Item 1. Business
Item
1. Business.
Summary
Canary
Marinade Solana ETF (the “Trust”) was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on June 6, 2025. The Trust continuously issues
common shares representing fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust (“Shares”). The Shares
of the Trust are listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq” or the “Exchange”) under the ticker symbol
“SOLC.” Canary Capital Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, is the sponsor of the Trust (the “Sponsor”), CSC Delaware
Trust Company is the trustee of the Trust (the “Trustee”), U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global
Fund Services, is the transfer agent of the Trust (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) and the administrator and accounting
agent of the Trust (in such capacity, the “Administrator”), Paralel Distributors LLC is the marketing agent of the Trust
(the “Marketing Agent”), BitGo Trust Company, Inc. (“BitGo” or the “Custodian”) is the custodian
of the Trust’s SOL (“SOL”), and U.S. Bank, N.A., an affiliate of the Transfer Agent and Administrator, is the cash
custodian of the Trust (the “Cash Custodian”). The operations of the Trust are governed by the provisions of an Amended and
Restated Trust Agreement, dated June 6, 2025, among the Trustee, the Sponsor, and the shareholders from time to time thereunder (the
“Shareholders”), as may be amended from time to time (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust is an exchange-traded
product. The Trust sells or redeems its Shares in blocks of 10,000 Shares (a “Basket”) based on the quantity of SOL attributable
to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid expenses and liabilities).
The
Trust’s inception of operation was November 17, 2025. The Trust had no operations prior to November 17, 2025, other than matters
relating to its organization and the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”). Canary
Capital Group Inc., (the “Seed Capital Investor”), an affiliate of the Sponsor, purchased the initial Basket of Shares for
$250,000, at a per-Share price of $25 for these 10,000 Shares (the “Seed Basket”). Such proceeds were used by the Trust to
purchase SOL at the listing of Shares on the Exchange. The Seed Capital Investor acted as a statutory underwriter in connection with
the initial purchase of the Seed Basket.
The
Sponsor maintains a website https://canaryetfs.com/SOLC/, through which the Trust’s
Annual Report 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) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), can be accessed free
of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Additional information regarding the Trust may also be found on the SEC’s EDGAR database
at www.sec.gov.
Investment
Objectives and Principal Investment Strategies
Investment
Objectives
The
investment objective is to seek to provide exposure to the price of SOL held by the Trust, less the expenses of the Trust’s operations
and other liabilities. A secondary investment objective is for the Trust to earn additional SOL through the validation of transactions
in the SOL network’s (the “Solana Network”) proof-of-stake (“PoS”) process. Under normal circumstances,
the Sponsor seeks to stake all of the Trust’s SOL through one or more Staking Providers except for SOL reserved by the Sponsor
in its sole discretion to facilitate foreseeable redemption transactions, pay Trust expenses or otherwise protect the Trust and its assets.
In consideration for any staking activity in which the Trust may engage, the Trust would receive a portion of the staking rewards generated
by the Staking Provider, which may be treated as income to the Trust. In seeking to achieve its investment objectives, the Trust holds
SOL and values its Shares daily as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (“ET”) using the same methodology used to calculate the Pricing
Benchmark. All of the Trust’s SOL, including staked SOL, is held by the Custodian.
Principal
Investment Strategies
In
seeking to achieve its investment objectives, the Trust holds SOL and establishes its net asset value (“NAV”) on each
business day by reference to the CoinDesk Solana CCIXber 60m New York Rate (“Pricing Benchmark”). The Pricing Benchmark
is calculated by CoinDesk Indices (the “Benchmark Provider”) based on a 60-minute time-weighted average price of the
SOL-USD CCIXber Reference Rate (the “Underlying Index”), which is an aggregation of executed trade flow of major SOL
trading platforms (“Constituent Platforms”). The Benchmark Provider publishes the Pricing Benchmark.
4
Solana
Network – Overview
SOL
is a digital asset that is created and transmitted through the operations of a peer-to-peer, decentralized network of computers that
operates on cryptographic protocols (the “Solana Network”). While certain entities such as Solana Labs, Inc. (“Solana
Labs”) and the Solana Foundation have outsized influence over the Solana Network’s development and governance (which was
particularly true during the network’s formative years), 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 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 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
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 Bitcoin and Ethereum, 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, or may be subject to outages or fail to function as intended. 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.
While the Solana Network does not currently implement slashing, meaning staked SOL is not subject to automatic penalties for validator
misbehavior, there is no guarantee that slashing or similar punitive mechanisms will not be implemented in the future. 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, a Delaware corporation, which administered the original network launch
and token distribution. Although Solana Labs and the Solana Foundation continue to exert significant influence over the direction of
the development of Solana, the Solana Network, like the Ethereum network, is understood to be decentralized and does not require governmental
authorities or financial institution intermediaries to create, transmit or determine the value of SOL.
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 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 proof-of-work or proof-of-stake mechanisms, however, the Solana Network introduces PoH, which creates a historical record that
proves an event has occurred at a specific moment in time.
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”)
and organizations that are autonomous, known as decentralized autonomous organizations (“DAOs”). 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.
5
In
total, as of March 2026, more than 680 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 March 2026, approximately
$6.85 billion was being used as collateral on DeFi platforms.
In
addition, the Solana Network and other smart contract platforms have been used for creating non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”).
Unlike digital assets native to smart contract platforms which are fungible and enable the payment of fees for smart contract execution.
Instead, 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.
As
of the date of this Annual Report, there are several planned upgrades to the Solana Network in various stages of development and implementations:
● Alpenglow
Consensus Protocol: This upgrade aims to significantly improve Solana’s finality ( i.e. , the time it takes for a transaction
to be considered final and irreversible) as well as make the Solana Network faster and more responsive. This would potentially enable
more complex and latency-sensitive applications. Alpenglow would replace the Solana Network’s current Proof of History and Tower
BFT systems with newly designed systems. In September 2025, over 98% of voting stake backed the implementation and deployment is scheduled
for Q1 2026.
● Increased
Network Performance : This series of upgrades (SIMD-268, SIMD-286, SIMD-296) aim to raise limits on the network to enable more expressive
transactions, enable developers to build more complex decentralized applications that compose multiple protocols together, allow for
more transactions per block, and reduced congestion during peak demand. Deployment is expected in Agave 4.1 in 2026.
● SIMD-123:
Block Revenue Distribution : When SOL is delegated to a validator, only rewards from inflation in the protocol are currently distributed.
However, validators also earn revenue from transaction fees, priority fees and MEV (maximal extractable value) when they produce blocks.
SIMD-123 enables validators to share this block revenue with their delegators automatically through the protocol. Deployment is expected
in Agave 4.1 in 2026.
Overview
of the Solana Network’s Operations
In
order to own, transfer or use SOL directly on the Solana Network on a peer-to-peer basis (as opposed to through an intermediary, such
as a custodian or centralized exchange), a person generally must have internet access to connect to the Solana Network. SOL transactions
may be made directly between 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 peer-to-peer transaction in the Solana blockchain, which is publicly
accessible and transparent. This memorialization and verification against double-spending of peer-to-peer transactions 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 proof-of-work or proof-of-stake
mechanisms, the Solana Network introduces proof-of-history, which creates a historical record that proves an event has occurred at a
specific moment in time.
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.
Staking
rewards on the Solana network are determined by the protocol and are distributed to validators and their associated stakers based on
the proportion of stake they have delegated to a validator relative to the total active stake in the network. The rewards are funded
by inflationary issuance of new tokens and transaction fees collected on the network. The specific amount each validator and staker
receives depends on their share of the total stake, the validator’s uptime and performance, and the overall network
conditions.
6
The
historical range of staking rewards on the Solana network has varied due to differing levels of network congestion and protocol parameters.
During periods of low congestion, rewards have generally been higher, as validators are able to process more transactions efficiently
and the network can distribute more rewards. Conversely, during periods of high congestion, rewards may decrease due to reduced transaction
throughput and increased competition among validators. The actual annualized reward rate has fluctuated over time, reflecting changes
in network activity, inflation rates, and protocol adjustments.
Staking
rewards on Solana are distributed at regular intervals, typically once per epoch. An epoch on Solana lasts approximately two to three
days, after which rewards are calculated and distributed to validators and their stakers. This regular reward frequency ensures that
participants receive their share of rewards in a timely manner, reflecting their contribution to network security and transaction validation.
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.
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.
The
Solana Network also supports a growing ecosystem of decentralized applications, including DeFi platforms and non-fungible tokens. Furthermore,
SOL investors have sought to earn staking rewards by validating transactions on the Solana Network. Such applications and activities
require the participants to first acquire SOL as the means of transacting with these applications or rewarding such participants engaged
in staking.
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 Ethereum due to its infancy and because SOL has a different purpose than Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Service
Sector
This
sector includes companies that provide a variety of services including the buying, selling, payment processing and storing of SOL. 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.
Solana
Protocol Development and Modifications
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.
For
example, in March 2020, the Solana Network launched the Mainnet Beta version of the Solana Network, one month after launching the testnet,
Tour de SOL. Solana Labs led the development of these reference implementations.
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”
or a “Clone” Of The Solana Blockchain Could Adversely Affect The Value Of 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.
7
Core
development of the Solana source code has increasingly focused on modifications of the Solana Network protocol to increase speed and
scalability and also allow for financial and non-financial next generation uses. The Trust’s activities are not directly related
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.
