21Shares Polkadot ETF Q2 "Staking Rewards" Come at a High Cost: Every $1 Paid in Rewards Results in a $4.52 Loss

According to Protos, the latest disclosure from 21Shares' Polkadot ETF (TDOT) shows that in the second quarter of 2026, for every $1 in distribution income generated through the sale of DOT tokens to pay staking rewards, there was an accompanying realized loss of approximately $4.52.

According to regulatory documents, TDOT sold 98,505 DOT in the second quarter, generating about $107,500 in cash to pay staking rewards to shareholders. However, due to a significant drop in DOT prices, these sales confirmed a loss of approximately $485,600.

Data shows that DOT fell by about 34% in the second quarter of 2026, with a cumulative decline of 76% over the past 12 months as of June 30. Since TDOT shareholders receive distributions in USD rather than directly receiving DOT staking rewards, the fund needs to sell DOT to convert to cash payments, thereby locking in losses in a low-price environment. In the second quarter, TDOT paid shareholders a cumulative distribution of approximately $0.14698 per share, but during the same period, the fund's share price dropped from $14.95 to $9.86, a decline of about 34%, and the staking rewards did not offset the losses caused by the decline in asset prices.