Rising institutional staking demand extends Ethereum validator wait times
Institutional appetite for Ethereum staking continues to grow, with BitMine Immersion Technologies significantly increasing its exposure. The company has added $259 million worth of Ether (ETH) to Ethereum’s staking system, contributing to rising congestion in the network’s validator entry queue and highlighting the scale of corporate demand for onchain yield.
BitMine Deepens Ethereum Staking Strategy
Onchain data shows BitMine recently deposited 82,560 ETH into Ethereum’s BatchDeposit contract. This brings its total staked balance to 544,064 ETH, valued at approximately $1.62 billion at current market prices. The firm began staking in late December, initially committing around $219 million worth of Ether.
BitMine has previously disclosed plans to expand staking operations through its Made-in-America Validator Network (MAVAN), an internal infrastructure designed to support large-scale validator operations. The company is currently testing the setup with selected institutional staking providers before broader deployment.
Validator Entry Queue Approaches Key Threshold
As a result of heightened staking activity, Ethereum’s validator entry queue has climbed to roughly 977,000 ETH, translating to an estimated 17-day wait for new validators to become active. In contrast, the exit queue remains relatively small, with about 113,000 ETH awaiting withdrawal.
Network data indicates that more than 35.5 million ETH, or around 29% of total supply, is now staked, while the annualized staking yield stands near 2.54%.
The growing imbalance between validator entries and exits suggests sustained confidence in Ethereum’s long-term economics, as large holders increasingly lock up Ether in pursuit of predictable, protocol-level returns.
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