Ethereum validator count drops as staked ETH hits record high amid Pectra upgrade consolidation.

Ethereum's active validator count has decreased to around 863,000 as of October 2026, down from nearly 975,000 at the start of the year. Meanwhile, the total amount of ETH staked has risen significantly to approximately 43.7 million, representing about 35.8% of Ethereum's total supply. This shift is driven by the Pectra upgrade, which allows validator balances to be merged without withdrawing ETH, enabling fewer validators to hold more staked ETH. Lido, Ethereum's largest staking provider, is consolidating over 265,000 validators into about 4,000 larger ones, potentially reducing the validator population by a third. Investors should watch for the completion of this merge, changes in the exit queue, and whether staked ETH continues to grow.

As of October 7, 2026, 01:12 WIB, Lido Staked Ether (STETH) trades at Rp48,252,413 on Pluang with a slight 1-day decline of 0.26%. The market cap of STETH stands at Rp470.09 trillion, supported by a circulating supply of 9.8 million tokens. This trading activity highlights ongoing investor engagement in staked ETH amid Ethereum's evolving validator landscape.