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 “51% attack” (though the numerical thresholds vary in proof-of-stake)
where, if a party or group were to gain control of more than the relevant threshold 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 March 2026, the three largest staking
platforms, Helius, Figment, and Jupiter, collectively controlled approximately 9.6% of the SOL staked on the Solana Network. These platforms
operate across multiple validator nodes and use delegation strategies that concentrate staking influence. Based on publicly available
data, Helius accounts for approximately 3.45%, Figment for approximately 3.10%, and Jupiter for approximately 3.08% of the total staked
SOL. The concentration of stake among these platforms may increase the risk of centralization and validator collusion, particularly if
governance over delegation strategies is limited or coordinated among a small number of decision-makers.
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 in the transfer of SOL.
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.
Summary
of a SOL Transaction
Prior
to engaging in SOL transactions directly on the Solana Network, a user generally must first install on a computer or mobile device a
Solana Network software program that will allow the user to generate a private and public key pair associated with a 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 the 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 in 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 in 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.
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Creation
of New SOL
Initial
Creation of SOL
Unlike
other digital assets such as Bitcoin, which are solely created through a progressive mining process, 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.
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 .
Proof-of-Stake
Process
Unlike
proof-of-work, in which validators 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. While the Solana Network does not
currently implement slashing, meaning staked SOL is not subject to automatic penalties for validator misbehavior, there is no guarantee
that slashing or similar punitive mechanisms will not be implemented in the future. Proof-of-stake is believed by some to be more energy
efficient and scalable than proof-of-work. Every 12 seconds, approximately, a new block is added to the Solana Blockchain with the latest
transactions processed by the network, and the validator that generated this block is awarded SOL.
Proof-of-History
Process
The
Solana protocol introduced the proof-of-history, which 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. Proof-of-history 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 validator confirmations. Proof-of-history is a new blockchain technology that is
not widely used. Proof-of-history 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, or may be subject to outages or fail to function as intended. In addition,
there may be flaws in the cryptography underlying proof-of-history, including flaws that affect functionality of the Solana Network or
make the network vulnerable to attack.
Staking
Under
normal circumstances, the Sponsor seeks to stake all of the Trust’s SOL through one or more staking providers (each, a “Staking
Provider”) except for SOL reserved by the Sponsor in its sole discretion to facilitate foreseeable redemption transactions, pay
Trust expenses or otherwise protect the Trust and its assets. The Staking Provider utilizes the hardware, software and services necessary
to enable the establishment of validator nodes and stake the Trust’s SOL on the Solana Network. As a result of any staking activity
in which the Trust may engage, the Trust expects to receive certain staking rewards of SOL, which may be treated for federal income tax
purposes as income to the Trust’s Shareholders. The Trust itself does not engage in staking activities, including operation of
a validator node. Instead, the staking program is operated through the Trust’s service providers, including the Custodian and Staking
Provider. The Staking Provider exercises no discretion as to the amount the Trust’s SOL to be staked or timing of the staking activities
(other than as is incidental in establishing or deactivating validator nodes). The Custodian maintains exclusive possession and control
of the private keys associated with any staked SOL at all times. Staking activity comes with a risk of loss of SOL, including in the
form of “slashing” penalties. Additionally, as part of the “activating” and “exiting” processes of
SOL staking, any staked SOL is inaccessible for a period of time determined by a range of factors, resulting in certain liquidity risks
that the Sponsor manages.
9
Staking
rewards generated by the Trust’s staking program are subject to fees shared among the Staking Provider and its network of validators.
The amounts owed or paid to the Staking Provider and its network of validators are collectively referred to as the “Staking Fees.”
The Staking Fees reduce the amount of SOL rewards that are generated from the Trust’s staking program that are received by the
Trust. The remainder of the staking rewards are deployed into the staking program, transferred out or sold in connection with the redemption
of Baskets, or transferred or sold by the Sponsor to pay fees due to the Sponsor or Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the
Sponsor. The Sponsor is not entitled to any Staking Fees and does not receive any additional compensation for administering the Trust’s
staking program. Except for SOL reserved by the Sponsor in its sole discretion to facilitate foreseeable redemption transactions, pay
Trust expenses or otherwise protect the Trust and its assets, all staking rewards are restaked pursuant to the Trust’s staking
program.
Limits
on 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 December 31, 2023, the circulating supply of
SOL increased by roughly 7,770% to approximately 621.6 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 March 2, 2026, the SOL supply issuance
rate was approximately 3.984% on an annual basis before any offsets for eliminated transaction fees.
SOL
Market and SOL Exchanges
SOL
can be transferred in direct peer-to-peer transactions through the direct sending of SOL over the Solana Blockchain from one SOL address
to another. Among end-users, SOL can be used to pay other members of the Solana Network for goods and services under what resembles a
barter system. Consumers can also pay merchants and other commercial businesses for goods or services through direct peer-to-peer transactions
on the Solana Blockchain or through third-party service providers.
In
addition to using SOL to engage in transactions, investors may purchase and sell SOL to speculate as to the value of SOL in the SOL market,
or as a long-term investment to diversify their portfolio. The value of SOL within the market is determined, in part, by the supply of
and demand for SOL in the global SOL market, market expectations for the adoption of SOL as a store of value, the number of merchants
that accept SOL as a form of payment, and the volume of peer-to-peer transactions, among other factors.
SOL
spot markets provide investors with a website that permits investors to open accounts with the spot market and then purchase and sell
SOL. Prices for trades on SOL spot markets are typically reported publicly. An investor opening a trading account must deposit an accepted
government-issued currency into their account with the spot market, or a previously acquired digital asset, before they can purchase
or sell assets on the spot market. The process of establishing an account with a SOL spot market and trading SOL is different from, and
should not be confused with, the process of users sending SOL from one SOL address to another SOL address on the Solana Blockchain. This
latter process is an activity that occurs on the Solana Network, while the former is an activity that occurs entirely on the private
website operated by the spot market. The spot market typically records the investor’s ownership of SOL in its internal books and
records, rather than on the Solana Blockchain. The spot market ordinarily does not transfer SOL to the investor on the Solana Blockchain
unless the investor makes a request to the spot market to withdraw the SOL in their exchange account to an off-exchange SOL wallet.
Outside
of spot markets, SOL can be traded OTC in transactions that are not publicly reported. The OTC market is largely institutional in nature,
and OTC market participants generally consist of institutional entities, such as firms that offer two-sided liquidity for SOL, investment
managers, proprietary trading firms, high-net-worth individuals that trade SOL on a proprietary basis, entities with sizeable SOL holdings,
and family offices. The OTC market provides a relatively flexible market in terms of quotes, price, quantity, and other factors, although
it tends to involve large blocks of SOL. The OTC market has no formal structure and no open-outcry meeting place. Parties engaging in
OTC transactions agree upon a price—often via phone or email—and then one of the two parties then initiates the transaction.
For example, a seller of SOL could initiate the transaction by sending the SOL to the buyer’s SOL address. The buyer would then
wire U.S. dollars to the seller’s bank account. OTC trades are sometimes hedged and eventually settled with concomitant trades
on SOL spot markets. In addition to spot and OTC markets, SOL futures contracts are offered by certain digital asset derivatives platforms,
allowing investors to speculate on the future price of SOL or hedge existing exposures. These contracts may be cash-settled or physically
settled and are typically traded on regulated or registered trading venues outside of the Solana Blockchain. SOL futures markets may
influence spot market prices and contribute to overall price discovery, though trading volumes and liquidity vary across platforms.
Financial
firms that are authorized to purchase or redeem Shares with the Trust (known as “Authorized Participants”)deliver, or
facilitate the delivery of, SOL or cash to the Trust’s account with the Custodian in exchange for Shares of the Trust, and the
Trust, through the Custodian, delivers SOL or cash when Authorized Participants redeem Shares of the Trust.
10
Competition
Thousands
of digital assets, as tracked by CoinMarketCap.com as of February 2026, 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 smaller than that of bitcoin and may be eclipsed by the more rapid
development of other digital assets.
Regulation
of Solana and 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 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 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 exchange markets, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets can be used to
launder the proceeds of illegal activities or fund criminal or terrorist enterprises and the safety and soundness of exchanges or 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.
On
January 21, 2025, the SEC’s acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda announced the SEC Crypto Task Force. The task force has an objective
of developing a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for crypto assets. Following the task force announcement, on January 23,
2025, President Trump’s Executive Order, titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology,”
aimed to reorient the federal government’s approach to digital assets. The Executive Order emphasized the importance of the digital
asset industry in innovation and economic development, and outlined policies to support the growth and use of digital assets, blockchain
technology and related technologies. President Trump’s Executive Order also revoked former President Biden’s March 9, 2022
Executive Order, titled, “Responsible Development of Digital Assets” and the U.S. Department of Treasury’s July 7,
2022 “Framework for International Engagement of Digital Assets” and all policies, directives and guidance issued pursuant
to those items produced by the previous administration.It is currently unknown how the actions or recommendations of the task force and
this Executive Order or future governmental actions may impact the status of SOL or any other digital asset as a “security”
or how SOL or the Trust would be treated under any new or revised regulatory framework.
In
addition, the previous chair of the SEC has stated that the SEC has authority under existing laws to regulate the digital asset sector,
and 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 are subject to securities regulations. The outcomes of these proceedings, as well as ongoing and future regulatory actions
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. Additionally, U.S. state and federal as well as 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
May 2025, the staff of the Division of Trading and Markets of the SEC released guidance in the form of frequently asked questions relating
to crypto asset activities. The SEC staff’s guidance addressed several key points for broker-dealers acting as Authorized Participants.
