2026 ETF.com Award Nominees: Best New ETF

The Nominees

BSOL - Bitwise Solana Staking ETF

Launched: October 2025 | ER: 0.00%* | AUM: $636M | Issuer: Bitwise

Investment Strategy: BSOL is a passively managed ETP that offers 100% direct exposure to Solana (SOL) while also seeking to earn additional SOL from staking rewards.

• Merit: Very High - First Solana staking ETF that offers 100% direct investment in the underlying is a massive milestone
• Position: First-mover with landmark regulatory approval
• Utility: Excellent - “Solana exposure plus yield” is compelling
• Power: Very High - Staking ETFs are the future of crypto ETPs

Why it’s nominated: BSOL isn’t just a Solana ETF—it’s the proof of concept for staking in ETF wrappers. BSOL stakes 100% of its Solana holdings via Helius to capture approximately 7% staking yield on top of SOL price appreciation. The SEC’s approval opens the door for staking versions of other proof-of-stake assets. $56M in volume on day one (best 2025 launch until XRPC beat it weeks later) and $837M in flows prove the demand was there. 

CAIE - Calamos Autocallable Income ETF

Launched: June 2025 | ER: 0.74% | AUM: $508M | Issuer: Calamos

The first ETF delivering autocallable income strategy. Holds 52+ autocallables laddered weekly, targeting elevated income with downside barriers. CAIE delivered a 17.48% inaugural distribution and trades swaps on the MerQube autocallable index.

Investment Strategy: CAIE is actively managed, using total return swaps based on a US Large-Cap laddered portfolio of autocallable yield notes. The fund aims to provide a high monthly income, but not guaranteed, along with some downside cushion.

• Merit: Very High - Democratizes the hottest structured product
• Position: First-mover, category creator
• Utility: Excellent - “17% income with 40% barrier” is compelling
• Power: Very High - Autocallables are the fastest-growing structured product segment

Why it’s nominated: Autocallables have been the hottest product in structured notes for years, but only available to high-net-worth investors through private placements. CAIE brings that strategy to the ETF wrapper at scale. The SRP Americas innovation award validates that the industry sees this as genuinely new

ALLW - SPDR Bridgewater All Weather ETF

Launched: March 2025 | ER: 0.85% | AUM: $678M | Issuer: State Street / Bridgewater

Investment Strategy: ALLW follows an active risk parity strategy targeting four economic regimes: rising growth, falling growth, rising inflation, falling inflation. It uses leverage to achieve balanced risk contribution across equities, bonds, and commodities.

• Merit: Very High - Bridgewater’s flagship strategy democratized
• Position: First-mover in a category of one.
• Utility: Excellent - “Ray Dalio’s portfolio” needs no explanation
• Power: Very High - All Weather has a 30-year track record

Why it’s nominated: In some ways, this brand-new ETF is the OG multi-asset strategy. Bridgewater’s All Weather approach has been studied, copied, and debated since the first version of the strategy launched in 1996. Now in an ETF, the $678M in first-year AUM proves investors were waiting. When the world’s largest hedge fund opens its flagship strategy to retail, that’s category-defining.

IVES - Dan IVES Wedbush AI Revolution ETF

Launched: June 2025 | ER: 0.75% | AUM: $983M | Issuer: Wedbush

Investment Strategy: The fund works to capitalize on the companies leading AI's evolution. IVES seeks to track the Solactive Wedbush Artificial Intelligence Index, an Index made up of companies from the Dan Ives AI 30 Research Report. These companies represent notable movers within AI, including innovators, AI integrators, product developers, and partnerships. 

• Merit: High - Ives is arguably one of the most well known AI analysts, bringing real research edge
• Position: First-mover for analyst-branded AI ETF
• Utility: Excellent - “Dan Ives’ AI picks” is an easy sell
• Power: Depends on Ives staying relevant, but AI isn’t going away

Why it’s nominated: Dan Ives is the most-quoted AI analyst on Wall Street, and now his proprietary research lives in ETF form. IVES holds 30 stocks across semiconductors, hyperscalers, cybersecurity, robotics, and cloud, built from Ives’ research reports via the Solactive Wedbush AI Index. It broke $100M in its first week and approached $1B by October. The analyst-as-brand model isn’t new, but IVES executed it better than anyone in 2025. Nearly $1B in flows proves advisors wanted exactly this product.

ORR - Militia Long/Short Equity ETF

Launched: January 2025 | ER: 14.19% | AUM: $183M | Issuer: Militia Investments

A true long/short global equity hedge fund strategy in ETF form. ORR targets 50% net long exposure with 155 holdings, 88% international, and high turnover. This is genuine hedge fund replication—not a watered-down version.

Investment Strategy: ORR is an actively managed, high turnover, long/short global equity fund. The long side aims to establish positions in companies in Developed Markets outside of the US with strong expected future cash flows. The fund shorts US companies with declining cash flows.

• Merit: High - Genuine hedge fund strategy in ETF wrapper
• Position: Growing category for alternative strategies
• Utility: Moderate - Expensive and complex, but real alpha potential
• Power: Moderate - Hedge fund in ETF remains niche but growing

Why it’s nominated: Yes, the 14.19% expense ratio is eye-popping. But that’s what hedge funds actually cost—2 and 20 on leveraged capital adds up. ORR doesn’t pretend to be cheap; it delivers actual hedge fund exposure with daily liquidity and no lockups. For investors who want alternatives, this is the real thing.

For more information about the ETF.com awards process, click here.

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