Order – An Authorized Representative shall have accessed the Transfer Agent’s online services (nexen.bnymellon.com) and submitted a properly completed, irrevocable Creation Order in the form set out in Annex I-A to these Procedures executed by an Authorized Representative of such Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message at the address specified in such Annex I-A.

(e) Creation Orders are accepted or rejected by the Marketing Agent. The Marketing Agent will accept or reject a Creation Order as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of a properly completed Creation Order but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date.

(i) If a Creation Order is accepted, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Creation Order endorsed “Accepted” by the Marketing Agent. Prior to the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Cash Order for Creation will only represent the Authorized Participant’s firm unilateral offer to (x) deposit into the Cash Account, the Total Basket NAV and Variable Fee for Delivery to a liquidity provider and (y) accept a Delivery of Baskets upon such liquidity provider’s Delivery to the Custodian of the Total Basket Amount and will have no binding effect upon the Trust, the Transfer Agent, or any other party. Following the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Creation Order will be a binding agreement among (x) the Trust and the Authorized Participant for the Creation of Baskets in exchange for the Delivery of the Total Basket Amount, (y) the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant for the engagement by the Sponsor of a liquidity provider to deposit the Total Basket Amount with the Custodian and (z) the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant for the Delivery by the Authorized Participant of the Total Basket NAV and the Variable Fee to the Cash Account no later than 10:00 a.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date, in each case pursuant to the terms of the Creation Order and these Procedures. Subject to the Capped Amount, the Authorized Participant may submit an amended Creation Order changing the number of Baskets ordered no later than the Order Cutoff Time.

(ii) If a Creation Order is rejected, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Creation Order endorsed “Declined” by the Marketing Agent. A Creation Order which is not properly completed will be deemed invalid and rejected by the Marketing Agent; the Authorized Participant may submit a corrected Creation Order no later than the Order Cutoff Time. If the Marketing Agent rejects a Creation Order pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant all consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant in respect of such rejected Creation Order.

(iii) Creation Orders not accepted or rejected by 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date shall be accepted or rejected on the same Business Day as soon as practicable.

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The Transfer Agent shall provide a written summary to the Sponsor of all accepted Cash Orders for Creation for such Order Date no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time). Promptly following 4:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Trade Date, the Transfer Agent shall notify the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant of the Total Basket Amount, the Total Basket NAV and the dollar amount of any Variable Fees.

(f) Each Cash Order shall require (i) the Sponsor to engage a liquidity provider to obtain Digital Asset equal to the Total Basket Amount and (ii) the Authorized Participant to Deliver the Total Basket NAV and the Variable Fee to the Cash Account by 10:00 a.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date.

(g) Except as provided in Section 2.02(k) below, each Creation Order shall settle on the Creation Settlement Date. In connection with settlement, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date, or at such later date and time as the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor in their absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant (i) the Total Basket Amount must be deposited by the Sponsor, or a liquidity provider on behalf of the Sponsor (as the case may be), in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account, (ii) the Authorized Participant shall have deposited the Total Basket NAV and the Variable Fee in the Cash Account in compliance with Section 2.02(f) above and (iii) the Authorized Participant shall have paid the Transfer Agent the Transaction Fee, if applicable, and all taxes, governmental charges and fees payable in connection with such deposit, the transfer of Digital Assets and the issuance and Delivery of Shares.

(h) On the Creation Settlement Date, or on such earlier date and time as the Transfer Agent in its absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent shall cause the Trust to issue the aggregate number of Shares corresponding to the Baskets ordered by the Authorized Participant and shall Deliver such Shares to the Authorized Participant, by credit to the account at DTC that the Authorized Participant shall have identified for such purpose in its Creation Order, no later than 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date; provided that, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date the Transfer Agent is notified that the Total Basket Amount has been deposited in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.02(g) above.

(i) Upon deposit of the Total Basket Amount in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account, the Shares will be deemed issued and delivered with no further action required to be taken by the Trust or any other person; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Transfer Agent shall take the further actions contemplated hereby to evidence such issuance and delivery to the Authorized Participant.

(j) In the event that on the Creation Settlement Date, the Trust’s Digital Asset Account shall not have been credited with the Total Basket Amount in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.02(g)(i) above, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor via electronic mail message notice of such fact. The relevant Creation Order shall be deemed a failed trade and the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, any liquidity provider, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to the pending Creation Order, unless the Sponsor, in its sole discretion, chooses to complete such Creation Order by (i) applying any related Total Basket NAV

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to the purchase of Digital Assets constituting the Total Basket Amount and (ii) delivering such Digital Assets to the Trust’s Digital Asset Account in satisfaction of the liquidity provider’s delivery obligations. In the event that on the Creation Settlement Date, the Trust’s Digital Asset Account shall have been credited with the Total Basket Amount in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.02(g)(i) above but the Authorized Participant shall not have deposited the Total Basket NAV and the Variable Fee in the Cash Account as required by Section 2.02(f), the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor via electronic mail message notice of such fact. The relevant Creation Order shall settle in accordance with Section 2.02(h) and the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor, any liquidity provider or the Custodian related to the Creation Order.

(k) The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances cause the Trust to issue the aggregate number of Shares ordered until such time as the Total Basket Amount has been Delivered to the Trust.

(l) The foregoing provisions notwithstanding, none of the Authorized Participant, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian shall be liable for any failure or delay in making Delivery of Shares, Digital Assets or cash, as the case may be, in respect of a Creation Order arising from nuclear fission or fusion, radioactivity, war, terrorist event, invasion, insurrection, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of government, public authority, public service or utility problems, power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures, acts of God such as fires, floods or extreme weather conditions, market conditions or activities causing trading halts, systems failures involving computer or other information systems, including any failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network, affecting the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent and the Custodian and similar extraordinary events beyond the Authorized Participant’s, the Sponsor’s, the Trust’s, the Custodian’s, the Marketing Agent’s or the Transfer Agent’s reasonable control. In the event of any such delay, the time to complete Delivery in respect of a Creation Order will be extended for a period equal to that during which the inability to perform continues as determined by the Transfer Agent in its sole discretion.

(m) Except as provided in Sections 2.02(f), 2.02(j) and the Standard Terms, none of the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian are under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in any Creation Order or the Delivery of the Total Basket Amount, and shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

(n) For the avoidance of doubt, the Trust shall not be liable to the Authorized Participant, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor or any other party for actions taken or not taken in relation to Cash Orders for the Creation of Shares other than for a failure by the Trust to deliver Shares upon receipt of the Total Basket Amount.

Section 2.03. Creation of Shares Pursuant to Alternate Cash Orders. Unless otherwise specified by the Sponsor in writing, any Creation of Shares pursuant to a Cash Order shall be executed as an Alternate Cash Order. The Creation of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders to be executed as Alternate Cash Orders shall take place only in compliance with the rules set forth in Section 2.02(a) through (d), and the following rules of this Section 2.03:

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(a) Creation Orders are accepted or rejected by the Marketing Agent. The Sponsor will determine if such Creation Order will be a Variable Fee Cash Order or an Actual Execution Cash Order, which determination will be communicated to the Authorized Participant. The Marketing Agent will accept or reject a Creation Order as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of a properly completed Creation Order but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date.

(i) If a Creation Order is accepted, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Creation Order endorsed “Accepted” by the Marketing Agent. Prior to the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, an Alternate Cash Order for Creation will only represent the Authorized Participant’s firm unilateral offer to (x) deposit into the Alternate Cash Account, the Total Basket NAV and, in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, any Variable Fee, for Delivery to a liquidity provider and (y) accept a Delivery of Baskets upon such liquidity provider’s Delivery to the Custodian of the Total Basket Amount, and will have no binding effect upon the Trust, the Transfer Agent or any other party. Following the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Creation Order will be a binding agreement between the Trust and the Authorized Participant for the Creation of Baskets in exchange for the Delivery of the Total Basket Amount, in each case subject to (x) the Trust being in simultaneous possession of (1) the Total Basket NAV plus (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Variable Fee or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, any Additional Creation Cash (as defined below), less any Excess Creation Cash, if applicable, in the Alternate Cash Account and (2) such Total Basket Amount, no later than 10:00 a.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date, (y) the Trust delivering such Total Basket NAV plus (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Variable Fee or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, any Additional Creation Cash, less any Excess Creation Cash, if applicable, to the liquidity provider and (z) any remaining cash originally Delivered by the Authorized Participant to the Alternate Cash Account in connection with such Creation Order being returned to the Authorized Participant, in each case pursuant to the terms of the Creation Order and these Procedures. Subject to the Capped Amount, the Authorized Participant may submit an amended Creation Order changing the number of Baskets ordered no later than the Order Cutoff Time. For the avoidance of doubt, (i) in the event that, in connection with a Creation Order that is effected as an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Authorized Participant has Delivered cash to the Alternate Cash Account in excess of the total cash purchase price actually paid by the Trust to purchase the corresponding Total Basket Amount (the “Excess Creation Cash”), such excess cash shall promptly be returned to the Authorized Participant and (ii) in the event that, in connection with a Creation Order that is effected as an Actual Execution Cash Order, the total cash purchase price to be paid by the Trust to purchase the corresponding Total Basket Amount exceeds the Total Basket NAV, the Authorized Participant shall deliver cash in the amount of such excess (the “Additional Creation Cash”) to the Alternate Cash Account prior 10:00 a.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date.

(ii) If a Creation Order is rejected, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding

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Creation Order endorsed “Declined” by the Marketing Agent. A Creation Order which is not properly completed will be deemed invalid and rejected by the Marketing Agent; the Authorized Participant may submit a corrected Creation Order no later than the Order Cutoff Time. If the Marketing Agent rejects a Creation Order pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant all consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant in respect of such rejected Creation Order.

(iii) Creation Orders not accepted or rejected by 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date shall be accepted or rejected on the same Business Day as soon as practicable.

The Transfer Agent shall provide a written summary to the Sponsor of all accepted Alternate Cash Orders for Creation for such Order Date no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time). Promptly following 4:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Trade Date, the Transfer Agent shall notify the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant of the Total Basket Amount, the Total Basket NAV and the dollar amount of any Variable Fees.

(b) Each Alternate Cash Order shall require (i) the Sponsor to engage a liquidity provider to obtain Digital Asset equal to the Total Basket Amount and (ii) the Authorized Participant to Deliver the Total Basket NAV plus (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Variable Fee or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, any Additional Creation Cash, less any Excess Creation Cash, if applicable, to the Alternate Cash Account by 10:00 a.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date.

(c) Except as provided in Section 2.03(g) below, each Creation Order shall settle on the Creation Settlement Date. In connection with settlement, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date, or at such later date and time as the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor in their absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant, (i) the Total Basket Amount must be deposited by a liquidity provider in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account, (ii) the Authorized Participant shall have deposited the Total Basket NAV plus (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Variable Fee or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, any Additional Creation Cash (or less any Excess Creation Cash), if applicable, in the Alternate Cash Account in compliance with Section 2.03(b) above and (iii) the Authorized Participant shall have paid the Transfer Agent the Transaction Fee, if applicable, and all taxes, governmental charges and fees payable in connection with such deposit, the transfer of Digital Assets and the issuance and Delivery of Shares.

(d) On the Creation Settlement Date, or on such earlier date and time as the Transfer Agent in its absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent shall cause the Trust to issue the aggregate number of Shares corresponding to the Baskets ordered by the Authorized Participant and shall Deliver such Shares to the Authorized Participant, by credit to the account at DTC that the Authorized Participant shall have identified for such purpose in its Creation Order, no later than 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date; provided that, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Creation Settlement Date the Transfer Agent has been notified that the Total Basket Amount has been

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deposited in the Trust’s Digital Asset Account in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.03(c) above.

(e) In the event that, by 10:00 a.m. on the Creation Settlement Date, either (x) the Trust’s Digital Asset Account shall not have been credited with the Total Basket Amount in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.03(c)(i) above or (y) the Alternate Cash Account shall not have been credited with the Total Basket NAV plus (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Variable Fee or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, any Additional Creation Cash (less any Excess Creation Cash), if applicable, in compliance with the provisions of Section 2.03(c)(ii) above, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor via electronic mail message notice of such fact. The relevant Creation Order shall be deemed a failed trade and the Trust will return (x) the Total Basket Amount to the liquidity provider and/or (y) the Total Basket NAV plus (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Variable Fee or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, any Additional Creation Cash (less any Excess Creation Cash), if applicable, to the Authorized Participant, in each case to the extent then in possession of the Trust.

(f) The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances cause the Trust to issue the aggregate number of Shares ordered until such time as each of (x) the Total Basket Amount and (y) the Total Basket NAV plus (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Variable Fee or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, any Additional Creation Cash (less any Excess Creation Cash), if applicable, has been Delivered to the Trust (and the Trust is in simultaneous possession of both).

(g) The foregoing provisions notwithstanding, none of the Authorized Participant, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian shall be liable for any failure or delay in making Delivery of Shares, Digital Assets or cash, as the case may be, in respect of a Creation Order arising from nuclear fission or fusion, radioactivity, war, terrorist event, invasion, insurrection, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of government, public authority, public service or utility problems, power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures, acts of God such as fires, floods or extreme weather conditions, market conditions or activities causing trading halts, systems failures involving computer or other information systems, including any failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network, affecting the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent and the Custodian and similar extraordinary events beyond the Authorized Participant’s, the Sponsor’s, the Trust’s, the Custodian’s, the Marketing Agent’s or the Transfer Agent’s reasonable control. In the event of any such delay, the time to complete Delivery in respect of a Creation Order will be extended for a period equal to that during which the inability to perform continues as determined by the Transfer Agent in its sole discretion.

(h) Except as provided in Sections 2.03(b), 2.03(f) and the Standard Terms, none of the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian are under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in any Creation Order or the Delivery of the Total Basket Amount, and shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

(i) For the avoidance of doubt, the Trust shall not be liable to the Authorized Participant, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor or any other party for actions taken or not taken in relation to Alternate Cash Orders for the Creation of Shares other than for a failure by the Trust to

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deliver Shares (and, if applicable, any Excess Creation Cash) upon receipt and simultaneous possession of (x) the Total Basket Amount and (y) the Total Basket NAV plus (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Variable Fee or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, any Additional Creation Cash, if applicable. The Sponsor and the Authorized Participant hereby agree, as a condition to the participation in the consummation of any such Alternate Cash Order, (A) to fully (and without exception) exculpate the Trust with respect to, and to irrevocably waive any and all claims against the Trust or the Trust Estate arising from or in connection with, such Alternate Cash Order and (B) to indemnify and hold the Trust harmless, in each case as provided in clause (g)(2) of Section 9 of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Section 2.04. Suspension or Rejection of Creation of Shares. The Creation of Shares, whether pursuant to In-Kind Orders or Cash Orders, may be suspended or rejected under the circumstances specified in the Trust Agreement, these Procedures or the Standard Terms. If the Marketing Agent rejects a Creation Order pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent or Sponsor will notify the Authorized Participant as soon as reasonably practicable, and the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant all consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant in respect of such rejected Creation Order. If the Trust, Transfer Agent or Sponsor suspends the right to submit Creation Orders pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent or Sponsor will notify the Authorized Participant as soon as reasonably practicable.

ARTICLE III
REDEMPTION PROCEDURES

Section 3.01. Redemption of Shares Pursuant to In-Kind Orders. The Redemption of Shares pursuant to In-Kind Orders shall take place only in compliance with the rules of this Section 3.01:

(a) Authorized Participants wishing to redeem one or more Baskets shall place a Redemption Order with the Transfer Agent no later than the Order Cutoff Time on any Business Day. Redemption Orders received by the Transfer Agent on or after the Order Cutoff Time on any Business Day shall be considered rejected unless determined otherwise by the Sponsor in writing in its sole discretion.

(b) The Trade Date for the Redemption of Shares pursuant to In-Kind Orders shall be the Order Date.

(c) For purposes of Section 3.01(a) above, a Redemption Order shall be deemed received by the Transfer Agent only when either of the following has occurred no later than the Order Cutoff Time:

(i) Telephone Order – An Authorized Representative shall have placed a telephone call to the Creation and Redemption Line informing the Transfer Agent that the Authorized Participant wishes to place a Redemption Order for a specified number of Baskets, received an Order Number from the Transfer Agent for insertion in the Redemption Order and submitted a properly completed, irrevocable Redemption Order in the form set out in Annex I-A to these Procedures executed by an Authorized Representative of such Authorized Participant via electronic mail message at the address

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specified in such Annex I-A, and such Redemption Order shall have been received by the Transfer Agent within thirty (30) minutes following such phone call; or

(ii) Web-based Order – An Authorized Representative shall have accessed the Transfer Agent’s online services (nexen.bnymellon.com) and submitted a properly completed, irrevocable Redemption Order in the form set out in Annex I-A to these Procedures executed by an Authorized Representative of such Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message at the address specified in such Annex I-A.

(d) Redemption Orders are accepted or rejected by the Marketing Agent. The Marketing Agent will accept or reject a Redemption Order as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of a properly completed Redemption Order but no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date.

(i) If a Redemption Order is accepted, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant (with a copy to the Custodian), via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Redemption Order endorsed “Accepted” by the Marketing Agent and indicating the Basket Amount that the Custodian shall Deliver to the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) in respect of each Basket being redeemed. Prior to the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, an In-Kind Order for Redemption will only represent the Authorized Participant’s firm unilateral offer for the Redemption of Baskets in exchange for a Delivery of the Total Basket Amount by the Custodian to the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) and will have no binding effect upon the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, or any other party. Following the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Redemption Order will be a binding agreement between the Trust and the Authorized Participant for the Redemption of Baskets in exchange for the Delivery of Digital Assets pursuant to the terms of the Redemption Order and these Procedures. The Authorized Participant may submit an amended Redemption Order changing the number of Baskets to be redeemed no later than the Order Cutoff Time.

(ii) If a Redemption Order is rejected, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant (with a copy to the Custodian), via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Redemption Order endorsed “Declined” by the Marketing Agent. A Redemption Order which is not properly completed will be deemed invalid and rejected by the Marketing Agent; the Authorized Participant may submit a corrected Redemption Order no later than the Order Cutoff Time. If the Marketing Agent rejects a Redemption Order pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant all consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant in respect of such rejected Redemption Order.

(e) The Transfer Agent shall provide a written summary to the Sponsor and the Custodian of all accepted In-Kind Orders for Redemption for such Order Date no later than 5:00 p.m. (New York time).

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(f) Except as provided in Section 3.01(h) below, each Redemption Order shall settle on the Redemption Settlement Date. In connection with settlement, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date, or at such later date and time as the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor in their absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant (i) the Baskets to be redeemed must be Delivered to the Transfer Agent by the Authorized Participant and (ii) the Authorized Participant shall have paid the Transfer Agent the Transaction Fee, if applicable, and all taxes, governmental charges and fees payable in connection with such deposit, the transfer of Digital Assets and the Delivery of Shares, and any expenses incurred in connection with the Delivery of Digital Assets.

(g) On the Redemption Settlement Date, or on such earlier date and time as the Transfer Agent in its absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent shall instruct the Custodian to Deliver the Total Basket Amount to the Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date; provided that, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date the Authorized Participant has Delivered to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by such Authorized Participant pursuant to such Redemption Order.

(h) In the event that on the Redemption Settlement Date, the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed in compliance with the provisions of Section 3.01(f)(i) above, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Custodian via electronic mail message notice of such fact.

(i) The Transfer Agent and the Sponsor each agree not to treat such Redemption Order as a failed trade or a failed settlement provided that as soon as practicable between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date, the Authorized Participant shall wire the Collateral Amount to the Cash Account.

(ii) If the Authorized Participant fails to deposit the Collateral Amount in the Cash Account as provided in Section 3.01(h)(i) or the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Business Day following the Redemption Settlement Date, then the Sponsor and Transfer Agent may (A) deem the relevant Redemption Order as a failed trade and the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to the pending Redemption Order or (B) complete such Redemption Order by (1) applying the Collateral Amount to the purchase, for the account of the Authorized Participant, of Shares and (2) crediting such Shares to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC in satisfaction of the Authorized Participant’s delivery obligations under such Redemption Order.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Authorized Participant has deposited the Collateral Amount in accordance with the requirements of Section 3.01(h)(i) but the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by 12:00 p.m. (New

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York time) on the Business Day following the Redemption Settlement Date, the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent may nonetheless agree not to treat such Redemption Order as a failed trade, provided that (i) if the U.S. dollar value of the Total Basket Amount exceeds the Collateral Amount, as determined using the Index Price on the previous Business Day, then by 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on such Business Day, the Authorized Participant deposits in the Cash Account an additional amount in U.S. dollars such that the amount in the Cash Account is equal to 115% of the U.S. dollar value of the Total Basket Amount, as determined using the Index Price on the previous Business Day, and (ii) the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the following Business Day. If the Authorized Participant fails to deposit such excess amount in the Cash Account or the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed, the Sponsor and Transfer Agent may (A) deem the relevant Redemption Order as a failed trade and the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to the pending Redemption Order or (B) complete such Redemption Order by (1) applying the Collateral Amount (and any excess amount subsequently deposited in respect thereof) to the purchase, for the account of the Authorized Participant, of Shares and (2) crediting such Shares to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC in satisfaction of the Authorized Participant’s delivery obligations under such Redemption Order.

(iv) If the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent deem the relevant Creation Order a failed trade in accordance with Section 3.01(h)(ii) or Section 3.01(h)(iii), they shall return the Collateral Amount (and any additional amount deposited pursuant to this Section 3.01(h)) by wire transfer to the Authorized Participant.

(v) The Transfer Agent shall instruct the Custodian to Deliver the Total Basket Amount to the Authorized Participant Self-Administered Account no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on date on which the Authorized Participant has Delivered to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by such Authorized Participant pursuant to such Redemption Order prior to 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on such date.

(i) The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances cause the Custodian to Deliver to the Authorized Participant the Total Basket Amount until the Authorized Participant Delivers the corresponding number of Shares.

(j) Once the Transfer Agent has received the Shares pursuant to Section 3.01(g) or 3.01(h) above, the Transfer Agent shall instruct the Transfer Agent to cancel such Shares.

(k) The foregoing provisions notwithstanding, none of the Authorized Participant, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian shall be liable for any failure or delay in making Delivery of Shares, Digital Assets or cash, as the case may be, in respect of a Redemption Order arising from nuclear fission or fusion, radioactivity, war, terrorist event, invasion, insurrection, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of government, public authority, public service or

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utility problems, power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures, acts of God such as fires, floods or extreme weather conditions, market conditions or activities causing trading halts, systems failures involving computer or other information systems, including any failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network, affecting the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent and the Custodian and similar extraordinary events beyond the Authorized Participant’s, the Sponsor’s, the Trust’s, the Custodian’s, the Marketing Agent’s or the Transfer Agent’s reasonable control. In the event of any such delay, the time to complete Delivery in respect of a Redemption Order will be extended for a period equal to that during which the inability to perform continues as determined by the Transfer Agent in its sole discretion.

