Total Ethereum Staked Exceeds $121B ETH, Supply Crunch Incoming?

As an analyst with a background in cryptocurrency market analysis, I find the recent surge in Ethereum (ETH) prices quite intriguing. The approval odds of Ethereum Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and the massive Ether reserve being locked up for staking have created a perfect storm for potential price appreciation.


Recently, Ethereum (ETH) has experienced remarkable growth. This surge is largely attributed to increased chances of Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) being approved. Furthermore, indications of a potential supply shortage emerged due to an immense amount of Ether being secured for staking. A scarcity of supply could lead the ETH price upward, potentially reaching the $4,000 mark.

Total Ethereum Reserve Staked Surpasses $121 Billion

As a crypto investor following the latest trends from Nansen’s on-chain data, I can tell you that an impressive 32.5 million ETH are currently being held in staking contracts. This amount represents around 27% of Ethereum’s entire circulating supply. At present market prices, this staked ETH carries a mind-boggling value of approximately $121 billion.

As an analyst, I’d like to offer some context by sharing my perspective on a noteworthy observation made by Nansen. Specifically, they pointed out that the amount of Ethereum being staked currently represents approximately 10% of Solana’s total Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV), which is $103 billion. This comparison has fueled debates about a potential Ethereum supply crunch, which could carry significant consequences for the broader market.

As an analyst, I’d like to expand on Nansen’s perspective based on his recent post on X (previously known as Twitter). He emphasized the potential dual outcomes that could arise from the market demand in relation to an Ethereum Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF). In other words, if such an ETF receives approval and there is a significant demand for it, either before or after the approval, this would have a positive impact.

An Ethereum ETF approval could markedly increase crypto’s demand, straining supply and possibly escalating prices, as observed when ETH surged past $3,700 due to such speculation. Conversely, according to Nansen, insufficient interest in ETH might render the current staking levels ineffective.

ETH Price Trend

The price of Ethereum has experienced a minor drop and has had difficulty remaining above the $3,700 mark. Currently, Ethereum’s price is down 2.19% to $3,705.54 as of May 22. Meanwhile, Ethereum holds a market capitalization of $446.16 billion.

The trading volume for Ethereum over the past 24 hours decreased by 42.02% to reach $27.51 billion. Despite this dip, experts and significant market players remain optimistic about Ethereum’s price trend. Geoff Kendrick, an analyst at Standard Chartered, has maintained his prediction of Ethereum reaching $8,000 by the end of 2021.

As an analyst, I’ve observed that there’s a widespread belief among market participants that Ethereum ETFs will soon be approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Notably, the SEC has reached out to applicants, requesting them to submit revised 19b-4 filings. Furthermore, industry insiders speculate that the regulatory body may employ the complexities of Ethereum’s dynamic ecosystem, including ETH and staked ETH, to circumvent the issue surrounding Ethereum’s classification. Consequently, Fidelity and Grayscale have recently deactivated the staking feature for their respective Ethereum investment products.

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2024-05-22 17:48