Institutional demand for Ethereum is surging, as evidenced by a record 35.35 million ETH staked and whale accumulation levels not seen since 2017.
In a strategic move to capitalize on the growing demand for Ethereum staking solutions, Galaxy and Liquid Collective have announced a partnership aimed at providing Ethereum liquid staking services specifically tailored for institutional investors.
This collaboration comes at a time when the Ethereum network is experiencing unprecedented levels of staking activity, underscoring the increasing institutional interest in Ethereum's Proof-of-Stake (PoS) ecosystem.
Institutional Demand for Ethereum Staking
Ethereum has recently surpassed a significant milestone, with over 35.35 million ETH now staked on the network. This figure represents approximately 29% of the circulating supply, valued at $89.1 billion, and accounts for more than 20% of Ethereum's total market capitalization, Coinbase data shows.

The surge in staked ETH highlights a robust demand for staking opportunities, driven by both retail and institutional participants seeking to earn staking rewards while maintaining asset liquidity.
The record levels of staked ETH also coincide with a rise in "accumulation addresses," which are wallets with minimal selling history, now collectively holding 22.8 million ETH, CryptoQuant’s OnChainSchool reported.

This trend reflects a strong confidence in Ethereum's long-term value proposition, despite recent price fluctuations.
Galaxy and Liquid Collective's Collaboration: A Strategic Shift
This partnership between Galaxy, a global leader in digital assets with $7 billion in assets under management and $2.3 billion staked across nine PoS networks, and Liquid Collective, an interoperable staking network, aims to redefine institutional-grade staking solutions.
Galaxy will provide Over-The-Counter (OTC) support for Liquid Collective's liquid staking token, LsETH, and accept it as collateral via Galaxy Global Markets. This move enhances access to capital-efficient staking strategies for institutional clients.
Additionally, Galaxy Asset Management clients will gain direct access to LsETH and future staking products through Galaxy's platform. The collaboration also includes plans to expand into new ecosystems, starting with Solana.

Galaxy has joined Liquid Collective's active node operator set, alongside Coinbase, Figment, Staked, and Blockdaemon, bringing institutional-grade infrastructure and a global client network into the protocol.
As Mara Schmiedt, CEO & Co-Founder at Alluvial, stated, “With recent regulatory tailwinds and institutional demand on the horizon, this partnership with Galaxy meaningfully advances our mission to deliver secure, accessible, and liquid staking to the mainstream market.”
Liquid Collective has already integrated with over 25 leading custodians, exchanges, and asset managers, experiencing a 159% growth in ETH staked over the last quarter. Its LsETH token is purpose-built to meet institutional needs, offering compliance-focused and interoperable solutions. The collaboration builds on their work on the Node Operator Risk Standard (NORS) certification.
Zane Glauber, Head of Strategic Opportunities at Galaxy, commented, “The future of staking hinges on robust, interoperable solutions that provide not just yield but true liquidity and utility. By combining Galaxy's institutional-grade staking capabilities with Liquid Collective's industry-leading network, we are unlocking market opportunities and paving the way for wider adoption of digital assets.”
Whale Activity Signals Strong Market Confidence
Complementing the surge in staking, Ethereum has witnessed a remarkable increase in whale activity. Glassnode data shows, whale wallets holding between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH have been accumulating over 800,000 ETH daily, a scale of buying not seen since 2017.
On June 12 alone, these wallets added more than 871,000 ETH in a single day, marking the highest daily net inflow of 2025.

This significant whale accumulation suggests strategic positioning by large holders, potentially in anticipation of further institutional developments or ETF-related catalysts.
Despite Ethereum's price experiencing over a 23% decline year-to-date to approximately $2,500, the ongoing whale activity underscores a growing conviction among major market participants about Ethereum's future prospects.