According to the guidance, broker-dealers may custody non-security crypto assets and may treat crypto asset securities as being held
at a permissible “control location” under Exchange Act Rule 15c3-3(c). The guidance also clarified that broker-dealers may
conduct non-security crypto asset businesses, including facilitating transactions in crypto asset securities that settle in crypto rather
than cash. In addition, broker-dealers may hold crypto assets as proprietary positions for net capital purposes, subject to applicable
haircuts and other limitations. Furthermore, the SEC staff indicated that broker-dealers may engage in in-kind creations and redemptions
for spot crypto exchange-traded products. However, this guidance is non-binding, and may be modified, superseded, or withdrawn at any
time without notice, as emphasized in the guidance. Additionally, there is no guarantee that Authorized Participants will actually transact
in-kind at all despite this guidance.
The
SEC has also recently proposed amendments to the custody rules under Rule 206(4)-2 of the Investment Advisers Act. The proposed rule
changes would amend the definition of a “qualified custodian” under Rule 206(4)-2(d)(6) and expand the current custody rule
under Rule 206(4)-2 to cover digital assets and related advisory activities. If enacted as proposed, these rules would likely impose
additional regulatory requirements with respect to the custody and storage of digital assets and could lead to additional regulatory
oversight of the digital asset ecosystem more broadly.
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:
11
● 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 Anti-Money Laundering (“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 the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation
(“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 and came into effect in 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 Solana 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.
Custody
of the Trust’s Assets
SOL
Custody Generally
The
Trust’s Custodians keep custody of the Trust’s SOL. The Trust’s SOL is held in segregated accounts opened in the name
of the Trust on the Custodians’ books and records.
Custody
of SOL typically involves the generation, storage and utilization of private keys. These private keys are used to effect transfer transactions
(i.e., transfers of SOL from an address associated with the private key to another address). Cold storage is a safeguarding method with
multiple layers of protections and protocols, by which the private key(s) corresponding to the Trust’s SOL is(are) generated and
stored in an offline manner. Private keys are generated in offline computers that are not connected to the Internet so that they are
resistant to hacking. Cold storage of private keys may involve keeping such keys on a non-networked computer or electronic device or
storing the private keys on a storage device or printed medium and deleting the keys from all computers. A limited number of employees
at the Custodians are involved in private key management operations, and the Custodians have represented that no single individual has
access to full private keys. While the Custodians generally keep a substantial portion of the Trust’s SOL in cold storage on an
ongoing basis, from time to time, a portion of the Trust’s SOL is held in a hot wallet outside of cold storage temporarily as part
of trade facilitation in connection with creations and redemptions of Baskets or to sell SOL to pay Trust expenses.
The
Custodians may receive deposits of SOL but may not send SOL without the use of the corresponding private keys. In order to send SOL when
the private keys are kept in cold storage, unsigned transactions must be physically transferred to the offline cold storage facility
and signed using a software/hardware utility with the corresponding offline keys. At that point, a Custodian can upload the fully signed
transaction to an online network and transfer the SOL. Because the Custodians may need to retrieve private keys from offline storage
prior to initiating transactions, the initiation or crediting of withdrawals or other transactions may be delayed.
The
Sponsor allocates the Trust’s SOL between segregated accounts at each Custodian. In determining the amount and percentage of
the Trust’s SOL to allocate to each Custodian, the Sponsor considers: (i) the concentration of the Trust’s SOL at each
Custodian; (ii) the Sponsor’s assessment of the safety and security policies and procedures of each Custodian; (iii) the
insurance policies of each Custodian; (iv) the fees and expenses associated with the storage of the Trust’s SOL at each
Custodian; (v) the fees and expenses associated with the transfer to or from the account at each Custodian; and (vi) any other
factor the Sponsor deems relevant in making the allocation determination. The Sponsor does not intend to disclose the amount or
percentage of the Trust’s SOL held at either Custodian, and the Sponsor may change the allocation between the Custodians at
any time and without notice to Shareholders. The fees and expenses associated with the transfer of SOL between the accounts at each
Custodian will be borne by the Sponsor, not the Trust or the Shareholders. Any transfer of SOL between the accounts at each
Custodian will occur “on-chain” over the Solana Network. On-chain transactions are subject to all of the risks of the
Solana Network, including the risk that transactions will be made erroneously and are generally irreversible.
12
The
Trust may engage third-party custodians or vendors besides the Custodians and Cash Custodian to provide custody and security services
for all or a portion of its SOL and/or cash, and the Sponsor will pay the custody fees and any other expenses associated with any such
third-party custodian or vendor. The Sponsor is responsible for overseeing the Custodians and the Trust’s other service providers.
The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, add or terminate Custodians at any time. The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, change the
custodians for the Trust’s SOL holdings, but has no obligation whatsoever to do so or to seek any particular terms for the Trust
from other such custodians. However, the Sponsor will only enter into SOL custody arrangements with custodians that meet the Sponsor’s
criteria, including an agreement to maintain Trust assets in a segregated account, to maintain insurance and to store the Trust’s
private keys in cold storage or in such other manner as the Sponsor determines provides reasonable protection for the Trust’s assets
from loss or theft. The Trust may hold cash and cash equivalents on a temporary basis to pay expenses or facilitate creation and redemption
transactions. The Trust has entered into a cash custody agreement with the Cash Custodian under which the Cash Custodian acts as custodian
of the Trust’s cash.
Custody
with the Coinbase Custodian
SOL
custodied by the Coinbase Custodian maintained in cold storage is not commingled with assets of Coinbase Custodian or its respective
affiliates or with assets of other customers of the Coinbase Custodian. The Coinbase Custodian has also agreed in the Coinbase Custodial
Services Agreement that it will not, directly or indirectly, lend, pledge, hypothecate or rehypothecate any of the Trust’s SOL,
and that the Trust’s SOL assets are not treated as general assets of the Coinbase Custodian but are instead considered custodial
assets that remain the Trust’s property. Additionally, the Coinbase Custodian has agreed to provide the Trust or its authorized
independent public accountant with confirmation of or access to information sufficient to confirm the SOL held by the Coinbase Custodian
for the Trust and that the Trust’s SOL is held in a separate, segregated account under the Trust’s name.
The
Coinbase Custodian’s internal audit team performs periodic internal audits over custody operations, and the Coinbase Custodian
has represented that Systems and Organizational Control (“SOC”) attestations covering private key management controls are
also performed on the Coinbase Custodian by an external provider.
The
Coinbase Custodian’s parent, Coinbase Global, Inc. (“Coinbase Global”) maintains a commercial crime insurance policy
in an amount up to $320 million, which is intended to cover the loss of client assets held by Coinbase Global and all of its subsidiaries,
including the Coinbase Custodian (collectively, Coinbase Global and its subsidiaries are referred to as the “Coinbase Insureds”),
including from employee collusion or fraud, physical loss including theft, damage of key material, security breach or hack, and fraudulent
transfer. The insurance maintained by the Coinbase Insureds is shared among all of Coinbase Global’s customers, is not specific
to the Trust or to customers holding SOL with the Coinbase Custodian and may not be available or sufficient to protect the Trust from
all possible losses or sources of losses.
In
the event of a fork of the SOL blockchain, the Coinbase Custodian may, in its sole discretion, determine whether or not to support (or
cease supporting) either branch of the SOL blockchain entirely, provided that they shall use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid
ceasing to support both branches of such forked protocol and will support, at a minimum, the original digital asset. Provided that the
Coinbase Custodian shall make commercially reasonable efforts to assist the Trust and take the necessary steps to enable the Trust to
retrieve and/or obtain any assets related to a fork, airdrop or similar event, the Coinbase Custodian shall not have any liability, obligation
or responsibility whatsoever arising out of or relating to the operation of an unsupported branch of the SOL blockchain in the event
of a fork. The Coinbase Custodian does not have any responsibility to support airdrops. The Trust Agreement provides, and the Sponsor
has communicated to the Custodians, that the Trust disclaims all rights to Incidental Rights (“IR”) and IR Virtual Currencies.
Under
the Coinbase Custodial Services Agreement, the Coinbase Custodian’s liability is subject to the following limitations, among others:
(i) other than with respect to claims and losses arising from fraud or willful misconduct, among others, the Coinbase Custodian’s
aggregate liability under the Coinbase Custodial Services Agreement shall not exceed the greater of (A) the aggregate fees paid by the
Trust to the Coinbase Custodian in the 12 months prior to the event giving rise to the Coinbase Custodian’s liability, and (B)
the value of the affected SOL giving rise to the Coinbase Custodian’s liability; (ii) the Coinbase Custodian’s aggregate
liability in respect of each cold storage address shall not exceed $100 million; and (iii) in respect of any incidental, indirect, special,
punitive, consequential or similar losses, the Coinbase Custodian is not liable, even if the Coinbase Custodian has been advised of or
knew or should have known of the possibility thereof. The Coinbase Custodian is not liable for delays, suspension of operations, failure
in performance, or interruption of service to the extent it is directly due to a cause or condition beyond the reasonable control of
the Coinbase Custodian.
13
Custody
with BitGo
BitGo
is also authorized to safeguard the Trust’s SOL holdings allocated to it by the Sponsor. BitGo maintains one or more custody accounts
on its books, pursuant to the terms of the BitGo Custodial Services Agreement, for the receipt, safekeeping, and maintenance of SOL.