(l) Except as provided in Sections 3.01(e), 3.01(h) and the Standard Terms, none of the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian are under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in any Redemption Order or the Delivery of the Shares, and shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

Section 3.02. Redemption of Shares Pursuant to Cash Orders. The Redemption of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders that are not Alternate Cash Orders shall only take place if approved by the Sponsor in writing in its absolute discretion and on a case-by-case basis. If accepted by the Sponsor, such Redemption of Shares shall take place only in compliance with the rules of this Section 3.02:

(a) Authorized Participants wishing to redeem one or more Baskets may place a Redemption Order with the Transfer Agent no later than the Order Cutoff Time on any Business Day. Redemption Orders received by the Transfer Agent on or after the Order Cutoff Time on any Business Day shall be considered rejected unless determined otherwise by the Sponsor in writing in its sole discretion.

(b) The Trade Date for the Redemption of Shares pursuant to Cash Orders shall be the Order Date.

(c) For purposes of Section 3.02(a) above, a Redemption Order shall be deemed received by the Transfer Agent only when either of the following has occurred no later than the Order Cutoff Time:

(i) Telephone Order – An Authorized Representative shall have placed a telephone call to the Creation and Redemption Line informing the Transfer Agent that the Authorized Participant wishes to place a Redemption Order for a specified number of Baskets, received an Order Number from the Transfer Agent for insertion in the Redemption Order and submitted a properly completed, irrevocable Redemption Order in the form set out in Annex I-A to these Procedures executed by an Authorized Representative of such Authorized Participant via electronic mail message at the address specified in such Annex I-A, and such Redemption Order shall have been received by the Transfer Agent within thirty (30) minutes following such phone call; or

(ii) Web-based Order – An Authorized Representative shall have accessed the Transfer Agent’s online services (nexen.bnymellon.com) and submitted a properly

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completed, irrevocable Redemption Order in the form set out in Annex I-A to these Procedures executed by an Authorized Representative of such Authorized Participant, via electronic mail message at the address specified in such Annex I-A.

(d) Redemption Orders are accepted or rejected by the Marketing Agent. The Marketing Agent will accept or reject a Redemption Order as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of a properly completed Redemption Order but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date.

(i) If a Redemption Order is accepted, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant (with a copy to the Custodian), via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Redemption Order endorsed “Accepted” by the Marketing Agent. Prior to the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Cash Order for Redemption will only represent the Authorized Participant’s firm unilateral offer to (x) deposit Baskets for cancellation upon the Trust’s Delivery of the Total Basket Amount to a Liquidity Provider Account in exchange for (y) a Delivery by the Sponsor or a Sponsor Agent of cash to the Authorized Participant in an amount equal to the Total Basket NAV pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.02(f), after deduction of the Transaction Fee, the Variable Fee and all taxes, governmental charges and fees payable in connection with such deposit, the transfer of Digital Assets and the Delivery of Shares, and any expenses incurred in connection with the Delivery of Digital Assets (the “Cash Order Delivery Amount”) and will have no binding effect upon the Trust, the Transfer Agent or any other party. Following the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Redemption Order will be a binding agreement among (i) the Trust and the Authorized Participant for the Redemption of Baskets in exchange for the Delivery of the Total Basket Amount to a Liquidity Provider Account, (ii) the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant for the engagement by the Sponsor of a liquidity provider to receive the Total Basket Amount and (iii) the Sponsor and the Authorized Participant for the Delivery of the Cash Order Delivery Amount to the Authorized Participant on the Redemption Settlement Date, in each case pursuant to the terms of the Redemption Order and these Procedures. The Authorized Participant may submit an amended Redemption Order changing the number of Baskets to be redeemed no later than the Order Cutoff Time.

(ii) If a Redemption Order is rejected, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant (with a copy to the Custodian), via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Redemption Order endorsed “Declined” by the Marketing Agent. A Redemption Order which is not properly completed will be deemed invalid and rejected by the Marketing Agent; the Authorized Participant may submit a corrected Redemption Order no later than the Order Cutoff Time. If the Marketing Agent rejects a Redemption Order pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant all consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant in respect of such rejected Redemption Order.

(e) The Transfer Agent shall provide a written summary to the Sponsor and the Custodian of all accepted Cash Orders for Redemption for such Order Date no later than 12:00

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p.m. (New York time). Promptly following receipt of the written summary of accepted Redemption Orders pursuant to 3.02(d) above, the Sponsor shall notify a liquidity provider as soon as practicable thereafter.

(f) Except as provided in Section 3.02(i), each Redemption Order shall settle on the Redemption Settlement Date. In connection with settlement, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date, or at such later date and time as the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor in their absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant, (i) the Baskets to be redeemed must be Delivered to the DTC account of the Transfer Agent by the Authorized Participant and (ii) the Total Basket NAV, less the Variable Fee, must be deposited in the Cash Account by the relevant liquidity provider at the instruction of the Sponsor.

(g) On the Redemption Settlement Date, or on such earlier date and time as the Transfer Agent in its absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, (i) the Sponsor Agent shall send the Cash Order Delivery Amount to the Authorized Participant, by wire to the account that the Authorized Participant shall have identified for such purpose in its Redemption Order, and (ii) the Transfer Agent shall cause the Trust to Deliver the Total Basket Amount to the Liquidity Provider Account, in each case no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date; provided that, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date (i) the Authorized Participant has Delivered to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by such Authorized Participant pursuant to such Redemption Order and (ii) the Total Basket NAV, less the Variable Fee, shall have been deposited in the Cash Account by the relevant liquidity provider at the instruction of the Sponsor.

(h) In the event that on the Redemption Settlement Date, the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed in compliance with the provisions of Section 3.02(f) above, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Custodian via electronic mail message notice of such fact.

(i) The Transfer Agent and the Sponsor each agree not to treat such Redemption Order as a failed trade or a failed settlement provided that as soon as practicable between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date, the Authorized Participant shall wire the Collateral Amount to the Cash Account.

(ii) If the Authorized Participant fails to deposit the Collateral Amount in the Cash Account as provided in Section 3.02(h)(i) or the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Business Day following the Redemption Settlement Date, then the Sponsor and Transfer Agent may (A) deem the relevant Redemption Order as a failed trade and the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, any liquidity provider, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to the pending Redemption Order or (B) complete such Redemption Order by (1) applying the Collateral Amount to the purchase, for the account of the Authorized Participant, of Shares, (2) crediting such Shares to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC in satisfaction of the

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Authorized Participant’s delivery obligations under such Redemption Order and (3) causing the Trust to deliver the Total Basket Amount to the relevant liquidity provider.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Authorized Participant has deposited the Collateral Amount in accordance with the requirements of Section 3.02(h)(i) but the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Business Day following the Redemption Settlement Date, the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor may nonetheless agree not to treat such Redemption Order as a failed trade, provided that (i) if the U.S. dollar value of the Total Basket Amount exceeds the Collateral Amount, as determined using the Index Price on the previous Business Day, then by 6:00 p.m. (New York time) on such Business Day, the Authorized Participant deposits in the Cash Account an additional amount in U.S. dollars such that the amount in the Cash Account is equal to 115% of the U.S. dollar value of the Total Basket Amount, as determined using the Index Price on the previous Business Day and (ii) the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the following Business Day. If the Authorized Participant fails to deposit such excess amount in the Cash Account or the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed, the Sponsor and Transfer Agent may (A) deem the relevant Redemption Order as a failed trade and the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, any liquidity provider, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to the pending Redemption Order or (B) complete such Redemption Order by (1) applying the Collateral Amount to the purchase, for the account of the Authorized Participant, of Shares, (2) crediting such Shares to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC in satisfaction of the Authorized Participant’s delivery obligations under such Redemption Order and (3) causing the Trust to deliver the Total Basket Amount to the relevant liquidity provider.

(iv) If the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent deem the relevant Redemption Order a failed trade in accordance with Section 3.02(h)(ii) or Section 3.02(h)(iii), they shall promptly return the Collateral Amount (and any additional amount deposited pursuant to this Section 3.02(i)) by wire transfer to the Authorized Participant.

(v) (A) The Sponsor Agent shall send the Cash Order Delivery Amount to the Authorized Participant, by wire to the account that the Authorized Participant shall have identified for such purpose in its Redemption Order, and (B) the Transfer Agent shall cause the Trust to Deliver the Total Basket Amount to the Liquidity Provider Account, in each case on the date on which (1) the Authorized Participant has Delivered to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by such Authorized Participant pursuant to such Redemption Order and (2) the Total Basket NAV, less the Variable Fee, shall have been deposited in the Cash Account by the relevant liquidity provider at the instruction of the Sponsor, in each case, prior to 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on such date.

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(i) The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances wire the Cash Order Delivery Amount to the Authorized Participant until the Authorized Participant Delivers the corresponding number of Shares to the Transfer Agent.

(j) In the event that, upon notification by the Transfer Agent that the Shares have been Delivered, the Cash Account shall not have been credited with the Total Basket NAV, less any Variable Fee, from a liquidity provider at the direction of the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Custodian via electronic mail message notice of such fact. If the Redemption Order is deemed a failed trade, the Transfer Agent shall return the Shares to the Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor or the Custodian related to the pending Redemption Order for failure to Deliver the Total Basket NAV, less any Variable Fee, to the Cash Account.

(k) Once the Transfer Agent has received the Shares from the Authorized Participant pursuant to Section 3.02(h) or 3.02(i) above and the Total Basket NAV, less any Variable Fee, has been Delivered to the Cash Account, the Transfer Agent shall promptly (x) instruct (i) the Transfer Agent to cancel such Shares and (ii) the Custodian to Deliver the Total Basket Amount to the applicable Liquidity Provider Account. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, upon the Delivery of the Total Basket Amount to the Liquidity Provider Account, whether pursuant to Section 3.02(h) or this Section 3.02(k), and without further action by any Person, the Shares comprising the corresponding Baskets shall be deemed irrevocably canceled and retired; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Transfer Agent shall take the further actions contemplated hereby to evidence such cancellation.

(l) The foregoing provisions notwithstanding, none of the Authorized Participant, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian shall be liable for any failure or delay in making Delivery of Shares, Digital Assets or cash, as the case may be, in respect of a Redemption Order arising from nuclear fission or fusion, radioactivity, war, terrorist event, invasion, insurrection, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of government, public authority, public service or utility problems, power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures, acts of God such as fires, floods or extreme weather conditions, market conditions or activities causing trading halts, systems failures involving computer or other information systems, including any failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network, affecting the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent and the Custodian and similar extraordinary events beyond the Authorized Participant’s, the Sponsor’s, the Trust’s, the Custodian’s, the Marketing Agent’s or the Transfer Agent’s reasonable control. In the event of any such delay, the time to complete Delivery in respect of a Redemption Order will be extended for a period equal to that during which the inability to perform continues as determined by the Transfer Agent in its sole discretion.

(m) Except as provided in Sections 3.02(e), 3.02(i) and the Standard Terms, none of the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian are under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in any Redemption Order or the Delivery of the Shares, and shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

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(n) For the avoidance of doubt, the Trust shall not be liable to the Authorized Participant, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor or any other party for actions taken or not taken in relation to Cash Orders for the Redemption of Shares other than a failure to deliver the Total Basket Amount to the Liquidity Provider Account upon receipt of Shares.

Section 3.03 Redemption of Shares Pursuant to Alternate Cash Orders. Unless otherwise specified by the Sponsor in writing, any Redemption of Shares pursuant to a Cash Order shall be executed as an Alternate Cash Order, which for the avoidance of doubt, shall only take place if approved by the Sponsor in writing in its absolute discretion and on a case-by-case basis. If accepted by the Sponsor, such Redemption of Shares shall take place only in compliance with the rules set forth in Section 3.02(a) through (c), and the following rules of this Section 3.03:

(a) Redemption Orders are accepted or rejected by the Marketing Agent. The Sponsor will determine if such Redemption Order will be a Variable Fee Cash Order or an Actual Execution Cash Order, which determination will be communicated to the Authorized Participant. The Marketing Agent will accept or reject a Redemption Order as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of a properly completed Redemption Order but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date.

(i) If a Redemption Order is accepted, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant (with a copy to the Custodian), via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Redemption Order endorsed “Accepted” by the Marketing Agent. Prior to the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, an Alternate Cash Order for Redemption will only represent the Authorized Participant’s firm unilateral offer to (x) deposit Baskets for cancellation upon the Trust’s Delivery of the Total Basket Amount to a Liquidity Provider Account in exchange for (y) a Delivery by the Trust of cash to the Authorized Participant in an amount equal to the Cash Order Delivery Amount (as adjusted, if applicable, pursuant to clause (ii) of the final sentence of this Section 3.03(a)(i)), and will have no binding effect upon the Trust, the Transfer Agent or any other party. Following the transmission of the acceptance as specified above, a Redemption Order will be a binding agreement between the Trust and the Authorized Participant for the Redemption of Baskets in exchange for the Delivery of the Total Basket Amount to a Liquidity Provider Account, in each case subject to (x) the Trust being in simultaneous possession of (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (as defined below) (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, in the Alternate Cash Account and such Baskets to be redeemed, (y) the Trust delivering the Total Basket Amount to the liquidity provider and (z) any remaining cash in the Alternate Cash Account attributable to such Cash Order being Delivered to the Authorized Participant, in each case pursuant to the terms of the Redemption Order and these Procedures. The Authorized Participant may submit an amended Redemption Order changing the number of Baskets to be redeemed no later than the Order Cutoff Time. For the avoidance of doubt, (i) in the event that, in connection with a Redemption Order that is effected as an Actual Execution Cash Order, the total cash proceeds Delivered to the Alternate Cash Account exceeds the Total Basket NAV (the amount of such excess, the “Additional Redemption Cash”), such excess cash shall

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promptly be Delivered to the Authorized Participant and (ii) in the event that, in connection with a Redemption Order that is effected as an Actual Execution Cash Order, the total cash proceeds Delivered to the Alternate Cash Account is less than the Total Basket NAV (the amount of such difference, the “Redemption Cash Shortfall”), the amount of cash to be Delivered to the Authorized Participant in connection with such Redemption Order shall be reduced by the amount of such Redemption Cash Shortfall.

(ii) If a Redemption Order is rejected, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant (with a copy to the Custodian), via electronic mail message, as soon as reasonably practicable but no later than 2:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Order Date, a copy of the corresponding Redemption Order endorsed “Declined” by the Marketing Agent. A Redemption Order which is not properly completed will be deemed invalid and rejected by the Marketing Agent; the Authorized Participant may submit a corrected Redemption Order no later than the Order Cutoff Time. If the Marketing Agent rejects a Redemption Order pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant all consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant in respect of such rejected Redemption Order and the Trust will promptly return to the liquidity provider all consideration tendered by the liquidity provider in respect of such rejected Redemption Order.

(b) The Transfer Agent shall provide a written summary to the Sponsor and the Custodian of all accepted Alternate Cash Orders for Redemption for such Order Date no later than 12:00 p.m. (New York time). Promptly following receipt of the written summary of accepted Redemption Orders pursuant to 3.03(a) above, the Sponsor shall notify a liquidity provider as soon as practicable thereafter.

(c) Except as provided in Section 3.03(g), each Redemption Order shall settle on the Redemption Settlement Date. In connection with settlement, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date, or at such later date and time as the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor in their absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant, (i) the Baskets to be redeemed must be Delivered to the DTC account of the Transfer Agent by the Authorized Participant and (ii) (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, must be deposited in the Alternate Cash Account by the relevant liquidity provider at the instruction of the Sponsor.

(d) On the Redemption Settlement Date, or on such earlier date and time as the Transfer Agent in its absolute discretion may agree in writing with the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, (i) the Trust shall send the Cash Order Delivery Amount (less any Redemption Cash Shortfall) to the Authorized Participant, by wire to the account that the Authorized Participant shall have identified for such purpose in its Redemption Order, and (ii) the Transfer Agent shall cause the Trust to Deliver the Total Basket Amount to the Liquidity Provider Account, in each case no later than 4:30 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date; provided that, by 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the Redemption Settlement Date (i) the Authorized Participant has Delivered to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC the total number of Baskets to be redeemed by such Authorized Participant pursuant to such Redemption Order and (ii) (A) in the case of a

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Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, shall have been deposited in the Alternate Cash Account by the relevant liquidity provider at the instruction of the Sponsor.

(e) In the event that on the Redemption Settlement Date, the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC shall not have been credited with the total number of Shares corresponding to the total number of Baskets to be redeemed in compliance with the provisions of Section 3.03(c) above, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Custodian via electronic mail message notice of such fact. The Sponsor and Transfer Agent may deem the relevant Redemption Order as a failed trade, and the Trust shall return (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, to the relevant liquidity provider. The Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, any liquidity provider, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to the pending Redemption Order for failure to deliver the Baskets to the Transfer Agent’s account at DTC.

(f) In the event that, upon notification by the Transfer Agent that the Shares have been Delivered, the Alternate Cash Account shall not have been credited with (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, from a liquidity provider at the direction of the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Custodian via electronic mail message notice of such fact. The Sponsor and Transfer Agent shall deem the relevant Redemption Order as a failed trade, and the Transfer Agent shall return the Shares to the Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor or the Custodian related to the pending Redemption Order for failure to Deliver (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, to the Alternate Cash Account.

(g) The Transfer Agent shall under no circumstances wire the Cash Order Delivery Amount to the Authorized Participant until such time as (x) the Authorized Participant has Delivered the corresponding number of Shares to the Transfer Agent and (y) (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, has been Delivered to the Trust (and the Trust and/or the Transfer Agent are in simultaneous possession of both).

(h) Once the Transfer Agent has received the Shares from the Authorized Participant pursuant to Section 3.03(e) above and (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, has been Delivered to the Alternate Cash Account, the Transfer Agent shall promptly

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(x) instruct (i) the Transfer Agent to cancel such Shares and Deliver (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, to the Authorized Participant and (ii) the Custodian to Deliver the Total Basket Amount to the applicable Liquidity Provider Account. In the event that, by 12:00 p.m. on the Redemption Settlement Date, either (x) the Alternate Cash Account shall not have been credited with (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, in compliance with the provisions of Section 3.03(c)(ii) above or (y) the Transfer Agent shall not have received the Shares from the Authorized Participant in compliance with the provisions of Section 3.03(c)(i) above, the Transfer Agent shall send to the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor via electronic mail message notice of such fact. The relevant Redemption Order shall be deemed a failed trade and the Trust will return (x) (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, to the liquidity provider and/or (y) the Shares to the Authorized Participant, in each case to the extent received by the Trust.

(i) The foregoing provisions notwithstanding, none of the Authorized Participant, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian shall be liable for any failure or delay in making Delivery of Shares, Digital Assets or cash, as the case may be, in respect of a Redemption Order arising from nuclear fission or fusion, radioactivity, war, terrorist event, invasion, insurrection, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of government, public authority, public service or utility problems, power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures, acts of God such as fires, floods or extreme weather conditions, market conditions or activities causing trading halts, systems failures involving computer or other information systems, including any failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network, affecting the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor, the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent and the Custodian and similar extraordinary events beyond the Authorized Participant’s, the Sponsor’s, the Trust’s, the Custodian’s, the Marketing Agent’s or the Transfer Agent’s reasonable control. In the event of any such delay, the time to complete Delivery in respect of a Redemption Order will be extended for a period equal to that during which the inability to perform continues as determined by the Transfer Agent in its sole discretion.

(j) Except as provided in Sections 3.03(b), 3.03(e), 3.03(f) and the Standard Terms, none of the Transfer Agent, the Marketing Agent, the Sponsor nor the Custodian are under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in any Redemption Order or the Delivery of the Shares, and shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

(k) For the avoidance of doubt, the Trust shall not be liable to the Authorized Participant, the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor or any other party for actions taken or not taken in relation to Alternate Cash Orders for the Redemption of Shares other than a failure to deliver (1) the Total Basket Amount to the Liquidity Provider Account and (2) (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable, to the Authorized Participant, in each case, upon the

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Trust’s receipt and simultaneous possession of (x) Shares and (y) (A) in the case of a Variable Fee Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Variable Fee; or (B) in the case of an Actual Execution Cash Order, the Total Basket NAV less any Redemption Cash Shortfall (plus any Additional Redemption Cash), if applicable. The Sponsor and the Authorized participant hereby agree, as a condition to the participation in the consummation of any such Alternate Cash Order, (A) to fully (and without exception) exculpate the Trust with respect to, and to irrevocably waive any and all claims against the Trust or the Trust Estate arising from or in connection with, such Alternate Cash Order and (B) to fully indemnify and hold the Trust harmless, in each case as provided in clause (g)(2) of Section 9 of the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Section 3.04 Suspension or Rejection of Redemption of Shares. The Redemption of Shares, whether In-Kind Orders or Cash Orders, may be suspended or rejected under the circumstances specified in the Trust Agreement, these Procedures or the Standard Terms. If the Marketing Agent rejects a Redemption Order pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent or Sponsor will notify the Authorized Participant as soon as reasonably practicable and the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant all consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant in respect of such rejected Redemption Order. If the Trust, Transfer Agent or Sponsor suspends the right to submit Redemption Orders pursuant to these Procedures or the Standard Terms, the Transfer Agent or Sponsor will notify the Authorized Participant as soon as reasonably practicable.

[Signatures Follow on Next Page]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, [●], the Sponsor, Transfer Agent, have executed these Creation and Redemption Procedures as of the date set forth above.

[●], as Authorized Participant

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC, as Sponsor

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Transfer Agent

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

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ANNEX I-A TO CREATION AND REDEMPTION PROCEDURES

FORESIDE FUND SERVICES, LLC, MARKETING
AGENT CSC DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE
CREATION/REDEMPTION ORDER
FORM
[TRUST]

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ORDER EXECUTION:

Creation and Redemption Line: [●]

 

ALL ITEMS IN PART I MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT. THE MARKETING AGENT, THE TRANSFER AGENT AND/OR THE ADMINISTRATOR, IN THEIR DISCRETION, MAY REJECT ANY ORDER NOT SUBMITTED IN COMPLETE FORM OR CONTAINING AMBIGUOUS INSTRUCTIONS. CAPITALIZED TERMS USED BUT NOT DEFINED BELOW SHALL HAVE THE MEANING SET FORTH IN THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT.

I. TO BE COMPLETED BY THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT

Date:

 

Time:

(ET)

Your Name:

 

Firm Name:

 

NSCC/DTC Participant Number:

/

Telephone Number:

 

Email Address:

 

 

 

 

Type of order (Check One): Creation Redemption

Settlement type (Check One): Digital Asset Cash

Select ETF for transaction (1 Basket = 10,000 Shares)

ETF NAME

TICKER

CUT-OFF

CREATION/
REDEMPTION SETTLEMENT DATE (T+[1][2])

[TRUST]

[TICKER]

3:59:59 p.m. (ET) for settlement in Digital Asset

 

1:59:59 p.m. (ET) for settlement in Cash

 

 

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Please provide wire information below.

Bank Account No.

 

Beneficiary Account Name

 

ABA Routing No.

 

Swift Code

 

 

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THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE EFFECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TRUST’S CURRENT PROSPECTUS AND THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT

#of Baskets Transacted Number: __________ Number written out: ___________________ Order #: ___________ Authorized Person’s Signature __________________________________

 

II. TO BE COMPLETED BY MARKETING AGENT

This certifies that the above order has been:

 Accepted by the Marketing Agent  Rejected

This certifies that the above order will be executed as a:

 Variable Fee Cash Order (default if neither checked)  Actual Execution Cash Order

 

Date ____________ Time ________________ Authorized Person’s Signature ______________

 

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ANNEX I-B TO CREATION AND REDEMPTION PROCEDURES ORDER ENTRY SYSTEM TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This Annex I-B shall govern use by Authorized Participant of the electronic order entry system for placing Creation Orders and Redemption Orders for Shares (the “System”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in Schedule I of the Authorized Participant Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Annex I-B and Section 2.01 and 2.02 of the Authorized Participant Agreement with respect to the placing of Creation Orders and Redemption Orders, the terms of this Annex I-B shall control.

