Bitwise reports Ethereum staking hit record 43.8 million ETH in Q3 as yields fell to 2.63%
Bitwise's Q4 2026 Staking Report shows Ethereum staking reached 43.8 million ETH while gross yield declined to 2.63% from 2.81% in the prior quarter.
Why it matters
The record staking level alongside declining yields signals sustained institutional and retail demand for ETH exposure despite returns falling below traditional cash equivalents, while validator consolidation under Pectra represents a structural shift in network operations.
Where the sources disagree
Bitmine staked ETH holdings
more than five million staked ETH out of 6.04 million total
NewsBTC
5.23 million staked ETH worth approximately $12.78 billion
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
NewsBTC reported Bitmine holds more than five million staked ETH out of 6.04 million total, while a separate report cited 5.23 million staked ETH worth approximately $12.78 billion
Ethereum staking yield level
2.63% gross staking yield
Blockchain.News, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net), Crypto News (CryptoNews.net), Bitcoin.com News, Altcoin Buzz, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net), CryptoPotato
around 2.2% annual return
CryptoSlate
Most sources cite Bitwise's figure of 2.63% gross yield, while CryptoSlate reported yields around 2.2%
Figures that do not reconcile
Found by comparing the numbers in the reports automatically. They are differences, not yet confirmed to be about the same thing.
reported market figure (supply)
69%
Blockchain.News
36%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
Blockchain.News reports 69%, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 36% (48% apart).
reported market figure (supply)
36%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
69%
Altcoin Buzz
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 36%, Altcoin Buzz reports 69% (48% apart).
reported market figure (staked supply)
35.9%
Bitcoin.com News
69%
Altcoin Buzz
Bitcoin.com News reports 35.9%, Altcoin Buzz reports 69% (48% apart).
reported market figure (staked supply)
69%
Altcoin Buzz
35.9%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
Altcoin Buzz reports 69%, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 35.9% (48% apart).
size of the move (gross quarter staking)
2.63%
Blockchain.News
2.81%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
Blockchain.News reports 2.63%, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 2.81% (6% apart).
size of the move (fell quarter staking)
2.63%
Blockchain.News
2.81 percent
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
Blockchain.News reports 2.63%, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 2.81 percent (6% apart).
reported market figure (supply)
5.99%
Blockchain.News
4.9%
NewsBTC
Blockchain.News reports 5.99%, NewsBTC reports 4.9% (18% apart).
reported market figure (supply)
4.9%
NewsBTC
5.99%
Altcoin Buzz
NewsBTC reports 4.9%, Altcoin Buzz reports 5.99% (18% apart).
size of the move (staking yield)
2.81%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
2.63%
Bitcoin.com News
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 2.81%, Bitcoin.com News reports 2.63% (6% apart).
size of the move (gross staking yield)
2.81%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
2.63%
Altcoin Buzz
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 2.81%, Altcoin Buzz reports 2.63% (6% apart).
size of the move (yield)
2.63%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
2.81%
Bitcoin.com News
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 2.63%, Bitcoin.com News reports 2.81% (6% apart).
size of the move (yield)
2.63%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
2.81%
Altcoin Buzz
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 2.63%, Altcoin Buzz reports 2.81% (6% apart).
size of the move (fell staking yield)
2.63%
Bitcoin.com News
2.81%
Altcoin Buzz
Bitcoin.com News reports 2.63%, Altcoin Buzz reports 2.81% (6% apart).
size of the move (fell staking yield)
2.63%
Bitcoin.com News
2.81%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
Bitcoin.com News reports 2.63%, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 2.81% (6% apart).
size of the move (fell staking yield)
2.63%
Altcoin Buzz
2.81%
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
Altcoin Buzz reports 2.63%, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) reports 2.81% (6% apart).
Key facts
Ethereum staking represented 35.9% of total supply
35.9 %Disputed figureReported by Blockchain.News
Ethereum gross staking yield fell from 2.81% to 2.63%
2.63 %Disputed figureReported by Blockchain.News
Ethereum validator count fell from roughly 1.1 million to 881,000
881,000 validatorsReported by Blockchain.News
Bitwise attributed validator decline to operator consolidation under Pectra upgrade
Reported by Blockchain.News
Solana ended Q3 with 69% of supply staked at 5.99% gross yield
69 %Disputed figureReported by Blockchain.News
Solana validator count fell from 696 to 659
659 validatorsReported by Blockchain.News
What happened
Bitwise's Q4 2026 Staking Report found Ethereum staking hit a record 43.8 million ETH, or 35.9% of supply, with net inflows of 1.99 million ETH marking the sixth consecutive quarter of growth. The gross staking yield fell from 2.81% to 2.63% as rewards were spread across more capital. Validator counts dropped from roughly 1.1 million to 881,000, which Bitwise attributed to operator consolidation under the Pectra upgrade. Solana ended the quarter with 69% of supply staked at a 5.99% yield, down from 6.38%, while its validator count fell from 696 to 659. Post-quarter data from Beaconcha.in showed approximately 1.39 million ETH waiting in the deposit queue with an estimated wait of more than 24 days, while the exit queue stood at 39,000 tokens. Bitmine reported Ethereum holdings of 6.04 million ETH with more than five million staked, though a separate report cited 5.23 million staked ETH worth approximately $12.78 billion. CryptoSlate noted Ethereum staking yields around 2.2%, below key euro cash benchmarks.
How the story developed
- First report
First report by Blockchain.News
Bitwise says Ethereum staking reached record 43.8 million ETH in Q3
- Update
Bitwise publishes Q4 2026 Staking Report
Report shows Ethereum staking hit record 43.8 million ETH in Q3 with yields falling to 2.63%
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by NewsBTC
Bitmine Ethereum Treasury Tops 6 Million ETH After Another Weekly Purchase
- Official statement
Official statement from Bitcoin.com News
Bitwise Report Shows Ethereum Stakes Record 43.8M ETH as Yields Fall
- Update
Multiple outlets report on Bitwise findings
NewsBTC, Bitcoin.com News, Altcoin Buzz, CryptoSlate, and CryptoPotato cover the report with additional context on Bitmine holdings and beacon chain queue data
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 20 Oct 2026, 13:55 UTC: Blockchain.News — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 20 Oct 2026, 15:20 UTC: NewsBTC — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 21 Oct 2026, 02:08 UTC: Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) — 3 independent sources, 3 reports
- 21 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC: Bitcoin.com News, official — 4 independent sources, 5 reports
- 21 Oct 2026, 14:45 UTC: Altcoin Buzz — 5 independent sources, 6 reports
- 24 Oct 2026, 07:00 UTC: CryptoSlate — 6 independent sources, 8 reports
Affected entities
Also mentioned: Lido, European Central Bank, Bitcoin, Binance, XRP, Base
Original sources
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