As
a regulated custodian, BitGo is subject to a detailed statutory and regulatory framework, including holding customer assets in segregated
client accounts on behalf of customers. 100% of Trust assets and private keys safekept by BitGo will be held in cold storage in segregated
accounts and are never commingled with BitGo or other client assets. BitGo applies industry standards, such as CryptoCurrency Security
Standard (CCSS) and SOC1 and SOC2, while also working with the most trusted brands in the industry and offering clients comprehensive
insurance solutions.
The
BitGo ecosystem and architecture for private key management include the BitGo Platform, hardware security modules(“HSMs”)
and modular services. The BitGo cold custody solution is built on BitGo’s security to manage keys on behalf of customers. BitGo
only signs transactions that have been authorized by the Sponsor and follow the policies set by the account administrators.
The
primary keys and backup keys are created offline using an Offline Vault Console (“OVC”) on air gapped laptops during a secure
ceremony to create hardened cryptographic seeds that power the BitGo Platform. This is to ensure only machines which have no access to
the internet are able to securely see private key material.
Undisclosed
personnel at BitGo hold so-called sharded keys. When they are reconstituted, they are able to sign a transaction which moves funds in
the public blockchain. To mitigate collusion, the individuals who have the sharded keys are different from those who have access to the
vaults where the signings happen.
The
private key is reconstituted in the OVC, but only in internal memory. At no point is it displayed or shown to any user. After signing
is done, the key is no longer available in memory. The OVC is run in a read-only disk, so once the laptop is powered off, there is no
non-volatile storage of any kind to write back to disk. The OVC operates using a RAM disk, where it simulates a real hard disk, but it
is completely ephemeral and is wiped as soon as the machine is power cycled or rebooted, thus wiping the reconstituted private key and
preventing it from being copied or compromised.
BitGo
is a South Dakota trust company and the private keys are strategically distributed across various geographic locations within the United
States. In order to enhance security measures, BitGo refrains from disclosing the exact locations of these keys.
At
time of wallet creation, BitGo creates a unique key pair within its HSM in order to give each client a unique wallet on-chain. These
online keys are wrapped by the BitGo HSM and stored within BitGo’s data vault for the BitGo Platform keys used to sign transactions.
As
all custody wallets are segregated, the existence of SOL held by the Trust can be verified on-chain by the Sponsor or any other authorized
party.
BitGo
cold wallets are supported by a $250 million insurance policy issued by Lloyd’s of London. The specifics of the policy include
Cyber Insurance, E&O and General specie. Any copying and theft of private keys, insider theft or dishonest acts by BitGo employees
or executives, and loss of keys directly related to BitGo’s custody of keys would be covered by this amount at a minimum. This
insurance policy is shared among all of BitGo’s clients and is not specific to the Trust or to customers holding SOL and may not
be available or sufficient to protect the Trust from all possible losses or sources of losses. The Sponsor may purchase additional insurance
coverage through BitGo’s underwriter, though the Sponsor has not purchased such additional insurance coverage as of the date of
this Annual Report. BitGo is not FDIC-insured. BitGo has established a business continuity plan that will support its ability to conduct
business in the event of a significant business disruption. This plan is reviewed and updated annually, and can be updated more frequently,
if deemed necessary, by BitGo in its sole discretion. Should BitGo be impacted by a significant business disruption, BitGo aims to minimize
business interruption as quickly and efficiently as possible.
BitGo’s
fork policy is that, in the event of an upcoming modification to the Solana Network that could result in a digital asset network fork
or airdrop, BitGo will use best commercial efforts to provide the value of the forked digital asset. BitGo may not support airdrops,
side chains, or other derivative, enhanced, or forked protocols, tokens, or coins which supplement or interact with an asset supported
by BitGo and assumes absolutely no responsibility in respect to new protocols. The Trust Agreement provides, and the Sponsor has communicated
to the Custodians, that the Trust disclaims all rights to Incidental Rights and IR Virtual Currencies.
The
BitGo Custodial Services Agreement commenced on the effective date, as detailed in the agreement, and will continue for one (1)
year, unless earlier terminated in accordance with the terms of the BitGo Custodial Services Agreement. After the initial term, the
BitGo Custodial Services Agreement will automatically renew for successive renewal terms, as established in the agreement, unless
either party notifies the other of its intention not to renew with prior notice. BitGo may terminate the BitGo Custodial Services
Agreement immediately if BitGo perceives a risk of legal or regulatory non-compliance associated with the Trust’s custodial
account activity, among other reasons. The Sponsor may terminate the BitGo Custodial Services Agreement at any time upon providing
at least thirty (30) days’ written notice to BitGo, paying outstanding amounts and an early termination fee.
14
Forks
and Airdrops
In
the event of a fork, the Custodial Services Agreements provide that the Custodians may evaluate the consequences of a fork and determine
which chain resulting from the fork it will support as an eligible asset for its customers including the Trust. The Custodians will determine
in their sole discretion whether to support and make available to clients assets resulting from forks or airdrops. In the event that
the Trust may have a right to claim assets resulting from a fork or airdrop, the Custodians will seek approval from the Trust before
claiming such assets on behalf of the Trust and making an entry of ownership on the Custodians’ books and records for the Trust’s
account with the Custodians. The Sponsor will disclaim such assets except as described herein. The Sponsor has not communicated any anticipatory
disclaimer to the Custodians regarding forked or airdropped assets and will disclaim or claim them on a case-by-case basis.
Custody
of the Trust’s Cash
The
Trust generally does not intend to hold cash or cash equivalents except for cash received from financial firms that are authorized to
purchase or redeem Shares with the Trust (known as “Authorized Participants”) in connection with a creation transaction or
cash held by the Trust pending distribution to Authorized Participants in a redemption transaction or payment of Trust expenses. The
Trust has entered into a Cash Custody Agreement with the Cash Custodian under which the Cash Custodian acts as custodian of the Trust’s
cash.
Key
Generation
Private
keys are generated by the Custodian in key generation ceremonies at secure
locations using offline devices that have never been connected to a network. Private keys are generated
according to detailed procedures using specialized offline devices and within these secure facilities to mitigate risk of hacks, errors,
or other unintended external exposure. Key ceremony processes are highly controlled, require segregation of duties across multiple parties
and are reviewed and witnessed by designated oversight personnel. Thorough validations and signoffs are performed to verify the integrity
and security of key generation ceremonies.
Key
Storage
The
Custodian holds a majority of SOL in cold storage and is responsible for managing the allocation of SOL between cold and hot storage
for the segregated wallets. Private keys for both hot and cold storage are stored on secure devices. While cold storage requires keys
to be held in an offline manner, hot storage requires private keys to be held online on the Custodian’s intranet, where they are
more accessible and can be used for more efficient SOL transfers. Some portion of SOL is held in hot storage for the purpose of satisfying
client demands for transfers including in facilitation of redemptions. Within such hot and cold wallets, the Custodian has represented
to the Sponsor that it keeps a substantial majority of assets in cold wallets to promote security, while the balance of assets is kept
in hot wallets to facilitate timely withdrawals. The Custodian has represented to the Sponsor that the percentage of assets maintained
in cold versus hot storage including target percentages may change over time and is determined by ongoing risk analysis and market dynamics,
in which the Custodian balances anticipated liquidity needs for its customers as a class against the anticipated greater security of
cold storage. The Sponsor has no control over the percentage of SOL that the Custodian maintains in cold wallets versus hot wallets.
Each cold storage wallet has a deposit size limitation of $100 million.
The
Custodian has multiple, redundant cold storage sites, which are geographically distributed including sites within the United States.
Cold storage locations of the Custodian are monitored by 24x7 on-site security, video surveillance and alarms, hardened room structures,
and access to these facilities is controlled by multi-person controls, multi-team access rules, and multi-factor authentication. The
locations of the cold storage sites may change at the discretion of the Custodian and are kept confidential by the Custodian for security
purposes. Transactions from cold to hot storage require physical access, according to the above controls, to one or more cold storage
facilities, as well as systematically enforced approvals and integrity verifications, before the secure device can be used to cryptographically
complete the transaction. At no point during this process is the private key removed from the secure device(s) nor the cold storage facility.
Once these security processes have been completed, a transfer on the Solana Network can be executed, as signed using the private keys
held offline in cold storage.
The
Custodian also maintains geographically dispersed backups of private keys, which are cryptographically generated into shards and stored
in separate locations; multiple locations must be accessed to reconstruct a single key. The storage facilities are highly secured, and
include 24x7 on-premises security presence, video surveillance, and alarms for unexpected entry. Access to facilities is controlled by
multi-person controls, multi-team access rules, and multi-factor authentication.
Security
Procedures
The
Custodian is the custodian of the Trust’s private SOL in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Custodial Services
Agreement. Transfers from the SOL Account require certain security procedures, including authorization controls to validate client
requests and private key security procedures for Solana Network transaction signing as described above. Authorization controls may
include usernames, passwords, two-step verification, and telephone call-backs to ensure proper authorization of transaction requests
from the Sponsor or its authorized agents.
15
Transfers
of SOL to the SOL Account are available to the Trust once processed on the Solana Network, subject to successful completion of processes
required by the Custodian.
The
Trust may change the custodial arrangements described in this Annual Report at any time without notice to Shareholders. To the extent
a change in custodial arrangements is deemed material by the Sponsor, the Trust will notify Shareholders in a prospectus supplement and/or
a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports.
