Ethereum Locks In 35 Million ETH as Staking Hits All-Time High

Ethereum has hit two major milestones that speak volumes about how committed its community has become. Over 35 million ETH are now locked in staking contracts, a new all-time high, and 22.8 million ETH are being held by wallets that have shown no signs of selling.

Both figures show a maturing network where short-term price swings are no longer the only story. This Ethereum staking all-time high also means there’s less ETH available to trade, which could affect the price later.

Nearly 30 Percent of ETH Supply Is Now Locked

According to CryptoQuant data, more than 500,000 ETH were deposited into staking in just the first half of June. That pushed the total staked amount to over 35 million ETH, which accounts for nearly 29 percent of the total circulating supply.

NEW: Staked #Ethereum hits record of

35M $ETH with 28%+ of total supply locked, reflecting growing investor confidence and shrinking liquid supply. pic.twitter.com/MkREzsKaqL

— ALexia (@Alex1i9) June 18, 2025

A large share of this activity is being driven by whales. These are wallets that hold between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH. On average, they’ve been adding hundreds of thousands of ETH per day, and on June 12 alone, whale activity pushed deposits to over 870,000 ETH.

Staking is also heavily concentrated on platforms like Lido, which manages around a quarter of all staked ETH. Coinbase and Binance are next in line, each with roughly 7.5 percent. This kind of concentration raises some questions about decentralization, but it also shows that big players are actively participating.

Regulatory Clarity Is Fueling Confidence

One of the reasons staking has gained momentum recently is a more predictable regulatory landscape. The SEC has clarified that some centralized staking offerings may not qualify as securities, which has eased legal concerns that previously held institutions back.

While the US still does not have a staking-focused ETF on the market, this regulatory shift has already encouraged more investors to get involved. For many, it removed the uncertainty around whether staking through an exchange could result in future legal issues.

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Price Is Quiet, But That Might Not Last

Despite the uptick in staking and long-term holding, ETH’s price has been under pressure. It recently fell to around 2,534 dollars after volatility triggered by geopolitical tensions. That’s a drop of over 9 percent for the week, although it remains up about 6.5 percent for the past month.

Ethereum

Price

Market Cap

ETH

$294.49B

24h7d30d1yAll time

Some analysts are watching for a golden cross, which happens when the 50-day moving average crosses above the 200-day average. This technical pattern has been a signal of strong price movement in the past. In late 2024, a similar setup saw ETH climb from 3,000 to 4,000 dollars within weeks.

Given how much ETH is now off the market, even a small bump in demand could move prices more quickly than usual.

Long-Term Holders Aren’t Letting Go

The record number of ETH held long-term suggests that many investors are not in a rush to sell. These wallets have stayed inactive for years, showing a strong belief in the asset’s future.

Several factors help explain this. Proof-of-stake yields remain steady, often between 4 and 6 percent annually. At the same time, protocols like EigenLayer have introduced new ways to stake ETH and earn extra rewards. This gives holders more options to earn passively without giving up control.

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What Comes Next

With almost a third of the ETH supply locked in staking and even more sitting idle in long-term wallets, the amount of ETH actually available for trading is shrinking fast. That creates the potential for bigger price swings down the line if demand picks up.

The next things to keep an eye on include whether the golden cross actually plays out, any movement from the SEC toward approving a staking ETF, and what whales continue to do with their ETH.

Ethereum may not be making headlines for price right now, but what is happening under the surface could set the tone for the rest of the year.

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