Ethereum’s Liquid Staking Protocols Attract 400,000 Ether After Shapella Upgrade

Just over two weeks have passed since Ethereum’s Shapella upgrade on April 12, 2023, which occurred at block height 6,209,536, enabling stakers to withdraw for the first time. At the time of the upgrade, slightly over 8 million ethereum was locked into liquid staking protocols. Since then, over 400,000 ether, valued at $763 million, has been added to 17 liquid staking platforms.

As of today, April 30, 2023, the total value locked into liquid staking protocols such as Lido Finance, Coinbase’s Wrapped Staked Ether, Rocket Pool, Frax, Stakewise, Stakehound, Ankr, Ether.fi, and Bitfrost is just over $16 billion.

According to 30-day statistics, six out of the top ten protocols, ranked by value locked, have experienced gains over the past month, with four of them showing double-digit growth. At present, Lido dominates the $16 billion market, holding 73.6% or 6,206,101 of the 8,431,605 ethereum locked in liquid staking protocols.

Data shows that just after the Shapella upgrade, 400,735 ethereum worth $763,600,542 using today’s ether exchange rates has been added to the liquid staking cache. Lido’s 30-day metrics show an increase of 5.50% while Coinbase’s liquid staking platform saw a loss of 0.64% over the last month.

Rocket Pool’s total value locked (TVL) jumped 29.24% in 30 days while Frax’s TVL rose by 31.65%. Like Lido, Stakewise, the fifth-largest liquid staking protocol saw a modest 30-day increase rising 1.23% higher.

Recent data reveals that following the Shapella upgrade, a notable 400,735 ethereum, totaling $763.6 million in value, has been added to the liquid staking cache. While Lido’s 30-day metrics depict an increase of 5.50%, Coinbase’s liquid staking platform suffered a loss of 0.64% over the past month.

In the same period, Rocket Pool experienced a substantial 29.24% jump in total value locked (TVL), while Frax’s TVL rose by 31.65%. Similar to Lido’s small rise, Stakewise, the fifth-largest liquid staking protocol, witnessed a modest 1.23% increase over the past 30 days.

Binance has thrown its hat in the ring, entering the fray with a newly launched liquid staking product, now standing as the tenth largest platform under Bitfrost. As of now, the protocol’s total value locked (TVL) is approximately $38.69 million, with 20,305 ether staked into the application.

Liquid staking protocols have gained significant traction in recent months providing users with the convenience of earning passive staking rewards while still retaining control of their assets. The addition of 400,000 ether to the liquid staking TVL within just two weeks of the Shapella upgrade underscores the growing interest and attention this sector is receiving.

How do you think liquid staking protocols will impact the overall cryptocurrency market and the future of staking? Share your thoughts about this subject in the comments section below.