1. (a) Authorized Participant shall provide to The Bank of New York Mellon a duly executed authorization letter, in a form satisfactory to The Bank of New York Mellon, identifying those authorized persons who will access the System (the “Authorized Persons”). Authorized Participant shall notify The Bank of New York Mellon in writing in the event that any person’s status as an Authorized Person is revoked or terminated as soon as possible, and The Bank of New York Mellon shall promptly terminate such Authorized Person’s access to the System.

(b) It is understood and agreed that each Authorized Person shall be designated as an Authorized Representative of Authorized Participant for the purpose of the Authorized Participant Agreement. Upon termination of the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participant’s and each Authorized Person’s access rights with respect to the System shall be immediately revoked.

2. The Bank of New York Mellon grants to Authorized Participant a personal, nontransferable and nonexclusive license to use the System solely for the purpose of transmitting Creation Orders and Redemption Orders and otherwise communicating with The Bank of New York Mellon in connection with the same. Authorized Participant shall use the System solely for its own internal and proper business purposes. Except as set forth herein, no license or right of any kind is granted to Authorized Participant with respect to the System. Authorized Participant acknowledges that The Bank of New York Mellon and its suppliers retain and have title and exclusive proprietary rights to the System. Authorized Participant further acknowledges that all or a part of the System may be copyrighted or trademarked (or a registration or claim made therefor) by The Bank of New York Mellon or its suppliers. Authorized Participant shall not take any action with respect to the System inconsistent with the foregoing acknowledgments. Authorized Participant may not copy, distribute, sell, lease or provide, directly or indirectly, the System or any portion thereof to any other person or entity without The Bank of New York Mellon’s prior written consent. Authorized Participant may not remove any statutory copyright notice or other notice included in the System. Authorized Participant shall reproduce any such notice on any reproduction of any portion of the System and shall add any statutory copyright notice or other notice upon The Bank of New York Mellon’s request.

3. (a) Authorized Participant acknowledges that any user manuals or other documentation (whether in hard copy or electronic form) (collectively, the “Material”), which is delivered or made available to Authorized Participant regarding the System is the exclusive and confidential property of The Bank of New York Mellon. Authorized Participant shall keep the Material confidential by using the same care and discretion that Authorized Participant uses with respect to

II-1


 

its own confidential property and trade secrets, but in no event less than reasonable care. Authorized Participant may make such copies of the Material as is reasonably necessary for Authorized Participant to use the System and shall reproduce The Bank of New York Mellon’s proprietary markings on any such copy. The foregoing shall not in any way be deemed to affect the copyright status of any of the Material which may be copyrighted and shall apply to all Material whether or not copyrighted. THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AND ITS SUPPLIERS MAKE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, CONCERNING THE MATERIAL OR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

(b) Upon termination of the Authorized Participant Agreement for any reason Authorized Participant shall return to The Bank of New York Mellon all copies of the Material which is in Authorized Participant’s possession or under its control, except to the extent required by applicable law or Authorized Participant’s commercially reasonable internal document retention, electronic backup or similar policies.

4. Authorized Participant agrees that it shall have sole responsibility for maintaining adequate security and control of the user IDs, passwords and codes for access to the System, which shall not be disclosed to any third party without the prior written consent of The Bank of New York Mellon. The Bank of New York Mellon shall be entitled to rely on the information received by it from the Authorized Participant and The Bank of New York Mellon may assume that all such information was transmitted by or on behalf of an Authorized Person regardless of by whom it was actually transmitted, unless the Authorized Participant previously notified The Bank of New York Mellon that the user IDs, passwords and codes for access to the System have been compromised or the Authorized Participant has properly revoked the authority of such Authorized Person pursuant to Section 2.03 of the Standard Terms.

5. The Bank of New York Mellon shall have no liability in connection with the use of the System, the access granted to the Authorized Participant and its Authorized Persons hereunder, or any transaction effected or attempted to be effected by the Authorized Participant hereunder, except for damages incurred by the Authorized Participant as a direct result of The Bank of New York Mellon’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS HEREBY AGREED THAT IN NO EVENT SHALL THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON OR ANY MANUFACTURER OR SUPPLIER OF EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE OR SERVICES BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHICH THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT MAY INCUR OR EXPERIENCE BY REASON OF ITS HAVING ENTERED INTO OR RELIED ON THIS AGREEMENT, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACCESS GRANTED TO AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT HEREUNDER, OR ANY TRANSACTION EFFECTED OR ATTEMPTED TO BE EFFECTED BY AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT HEREUNDER, EVEN IF THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON OR SUCH MANUFACTURER OR SUPPLIER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, NOR SHALL THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON OR ANY SUCH MANUFACTURER OR SUPPLIER BE LIABLE FOR ACTS OF GOD, MACHINE OR COMPUTER BREAKDOWN OR MALFUNCTION, INTERRUPTION OR MALFUNCTION OF COMMUNICATION FACILITIES, LABOR DIFFICULTIES OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR OR DISSIMILAR CAUSE BEYOND SUCH PERSON’S REASONABLE CONTROL.

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6. The Bank of New York Mellon reserves the right to revoke Authorized Participant’s access to the System immediately and without notice upon any material breach by the Authorized Participant of the terms and conditions of this Annex I-B.

7. The Bank of New York Mellon shall acknowledge through the System its receipt of each Creation Order or Redemption Order communicated through the System, and in the absence of such acknowledgment The Bank of New York Mellon shall not be liable for any failure to act in accordance with such orders and Authorized Participant may not claim that such Creation Order or Redemption Order was received by The Bank of New York Mellon. The Bank of New York Mellon may in its discretion and with notice to the Authorized Participant decline to act upon any instructions or communications that are insufficient or incomplete or are not received by The Bank of New York Mellon in sufficient time for The Bank of New York Mellon to act upon, or in accordance with, such instructions or communications.

8. Authorized Participant agrees to use reasonable efforts to prevent the transmission through the System of any software or file which contains any viruses, worms, harmful component or corrupted data and agrees not to use any device, software, or routine to interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Systems.

9. Authorized Participant acknowledges and agrees that encryption may not be available for every communication through the System, or for all data. Authorized Participant agrees that The Bank of New York Mellon may deactivate any encryption features at any time, without notice or liability to Authorized Participant, for the purpose of maintaining, repairing or troubleshooting its systems.

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SCHEDULE II

STANDARD TERMS FOR AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENTS

ARTICLE I ORDERS FOR PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION

Section 1.01. Authorization to Purchase and Redeem Baskets

Section 1.02. Procedures for Orders

Section 1.03. Consent to Recording

Section 1.04. Irrevocability

Section 1.05. Costs and Expenses

Section 1.06. Delivery of Property to the Trust and Shares Surrendered for Redemption

Section 1.07. Title to Deposit Property and Shares Surrendered for Redemption

Section 1.08. Certain Payments or Distributions

Section 1.09. Ambiguous Instructions

ARTICLE II AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES

Section 2.01. Certification

Section 2.02. PIN Numbers

Section 2.03. Termination of Authority

Section 2.04. Verification

ARTICLE III STATUS OF THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT

Section 3.01. Clearing Status

Section 3.02. Broker-Dealer Status

Section 3.03. Foreign Status

Section 3.04. Compliance with Certain Laws

Section 3.05. Authorized Participant Status

ARTICLE IV ROLE OF AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT

Section 4.01. No Agency

Section 4.02. Rights and Obligations of DTC Participant

Section 4.03. Beneficial Owner Communications

Section 4.04. Authorized Participant Customer Information

ARTICLE V MARKETING MATERIALS AND REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

Section 5.01. Representations of the Trust

Section 5.02. Representations of the Authorized Participant

Section 5.03. Prospectus

Section 5.04. Use of Authorized Participant’s Name

ARTICLE VI INDEMNIFICATION; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Section 6.01. Indemnification

ARTICLE VII LIABILITY PROVISIONS

Section 7.01. No Special Damages

Section 7.02. Force Majeure

Section 7.03. Reliance on Instructions

Section 7.04. Limited Liability

ARTICLE VIII MISCELLANEOUS

Section 8.01. Commencement of Trading

Section 8.02. Defined Terms

Section 8.03. Third-Party Beneficiaries

 

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STANDARD TERMS FOR AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENTS

STANDARD TERMS FOR AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT AGREEMENTS (the “Standard Terms”) dated as of [●] among: (i) [●], a company organized under the laws of [●] (the “Authorized Participant”); (ii) The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York banking corporation, as Transfer Agent for the Grayscale Digital Asset Trust (the “Transfer Agent”); and (iii) Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as sponsor (the “Sponsor”) for the each Trust listed on Schedule V attached hereto and incorporated herein (each, the applicable “Trust” when referred to throughout the remainder of this Agreement), as the same may be amended from time to time by the Sponsor except as otherwise specified. Capitalized terms used in these Standard Terms and not otherwise defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Creation and Redemption Procedures attached to the Authorized Participant Agreement as Schedule I (the “Procedures”).

ARTICLE I
ORDERS FOR PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION

Section 1.01. Authorization to Purchase and Redeem Baskets. Subject to the provisions of the Authorized Participant Agreement, during the term of the Authorized Participant Agreement the Authorized Participant will be authorized to purchase and tender for redemption Baskets in compliance with the provisions of the Trust Agreement, the Procedures and these Standard Terms.

Section 1.02. Procedures for Orders. Each party hereto agrees to comply with the provisions of the Trust Agreement, the Procedures and these Standard Terms to the extent applicable to it.

Section 1.03. Consent to Recording. The phone lines used by the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, the Sponsor and/or their affiliated persons may be recorded, and the Authorized Participant hereby consents to the recording of all calls with any of those parties; provided, that, the Transfer Agent shall use its reasonable efforts to provide the Authorized Participant with copies of such recordings upon the reasonable request of the Authorized Participant. The parties agree that either party may use such recordings in connection with any dispute or proceeding related to this Agreement. In the event that the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, the Sponsor or any of their affiliated persons becomes legally compelled to disclose to any third party any recording involving communications with the Authorized Participant, the Sponsor agrees to provide the Authorized Participant with reasonable advance written notice identifying the recordings to be so disclosed unless prohibited by applicable rule, law or order, together with copies of such recordings, so that the Authorized Participant may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy with respect to the recordings or waive its right to do so. In the event that such protective order or other remedy is not obtained or the Authorized Participant waives its right to seek such protective order or remedy, the Sponsor will use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain reliable assurance that confidential treatment will be accorded the recorded conversation. The Transfer Agent, the Sponsor or any of their affiliated persons shall not otherwise disclose to any third party any recording involving communications with the Authorized Participant without the Authorized Participant’s express written consent, except that the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor may disclose to any regulatory or self-regulatory organization with competent jurisdiction over Transfer Agent

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or Sponsor, as applicable, to the extent required by applicable rule or law, any recording involving communications with the Authorized Participant.

Section 1.04. Irrevocability. The Authorized Participant agrees that delivery to the Transfer Agent of an Order shall be irrevocable, provided that the Transfer Agent will reject any Order that is not completed in accordance with the Procedures. In the event that the Creation or Redemption of Baskets is suspended by the Transfer Agent or the Sponsor and such suspension affects any Order submitted by the Authorized Participant, the Transfer Agent or Sponsor, as applicable, will notify the Authorized Participant as soon as reasonably practicable of such suspension. The Sponsor agrees to undertake commercially reasonable efforts to accommodate any request by the Authorized Participant to cancel a previously placed Order if such Order has not yet been accepted, but the Sponsor shall have no liability for the Trust’s inability to accommodate such a request. The Trust, the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent will promptly return to the Authorized Participant upon cancellation or rejection of an Order all consideration, including any Shares, Digital Asset or other consideration tendered by the Authorized Participant, in respect of such cancelled or rejected Order to the extent reasonably practicable.

Section 1.05. Costs and Expenses. The Authorized Participant shall be responsible for the expenses and costs incurred by the Trust that can be directly attributable to Orders submitted by the Authorized Participant other than ordinary course expenses and costs which are reimbursed through payment of the fee contemplated in Sections 2.01(h) and 2.02(h) of the Procedures. The Transfer Agent or the Sponsor shall provide the Authorized Participant with reasonably detailed information relating to such expenses and costs upon request by the Authorized Participant.

Section 1.06. Delivery of Property to the Trust and Shares Surrendered for Redemption.

(a) The Authorized Participant understands and agrees that in the event Deposit Property in connection with an In-Kind Order for Creation is not transferred to the Trust, or Shares are not delivered to the Transfer Agent by the applicable Settlement Date in connection with any Redemption Order, in compliance with the Procedures and these Standard Terms, and, in each case, the Authorized Participant does not deposit the Collateral Amount pursuant to the Procedures, the Authorized Participant will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to any such Order. The Authorized Participant will not, however, be responsible for damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to such Orders to the extent the failure to transfer Deposit Property in connection with a Cash Order for Creation, in the case of a Creation Order, or Shares, in the case of a Redemption Order, to the Trust is due to the negligence, bad faith or reckless or willful misconduct of the Transfer Agent, the Sponsor, a liquidity provider or the Custodian or if such failure arises from nuclear fission or fusion, radioactivity, war, terrorist event, invasion, insurrection, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of government, public authority, public service or utility problems, power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures, acts of God, such as fires, floods or extreme weather conditions, market conditions or activities causing trading halts, systems failures involving computer or other information systems, including any failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network, affecting the Authorized Participant, or similar extraordinary events beyond the Authorized Participant’s control. In the event of any such delay, the time to complete Delivery in respect of a Creation Order or Redemption Order will be extended for a period equal to that during

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which the inability to perform continues as determined by the Transfer Agent in its sole discretion. Upon the deposit of Digital Assets by the Authorized Participant or any AP Designee, the Authorized Participant represents and warrants that (i) the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) is duly authorized to make such deposit of Digital Assets and (ii) at the time of Delivery, the Digital Assets are free and clear of any lien, pledge, encumbrance, right, charge or claim.

(b) The Sponsor understands and agrees that in the event Deposit Property is not transferred to the Trust by a liquidity provider at the Sponsor’s direction in connection with a Cash Order for Creation, in compliance with the Procedures and these Standard Terms, the liquidity provider will be solely responsible for all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to any such Order. The Sponsor will not, however, be responsible for damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the Trust, the Authorized Participant, the Transfer Agent or the Custodian related to such Orders to the extent the failure to transfer Deposit Property to the Trust is due to the negligence, bad faith or reckless or willful misconduct of the Transfer Agent, the Authorized Participant or the Custodian or if such failure arises from nuclear fission or fusion, radioactivity, war, terrorist event, invasion, insurrection, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of government, public authority, public service or utility problems, power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures, acts of God, such as fires, floods or extreme weather conditions, market conditions or activities causing trading halts, systems failures involving computer or other information systems, including any failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network, affecting the Sponsor, or similar extraordinary events beyond the Sponsor’s control. In the event of any such delay, the time to complete Delivery in respect of a Creation Order will be extended for a period equal to that during which the inability to perform continues as determined by the Transfer Agent in its sole discretion.

Section 1.07. Title to Deposit Property and Shares Surrendered for Redemption. (a) The Authorized Participant represents and warrants to the Transfer Agent and the Sponsor that:

(i) in connection with each In-Kind Order for Creation, the Authorized Participant, as Depositor, will have the right and authority to transfer to the Trust the corresponding Deposit Property, and that upon delivery of such Deposit Property to the Custodian on the Creation Settlement Date, the Trust will acquire good and unencumbered title to such property, free and clear of all liens, charges, duties imposed on the transfer of assets and encumbrances and not subject to any adverse claims or transferability restrictions, whether arising by operation of law or otherwise; and

(ii) in connection with a Redemption Order, the Authorized Participant has reasonable grounds to believe that it or the Authorized Participant Client, as the case may be, will on the Redemption Settlement Date own (within the meaning of Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act) the requisite number of Shares to be redeemed such that the Shares will be surrendered to the Transfer Agent on or prior to the Redemption Settlement Date. In either case, the Authorized Participant or the Authorized Participant Client, as the case may be, (i) has or will have the right and authority to surrender to the Transfer Agent for redemption on the Redemption Settlement Date the corresponding Shares, (ii) has or will have the right and authority to receive the entire proceeds of the redemption on the Redemption Settlement Date, and (iii) upon such surrender on the Redemption Settlement Date, the Trust will acquire good and unencumbered title to such Shares, free and clear of all liens, charges, duties imposed on the transfer of assets and

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encumbrances and not subject to any adverse claims, transferability restrictions (whether arising by operation of law or otherwise), loan, pledge, repurchase or securities lending agreements or other arrangements affecting legal or beneficial ownership of such Shares being submitted for redemption which, under such circumstances, would preclude the delivery of such Shares to the Transfer Agent on the Redemption Settlement Date.

Section 1.08. Ambiguous Instructions. In the event that a Creation Order or Redemption Order contains terms that differ from the information provided in the related telephone call or email transmission, the Transfer Agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts to contact the Authorized Participant to request confirmation of the terms of the order at the telephone number indicated in the Creation Order or Redemption Order. If an Authorized Representative (as defined below) confirms the terms as they appear in the Creation Order or Redemption Order, then the order will be accepted and processed. If an Authorized Representative contradicts the terms of the Creation Order or Redemption Order, the order will be deemed invalid, and a corrected Creation Order or Redemption Order must be received by the Transfer Agent no later than the Order Cutoff Time. For the avoidance of doubt, notwithstanding the invalidation of the initial Creation Order or Redemption Order pursuant to this paragraph, a Creation Order or Redemption Order that is otherwise in proper form shall be deemed submitted at the time of its initial submission for purposes of determining when orders are deemed received. If the Transfer Agent makes a commercially reasonable effort to contact the Authorized Participant but is not able to contact an Authorized Representative by the Order Cutoff Time, then the Creation Order or Redemption Order shall be accepted and processed in accordance with its terms notwithstanding any inconsistency from the terms of the telephone information. In the event that a Creation Order or Redemption Order contains terms that are illegible, the submission will be deemed invalid and the Transfer Agent will attempt to contact the Authorized Participant to request retransmission. A corrected Creation Order or Redemption Order must be received by the Transfer Agent, as applicable, no later than the Order Cutoff Time.

Section 1.09. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that the Deposit Property to be delivered by the Authorized Participant in connection with any Creation Order or the Shares to be delivered by the Authorized Participant in connection with any Redemption Order are missing some of the required assets on the applicable settlement date for such Creation Order or Redemption Order, the Sponsor and the Transfer Agent agree not to treat such Creation Order or Redemption Order as a failed trade or a failed settlement provided that the Authorized Participant adheres to the remedial steps set forth in the Procedures.

ARTICLE II
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES

Section 2.01. Certification. Concurrently with the execution of the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participant shall deliver to the Transfer Agent and the Marketing Agent a certificate in a form as attached at Schedule III to the Authorized Participant Agreement or in such other formats as may be mutually agreed to by the parties (an “Authorized Representative Certificate”) signed by the Authorized Participant’s Secretary or other duly authorized person setting forth the names, signatures, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of all persons authorized to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated hereby or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Authorized Participant (each an “Authorized

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Representative”). Such certificate may be accepted and relied upon by each of the Transfer Agent and the Marketing Agent as conclusive evidence of the facts set forth therein and shall be considered to be in full force and effect until (i) receipt by the Transfer Agent and the Marketing Agent of a superseding Authorized Representative Certificate, or (ii) termination of the Authorized Participant Agreement. After such Authorized Representative Certificate is accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Marketing Agent, the Authorized Participant may authorize additional Authorized Representatives to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated hereby or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Authorized Participant by delivering to the Transfer Agent and the Marketing Agent an addendum to the certificate described above in a form as attached at Schedule IV to the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Section 2.02. PIN Numbers. The Transfer Agent shall issue to each Authorized Participant a unique personal identification number (“PIN Number”) by which such Authorized Participant shall be identified and instructions issued by the Authorized Participant shall be authenticated. The PIN Number shall be kept confidential and only provided to Authorized Representatives. The Transfer Agent acknowledges and agrees that certain employees of the Authorized Participant, such as those who work in legal, compliance, risk management or other supervisory roles may have a reasonable need to know or may have incidental access to one or more PIN Numbers. The Authorized Participant may revoke the PIN Number at any time upon written notice to the Transfer Agent pursuant to Section 2.03 hereof, and the Authorized Participant shall be responsible for doing so in the event that it becomes aware that an unauthorized person has received access to its PIN Number or has or intends to use the PIN Number in an unauthorized manner. Except as otherwise provided in these Standard Terms, the Authorized Participant agrees that neither the Trust nor the Transfer Agent shall be liable for losses incurred by the Authorized Participant as a result of unauthorized use of the Authorized Participant’s PIN Number prior to the time when the Authorized Participant provides notice to the Transfer Agent of the termination or revocation of authority pursuant to Section 2.03 and the Transfer Agent has de-activated the PIN Number as provided for in Section 2.03 hereof.

Section 2.03. Termination of Authority. Upon the termination or revocation of authority of an Authorized Representative by the Authorized Participant or the revocation of a PIN Number by the Authorized Participant, the Authorized Participant shall (i) give, as promptly as practicable under the circumstances, written notice of such fact to the Transfer Agent and such notice shall be effective upon receipt by the Transfer Agent in accordance with the notice provisions herein; and (ii) request a new PIN Number. The Transfer Agent shall, as promptly as practicable, de-activate the PIN Number upon receipt of such written notice. If an Authorized Participant’s PIN Number is changed, the new PIN Number will become effective on a date mutually agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Transfer Agent.

Section 2.04. Verification. The Transfer Agent may assume that all instructions issued to it using the Authorized Participant’s PIN Number have been properly placed by Authorized Representatives, unless the Transfer Agent has actual knowledge to the contrary or the Authorized Participant has properly revoked such PIN Number prior to the placement of such instructions. The Transfer Agent shall have no duty to verify that an Order is being placed by an Authorized Representative that uses a valid PIN Number. The Authorized Participant agrees that the Transfer Agent shall not be responsible for any losses incurred by the Authorized Participant as a result of an Authorized Representative identifying himself or herself as a different Authorized

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Representative or an unauthorized person identifying himself or herself as an Authorized Representative, unless such person uses a PIN Number which the Authorized Participant had previously revoked in accordance with Section 2.03 hereof or which was acquired through a breach of the Transfer Agent’s security system.

ARTICLE III
STATUS OF THE AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT

Section 3.01. Clearing Status. The Authorized Participant represents, covenants and warrants that, as of the date of execution of the Authorized Participant Agreement, and at all times during the term of the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participant is and will be entitled to use the clearing and settlement services of each of the national or international clearing and settlement organizations through which, in compliance with the Procedures, the transactions contemplated hereby will clear and settle. Any change in the foregoing status of the Authorized Participant shall terminate the Authorized Participant Agreement, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the parties, and the Authorized Participant shall give prompt written notice thereof to the Transfer Agent.