Forks
and Airdrops
In
the event of a fork, the Custodial Services Agreement provides that the Custodian may evaluate the consequences of a fork and determine
which chain resulting from the fork it will support as an eligible asset for its customers including the Trust. The Custodian will determine
in its sole discretion whether to support and make available to clients assets resulting from forks or airdrops. In the event that the
Trust may have a right to claim assets resulting from a fork or airdrop, the Custodian will seek approval of the Trust before claiming
such assets on behalf of the Trust and making an entry of ownership on the Custodian’s books and records for the Trust’s
account. The Sponsor will disclaim such assets except as described herein. The Sponsor has not communicated any anticipatory disclaimer
to the Custodian regarding forked or airdropped assets and will disclaim or claim them on a case-by-case basis.
Custody
of the Trust’s Cash
The
Trust generally does not intend to hold cash or cash equivalents except for cash received from Authorized Participants in connection
with a creation transaction or cash held by the Trust pending distribution to Authorized Participants in a redemption transaction or
payment of Trust expenses. The Trust has entered into a Cash Custody Agreement with the Cash Custodian under which the Cash Custodian
acts as custodian of the Trust’s cash.
Staked
SOL
Under
normal circumstances, the Sponsor seeks to stake all of the Trust’s SOL through one or more Staking Providers, except for SOL reserved
by the Sponsor in its sole discretion to facilitate foreseeable redemption transactions, pay Trust expenses or otherwise protect the
Trust and its assets. Sous Vide Ltd. (“Marinade Finance”) is expected to be the exclusive Staking Provider through November
2027. The Trust stakes the Trust’s SOL on the Solana Network through the Custodian using a software protocol provided by Marinade
Finance that connects the Trust to a pool of verified validator nodes on the Solana Network for automated SOL staking optimization. The
Custodian maintains exclusive possession and control of the private keys associated with any staked SOL at all times. The staking process
includes protocol-defined warm-up, activation and withdrawal periods, during which delegated SOL is temporarily locked and inaccessible.
These phases affect when SOL begins earning rewards, participates in consensus and becomes available for transfer or redelegation.
Addition
or Termination of a Custodian
If
a Custodian is added or terminated, the Trust will provide Shareholders with notice in a prospectus supplement and/or through a current
report on Form 8-K or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
The
Pricing Benchmark
The
net assets of the Trust and its Shares are valued on a daily basis with reference to the Pricing Benchmark as of 4:00 p.m. ET, which
integrates spot market prices from various digital asset trading platforms. The Pricing Benchmark is designed to reflect the performance
of SOL in U.S. dollars. The Trust uses the Pricing Benchmark to calculate its NAV, which is the aggregate U.S. dollar value of SOL in
the Trust, based on the Pricing Benchmark, less its liabilities and expenses. “NAV per Share” is calculated by dividing NAV
by the number of Shares currently 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.
The
Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may cause the Trust to price its portfolio based upon an index, benchmark or standard other than
the Pricing Benchmark at any time, with prior notice to the Shareholders, if investment conditions change or the Sponsor believes
that another index, benchmark or standard better aligns with the Trust’s investment objectives and strategy. The Sponsor may
make this decision for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to, a determination that the Pricing Benchmark price of SOL
differs materially from the global market price of SOL and/or that third parties are able to purchase and sell SOL on public or
private markets not included among the Constituent Platforms, and such transactions may take place at prices materially higher or
lower than the Pricing Benchmark price. The Sponsor, however, is under no obligation whatsoever to make such changes in any
circumstance. In the event that the Sponsor intends to establish the Trust’s NAV by reference to an index, benchmark or
standard other than the Pricing Benchmark, it will provide Shareholders with notice in a prospectus supplement and/or through a
current report on Form 8-K or in the Trust’s annual or quarterly reports.
16
Pricing
Benchmark Methodology
The
Pricing Benchmark is a U.S. dollar-denominated composite reference rate for the price of SOL. The Pricing Benchmark is designed to
(1) mitigate the effects of fraud, manipulation and other anomalous trading activity from impacting the SOL reference rate, (2)
provide a volume-weighted fair value of SOL and (3) appropriately handle and adjust for non-market related events.
The
Benchmark Price is determined by the Benchmark 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 Benchmark Price is calculated using non-GAAP methodology and is not used in the Trust’s financial statements.
Determination
of the Benchmark Price
The
Benchmark Price is determined by producing a time-weighted average price (“TWAP”) of the SOL-USD CCIXber (the “Underlying
Index”) by using the closing minute values between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm New York time. The Reference Index applies an algorithm
to the price of SOL on the Constituent Platforms calculated on a per second basis over a 24-hour period.
The
Underlying Index
The
Underlying Index is designed to represent the fair market price of SOL in U.S. dollars by aggregating real trading data from multiple
cryptocurrency exchanges. The calculation is based on a 24-hour volume-weighted average price, with additional adjustments to ensure
accuracy, reliability, and resistance to manipulation.
To
determine the rate, the Underlying Index collects every individual SOL-USD and SOL-USDC trade from the Constituent Platforms. Each trade
record includes the price at which SOL was traded for USD, the amount (volume) of SOL traded, the exact time the trade occurred, and
the Constituent Platform where the trade took place.
The
system gathers trade data in real time, updating the Underlying Index every time a new SOL-USD and SOL-USDC trade is reported by any
of the Constituent Platform. For each exchange, the system looks at all SOL-USD and SOL-USDC trades that occurred in the past 24 hours.
Each trade’s price is multiplied by the amount of SOL traded, giving more influence to larger trades. The sum of all these “price
x volume” values is divided by the total volume traded in the 24-hour period, producing a volume-weighted average price for each
Constituent Platform.
Once
the volume-weighted average prices are calculated for all Constituent Platforms, the Underlying Index combines them, with each Constituent
Platform’s contribution to the final rate weighted according to its trading volume. This means that Constituent Platforms with
more trading activity have a greater influence on the final rate. If a Constituent Platform has not reported a recent trade, its influence
on the Underlying Index is reduced over time, ensuring the Underlying Index reflects the most current market conditions. The methodology
also includes an outlier detection step; if a Constituent Platform’s price is significantly different from the others, its influence
is reduced or removed to prevent distortion of the index.
Selection
of Constituent Platforms
To
determine which Constituent Platforms are included in the Underlying Index, a structured and multi-step methodology is followed to ensure
that only the most reliable and representative trading venues are selected. The process begins by establishing a broad universe of potential
platforms, which includes all cryptocurrency exchanges that meet the baseline eligibility criteria set out in the CoinDesk Digital Asset
Policy Methodology. These criteria require that an exchange must be classified as either Category 1 or Category 2, with Category 1 generally
referring to U.S.-licensed exchanges and Category 2 to non-U.S. licensed exchanges that still meet certain standards. There must be at
least two Category 1 exchanges included, ensuring a foundation of regulated and reputable platforms.
From
this initial universe, further quantitative filters are applied. Each exchange’s trading volume for the relevant currency pair
over the prior three months is measured as a percentage of the total trading volume across all eligible exchanges. For exchanges already
contributing to the Underlying Index, a minimum of 2% of total volume is required, while new or non-contributing exchanges must meet
a 3% threshold. Additionally, only exchanges that support direct USD-denominated trading for the asset in question are considered. Any
exchange that has been specifically excluded under the policy methodology is automatically ineligible.
Once
the eligible universe is established, exchanges are ranked by their three-month trading volume. The two highest-ranked Category 1
exchanges are selected first. If there are not enough Category 1 exchanges meeting the volume requirement, the threshold is relaxed
until two are included. The remaining Constituent Platforms are then chosen based on overall trading volume, up to a maximum of
eight platforms in total. If, after this process, there are fewer than three eligible exchanges, the volume requirements are further
relaxed to ensure a minimum of three Constituent Platforms are included. In rare cases where even these relaxed standards cannot be
met, the Index Committee will determine the appropriate course of action, which may include further adjustments or, if necessary,
the removal of the index.
17
This
methodology ensures that the Underlying Index is constructed from a universe of exchanges that are not only active and liquid, but also
meet high standards for regulatory compliance and operational integrity. The process is reviewed and updated quarterly, with ongoing
monitoring to address any anomalies or disruptions, thereby maintaining the accuracy and reliability of the index over time.
As
of March 3, 2026, the digital asset trading platforms included in the Underlying Index were Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Kraken. 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 AML and Know-Your-Customer (“KYC”) regulations.
Coinbase :
A U.S.-based trading platform registered as a Money Services Business (“MSB”) with FinCEN and licensed as a virtual currency
business under the New York Department of Financial Services BitLicense (“BitLicense”), as well as a money transmitter in
various U.S. states.
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.
Although
the Pricing Benchmark and the Underlying Index are 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 Platforms, and such transactions may take place
at prices materially higher or lower than the Benchmark 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. To the extent such prices differ materially from the Benchmark Price, investors may lose confidence in the Shares’
ability to track the market price of SOL.
Calculation
of NAV
Under
normal circumstances, the Trust’s only asset is SOL and, under limited circumstances, cash. The Trust’s SOL is carried,
for financial statement purposes, at fair value, as required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).
The Trust’s NAV is determined by the Administrator once each Exchange trading day at 4:00 p.m. ET, or as soon thereafter as
practicable. The NAV for a normal trading day is released after 4:00 p.m. ET. Trading during the core trading session on the
Exchange typically closes at 4:00 p.m. ET. However, NAVs are not officially struck until later in the day (often by 5:30 p.m. and
almost always by 8:00 p.m. ET). The pause between 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET (or later) provides an opportunity for the Sponsor to
algorithmically detect, flag, investigate, and correct unusual pricing should it occur.
