Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item
9A. Controls and Procedures.
Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
The
Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its 1934
Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and
that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer of the Sponsor
to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Under
the supervision and with the participation of the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the
Sponsor, the Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trust's disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e).
Based on this evaluation, the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor concluded
that, as of December 31, 2025, the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Management’s
Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The
Sponsor’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined
under Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). The Trust’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Internal control over financial reporting
includes those policies and procedures that: (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly
reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Trust’s assets, (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded
as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that the
Trust’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with appropriate authorizations; and (3) provide reasonable
assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Trust’s assets that
could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of
any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become ineffective because of changes in
conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The
Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor assessed the effectiveness of the Trust’s
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025. In making this assessment, they used the criteria set forth by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013). Their
assessment included an evaluation of the design of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and testing of the operational
effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting. Based on their assessment and those criteria, the Principal Executive
Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor concluded that the Trust maintained effective internal control
over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There
were no changes in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period ended December 31, 2025
that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item
9B. Other Information.
Not
applicable.
Item
9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not
applicable.
45
PART
III
Item
10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate
Governance. The Sponsor
The
Trust does not have any directors, officers or employees. The creation and operation of the Trust have been arranged by the Sponsor.
Background
and Principals
Steven
McClurg – Chief Executive Officer
Steven
McClurg has considerable finance and fintech experience. Most recently, Mr. McClurg served as the Chief Investment Officer of Valkyrie
Investments. Mr. McClurg also founded Theseus Capital, a Blockchain-powered asset management platform, followed by joining Blockchain-focused
merchant bank, Galaxy Digital, where he continued as Managing Director, building their asset management and public funds businesses.
Most relevant, Mr. McClurg was a Managing Director at Guggenheim Partners, where he was a portfolio manager and responsible for portfolio
construction and strategy for fixed income and private equity. He also has experience in leadership roles in technology companies such
as Electronic Arts. Mr. McClurg holds a Master of Science and an MBA from Pepperdine University, where he has served as an adjunct professor.
Mr. McClurg is the Principal Executive Officer of the Trust.
Drew
Hill – President
Drew
Hill is an experienced attorney specializing in blockchain, token and cryptocurrency law, with a focus on securities law and regulatory
compliance for public and private funds. Previously, Mr. Hill served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Valkyrie Investments,
where he led the legal and compliance teams and played a key role in launching digital asset themed ETFs, including the spot Bitcoin
ETF “BRRR” and the bitcoin miners ETF “WGMI.” Prior to his tenure at Valkyrie Investments, Mr. Hill was a key
member of the nationally recognized Blockchain Practice at Frost Brown Todd LLC, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, private
fund formation, start-up fundraising and securities law compliance for token and cryptocurrency issuers. Mr. Hill currently serves as
President and Chief Legal Officer of Canary Capital Group. Mr. Hill holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Spanish from the Clark Honors
College at the University of Oregon and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Starr
Frohlich – Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer
Starr
Frohlich has extensive experience in finance and investment management. Ms. Frohlich currently serves as a Director on the Principal
Financial Officer Services team at PINE Advisor Solutions, where she acts as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer for registered
fund products, overseeing financial, accounting and regulatory reporting functions. Previously, Ms. Frohlich was Vice President at JPMorgan
Chase & Co., where she supervised financial reporting and regulatory filings for a wide range of registered investment companies.
Earlier in her career, she was Vice President and Treasurer of AssetMark, Inc.'s proprietary registered funds, and she also held a senior
fund administration and financial reporting position at U.S. Bank Global Fund Services. Ms. Frohlich serves as the Principal Financial
Officer and the Principal Accounting Officer of the Trust. Ms. Frohlich holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University
of Minnesota and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Family
Relationships
There
are no family relationships among our executive officers.
Indemnification
The
general fiduciary duties that would otherwise be imposed on the Sponsor (which would make its operation of the Trust as described herein
impracticable due to the strict prohibition imposed by such duties on, for example, conflicts of interest on behalf of a fiduciary in
its dealings with its beneficiaries), are replaced entirely by the terms of the Trust Agreement (to which terms all Shareholders, by
subscribing to the Shares, are deemed to consent).
The
Trust Agreement provides that the Trust shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustee (including in its individual capacity)
and any of the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Trustee (the “Indemnified Persons”) from and against any
and all losses, damages, liabilities, claims, actions, suits, costs, expenses, disbursements (including the reasonable fees and expenses
of counsel and fees and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement of its indemnification rights under the Trust Agreement), taxes
and penalties of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively, “Expenses”), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of
or are imposed upon or asserted at any time against such Indemnified Persons with respect to the performance of the Trust Agreement,
the creation, operation or termination of the Trust or the transactions contemplated thereby; provided, however, that the Trust shall
not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross
negligence of an Indemnified Person. If the Trust shall have insufficient assets or improperly refuses to pay an Indemnified Person within
sixty (60) days of a request for payment owed hereunder, the Sponsor shall, as secondary obligor, compensate or reimburse the Trustee
or indemnify, defend and hold harmless an Indemnified Person as if it were the primary obligor under the Trust Agreement; provided, however,
that the Sponsor shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person for any Expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct,
bad faith or gross negligence of an Indemnified Person. To the fullest extent permitted by law and by the requirement for treatment of
the Trust as a grantor trust for tax purposes, Expenses to be incurred by an Indemnified Person shall, from time to time, be advanced
by, or on behalf of, the Sponsor prior to the final disposition of any matter upon receipt by the Sponsor of an undertaking by, or on
behalf of, such Indemnified Person to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified
under this Trust Agreement.
