In early October, the exit queue for Ethereum staking reached 786,000 ETH, marking a one-year high and representing approximately 2% of the total locked supply. The current withdrawal process takes over 13 days to complete. Simultaneously, the entry queue has grown to 1.5 million ETH, with a waiting period of about 25 days.
The network enforces strict limits on validator entry and exit rates to maintain security stability. Currently, the protocol allows for a daily throughput of 57,600 ETH for both incoming and outgoing stakes. These mechanisms are designed to prevent sudden fluctuations in the network's security parameters.
The surge in exits is attributed to the disconnection of MetaMask validators following a security incident. Researcher Kaden estimates that approximately 17,000 validators, holding about 523,000 ETH, initiated proactive exits. While MetaMask representatives acknowledged infrastructure issues, they did not confirm the specific figures regarding the affected validators.