18
The
Administrator calculates the NAV of the Trust by multiplying the number of SOL held by the Trust by the Pricing Benchmark for such day,
adding any additional receivables and subtracting the accrued but unpaid expenses and liabilities of the Trust. The Trust’s NAV
per Share is calculated by dividing the Trust’s NAV by the number of Shares then outstanding. The Administrator determines the
price of the Trust’s SOL by reference to the Pricing Benchmark, which is published between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET on every
calendar day. The methodology used to calculate the Pricing Benchmark price to value SOL in determining the NAV of the Trust may not
be deemed consistent with GAAP. To the extent the methodology used to calculate the Pricing Benchmark is deemed inconsistent with GAAP,
the Trust will utilize an alternative GAAP-consistent pricing source for purposes of the Trust’s periodic financial statements.
The
Sponsor has the exclusive authority to determine the NAV of the Trust. The Sponsor has delegated to the Administrator the responsibility
to calculate the NAV of the Trust and the NAV, based on a pricing source selected by the Sponsor (the Pricing Benchmark). The Administrator
determines the NAV of the Trust each business day. In determining the NAV of the Trust, the Administrator values the SOL held by the
Trust based on the Pricing Benchmark, unless otherwise determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. If the Pricing Benchmark is
not available or the Sponsor in its sole discretion determines that the Pricing Benchmark should not be used, the Trust’s holdings
may be fair valued in accordance with the policy approved by the Sponsor. The Sponsor does not anticipate that the need to “fair
value” SOL will be a common occurrence.
The
Indicative Trust Value (the “ITV”) is calculated by using the prior day’s closing NAV per Share of the Trust as a base
and updating that value throughout the trading day to reflect changes in the most recently reported price level of the Pricing Benchmark.
The ITV disseminated during the Exchange core trading session hours should not be viewed as an actual real time update of the NAV, because
NAV per Share is calculated only once at the end of each trading day based upon the relevant end of day values of the Trust’s investments.
The ITV is disseminated on a per Share basis every 15 seconds during regular Exchange core trading session hours of 9:30 a.m. ET to 4:00
p.m. ET. Solactive disseminates the ITV value through the facilities of CTA/CQ High Speed Lines. In addition, the ITV is available through
on-line information services such as Bloomberg and Reuters.
Dissemination
of the ITV provides additional information that is not otherwise available to the public and may be useful to investors and market professionals
in connection with the trading of the Shares on the Exchange. Investors and market professionals will be able throughout the trading
day to compare the market price of the Trust and the ITV. If the market price of the Shares diverges significantly from the ITV, market
professionals will have an incentive to execute arbitrage trades. For example, if the Trust appears to be trading at a discount compared
to the ITV, a market professional could buy the Shares on the Exchange and sell short futures contracts. Such arbitrage trades can tighten
the tracking between the market price of the Trust and the ITV and thus can be beneficial to all market participants.
The
Sponsor reserves the right to adjust the Share price of the Trust in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors.
Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits. Such splits would decrease (in the case of a split)
or increase (in the case of a reverse split) the proportionate NAV per Share, but would have no effect on the net assets of the Trust
or the proportionate voting rights of Shareholders or the value of any Shareholder’s investment.
The
Trust’s periodic financial statements may not utilize the NAV of the Trust determined by reference to the Pricing Benchmark to
the extent the methodology used to calculate the Pricing Benchmark is deemed not to be consistent with GAAP. The Trust’s periodic
financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards
Codification Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC Topic 820”) and utilize an exchange-traded
price from the Trust’s principal market for SOL on the Trust’s financial statement measurement date. The Sponsor determines
in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Trust’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP.
The Trust intends to engage a third-party vendor to obtain a price from a principal market for SOL, which will be determined and designated
by such third-party vendor daily based on its consideration of several exchange characteristics, including oversight, and the volume
and frequency of trades. Under GAAP, such a price is expected to be deemed a Level 1 input in accordance with ASC Topic 820 because it
is expected to be a quoted price in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
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 financial statements, the Trust follows 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 may transact through SOL Trading Counterparties, in multiple markets, and
its application of ASC 820-10 reflects this fact. The Trust anticipates that, while multiple venues and types of markets will be
available to the SOL Trading Counterparties from whom the Sponsor acquires or disposes of the Trust’s SOL, the principal
market in each scenario is determined by looking at the market-based level of volume and SOL trading activity. SOL Trading
Counterparties may transact in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets, each as
defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary. Based on information reasonably available to the Trust, Exchange Markets have the greatest
volume and level of activity for the asset. The Trust therefore looks to accessible Exchange 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, an Exchange 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) on a quarterly basis to determine which market is its Principal
Market for the purpose of calculating fair value for the creation of quarterly and annual financial statements.
19
The
Sponsor has developed a process for identifying a principal market, as prescribed in ASC 820-10, which outlines the application of fair
value accounting. The process begins by identifying publicly available, well established and reputable SOL trading venues (Exchange Markets,
as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary), which are selected by the Sponsor and its affiliates in their sole discretion. Those markets
include Binance, Bitfinex, Bitflyer, Bitstamp, Coinbase Pro, Crypto.com, Gemini, HitBTC, Huobi, Kraken, KuCoin, OKEx, Poloniex. The Sponsor
then, through a service provider, calculates on each valuation period, the highest volume venue during the 60-minute period prior to
4:00 p.m. ET for SOL. The Sponsor then identifies that market as the principal market for SOL during that period, and uses the price
for SOL from that venue at 4:00 p.m. ET as the principal market price.
The
Trust’s Fees and Expenses
The
Trust pays the Sponsor an annual unified fee of 0.50% of the Trust’s SOL Holdings (the “Sponsor Fee”). The Trust’s
“SOL Holdings” is the quantity of the Trust’s SOL plus any cash or other assets held by the Trust represented in SOL
as calculated using the Pricing Benchmark price, less its liabilities (which include estimated accrued but unpaid fees and expenses)
represented in SOL as calculated using the Pricing Benchmark price. The Sponsor Fee is paid by the Trust to the Sponsor as compensation
for services performed under the Trust Agreement. The Administrator calculates the Sponsor Fee in respect of each day by reference to
the prior day’s SOL Holdings. Except for periods during which all or a portion of the Sponsor Fee is being waived, the Sponsor
Fee accrues daily in SOL and is payable monthly in SOL or cash. To the extent there are any on-chain transaction fees incurred in connection
with the transfers of SOL to pay the Sponsor Fee, the Sponsor, and not the Trust, shall bear such fees. The Sponsor may, at its sole
discretion and from time to time, waive all or a portion of the Sponsor Fee for stated periods of time. 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.
As
partial consideration for its receipt of the Sponsor 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 fees of the Trust’s
third-party service providers including, but not limited to, the Marketing Agent, the Administrator, the Custodians, the Cash Custodian,
the Transfer Agent, the Benchmark Provider, and the Trustee, (ii) the fees and expenses related to the listing, quotation or trading
of the Shares on the Exchange (including customary legal, marketing and audit fees and expenses), (iii) legal fees and expenses incurred
in the ordinary course, (iv) audit fees, (v) regulatory fees, including, if applicable, any fees relating to the registration of the
Trust and Shares, including any ongoing filings related to the offering of Shares, under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, (vi) printing
and mailing costs, (vii) costs of maintaining the Trust’s website and (viii) applicable license fees (each, a “Sponsor-paid
Expense” and collectively, the “Sponsor-paid Expenses”), provided that any expense that qualifies as an Extraordinary
Expense (as defined below) is not be deemed to be a Sponsor-paid Expense. There is no cap on the amount of Sponsor-paid Expenses. The
Sponsor has also assumed all fees and expenses related to the organization and offering of the Trust and the Shares.
The
Trust may incur certain extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses that are not Sponsor-paid Expenses, including, but not limited to, brokerage
and transaction costs associated with the sale or transfer of SOL, 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, the Trust’s assets,
or the interests of Shareholders, any indemnification of the Custodian or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust,
and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement
or investigation matters (collectively, “Extraordinary Expenses”). To the extent on-chain transaction fees are incurred in
connection with transfers or sales of SOL to pay Extraordinary Expenses, the Trust bears such fees.
To
the extent it does not have cash readily available, the Sponsor shall cause the transfer or sale of SOL in such quantity as may be
necessary to permit the payment of Trust expenses and liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor or for payment of redemption proceeds
to Authorized Participants. The Trust does not bear any costs associated with the transfer or sale of SOL to pay the Sponsor Fee. To
the extent the Trust incurs any Extraordinary Expenses, the Trust bears the costs of any transfers or sales of SOL to pay such
expenses. The Trust seeks to transfer SOL at such times and in the smallest amounts required to permit such payments as they become
due. With respect to transfers or sales necessary to pay Trust expenses and liabilities that are denominated other than in SOL, the
amount of SOL transferred or sold may vary from time to time depending on the actual sales price of SOL relative to the
Trust’s expenses and liabilities ( e.g. , if the price of SOL falls, the amount of SOL needed to be transferred or sold
to pay an expense denominated in U.S. dollars will increase). To the extent the Trust must buy or sell SOL, the Trust may do so
through a third-party digital asset broker or dealer. When the Trust buys or sells SOL, the Sponsor seeks quotes from its SOL
trading counterparties. Such transactions are typically conducted over the counter rather than over a trading platform or similar
order matching service. The Sponsor selects third party brokers or dealers that it believes have implemented adequate AML, KYC and
other legal compliance policies and procedures.
