Asset manager VanEck has brought to the U.S. market the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) offering spot exposure to Avalanche’s native token, AVAX.
VanEck Debuts America’s First AVAX-Based ETF
According to Monday’s announcement, VanEck’s ETF began trading on the Nasdaq on Monday under the ticker symbol VAVX.
The company touted VAVX as “the first and currently the only (as of January 26, 2026) U.S.-listed ETP focused on providing investors with exposure to the price return and potential staking rewards of Avalanche’s native token, AVAX.”
The fund offers investors exposure to spot AVAX token performance, all while generating returns through staking. VanEck said it will waive sponsor fees on the ETF’s first $500 million in assets until Feb. 28. Afterwards, the fund will charge a management fee of 0.2%.
Avalanche is an open-source blockchain network launched by Ava Labs in 2020 for decentralized applications and smart contracts. The platform aims to improve existing crypto scalability, interoperability, and usability.
VanEck Director of Digital Assets Kyle DaCruz said Avalanche is unique in that it can link traditional finance and blockchain, in a statement. “Avalanche’s architecture is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the on-chain economy, focusing on verifiable, real-world utility,” VanEck Director of Digital Assets Product Kyle DaCruz posited.
Avalanche’s AVAX is currently the 33rd-largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of $5.06 billion, according to CoinGecko data. The layer-1 network token is a staggering 91.9% away from its November 2021 all-time high of $144.96 and down around 68% over the past year.
VanEck first applied to launch an Avalanche ETF in March 2025, when it submitted an S-1 registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Nasdaq then followed with the necessary paperwork in April 2025, seeking the greenlight to list and trade the proposed Avalanche ETF, a key step before the product could go live on Wall Street.
Notably, VAVX is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, it may be subject to other US securities laws.
Altcoin ETF Momentum Builds
Institutional demand for altcoins has risen steadily in recent months, with crypto ETF activity now rapidly expanding beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum amid a perceived pro-crypto regulatory environment under President Trump.
The fund’s launch positions AVAX squarely alongside other major-cap altcoins, including Ripple’s XRP, Solana (SOL), and Dogecoin (DOGE), which all have their own spot ETFs trading on US exchanges.
Since Paul Atkins officially took over as the Chairman of the SEC in April, the Commission has taken steps to provide clarity for digital assets, as well as approved new generic listing standards that have opened a faster route for crypto ETFs.
Source: https://zycrypto.com/first-ever-spot-avalanche-etf-opens-for-trade-on-nasdaq-with-vanecks-avax-fund/
