Recently, there has been an uncommon change in the Ethereum staking system. Over the past few months, validators have been gradually withdrawing staked ETH, meaning these coins could flow into the market and be sold at any time. But recently, the situation has reversed. The number of ETH entering the staking queue has become significantly higher than those exiting, and the gap is widening. Currently, about 745,000 ETH are queued for staking, while the exit queue is shrinking rapidly. If this trend continues, the exit queue could be cleared by early January. In other words, for a period of time, there will be almost no "routine, predictable" staking sell pressure entering the market. This reversal is not the first time it has happened. The last time was in June this year. At that time, the rate of ETH entering staking exceeded withdrawals, and shortly after, ETH's price broke out of its previous range and hit new all-time highs months later. Of course, this doesn't guarantee the same pattern will repeat, but it provides an interesting context. Why is this change important? Because staking, in essence, is a "hold without selling" choice. Choosing to stake means holders are willing to lock up ETH, sacrificing short-term liquidity; choosing to withdraw usually indicates a potential sell. When more people are staking and fewer are withdrawing, the amount of ETH available to sell at any moment naturally decreases. Interestingly, the ETH being locked up lately isn't mainly from retail investors. Since July, about 5% of ETH has changed hands, with a significant portion absorbed by an institution called BitMine. They now hold nearly 3.4% of the total supply. Moreover, these ETH aren't just sitting on exchanges; they're quickly being staked. In just two days, BitMine staked over 340,000 ETH, worth roughly $1 billion. This behavior resembles a "digital asset vault" rather than short-term trading—buying, locking, and holding long-term, not selling on rebounds. Meanwhile, another force on the chain is retreating. Recently, strategies using stETH for leveraged yield farming in DeFi have been pushed out by higher borrowing rates. As Aave's rates rose, many high-leverage positions were forced to be liquidated, effectively releasing some sell pressure early. The remaining holders tend to have lower leverage and longer-term horizons. Plus, the upcoming Pectra upgrade will make large-scale staking and restaking more convenient, especially for institutions and big investors. This suggests that the share of large funds in new staking is likely to continue rising. Putting all these changes together, the picture becomes clearer: On one side, the channel for continuous staking withdrawals—gradually closing; On the other side, more big funds are choosing to lock in their ETH after buying; And in the middle, the high-leverage, easily-liquidated positions have already been cleared out in previous volatility. This doesn't guarantee prices will rise, but it does change an important premise—short-term "anytime sellable" ETH in the market is decreasing. From this perspective, Ethereum now is more like a stage where the background is just set, characters are gradually appearing, rather than a story nearing its end with credits about to roll.

#CryptoMarketPrediction Bitcoin Outlook: Market Structure Over Panic As of late December 2025, Bitcoin has shown notable resilience despite bearish sentiment. BTC stabilizing near $90,000 and ETH reclaiming $3,000 suggest selling pressure has largely been absorbed. The extreme fear seen in recent months is easing, pointing toward consolidation rather than further panic-driven downside. From a macro perspective, increased global liquidity and monetary easing are improving risk appetite. Capital rotation into gold and silver highlights a broader search for hedges, reinforcing Bitcoin’s role as a diversified asset rather than a purely speculative trade. Institutional participation continues to strengthen, particularly through spot Bitcoin ETFs, increasing BTC’s integration with traditional markets and supporting its long-term investment thesis. In the short term, Bitcoin is likely to remain range-bound with periodic volatility, offering disciplined accumulation opportunities rather than impulsive trades. Medium term, sustained institutional inflows and stable macro conditions could support a move toward the $100,000 level. Long term, adoption, infrastructure growth, and market integration keep Bitcoin structurally strong. Outlook: • Short-term: Sideways consolidation with controlled volatility • Medium-term: Gradual upside if liquidity and confidence improve • Long-term: Strong positioning for multi-year investors Patience, risk management, and informed positioning remain key as markets transition into early 2026. $BTC $ETH