Ethereum validator exit queue reaches highest point ever
Quick Take The Ethereum validator exit queue reached 744,000 validators as of July 26, its highest ever point in history. The following is excerpted from The Block’s Data and Insights newsletter.
The Ethereum validator exit queue reached 744,000 validators as of Saturday, July 26, its highest ever point in history. For context, the exit queue averaged roughly under 1,000 validators per day just two weeks ago. The exit queue spiking was likely caused by a mechanical liquidity shock on Aave’s borrow rates.
Over a week ago, roughly 167,000 ETH (worth over $630 million) was withdrawn from the Aave lending pool, driving Aave’s wETH borrow APR from ~3 % to double‑digits. The higher borrowing costs flipped a popular stETH/LRT loop‑leverage trading strategy from positive to negative carry, forcing vaults and whales to repay loans and look for raw ETH.
To get ETH, deleveragers redeemed stETH/wstETH and newer LRTs via the validator‑withdrawal path, causing the exit queue to spike. As a result, stETH slipped around 0.3%-0.6 % below par, causing arbitrageurs to buy the discount and join the exit queue to pocket the spread, compounding congestion.
More validators queuing led to longer waits, leading to bigger opportunity costs that led to even more stETH selling, causing a reflexive loop. This phenomenon is expected to be temporary with the exit queue to subside as Aave rates normalize, which would cause the stETH discount to close and arbitrage redemptions to clear.
Another reason for the spike in validator exits is EigenLayer's reopening of its deposit caps, prompting operators to exit native validators or Lido, with much of this ETH expected to re-enter via restaked validators. This was evident by EigenLayer experiencing net inflows worth ~$940 million on Monday, July 21.
This is an excerpt from The Block's Data & Insights newsletter . Dig into the numbers making up the industry's most thought-provoking trends.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
JPMorgan brings JPM Coin to Ethereum
Nvidia invests billions of dollars in Germany; Jensen Huang: Once a technology powerhouse, the country has fallen behind, which pains me deeply
Nvidia signed a memorandum of cooperation with the German government at the "Invest in Germany" summit in Berlin, investing in four German startups covering robotics, healthcare, generative AI, and satellite sectors. The company also partnered with Siemens to develop AI factory solutions, potentially reducing costs by up to 20%. Jensen Huang expressed regret that Germany is lagging behind in the technology competition, noting that Europeans may be overly hesitant and consider too many factors when taking action.
The most direct signal that US stocks have peaked: South Korean chip exports?
Currently, the U.S. stock market is supported solely by strong earnings expectations. If semiconductor exports from South Korea and Taiwan decline, it may provide an early warning 3-6 months in advance of capital expenditure peaking. Once expectations reverse, high yields will instantly crush valuations.
CoreWeave Credit Crisis Resembles the 2023 SVB Panic More Than the 2008 Subprime Mortgage Crisis?
The key issue now is not whether CoreWeave will collapse, but whether compute pricing can support the financing logic of this cycle. The answer to this question will determine the eventual outcome of this panic.
Crypto prices
More
