Ethereum’s staking exit queue surged more than fivefold in just three days last week, reaching its longest wait of 2026 as a large number of validators began leaving the network.
The amount of Ether waiting to exit rose to about 851,000 ETH on Oct. 2 after MetaMask, the crypto wallet provider that also operates staking services, started withdrawing validators as a precaution following a security incident involving part of its infrastructure.
CoinDesk’s analysis showed roughly 166,000 ETH was queued for withdrawal on Sept. 29. By Oct. 2, the figure had climbed to approximately 851,000 ETH, representing about 2% of the 43.6 million ETH currently staked. The total also surpassed the roughly 476,000 ETH recorded during a similar surge in May.
About 786,000 ETH, valued at slightly more than $2 billion, remained in the exit queue as of Monday morning in Asia. At the current processing rate, the estimated wait was close to 14 days.
Ethereum staking allows users to earn rewards by locking ether with validators, which are computers responsible for verifying transactions and securing the network. Ethereum places limits on how quickly validators can enter or leave staking to avoid abrupt changes to network security.
At current limits, approximately 57,600 ETH can enter the staking system each day, while another 57,600 ETH can leave. Large validator movements can therefore create significant backlogs. After exiting staking, the ETH must also pass through a separate withdrawal process before it becomes available in users’ wallets.
MetaMask Drives Most of the Exit Surge
The majority of the recent increase in withdrawals is linked to MetaMask. In addition to its wallet business, the company operates validators for Lido, which pools users’ ETH for staking.
Ethereum security researcher Kaden estimated that the precautionary withdrawals involved around 17,000 validators holding approximately 523,000 ETH. MetaMask has not independently confirmed those figures.
MetaMask disclosed the security incident on Sept. 30 and began removing affected validators from service. In an update published Oct. 1, the company said its investigation had found no evidence that customer wallets or funds had been compromised.
As a result, much of the current exit backlog is expected to be temporary, with the ETH associated with the affected validators eventually returning to staking. Lido expects the process to happen gradually as validators complete their exits, balances are withdrawn and the ETH is deposited back into staking.
Lido estimated that the entire process could take up to about 45 days. During the period when the affected validators are offline, they will not earn staking rewards.
“No action is required from stETH holders,” Lido said last week, referring to the token representing users’ staked ETH through the service.
Lido expects the final affected MetaMask validators to stop staking by Oct. 7. Their ETH will then enter the process of exiting and eventually rejoining staking.
Ethereum’s Entry Queue Is Moving Lower
The rise in exits is occurring even as demand to begin staking has eased. Around 1.5 million ETH, worth approximately $4 billion, was waiting to enter the staking system on Monday, with an estimated wait of about 25 days.
That compares with roughly 2 million ETH and an estimated 35-day wait in early September, meaning the entry queue has declined by more than a quarter during the period.
The contrasting queues show that Ethereum is currently dealing with a temporary surge in validator exits while demand for new staking positions has continued to moderate.
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