Section 3.02. Broker-Dealer Status. The Authorized Participant represents and warrants that it is (i) registered as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act or other securities market participant, such as a bank or other financial institution, which, but for an exclusion from registration, would be required to register as a broker-dealer to engage in securities transactions, (ii) qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where it transacts business to the extent so required by applicable law, and (iii) a member in good standing with FINRA. The Authorized Participant agrees that it will maintain such registration and membership in good standing and any other registrations, qualifications and membership in good standing applicable to it in full force and effect throughout the term of the Authorized Participant Agreement. The Authorized Participant further agrees to comply with all applicable U.S. federal laws, the laws of the states or other jurisdictions concerned, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable to the Authorized Participant’s transactions in, and activities with respect to, Shares, and with the FINRA By-Laws and the FINRA Conduct Rules to the extent the foregoing relates to the Authorized Participant’s transactions in, and activities with respect to, Shares, and that it will not offer or sell Shares in any state or jurisdiction where they may not lawfully be offered and/or sold. The Authorized Participant shall be solely responsible for determining the application of any such laws or regulations in all cases at its own expense.

Section 3.03. Foreign Status. If the Authorized Participant is offering and selling Shares in jurisdictions outside the several states, territories and possessions of the United States and is not otherwise required to meet the requirements of clauses (i) through (iii) of Section 3.02 hereof, the Authorized Participant agrees to observe the applicable laws of the jurisdiction in which such offer and/or sale is made and to conduct its business in accordance with the FINRA Conduct Rules, to the extent the foregoing relates to the Authorized Participant’s transactions in, and activities with respect to, Shares.

Section 3.04. Compliance with Certain Laws. The Authorized Participant has policies and procedures reasonably designed to comply with the anti-money laundering and related provisions

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of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, as amended (the “U.S.A. PATRIOT Act”), and the operations of the Authorized Participant are and have been conducted in compliance with the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act.

Section 3.05. Authorized Participant Status. The Authorized Participant understands and acknowledges that the method by which Baskets will be created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. For example, because new Baskets of Shares may be issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. The Authorized Participant understands and acknowledges that some activities on its part, depending on the facts, and based on certain possible interpretations of applicable law, may result in its being deemed a participant in a distribution in a manner which could render it a statutory underwriter as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act and subject it to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

ARTICLE IV
ROLE OF AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT

Section 4.01. No Agency. The Authorized Participant acknowledges and agrees that, for purposes of the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participant will have no authority to act as agent for the Trust or the Transfer Agent in any matter or in any respect. The Authorized Participant agrees to make itself and its employees available, upon reasonable request and reasonable notice, during normal business hours to consult with the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, the Sponsor or their designees concerning the performance of the Authorized Participant’s responsibilities under the Authorized Participant Agreement; provided, however, that the Authorized Participant shall be under no obligation to divulge or otherwise disclose any information that the Authorized Participant reasonably believes (i) the disclosure of which to third parties is in violation of any applicable law or regulation or is otherwise prohibited or (ii) is confidential or proprietary in nature.

Section 4.02. Rights and Obligations of DTC Participant. The Authorized Participant, as a DTC Participant, agrees that it shall be bound by all of the obligations of a DTC Participant in addition to any obligations that it undertakes hereunder or in accordance with the Procedures.

Section 4.03. Beneficial Owner Communications. The Authorized Participant agrees (i) subject to any limitations arising under federal or state securities laws relating to privacy, or other obligations it may have to its customers, to assist the Transfer Agent or the Sponsor in determining certain information that the Authorized Participant may have in its possession regarding sales of Shares made by or through the Authorized Participant (including, without limitation, the ownership level of each beneficial owner relating to positions in Shares that the Authorized Participant may hold as record holder) upon the request of the Transfer Agent or the Sponsor that is necessary for the Transfer Agent or Sponsor to comply with their obligations to distribute information to beneficial owners of Shares under applicable state or federal securities laws and (ii) to forward to such beneficial owners written materials and communications received, directly or indirectly, from the Sponsor or the Transfer Agent in sufficient quantities to allow mailing thereof to such beneficial owners, including, without limitation, notices, annual reports, disclosure or other informational materials and any amendments or supplements thereto that may be required to be

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sent by the Sponsor or the Transfer Agent to such beneficial owners pursuant to applicable law or regulation or otherwise, or that the Sponsor or the Transfer Agent reasonably wishes to distribute to such beneficial owners, in each case at the expense of the Sponsor and/or the Trust.

Section 4.04. Authorized Participant Customer Information. The Sponsor and the Transfer Agent agree that the names and addresses and other information concerning the Authorized Participant’s customers are and shall remain the sole property of the Authorized Participant, and none of the Sponsor, the Trust, or the Transfer Agent, or any of their respective affiliates, shall use such names, addresses or other information for any purpose except as required for performance of their duties and responsibilities under the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Procedures, the Standard Terms, the Trust Agreement and the applicable Prospectus and except for servicing and informational mailings related to the Trust referred to in Section 4.03 above.

ARTICLE V
MARKETING MATERIALS AND REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

Section 5.01. Representations of the Trust. The Sponsor hereby represents and warrants on behalf of the Trust:

(a) The Registration Statement will have become effective, and on the effective date of the Registration Statement (the “Effective Date”) and at each Time of Purchase, the Registration Statement shall be effective and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement will be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose will be pending before or, to the Sponsor’s knowledge, threatened by the SEC.

The Registration Statement complies, or will comply when so filed, in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, and the Prospectus complied, or will comply, as of its date, and complies at each Time of Purchase, in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder. As of the Effective Date and as of each Time of Purchase, the Registration Statement will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Prospectus, as of its date or as of each Time of Purchase, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Sponsor makes no warranty or representation with respect to any statement contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information concerning the Authorized Participant and furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Authorized Participant to the Sponsor expressly for use therein.

No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or other action of, or filing with, any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority, agency, body or court having jurisdiction over the Trust is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, except (i) such as have been obtained and made or will have been obtained and made under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act on or prior to the Creation of such Shares, (ii) approval of listing on NYSE Arca, (iii) such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares and (iv) if required,

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exemptive relief from the SEC pursuant to Regulation M regarding the reinstatement of the Trust’s ability to redeem Shares.

(b) As of the Effective Date, the Trust will have all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform each of its obligations under this Agreement and issue the Shares. The Shares, when issued, will be in the form contemplated by the Trust Agreement and when delivered against payment of consideration therefor, as provided in this Agreement, will be duly and validly authorized, issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights. The Shares will be consistent with the descriptions thereof contained in the Prospectus.

(c) All marketing and promotional materials other than the Prospectus provided to the Authorized Participant by the Sponsor will comply in all material respects with applicable law, including, without limitation, the provisions of the Securities Act, FINRA’s marketing rules and the rules and regulations of the SEC.

(d) As of the Effective Date, the Shares will have been approved for listing on NYSE Arca; the Sponsor will comply, at all times during which this Agreement is in effect, with all applicable disclosure requirements in connection with its offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, those under the Securities Act and the rules of the SEC thereunder.

Section 5.02. Representations of the Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant represents, warrants and agrees that, in connection with any sale or solicitation of a sale of Shares, it will not make, or permit any of its representatives to make on its behalf, any representations concerning Shares, the Trust or the Sponsor other than those not inconsistent with the Trust’s Prospectus or any promotional materials or sales literature furnished to the Authorized Participant by the Sponsor or other information and materials filed by the Trust with the SEC or made available on any website controlled by the Sponsor or the Trust. The Authorized Participant agrees not to furnish or cause to be furnished to any person or display or publish any information or materials concerning the Shares, the Trust or the Sponsor, including, without limitation, research materials, market color commentaries, training and educational materials, promotional materials and sales literature, advertisements, press releases, announcements, statements, posters, signs or other similar materials (“Marketing Materials”), except such Marketing Materials as may be furnished to the Authorized Participant by the Sponsor and such other information and materials as may be approved in writing by the Sponsor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Authorized Participant and its Affiliates and representatives may, without the approval of the Sponsor, prepare and circulate in the regular course of their respective businesses research, reports, commentary or similar materials that include information, opinions or recommendations relating to Shares (i) for public dissemination, provided that such reports, research, commentary or other similar materials comply with applicable FINRA rules and/or (ii) for internal use by the Authorized Participant and its Affiliates and representatives.

Section 5.03. Prospectus. The Sponsor will provide, or cause to be provided, to the Authorized Participant copies of the Prospectus and any printed supplemental information in reasonable quantities upon request. The Sponsor will, as promptly as practicable under the circumstances, notify the Authorized Participant when a revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus for the Shares is available, and deliver or otherwise make available to the Authorized

II-14


 

Participant copies of such revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus at such time and in such quantities as may be reasonable to permit the Authorized Participant to comply with any obligation the Authorized Participant may have to deliver such Prospectus to its customers. The Sponsor will make such revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus available to the Authorized Participant no later than its effective date. The Sponsor shall be deemed to have complied with this Section 5.03 when the Authorized Participant has received such revised, supplemented or amended Prospectus by e-mail at [ ], in printable form, with such number of hard copies as may be agreed from time to time by the parties promptly thereafter.

Section 5.04. Use of Authorized Participant’s Name.

(a) The Sponsor agrees that it will not, without prior written consent of the Authorized Participant, use in advertising or publicity the name of the Authorized Participant or any affiliate of the Authorized Participant, any trade name, trademark, trade device, service mark, symbol or any abbreviation, contraction or simulation thereof owned by the Authorized Participant or any of its affiliates or represent, directly or indirectly, that any product or any service provided or distributed by the Trust or the Sponsor has been approved or endorsed by the Authorized Participant or any of its affiliates or that the Authorized Participant acts as underwriter, distributor, marketing agent or selling group member with respect to the Shares.

(b) The Sponsor agrees not to identify or name the Authorized Participant in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any free-writing prospectus or in any Marketing Materials of the Trust, except as required by applicable law or regulation, and in no event shall identify the Authorized Participant as an underwriter in any communications, documentation, materials, or filings of the Trust without the Authorized Participant’s prior written consent, and provided that in all cases, the Sponsor shall provide advance written notice of such disclosure to the Authorized Participant and upon receipt of such notice, provided that the Authorized Participant has not previously consented in writing to such disclosure, the Authorized Participant may elect to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion. If the Authorized Participant agrees to be identified in any such documents, upon the notification of termination of the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Sponsor shall promptly (i) file a current report on Form 8-K indicating the notification of withdrawal of the Authorized Participant as an authorized participant of the Trust and (ii) update the website of the Trust and any investment adviser of the Trust to remove any identification of the Authorized Participant as an authorized participant of the Trust. Further and for the avoidance of doubt, if the Authorized Participant agrees to be identified in any of such documents, the Trust and Sponsor each agree and acknowledge that the Authorized Participant is not intended to serve as an underwriter to the Trust by granting such consent.

ARTICLE VI
INDEMNIFICATION; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Section 6.01. Indemnification.

(a) The Authorized Participant shall indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor, in its capacity as sponsor of the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Trust and their respective Affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (each an “AP Indemnified Party”)

II-15


 

from and against any claim, loss, liability, cost and expense (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by such AP Indemnified Party as a result of (i) any breach by the Authorized Participant (or its AP Designee) of any provision of the Authorized Participant Agreement that relates to the Authorized Participant, including the representations and warranties contained in the Procedures and these Standard Terms (together, the “Trust Documents”); (ii) any failure on the part of the Authorized Participant to perform any of its obligations set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement or Trust Documents; (iii) any failure by the Authorized Participant to comply with applicable laws, including, without limitation, rules and regulations of any regulatory or self-regulatory organizations in relation to its role as Authorized Participant; (iv) actions of such AP Indemnified Party taken in reliance upon any instructions issued or representations made in accordance with the Trust Documents reasonably believed by the AP Indemnified Party to be genuine and to have been given by the Authorized Participant; or (v) (A) any representation by the Authorized Participant or any of their employees or agents or other representatives about the Shares or any AP Indemnified Party that is not consistent with the Trust’s then-current Prospectus made in connection with the offer or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell Shares, (B) any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading in any Marketing Materials to the extent that such statement or omission relates to the Shares or any AP Indemnified Party, unless such statement or omission was furnished to the Authorized Participant or otherwise approved in writing by the Sponsor, the Trust or any of their designees and (C) any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the Registration Statement or any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading in the Prospectus to the extent such statement or omission were based upon written information furnished to an AP Indemnified Party by the Authorized Participant specifically for use therein. The Authorized Participant shall not be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against any AP Indemnified Party unless the AP Indemnified Party shall have notified the Authorized Participant in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the AP Indemnified Party (or after the AP Indemnified Party shall have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to notify the Authorized Participant of any claim shall not relieve the Authorized Participant from any liability which it may have to any AP Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph, and shall not release it from such liability under this paragraph unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the Authorized Participant of substantial rights and defenses. The Authorized Participant shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense, or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims, but if the Authorized Participant elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it.

(b) The Sponsor shall indemnify and hold harmless the Authorized Participant, its Affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (each a “Sponsor Indemnified Party”) from and against any claim, loss, liability, cost and expense (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by such Sponsor Indemnified Party as a

II-16


 

result of (i) any breach by the Sponsor (or its Sponsor Agent) of any provision of the Authorized Participant Agreement that relates to the Sponsor; (ii) any failure by the Sponsor to perform any of its obligations set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement applicable to it; (iii) any failure on the part of the Sponsor to comply in all material respects with applicable laws, including, without limitation, rules and regulations of any regulatory or self-regulatory organizations to the extent such laws, rules and regulations are applicable to the transactions being undertaken pursuant to the Authorized Participant Agreement; (iv) actions of such Sponsor Indemnified Party taken in reliance upon any instructions issued or representations made in accordance with the Authorized Participant Agreement, the Procedures, the Trust Agreement or these Standard Terms reasonably believed by the Sponsor Indemnified Party to be genuine and to have been given by the Sponsor; or (v) with respect to the Registration Statement, any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or, with respect to the Prospectus and any Marketing Materials, any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading to the extent that such statement or omission relates to the Shares or the Trust, unless such statement or omission was furnished to the Sponsor or otherwise approved in writing by the Authorized Participant or any of their designees. The Sponsor shall not be liable under its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph with respect to any claim made against any Sponsor Indemnified Party unless the Sponsor Indemnified Party shall have notified the Sponsor in writing of the claim within a reasonable time after the summons or other first written notification giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon the Sponsor Indemnified Party (or after the Sponsor Indemnified Party shall have received notice of service on any designated agent). However, failure to notify the Sponsor of any claim shall not relieve the Sponsor from any liability which it may have to any Sponsor Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of its indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph, and shall not release it from such liability under this paragraph unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the Sponsor of substantial rights and defenses. The Sponsor shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense, or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims, but if the Sponsor elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it. If the Sponsor does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the Sponsor Indemnified Parties in the suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.

(c) No indemnifying party, as described in paragraphs (a) and (b) above, shall, without the written consent of the AP Indemnified Party or the Sponsor Indemnified Party, as the case may be, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the AP Indemnified Party or Sponsor Indemnified Party, as the case may be, from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any AP Indemnified Party or Sponsor Indemnified Party, as the case may be.

(d) The Authorized Participant shall not be liable to any AP Indemnified Party for any damages arising out of (i) mistakes or errors in data provided in connection with Creations or

II-17


 

Redemptions except for data provided by the Authorized Participant, or (ii) mistakes or errors by, or arising out of interruptions or delays of communications with, the Transfer Agent or any AP Indemnified Party.

(e) The indemnification provided for in Section 6.01(a) shall not apply to the extent any such losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses are incurred as a result of any fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or reckless or willful misconduct on the part of an AP Indemnified Party. The indemnification provided for in Section 6.01(b) shall not apply to the extent any such losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses are incurred as a result of any fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or reckless or willful misconduct on the part of a Sponsor Indemnified Party.

(f) The indemnity agreements contained in this Section 6.01 shall remain in full force and effect and shall survive any termination of this Agreement. The Sponsor and the Authorized Participant agree promptly to notify each other of the commencement of any proceeding against it and against any of their officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or in connection with the Registration Statement or the relevant Prospectus.

ARTICLE VII
LIABILITY PROVISIONS

Section 7.01. No Special Damages. In the absence of gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct, in no event shall any party to these Standard Terms be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, exemplary, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of revenue, loss of actual or anticipated profit, loss of contracts, loss of the use of money, loss of anticipated savings, loss of business, loss of opportunity, loss of market share, loss of goodwill or loss of reputation), even if such parties have been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action. In no event shall any party be liable for the acts or omissions of DTC, NSCC or any other securities depository or clearing corporation.

Section 7.02. Force Majeure. No party to these Standard Terms shall be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation: acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; terrorism; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruptions; loss or malfunction of utilities, computer (hardware or software) or communications service; failures or outages of the Digital Asset Network; accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority or governmental actions.

Section 7.03. Reliance on Instructions. Subject to Sections 2.02, 2.03 and 2.04, the Transfer Agent may conclusively rely upon, and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon, any communication authorized under these Standard Terms and upon any written or oral instruction, notice, request, direction or consent reasonably believed by it to be genuine.

Section 7.04. Limited Liability. In the absence of fraud, bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct on its part, the Transfer Agent, whether acting directly or through agents, affiliates or attorneys, shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted or for any error of judgment made by it in the performance of its duties hereunder. The Transfer Agent shall not

II-18


 

be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith unless in exercising such, it shall have been grossly negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts necessary to make such judgment. The Transfer Agent shall not be required to advance, expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur or become exposed to financial liability in the performance of its duties hereunder, except as may be required as a result of its own fraud, bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct.

ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS

Section 8.01. Commencement of Trading. The Authorized Participant may not submit an Order prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or amendment to the Registration Statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Section 8.02. Defined Terms. All capitalized terms used in these Standard Terms and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Authorized Participant Agreement and the Procedures.

Section 8.03. Third-Party Beneficiaries. The parties acknowledge and agree that the Trust shall be a third-party beneficiary of the Authorized Participant Agreement, including, without limitation, as to Section 6.01(c) of these Standard Terms.

[Signatures Follow on Next Page]

 

II-19


 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed these Standard Terms as of the date set forth above.

 

[●], as Authorized Participant

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS SPONSORS, LLC, as Sponsor

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Transfer Agent

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

II-20


 

SCHEDULE III

FORM OF LIST OF CERTIFIED AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AUTHORIZED
PARTICIPANT

The following are the names, titles, signatures, phone numbers, and email addresses of all persons (each, an “Authorized Representative”) authorized to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated by this Authorized Participant Agreement for the [TRUST] (the “Agreement”) or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Authorized Participant pursuant to the Authorized Participant Agreement.

Authorized Participant:

Name:

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

Title:

 

Signature:

 

Signature:

 

Phone:

 

Phone:

 

Email:

 

Email:

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

Title:

 

Signature:

 

Signature:

 

Phone:

 

Phone:

 

Email:

 

Email:

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

Title:

 

Signature:

 

Signature:

 

Phone:

 

Phone:

 

Email:

 

Email:

 

 

Date:

 

Certified By:

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

DTC Participant Number:

 

 

III-1


 

SCHEDULE IV
ADDENDUM TO THE CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES

[On Authorized Participant’s Firm Letterhead]

[DATE]

 

Attn:

The Bank of New York Mellon

240 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10007

Attn: Foreside Fund Services, LLC [●]

[●],

NY [●]

Re: Addendum to the Certificate of Authorized Representatives for [●] under the Authorized Participant Agreement for the [TRUST], sponsored by Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, dated [DATE] (the “Agreement”)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Pursuant to the Agreement, the following are the names, titles, signatures, phone numbers, and email addresses of additional Authorized Representatives of [●] (the “Authorized Participant”) authorized to give instructions relating to any activity contemplated by the Agreement or any other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Authorized Participant pursuant to the Agreement. This list of Authorized Representatives is an addendum and adds further Authorized Representatives to the Authorized Participant’s most recently executed certificate (entitled “Certificate of Authorized Representatives of the Authorized Participant”).

Name:

Name:

Title:

Title:

Signature:

Signature:

Phone:

Phone:

Email:

Email:

 

 

 

 

Name:

Name:

Title:

Title:

Signature:

Signature:

Phone:

Phone:

Email:

Email:

 

Please provide PIN numbers for such Authorized Representatives who are not already established in the Transfer Agent’s system.

IV-1


 

The undersigned does hereby certify that the persons listed above have been duly authorized to act as Authorized Representatives pursuant to the Authorized Participant Agreement.

 

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

Date:

 

IV-2


 

SCHEDULE V

LIST OF TRUSTS

 

 

Trust

Trust Agreement

Digital Asset

Index

[]

[]

[]

[]

 

 

IV-3


gfx90400010_0.jpg

img90400010_0.jpg

img90400010_1.jpg

gfx90400010_0.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 26, 2025

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

c/o Grayscale Investments, LLC

290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor

Stamford, Connecticut 06902

Re: Grayscale Solana Trust

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special Delaware counsel to Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL) (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust, in connection with the matters set forth herein. This opinion is being delivered to you at your request.

We have examined and relied upon such records, documents, certificates and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinions expressed below, including the following documents:

(a)
The Certificate of Trust of the Trust, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Secretary of State”) on November 8, 2021, as amended by the Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust, as filed with the Secretary of State on November 23, 2021 (collectively, the “Certificate of Trust”);
(b)
The Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of the Trust, dated as of November 8, 2021, between Grayscale Investments, LLC, as sponsor, and CSC Delaware Trust Company (formerly known as Delaware Trust Company), as trustee (the “Trustee”);
(c)
The Second Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, dated as of September 22, 2025 (the “Amended and Restated Trust Agreement”), among the Trustee, Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, as sponsor (the “Sponsor”), and the shareholders from time to time thereunder;

 

 

 

 

 


Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

September 26, 2025
Page
2

 

(d)
A form of the Authorized Participant Agreement to be entered into by the Sponsor, acting in its capacity as Sponsor of the Trust, The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York Banking corporation acting in its capacity as transfer agent of the Trust, and each authorized participant (the “Authorized Participant Agreement”);
(e)
Amendment No. 4 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”), including a preliminary prospectus (the “Prospectus”), filed by the Sponsor and the Trust with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on or about the date hereof relating to an unspecified number of shares to be issued by the Trust representing units of fractional undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust (each, a “Share” and collectively, the “Shares); and
(f)
A Certificate of Good Standing for the Trust, dated September 25, 2025, obtained from the Secretary of State.

With respect to all documents examined by us, we have assumed (i) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as authentic originals, (ii) the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies or forms, and (iii) the genuineness of all signatures. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are used as defined in, or by reference in, the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, except that references herein to any document shall mean such document as in effect on the date hereof.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations set forth hereinbelow, it is our opinion that:

1.
The Trust is validly existing as a statutory trust under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, 12 Del. C. § 3801 et seq. (the “Act”) and has the power and authority to issue and deliver the Shares.
2.
When the Shares to be issued by the Trust have been delivered and sold to and paid for by the subscribers thereof as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Authorized Participant Agreement and the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, such Shares will be validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable beneficial interests in the Trust.

The foregoing opinions are subject to the following assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations:

A.
This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Delaware (excluding the securities laws of the State of Delaware), and we have not considered and express no opinion on the laws of any other jurisdiction, including federal laws and rules and regulations relating thereto. Our opinions are rendered only with respect to Delaware laws and rules, regulations and orders thereunder which are currently in effect.