20
Under
the terms of each Authorized Participant Agreement, the Authorized Participants are responsible for any brokerage or transaction costs
associated with the sale or transfer of SOL incurred in connection with the fulfillment of a creation or redemption order.
Creation
and Redemption of Shares
The
Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. Baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to
the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of SOL or cash represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed (the “Basket
Deposit”). The amount of SOL required in a Basket Deposit (the “Basket SOL Deposit”) and the amount of cash required
in a Basket Deposit (the “Basket Cash Deposit”) are based on the quantity or value of the quantity, as applicable, of SOL
or cash attributable to each Share of the Trust (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor Fees and any accrued but unpaid Extraordinary Expenses)
being created or redeemed determined as of 4:00 p.m. ET on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received.
Authorized
Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Authorized Participants must be (1) registered
broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions, that are not required to register
as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions described below and (2) DTC Participants. To become an Authorized Participant,
a person must enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Marketing Agent.
In
connection with a Cash Creation Order (as defined below) or Cash Redemption Order (as defined below), an Authorized Participant is responsible
for any operational processing and brokerage costs, transfers fees, network fees and stamp taxes (the “Transaction Fee”).
The Transaction Fee may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor. Authorized Participants who make deposits with the
Trust in exchange for Baskets receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Trust
or the Sponsor, and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Certain
Authorized Participants and their agents and affiliates
are expected to be capable of participating directly in the spot markets. Some Authorized Participants or their agents and affiliates
may from time to time buy or sell SOL and may profit in these instances. To the extent that the activities
of Authorized Participants or their agents and affiliates have a meaningful effect on the SOL market,
it could affect the price of SOL and impact the ability of the Authorized Participants to effectively
arbitrage the difference between the price at which the shares trade and the NAV of the Trust. While the Sponsor currently expects that
Authorized Participants’ and their agents’ and affiliates’ direct activities in the SOL
or securities markets in connection with the creation and redemption activities of the Trust does not significantly affect the price
of SOL or the Shares, the impact of the activities of the Trust and its Authorized Participants and
their agents and affiliates on SOL or securities markets is unknown and beyond the control of the
Sponsor.
Each
Authorized Participant is required to be registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act and a member in good standing with FINRA, or
exempt from being or otherwise not required to be licensed as a broker-dealer or a member of FINRA, and is qualified to act as a broker
or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where the nature of its business so requires. Certain Authorized Participants may also
be regulated under federal and state banking laws and regulations. Each Authorized Participant has its own set of rules and procedures,
internal controls and information barriers as it determines is appropriate in light of its own regulatory regime.
The
following description of the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets is only a summary and a Shareholder should refer to
the form of Authorized Participant Agreement for more detail. A form of Authorized Participant Agreement is filed as an exhibit to the
Trust’s registration statement.
Creation
Procedures
On
any business day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Transfer Agent to create one or more Baskets. For purposes of
processing creation and redemption orders, a “business day” means any day other than a day when the Exchange is closed for
regular trading. Purchase orders must be placed by the close of Regular Trading Hours on the Exchange or an earlier time as determined
and communicated by the Sponsor and its Transfer Agent. A purchase order is effective on the date it is received in good order by the
Transfer Agent (“Purchase Order Date”).
The
manner by which creations are made is dictated by the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement. Creation orders may be denominated
and settled in an amount of SOL (“In-Kind Creation Order”) or cash (“Cash Creation Order”). By placing an In-Kind
Creation Order, an Authorized Participant agrees to facilitate the deposit of SOL with the Custodians, either directly or indirectly
through an Authorized Participant designee. By placing a Cash Creation Order, an Authorized Participant agrees to facilitate the deposit
of cash with the Cash Custodian. An Authorized Participant may not withdraw a creation order without the prior consent of the Sponsor
in its discretion.
Following
an In-Kind Creation Order from an Authorized Participant, the Trust’s account at the Custodians must be credited with the
required SOL by 11:00 a.m. ET on the following business day or such other time designated by the Sponsor. The Authorized Participant
or its Authorized Participant designee normally sends the required SOL in an “on-chain” transaction over the Solana
Network. Such on-chain transactions are subject to the risks associated with Solana Network transactions, including the
irreversibility of transactions made in error or unavoidable delays due to Solana Network congestion. Upon receipt of the Basket SOL
Deposit amount in the Trust’s account at the Custodians, the Administrator notifies the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent
then directs DTC to credit the number of Shares created to the Authorized Participant’s DTC account.
21
Following
an Authorized Participant’s Cash Creation Order, the Trust’s account at the Cash Custodian must be credited with the Basket
Cash Deposit amount by 11:00 a.m. ET on the following business day or such other time designated by the Sponsor. Upon receipt of the
Basket Cash Deposit amount in the Trust’s account at the Cash Custodian, the Transfer Agent notifies the Marketing Agent, the Authorized
Participant, and the Sponsor that the Basket Cash Amount has been deposited. The Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust, instructs a SOL trading
counterparty to purchase the amount of SOL equivalent in value to the cash deposit amount associated with the creation order, with such
purchase transaction prearranged to be executed, in the Sponsor’s reasonable efforts, at the Pricing Benchmark price used by the
Trust to calculate NAV, taking into account any spread, commissions, or other trading costs on the applicable Purchase Order Date. The
resulting SOL is deposited in the Trust’s account with the Custodians. Any slippage incurred (including, but not limited to, any
trading fees, spreads, or commissions), on a cash equivalent basis, is the responsibility of the Authorized Participant and not of the
Trust or Sponsor. To the extent the execution price of the SOL acquired by the trading counterparty exceeds the cash deposit amount,
such cash difference is the responsibility of the Authorized Participant and not the Trust or Sponsor. The Transfer Agent then directs
DTC to credit the number of Shares created to the Authorized Participant’s DTC account. To the extent the execution price of the SOL acquired by the trading counterparty is less than the cash deposit amount, such excess cash will be returned to the Authorized Participant.
Determination
of Required Deposits
The
amount of the Basket Deposit changes from day to day. On each day that the Exchange is open for regular trading, the Administrator adjusts
the quantity of SOL or cash constituting the Basket Deposit as appropriate to reflect the value of the Trust’s SOL or cash less
accrued expenses. The computation is made by the Administrator as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. ET or
at an earlier time set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement or otherwise provided to all Authorized Participants on the date
such order is placed in order for the creation of Baskets to be effected based on the NAV of Shares as next determined on such date after
receipt of the order in proper form.
The
Basket SOL Deposit for a given day is determined by dividing the number of SOL held by the Trust as of the opening of business on that
business day, adjusted for the amount of SOL constituting accrued expenses and other liabilities of the Trust as of the opening of business
on that business day, by the number of Shares outstanding at the opening of business and multiplying such amount by the number of Shares
constituting a Basket. Fractions of SOL smaller than .00000001 are disregarded for purposes of the computation of the Basket SOL Deposit.
The
Basket Cash Deposit is an amount of cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of the Trust, net of accrued expenses and
other liabilities, on the Purchase Order Date, as the number of Shares constituting a Basket is in proportion to the total number of
Shares outstanding on the Purchase Order Date, plus the amount of any Transaction Fee. For a discussion of how the Trust determines the
value of SOL, see “Calculation of NAV” above. The Basket Cash Deposit so determined is communicated via electronic
mail message to all Authorized Participants.
To
the extent the price at which the Trust executes a SOL purchase in connection with a Cash Creation exceeds the amount described in the
paragraph above, the Authorized Participant that placed such order is responsible for any such difference in price. The Sponsor expects
that its SOL trading counterparties will be able to provide pricing based on the Pricing Benchmark price at 4:00 p.m. ET, which would
minimize or eliminate any such shortfall. However, there can be no guarantee that the price at which the Trust executes SOL trades will
be the Pricing Benchmark price at 4:00 p.m. ET, and Authorized Participants bear the risk of any such differences in price.
Delivery
of Required Deposits
An
Authorized Participant who places a purchase order must follow the procedures outlined in the “Creation Procedures” section
of this Annual Report. Upon receipt of the deposit amount by the Custodians or Cash Custodian, as applicable, the Transfer Agent directs
DTC to credit the number of Shares ordered to the Authorized Participant’s DTC account on the following business day or such later
time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, following the Purchase Order Date. The Sponsor has the authority
to set or modify the cut-off time for purchase orders in order for the creation of Baskets to be effected based on the Pricing Benchmark
price at 4:00 p.m. ET as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. For example, the Sponsor may modify
the cut-off time in the event of an early market close, perceived capacity constraints from the Trust’s SOL trading counterparties,
or highly volatile markets. Cut-off times are communicated periodically to Authorized Participants. In circumstances where purchase orders
are due before 4:00 p.m. ET, Authorized Participants will not know the total Basket Deposit at the time they submit a purchase order
for the Basket. The Trust’s NAV and the price of a Basket Deposit could rise or fall substantially between the time a purchase
order is submitted and the time the amount of the purchase price in respect thereof is determined, and the risk of such price movements
is borne solely by the Authorized Participant.
