The Kazakhstan Stock Exchange just became the first in Central Asia to list US-based cryptocurrency ETFs. On June 19, KASE admitted two digital asset funds under its KASE Global framework: the Volatility Shares Solana ETF (SOLZ_KZ) and BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA_KZ).

What’s actually being listed

SOLZ_KZ, the Solana fund from Volatility Shares, does not hold SOL directly. Instead, it gains exposure through futures contracts listed on the CME, along with cash equivalents. The net expense ratio sits at 0.95%, set to hold through June 30, 2026. As of June 18, SOLZ_KZ had roughly $80 million in assets under management.

On the Ethereum side, ETHA_KZ is BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF, carrying a leaner management fee of 0.25%.

Investment Company Standard JSC initiated the listing process for both products on KASE, acting as the bridge between US-based fund issuers and the Kazakh exchange infrastructure.

Kazakhstan’s crypto strategy has been building for a while

In December 2025, KASE and the Solana Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on digital assets. That partnership directly facilitated KASE’s registration as Kazakhstan’s first digital asset platform operator, which became effective around mid-2026.

And even before KASE got into the game, the Astana International Exchange had already made waves. In September 2025, Fonte Capital launched what it described as the world’s first spot Solana ETF with staking on AIX. That product represented a different approach entirely, holding actual SOL tokens and generating staking yield, compared to the futures-based structure that SOLZ_KZ uses on KASE.

What this means for investors

The immediate practical impact is straightforward: qualified investors in Kazakhstan can now gain exposure to Solana and Ethereum through their existing brokerage accounts on KASE. No need to set up a crypto wallet, manage private keys, or navigate the often-chaotic world of decentralized exchanges.

The fee structures also deserve attention. SOLZ_KZ’s 0.95% expense ratio is notably higher than ETHA_KZ’s 0.25%, reflecting the additional complexity and cost of managing a futures-based strategy. Futures-based funds can suffer from roll costs and tracking errors that eat into returns over time, a consideration that becomes more important the longer you hold.

For the Solana ecosystem specifically, having both a spot ETF with staking on AIX and a futures-based ETF on KASE operating in the same country represents a level of product diversity that most Western markets haven’t yet achieved. The $80 million in AUM for SOLZ_KZ is modest by US standards, but as a proof of concept for regulated crypto products in Central Asia, it’s the kind of number that tends to grow once institutional allocators see that the infrastructure actually works.