The queue for validators exiting the Ethereum network has decreased to 767,349 ETH as of October 5, 2026, following a peak of approximately 851,000 ETH on October 2. The surge in exits was triggered by MetaMask Staking, which withdrew roughly 17,000 validators managing 523,000 ETH for Lido following a security incident disclosed on September 30.
MetaMask stated that the move was a proactive security measure and confirmed that user funds and wallets remained unaffected. Before the incident, on September 29, the exit queue was approximately 166,000 ETH. The network currently limits exits and entries to 256 ETH per epoch, which lasts 6.4 minutes, resulting in a daily limit of about 57,600 ETH.
Despite the exits, the entry queue for new staking remains high, holding between 1.44 million and 1.5 million ETH. New participants face an estimated wait time of about 25 days to begin earning rewards. Lido expects most of the withdrawn ETH to return to the staking pipeline, though the re-entry process could take up to 45 days due to current network demand.
The total amount of staked ETH in the Ethereum ecosystem is approximately 43.6 million ETH. While the recent backlog caused delays for participants, the volume of exiting assets represents a small portion of the total staked supply.
