From treasuries to validators: Sharplink doubles down on Ethereum staking

Sharplink has staked nearly 900,000 ETH as an institutional treasury, earning 459 ETH this week and 18,309 ETH cumulatively, underscoring a broader institutional shift that is turning Ethereum into a yield‑bearing settlement layer. Ethereum’s staking rate crossed 30% in February 2026, with more than 36 million ETH (~$115–$120bn) locked and large players like BitMine controlling ~11% of staked supply. TradFi adoption is accelerating: 21Shares will distribute on‑chain staking rewards to TETH ETF holders and JPMorgan launched its MONY tokenized fund on Ethereum mainnet. The trend tightens liquid ETH supply, supports staking yields (roughly 3.5–4.2% APY), and may boost institutional demand for ETH, though concentration risks raise decentralization concerns. Spot ETH was trading near $2,305 (down ~2.8% over 24 hours) at the time of reporting.