 


Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)

September 26, 2025
Page
3

 

B.
We have assumed (i) that the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties thereto with respect to the subject matter thereof, including, without limitation, the creation, operation and termination of the Trust and that the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement and the Certificate of Trust are in full force and effect and have not been amended, (ii) the due creation, due formation or due organization, as the case may be, and valid existence in good standing of each party to the documents (other than the Trust) examined by us under the laws of the jurisdiction governing its creation, formation or organization, (iii) the legal capacity of each natural person who is a signatory to the documents examined by us, (iv) that each of the parties to the documents (other than the Trust) examined by us has the power and authority to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, such documents, (v) the due authorization, execution and delivery by all parties thereto of all documents (other than the Trust) examined by us, (vi) the due submission to the Sponsor or its delegate of a Creation Order by each Authorized Participant, (vii) the due acceptance by the Sponsor or its delegate of each Creation Order, (viii) the payment by each Shareholder to the Trust of the full consideration due from it for the Shares subscribed to by it, (ix) the Shares will be offered and sold as described in the Registration Statement, the Authorized Participant Agreement, and the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, and (x) that any amendment or restatement of any document reviewed by us has been accomplished in accordance with, and was permitted by, the relevant provisions of said document prior to its amendment or restatement from time to time.
C.
We have not participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (except for providing this opinion) and assume no responsibility for its contents.
D.
We note that Section 6.7(f) of the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement provides that the Shareholders will indemnify the Trust in certain circumstances.

We consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the use of our name under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving the foregoing consents, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.

JWP/CZD

 


img68556493_0.jpg

Davis Polk & Wardwell llp

450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017

Exhibit 8.1

 

[ ], 2025

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL)
c/o Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC
290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor
Stamford, Connecticut 06902

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special tax counsel for Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Company"), in connection with the preparation and filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, a registration statement on Form S-1 (the "Registration Statement"), including the prospectus constituting Part I of the Registration Statement (the "Prospectus"). The Registration Statement relates to the proposed issuance by the Grayscale Solana Trust (the "Trust"), a Delaware trust governed by the Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement dated September 19, 2025 between the Company, as Sponsor and CSC Delaware Trust Company, as Trustee (as amended from time to time, the “Trust Agreement”), of an unspecified amount of shares representing units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust (the "Shares").

We have examined the Prospectus and originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of all such agreements, certificates and other statements of corporate officers and other representatives of the Company, and such other documents, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate in order to enable us to render this opinion. In such examination we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have, when relevant facts material to our opinion were not independently established by us, relied, to the extent we deemed such reliance proper, upon written or oral statements of officers and other representatives of the Company. We have assumed, with your permission, that all statements concerning the Trust set forth in the Prospectus and in the written and oral statements described above are true, correct and complete, and that each of the Company and the Trust has complied with, and will continue to comply with, the obligations, covenants, and agreements contained in the Trust Agreement without waiver or modification.

Based on and subject to the foregoing, we advise you that, subject to the limitations and qualifications, and based on the assumptions, described herein and therein, the statements of law and legal conclusions set forth in the discussion under the caption "Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences" in the Prospectus constitute our opinion as to the material United States federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of Shares that generally may apply to a "U.S. Holder" or a “non-U.S. Holder” (in each case, as defined in the material under such caption), as applicable, under currently applicable law.

We express our opinion herein only as to those matters specifically set forth above, and no opinion should be inferred as to the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of Shares under any state, local or foreign law, or with respect to other areas of U.S. federal taxation. We are members of the Bar of the State of New York, and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the federal law of the United States.

 

 

 

 

 


img68556493_1.jpg

 

 

 

draft

 

Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC

 

 

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and to the references to our firm in the material under the caption "Legal Matters" in the said Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

2


 

Exhibit 10.11

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.

 

img168533539_0.jpg

 

 

MASTER CUSTODY SERVICE AGREEMENT

 

 

Anchorage Contact

 

Client Contact

Name: Matthew Zablotny

 

Name: Ed McGee

Email: matthew.zablotny@anchorlabs.com

 

Email: ed@grayscale.com; cc: legal@grayscale.com

 

This MASTER CUSTODY SERVICE AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is made and entered into as of the Effective Date provided herein, by and between Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. (“Anchorage”), and each Client as provided herein (each a “Client”) (collectively, Anchorage and Client, each a “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”). Each Client, acting through Grayscale Investment Sponsors, LLC, the Sponsor of each investment vehicle (the “Sponsorˮ), severally and not jointly enters into this Agreement with Anchorage. This Agreement shall constitute separate agreements, each between a single Client and Anchorage, as if such Client had executed a separate Agreement naming only itself as the Client, and no Client shall have any liability for the obligations of any other Client. Any reference to "Agreement" shall be construed to refer to the respective Agreement between a Client and Anchorage.

 

The Agreement consists of the terms in the below Order Form and the following Standard Terms and Conditions attached herein.

 

ORDER FORM

 

1. Effective Date:

 

 

2. Initial Term:

 

     [***]

3. Renewal Term:

     [***]

4. Client(s). Each “Client” listed herein is subject to the Agreement as if this Agreement were

between such individual Client and Anchorage, except specifically the Fees will be calculated on

an aggregated basis, including the sum of all Clients’ Assets Under Custody.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

 

[***]

Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF

Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF

 

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

 

5.
FEES

 

[***]

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

6.
Address for Notices:

 

To Client(s): Invoice Email: ap@grayscale.com

Notice Email:

legal@grayscale.com; operations@grayscale.com

290 Harbor Drive

Stamford, Connecticut 06902 United States

 

WITH A MANDATORY COPY OF ALL LEGAL NOTICES TO:

legal@grayscale.com

 

To Anchorage: legal@anchorage.com AND

custodyexecutive@anchorage.com

Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. 101 S. Reid Street, Suite 329 Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57103

 

 

IN CONSIDERATION AND WITNESS WHEREOF, Anchorage and Client, by their duly authorized representatives, hereby execute this Agreement as of the Effective Date.

 

ANCHORAGE DIGITAL BANK N.A.

ON BEHALF OF EACH CLIENT HEREIN

By: Anchorage Digital Bank N.A.

By: Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, for itself and as Sponsor of the Clients listed in Section 4 of this Order Form, and any other Clients it sponsors from time to time.

/s/ Rachel Anderika

/s/ Edward McGee

Name: Rachel Anderika

Name: Edward McGee

Title: Chief Operating Officer

Title: Chief Financial Officer

Date: August 8, 2025

Date: August 8, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

AFFILIATED BUSINESS DISCLOSURE AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST WAIVER

 

Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. is affiliated with Anchor Labs, Inc., Anchorage Hold LLC, and Anchorage Lending CA, LLC (each an “Anchorage Affiliate”), through common ownership and management. In particular, Anchor Labs, Inc. provides certain administrative, technology, marketing, and other support services for custodial accounts on behalf of Anchorage Digital Bank. Because the two companies are under common ownership and management, the owners of Anchor Labs, Inc. will receive an indirect benefit from any fees you pay to Anchorage Digital Bank. In addition, Anchorage Digital Bank and Anchorage Affiliates may also refer clients to each other for the performance of services offered by such companies. Your use of services of Anchorage Digital Bank may result in benefits from such referral to the other companies by virtue of the companies’ common ownership and management.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

I, duly authorized and on behalf of each Client as set forth in the Order Form, have read this disclosure form, and I acknowledge and understand that Anchorage Digital Bank and Anchorage Affiliates are under common ownership and control. I further acknowledge and understand that by retaining Anchorage Digital Bank, I am providing an indirect financial benefit to the owners of Anchorage Affiliates. Understanding the common ownership and control of the companies, I agree to utilize the services of Anchorage Digital Bank freely.

 

I also understand and agree that referrals for services among Anchorage Digital Bank and Anchorage Affiliates may result in the owners of the referring company receiving an indirect financial benefit from the services provided.

 

ON BEHALF OF EACH CLIENT HEREIN:

 

By: Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, for itself and as Sponsor of the Clients listed in Section 4 of this Order Form, and any other Clients it sponsors from time to time.

Name: Edward McGee

Title: Chief Financial Officer

Date: August 8, 2025

 

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

ANCHORAGE DIGITAL BANK STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

Capitalized terms not defined in the Order Form, body of these Terms and Conditions, or supporting Schedules are defined in Schedule A (Definitions).

 

1.
Anchorage Appointment and Provision of the Services.

 

1.1.
Appointment. Client appoints Anchorage to provide the Services, including acting as custodian of Client Digital Assets pursuant to this Agreement, and Anchorage hereby accepts such appointment. Anchorage is, and shall remain at all times during the Term of this Agreement, a qualified custodian as defined under Investment Advisers Act of 1940 as amended. Anchorage shall at all times use best efforts to provide the Services.

1.2.
Provision of the Services.

 

(a)
Subject to (i) Client’s successful completion of the account acceptance process as provided in Section 2.1, and (ii) provided that Client is in compliance with this Agreement, during the Term, Anchorage will provide the Services to Client.

 

(b)
Anchorage will reasonably determine the requirements for any Direction, including Authenticated Instructions, and whether such requirements have been satisfied as to any Direction, at all times subject to this Agreement. Anchorage shall not act on a direction or instruction which is not an Authenticated Instruction. Subject to the terms of, and provided Anchorage complies with its obligations under, this Agreement, Anchorage is entitled to rely upon a Direction in all respects. Client acknowledges that (i) Anchorage’s acceptance of Directions related to Client’s deposit and withdrawal of assets is based on the parameters of Authenticated Instructions and in accordance with Anchorage’s Services requirements; (ii) Anchorage has no duty to inquire into or investigate the legality, validity, or accuracy of any information, data, or instructions related to a Direction, unless Anchorage has constructive or actual knowledge that the person originating the Direction does not have the authority to bind the Client; and (iii) except as required by Law, Anchorage shall run applicable checks such as sanctions screening.

 

(c)
The Services are available only in connection with those Digital Assets and protocols that Anchorage, in its sole discretion, supports. The type and scope of Services that Anchorage supports for each Digital Asset, and applicable Fees for such Services, may differ. Under no circumstances should Client attempt to use the Services to store, send, request, or receive Digital Assets and protocols that Anchorage does not support. Anchorage assumes no responsibility in connection with any attempt to use any Account or Vault with Digital Assets that Anchorage does not support, and any such unsupported Digital Assets deposited to or received in any Account or Vault are subject to forfeiture and loss. The Digital Assets that Anchorage supports may change from time to time, based on Anchorage's sole and absolute discretion. Anchorage will notify Client in writing in advance if it ceases to support a particular Digital Asset for which Anchorage has provided Services to Client. In the case of bitcoin and ether, Anchorage shall provide Client with one hundred and eighty (180) days’ written notice before ceasing to support custody services for bitcoin and ether, unless Anchorage is required to cease such support by court order, statute, law, rule (including a

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

self- regulatory organization rule), regulation, code, or other similar requirement, in which case written notice shall be provided promptly upon Anchorage determining it will not be able to support custody services for bitcoin and ether.

 

(d)
Client acknowledges that Anchorage will not monitor Digital Assets for actions taken by the issuer of such Digital Asset, if any. Such actions may include an issuer instruction requiring the holder of a Digital Asset to transfer it to a certain location. For the avoidance of doubt, Client is solely responsible for satisfying or responding to any such actions of an issuer.

 

(e)
Anchorage shall only follow the Directions from Client. Anchorage is released and held harmless by Client for following the Directions from the Client.

 

(f)
[Reserved]

 

(g)
From time to time, Anchorage may, in its sole discretion, offer Client additional optional services involving settlement services (“Optional Settlement Services”). Client may elect to accept Optional Settlement Services by signing the Settlement Services Addendum attached to this Agreement, or by accepting such services in the Anchorage Platform if offered therein. In the event Client accepts Optional Settlement Services, Client agrees to comply with all terms and conditions set forth under the Settlement Services Addendum. For the avoidance of doubt, by entering this Agreement, the Client has not elected to accept Optional Settlement Services from Anchorage.

 

(h)
Anchorage agrees that Anchorage is solely responsible for any gas or network fees necessary for the transfer of Digital Assets in connection with Client’s Direction as set forth in this Agreement (including its obligation to settle any Transactions) as it relates to trust or exchange-traded funds services. However, for any additional new entities added under this Agreement, Anchorage reserves the right to evaluate the applicable gas or network fees and shall notify the Client immediately.

 

(i)
Vesting Schedules. By custodying Digital Assets from validators, protocols, or token issuers (each a “Token Issuer”) with a Vesting Schedule (“Restricted Assets”) with Anchorage, Client agrees that Restricted Assets may be subject to the applicable Vesting Schedule imposed by the applicable Token Issuer. Anchorage may, as required by Token Issuer, act in accordance with and comply on a best efforts basis with the applicable Vesting Schedule, such that all Restricted Assets deposited in Client Account or Vault shall remain restricted from withdrawal by Client in accordance with the applicable Vesting Schedule provided by the Token Issuer, and as instructed by the Token Issuer to Anchorage. Accordingly, Client acknowledges and agrees that Client may not be able to withdraw any Restricted Assets from Client Account or Vault until such assets have vested pursuant to the applicable Vesting Schedule as provided by Token Issuer, and in the case of any conflict between Client Directions regarding Restricted Assets and the applicable Vesting Schedule, Anchorage is hereby authorized by Client to act in accordance with the Vesting Schedule.

 

(j)
Token Issuer Risks. Client acknowledges and agrees that Anchorage is not responsible for decisions made by any Token Issuer, or for any changes to any Vesting Schedule made by the Token Issuer once Client’s Restricted Assets are deposited with Anchorage, and Client acknowledges and accepts any risks associated with decisions made by Token Issuer, which are outside of Anchorage’s control. If Client causes Anchorage to follow any Client Directions that would result in any of the Client

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

Account(s) being in violation of any applicable Vesting Schedule, Client agrees to indemnify and hold Anchorage harmless against any Claims by the Token Issuer.

 

(k)
Anchorage shall only follow the Directions from Client. Anchorage is released and held harmless by Client for following the Directions from the Client.

 

(l)
Pursuant to Section 2.4 of this Agreement, the third-party staking providers referenced in relevant On-Chain Services do not take custody of the Client’s private keys, which are held by Anchorage at all times.

 

1.3.
Storage of Digital Assets. Anchorage will receive Digital Assets for storage by generating Private Keys and their Public Key pairs, with Anchorage retaining custody of such Private Keys. Upon receipt, Anchorage will at all times use best efforts to custody the Digital Assets in Client’s name or Accounts established for the benefit of the Client, unless otherwise specified in (a) an applicable Client Service Provider Agreement, or (b) instructions provided by a Client Service Provider or a Control Party pursuant thereto. Anchorage shall be deemed to have received a Digital Asset after the Digital Asset’s receipt has been confirmed on the relevant Blockchain or otherwise ledgered to Anchorage’s satisfaction. The hardware security module utilized by Anchorage is located in the United States. Upon Client’s written request, Anchorage shall provide confirmation that the hardware security module still remains in the United States. Digital Assets in Client’s Account shall (i) be segregated at a unique blockchain address or addresses on the relevant Blockchain (e.g., in the case of bitcoin, the Blockchain associated with the Bitcoin network) from the assets held by Anchorage as principal and the assets of other customers of Anchorage and any other person, (ii) not be treated as general assets of Anchorage, and Anchorage shall have no right, title or interest in such Digital Assets, (iii) Anchorage serves as a fiduciary and custodian on Client’s behalf, and the Digital Assets in Client’s Account are considered fiduciary assets that remain Client’s property at all times. Digital Assets shall be held in Client’s Account in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and shall not be commingled with other customers', Anchorage's, or any other person's Digital Assets. Client's Account(s) and all Digital Assets in the Client's Account shall be held by Anchorage at all times.

 

1.4.
Accounting for Digital Assets. At all times, Client owns Digital Assets and fiat currency (if applicable) held by Anchorage on behalf of Client under this Agreement. Client Digital Assets and fiat currency shall be kept separate from the assets of Anchorage and shall not be reflected on Anchorage’s balance sheet as assets of Anchorage. Anchorage will record on its books and records all Digital Assets and fiat currency (if applicable) received by it for the Account and will segregate Digital Assets from those of any other person or entity. Anchorage will provide Client with access to the Technology Platform for transaction records and holdings and will provide Client daily statements that show balances and transaction records of Client Digital Assets. Upon commercially reasonable notice to Anchorage, Anchorage will provide Client copies of the books and records pertaining to the Client that are in the possession or under the control of Anchorage. The books and records maintained by Anchorage will, to the extent applicable, be prepared and maintained in all material respects as required by applicable Laws, and shall separately identify Client's Digital Assets at all times such that in an insolvency of Anchorage, the receiver or other administrator appointed in respect of Anchorage would be able to identify and trace Client's Digital Assets separately from the assets of Anchorage's own assets and those of all other persons. Upon request from Client in writing, Anchorage shall reasonably cooperate with Client’s

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

authorized independent public accountant, and provide Client’s authorized independent public accountant confirmation of and access to information sufficient to confirm (i) Client’s Digital Assets and fiat currency as of such date as such accountant may specify, and (ii) Client’s Digital Assets are held in a separate account under Client’s name, and (iii) such other information as Client's authorized independent public accountant may reasonably request in connection with any audit or examination of Client.

 

1.5.
Authority to Assign or Pledge. Client’s Digital Assets and fiat currency shall not be subject to any right, charge, security interest, lien or claim of any kind in favor of Anchorage or any of its Affiliates or of any creditor of any of them, and Anchorage shall not have the independent right or authority to assign, hypothecate, pledge, encumber or otherwise dispose of any Client Digital Assets or fiat currency. The Digital Assets in the Account and the fiat currency in the Deposit Account, as defined in Section 2.7, are not general assets of Anchorage or of any of its Affiliates and are not available to satisfy claims of any creditors of Anchorage or of any of its Affiliates.

 

1.6.
Application of UCC. Client Digital Assets in the Account and fiat currency will be treated as “financial assets” under Article 8 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (“Article 8”). Anchorage is a “securities intermediary,” the Account is a “securities account,” and Client is an “entitlement holder” under Article 8. This Agreement sets forth how Anchorage will satisfy its Article 8 duties. Treating Client assets in the Account as financial assets under Article 8 does not determine the characterization or treatment of the cash and digital assets of Client under any other law or rule. New York will be the securities intermediary’s jurisdiction with respect to Anchorage for purposes of Article 8, and New York law will govern all issues addressed in Article 2(1) of the Hague Securities Convention. Anchorage will credit the Client with any payments or distributions on any Client assets it holds for Client’s Account. Anchorage will comply with Client’s Directions with respect to Client assets in Client’s Account, subject to the terms of this Agreement. Anchorage is obligated by Article 8 to maintain sufficient digital assets to satisfy all entitlements of customers of Anchorage, respectively, to the same digital assets. Anchorage shall not grant any person or entity a lien, security interest, encumbrance, mortgage, pledge, or adverse claim or interest of any kind in the digital assets in the Client's Account. Digital assets in Client’s Account are custodial assets. Under Article 8, the digital assets in the Client’s Account are not general assets of Anchorage, and are not available to satisfy claims of creditors of Anchorage or any of its Affiliates. Anchorage will comply at all times with the duties of a securities intermediary under Article 8, including but not limited to those set forth at UCC sections 8-504(a), 8-505(a), 8-506(a), 8-507 and 8-508.

 

1.7.
Rights of Use; Limits on Use. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, including compliance with Schedule B (Technical and Equipment Specifications) and Client’s confidentiality obligations under Section 8, Anchorage hereby grants to Client a non-sublicensable, non- exclusive, worldwide right during the Term to access the Technology Platform. The foregoing rights grant extends to access and use by Authorized Persons, and for the Anchorage API only, to Third Parties authorized by Client, subject to Section 2.3(b). Client will not, and will not permit Authorized Persons or Third Parties to: (i) directly or indirectly copy, disseminate, display, distribute, publish, sell, or otherwise use or disclose any part of the Technology Platform, or create any works or other materials based on or derived from any part of the Technology Platform; (ii) reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the software used in the Technology Platform; (iii) sell, rent, lease, or license Client’s

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

right to use the Technology Platform except as may be set out under this Agreement; or (iv) use the Technology Platform or Services in any other way not expressly authorized by this Agreement. Client will be responsible for all acts and omissions of Authorized Persons in connection with or relating to this Agreement.

 

1.8.
Support and Maintenance. Subject to applicable Law, as part of the Services and at no additional cost to Client, Anchorage will (i) make available the Technology Platform, and (ii) provide other Support Services as described in this Agreement.

 

1.9.
Business Continuity Policy. Anchorage shall maintain and follow a business continuity policy applicable to Anchorage’s performance of Services. This plan is reviewed annually, and can be updated if deemed necessary by Anchorage in its sole discretion

 

1.10.
Forks, Airdrops.
(a)
Should a Fork occur, subject to Section 1.10(b): (i) Anchorage retains the right, in its sole discretion, to determine whether or not to support (or cease supporting) either Forked Network; (ii) in connection with determining to support a Forked Network, Anchorage may suspend certain operations, in whole or in part (with or without advance notice), for however long Anchorage deems necessary, in order to take the necessary steps, as determined in its sole discretion, to perform obligations hereunder with respect to supporting a Forked Network; (iii) Client hereby agrees that Anchorage shall determine, in its sole discretion, whether to support such Forked Network and that Client shall have no right or claim against Anchorage related to value represented by any change in the value of any Digital Asset (whether on a Forked Network or otherwise), including with respect to any period of time during which Anchorage exercises its rights described herein with respect to Forks and Forked Networks; (iv) Anchorage will use commercially reasonable efforts to timely select, in its sole discretion, at least one (1) of the Forked Networks to support and will identify such selection in a written notice.
(1)
With respect to a Forked Network that Anchorage chooses not to support, it may, in its sole discretion, elect to (x) abandon or otherwise not pursue obtaining the Digital Assets from that Forked Network, or (y) if Client provides written consent to take delivery of such Digital Assets from the Forked Network, deliver the Digital Assets from that Forked Network to Client within a time period as determined by Anchorage in its sole discretion, together with any credentials, keys, or other information sufficient to gain control over such Digital Assets (subject to the withholding and retention by Anchorage of any amount reasonably necessary, as determined in Anchorage’s sole discretion, to fairly compensate Anchorage for the efforts expended to obtain and deliver such Digital Assets to Client).
(2)
With respect to Forked Networks that Anchorage chooses to support, Client may be responsible for the fees for such support (to be negotiated), and Client acknowledges and agrees that Anchorage assumes no responsibility with respect to any Forked Network and related Digital Assets that it chooses not to support.

 

(b)
Prospective Abandonment. Client will abandon irrevocably for no direct or indirect consideration (each such abandonment, a “Prospective Abandonment”), effective immediately prior to any time at which Client creates shares or units (each such time, a “Creation Time”) or redeems shares or units (each such time, a “Redemption Time”), all Incidental Assets of Client, provided that a

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

Prospective Abandonment immediately prior to any Creation Time or Redemption Time will not apply to any Incidental Asset if: (i) Client has taken an Affirmative Action to acquire or abandon such Incidental Asset at any time prior to such Creation Time or Redemption Time; or (ii) such Incidental Asset has been subject to a previous Prospective Abandonment. Anchorage acknowledges that, as a consequence of a Prospective Abandonment or Affirmative Action to abandon Incidental Assets, Client will have no right to receive any Incidental Asset that is subject to such Prospective Abandonment or abandoned via Affirmative Action, and Anchorage will have no authority, pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise, to exercise, obtain or hold, as the case may be, any such Incidental Asset on behalf of Client, nor may Anchorage ultimately take control of such Incidental Asset for its own economic benefit. Client represents that it will take no action at any time that is inconsistent with a Prospective Abandonment or abandonment through Affirmative Action and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, that it will not accept any future delivery of any abandoned Incidental Asset, that it will not accept any payment from any person in respect of any abandoned Incidental Asset and that it will not represent to any person or in any context that it has any remaining rights with respect to any abandoned Incidental Asset.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, if Anchorage does not support an Incidental Asset, such Digital Assets shall be abandoned and forfeited pursuant to this section of the Agreement.