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Rejection
of Purchase Orders
The
Sponsor or its designee has the absolute right, but does not have any obligation, to reject any purchase order or Basket Deposit for
any reason, including if the Sponsor determines that:
a. the
purchase order is not in proper form;
b. the
Basket Deposit delivered is not as specified by the Trust through the Sponsor and/or Transfer Agent, and the Sponsor has not consented
to acceptance of an in-kind deposit that varies from the designated portfolio;
c. the
acceptance of the Basket Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Trust;
d. the
acceptance of the Basket Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful;
e. the
acceptance of the Basket Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Sponsor, have an adverse effect on the Trust
or the rights of beneficial owners of the Trust;
f. the
value of Baskets to be created exceeds a purchase authorization limit afforded to the Authorized Participant by the Trust, and the Authorized
Participant has not deposited an amount in excess of such purchase authorization with the Custodians prior to the designated cut-off
time; or
g. there
exist circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Transfer Agent, or the Sponsor that make it impossible to process purchase
orders for all practical purposes.
The
Sponsor may in its sole discretion limit the number of Shares created pursuant to purchase orders on any specified day without notice
to the Authorized Participants and may direct the Marketing Agent to reject any purchase orders in excess of such capped amount. The
Sponsor may choose to limit the number of Shares created pursuant to purchase orders when it deems so doing to be in the best interest
of Shareholders. It may choose to do so when it believes the market is too volatile to execute a SOL transaction,
when it believes the price of SOL is being inconsistently, irregularly, or discontinuously published
from SOL trading venues and other data sources, or when it believes other similar circumstances may
create a scenario in which accepting purchase orders would not be in the best interests of the Shareholders. The Sponsor does not believe
that the Trust’s ability to arrive at such a determination will have a significant impact on the Shares in the secondary market
because it believes that the ability to create Shares would be reinstated shortly after such determination is made, and any entity desiring
to create Shares would be able to do so once the ability to create Shares is reinstated. However, it is possible that such a determination
would cause the Shares to trade at premiums or discounts relative to the Trust’s NAV on the secondary market if arbitrageurs believe
that there is risk that the creation and redemption process is not available, as this process is a component of keeping the price of
the Shares on the secondary market closely aligned to the Trust’s NAV.
Neither
the Sponsor, nor the Transfer Agent, nor the Trust are liable for the rejection of any purchase order or Basket Deposit.
Redemption
Procedures
The
procedures by which an Authorized Participant can redeem one or more Baskets mirror the procedures for the creation of Baskets with an
additional safeguard on SOL being removed from the SOL Account at the Custodians. On any business day, an Authorized Participant may
place an order with the Transfer Agent to redeem one or more Baskets. Redemption orders must be placed by the close of Regular Trading
Hours on the Exchange or an earlier time as determined and communicated by the Sponsor and its agent. A redemption order is effective
on the date it is received by the Transfer Agent (“Redemption Order Date”).
The
manner by which redemptions are made is dictated by the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement. Redemption orders are denominated
and settled either in-kind (“In-Kind Redemption Order”) or in cash (“Cash Redemption Order”). By placing a redemption
order, an Authorized Participant agrees to facilitate the deposit of Shares with the Transfer Agent. If an Authorized Participant fails
to consummate the foregoing, the order will be cancelled or delayed until the required Shares have been received. An Authorized Participant
may not withdraw a redemption order without the prior consent of the Sponsor in its discretion.
Because
of the time involved in deactivating SOL from the Trust’s staking program with the Custodians and the Staking Provider, all Redemption
Orders are generally settled on the second business day following a Redemption Order date. Authorized Participants bear the risk of price
movement of SOL during the period between when the Redemption Order is placed and when the transaction is settled.
In
the case of an In-Kind Redemption Order, the redemption distribution from the Trust consists of a movement of SOL to the Authorized
Participant, or its Authorized Participant designee, representing the amount of SOL held by the Trust, net of accrued expenses and
other liabilities, evidenced by the Shares being redeemed on the Redemption Order Date. In the case of a Cash Redemption Order, the
redemption distribution from the Trust consists of a transfer to the Authorized Participant of an amount of cash that is in the same
proportion to the total assets of the Trust, net of accrued expenses and other liabilities, on the Redemption Order Date, as the
number of Shares to be redeemed under the purchase order is in proportion to the total number of Shares outstanding on the
Redemption Order Date. With respect to either an In-Kind Redemption Order or Cash Redemption Order, the redemption distribution due
from the Trust is delivered once the Transfer Agent notifies the Custodians or Cash Custodian, the Marketing Agent and the Sponsor
that the Authorized Participant has delivered the Shares represented by the Baskets to be redeemed to the Transfer Agent’s DTC
account. If the Transfer Agent’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the Shares of the Baskets to be redeemed, the
redemption distribution will be cancelled or delayed until such time as the Transfer Agent confirms receipt of all such
Shares.
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By
placing a redemption order, an Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the Baskets to be redeemed through DTC’s book-entry system
to the Trust by the end of the following business day or such time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor
following the Redemption Order Date. An Authorized Participant may not withdraw a redemption order without the prior consent of the Sponsor
in its discretion.
Determination
of Redemption Distribution
The
redemption distribution from the Trust consists of a transfer to the redeeming Authorized Participant or its Authorized Participant designee
of an amount of either SOL (in the case of an In-Kind Redemption Order) or cash (in the case of a Cash Redemption Order) that is determined
in the same manner as the determination of Basket Deposits discussed above.
Delivery
of Redemption Distribution
The
Transfer Agent notifies the Custodian, the Cash Custodian, the Marketing Agent and the Sponsor that the Shares have been received in
the Transfer Agent’s DTC account. For an In-Kind Redemption Order, the Sponsor transfers the redemption SOL amount from the Custodian
to the designated wallet address of the Authorized Participant or its Authorized Participant designee. For a Cash Redemption Order, the
redemption distribution due from the Trust is sent by the Cash Custodian to the Authorized Participant on the following business day
or such later time as may be agreed upon by the Authorized Participant and the Sponsor, following the Redemption Order Date if, by 4:00
p.m. ET, on such business day, the Transfer Agent’s DTC account has been credited with the Baskets to be redeemed. If the Transfer
Agent’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the Baskets to be redeemed by such time, the redemption distribution will
be cancelled or delayed until such time as the Transfer Agent confirms receipt of all such Shares.
Rejection
of Redemption Orders
Redemption
orders must be made in whole Baskets. The Marketing Agent acting by itself or through the person authorized to take redemption orders
in the manner provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement may, in its sole discretion, reject any redemption order (1) the Sponsor
determines not to be in proper form or (2) if requested by the Marketing Agent, the Authorized Participant fails to deliver or execute
supporting documentation evidencing ownership or the Authorized Participant’s right to deliver sufficient Shares.
Suspension
of Orders
The
Sponsor may, in its discretion, suspend redemption or creation transactions 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. For example, the Sponsor may determine that it
is necessary to suspend redemptions to allow for the orderly liquidation of the Trust’s assets. If the Sponsor has difficulty liquidating
the Trust’s positions, e.g. , because of a market disruption event or an unanticipated delay in the liquidation of a position
in an over-the-counter contract, it may be appropriate to suspend creations and redemptions until such time as such circumstances are
rectified. Neither the Marketing Agent, the person authorized to take redemption orders in the manner provided in the Authorized Participant
Agreement, nor the Custodian are liable to any person or in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such suspension
or postponement. Any such suspension may cause to price of the Shares to deviate more significantly from the Trust’s NAV per Share
than would be the case if such suspension had not occurred. The Trust notifies Shareholders of any such suspension in a prospectus supplement
and/or a current report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports.
Creation
and Redemption Transaction Fees
In
connection with a creation order or redemption order, an Authorized Participant is responsible for the Transaction Fee, which consists
of the operational processing and brokerage costs, transfers fees, network fees and stamp taxes. The Transaction Fee may be reduced,
increased or otherwise changed by the Sponsor.
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 or redemption of baskets, regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly on the
Authorized Participant, and agree to indemnify the Sponsor and the Trust if they are required by law to pay any such tax, together with
any applicable penalties, additions to tax and interest thereon.
Secondary
Market Transactions
As
noted, the Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. The creation and redemption of
baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of SOL or cash equal to
the number of Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets
is properly received.
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As
discussed above, Authorized Participants are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem Baskets. Authorized Participants
must be registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions that are not
required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions. An Authorized Participant is under no obligation to create
or redeem Baskets, and an Authorized Participant is under no obligation to offer to the public Shares of any Baskets it does create.
Authorized
Participants that do offer to the public Shares from the Baskets they create do so at per-Share offering prices that are expected to
reflect, among other factors, the trading price of the Shares on the Exchange, the NAV of the Trust at the time the Authorized Participant
purchased the Baskets, the NAV of the Shares at the time of the offer of the Shares to the public, the supply of and demand for Shares
at the time of sale, and the liquidity of SOL. Baskets are generally redeemed when the price per Share is at a discount to the NAV per
Share. Shares initially comprising the same basket but offered by Authorized Participants to the public at different times may have different
offering prices. An order for one or more Baskets may be placed by an Authorized Participant on behalf of multiple clients. Authorized
Participants who make deposits with the Trust in exchange for Baskets receive no fees, commissions or other forms of compensation or
inducement of any kind from either the Trust or the Sponsor and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or
the Trust to effect any sale or resale of Shares.
Shares
are expected to trade in the secondary market on the Exchange. Shares may trade in the secondary market at prices that are lower or higher
relative to their NAV per Share. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV per Share may be influenced
by various factors, including the number of Shareholders who seek to purchase or sell Shares in the secondary market and the liquidity
of SOL.
U.S.
Federal Income Tax Consequences
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 is treated as directly owning its pro rata share of the Trust’s assets and a pro rata portion
of the Trust’s income, gain, 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, with respect to staking and 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.
Item
1A. Risk Factors.
As
a smaller reporting company, the Trust is not required to provide the information required by this item.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.