Ethereum Staking Reaches New Heights as Buterin Calls for Real Applications

Ethereum staking has seen significant growth, with nearly 36 million ETH staked, representing almost 30% of the circulating supply and valued at over $119 billion. Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, urges developers to transition from theoretical experiments to delivering functional applications, noting the advancements in the network's infrastructure.

Key Takeaways

Staked Ethereum has risen to nearly 36 million, accounting for about 30% of the circulating supply.
Institutional investors and major staking services are driving this increase.
Vitalik Buterin emphasizes the importance of real-world applications over theoretical projects.
The Ethereum network's infrastructure is ready for practical use, but there is a need for user-friendly applications.
The growing amount of staked ETH enhances the network's security.

Ethereum

Main Content

According to ValidatorQueue data, the total amount of staked Ethereum has reached close to 36 million ETH, which is nearly 30% of the circulating supply. This amount currently represents more than $119 billion based on current prices. The staking figure has climbed from 35.5 million to almost 36 million since early January, despite Ethereum's value dropping over 30% since last August.

The unstaking queue stands at zero, while the staking queue has surged to over 2.5 million ETH—the highest it has been since August 2023. These trends indicate a strong long-term commitment to the Ethereum network.

Strong Confidence in Ethereum Staking

The increase in staked ETH can be attributed, in part, to growing institutional interest. Publicly traded companies and large staking services have been identified as key players in this surge. The notable rise in staking activity occurred during a period that had been relatively stagnant since August. Market observers suggest that increasing staked amounts enhance the protocol's security profile, and the substantial staking queue indicates that demand for on-chain commitments remains robust, despite fluctuating prices.

Staking Data

Buterin Urges Development of Practical Applications

In related news, Ethereum's founder, Vitalik Buterin, has called on developers to move beyond theoretical experimentation and focus on delivering real applications. He believes that the necessary technical infrastructure is now in place. The Ethereum chain operates on a proof-of-stake basis, transaction costs have decreased, and solutions for scaling, such as ZK-EVMs and Layer 2s, are functioning effectively.

Buterin highlights that concepts like messaging systems have evolved from Whisper to Waku, with applications like Status and Railway already utilizing these advancements.

In a tweet from January 14, 2026, he reflected on a vision from 2014: the potential for decentralized applications that could support various sectors such as finance, social media, ride-sharing, governance, and crowdfunding, all built on a suite of underlying technologies.

“In 2014, there was a vision: you can have permissionless, decentralized applications that could support finance, social media, ride sharing, governing organizations, crowdfunding, potentially create an entire alternative web, all on the backs of a suite of technologies.” — Vitalik Buterin

Ethereum's Vision

Buterin introduced the “walkaway test,” a metric for assessing a decentralized application's resilience: if the developers vanish, can users still access their data and functionality? He cited Fileverse, a decentralized document editor, as an example where user documents would remain accessible even if the original team disappears.

Furthermore, he criticized the trend towards overly centralized consumer applications that lock users into accounts and subscriptions. He cautioned against devices and services that necessitate registration and may gather data during routine usage.

ETH Price ETH is currently trading at $3,349. Chart: TradingView

Buterin contrasted these centralized tools with genuinely owned and controlled personal tools. He conveyed a critical message: with the necessary infrastructure established, developers should concentrate on creating practical software that users will find valuable, rather than just developing theoretical prototypes.

The dichotomy between technical optimism and actual market conditions is evident. On one hand, the nearly 36 million ETH staked and the enlarged staking queue reflect investor confidence in the protocol's future. On the other hand, the pressure on prices since August remains a significant concern.

Experts highlight that the growth in staked ETH does fortify the network's security. However, the urgent call for the development of user-friendly applications is growing louder. If developers can respond to these calls and produce useful products that address real-world needs, the combination of a robust chain and functional applications could lead to wider adoption.

Currently, both the statistics and the discourse are signaling a clear message: the essential components are in place, and the focus is shifting toward converting them into dependable tools that users can rely on.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView