Ethereum exit queue eases to 767,349 ETH after MetaMask exits
Crypto Briefing 2026-10-05 19:28:59
Context: The Ethereum validator exit queue has decreased to 767,349 ETH, with an estimated wait of 13 days and 8 hours to fully exit, after reaching a peak of 851,000 ETH on October 2. The surge in exits is attributed to MetaMask Staking, which began pulling validators out following a security incident disclosure on September 30. MetaMask operates validators for Lido, a dominant liquid staking platform, and exited approximately 17,000 validators holding 523,000 ETH.
Key Facts
- The Ethereum validator exit queue stood at 767,349 ETH on October 5, 2026, with an estimated wait of 13 days and 8 hours to fully exit.
- MetaMask Staking exited approximately 17,000 validators holding 523,000 ETH after disclosing a security incident on September 30.
- The entry queue for staking had between 1.44 million and 1.5 million ETH waiting to stake, with an estimated wait of about 25 days to start earning staking rewards.
- The total staked ETH sits at approximately 43.6 million ETH, with the churn limit capped at 256 ETH per epoch, or roughly 57,600 ETH per day.