- A whale staking $86.8M ETH and SwissBorg’s $41M hack drove massive validator exits, extending Ethereum unstaking queues.
- Kiln’s exit of Ethereum validators explains long withdrawal delays, highlighting how security breaches strain staking ecosystems globally.
- Despite delays and exits, Ethereum staking remains a cornerstone for network security and investor trust in 2025’s evolving market.
Ethereum’s staking system is facing new stress after a massive whale transaction collided with a major security scare.
On September 10, blockchain trackers revealed that more than $86.8 million worth of ETH had been staked in a single move. At the same time, withdrawal queues surged sharply, with over 2 million ETH waiting to be unstaked.
The wait time for unstaking has now stretched to nearly 35 days, while more than 808,000 ETH remains in line for staking. Such unusual congestion raised speculation about whales retreating, which could unsettle the broader crypto market. However, analysts say the pressure stems from an unexpected incident, not investor panic.
SwissBorg Hack Sparks Validator Exits
On September 8, SwissBorg, a Swiss-based crypto platform, lost 192,600 SOL, valued at $41.3 million. Hackers exploited an API breach of a staking partner, transferring assets without authorization. The partner was later revealed as Kiln, a major staking service provider.
Kiln confirmed the breach and immediately activated an incident response plan. “We took immediate action once we identified a potential compromise in our infrastructure,” said Kiln CEO Laszlo Szabo. To protect clients, Kiln started exiting all Ethereum validators across networks.
Impact on Staking Queues
The exit process will take between 10 and 42 days, depending on the validator. Once completed, withdrawals can take another nine days. Kiln stressed that validators will continue earning rewards during this phase. The firm also paused certain services to harden infrastructure.
Co-founder Ernest Oppetit reinforced the firm’s focus on client protection. “Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of client assets and the resilience of our platform,” he said.
Consequently, the validator exits explain the sharp rise in Ethereum’s unstaking queues. Besides, this chain reaction highlights how security events can ripple across staking ecosystems.
Ethereum staking remains central to network security and investor confidence. Hence, disruptions linked to validator exits can temporarily pressure liquidity.