 

(c)
In the event that an announcement of a Fork in a digital asset is to occur, and subject to the provisions set forth in Section 1.10(b), upon a written notice by either Party, Parties agree to enter into a good faith discussion about which Fork can be supported by Anchorage and Anchorage will support at least one branch of such Fork, unless expressly prohibited by Law or Anchorage's US prudential regulator. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Anchorage agrees to provide advance written notice to the Client announcing which Forked Network Anchorage intends to support for a digital asset, promptly upon becoming aware of such a potential suspension, and to use commercially reasonable efforts to give Client a reasonable opportunity to withdraw Client's Digital Assets following such announcement.

 

(d)
Client acknowledges that Digital Asset values can fluctuate substantially which may result in a total loss of the value of Digital Assets. The supply of Digital Assets available as a result of a Forked Network and Anchorage’s ability to deliver Digital Assets resulting from a Forked Network may depend on circumstances or Third Party providers that are outside of Anchorage’s control. Anchorage does not own or control any of the protocols that are used in connection with Digital Assets and their related Digital Asset networks, including those resulting from a Forked Network. Accordingly, Anchorage disclaims all liability relating to Forked Network and any change in the value of any Digital Assets (whether on a Forked Network or otherwise), and makes no guarantees regarding the security, functionality, or availability of such protocols or Digital Asset networks. Client accepts all risks associated with the use of Anchorage’s services to conduct transactions, including, but not limited to, in connection with the failure of hardware, software, and internet connections.

 

1.11.
Digital Asset Screening. Any movement of Digital Assets into, or from, a Client’s Account at Anchorage will be subject to a screening requirements for compliance purposes as it relates to, but not limited to anti-money laundering, sanctions Law, counter-terrorist financing, and other legal obligations. In the event such screening results in a Digital Asset transaction being suspected or determined to be in

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

violation of the screening requirements set forth by Anchorage, such Digital Assets shall be locked in the Client’s Account and Anchorage shall promptly notify the Client of such event. The Client acknowledges and agrees that Anchorage shall not be held responsible for any damages, liabilities, or loss that may result from the screening.

 

1.12.
Generally. Notwithstanding any federal, state, or local Law to the contrary regarding any common law or contractual duty, Client agrees that Anchorage will perform only such duties as are expressly set forth herein as Services, and no additional duties or obligations shall be implied. Anchorage has the authority to do all acts that Anchorage reasonably determines are necessary, proper, or convenient for it to perform its obligations under this Agreement and shall have no obligation to perform acts which it reasonably believes do not comply with applicable Laws. In providing the Services, Anchorage has no duty to inquire as to the provisions of or application of any agreement or document other than this Agreement, notwithstanding its receipt of such agreement or document.

 

2.
Client Responsibilities and Acknowledgements.

 

2.1.
Account Acceptance; Authorized Person Designations.
(a)
Services will be provided only after Client’s successful completion of the account acceptance process, including but not limited to the onboarding process in Section 2.3(a), as determined in Anchorage’s sole discretion. Anchorage may terminate this Agreement upon fourteen (14) days’ prior written notice to the Client due to Client’s failure to complete the onboarding process with Anchorage. To complete the acceptance process, Client shall provide Anchorage with information and documents, which include but are not limited to, information necessary for Anchorage’s compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), and all Laws and regulations relating to anti-money laundering (“AML”), Know-Your-Customer (“KYC”), counter-terrorist financing, sanctions screening requirements, or any other legal obligations, in each case, as determined by Anchorage in its sole discretion. Upon acceptance of Client by Anchorage, Client shall nominate and manage Authorized Persons;
(b)
In order to be approved as an Authorized Person, nominated persons must agree to data collection permissions and related policies provided in the Anchorage application and Technology Platform, including privacy policies and other terms, which may be amended from time to time. A copy of the then-current versions of such privacy policies and other terms will be provided at the written request of Client. Client is solely responsible for the actions or inactions of all Authorized Persons at all times, though Anchorage shall comply with its obligations under this Agreement, including the standard of care specified in Section 10 hereof. With respect to Client’s primary custody Account, Client will initially nominate three (3) or more individuals as Authorized Persons prior to initiation of Client on-boarding by Anchorage, and a minimum of two (2) of three (3) Authorized Persons must approve an Authenticated Instruction. Anchorage reserves the right in its reasonable sole discretion to change the minimum number of Authorized Persons to be designated or which are required to approve a Direction.
(c)
Subsequent to the approval and on- boarding of initial Authorized Persons, Client may nominate additional Authorized Persons or revoke an Authorized Person’s status, each through a Direction to be approved by a Quorum.

 

2.2.
Acceptable Devices. Unless expressly agreed upon otherwise, Client shall maintain a separate

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

Acceptable Device for each Authorized Person. The Acceptable Device must have Internet accessibility and meet other technical specifications prescribed by Anchorage in Schedule B.

 

2.3.
Authorized Persons; Anchorage API.
(a)
Each person nominated by Client as an Authorized Person must be confirmed by Anchorage as an Authorized Person. Authorized Persons may be required to successfully complete the onboarding process and training, which may include (i) installing the Anchorage application onto the person’s Acceptable Device; and (ii) training on the Services regarding the creation of Directions or joining a Quorum. Upon completion of Anchorage’s onboarding process and any training, to Anchorage’s satisfaction in its sole discretion, the nominated person will be designated by Anchorage as one of Client’s Authorized Persons and their device designated by Anchorage as an Acceptable Device, such that they may create Directions or join a Quorum.

 

(b)
As part of the Services, Anchorage may provide Client with access to the Anchorage API, through which Client may permit Third Party access to the Account(s) or Technology Platform. Anchorage shall follow any Directions submitted via the Anchorage API, including Directions for withdrawals and external transfers of Client’s Digital Assets, as though such Directions were submitted from and by Client and without additional authentication, unless otherwise specified in this Agreement. Authorized Persons may generate API keys and assign roles to a Third Party, including without limitation, a Third Party application, subject to their compliance with the Anchorage API’s Documentation, and applicable Law. Client and all Authorized Persons shall use industry best practices to safeguard any generated Anchorage API keys. Client shall be responsible for all Third Party access to the Account(s) and Directions submitted via the Anchorage API, and Anchorage shall not be liable for following any instructions submitted via an Anchorage API key unless Anchorage’s fraud, negligence, or willful misconduct caused unauthorized access to or possession of such key.

 

2.4.
On-Chain Services. From time to time, Anchorage may, in its sole discretion, offer Client additional optional services involving on-chain transactions (other than deposits and withdrawals included in Anchorage’s basic custody service), which may include staking, voting, vesting, signaling, and other activities requiring interaction with the applicable blockchain (“On-Chain Services”).

 

(a)
Offer and Acceptance of On-Chain Services. Anchorage may offer On-Chain Services by sending the offer in writing to the Client. The option to elect such services in the Anchorage application to Authorized Persons of Client. Any offer for On-Chain Services will include the following terms:
i)
a basic description of the On-Chain Service;
ii)
a disclosure of the material risks of the On-Chain Service;
iii)
a description of any associated fees;
iv)
any other key terms of the On-Chain Service, as applicable (for example, Anchorage will disclose if Digital Assets must be locked for a minimum period and would not be immediately accessible to Client); and
v)
an option to expressly agree to the On-Chain Service.

 

A Client may accept an On-Chain Service only in writing.

 

(b)
Cancellation of On-Chain Services.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

i)
Any Authorized Person may cancel an On-Chain Service at any time; provided, however, that in cases where Digital Assets are locked up for a certain period pursuant to the blockchain protocol, Anchorage will release locked Digital Assets when and as permitted by the applicable blockchain protocol. If Client desires to cancel an On-Chain service, Client may do so through the Anchorage application.
ii)
Anchorage may discontinue an On-Chain Service at any time without notice for any reason. If Anchorage decides to discontinue an On-Chain Service, Anchorage will endeavor to provide as much notice to Client as reasonably possible, however Anchorage shall not be liable for any loss of rewards, slashing, penalty, or additional fees that may be incurred by the Client on the blockchain protocol.

 

2.5.
Legal Compliance. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, Client agrees at all times to: (i) fully satisfy Anchorage’s information requests and other requirements, including but not limited to those relating to Authorized Persons or Digital Assets; (ii) fully comply with all applicable Laws, including the BSA and all other Laws and regulations related to AML, KYC, counter-terrorist financing, sanctions screening requirements, or other legal obligations; (iii) notify Anchorage as promptly as reasonable practicable if Client becomes a target of any BSA or Digital Asset related action, investigation or prosecution; (iv) notify as promptly as reasonable practicable Anchorage of any changes in jurisdiction or material ownership; and (v) provide Anchorage full cooperation in connection with any inquiry or investigation made or conducted by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”). Anchorage may not, at its sole discretion, provide the Services if Client or Authorized Persons fail to comply with the foregoing to Anchorage’s reasonable satisfaction. Client agrees to notify Anchorage promptly if it becomes aware of any suspicious activity or pattern of activity, or any activity which upon investigation may be a suspicious activity or pattern of activity under applicable Laws.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, Anchorage agrees at all times to (i) fully satisfy Client's information requests and other requirements, including but not limited to those relating to Authorized Persons or Digital Assets, or any such request from Client's accountants or auditors; (ii) fully comply with all applicable Laws, including the BSA and all other Laws and regulations related to AML, KYC, counter-terrorist financing, sanctions screening requirements, or other legal obligations; (iii) notify Client if Anchorage becomes a target of any BSA or Digital Asset related action, investigation or prosecution; (iv) notify Client of any changes in jurisdiction or material ownership; and (v) provide Client full cooperation in connection with any inquiry or investigation made or conducted by any federal or state regulator. Anchorage agrees to immediately notify Client if it becomes aware of any suspicious activity or pattern of activity, or any activity which upon investigation may be a suspicious activity or pattern of activity under applicable Laws, involving Client's Account.

 

2.6.
Acknowledgements. Client acknowledges that:

 

(a)
Client is an “Entitlement Holder” in a “Financial Asset,” as defined by, and for purposes of, the UCC;

 

(b)
Anchorage does not provide investment advice or exercise investment discretion. Client is capable of evaluating transaction and investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to all transactions and investment strategies. Client is solely responsible for, and Anchorage has no involvement in, determining whether any Digital Asset transaction (whether an investment or otherwise), investment strategy, or related transaction is appropriate for

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

Client;

 

(c)
Anchorage has no control over the Blockchains and markets in which Digital Assets are purchased and traded, and such may be subject to technology flaws, manipulations, hacks, double spending, “51%” attacks, other attacks, and operational limitations;

 

(d)
Anchorage does not control and makes no guarantee as to the functionality of any Blockchain’s decentralized governance, which could, among other things, lead to delays, conflicts of interest, or operational decisions that may impact Client or its Digital Assets;

 

(e)
Advancements in cryptography could render current cryptography algorithms utilized by a Blockchain supporting a specific Digital Asset inoperative;

 

(f)
The price and liquidity of Digital Assets has been subject to large fluctuations in the past and may be subject to large fluctuations in the future;

 

(g)
Digital Asset deposits into Client’s Accounts may not be considered “deposits,” as that term may be used under the applicable Laws, rules, or regulations in Client’s jurisdiction;

 

(h)
Digital Assets in Client’s Accounts are not subject to deposit insurance protection of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and may not be subject to the protection afforded customers under the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970, as amended;

 

(i)
Digital Assets are not legal tender and are not backed by any government;

 

(j)
Legislative and regulatory changes or actions at the state, federal, or international level may adversely affect the use, transfer, exchange, and value of Digital Assets;

 

(k)
Transactions in Digital Assets may be irreversible, and, accordingly, losses due to fraudulent or accidental transactions may not be recoverable;

 

(l)
Some Digital Asset transactions shall be deemed to be made when recorded on a public ledger, which is not necessarily the date or time that transaction was initiated;

 

(m)
The value of Digital Assets may be derived from the continued willingness of market participants to exchange fiat currency or Digital Assets for Digital Assets, which may result in the potential for permanent and total loss of value of a particular Digital Asset should the market for that Digital Asset disappear;

 

(n)
There is no assurance that a person who accepts a Digital Assets as payment today will continue to do so in the future;

 

(o)
Due to the volatility and unpredictability of the price of Digital Assets relative to fiat currency trading and owning Digital Assets may result in significant loss over a short period of time;

 

(p)
The nature of Digital Assets may lead to an increased risk of fraud or cyber-attack;

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

 

(q)
Any bond, insurance or trust account maintained by Anchorage for the benefit of its customers may not be sufficient to cover all losses incurred by Client; and

 

(r)
The Fees and any other payments or compensation otherwise agreed to by Anchorage and Client represent reasonable compensation for Anchorage’s Services and expenses.

 

2.7.
Fiat Currency Instructions and Acknowledgements; Undirected Cash Disclosures. Anchorage may, in its sole discretion, offer Fiat Services to Client. If Anchorage offers Fiat Services, and Client accepts Fiat Services, Client shall be subject to the requirements, policies and procedures of any Fiat Institution (as defined below), as applicable, and Anchorage will, acting as Client’s agent:

 

(a)
Deposit all cash deposited by Client with Anchorage, for which the Client has not already provided transfer instructions, into deposit accounts at FDIC-insured, regulated depository institutions selected by Anchorage (each, a “Fiat Institution”), which accounts will be held for the benefit of (FBO) Anchorage clients (“Deposit Accounts”). Deposit Accounts will be non-interest-bearing and may be segregated by client or pooled into omnibus accounts;

 

(b)
Enter into such sub-accounting agreements as may be required by the Fiat Institution, and;

 

(c)
Initiate wire transfer requests from time to time for the withdrawal of Client funds from the Deposit Accounts, which requests are to be honored by the Fiat Institution for withdrawal of Client’s funds from such Deposit Accounts for distributions, investments, fees and other disbursements directed or agreed to by an Authorized Person. All applicable wire transfer fees shall be paid by the Client.

 

For the sub-account held for the benefit of Client, Anchorage will keep records to obtain pass-through FDIC coverage of up to the maximum coverage level of $250,000.00 per Client at a single Fiat Institution.

 

3.
Ownership and Intellectual Property Rights.

 

3.1.
Services and Documentation. As between the Parties and subject to Section 3.2 (Outputs of Services) and 3.3 (Client Data), Anchorage owns the Services, the Documentation, and all Intellectual Property Rights in the Services and the Documentation.

 

3.2.
Outputs of Services. Anchorage hereby grants Client a perpetual, royalty-free, non-transferable (except as provided in Section 12.10), non-sublicensable, (except to Affiliates of Client, Authorized Persons, Sponsor, and any Third Parties authorized by Client in accordance with Section 1.7), worldwide license to use, import, distribute, copy, reproduce, display, transmit, perform, excerpt, reformat, adapt, or otherwise modify and create derivative works of all output materials and results from use of the Services and documentation by Client, its Affiliates, Sponsor, or Authorized Persons, including any reports, graphics, data, specification, programs and all other materials or computer output (“Outputs”).

 

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

3.3.
Client Data. As between the Parties, Client owns all right, title and interest in and to Client Data, including all Intellectual Property Rights in Client Data. Client hereby grants Anchorage, and any of its Affiliates approved by Client in writing to provide Services, a perpetual, royalty-free, non-transferable (except as provided in this Section 3.3 or Section 12.10), non-sublicensable, worldwide license to disclose and use Client Data solely to (i) operate, manage, and improve the Services provided to Client, its Affiliates, Authorized Persons or applicable Third Parties pursuant to this Agreement; (ii) monitor, process and support Directions or as necessary to effect, administer, or enforce a transaction or directive that Client otherwise requests or authorizes, including to facilitate use of Services provided by Anchorage Affiliates; and (iii) comply with legal or regulatory obligations applicable to the Services including financial reporting and retention of related data. For clarity, Anchorage may not use Client Data for any other purpose without the express written consent of Client. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Anchorage may only disclose and use Client Data in a de-identified and anonymized form and in aggregation with data from Anchorage’s other clients. For purposes of this Agreement, Client Data is “de-identified” or “anonymized” only if all identifiers that directly or indirectly identify the source and subject of such data with Client have been removed, and it does not enable a Third Party to discern, decompile, recreate, or reverse engineer any particular trading strategy of Client.

 

3.4.
Feedback. From time to time, Client may submit or provide suggestions, requests for features, recommendations, or ideas to Anchorage (“Feedback”). By submitting Feedback, Client grants Anchorage a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, sub-licensable, perpetual license to use the Feedback, without consideration or compensation to Client or Authorized Persons, Affiliates, agents, partners, or personnel.

 

3.5.
Reservation of Rights. Except for the rights and licenses granted under this Agreement, each Party agrees that, subject to applicable Law, (a) nothing in this Agreement will be construed as granting any rights of a Party to the other Party, by license or otherwise, in or to any Confidential Information or Intellectual Property Rights of such Party or its Affiliates, and (b) all rights in and to the Intellectual Property Rights of such Party that are not expressly granted herein are reserved by such Party.

 

4.
Term and Termination.

 

4.1.
Term. This Agreement is effective as of the Effective Date and will continue in full force and effect for the Initial Term period in the Order Form, and will be automatically renewed for each successive Renewal Term specified in the Order Form (the Initial Term and each Renewal Term collectively referred to herein as the “Term”). Client may elect not to renew the Agreement by providing written notice of cancellation no less than thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the current Term or unless sooner terminated as set forth in this Agreement. Anchorage may elect not to renew the Agreement by providing written notice of cancellation and non-renewal no less than one hundred eighty (180) days prior to the expiration of the current Term or unless sooner terminated as set forth in this Agreement.

 

4.2.
Termination for Cause.

 

(a)
Unless specifically permitted herein, Anchorage shall not suspend, restrict, terminate or modify and shall continue to provide the Services, including, (i) the custody of Client’s Digital Assets on Client’s behalf, the processing of withdrawals, deposits, and the other Services, or (ii) access to the Technology Platform, in each case unless and until Anchorage provides 180 days’ (the “Notice

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

Period”) prior written notice to Client describing in reasonable detail the suspension, restriction, termination or modification that Anchorage will implement or, solely with respect to the Transition Services, the end of the Transition Period; provided however, that if after the date of the Agreement, there occurs any change in or adoption of any applicable law, rule, or regulation which, in the reasonable opinion of counsel to Anchorage will prohibit or materially impede some or all of the arrangement contemplated by this Agreement (a “Change in Law”), the parties will, in good faith and acting in a commercially reasonable manner intended to produce a commercially reasonable result, agree on modifications to the Agreement or Services that would enable compliance with such Change in Law or, in the case of a material impediment, reduce the impact to the parties of such Change in Law and Anchorage shall continue to provide the Services as contemplated herein unless prohibited from doing so by the Change in Law. If the parties cannot agree on modifications within thirty (30) day’s following notice from Anchorage or if the Change in Law requires that Anchorage immediately ceases providing any Services, Anchorage may, only following notice in writing to Client, suspend, restrict or terminate the Services solely to the extent necessary to account for the Change in Law, provided that Anchorage agrees that any suspension, restriction, termination or modification arising from a Change in Law shall be narrowly tailored to enable compliance with such Change in Law and, to the extent not prohibited by the Change in Law, Anchorage will continue to provide, at a minimum, the Transition Services following any Change in Law. Anchorage represents, warrants and covenants that it will promptly notify Client of any proposed or announced change in law, rule or regulation that may result in a Change in Law hereunder.

 

(b)
Anchorage may terminate this Agreement in its entirety for any reason and without Cause by providing at least 180 days’ prior written notice to Client and Client may terminate this Agreement in whole or in part for any reason by providing at least thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to Anchorage, provided, however, in each case, Anchorage shall not restrict, suspend, or modify the Services following any termination without Cause or any termination by Client until the end of any such notice period and neither party’s termination of this Agreement shall be effective until Client and Anchorage have fully satisfied their obligations hereunder.

 

(c)
Regardless of any other provision of this Agreement, but subject to Section 4.2(c)(i) below, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an event that constitutes Cause (as defined below) (unless, with respect to a non-continuing event that constitutes Cause, Anchorage has already commenced exercising its rights under this Section or has otherwise notified Client that it will promptly do so, in each case while such event is continuing) and after giving effect to any notice requirement and cure period that may apply, Anchorage may, in its reasonable discretion, take any of the following actions: (i) terminate, in whole or in part, the Agreement, and/or (ii) suspend, restrict or terminate the Client’s Services, except for the Transition Services during the Transition Period.

 

“Cause” shall mean: (i) Client materially breaches any provision of this Agreement and such breach remains uncured for a period of thirty (30) calendar days after notice of such breach is provided by Anchorage to Client; or (ii) a Bankruptcy Event (as defined below) occurs and is continuing with respect to Client.

 

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

“Bankruptcy Event” means the party is (i) dissolved (other than pursuant to a consolidation, amalgamation or merger); (ii) becomes insolvent or is unable to pay its debts or fails or admits in writing its inability generally to pay its debts as they become due; (iii) makes a general assignment, arrangement or composition with or for the benefit of its creditors; (iv) institutes or has instituted against it a proceeding seeking a judgment of insolvency or bankruptcy or any other relief under any bankruptcy or insolvency law or other similar law affecting creditors’ rights, or a petition is presented for its winding-up or liquidation, and in the case of any such proceeding or petition instituted or presented against it, such proceeding or petition (I) results in a judgment of insolvency or bankruptcy or the entry of an order for relief or the making of an order for its winding-up or liquidation or (II) is not dismissed, discharged, stayed or restrained in each case within 30 days of the institution or presentation thereof; (v) has a resolution passed for its winding-up, official management or liquidation (other than pursuant to a consolidation, amalgamation or merger); (vi) seeks or becomes subject to the appointment of an administrator, provisional liquidator, conservator, receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or for all or substantially all its assets; (vii) has a secured party take possession of all or substantially all its assets or has a distress, execution, attachment, sequestration or other legal process levied, enforced or sued on or against all or substantially all its assets and such secured party maintains possession, or any such process is not dismissed, discharged, stayed or restrained, in each case within 30 days thereafter; (viii) causes or is subject to any event with respect to it which, under the applicable laws of any jurisdiction, has an analogous effect to any of the events specified in clauses (i) to (vii) (inclusive); or (ix) takes any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of, or acquiescence in, any of the foregoing acts.

 

4.3.
Effect of Termination Notice. Upon termination of this Agreement, Client will pay Anchorage all Fees, as provided in the Order Form, and documented expenses for Services rendered to Client through the effective date of termination of this Agreement.

 

4.4.
Obligations and Rights on Termination.

 

(a)
Digital Assets. A Digital Asset will be deemed to have been returned to Client when: (i) a transfer of the Digital Asset initiated by Anchorage has received a reasonable number of confirmations on the relevant Blockchain; or (ii) via an alternative method mutually agreed upon in a prior writing between Anchorage and Client.

