Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest has officially named Canada-based SOL Strategies as the exclusive staking partner for its Digital Assets Revolutions Fund, in a move that marks a strategic shift in how traditional asset managers are engaging with blockchain infrastructure.
The development signifies a growing trend of institutional players not only investing in crypto assets but also actively participating in blockchain operations like staking to enhance returns.
The fund, created in 2020, is designed to invest in a small portfolio of cryptocurrencies, typically 10 to 12, with a long-term horizon of four to five years.
ARK moves validator operations to SOL Strategies’ $647 million platform
As part of this agreement, ARK Invest is transferring its validator operations to SOL Strategies’ staking infrastructure.
At the time of writing, SOL Strategies is operating five validators with over 3.59 million SOL (CAD $888 million) or approximately $647.2 million in assets under delegation.
According to the company, more than 5,700 unique wallets are staked through this infrastructure, with only 12% of the total coming from its internal treasury.
The remaining 88% is composed of third-party assets.
Validator operations on the Solana blockchain are structured in epochs, which typically last two to three days. At the end of each epoch, stakers receive rewards in SOL.
Staking has become a widely adopted method for generating yield in crypto, especially on networks like Solana and Ethereum.
However, validator behaviour is critical—any misbehaviour could result in slashing of the staked tokens, potentially causing investor losses.
BitGo joins in, SOL Strategies targets institutional scale despite Q2 loss
In addition to ARK Invest’s participation, institutional custody platform BitGo is also involved, having partnered with SOL Strategies in April.
The infrastructure is tailored to serve enterprise clients seeking compliant access to Solana through both delegated staking and customised validator systems.
Despite recording a $3.5 million loss in Q2 2025, SOL Strategies reported strong growth in its staking and validation revenue.
The firm is positioning itself to serve the growing demand from traditional finance players.
According to Solana Compass, around 403 million SOL tokens are currently being staked across the network, with a total value of roughly $73.5 billion.
ARK’s decision to partner with SOL Strategies follows a broader shift where companies like DeFi Development Corp. and Upexi are also turning to Solana for treasury diversification, indicating a deeper institutional interest in the blockchain.
Asset managers look to Solana as ETH staking ETFs await SEC nod
The move also highlights a wider industry trend where asset managers are seeking both capital appreciation and yield generation from crypto holdings.
In parallel, there has been a notable uptick in formal requests submitted to the SEC by Ether ETF issuers, pushing for permission to include staking-based income features.
As the US regulatory landscape continues to evolve, family offices, hedge funds, and wealth managers are exploring regulated crypto investment options, including exchange-traded funds, structured notes, and equities tied to blockchain firms like SOL Strategies.
ARK Invest has been actively involved in various crypto ventures. On 17 June, it sold the first tranche of shares it acquired in Circle’s initial public offering for $52 million.
The firm is also a known participant in Bitcoin ETFs and holds positions in numerous crypto-linked equities.
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