Ethereum Staking Queue Shrinks but Wait Times Remain High

Ethereum’s staking entry queue has seen a notable reduction, now holding 1,457,964 Ether (ETH) with an estimated wait time of 25 days and seven hours. This marks a decline from early September, when the queue peaked at about 2 million ETH with a 35-day wait. Meanwhile, the exit queue currently stands at 786,275 ETH. These figures reflect the amount of ETH waiting to enter or leave staking, though they do not clarify the reasons behind the exit queue’s size.

The length of these queues is influenced by Ethereum’s protocol, which limits the rate at which new validators can join or existing ones can leave the active set. As a result, when demand exceeds the network’s processing capacity, the queues can extend significantly. The sizes and wait times fluctuate as validators move in and out of the lines.

MetaMask Staking has initiated precautionary exits of some validators from Lido following a security incident that impacted part of its infrastructure. In an update on October 1, MetaMask stated that its investigation had not found any evidence of compromised wallets or customer funds, though the probe remained ongoing. The final affected validators are expected to complete their exits by the end of October 7, 2026, though the entire process of withdrawal and re-entry could take up to 45 days due to the extended entry queue. Holders of Lido’s stETH token do not need to take any action.

MetaMask Staking’s validator withdrawals from Lido were already in progress at the time of the report.