 

(b)
Confidential Information and Client Data. At the Disclosing Party’s written request, the Receiving Party will return or destroy any or all of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information. In addition, upon Client’s written request, Anchorage will return or destroy all Client Data. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either Party may retain a copies of Confidential Information and Client Data (i) for audit, legal, accounting or compliance purposes; (ii) if included within unstructured backup files or that technically cannot be deleted; (iii) pursuant to a bona fide and consistently applied document retention policy or regular backup of data storage systems; provided, further, that in either case, any Confidential Information so retained shall remain subject to the confidentiality obligations of this Agreement (iv) as licensed pursuant to Section 3.3; or (v) as may be required by applicable Laws, including requirements of the OCC, provided that Section 8 shall continue to apply to all such retained information, notwithstanding termination of this Agreement.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

5.
Fees and Taxes.

 

5.1.
Fees.
(a)
Client will pay Anchorage the Fees for the Services as set forth in the Order Form, in any addendum or attachment to this Agreement, or as otherwise agreed in writing. Upon termination, Client shall be responsible for payment of any Fees accrued until the Client transfers all of Client’s assets out of Client’s Account, or until the assets are abandoned and forfeited.
(b)
Parties agree Fees for the Services as set forth in the Order Form may be amended from time to time through an amendment pursuant to Section 12.7 with a written request from the Client to Anchorage.
5.2.
Invoices; Payment Terms. Anchorage will submit invoices for the Services as set forth in the Order Form. Except as otherwise set forth in the Order Form, Client agrees to pay all undisputed invoices net forty-five (45) days following receipt. If Client reasonably disputes any portion of an invoice, Client agrees, within the foregoing 45-day period, to (i) pay the undisputed amounts; and (ii) provide a detailed explanation with all supporting documentation of the basis for its dispute. The first invoice will be sent after the end of the calendar month including the Fees Commencement Date, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties.

 

5.3.
Taxes. The Fees do not include all taxes, assessments, duties, and other governmental and similar charges (“Taxes”) that may be assessed on Client or Client’s assets by governmental authorities, which are Client’s sole obligation to remit unless otherwise mandated by law. Client shall be liable for all Taxes relating to any Digital Assets held on behalf of Client or any transaction related thereto. Client shall remit to Anchorage for the amount of any Tax that Anchorage is required under applicable Laws (whether by assessment or otherwise) to pay on behalf of, or in respect of activity in the Account of Client. In the event that Anchorage is required under applicable law to pay any Tax on behalf of Client, Anchorage shall promptly notify Client of the amount required and Client shall promptly transfer to Anchorage the amount necessary to pay the Tax.

 

6.
Representations and Warranties; Disclaimers.

 

6.1.
Mutual Representations and Warranties. Each Party represents, warrants, and covenants that: (i) it is a validly organized entity under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation; (ii) it has all rights, power, and authority necessary to enter into this Agreement and perform its obligations hereunder; (iii) its performance of this Agreement, and the other Party’s exercise of its rights under this Agreement, will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions or constitute a default under any agreement by which it is bound or any applicable Laws; (iv) it will comply with all applicable Laws in performing its obligations under this Agreement.

 

6.2.
Anchorage Representations and Warranties. Anchorage represents, warrants and covenants as of the Effective Date and each calendar day during the Term that: (i) the Services will conform to this Agreement; (ii) it is the owner of or is duly authorized to provide all Services; (iii) it has all rights necessary to grant all the rights and licenses that it purports to grant and perform all of its obligations under this Agreement; (iv) it is not aware of any claim that the Services, and the use thereof by any Authorized Person in accordance with this Agreement, infringe upon or otherwise violate any statutory, common law or other rights of any Third Party in or to any Intellectual Property Rights therein; and (v)

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

as of the Effective Date, there is no pending, threatened, or anticipated claim, suit, or proceeding affecting or that could affect Anchorage’s ability to perform and fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.

 

In addition, Anchorage represents, warrants and covenants as of the Effective Date and each calendar day during the Term that:

 

(a)
Anchorage has adopted, implemented, and shall maintain and follow a reasonable risk- based sanctions compliance program (“Sanctions Program”) that complies with all applicable economic sanctions laws and regulations imposed by the United States (including as administered and/or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control), the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United Nations and other applicable jurisdictions (collectively “Sanctions Laws”). That Sanctions Program prevents Digital Assets, deposits, withdrawals, transfers or transactions from being directly or indirectly derived from or associated with persons, entities or jurisdictions that are the target or subject of sanctions in violation of any Sanctions Laws
(b)
Anchorage has also adopted, implemented and shall maintain and follow an anti-money laundering program (“AML Program”) that complies with (i) all applicable laws and regulations relating to anti-money laundering, including the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act and the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (collectively “AML Laws”), and (ii) industry best practice. As part of its AML Program, Anchorage performs both initial and ongoing due diligence on each of its customers, as well as ongoing transaction monitoring that is designed to identify and report suspicious activity conducted through customer accounts, as required by law. The above AML controls are applied to all transactions and asset transfers conducted by Anchorage, and to all customer accounts opened at Anchorage, including any opened by authorized participants of the Client or trading counterparties of the Client (collectively known as “Counterparty Accounts”) for the purpose of facilitating bitcoin or ethereum deposits to, and withdrawals from, the Client’s Account.
(c)
All fund movements, whether from a public blockchain address outside Anchorage or from an account within Anchorage, into Client's Account or a Counterparty’s Account at Anchorage will be sanctions screened, including with blockchain analytics software, to ensure that digital asset in kind transactions did not originate from persons, entities or jurisdictions that are the target or subject of sanctions, or associated with such persons, entities or jurisdictions, or otherwise in violation of any Sanctions Laws, prior to any onward transfer to the Client’s Account(s) at Anchorage.
(d)
In the event sanctions screening results in a digital asset in-kind transaction being suspected or determined to be in violation of any Sanctions Laws, Anchorage will (a) block or reject the deposit of such bitcoin or ethereum into Client's Account or the Counterparty Account, as applicable, in accordance with applicable Sanctions Laws, and (b) promptly inform the Client if any fund movement or attempted fund movement into Client's Account, including between a Counterparty Account at Anchorage and the Client’s Account(s) at Anchorage, involves the aforementioned. Furthermore, in the event of blocking, Anchorage will assess the need to segregate the assets and file a report on blocked property in accordance with applicable Sanctions Laws. Anchorage will inform the Client should it file such a report as legally permitted.
(e)
Anchorage also agrees to provide Client with (i) a quarterly report or attestation, as applicable, on the sanctions screening results of any fund movement between a Counterparty Account at Anchorage and the Client’s Account(s), after the end of the calendar quarter, and (ii) to the extent permitted by law, such information as it may reasonably request, to enable Client to fulfill its

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

obligations under Sanctions Laws and AML Laws, including an annual attestation regarding Anchorage's AML Laws and Sanctions Laws controls. Client is permitted to share this report with service providers of the Client and authorized participants and trading counterparties.
(f)
Anchorage complies with all applicable Laws, including U.S. securities laws and regulations, as well as AML Laws, Sanctions Laws, banking laws, and any other laws and regulations to which it is subject.
(g)
It possesses and will maintain, all licenses, registrations, authorizations and approvals required by any applicable government agency or regulatory authority for it to operate its business and provide the Services;
(h)
It is and shall remain in good standing with all relevant government agencies, departments, regulatory and supervisory bodies to the extent relevant and material to its performance hereunder, and it will, to the extent permitted under applicable law and by such relevant government agency, department, regulatory and supervisory body, promptly notify Client if it ceases to be in good standing with any regulatory authority;
(i)
It shall promptly provide information as the Client may reasonably request in writing from time to time in connection with its provision of the Services, to the extent reasonably necessary for the Client to comply with any applicable laws, rules, and regulations (including money laundering statutes, regulations and conventions of the United States or other jurisdictions), or the guidance or direction of, or request from, any regulatory authority or financial institution, in each case related to its performance hereunder and to the extent that providing such information is not prohibited by applicable law;
(j)
It has all rights necessary to provide Client with access to the Technology Platform and any other tech/data provided by Anchorage (the “Anchorage Tech”) as contemplated herein; and the intended use by Client of the Anchorage Tech as described in and in accordance with this Agreement shall not infringe, violate or misappropriate the intellectual property rights of any third party;
(k)
Anchorage and each Anchorage Affiliate has policies and procedures in place that are designed to mitigate conflicts of interest. Anchorage and each Anchorage Affiliate will maintain appropriate and effective arrangements to eliminate or manage conflicts of interest, including segregation of duties, information barriers and training. Anchorage will notify Client, on behalf of itself and each Anchorage Affiliate, in accordance with the notice provisions hereof of changes to its or such Affiliate’s business that are material to its or its Affiliate’s ability to manage its conflicts of interest.
(l)
Anchorage shall only permit the transfer of Digital Assets to Client's Account from, or withdraw assets from Client's Account to, a public wallet address on the Blockchain that Anchorage has onboarded through its AML Program and performed sanctions screening on, including with blockchain analytics software (such address, a "whitelisted address").

 

6.3.
Client Representations and Warranties. The Client represents, warrants and covenants as of the Effective Date and as of each Direction from Client provided hereunder that: (i) Client is and has been for the past five (5) years or since its formation, whichever is more recent, based on a reasonable investigation and analysis of such applicable Laws, in material compliance with all applicable Laws, including but not limited to those relating to anti- money laundering, Know-Your-Customer, customer identification and similar Laws; (ii) Client shall only use the Account(s) for the purpose of custody of Digital Assets by Client as beneficial owner, and under no circumstances shall Client use or cause Account(s) to receive third party payments; (iii) any Digital Assets or fiat currency deposited into any Account are not proceeds of a crime; and (iv) Client is not directly or indirectly owned or controlled by

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

any person or entity (a) included on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons or the Consolidated Sanctions List maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Controls (“OFAC”) or similar list maintained by any government entity from time to time; or (b) located, organized, or resident in a country or territory that is the target of sanctions imposed by OFAC or any government entity.

 

6.4.
Anchorage Disclaimers. Except to the extent set forth in Sections 6.1 and 6.2 above, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, ANCHORAGE EXPLICITLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF THE COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE.The Parties further acknowledge and agree that Anchorage has no obligation to inquire into, and shall not be liable for any damages or other liabilities or harm to any person or entity relating to: (i) (i) the authority of any Authorized Person to act on behalf of the Client with respect to a Digital Asset; (ii) the accuracy or completeness of any Client Data or information provided by Client or any Authorized Person with respect to a Digital Asset or Direction; or (iii) the collectability, insurability, effectiveness, marketability or suitability of any Digital Asset. Client additionally understands and agrees that Anchorage will follow the Directions from Client.

 

6.5.
Prohibition Against Nested Transactions. Client shall not permit any transactions and/or activities of a financial institution from passing through any of the Account(s). Client shall provide Anchorage with such assurances and/or confirmation regarding Client's compliance with the foregoing prohibition as Anchorage may require, at its sole discretion from time to time, within such time frames as Anchorage may require and in form and substance acceptable to Anchorage. Should Client become aware of the use of an Account by any other financial institution, directly or indirectly, Client will promptly cause such use and/or activity to immediately cease and shall promptly notify Anchorage, in writing, of such circumstances.

 

7.
Security Requirements; Personal Information.

 

7.1.
Security Requirements; Personal Information. Client and Anchorage hereby agree that the Data Processing Addendum provided in Schedule C shall apply to and is hereby incorporated into this Agreement. Client will comply with and cause Authorized Persons and its Representatives to comply with the terms and conditions set forth in the Data Processing Addendum.

 

7.2.
Breach Notifications. Anchorage agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to notify Client of any Personal Data Breach involving Client Data within forty-eight (48) hours of becoming aware of the Personal Data Breach.

 

7.3.
Changes in Law. To the extent that applicable data protection Laws impose any additional compliance obligations that are not sufficiently addressed in this Agreement, the Parties agree to enter into good faith discussions regarding amending this Agreement or taking such other steps as may be mutually agreed as reasonably necessary to achieve compliance with those applicable data protection Laws.

 

8.
Confidentiality.

 

8.1.
Use and Disclosure. The Parties acknowledge that, in the course of performance of this Agreement, it

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

may be necessary for one Party (“Disclosing Party”) to disclose or permit access to Confidential Information to the other Party (“Receiving Party”) and its Representatives. Disclosing Party's disclosure of, or provision of access to, Confidential Information to Receiving Party’s Representatives is solely for the purposes agreed to under this Agreement.

 

8.2.
Confidential Treatment. Confidential Information disclosed to a Receiving Party will be held in confidence by the Receiving Party and not disclosed to others or used except as expressly permitted under this Agreement or as expressly authorized in writing by the Disclosing Party. Each Party will use the same degree of care to protect the other Party’s Confidential Information as it uses to protect its own information of like nature, but in no circumstances less than reasonable care. At the Disclosing Party’s written request, the Receiving Party will return or destroy any or all of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either Party may retain copies of Confidential Information and Client Data (i) for audit, legal, accounting or compliance purposes; (ii) if included within unstructured backup files or that technically cannot be deleted; (iii) pursuant to a bona fide and consistently applied document retention policy or regular backup of data storage systems; provided, further, that in either case, any Confidential Information so retained shall remain subject to the confidentiality obligations of this Agreement (iv) as licensed pursuant to Section 3.3; or (iv) as may be required by applicable Laws, including requirements of the OCC.

 

8.3.
Allowances. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8, Confidential Information may be disclosed by a Receiving Party to its Representatives, service providers, including Vendors, and professional advisors who require it in connection with their duties in performing such Party’s obligations under this Agreement and who are bound by confidentiality obligations substantially similar to those of this Agreement and which would extend to the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information. If disclosure is compelled by law, pursuant to a duly authorized subpoena, court order, or government authority, unless otherwise prohibited by law, the Receiving Party shall provide the Disclosing Party with prompt written notice to permit the Disclosing Party to seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy protecting its Confidential Information from disclosure. If disclosure is required, the Receiving Party shall limit the disclosure of the Confidential Information to only the portions required to be disclosed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Anchorage may disclose any Confidential Information of Client to the OCC, or that is requested from, or required or appropriate to be provided to, any other state, federal, or international governmental or regulatory body with jurisdiction over Anchorage, without prior notice to Client. In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, Anchorage may disclose the existence and terms of this Agreement in connection with an actual or prospective sale or transfer of Anchorage’s assets or stock.

 

8.4.
Exceptions. Except with respect to Personal Information, which will in all circumstances remain Confidential Information, obligations under this Section 8 will not apply to information which: (a) is or becomes available in the public domain without breach of this Agreement; (b) was lawfully received by the Receiving Party from a Third Party without confidentiality restrictions; (c) was known or legally in the possession of to the Receiving Party and its Representatives without confidentiality obligations prior to disclosure from the Disclosing Party; and (d) was independently developed by the Receiving Party without breach of this Agreement.

 

9.
Indemnification.

 

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

9.1.
Indemnification Obligation.
a)
Client shall defend and indemnify and hold harmless Anchorage, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, agents, employees and representatives from and against any and all Third Party Claims and Losses arising out of or relating to Client’s material breach of this Agreement, Client’s violation of any law, rule or regulation related to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, or Client’s gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct, in each case unless caused primarily by Anchorage's breach, negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, or failure to abide by the relevant standard of care as set forth in Section 10. This obligation will survive any termination of this Agreement as it relates to the Claims and Losses arising during the term of the Agreement or as it relates to activity during such term. Client shall not accept any settlement of any Claims or Losses if such settlement imposes any financial or non-financial liabilities, obligations or restrictions on, or requires an admission of guilt or wrong-doing from, any indemnified party pursuant to this Section 9.1(a), without such indemnified party’s prior written consent.
b)
Anchorage shall defend and indemnify and hold harmless Client, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, agents, employees and representatives from and against any and all Claims and Losses to the extent arising out of or relating to Anchorage’s: (i) any breach of Anchorage's confidentiality, data protection and/or information security obligations, (ii) violation of any law, rule or regulation with respect to the provision of the Services; (iii) the full amount of any Client Digital Assets lost (provided that clause (iii) will also include Claims and Losses that are direct damages to Client); (iv) gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct; or (v) that Client’s access or use of the Services, in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement violates, misappropriates, or infringes upon any third party intellectual and/or industrial property rights, including patent rights, copyrights, moral rights, trademarks, trade names, service marks, trade secrets, rights in inventions (including applications for, and registrations, extensions, renewals, and re-issuances of the foregoing), in each case as it relates to the Claims and Losses arising during the term of the Agreement or as it relates to activity during such term (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Transition Period). This obligation will survive any termination of this Agreement. Anchorage shall not accept any settlement of any Claims or Losses if such settlement imposes any financial or non-financial liabilities, obligations or restrictions on, or requires an admission of guilt or wrong-doing from, any indemnified party pursuant to this Section 9.1(b), without such indemnified party’s prior written consent.

 

9.2.
For the purposes of this Agreement:
(a)
“Claim” means any action, suit, litigation, demand, charge, arbitration, proceeding (including any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or appellate proceeding), hearing, inquiry, audit, examination or investigation commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before, or otherwise involving, any court or other governmental, regulatory or administrative body or any arbitrator or arbitration panel; and

 

(b)
“Losses” means any liabilities, damages, diminution in value, payments, obligations, losses, interest, costs and expenses, security or other remediation costs (including any regulatory investigation or third party subpoena costs, reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and other expenses relating to investigating or defending any Claim); fines, taxes, fees, restitution, or penalties imposed by any governmental, regulatory or administrative body, interest on and additions to tax with respect to, or resulting from, Taxes imposed on Client’s assets, cash, other property, or any income or gains derived therefrom; and judgments (at law or in equity) or awards of any nature.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

 

10.
Liability.

 

10.1.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. EXCEPT FOR ANCHORAGE’S NEGLIGENCE, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR FRAUD, ANCHORAGE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSSES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, INCURRED BY CLIENT, FOR ANY AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF THE GREATER OF $5,000,000 AND FEES PAID BY CLIENT IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRIOR TO WHEN THE LIABILITY ARISES. IN THE EVENT OF A LOSS OF SOME, OR ALL OF, A CLIENT’S DIGITAL ASSETS WHICH AROSE OUT OF ANCHORAGE’S NEGLIGENCE, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR FRAUD, ANCHORAGE SHALL IN THE CASE OF LOST DIGITAL ASSETS, RETURN TO CLIENT A QUANTITY OF DIGITAL ASSETS EQUAL TO THE QUANTITY OF SUCH LOST DIGITAL ASSETS.

 

10.2.
DAMAGES LIMITATION. IN NO EVENT WILL A PARTY BE LIABLE FOR (I) LOSSES WHICH ARISE FROM A PARTY’S COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS, INCLUDING SANCTIONS LAW ADMINISTERED BY OFAC; OR (II) SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR LOST PROFITS OR LOSS OF BUSINESS ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT. IN ADDITION TO THE FOREGOING, ANCHORAGE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSSES WHICH ARISE AS A RESULT OF THE NON-RETURN OF DIGITAL ASSETS THAT CLIENT HAS DELEGATED TO ANCHORAGE OR A THIRD PARTY FOR ON-CHAIN SERVICES, SUCH AS STAKING, VOTING, VESTING AND SIGNALING, UNLESS SUCH LOSSES OCCUR AS A RESULT OF ANCHORAGE’S NEGLIGENCE, FRAUD, OR INTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT.

FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY IN THIS SECTION 10 IS A SEPARATE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AS TO EACH CLIENT AND SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY AMOUNT PAID BY CLIENTS IN THE AGGREGATE.

 

11.
Dispute Resolution; Binding Arbitration.

 

11.1.
Initial Resolution; Mediation. In the event of any dispute, potential claim, question, or disagreement arising from or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof (collectively, a “Dispute”), the aggrieved Party shall notify the other of the aggrieved Party’s intent to address and resolve the Dispute, and the specific terms of such Dispute. The Parties shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to promptly settle the Dispute. Such efforts will include, at a minimum, that executives of each Party consult, meet in person, and negotiate with each other in good faith. If the Parties do not resolve the Dispute pursuant to the foregoing paragraph within a period of 30 days following the aggrieved Party’s notice, then, upon notice by either Party to the other, the Parties agree to confidentially mediate the Dispute in good faith according to the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) Commercial Mediation Procedures in Wilmington, Delaware or another location agreed to by the Parties. The Parties shall work in good faith with the mediator to attempt to complete the mediation within 30 days of such notice.

 

11.2.
Arbitration. If the parties do not resolve the Dispute pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, then, upon notice by either Party to the other, the Dispute shall be finally settled by binding arbitration administered by the AAA in accordance with the provisions of its rules applicable to commercial disputes. The arbitration shall be conducted on a confidential basis in Wilmington, Delaware or another location agreed to by the Parties. The arbitration shall be conducted before a single arbitrator experienced in contract, finance and technology law. Any decision or award shall be in writing and shall provide an explanation for all conclusions of law and fact. The arbitrator may award the prevailing Party on each claim or defense, if any, as determined by the arbitrator, some or all of its Costs, in the arbitrator’s sole discretion. “Costs” mean all reasonable pre-award expenses of the arbitration,

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

including the arbitrators’ fees, administrative fees, out-of-pocket expenses such as copying and telephone, witness fees, and reasonable attorneys’ fees.

 

No Party shall bring a putative or certified class action to arbitration, nor seek to enforce any pre-dispute arbitration agreement against any person who has initiated in court a putative class action; or who is member of a putative class who has not opted out of the class with respect to any claims encompassed by the putative class action until: (i) the class certification is denied; (ii) the class is decertified; or (iii) the customer is excluded from the class by the court. Such forbearance to enforce any agreement to arbitrate shall not constitute a waiver of any rights under this Agreement except to the extent stated herein.

 

11.3.
Exception for Protection of Confidential Information. The Parties each agree that the protection of Confidential Information is necessary and reasonable in order to protect the Disclosing Party and its business. The Parties each expressly agree that monetary damages would be inadequate to compensate the Disclosing Party for any breach of its Confidential Information. Accordingly, each Party agrees and acknowledges that any such violation or threatened violation would cause irreparable injury to the Disclosing Party and that, in addition to any other remedies that may be available, in law, in equity or otherwise, the Disclosing Party shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the threatened breach or continued breach by the Receiving Party, without the necessity of proving actual damages.

 

11.4.
Annual Certificate and Report. Upon Client’s written request, which shall occur no more than once per calendar year, Client shall be entitled to request that Anchorage provide a copy of its most recent Services Organization Controls (“SOC”) 1 report and SOC 2 report (together, the “SOC Reports”), and promptly deliver to Client a copy thereof. The SOC Reports shall not be dated more than one year prior to such request. Anchorage reserves the right to combine the SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports into a comprehensive report. In the event that Anchorage does not deliver a SOC 1 Report or SOC 2 Report, as applicable, Client shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement.

 

Upon Client’s written request, which request shall occur no more than once per calendar year, Anchorage shall deliver to Client a certificate signed by a duly authorized officer, which certificate shall certify that the representations and warranties of Anchorage contained in Section 11.4 of this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the date of such certificate and have been true and correct throughout the preceding year, but only to the extent that the representations and warranties of Anchorage contained in Section 11.4 are not expressly addressed in the SOC Reports.

 

11.5.
Enhanced Due Diligence. Upon ninety (90) days’ advance written notice by the Client, which shall occur no more than once per calendar year, Anchorage will respond to updated due diligence requests to update any initial information that Anchorage provided prior to execution of this Agreement. Pursuant to Section 1.4 of the Agreement, Client shall have access to Technology Platform which provides monthly statements that show transactions records, balances, and holdings of Client Digital Assets which can be viewed by the Client’s third-party accountants or consultants via the Technology Platform or Anchorage API as described in Section 2.3 of the Agreement.

