Ethereum staking has reached a historic milestone with 36 million ETH now locked in staking, representing approximately 29-30% of the circulating supply. According to latest data, the total staked ETH is now valued at over $144 billion, compressing liquid sell-side supply on exchanges. This represents a significant increase from the previous 39.25 million ETH recorded in June, demonstrating continued institutional commitment to Ethereum's staking ecosystem. The 'Entry' queue currently stands at 3 million ETH, indicating strong demand for new staking opportunities despite challenging market conditions.
The most significant development is the complete reversal of the validator exit queue that had spooked markets in September 2025. The validator exit queue that peaked at 2.67 million ETH in September 2025 has effectively returned to zero, marking a complete turnaround in validator behavior. This dramatic shift indicates that validators who previously intended to leave the active set have either reversed their decisions or found alternative arrangements. However, analysts note that exit queues can spike for various reasons including liquidity needs and portfolio rebalancing, and don't always translate to sustained disengagement from staking.
According to reports from AMBCrypto, Sharplink, the second-largest Ethereum digital assets treasury (DATs) company, has achieved 21,119 ETH in total staking rewards. This milestone was reached as Sharplink added another 529 ETH in staking rewards this week, demonstrating continued institutional commitment despite challenging market conditions. The company has been actively expanding its staking portfolio, adding 422 ETH to its staking rewards over the previous week, as reported by AMBCrypto. This expansion occurs within the context of the broader staking ecosystem's record growth, with Sharplink's performance reflecting the overall institutional confidence in Ethereum's staking model.
As reported by AMBCrypto, Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc. maintains a significant lead in Ethereum staking with 4,718,677 ETH staked, equivalent to $7.7 billion at $1,630 per ETH. Meanwhile, Bitmine's own ETH holdings have climbed to 5,543,872 ETH worth $9.06 billion. Despite this substantial gap, Sharplink continues to demonstrate institutional confidence by maintaining its staking operations even as ETH's value fell by nearly 30% over the previous month, with the altcoin trading at $1,634.58 at press time. This trend can generally be seen as a positive for Ethereum since it lowers the quantity of ETH that may be easily accessible on the market.
The data suggests that institutions are placing their bets on long-term yield rather than short-term market fluctuations, as reported by AMBCrypto. Despite ETH's significant decline, both Sharplink and Bitmine have continued expanding their staking positions, indicating confidence in Ethereum's staking ecosystem and long-term value proposition. The steady increase in staked ETH and the continued preference for staking over withdrawals demonstrate institutional commitment to Ethereum's staking model, even during periods of market volatility. With the $1,500–$1,700 band emerging as primary structural support and initial resistance at $1,700, followed by $2,000 and key ceiling at $3,450, the staking supply squeeze tightening could provide additional support for ETH price recovery.
