The Ethereum validator exit queue peaked at just over 1 million ETH on Friday as the asset maintained its price gains, and selling pressure and profit-taking increased.
This is only natural, considering that Ether has more than doubled in price in a little over two months after spending a couple of years in the doldrums.
The big increase in the exit queue led to a lot of FUD about a massive Ether sell-off and price crash, but this is largely unfounded because the entry queue for staking has also surged.
The entry queue hit its highest level since 2023 on Sunday at 787,255 ETH worth around $3.4 billion, according to ValidatorQueue.
Forget the ETH unstaking FUD.
Entry queue just hit 787k ETH ($3.5B). Recent highs! And continues to climb while unstaking amounts peaked.
The great rotation for $ETH is underway. pic.twitter.com/L96bYrb417
Ignas | DeFi (@DefiIgnas) August 31, 2025
However, it was pointed out that ETH in the entry queue has already been purchased, so its impact on spot prices has been seen, whereas the Ether in the exit queue has yet to be processed by markets.
There are currently around 35.7 million ETH staked, worth a whopping $157 billion and representing almost 30% of the entire supply, so the ecosystem is more than stable.
The Great Rotation is also clear in retail selling, while whales and institutions are buying, said DeFi researcher Ignas.
There have been billions in Ether ETF inflows in August, digital asset treasuries are still accumulating the asset, and whales are publicly rotating billions from BTC into ETH, yet the price has not surged because retail is selling, he added in a separate post.
Supply moving from weak to strong hands. Same setup before every big run.
$ETH has large ETF inflows, DATs buying, and HL whale publicly rotating billions of BTC into ETH.
Price still flat. Why?
Retail is selling:
1001k ETH holders dumping
10k100k whales loading fast
Supply moving from weak to strong hands. Same setup before every big run. pic.twitter.com/uk9UGZwbma
Ignas | DeFi (@DefiIgnas) August 30, 2025
Capital has been rotating from Bitcoin into Ethereum, said popular analyst Will Woo last week.
Meanwhile, VanEck CEO Jan van Eck labelled the asset the Wall Street token last week, explaining that financial institutions must adopt Ethereum to facilitate stablecoin transfers or risk falling behind.
Consensys founder Joseph Lubin made the bold prediction that ETH will likely 100x from here. Probably much more, because Wall Street needs it for decentralized rails. He also said that Ether will flip Bitcoin as the monetary base.
No such bullishness is happening at the moment on spot markets as weak retail hands continue to sell, sending the asset down 1.4% on the day as it trades at $4,380.
Ether has now retreated almost 12% from its peak of $4,950 a week ago, but remains within its range-bound channel that formed three weeks ago when the asset broke above $4,000.
Analysts are still confident that Ether has a long way to go in this bull run despite it stalling at current levels.
ETHEREUM IS TRACKING GLOBAL LIQUIDITY
Accumulation is done.
The bull run is alive.
Global liquidity is expanding higher and $ETH is mirroring the move.
This isnt hopium, its macro.
Miss it now, and youll be chasing above $6K. pic.twitter.com/Ggc2p5GxDS
Merlijn The Trader (@MerlijnTrader) August 31, 2025