ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood has identified venture capital firms and corporate treasuries as key influencers in Ethereum’s staking ecosystem amid unprecedented unstaking demand. The Ethereum network is currently experiencing a record-high unstaking queue exceeding 13 days, driven by multiple strategic withdrawals.
This congestion follows Robinhood’s promotional offer of 2% bonus yield on ETH deposits, accelerating withdrawal requests. Corporate entities including SharpLink Gaming (SBET) and Bitmine Immersion (BMNR) have notably contributed to the queue through large-scale ETH movements impacting validator operations.
Despite the withdrawal pressure, Ethereum’s staking fundamentals remain robust. Current data shows 1,092,991 active validators securing 35.6 million ETH – representing nearly 29.5% of the cryptocurrency’s circulating supply.
The staking annual percentage rate (APR) has concurrently declined to 2.97%, reflecting increased liquidity demands and shifting investor priorities. Wood’s analysis underscores how institutional participation continues to reshape staking behaviors.
This evolving landscape presents stakeholders with critical considerations to balance immediate liquidity requirements against long-term commitments to Ethereum’s decentralized infrastructure.