TLDR
- Over 2.17 million ETH are queued for staking on Ethereum PoS as of January 13.
- Estimated ETH staking activation delay has reached 37 days and 16 hours.
- Only 11,063 ETH are currently in the exit queue, with a wait of 4 hours.
- BitMine’s staking decision contributed heavily to the ETH queue increase.
The Ethereum proof-of-stake (PoS) network is seeing a sharp rise in ETH waiting to be staked. Over 2.17 million ETH is now queued to join the network, with a large portion linked to BitMine’s recent staking activity. This rising demand has led to longer activation times, now estimated at over 37 days.
ETH Join Queue Surpasses 2 Million Tokens
As of January 13, 2026, data from ValidatorQueue shows that the Ethereum PoS network has over 2.17 million ETH queued for staking. This rise is mainly due to large staking transactions from BitMine, a leading participant in the ecosystem.
Zero Ethereum is waiting to be unstaked! 📈
🔴 Exit queue: 0 ETH
This has not happened since July 2025.
Last time, it preceded a strong ETH price rally.
At the same time, staking demand is accelerating.
🟢 Entry queue: 1,811,273 ETH waiting to be staked
What does it… pic.twitter.com/gipHBhpQYH
— Leon Waidmann 🔥 (@LeonWaidmann) January 12, 2026
The activation delay for ETH entering the staking network is now estimated at 37 days and 16 hours. This long wait reflects growing demand to participate in Ethereum’s consensus mechanism, which runs on proof-of-stake since the 2022 Merge.
Staking Demand vs. Exit Activity
While interest in joining the network is high, the number of validators leaving the Ethereum PoS system remains low. Only 11,063 ETH are currently in the exit queue, which takes around 4 hours and 37 minutes to process.
This contrast indicates strong validator confidence in Ethereum’s network stability and future prospects. Most stakers are choosing to remain in the network, even as the join queue grows. The increase in locked ETH could also reduce available supply in circulation.
Structural and Ecosystem Strengths Support Growth
Ethereum continues to benefit from its smart contract functionality and lower energy consumption. The 2022 transition to PoS cut energy use by over 99%, making the network more sustainable than proof-of-work alternatives like Bitcoin.
The platform supports major DeFi protocols such as Aave, Uniswap, and Lido, which manage around 68% of the total value locked in decentralized finance. Ethereum also hosts 60% of stablecoins and had over $10 trillion in stablecoin transfer volume in 2025.
Institutional and Regulatory Drivers
Ethereum is becoming more widely adopted by institutional players. Companies like JPMorgan Chase, Fidelity, and BlackRock have launched tokenized funds on Ethereum or Layer 2 networks. These funds are projected to exceed $90 billion in assets under management by 2026.
The passage of the GENIUS Act in 2025 helped create clear legal pathways for using public blockchains. It reduced compliance risks for stablecoin issuers and asset managers. Ethereum, with its programmable features, is well-suited for this type of institutional use.
Layer 2 Innovations Boost Network Capability
To handle increased traffic and improve scalability, developers are expanding Ethereum’s ecosystem with Layer 2 solutions. These include zk-rollups and custom-built blockchains, which allow faster and cheaper transactions.
Starknet, Chainlink, and MetaMask continue to improve access and reliability for developers and users. These tools support Ethereum’s position as the base layer for tokenized assets and decentralized applications.
Get 3 Free Stock Ebooks
Discover top-performing stocks in AI, Crypto, and Technology with expert analysis.
- Top 10 AI Stocks - Leading AI companies
- Top 10 Crypto Stocks - Blockchain leaders
- Top 10 Tech Stocks - Tech giants
