Ethereum Staking Queue Sees 25-Day Wait as Exit Queue Hits 2026 High

Ethereum's staking entry queue holds nearly 1.5 million ETH worth roughly $4 billion, creating an estimated 25-day waiting period for new validators. Meanwhile, the exit queue expanded to about 786,000 ETH worth over $2 billion, marking its longest backlog of 2026. The entry queue has cooled from early September peaks of roughly 2 million ETH and a 35-day wait. The surge in unstaking stems from MetaMask initiating precautionary exits across approximately 17,000 validators holding about 523,000 ETH from Lido following a security incident, with the full exit and re-staking cycle expected to take up to 45 days.