Overview
- MetaMask disclosed a security incident on Sept. 30 and began proactively withdrawing validators it operated for Lido, saying its investigation found no sign that wallets or customer funds were compromised.
- The validator exit queue peaked at about 851,000 ETH on Oct. 2 and had fallen to 767,349 ETH by Oct. 5, showing the backlog is starting to drain.
- Roughly 1.44 million to 1.5 million ETH was waiting to enter staking on Oct. 5, which translates to an estimated wait of about 25 days before new deposits start earning rewards.
- Lido and other operators expect most withdrawn ETH to be gradually re‑staked but say the full round‑trip could take up to about 45 days, and validators out of service miss staking rewards during that period.
- Ethereum limits how much stake can join or leave the validator set—about 256 ETH per epoch or ~57,600 ETH per day—so large operator moves create multi‑day entry and exit queues that directly reduce short‑term income for stakers.