46
Under
Delaware law, a beneficial owner of a statutory trust (such as a shareholder of the Trust) may, under certain circumstances, institute
legal action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated beneficial owners (a “class action”) to recover damages
for violations of fiduciary duties, or on behalf of a statutory trust (a “derivative action”) to recover damages from a third
party where there has been a failure or refusal to institute proceedings to recover such damages. In addition, beneficial owners may
have the right, subject to certain legal requirements, to bring class actions in federal court to enforce their rights under the federal
securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the SEC. Beneficial owners who have suffered losses in connection
with the purchase or sale of their beneficial interests may be able to recover such losses from the Sponsor where the losses result from
a violation by the Sponsor of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws.
The
foregoing summary describing in general terms the remedies available to shareholders under federal law is based on statutes, rules and
decisions as of the date of this Annual Report. As this is a rapidly developing and changing area of the law, shareholders who believe
that they may have a legal cause of action against any of the foregoing parties should consult their own counsel as to their evaluation
of the status of the applicable law at such time.
Code
of Ethics
The
Trust has not adopted a code of ethics (“Code of Ethics”) as it is not required to do so under applicable laws, rules and
regulations.
Insider
Trading Policies and Procedures
Because
the Trust does not have directors, officers, or employees, it has not adopted insider trading policies and procedures governing the purchase,
sale and/or disposition of Trust securities by such persons.
Item
11. Executive Compensation.
The
Trust has no employees or directors and is managed by the Sponsor. None of the officers of the Trust, or the members or officers of the
Sponsor receive compensation from the Trust.
The
Sponsor is entitled to receive a Sponsor’s Fee from the Trust equal to a unified fee of 0.50% of the Trust’s SOL Holdings.
During
the fiscal period ended December 31, 2025, the Sponsor elected to waive all sponsor fees.
Item
12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Not
applicable.
Item
13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
Sponsor
Agreement
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 Custodian, 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 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.
47
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 Custodians 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.
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.
Director
Independence
The
Trust does not have any directors, officers or employees. The creation and operation of the Trust have been arranged by the Sponsor.
Item
14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
(1)
to (4). Fees for services performed by Cohen
& Company, Ltd. (“Cohen & Co”) for the period ended December 31, 2025 were as follows:
ID: 925
Period Ended
December 31,
2025
Audit Fees
$ 60,000
Audit-Related Fees
-
Tax Fees
-
All Other Fees
-
Total
$ 60,000
(5)
The Sponsor approved all of the services provided by Cohen & Co described above. The Sponsor pre-approves all audit and allowed
non-audit services of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, including all engagement fees and
terms.
48
PART
IV
Item
15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)(1) Financial Statements
For
a list of the financial statements included herein, see Index to the Financial Statements on page 30 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K,
incorporated into this Item by reference.
(b)(1)
Financial Statement Schedules
No
financial statement schedules are filed herewith because (i) such schedules are not required or (ii) the information required has been
presented in the aforementioned financial statements.
(c)(1)
Exhibits
The
following documents (unless otherwise indicated) are filed herewith and made a part of this Annual Report:
Exhibit
No.
Exhibit Description
3.1
First Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on October 10, 2025
3.2
Certificate of Trust, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on October 30, 2025
4.1
Description of Registrant’s Securities
10.1
Form of Initial Authorized Participant Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on September 26, 2025
10.2
Marketing Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on September 26, 2025
10.3
Custodial Services Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on September 26, 2025
10.4
Administration Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on September 26, 2025
10.5
Transfer Agency Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on September 26, 2025
10.6
Fund Accounting and Servicing Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on September 26, 2025
10.7
Sponsor Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on October 10, 2025
10.8
Cash Custody Agreement (Custodian Agreement), incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on September 26, 2025
10.9
Index Licensing Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 of the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282903), filed on September 26, 2025
31.1
Certification by Principal Executive Officer of the Trust Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
31.2
Certification by Principal Financial Officer of the Trust Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
32.1
Certification by Principal Executive Officer of the Trust Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2
Certification by Principal Financial Officer of the Trust Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
97.1
Recovery Policy for Erroneously Awarded Incentive-Based Compensation Policy
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema With Embedded Linkbase Documents
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File included as Exhibit 101 (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
49
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Report
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned*, thereunto duly authorized.
CANARY MARINADE SOLANA ETF
Date: March
31, 2026
By:
/s/ Steven McClurg
Name:
Steven McClurg
Title:
Chief Executive
Officer (Principal Executive Officer)*
By:
/s/ Starr Frohlich
Name:
Starr Frohlich
Title:
Principal Financial
and Accounting Officer
*
The Registrant is a trust and this person is signing in their capacity as an officer of Canary Capital Group LLC, the Sponsor of the
Registrant.
50
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.