 

12.
General Provisions.

 

12.1.
Independent Contractor. It is understood by the Parties that Anchorage is an independent contractor,

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

and that this Agreement does not create or constitute a partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship between the Parties.

 

12.2.
No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is not intended to and shall not be construed to give any Third Party any interest or rights (including, without limitation, any Third Party beneficiary rights) with respect to or in connection with any agreement or provision contained herein or contemplated hereby, except as otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement.

 

12.3.
[Reserved]

 

12.4.
Force Majeure. Neither Party will be liable to the other Party for the failure to perform or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement to the extent such failure or delay is caused by or results from a Force Majeure Event. The affected Party will not be held liable by the other Party for such non-performance or delay as long as the fact of the occurrence of such Force Majeure Event is reasonably provable. In addition, Anchorage will not be liable to Client for any costs or expenses incurred by Client as a result of any Force Majeure Event. For the avoidance of doubt, a cybersecurity attack, hack, or other intrusion upon an Anchorage owned or controlled system, by a third party or by someone associated with Anchorage, is not a circumstance that is beyond Anchorage’s reasonable control, to the extent such cybersecurity attack, hack, or other intrusion is due to Anchorage’s failure to comply with its obligations under this Agreement.

 

12.5.
Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement will be in writing and delivered by courier, mail, electronic mail, or within the Anchorage application (except for service of legal process which shall be by courier). A Party’s email addresses, or physical address may be changed from time to time by either Party by providing written notice to the other in the manner set forth above.

 

12.6.
Execution in Counterparts and by Electronic Means. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts and by electronic means and the Parties agree that such electronic means and delivery will have the same force and effect as delivery of an original document with original signatures.

 

12.7.
Entire Agreement; Amendment. This Agreement includes all exhibits, schedules, and attachments referenced herein, all of which are incorporated herein by this reference. This Agreement is the final, complete, and entire agreement of the Parties. There are no other promises or conditions in any other agreement, oral, or written. This Agreement supersedes and replace, as applicable, any prior promises, agreements, representations, undertakings, or implications whether made orally or in writing between the Parties related to the subject matter of this Agreement, including but not limited to, any prior Master Custody Services Agreements entered into between the Parties which shall be deemed terminated upon the execution of this Agreement. The Agreement may only be modified or amended in writing and signed by both Parties.

 

12.8.
Remedies Cumulative. Each Party will have all of the rights and remedies provided by law in addition to the rights and remedies set forth in this Agreement and in any other agreement or writing between the Parties. All of a Party’s rights and remedies are cumulative and may be exercised from time to time, and the pursuit of one right or remedy will not constitute an exclusive election or otherwise preclude or limit its pursuit of any other or additional right or remedy.

 

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

12.9.
Severability. If any provision of this Agreement will be held to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, the remaining provisions will continue to be valid and enforceable. If a court finds that any provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, but that by limiting such provision it would become valid and enforceable, then such provisions will be deemed to be written, construed and enforced as so limited.

 

12.10.
Assignment. No Party may assign any of its rights under this Agreement or delegate its performance under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld; except that a Party may assign its rights and delegate its performance under this Agreement to: (i) any entity that acquires all or substantially all of its assets; (ii) any Affiliate that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with Anchorage; (iii) any successor in a merger, acquisition, or reorganization, including any judicial reorganization; and (iv) any successor in a merger, acquisition, or reorganization, including any judicial reorganization, in each case provided that, in the case of an Anchorage assignment, such assignee or delegate is a “qualified custodian” under applicable Laws. In the event any assignment under Section 12.10 (i) through (iv) occurs, Client may, at its sole discretion, terminate immediately with a written notice to the new entity assuming Anchorage’s rights and obligations under this Agreement.

 

12.11.
Use of Affiliates. Anchorage may use Anchorage Affiliates to provide certain Services as directed by Anchorage. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Anchorage hereby discloses that it is a subsidiary of Anchor Labs, Inc., which provides certain technology and administrative services to Anchorage in support of Anchorage’s provision of Services hereunder, pursuant to an Intercompany Services Agreement between Anchorage and Anchor Labs, Inc. Anchorage is, and will at all times be, responsible for the acts and omissions of its Affiliates, including Anchor Labs, Inc., and all provisions under this Agreement that are applicable to Anchorage will apply equally to its Affiliates, including Anchor Labs, Inc. For the avoidance of doubt, this section does not apply to Anchorage’s use of a Vendor, Fiat Institution, or other service provider.

 

12.12.
No Waiver of Contractual Right. The failure of either Party to enforce any provision of this Agreement will not be construed as a waiver or limitation of that Party’s right to subsequently enforce and compel strict compliance with every provision of this Agreement. A waiver or consent given on one occasion is effective only in that instance and will not be construed as a bar to or waiver of any other right on any other occasion.

 

12.13.
Governing Law.This Agreement will be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflicts of laws provisions or rules. Subject to Section 11, the Parties hereby agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of any appropriate court located in New York, New York, as a forum for litigation. Each of the Parties hereto hereby waives all right to trial by jury in any lawsuit, action, proceeding or counterclaim arising out of this Agreement.

 

12.14.
Insurance. Anchorage shall obtain and maintain, at its sole expense, insurance coverage in such types and amounts that are compliant with the requirements of Schedule D to this Agreement.

 

12.15.
Survival. Any expiration or termination of this Agreement will not affect any accrued claims, rights or liabilities of Parties, and all provisions which must survive to fulfill their intended purposes, or by their nature are intended to survive such expiration or termination will survive, including Sections 2 - 12, and

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

the Schedules.

SCHEDULE A – DEFINITIONS

 

Account” means an account established in the name of, or for the benefit of a Client, in which the ownership of Digital Assets is recorded and to which Digital Assets are credited. Each Account is recorded separately on Anchorage's books and records and has one or more unique wallet addresses. An organization may have one or more Accounts, and an Account may have one or more Vaults. The Authorized Persons and Quorum requirements for each Account may differ from those of other Accounts.

 

Acceptable Device” means a hardware device with software configuration set forth in Schedule B.

 

Affiliate” means an entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with a Party.

 

Affirmative Action” is defined as the Client’s written notification to Anchorage of Client’s intention: (i) to acquire and/or retain an Incidental Asset; or (ii) to abandon, with effect prior to the relevant Creation Time or Redemption Time, an Incidental Asset.

 

Anchorage API” means the application programming interface, as such may be modified from time to time, made available by Anchorage as part of the Services.

 

Annual Basis Points” refers to the annual rate for custody fees. Monthly Custody Fees are

charged at the rate of one-twelfth of the listed annual rate.

 

AUC” or “Assets Under Custody” means the average daily balance of Client Digital Assets in Anchorage’s custody each month, calculated after the conclusion of each month, where the average daily balance is determined by adding each daily balance and dividing the sum of the daily balances by the number of days in such month (or in the case of the first month, by the number of days in such month following the Fees Commencement Date). Daily balances are calculated in

U.S. Dollars by applying closing prices, as provided by CryptoCompare.com at the close of each day (UTC), or if unavailable, other reliable, reputable third party pricing sources, selected at Anchorage’s sole discretion, to the end of day holdings in the Account. If such source(s)’ closing prices for certain Digital Assets are unavailable, or Anchorage reasonably determines that such prices are unreliable due to low or inconsistent trading volumes, Anchorage may use fixed pricing for such Digital Assets, which will be determined in Anchorage’s reasonable sole discretion.

 

Authenticated Instruction” means a Direction (i) regarding specific Digital Assets; (ii) to add or remove Authorized Persons; (iii) to generate or remove, or change permissions for, Anchorage API keys; or (iv) which is otherwise provided for by the Services; by (a) an Authorized Person that has received Quorum approval (where such Quorum approval is required) or (b) an authorized application using an Anchorage API key (generated by an Authorized Person). Anchorage’s authentication processes and procedures will be determined by Anchorage in its sole discretion from time to time, and will include biometric authentication for each Authorized Person, which may include but are not limited to fingerprint, facial recognition, or voiceprint. Where the purpose of an

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

Authenticated Instruction relates to Digital Assets, such an Authenticated Instruction is an Entitlement Order for purposes of the UCC.

 

Authorized Person” means a person nominated by Client, or another party if so, contemplated by a Client Service Provider Agreement or Control Agreement, and thereafter approved by Anchorage pursuant to Section 2.1.

 

Basis Point” means 1/100th of 1%.

 

Blockchain” means software operating a distributed ledger which is maintained by a network of computers, and that records all transactions in a Digital Asset in theoretically unchangeable data packages known as blocks, each of which are timestamped to reference the previous block so that the blocks are linked in a chain that evidences the entire history of transactions in the Digital Asset.

 

Client Data” means any or all of the following, and all copies thereof, regardless of the form or media: (i) Personal Information of Client or an Authorized Person; and (ii) any non-public data or information provided or submitted by or on behalf of Client or an Authorized Person as part of the Services.

 

Confidential Information” means information and technical data, which is not generally known to the public, whether disclosed directly or indirectly, in writing, orally, or visually, that the Receiving Party knows or should know is confidential or proprietary. Examples of Confidential Information include, but are not limited to, a Party’s products, software, websites, apps, marketing plans and materials, business strategies, business methods, models, financial reports or projections, product plans and specifications, designs, processes, manuals, ideas, concepts, drawings, pricing, fees, operational plans, know-how, employee information, shareholder information, vendor information, customer information, and ownership or investor information.

 

Digital Asset” means a digital representation of value that may function as a medium of exchange or medium for investment, and which is evidenced on, and can be electronically received and stored using distributed ledger technology. For the avoidance of doubt, Digital Assets held by Anchorage for the Client are “Financial Assets” for purposes of the UCC and are not assets of Anchorage.

 

Direction” means any directions, instructions or requests made by Client through the Services, including but not limited to Authenticated Instructions, through the Anchorage application made by Authorized Persons, or the Anchorage API, relating to the storage or transfer of Digital Assets.

 

Documentation” means all Client manuals, training and marketing materials, guides, product descriptions, product specifications, technical manuals, supporting materials, and other information relating to the Services and provided by Anchorage to Client.

Management Fee” shall mean service fee Client charges its own customers for trust or exchange-traded funds services.

 

Fee” has the meaning provided in the Order Form.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

 

Fiat Services” means services related to the custody, management, and Directions related to fiat currencies owned by Client and held for Client’s benefit by Anchorage, including (i) holding Client’s fiat currency in an omnibus banking account held for the benefit of Anchorage’s clients, and (ii) transferring Client’s fiat currency as directed by Client, a Client Service Provider or other Client designee.

 

Force Majeure Event” means an event occurring after the Effective Date caused by a circumstance beyond a Party’s reasonable control and that could not have been prevented or avoided by the exercise of due diligence, including, but not limited to natural catastrophes, fire, explosions, pandemic or local epidemic, war or other action by a state actor, public power outages, civil unrests and conflicts, labor strikes or extreme shortages, acts of terrorism or espionage, Domain Name System server issues outside a Party’s direct control, technology attacks (e.g., DoS, DDoS, MitM), cyberattack or malfunction on the blockchain network or protocol, or governmental action rendering performance illegal or impossible.

 

Fork” means (i) that a Digital Asset network has been changed in a way that makes it incompatible with the unchanged version of the Digital Asset network, (ii) a material population of miners and/or users of the Digital Asset network accept the changes, and (iii) that the two resulting Digital Asset networks have not been merged together in a timely manner. A Fork may create two separate Digital Asset networks (each, a “Forked Network”), and may result in Anchorage holding an identical amount of Digital Assets associated with each Forked Network.

 

Incidental Asset” is defined as any Digital Asset or other asset, and any right of Client to acquire any Digital Asset or other asset, that has arisen out of Client’s ownership of Digital Assets, whether through a Forked Network, airdrop or similar occurrence, without any action on the part of Client or its trustee or the Sponsor on its behalf..

 

Intellectual Property Right(s)” means, with respect to any thing, material or work (hereinafter, a “Work”): any and all (i) worldwide copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and any other intellectual property and proprietary rights and legal protections in and to such Work including but not limited to all rights under treaties and conventions and applications related to any of the foregoing; (ii) all patents, patent applications, registrations and rights to make applications and registrations for the foregoing; (iii) all goodwill associated with the foregoing; (iv) all renewals, extensions, reversions or restorations of all such rights; (v) all works based upon, derived from, or incorporating the Work; (vi) all income, royalties, damages, claims, and payments now or hereafter due or payable with respect thereto; (vii) all causes of action, either in law or in equity for past, present or future infringement based on the Work; (viii) rights corresponding to each of the foregoing throughout the world; and (ix) all the rights embraced or embodied therein, including but not limited to, the right to duplicate, reproduce, copy, distribute, publicly perform, display, license, adapt, prepare derivative works from the Work, together with all physical or tangible embodiments of the Work.

 

Laws” means all United States federal, state and local laws, statutes, ordinances, regulations, rules, executive orders, circulars, opinions, agency guidance, interpretive letters and other official releases, request, or recommendation of or by any government, or any authority, department or agency thereof.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

 

“Monthly Custody Fee” means (Annual Basis Points x AUC)/12 as calculated using the fee table in the Order Form.

 

“Monthly Minimum Fee” refers to the fees as agreed by Parties in the Order Form.

 

Monthly NFT Custody Fee” means as provided in the Order Form or as agreed by Client in the Anchorage Technology Platform, provided that if there is any discrepancy between such Fees, the Fees stated in the Order Form shall govern.

 

NFT“ or “Non-Fungible Token“ means a digital representation of value which is evidenced in a Blockchain and is used to certify authenticity and ownership of specific Digital Assets. For all purposes of this Agreement (except where specifically addressed), NFTs are included within the definition of “Digital Asset“ herein and are deemed a type of Digital Asset.

 

NFT AUC” means the average daily balance of Client NFTs in Anchorage’s custody each month, calculated after the conclusion of each month, where the average daily balance is determined by adding each daily balance from the applicable month and dividing the sum of the daily balances by the number of days in such month (or in the case of the first month, by the number of days in such month following the Fees Commencement Date). Daily balances are calculated in U.S. Dollars based on the corresponding NFT collection floor price. NFT collection floor price means the lowest listed price of any NFT within a collection at a given time, as determined by Anchorage at its sole discretion, provided that such floor price may be subject to change when a reliable, reputable third party pricing source, selected at Anchorage’s sole discretion, becomes available.

 

On-Chain Services” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

 

One-Time Onboarding Fee” refers to the fees for establishing Client as an Anchorage customer, including KYC/AML processes; one in-person training session; Authorized Person onboarding; and remote training for up to ten (10) individuals. Credit, if any, may be applied to Client Fees only above the Monthly Minimum Fee, and will be applied fully each month until the credit has been fully expended within the Initial Term. Any remaining credit after the Initial Term shall be forfeited.

 

Personal Data Breach” has the meaning provided for in the Data Processing Addendum.

 

Personal Information” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual, such as name, postal address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, Social Security number (or its equivalent), driver’s license number, account number, personal identification number, health or medical information, fingerprint, voice print, or any other unique logical or biometric identifier specific to an individual, regardless of the media in which it is contained, that is: (i) disclosed to Anchorage, its Affiliates or Anchorage Representatives by Client or an Authorized Person in anticipation of, in connection with or incidental to the Services; (ii) processed at any time by Anchorage, an Anchorage Affiliate or Anchorage Representatives in connection with or incidental to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement; or (iii) derived by Anchorage, an Anchorage Affiliate or Anchorage Representatives from the information described in (i) and (ii) above.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

 

Private Key” means an alphanumeric string known only to the holder of a Digital Asset, which

must be used to transact the Digital Asset represented by the corresponding Public Key.

 

Public Key” means an alphanumeric string on a Blockchain that indicates ownership/possession of a specific amount of a Digital Asset by a specific network participant. The Public Key is visible to all participants in the Blockchain’s network.

 

Quorum” means the minimum number of Authorized Persons required to approve a Direction which requires a quorum. Unless otherwise specified in an applicable Client Service Provider Agreement, Control Agreement, or instructions provided in connection therewith, (i) Client may designate the total number and the minimum number of Authorized Persons required to approve an Authenticated Instruction or other Direction so long as Client designates at least three (3) Authorized Persons, with at least two (2) required to approve any Direction.

 

Representative” means any employees, officers, directors, representatives, contractors, and

agents of a Party.

 

 

 

Services” means the services related to the custody and settlement of Digital Assets provided by Anchorage to Client under this Agreement (including any attachments, schedules, exhibits, or addendums), including the Technology Platform and Support Services. “Services” also includes Fiat Services or On-Chain Services if Anchorage has offered such services to Client, and Client has accepted such services. For the avoidance of doubt, “Services” expressly excludes the provision of legal, tax, brokerage, or investment advice or recommendations.

 

“Support Services” means services supporting the use of the Services, including access to Anchorage Representatives for support related to Account(s), training, etc.

 

Technology Platform” means the technology platform and application provided by Anchorage and made available to Client to access the Services and Account(s), including the Anchorage API, and any changes, improvements, extensions thereto or other versions thereof in order to: (i) store Client’s Digital Assets and provide related services; (ii) handle Digital Assets according to Authenticated Instructions; and (iii) determine the eligibility of Digital Assets for storage and continued storage. The Technology Platform includes but is not limited to (i) algorithms, computer programs, concepts, ideas, inventions, machines, mask works, procedures, processes, rates, security codes, and works of authorship in all cases whether or not patentable or copyrightable, that are owned or in-licensed by Anchorage or that otherwise are or have been created, developed, owned, incorporated or generated, in whole or in part, by or on behalf of Anchorage for or into or in connection with features, functions, tools or services to be provided pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) all data and other information that are or can be collected, compiled, or derived by or on behalf of Anchorage from any usage by Client or any other person of any work, invention, or other subject matter referred to in the foregoing, and (iii) any work, invention, or other subject matter that constitutes or relates to a suggestion, enhancement,

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

modification, improvement, upgrade, or update regarding, or that is otherwise based on or derived from or related to, any work, invention, or other subject matter referred to in this the foregoing.

 

Third Party” means a person(s) or any legal entity that is not a Party, a Representative of a Party, or an Affiliate of a Party.

 

UUC” or “Units Under Custody” means the average daily quantity of Client Digital Assets in Anchorage’s custody each month, calculated after the conclusion of each month, where the average daily quantity is determined by adding each daily quantity and dividing the sum of the daily quantity amounts by the number of days in such month (or in the case of the first month, by the number of days in such month following the Fees Commencement Date). The first invoice will be sent after the end of the calendar month including the Fees Commencement Date, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties.

 

Vault” means a subdivision of an Account. Each Vault is held separately on Anchorage's books and records and may have one or more unique wallet addresses. The Authorized Persons and Quorum requirements for each Vault may differ from those of other Vaults.

 

Vendor” means any Third Party retained by Anchorage or its Affiliates to provide technical or

professional services used by Anchorage or its Affiliates to provide the Services to Client.

 

Vesting Schedule” shall mean a schedule provided by the Token Issuer which determines when the Restricted Assets will become available for Client to withdraw from their Account or Vault.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

SCHEDULE B

Technical and Equipment Specifications

1.
Acceptable Device.

As to each nominated Authorized Person, a unique iPhone with TouchID or FaceID is required for the Services and must meet the minimum iPhone model as required by Anchorage.

Note: The iPhone SE is specifically excluded from the list of compatible devices. Anchorage also reserves the right, upon notice to Client, to exclude new iPhone versions for a brief period as Anchorage deems necessary in its sole discretion (such as to ensure that the new software and/or device is operable with the Anchorage application and systems, is secure, and free from material bugs).

2.
Software Specifications.

As to each Acceptable Device of each nominated Authorized Person, the operating system must meet the minimum iOS version as required by Anchorage.

3.
Changes to Schedule B.

Anchorage may, in its sole discretion, amend the Acceptable Device and Software Specification requirements in this Schedule B for security or service purposes with 30 days prior written notice to Client. Upon amendment of any Acceptable Device and Software Specification requirements, as provided hereunder, Client will update and/or replace the Acceptable Device(s) as may be necessary, at its sole expense. Client understands and agrees that ongoing access to the Services will depend on compliance with Anchorage Acceptable Device and Software Specification requirements.

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

SCHEDULE C

Anchor Labs Data Processing Addendum

 

[***]

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

SCHEDULE D

Insurance

 

[***]

Certain confidential information contained in this document, marked by [***], has been omitted

because the registrant has determined that the information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type

that the registrant treats as private or confidential.


 

Exhibit 10.12

SECOND AMENDMENT TO MASTER CUSTODY SERVICE AGREEMENT

 

This SECOND AMENDMENT (the “Amendment”) to the Master Custody Service Agreement, dated August 8, 2025 (the “Agreement”), is made on September 25, 2025 (“Amendment Effective Date”), by and between Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. (formerly Anchorage Trust Company, herein “Anchorage”) and each entity listed on the Order Form of the Agreement (each a “Client”) (Anchorage and Client, collectively, the “Parties”).

 

Pursuant to Section 12.7 of the Agreement, and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereby agree to amend the Agreement as follows:

 

1.
Amendments.

 

1.1.
Each of the following Clients are hereby added to the “Client(s)” section of the Order Form
of the Agreement:

 

Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL), a Delaware trust company

Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF, a Delaware trust company

Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF, a Delaware trust company

 

 

2.
Miscellaneous.

 

2.1.
Governing Law. This Amendment will be subject to the relevant governing law provision in the Agreement (as amended hereto).

 

2.2.
Effect of Amendments. Except as otherwise amended herein, all other provisions of the Agreement remain in full force and effect, and any provision in the Agreement that conflicts with the terms of this Amendment shall be deemed to be amended appropriately in order to be consistent with this Amendment.

 

2.3.
Capitalized Terms. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement, including without limitation Schedule A (Definitions).

 

2.4.
Execution in Counterparts and by Electronic Means. This Amendment may be executed in counterparts and by electronic means, and the Parties agree that such electronic means and delivery will have the same force and effect as delivery of an original document with original signatures.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, by their duly authorized representatives, Anchorage and Client hereby execute this Amendment as of the Amendment Effective Date.

 

1 of 2

 


 

ANCHORAGE DIGITAL BANK N.A.

ON BEHALF OF EACH CLIENT HEREIN

By: Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC, for itself and as Sponsor of the Clients listed in Section 1 of this Order Form, and any other Clients it sponsors from time to time.

By: [/s/ Rachel Anderika

By: /s/ Edward McGee

Name: Rachel Anderika

Name: Edward McGee

Title: Chief Operating Officer_X3Qi9Zr]

Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

Company: Grayscale Investment Sponsors, LLC

 

2 of 2

 


Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the use of our report dated March 19, 2025, with respect to the financial statements of Grayscale Solana Trust (SOL), included herein, and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.

 

/s/ KPMG LLP

 

New York, New York

September 26, 2025

 


Exhibit 23.2

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Consent

We consent to the inclusion of our report dated March 8, 2024 and the retrospective application of the Share Split described in Note 1, as to which the date is March 19, 2025, in the Registration Statement of Grayscale Solana Trust (the “Trust”) on the Amendment No. 4 to Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-286374), with respect to our audit of the financial statements of the Trust as of December 31, 2023, and for the year ended December 31, 2023.

We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus. We were dismissed as auditors on March 8, 2024 and, accordingly, we have not performed any audit or review procedures with respect to any financial statements in such Prospectus for the periods after the date of our dismissal, except for the retrospective application of the Share Split described in Note 1, as to which the date is March 19, 2025.

/s/ Marcum llp

New York, NY

September 26, 2025