The amount of Ether (ETH) staked on Ethereum’s network has climbed to a historic all-time high, surpassing 35 million tokens. This record milestone highlights a strengthening trend among investors to opt for passive yield generation rather than engage in short-term market trading strategies.
Currently, the record-breaking 35 million staked ETH accounts for more than 28% of Ethereum’s circulating supply of approximately 120 million tokens. This substantial commitment of such a sizeable portion of the token’s supply into staking protocols has significantly tightened market liquidity. Further reducing available liquid supply, industry experts anticipate that institutional appetite for staking will continue to climb as large corporations increasingly view Ethereum as a strategic long-term asset, rather than merely speculative crypto investment.
Recent data from Dune Analytics reveals a noticeable acceleration in staking rates over recent weeks. CryptoQuant reports indicate that over half a million ETH were staked within just the first two weeks of June, accelerating momentum beyond the 35 million ETH threshold. Among various staking providers, Lido Finance continues to lead the pack, currently holding about 8.75 million ETH—amounting to roughly one quarter of the total staked Ether. Centralized exchanges such as Coinbase and Binance trail behind Lido, responsible for roughly 15% of all staked ETH.
However, perhaps even more significant than individual staking solutions is the emerging appeal of Ethereum staking to institutional and corporate investors. Nasdaq-listed SharpLink Gaming recently drew widespread attention after buying approximately $463 million worth of ETH, positioning itself just behind the Ethereum Foundation in terms of total holdings. The company further announced it had staked more than 95% of its newly-acquired Ether reserves, capitalizing on yield opportunities while simultaneously supporting network security.
SharpLink’s strategic approach reflects growing interest among businesses and corporations in Ethereum’s staking rewards—currently around 3% yield—as a financially appealing alternative to more traditional treasury assets. Notably, recent regulatory clarifications issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in May 2024 provided additional clarity and reassurance for institutional engagement. The SEC guidelines explicitly distinguished staking at a protocol level from securities activities, effectively clearing regulatory uncertainties and paving the way for enhanced participation by more traditional businesses and institutional players.
As the proportion of ETH staked continues to grow amid strong institutional allocations and robust corporate treasury interest, experts forecast that liquidity available on exchanges could tighten further. These significant shifts, fueled primarily by corporate balance sheets and large-scale, institutionally-driven staking strategies, promise to reshape Ethereum’s financial landscape for the foreseeable future.
