A record 43.8 million ETH — nearly 36% of all Ethereum in existence — is now locked in staking, even though the reward for locking it fell to just 2.63%. For traders, that shrinking pile of ETH left on exchanges matters as much as the falling yield, because coins locked for months cannot be sold in a sudden dip.
Key points:
• Ethereum staking hit a record 43.8 million ETH at the end of Q3, about 36% of total supply, with net inflows of just under 2 million ETH in the quarter, says Bitwise.
• Staking yield fell to 2.63% from 2.81% as the same rewards were spread across a much larger pool of staked coins.
• Solana staking also hit a record 440.5 million SOL, about 69% of its supply, while its network processed a record 14.2 billion transactions in Q3.
The numbers come from Bitwise's latest quarterly staking report, which covers the third quarter of 2026. Ethereum has now recorded six straight quarters of positive staking inflows, and big institutions are driving much of the growth. Bitmine, the largest Ethereum treasury company, grew its staked position by more than 1,000% — from about 410,000 ETH in December to 5.07 million ETH by late September.
The reward side tells the other half of the story. More than 96% of Ethereum's staking yield now comes from newly issued ETH, while network revenue fell to about $40.6 million in Q3 from $63 million in the quarter before. As Bitwise researchers put it, when more ETH is staked, the rewards are shared across a larger pool, so each coin earns a little less.
Read also: BREAKING: Bitmine Now Holds 6.03 Million Ethereum — Almost 5% of All ETH in One Company
What happens next for Solana?
Solana matched Ethereum's record in its own way. Active staking climbed to 440.5 million SOL, about 69% of the total supply, while its gross staking yield slipped to about 5.99% from 6.38%. Activity on the network boomed at the same time: transactions jumped 45% from the previous quarter to a record 14.2 billion, transaction fees rose 49% to about $76 million, and tokenized stock trading volume climbed 45% to more than $6.9 billion.
Why it matters for traders
When more than a third of all ETH and more than two-thirds of all SOL are locked up, the supply that can actually be sold keeps shrinking — a setup that can support prices during a sell-off. The risk runs the other way too: if yields keep sliding, some stakers may decide the reward is no longer worth the lock-up and move coins back to exchanges. Traders will be watching staking inflows and exchange balances in the coming weeks to see which force wins.
Read also: SkyAI Dumps All 2 Million SOL — $201 Million Buyback Next?
— Crypto News Daily News Desk
This post is news only, not financial advice. Always do your own research before buying or selling crypto.
Sources: The Block, Bitwise, TradingView, CryptoBriefing
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